WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
South Florida Water Management DistrictNOTICE OF INTENDED AGENCY ACTION
The South Florida Water Management District gives notice of its intent to renew and modify Water Use Permit 47-00004-W (Application 061227-23) with conditions and grant the Petition for Variance (Application 110902-1) to the Okeechobee Utility Authority, 100 S.W. 5th Avenue, Okeechobee, FL 34974-4221, for a public water supply serving Glades County, Sections 25, 35, 36, Township 38 South, Range 34 East and Sections 18, 19, Township 38 South, Range 35 East; and, Okeechobee County, Sections 4-10, 13-30, 32-36, Township 37 South, Range 35 East, Section 31, Township 37 South, Range 36 East, and Sections 4, 5, 8, 17-19, Township 38 South, Range 35 East. The 20-year permit authorizes the continued use of groundwater from the surficial aquifer system and the continued and increased use of surface water from Lake Okeechobee for a public water supply with an annual allocation of 1,268.50 million gallons.
The Staff Report setting forth the staff recommendation regarding the permit, including proposed limiting conditions to provide reasonable assurances that the project meets SFWMD statutes and rules, can be obtained by contacting the Regulatory Records Management Section, during normal business hours, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33406, Regulation Division, by telephone at (561)682-6911, by e-mail: permits@sfwmd.gov or by accessing the Staff Report directly from the District’s website (www.sfwmd.gov/ePermitting) using the Application/Permit search function.
The District’s proposed agency action as set forth in the Staff Report shall become final unless a timely petition for an administrative hearing is filed under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes, before the deadline for filing a petition.
As required by Sections 120.569(1) and 120.60(3), Florida Statutes, following is notice of the opportunities which may be available for administrative hearing or judicial review when the substantial interests of a party are determined by an agency. Please note that this Notice of Rights is not intended to provide legal advice. Not all the legal proceedings detailed below may be an applicable or appropriate remedy. You may wish to consult your attorney regarding your legal rights.
A person whose substantial interests are or may be affected by the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD or District) action has the right to request an administrative hearing on that action pursuant to Sections 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes. Persons seeking a hearing on a District decision which does or may determine their substantial interests shall file a petition for hearing with the District Clerk within 21 days of receipt of written notice of the decision, unless one of the following shorter time periods apply: 1) within 14 days of the notice of consolidated intent to grant or deny concurrently reviewed applications for environmental resource permits and use of sovereign submerged lands pursuant to Section 373.427, Florida Statutes; or 2) within 14 days of service of an Administrative Order pursuant to Subsection 373.119(1), Florida Statutes. “Receipt of written notice of agency decision” means receipt of either written notice through mail, or electronic mail, or posting that the District has or intends to take final agency action, or publication of notice that the District has or intends to take final agency action. Any person who receives written notice of a SFWMD decision and fails to file a written request for hearing within the timeframe described above waives the right to request a hearing on that decision.
Filing Instructions
The Petition must be filed with the Office of the District Clerk of the SFWMD. Filings with the District Clerk may be made by mail, hand-delivery or facsimile. Filings by e-mail will not be accepted. Any person wishing to receive a clerked copy with the date and time stamped must provide an additional copy. A petition for administrative hearing is deemed filed upon receipt during normal business hours by the District Clerk at SFWMD headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida. Any document received by the office of the SFWMD Clerk, after 5:00 p.m., shall be filed as of 8:00 a.m., on the next regular business day. Additional filing instructions are as follows:
Filings by mail must be addressed to the Office of the SFWMD Clerk, P. O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416.
Filings by hand-delivery must be delivered to the Office of the SFWMD Clerk. Delivery of a petition to the SFWMD’s security desk does not constitute filing. To ensure proper filing, it will be necessary to request the SFWMD’s security officer to contact the Clerk’s office. An employee of the SFWMD's Clerk’s office will receive and file the petition.
Filings by facsimile must be transmitted to the SFWMD Clerk’s Office, (561)682-6010. Pursuant to subsections 28-106.104(7), (8) and (9), Florida Administrative Code, a party who files a document by facsimile represents that the original physically signed document will be retained by that party for the duration of that proceeding and of any subsequent appeal or subsequent proceeding in that cause. Any party who elects to file any document by facsimile shall be responsible for any delay, disruption, or interruption of the electronic signals and accepts the full risk that the document may not be properly filed with the clerk as a result. The filing date for a document filed by facsimile shall be the date the SFWMD Clerk receives the complete document.
Initiation of an Administrative Hearing
Pursuant to Rules 28-106.201 and 28-106.301, Florida Administrative Code, initiation of an administrative hearing shall be made by written petition to the SFWMD in legible form and on 8 1/2 by 11 inch white paper. All petitions shall contain:
1.Identification of the action being contested, including the permit number, application number, District file number or any other SFWMD identification number, if known.
2.The name, address and telephone number of the petitioner and petitioner’s representative, if any.
3.An explanation of how the petitioner’s substantial interests will be affected by the agency determination.
4.A statement of when and how the petitioner received notice of the SFWMD’s decision.
5.A statement of all disputed issues of material fact. If there are none, the petition must so indicate.
6.A concise statement of the ultimate facts alleged, including the specific facts the petitioner contends warrant reversal or modification of the SFWMD’s proposed action.
7.A statement of the specific rules or statutes the petitioner contends require reversal or modification of the SFWMD’s proposed action.
8.If disputed issues of material fact exist, the statement must also include an explanation of how the alleged facts relate to the specific rules or statutes.
9.A statement of the relief sought by the petitioner, stating precisely the action the petitioner wishes the SFWMD to take with respect to the SFWMD’s proposed action.
A person may file a request for an extension of time for filing a petition. The SFWMD may, for good cause, grant the request. Requests for extension of time must be filed with the SFWMD prior to the deadline for filing a petition for hearing. Such requests for extension shall contain a certificate that the moving party has consulted with all other parties concerning the extension and that the SFWMD and any other parties agree to or oppose the extension. A timely request for extension of time shall toll the running of the time period for filing a petition until the request is acted upon.
If the District takes action with substantially different impacts on water resources from the notice of intended agency decision, the persons who may be substantially affected shall have an additional point of entry pursuant to Rule 28-106.111, Florida Administrative Code, unless otherwise provided by law.
Mediation
The procedures for pursuing mediation are set forth in Section 120.573, Florida Statutes and Rules 28-106.111 and 28-106.401-.405, Florida Administrative Code. The SFWMD is not proposing mediation for this agency action under Section 120.573, Fla. Stat., at this time.
RIGHT TO SEEK JUDICIAL REVIEW
Pursuant to Sections 120.60(3) and 120.68, Florida Statutes, a party who is adversely affected by final SFWMD action may seek judicial review of the SFWMD’s final decision by filing a notice of appeal pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.110 in the Fourth District Court of Appeal or in the appellate district where a party resides and filing a second copy of the notice with the SFWMD Clerk within 30 days of rendering of the final SFWMD action.
