Space Florida must freeze launch complex spending

FLORIDA TODAY's Paul Flemming in Tallahassee wrote:

Lawmakers Thursday said Space Florida needs to get its guiding principles in order and the director of the public-private industry advocate agreed.

To enforce its wishes, a Senate committee indicated it would force Space Florida to freeze spending $10 million of state money until the agency's master plan is completed.

Space Florida Executive Director Steve Kohler said he agreed with the findings of a legislative audit of how the 2 1/2-year-old group is doing. Holding off on spending the money toward a $55 million launch complex project won't hurt.

"It was exactly what was expected," Kohler said. Theress a Dec. 31 deadline for the master plan. Kohler said it would be done "well before" then.

Christopher Diaz, an analyst with the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, presented a summary of its recent report on Space Florida's performance and the lack of quantifiable goals to measure achievement.

"Without a master plan, it's difficult for the Legislature to assess how Space Florida's efforts to improve" commercial launch prospects, Diaz told members of the Senate Transportation and Economic Development Committee.

Last year, the state provided $14.5 million toward developing Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral for commercial business. Kohler said $2 million has been spent and another $2 million is committed. Sen. Mike Fasano, a Republican from New Port Richey and chair of the committee, said language would be drafted to stop spending of $10 million until the master plan is done.

"I would assume that would encourage them to complete it very quickly," Fasano said.

Kohler said he agreed with the findings and conclusions of the legislative auditors. He added that ongoing development of U.S. Air Force and Kennedy Space Center master plans have meant holding off on finishing Space Florida's own plan.

"We felt it appropriate to integrate those plans into our plan," Kohler said.