Background - RESTORE Advancement Process

History of Process & Future Steps

The Bay County Board of County Commissioners advanced 15 RESTORE Act Direct Component project proposals for consideration for funding. These proposals are part of Bay County’s Multi-Year Implementation Plan for projects to be funded with RESTORE Act Direct Component funds reserved for Bay County’s use. The draft Multi-Year Implementation Plan, including the 15 proposed projects, will be brought before the Bay County Board of County Commissioners in a public hearing during the Board's July 19 meeting. The Board will approve a draft Plan, and a public comment period of at least 45 days will be opened.

Staff will compile the public comments, provide recommendations as appropriate, and bring the draft Plan, including the list of proposals and public comment compilation, before the Board in a public hearing. The Board will approve a final Multi-Year Implementation Plan with projects not exceeding a Direct Component cost of $7 million, the amount available to Bay County through the Transocean and Anadarko Clean Water Act settlements related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The public hearings and comment period will be noticed through legal ads, media, interested parties emails and website postings, including on Bay County’s RESTORE Act main page.

The public will have an opportunity to comment at both public hearings. The draft and final Plan will be available for download from the internet, and a paper copy will be available at the main Bay County Public Library location.

The draft Multi-Year Implementation Plan (PDF) contains descriptions of the projects being considered. After approval by the Board of County Commissioners, the plan, including selected projects, will be sent to the U.S Department of the Treasury for acceptance. The final project descriptions and details are the decision of the Bay County Board of County Commissioners.

After acceptance of the plan by Treasury, a separate grant application must be submitted for each project. The Bay County Board of County Commissioners will be the applicant when grant applications are submitted to the U.S Department of the Treasury. The Board will make the final determination as to grant application content, with final grant application approval by Treasury. The County will be the grant recipient. Projects will be completed by the County, grant sub-recipients, and/or contracts awarded through competitive processes.

Links to various documents are provided below, including a separate list of the projects (PDF) as well as a county map showing the locations of all the projects (PDF). Two files provide individual project maps.