The evaluation of Applications shall be based on the criteria set forth in this rule chapter and the information in Application Form SMWW-2. Trust staff shall utilize the information contained in the Application (including exhibits) and all information obtained during its review of the Application, including information obtained during site visits, in drafting an evaluation report and developing a ranking report to present to the Governing Board. At a publicly noticed meeting, the Governing Board will evaluate the reports and approve the recommended ranking report that will be presented to the Board of Trustees.

The Business Summary shall be evaluated for sufficiency based on information provided in Application Form SMWW-2. Staff from the issuing agency, and other state agencies as deemed necessary by the Trust, shall review each Business Summary and provide comments to the Trust. Trust staff shall prepare a recommended Business Summary sufficiency determination that takes into consideration comments received from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and other agencies for consideration by the Governing Board. Applications containing a Business Summary deemed insufficient by the Trust will not be considered by the Board of Trustees.

An Application shall receive all the points assigned to a particular criterion if the criterion is met; no partial scores will be given for a criterion. If a criterion does not apply to the proposed Project Site, the Applicant should state “No” in the response to the criterion.

Points shall be awarded when the following criteria are met:

1. (1) Location:

   1. (a) The Project Site is located within the boundary of a locally designated Community Redevelopment Area as defined in Section 163.340, F.S. and furthers the adopted community redevelopment plan (10 points);
   2. (b) The Project Site is adjacent to or within 2,000 feet of and tidally connected to state-owned submerged lands designated as an aquatic preserve identified in Section 258.39, F.S. National Marine Sanctuary or National Estuarine Research Reserve (10 points);
   3. (c) The Project Site is located within a municipality with a population less than 30,000 or in an unincorporated area of the county with a population in the unincorporated area that is less than 40,000 (10 points);
   4. (d) The Project Site is within an area designated as “Waterfronts Florida Partnership Community” (9 points);
   5. (e) The Project Site provides services and is located within 15 miles of a state designated aquaculture “High Density Lease Area” (5 points); and,
   6. (f) The Project Site is within an area designated as a “Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern” or “Area of Critical State Concern” (points only given on one category) (4 points).

2. (2) Economic Consideration:

   1. (a) The proposed project provides an economic benefit to the community (10 points);
   2. (b) The Project Site is located in a municipality or in the unincorporated county with a growth rate that exceeds the average growth rate for the state, as shown by population increase since the last census (10 points); and,
   3. (c) The Project Site has sustained hurricane damage in the past 5 years such that operating capacity was reduced or normal operations were interrupted for a period of not less than two weeks (5 points).

   4. (d) The grant award amount requested is within the following thresholds (Points will be awarded on only one of the following criteria):

      1. The Applicant is requesting a grant award amount that does not exceed $1,500,000.00 (8 points),

      2. The Applicant is requesting a grant award amount that does not exceed $2,500,000.00 (4 points),

      3. The Applicant is requesting a grant award amount that does not exceed $3,500,000.00 (2 points).

      FCT will not participate in project costs that exceed the grant award amount.

3. (3) Site Suitability/Readiness:

   1. (a) The Project Site will provide a docking facility for commercial fishing vessels (Points will be awarded on only one of the following criteria):

      1. The Project Site contains an existing docking facility that can be presently utilized for commercial saltwater fisheries or aquaculture operations (17 points),

      2. The Project Site contains an existing docking facility that requires major restoration to be utilized for commercial saltwater fisheries or aquaculture operations and the applicant has committed to rebuild the docking facility (12 points),

      3. The Applicant has committed to construct a new docking facility on the Project Site for commercial fishing vessels or aquaculture operations (6 points).

   2. (b) The Project Site will provide a Seafood House or other building to be used for Working Waterfront Business (Points will be awarded on only one of the following criteria):

      1. The Project Site contains an existing Seafood House or other building that can be presently utilized for Working Waterfront Business (10 points),

      2. The Project Site contains an existing Seafood House or other building that requires major restoration and the applicant has committed to rebuild the building to be utilized as a Working Waterfront Business (8 points),

      3. The Applicant has committed to construct a new Seafood House or other buildings of at least 1,000 square feet on the Project Site to be used for Working Waterfronts Business (4 points).

   3. (c) The Project Site will provide a structure for launching commercial fishing vessels, including but not limited to a boat ramp, boat lift or boat rail system (Points will only be awarded on one of the following criteria):

      1. The Project Site contains an existing structure for launching commercial fishing vessels, including but not limited to a boat ramp, boat lift or boat rail system, which can be presently utilized without major restoration (6 points).

      2. The Project Site contains an existing structure for launching commercial fishing vessels, including but not limited to a boat ramp, boat lift or boat rail system, that requires major restoration and the Applicant has committed to rebuild the existing boat launch (4 points).

      3. The Applicant has committed to construct a new boat launching facility on the Project Site that will be used for commercial fishing vessels (2 points).

   4. (d) The Project Site contains an open area of at least 1/4 acre to be used for the storage of traps, nets, and other gear needed for commercial fishing or aquaculture operations (4 points).
   5. (e) The proposed project will be acquired using a less-than-fee Working Waterfront Covenant for all of the land to be acquired (5 points).

4. (4) Financial Contribution. Providing a share of the eligible Match. The Applicant is committed to:

   1. (a) Provide a Match between 25 percent to 34 percent of the Project Costs, or, for Small Local Governments as defined in subsection 62-820.002(22), F.A.C., and Nonprofit Working Waterfronts Organizations, a Match between 10 percent and 19 percent of the Project Costs (5 points), or
   2. (b) Provide a Match of 35 percent or more of the Project Costs, or, for Small Local Governments as defined in subsection 62-820.002(22), F.A.C., and Nonprofit Working Waterfronts Organizations, a Match of 20 percent or more of the Project Costs (10 points).

5. (5) Community Planning:

   1. (a) The project is located in a Future Land Use category, zoning district, or overlay district that has been identified for the protection and preservation of Working Waterfronts (7 points);
   2. (b) The project furthers local government comprehensive plan objectives and policies directives that ensure the protection and preservation of Working Waterfronts for use by commercial fisherman, aquaculturists, or business entities that support these industries (7 points);

6. (6) Public Education:

   1. (a) The Projects Site provides permanent structured displays of artifacts and other items open to the public that provide information about the economic, cultural or historic heritage of Florida’s traditional Working Waterfronts (4 points);
   2. (b) Project Site contains a structure(s) that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places administered by the National Park Service (3 points);
   3. (c) The Project Site will contain interpretive kiosk(s) or signs(s) that educate the public about the economic, cultural, or historic heritage of Florida’s traditional Working Waterfronts (2 points).

Rulemaking Authority 380.507(11), 380.5105(2) FS. Law Implemented 259.105, 380.501-.515 FS. History–New 11-25-08, Amended 5-16-10, Formerly 9K-9.006.