PENDING ISSUES

On the CEMEX CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FLORIDA LLC

BK LAND TRUST

BMM LAND TRUST

Application for a Comprehensive land Use Amendment

Hernando County, Flor ida (CPAM 1102)

Submitted to:

Hernando County Planning Department

20 North Main Street

Brooksville, FL 34601

Submitted by:

DeeVon Quirolo,

Resident of Hernando County &

President, Nature Coast Conservation, Inc.

Neighbors Against Mining Project

222 East Liberty Street

Brooksville, FL 34601

March 12, 2015

Received

MAR l 2 2015

f"annlng Departmetll Hemando CountY. Florida

This document will review the Discussion of Issues presented in the Hemando County Planning Department

Staff Report dated December 15, 2014. It seeks to address whether the applicant has met the burden of

establishing that this application is consistent with the established goals, objectives and policies of the

Hernando County Comprehensive Land Use Plan and the minimum requirements contained in Florida Statutes

Chapter 163, Part II (The Community Planning Act). It supplements comments submitted to Hernando County

on July 2, 2014.

1. Future Transportation Corridors. There exists a county-owned collector road that runs north to south

through the property t hat the staff report notes Hwoutd be interrupted by t he proposed mining activity."

CEMEX proposes to include this road within the mining footprint such that portions of that road will be

excavated as deep as 45' according to the 20 year mining plan. (See attached).

The county has required the applicant to provide all required roadways in accordance with the "Future

Functionally Classified Roadways Map" as part of the mining reclamation requirement. However, according to

the record of testimony, the applicant has agreed only to lay a bed of clay at the bottom of the excavated pit,

not restore the area to its previous elevation. There is a steep slope-a 100 foot drop-from north to south on

this parcel. It is not in the county or the public's best interests to allow t his to occur to a county-owned

roadway. The question of whether the road will be fully N!Stored to its previous elevation as a functional

road remains unresolved based on the record.

In addition, the proposal to connect CR 491 (Citrus Way) to California Street will create a new road

immediately adjacent to several residential properties. These property owners have not been provided notice

of this proposed change to the property abutting their backyards. Many are unaware of this specific aspect

that is being considered.

2. Historic Cemetery Impacts. The Historic African American Spring Hill Cemetery, recently registered with the

state as a historic cemetery protected by state cemetery laws, is entirely surrounded by this parcel with access

via a dirt road from Ft. Dade Ave. It contains seven generations of Hernando pioneers & World War veterans.

CEMEX's 20 Year Mining Plan proposes to mine on two sides of t he cemetery. CEM EX has not yet

demonstrated that the proposed buffer of 250' from the edge of the mining to the nearest grave is adequate

to insure that the impacts of blasting, wave vibrations, and other excavation activities will not create nested

insecurities in the land that would damage the historic vaults and endanger the safety of visitors to it. This is

still an active cemetery where visitors go to bury their dead or visit the cemetery. The buffer proposed for

along Cortez Boulevard is 600 feet Surely this state-registered historic cemetery deserves at least as much

protection and with all due respect, much more, in view of the potential for damage to the cemetery and

inappropriate nature of open pit industrial mining around it. The burden on the applicant to insure that

mining is consistent with and will not damage this exlsttng historical use has not been established.

Cemetery trustee Alyce Walker has filed written comments opposing it and has testified in opposition to it

on two occasions. This issue has not been resolved and remains a barrier to approval of this application.

3. Mining setback from SR SO. The concept of allowing an open pit industrial mine at the gateway to

Hernando County's seat-historic Brooksville- is inconsistent with the existing business zoning of the corridor

and too close to the 7,100 residents of that city who will be exposed to the chronic dust pollution, noise from

blasting and visual blight that even a 400 foot buffer from the nearest mining berm or existing trees cannot

mask.

The City of Brooksville has the right of first refusal on this corridor and has already installed fire hydrants and

run water in anticipation of the business/residential zoning in the FLUM. This is a radical, inconsistent

departure from that anticipated use. The county would not be a good neighbor to impose this change on the

five hundred eighteen city residents and property owners and over five hundred county residents and

property owners who have signed petitions opposing mining at this location. They represent the tip of the

iceberg of all dty and county residents who oppose this proposed amendment because it is in the wrong

location and inconsistent with adjacent uses. This is an unresolved issue.

4. Impact to wildlife. We recommend on-site mitigation. Off-site mitigation to compensate for the loss of

the rich natural habitat and abundant wildlife it supports at this location is a poor substitute for simply

protecting it by creating a conservatiof'1 corridor here and making this forested northern part of the parcel off

limits to mining. In addition, the comments of the Florida fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and the

Southwest Florida Water Management District both noted guidelines for dealing with such vulnerable natural

resources, which must be followed by the county prior to determining that outright habitat loss is a legitimate

resolution to this incompatible use of the land.

As noted in staff comments, the comprehensive land use plan clearly outlines the value of the Big Hammock,

SHCA's and large areas of functional wildlife habitat and outlines goals, objectives and policies to insure their

protection, e.g. Goal 1.06. Polley 1.068{3}: Prohibit development activities that are inconsistent with agency

rules regarding habitat protection and Goal 6.01 Protect Wildlife and Conserve, Appropriately Use and Protect

Wildlife Habitats noting that the potential exists for the natural resources on-site to provide habitat and

support species considered to be important to Hernando County.

Again, the burden of proof lies with the applicant to establish consistency with the existing comp plan policies

and regulations. Chapter 2: Mining Objective 1.108 reads, "For all land added to the mining category, protect

ecological features and natural resources from the adverse impacts of resource extraction." Policy 1.10{8)(1)

notes the requirement of an environmental review to determine the suitability of the proposed land use

category. This plan amendment is inconsistent with Objective 1.108 to protect ecological features and natural

resources from the adverse impacts of resource extraction, which in this case is complete removal of the

habitat. It clearly violates the policy stating that "Resource extraction may not be allowed in areas of habitat

known to support viable populations of threatened and endangered species" and in "other affected areas"

containing habitat of species of special concern.

The report prepared for CEMEX by Flatwoods Consulting Group indicated there are 246.3 acres of Woodland,

Hardwood Hammocks or Freshwater Marshlands and another 129.6 acres of Wooded Rural for a total of 375.9

acres of dense habitat of a total of 573.47 acres sought to be mined. The remaining pastureland contains

many large trees. The wooded habitat would be destroyed if mining were approved at this site., including the

open space of the pastureland and its trees. The survey listed Species Survey Report indicated that this land

is known habitat for 8 Species of Special Concern, 6 species listed with the stronger designation of Threatened.

and one Usted with the highest level of protection as Endangered in addition to numerous other animals.

These woodlands provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, runoff prevention by filtering

rainwater into the aquifer and support crop pollinators and other rnsects. Per the above-cited policies, mining violates this section of the comprehensive land use plan due to the presence of dense canopy, th ree

ponds and freshwater marshes that provide habitat known to support threatened and endangered species

and species of special concern.

In addition, the report notes that useveraJ wildlife species were observed ... that include white-tailed deer, wild

turkey, nine-banded armadillo, black racer, eastern gray squirrel, red-shouldered hawk, pileated and downy

woodpecker, and several species of passerine birds including American robin, Northern cardinal, blue jay,

ground dove and mourning dove."

The best way to protect these habitats and species from the adverse impacts of mining is to make the

northern portion of this parcel where the canopy exists off-limits for mining. This is an unresolved Issue.

S. Wetlands impacts & 6. Karst features: This parcel is contained within the Peck Sink Watershed (see map).

The county and state have expended approximately $4.5 million taxpayer dollars to protect water quality in

the Peck Sink Watershed. Hydrogeologist Noah Kugler of H20Geosolutions submitted comments into the

record indicating that there Is a steep slope of over 100' from north to south on this parcel. He notes that

"The limestone typically moves large volumes of water quickly underground even in the absence of large karst

features." Excavation would induce potential impacts such as lowering the water table and affecting fresh

water wells of residents in the area and flooding Peck Sink thereby degrading water quality in this special

protection area. "A decline in water levels within the mine area could lead to significant reduction in moisture

at the plant root zones and alter hydroperiods, particularly north and west of the mine area." See attached

expert comments, charts, maps and qualifications of Mr. Kugler which have been entered into the record.

Mr. Kugler also summarizes the USGS study entitled "Potential Impacts of Quarrying Stone in Karst- A

Literature Review'' that has been entered into the record, to further define his concerns.

Dr. Philip van Beynen of the University of South Florida Department of Geography/Environmental Science and

Policy Programs agrees. He notes that "The borehole anatysis technique used to investigate this site is widely

accepted by those in the karst scientific community to be unsuitable for investigating karst aquifers." See his

attached comments agreeing with Mr. Kugler that further study is needed before mining is approved.

Ordinance 94-8 the Groundwater Protecting and Siting Ordinance of Hernando County citing Chapter 187, F.S.

the State Comprehensive Plan, " requires the protection of aquifers from contamination." The intent of the

ordinance is "To protect the quality of water obtained from existing and future community public supply wells,

in addition to county-wide groundwater resources.H Section 6 Prohibitions with Wellhead and Special

Protection Areas specific prohibits "9. Mining and borrow pits."

Chapter 7 of the comprehensive land use plan requires that the Brooksville Regional Medical Center Planned

Development District to provide evidence that Peck Sink will not be negatively impacted by development. Why

hasn't a similar requirement been applied to this application?

CEMEX has not met the burden of proof here. The weight of credible expert evidence that mining would

endanger public health by impacting residential wells and reducing water quality in the Peck Sink Watershed

has not been refuted by CEMEX at this point. Mining Is an incompatible use of this area due to these Impacts

that violate existing policies and regulations. This is an unresolved issue.

7. Potential impacts from mining and blasting. Bayfront Health Hospital is just across the street. Mining

would produce chronic aerial pollution to patients and staff, outside and via hospital air duct systems. The

blasting, vibration waves, and tremors will disrupt sensitive equipment and delicate medical procedures, and

endanger patient health and recovery. Not an appropriate location for a mine and the proposed buffer of 600

feet Is inadequate to prevent damage to adjacent uses.

See comments and qualifications of Dennis Clark, mining expert, attached. He notes that blasting activities

will endanger the hospital. "Even with a 600 foot buffer, dust and fumes, noise and vibration will be not only

noticeable but could be problematic. In terms of blasting, wind dir1ection, temperature inversions and

vibration durations and frequencies could have a major impact on the hospital's operation. Here we are not

concerned with a rattling of dishes or the displacement of a picture frame, but the integrity of the operation of

the hospital. In terms of criteria not only air-over pressure and peak particle velocity are important but

accelerations of ground motion and their effects must be taken into consideration. Neither State nor Federal

blasting criteria directly address the needs of acceleration limitations of impacts to the infrastructure of the

hospital, which must be made. This is due to the fact that the large majority (99%+) of structures near

mining/quarry operations are either residential or commercial so peak particle velocity is considered

sufficient. Likewise, it is only recently that dust and fumes from blasting operations are being addressed in

any Federal blasting regulations and State programs that are being over-sighted by federal programs."

Plus there are 150 residents living in SO homes immediately adjacent to the proposed new mine and many of them are outraged that the county is considering changing the existing rural residential zoning to allow open pit industrial mining. The record reflects strong public opposition in this long-established residentially-zoned community. It is a radical deprivation of the right to quiet enjoyment of private property to change the CEMEX parcel that is currently zoned agricultural to mining. It's just the wrong use for this area-too close to residents and an inadequate buffer of just 100 feet.

The lives of nearby residents have been diminished by t he current mining operations further north of this parcel and they e)Cpected the mining to be completed, rather than expanded closer to their homes. The residents have endured: noise and blasting, dust , lights, vibration waves and tremors that causes damage to homes, air pollution from silica dust that t hreatens their health, environmental impacts, habitat loss, changes In the community character and unsightly landscapes that have reduced their quality of life and been destructive to the character and integrity of the existing residential environment. All of these impacts can be expected to worsen and increase over the next 20 years rt the land use plan is amended to allow more mining in this area.

This is contrary to Chapter 1 Objective 1.0lH Protect Established Residential Area and Provide for Development of Historically Platted Lands and Policy 1.01H(2) Protect existing and future residential areas from encroachment of incompatible uses that are destructive to the character and integrity of the residential environment. You can expect legal challenges if the residential property rights are infringed.

Furthermore, Mr. Clark notes that "Before any permit is issued, citizens have the right to express objection to

the mine/quarry operation and to understand fully what protection he or she will have that ensures the

safety of their person and property. currently the citizen/community is unsure of the existing permit

conditions and how any criteria, including blasting, protect them or their property."

A review of past five years of blasting records from CEMEX for the mines located further north leave many

unanswered questions. There are repeated events that exceed legal thresholds of blasts and wave velocities

and the thresholds appear to have been manipulated to avoid the appearance of a violation. Some of the

blasts have been corroborated by residents who have been knocked to the ground during such blasts and

distriburbed. (Cynthia Dietrich, personal communication. She has a monitor in her yard. Buford White--also

has a monitor in his yard). The State Fire Marshall says he has never inspected these reports and that CEMEX

is required to self-report violations.

This information leads us to conclude that CEMEX has not demonstrated that mining and blasting in the

future is consistent with and will not adversely Impact the existing residential community and nearby

residents in the City of Brooksville. The fact that CEMEX says they have not had numerous complaints is

because no one thinks it would make any difference when the fox is guarding the hen house, so to speak. No

records of complaints they have received has been produced. look at the record of opposmon now that the

county is seeking input.

8. Property Values. Changing the land use plan from residential/agricultural to allow 20 years heavy industry

as an interim use is t he most radical change possible and will destroy the character of this area for well

beyond 20 years. At the Hernando County Planning Commission hearing and subsequent Hernando County

Commission hearings on CPAM 1102, dozens of residents and property owners have spoken out or submitted

written comments opposing this project due to a predictable loss in property values.

To do so would be inconsistent with the Hernando County Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Chapter 1: Future

Land Use: Policy 1.01H(2) as noted above.

There are over 50 residences that are home to over 150 residents in the immediate area and hundreds more

in Brooksville that would be negatively·impacted by mining activities because their property values will be

reduced. At previous county hearings, former realtor and Brooksviille resident and property owner Jill Graddy

submitted substantial competent published studies that provide evidence into the record confirming that

property values will likely be diminished if mining is allowed. They were also submitted in my eartier

comments.

1. "An Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Proposed Stoneco Gravel Mine Operation on Richland

Township" dated 2006 by George Erickcek, Senior Regional Analyist for the W.E. Upjohn Institute for

Employment Research found that a mine in this area of Michigan, uwill have a significant negative impact on

housing values. Once in full operation, the gravel mine will reduce residential property values ... by $31.5

million dollars. In other words, the chance of the gravel mine not having an adverse effect on housing values

is one in a thousand."

2. Erickcek's 2006 study also crtes a previous study by Nelson, Genereaux and Genereaux entitled "Price

Effects of Landfills on House Values" published in Land Economics, 1992 that stated: HRecent research shows

that property value effects may be significant up to two or three m iles from such sites."

3. A third study entitled "The Impact of Surface Coal Mining on Residential Property Values: A Hedonic Price

Analysis" by Austin Williams, published in Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of

Tennessee studied data from each county in 13 U.S. states that had mining. Their conclusions were as follows:

''For a county of 1000 square miles with a media residential price of $76,658, the addition of one

surface mine decreases housing value by $261.10. The overall loss to the average sized county with

30,446 housing units would amount to $7,949,359.

4. A fourth study, entitled " Property Valuation Model Effect of Traffic Noise on Property Value" by Mahmoud

El-Gohay, published in 2004, found that ''The primary finding of this study was the negative relation between

the market value of a property and the noise level emitted from the nearby freeway. A statistically significant

model with 7 independent variables explained 70% of the variance in the market value of the property. "

CEMEX presented a study of prooerty values during previous and current mining activities in Hernando County

which failed to establish a baseline PRIOR to mining in order to reach their conclusion that no risk of property

value loss exists. This is a flawed study for t he reason that it does not show the Impact of mining on property

values prior to mining because all properties were in an area of current mining. Plus they are incapable of

producing even one published expert study showing that property values will not be impacted because the

experts all conclude that mining reduces property values. It is common knowledge that no one seeks to live

near a mine. AH realtors know that. CEMEX has failed to provide competent evidence as to the potential

impact on property values, but you have the expert nationally-accepted studies we have submitted. Mining is

an encroachment and is incompatible because it destroys the character and integrity of t he residential

environment and reduces property values. This is a major unresolved issue.

9. Loss of wildlife habitat. see #4 above. Create a conservation easement on the northern portion of this

parcel that is off limits to mining to protect the habitat in situ. Commission a cumulative environmental

impacts assessment to more fully understand the ecological consequences of mining at this parcel prior to any

approvals or recommendations for approval.

10. Impact to cultural resources. The letter from the Florida State Division of Historical Resources dated

August 15, 2011, in response to the Cultural Resource Assessment Survey (CRAS) is flawed. That survey

completely ignored consideration of the historic African American Spring Hill Cemetery which is entirely

enclosed within this parcel and subject to great destruction if mining is permitted. Therefore, the state review

based on this flawed survey is incomplete in that it does not consider protecting this registered state historic

cemetery. Nor did the recent state review by that agency update its source materials. To eliminate

consideration of the cemetery, even though it is private property not owned by the applicants, is a major

oversight.

11. Canopy road impacts. As noted in the staff report, "The Fort Dade canopy Road is a unique resource

protected by County Ordinance.# It is an irreconcilable conflict to allow construction of an industrial conveyor

belt over that protected road without impacting the trees and drivers with dust, noise, runoff and the visual

blight that will destroy this popular scenic part of Hernando County and tum it into an industrial facility. Plus

the loss of trees to install the industrial-sized foundations leading up to the conveyor belt will violation the

fetter and spirit of the Canopy Road Ordinance and will be unsightly as well.

The County Canopy Road Ordinance is clear: "No tree shall be removed for the purpose of access to adjacent

properties." CEMEX has already marked many trees in the area and begun piling up land on its northern

border In anticipation of your approval. The trees appear to be slated for removal. Others have been fined up

to $1000 for removing one tree from this protected road. Why would the county grant such an easement?

How is this in the public interest? We don't even have a written description or engineered drawings of it at

this point which would be required if one were seeking even a county permit for relatively minor home

renovations, 1t is also unclear if this conveyor belt will be close enough to infringe on the historic cemetery

grounds and if, once built, it will diminish the peace and quiet of that historic cemetery.

How can the county planning staff recommend a blatant violation of this ordinance in order to find that this

Issue of canopy road impacts has been resolved?

12. City of Brooksville Utility Service Area. Five hundred eighteen residents and property owners in the City of Brooksville have signed a petition opposing mining in this location. It was submitted into the record at a previous meeting along with other signed petitions from county residents, just the tip of the iceberg of those opposed to the new mine. Many organizations and individuals have gone on record opposing this. _The public comment record contains 897 pages of written comments and studies that have been submitted since last spring. 27 individuals spoke out at the Hernando County Planning Commission meeting in July, 2014, and 35 individuals spoke out at the December gth , 2014 Hernando County Commission meeting. Each hearing lasted for over four hours.

• 10 Organizations have filed Statements of opposition: • About 50 Individuals & Businesses Have filed Written Comments Opposing it: • Petitions opposing the CEMEX mine proposal were signed by 1,169 people and presented • Over a dozen professional studies have been submitted into the record by speakers.

Many Brooksville residents are concerned with the health issues from the chronic atmospheric dust generated

by open pit industrial mining if allowed for the next 20 years at the doorstep to the city. The dust can release

a variety of heavy metals, silica dust-a known carcinogen, and aspergillis fungus that can be absorbed into

lung tissue, causing severe health problems. Asthma rates for Hernando County are higher than in other

counties due in part to past mining activities. The leading federal study on health impacts of silica dust is part

of the record. The toxicology report from CEMEX fails to consider that over 20 years, low levels of pollution

become chronic. This pollution will affect every resident of Brooksville for a period of 20 years, leading to

health impacts such as asthma that are preventable if we don't allow this mine to be located at this site.

All of the lime rock at the new mine will be processed at the CEMEX cement plant that has been fined over

two million dollars by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for violating air quality standards

through mercury and dioxin emissions. Instead of replacing the obsolete coal burning plant, CEMEX is now

burning wood to bring down the harmful emissions. Brooksville's 7,100 residents would be downwind of this

chronic pollution and it would endanger public health. Who would knowingly choose to inhale polluted air?

A second major concern of citizens is the economic impact of mining at this location. For too long, Hernando

has been economically depressed; mining has been good for only a select few. It's time to do better. This

project would create no new jobs for 20 years, while CEMEX and the land owners would be greatly enriched. It

is a bad deal for the county and for the City of Brooksville. The business corridor along Cortez Boulevard

would be compromised by the presence of an open pit industrial mine, discouraging other businesses from

moving into this area and spurring economic development.

As anticipated in the land use plan, it's time for Hernando County-part of the Nature Coast- to move beyond

the stone age to a sustainable future. The county is investing in economic growth via tourism, thanks to our

abundant natural and historical resources but you can't have it both ways. Savvy tourists seeking a Nature

Coast experience are not drawn to a mining town. Don't compromise your economic development efforts.

13. Reclamation and redevelopment strategies. To consider 20 years of mining as an interim use defies logic

in this instance. The highly damaging ecological effects of open pit industrial mining will permanently impact

the future use of this land and greatly reduces the potential to achieve an integrated development plan later.

After 20 years of mining, CEMEX will be responsible for reclaiming the area which will encompass a huge

excavated pit. This is a false hope.

Hernando County's past history of successful reclamation is questionable and negligible at best and provides

no confidence that this site will be adequately reclaimed, even if a bond is posted to fund it. Under the best

of situations, reclamation is a far cry from restoration. It generally means slope it to prevent sliding, get rid of

invasive exotics, and plant some trees. The complex composition of the plant communities and wildlife

habitats never returns, precisely because it cannot under the conditions left from the mining. There are better

and higher uses for this land.

The current plan for commercial and residential should remain as it is. CEMEX has not demonstrated a need

for more mining at this location and in fact, has other sites further north that are already permitted.

According to the annual mining report released last year, Hernando County had 431.5 acres of land being

actively mined in the past year. CEMEX had 218 of those acres in 7 locations throughout Hernando. There

are other sites where CEMEX can mine; this is just the wrong tocation. CEMEX has not submitted evidence

demonstrating the need to mine at this site. In fact, the mining report that is part of the record shows one of

their many sites in Hernando is not active and they are selling off stockpiles of accumulated products,

indicating that there is no shortage of lime rock at this time nor increasing demand. Overall, Hernando is not a

critical provider of lime rock in the state, where the lake Belt region of Miami-Dade dominates the market

according to the State DOT Aggregates Study provided into the record in lieu of an economic impact study.

CEMEX has not met the burden of establishing a need to mine at this location nor a capacity to insure that it

can be adequately reclaimed within a 25 year window.

Conclusion:

The Planning Commission was correct when it voted down this comprehensive land use plan amendment by a

vote of 4-1 in July, 2014. It falls the test of being sustainable under each of the three pillars of sustainability

(environmental, economic and social).

CEMEX has not met the burden of demonstrating that it is compatible with the current land use plan. There

are many unresolved issues concerning existing adjacent uses that include a hospital, 150 nearby residents in

rural/residentially-zoned homes, the Cortez Boulevard business corridor, the City of Brooksville, the historic

African American Spring Hill Cemetery, the valuable canopy forest habitat that is home to many threatened

and endangered species and species of special concern, and Fort Dade Avenue-the county-protected canopy

road. There is no justification for allowing this to be an interim use.

It fails to create even one new job over 20 years, reduces tax revenues for Hernando County and diminishes

our efforts to create sustainable green jobs promoting the Nature Coast tourist experience. It fails to protect

the health, safety and welfare of the people of Hernando County by extending the life of a coal burning plant

and allowing the carcinogenic silica dust of the actual excavation to diminish public health near a major

population center over an extended period of time.

The impacts to adjacent uses and public roads are major obstacles that cannot be adequately mitigated. The

proposed amendment is inconsistent with several chapters, policies and objectives of the existing

comprehensive land use plan as noted in earlier comments and herein. It defers for another twenty years the

goals of Chapter 14: Economic Development by allowing mining for another 20 years in a new, inappropriate

location that is earmarked for commercial/residential. If t his application is denied, the county would be in a

stronger position to successfully diversify the locaJ economy, produce jobs and bring economic growth based

on tourism. The location of a mine at this site would discourage that type of beneficial growth and

development, in addition to consideration of the potential growth of new jobs if the parcel were developed

for commercial/residential within the next 20 years as it now stands.

We hope the county staff report reflects these concerns presented to you by the many constituents who have

stepped up to provide you with reputable studies, information and perspectives for this important decision

that will have a great bearing on our future growth and prosperity.