CLEARWATER FERRY FUNDING AGREEMENTCLEARWATER FERRY FUNDING AGREEMENT
THIS CLEARWATER FERRY FUNDING AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is entered
into effectivaj' a13 , 2025 ("Effective Date") by and between the PINELLAS
SUNCOAST TRANSIT AUTHORITY, an independent special district, with its principal place of
business located at 3201 Scherer Drive, St. Petersburg, FL 33716 ("PSTA"), and the CITY OF
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, a municipal corporation, with its principal place of business located
at 600 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756 ("City of Clearwater"),(collectively, the
"Parties").
WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Clearwater Ferry Operation Agreement ("Operation
Agreement") with Clearwater Ferry Services, LLC ("Vendor"), which is attached to this
Agreement as Exhibit A, PSTA has procured the use of ferry services to the public in and around
the City of Clearwater ("Ferry Services"); and
WHEREAS, the Operation Agreemcnt provides that PSTA will make certain funding
contributions to Vendor in exchange for ferry services; and
WHEREAS, the Parties, recognizing the benefits that the Ferry Services provided by
Vendor will bring, desire to make a contribution to PSTA toward PSTA's financial obligations
under the Operation Agreement, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement; and
WHEREAS, PSTA will not enter into the Operation Agreement without the shared
contributions of the City of Clearwater, as contemplated by this Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, in exchange for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
1. RECITALS AND EXHIBITS. The above recitals and attached exhibits are true and
correct and incorporated herein by reference.
2. CONTRIBUTION. City of Clearwater will contribute toward PSTA's financial
obligations under the Operation Agreement for the Ferry Services beginning with the
fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024 and ending September 30, 2025 ("FY 2025") in
exchange for Ferry Services for 10 -hours a day on every Thursday between the
Clearwater Beach Marina and the Clearwater Downtown Marina.
3. PAYMENT. PSTA shall send an invoice to the City of Clearwater no later than the
15th day of the month following the service which will be based on vendor revenue
hours approved by PSTA. The contributions made under this Agreement and sent via
invoice will be paid directly to PSTA on the 15th day of the month following receipt
of each invoice. In any event, the total contribution amount from the City of Clearwater
shall not exceed $130,625.22 for the life of the agreement, or $32,656.31 annual
average.
4. ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS; FAILURE TO MAKE PAYMENT. In the event
that the City of Clearwater determines that sufficient budgeted funds are not available
to appropriate for payments due to PSTA under this Agreement, the City of Clearwater
shall notify PSTA of such occurrence and this Agreement shall terminate on the last
day of the then current fiscal period, and the City of Clearwater shall not owe PSTA
any further contribution towards PSTA's financial obligations under the Operation
Agreement. However, in the event this Agreement is terminated, such termination may
result in the termination of the Ferry Services. For purposes of this Section, the term
"fiscal period" means the period between October 1st and September 30th.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE; CONFLICTS. This Agreement shall take effect on the
Effective Date and shall continue through September 30, 2028, the expiration or
termination of the Operation Agreement, however terminated, or expiration or
termination of this Agreement as provided herein, whichever occurs first. To the extent
that this Agreement conflicts with the Operation Agreement, the provisions of this
Agreement shall govern. This Agreement may be renewed for one additional three-year
term upon the mutual written agreement of the Parties.
6. DOCKING LOCATION. The City of Clearwater will provide a docking location at
the Clearwater Beach Marina and the Clearwater Downtown Marina for the Clearwater
Ferry for the purpose of passenger pick-up and drop-off during the duration of this
Agreement.
7. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Parties represent and warrant
that they are authorized to enter into this Agreement without the consent or joinder of
any other person or entity and that the individuals executing this Agreement have full
power and authority to bind their respective parties hereto. Nothing contained herein
shall be construed to limit or waive any of PSTA's rights under the Operation
Agreement.
8. INDEMNIFICATION. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each party agrees to
assume liability for and indemnify, hold harmless and defend the other party, its mayor,
commissioners, officers, board members, executives, employees, and agents from and
against all liability and expense, including reasonable attorneys' fees, in connection
with any and all claims, demands, damages, actions, causes of action, and suits in equity
of whatever kind or nature, including claims for breach of contract, personal injury,
property damage, equitable relief, or loss of use arising out of its respective obligations
under this Agreement, excluding only claims arising out of the negligence,
recklessness, willful disregard for human life or property or wanton misconduct of the
party to be indemnified hereunder. Pursuant to section 768.28(19), Florida Statutes,
nothing contained herein shall be construed to require any party to indemnify or ensure
the other party for the other party's negligence or to assume any liability for the other
party's negligence. Nothing contained in this Agreement and specifically this
indemnification provision is intended to nor shall it in any way be construed as an
additional waiver of sovereign immunity beyond the expressed written contractual
obligations of the respective parties contained within this Agreement. Excluded from
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any indemnification obligation are any claims for which either party is immune from
suit under the doctrine of sovereign immunity or for any amount of a claim exceeding
the limitations of liability established by section 768.28, Florida Statutes. The
obligations contained in this paragraph shall survive the termination of this Agreement,
however terminated and shall not be limited by the amount of any insurance required
to be obtained or maintained under this Agreement.
PSTA shall not indemnify or hold harmless the City for any claims, damages, losses,
liabilities, or expenses arising out of or resulting from the negligent acts or omissions
ofthe Ferry Operator. This exclusion applies regardless ofthe cause or any contributory
factors to such negligence.
PSTA shall require the Ferry Operator to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the City
from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, or expenses arising out
of or resulting from the acts or omissions of the Ferry Operator in connection with the
operations of the ferry service.
9. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES; COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be
executed by electronic signature technology and such electronic signature shall act as
the Parties' legal signatures on this Agreement and shall be treated in all respects as an
original handwritten signature. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, any one of which need not contain the signatures of more than one party,
but all such counterparts taken together will constitute one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of
the date first above written.
ATTEST:
PINELLAS SUNCOAST TRANSIT AUTHORITY
ti
ael appolla Brad Miller, Chief Executivf 0
Executive Assistant/Records Manager Jyfz:5 \?)TAINIck .t)< Y`%\kq
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Y,,. Y For
Alan S. Zimmet, General Counsel
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OyNif)
Countersigned: CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA
Approved as to form:
City Attorney .���
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\s(01 -
City Ma ager
Attest: