Florida Senator Ken Pruitt
Leads Three-County Collaborative
The 37-member Committee for a Sustainable Treasure Coast increases cooperation and coordination between St. Lucie, Martin, and Indian River counties, and involves a full range of interests in the Treasure Coast region. Members include elected officials from the counties and municipalities and members from quasi-government, education, conservation, business, and regional interests.
To manage the complex array of tasks it faces, the Committee divided into five working groups:
- Sustaining Quality Natural Systems
- Creating a Smart Built Environment
- Achieving Economic Diversity and Prosperity
- Enhancing Healthy and Vital Social Systems, and
- Conserving Rural Lands
In addition, a Technical Advisory Committee provides information and guidance to the Treasure Coast Committee in order to maintain coordination with state programs and policies.
During the initial phase of the committee’s work, hurricanes Frances and Jeanne pounded the Treasure Coast. When members of the committee reconvened in October, they decided to produce a Special Storm Report to be sent to the December 2004 Special Legislative Session. The report identified five additional, storm-related issues that members felt should also be addressed collaboratively.
In February, the Committee released its first Interim Report (1.9 MB PDF). Its Final Report will be presented to the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President in September 2005.
Project facilitator Jim Murley, Director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University, said the Committee is planning to review, learn from, and contribute to related efforts already underway. These include the Department of Community Affairs Growth Management Initiative, the Urban Land Institute’s Florida Committee for Regional Cooperation, and the Florida Chamber’s Cornerstone II report.
According to Murley, “the Committee is in a unique position to take advantage of numerous statewide reviews of how Florida will grow in the future, and is poised to make significant contributions to the long-range recovery of the area from three tropical storms.”
Murley’s ties with Florida Atlantic University have helped secure key technical and facilitation support for the Committee. He previously served as Secretary for the Florida Department of Community Affairs and has many years of experience in growth management issues.
A team from the Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium, based at Florida State University, has been working with FAU to provide project assistance, and the Indian River Community College hosts the Committee’s meetings.
In addition, several key contributors stepped forward to help finance the initiative. These include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of Transportation, the South Florida Water Management District, and St. John’s Water Management District.
“Such wide support for the project attests to its significance to this growing region of Florida,” Pruitt said. “If more communities followed the Treasure Coast’s example, they would realize a unified effort among public, private and not-for-profit stakeholders can be the best guide for all levels of government.”