The administration recommends that the City Commission adopt the Resolution authorizing the application process and installation of state historical markers in accordance with the funding recommendations of the Finance Committee.  

HISTORY:
On January 16, 2019, at the request of Commissioners John Elizabeth Aleman and Mark Samuelian, the City Commission referred the subject discussion item to the Finance and City Wide Projects Committee (Item C4H).

On February 22, 2019, the Finance and City Wide Projects Committee discussed the item and approved a motion to budget $30,000 for the current budget year and $30,000 for next fiscal year for the installation of historic markers. Additionally, the Finance Committee requested that the Administration create a prioritized list of marker locations, as recommended by Dr. Lynette Long, to be discussed at Neighborhood and Community Affairs Committee.

On May 20, 2019 the Neighborhood and Community Affairs Committee discussed a prioritized list of locations for historical markers, as prepared by the Administration.  At this meeting, the Committee recommended approval of 18 locations, as recommended by the administration, with the understanding that the administration would determine which of the markers would include double sided text and that the final locations would be further refined in a manner that would result in greatest visibility possible.

BACKGROUND / SUMMARY

The Florida Historical Marker Program is administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources.  The program recognizes historic resources, as well as persons and events that are significant in the areas of architecture, archaeology, and historic culture, by promoting the placing of historic markers and plaques at sites of historic and visual interest to visitors.  

Applications are submitted to the Division of Historical Resources and reviewed by the Florida Historic Marker Council several times throughout the year. Applications are required to include a historical documentation, bibliography, current photographs of resource or site, copy for the Marker text and signed property owner’s permission.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to pay for the marker and all associated installation costs.

The cost for a single-sided marker is $2,010 and the cost of a double sided marker is $2,330.  According to the Florida Department of State, costs are subject to change and an applicant is notified of the current cost after an application has been approved by the Florida Historic Marker Council.

Each marker is made of cast aluminum with a dark blue background with white lettering and a white Florida Heritage emblem.  The markers come with a 7’-0” concrete post and have a text area of 30” by 42”.

The following is the prioritized list of marker locations, as recommend by the Neighborhood and Community Affairs Committee:

In accordance with the February 22, 2019 recommendation of the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee and the May 20, 2019 recommendation of the Neighborhoods and Community Affairs Committee, the administration recommends that the City Commission adopt the Resolutiuon authorizing the following:

1. Proceeding with the application process and installation of state historical markers for the above noted sites.

    

2. The first nine markers shall be funded in the amount of $30,000 for FY 2019 from the general fund-contingencies.

3. The remaining nine markers shall be funded in the amount of $30,000 and shall be added to the Planning Department’s FY 2020 current service level budget.