(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.
