68F-54.005. Approval, Allocation, and Disbursement Procedures for Aquatic Plant Management Funds

(1) Workplan requests shall be reviewed and approved by the section staff to determine compliance with this chapter.

(2) Although a waterbody may meet eligibility criteria, funding and workforce availability may be insufficient to manage noxious plants for a period of time. The section shall allocate funds according to the following priorities, with 1 being the highest priority, and the additional considerations listed in subsection 68F-54.005(3), F.A.C.:

Priority 1: To manage waterhyacinth and waterlettuce, including those plants in waters which could infest connected eligible lakes and rivers.

Priority 2: To manage new hydrilla infestations, particularly those at boat ramps or in waters connected to eligible waters which contain little or no hydrilla.

Priority 3: To manage any noxious aquatic plant restricting access at public boat ramps, or to establish trails which connect boat ramps to major use areas.

Priority 4: To provide open areas in dense stands of hydrilla for navigation and recreational use.

Priority 5: To provide for large scale hydrilla management operations.

Priority 6: To provide open areas in dense stands of other noxious plants for navigation and recreational use.

Priority 7: To manage noxious plants in residential or dead end canals and which are connected to eligible waters, unless they contain waterhyacinth or waterlettuce, or hydrilla when there is a navigable connection to an eligible water and the eligible water contains little or no hydrilla.

(3) The section shall allocate funds for an individual waterbody using the criteria established in subsection 68F-54.005(2), F.A.C., with consideration being given to the following factors:

(a) Availability of state and federal funds.

(b) Availability of local funds or in-kind services.

(c) Major uses of the waterbody.

(d) Feasibility of achieving control of noxious aquatic plants in the waterbody.

(e) Anticipated environmental and biological community impacts including the current and anticipated water quality conditions.

(f) Specific comments provided by substantially affected persons.

(g) Current and anticipated level of aquatic plants in the waterbody.

(h) Relative benefit to the public.

(4) A task assignment shall be executed by the Commission with the contractor prior to any aquatic plant management activities being eligible for reimbursement.

(5) Reimbursement shall be based on accounting for actual costs and shall be the means for identifying and distributing allowable costs in the program. All invoices for a given month shall be provided to the Commission for determination of reimbursement no later than the 20th day of the following month. The Commission shall have thirty (30) days in which to review, inspect, and accept the contractor’s work effort and associated reimbursement documentation. Incomplete or incorrect invoices submitted shall be returned by the Commission for correction to the contractor within thirty (30) days of receipt. The corrected invoice shall be returned to the Commission no later than the 20th day following the day of receipt by the contractor. The Commission shall reimburse the contractor monthly upon receipt of a properly certified invoice. The following certification statement shall appear on the invoice, “I certify that the above bill is correct and just and that payment thereof has not been received; I further certify that the contractor and all sub-contractors employed on the work have complied with the labor standards provision of the contract.” The contractor shall keep separate cost accounting records for this program from which the invoice shall be prepared.

Rulemaking Authority 369.20, 369.22 FS. Law Implemented 369.20, 369.22, 120.60 FS. History–New 1-7-87, Amended 5-30-93, Formerly 16C-54.005, 62C-54.005, Amended 10-9-12.