LTC 182-2019 City of Miami Beach Community Rating System (CRS) Improvement to Class 5MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THF \lTV MANAGER
NO. LTC# 182-2019 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager 11!----.
DATE: 04/01/2019
SUBJECT: City of Miami Beach Community Rat g System (CRS) Improvement to Class 5
I am very pleased to share the formal congratulatory letter from FEMA verifying
that Miami Beach's Community Rating System (CRS) Score has officially
improved to Class 5. This designation makes Miami Beach one of only two cities
in Miami-Dade County to achieve this score, which will increase flood insurance
premiums savings from 20% to 25% citywide effective May 1, 2019. The new
estimated savings are expected to increase from $6.6 million to $8.3 million
annually. This will help offset any increasing federal rates.
Miami Beach participates in the Community Rating System of the National Flood
Insurance Program and has pursued an aggressive goal to improve its ranking
from a Class 6 to a Class 5. Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary
program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allowing
communities to earn flood. insuran9e discounts. Under FEMA's National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP), cities can earn points for conducting activities
promoting flood insurance and reducing flood risk.
The CRS rating improvement is direct result of policy leadership from the City
Commission and staff coordinating and collaborating over the last three years.
This was truly a team effort among: Building, CMO-Resilience team, Emergency
Management, Environmental and Sustainability, Planning, and Public Works.
I want to thank and recognize Deputy CRO Amy Knowles and Floodplain
Manager Mohsen Jarahpour, for leading this effort and producing great work
products in often quick timelines I look forward to sharing this exciting news with
residents and business and continuing our commitment to reducing flood risk and
rising above.
JLM/SMT
Attachments
April 1, 2019
Mr. Jim L. Morales
City Mana:get of Miami Beach
1700 Convention Center Ddve
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Deat• Mt'. Mqtales:.
U.S. Dcplll'lment of' Homeland Secm·lty
soo G su·eet, sw
Washington, DC 20472
FEMA
Congratulations! The Department ofHomeland Secudty, Fedeml Emergency Matlagement Agency (FEMA),
has determined that the City of Miami Beach will h1crease to a Class 5 in the National Flood Insurance
Prograil1 (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS). The floodplain management activities implemented by
· yotu· community qualifies it fot' a 25 percent discount in the pt·emium cost of flood insutance fotNFIP
policries issued or renewed in Special Flood Hazat•d Areas on ot after May 1, 2019. This incl'ease is based 011
a fleld verification of your three-year cycle CRS application. ·
Please note Preferred Risk Policies, applicable in Zones B, c~ and X,. on your community's NFll) Flood
Insurance Rate Map al'e ttot eligible for the CRS discount. Standar4 t·ated flood insurance policies in Zones
B, C, X, D, AR, at1d A99 are limited to a CRS discount often percent in Class 1-6 comtnunlties and five
percent h1 Class 7-9 communities. The rates for these zones alt·eady reflect signlfica.nt p1'emi tltn t'eductions.
If there are no NFIP noncompliance actions, the CRS rating for your community will automatically be
renewed annually and a notification lettet• will not be sent to· your comtmmity. This J'enewal will occur as
long as yout· co.tfnminity continues to implement the CRS activities you certify annually. If no additional
modifications or new CRS a.cdvities at·e added, the next verification visit for yom· co1mnm1ity will be in
accordance with its established three-yea!' cycle. In the interitn, FEMA will pet•iodically set1d the NFIPICRS
Update Newsletter and other notices to youf' CRS Coot·dinatol' to keep yotu' c.ommunUy informed.
1 cotnmend you oil yout: con11mtnity actions and your detet'lfiihation to lead your community td be more
disaster resistant. This commitment enhances public safety, property protection, and. protects the natural
functions of flooclplains, and' reduces flood insutance pre1nimus.
If you have any questions o1·need additional information, please croutacrt the FEMA Region IV Office, CRS
Coordinator~ Roy McClure, by telephone at (770}220~88.35.
Sincerely,
~~
David I. Matu·stad
Deputy Associate Admi11istratorfor Insurance and Mitigation
Federal Insllt'ance and Mitigation Administration
Enclosure
cc: Mohsen Jarahpour, CRS Coordinator
COMMUNITY
RATING
SYSTEM
City of Miami Beach, FL
NFIP Number: 120651
Date of Verification Visit: July 20, 2017
VERIFICATION
REPORT
Verified Class 5
Cycle
This Verification Report is provided to explain the recommendations of Insurance
Services Office, Inc. (ISO) to DHS/FEMA concerning credits under the Community
Rating System (CRS) for the above named community.
A total of 2508 credit points are verified which results in a recommendation that the
community improve from a CRS Class 6 to a CRS Class 5. The community has met the
Class 5 prerequisite with a Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS)
Classification of 2/2. The following is a summary of our findings with the total CRS
credit points for each activity listed in parenthesis:
Activity 310 -Elevation Certificates: The Building Department maintains elevation
certificates for new and substantially improved buildings. Copies of elevation
certificates are made available upon request. (38 points)
Activity 320-Map Information Service: Credit is provided for furnishing inquirers
with basic flood zone information from the community's latest Flood Insurance Rate
Map (FIRM). Credit is also provided for the community furnishing additional FIRM
information, information about problems not shown on the FIRM, flood depth data,
special flood related hazards, historical flood information, and natural floodplain
functions. The service is publicized annually and records are maintained. (90 points)
Activity 330-Outreach Projects: Credit is provided for informational material that
include the State of Florida guides, general outreach projects that include newsletters,
hurricane guide, and fact sheets, and priority audience messages that include a letter to
the repetitive loss areas. These projects are disseminated annually. Credit is also
provided for having a pre-flood plan for public information. Credit is enhanced by
having a Program for Public Information (PPI), and by having the information
disseminated by stakeholders outside the local government. (350 points)
Activity 340-Hazard Disclosure: Credit is provided for state regulations requiring
disclosure of flood hazards. Real estate agents provide a brochure advising
prospective buyers about insurance and checking property flood hazards. Credit is
enhanced by having a PPI. (17 points)
City of Miami Beach, FL
NFIP #: 120651
Page 2
Activity 350 -Flood Protection Information: Documents relating to floodplain
management are available in the reference section of the Miami Dade County Library.
Credit is also provided for floodplain information displayed on the community's website.
(92 points)
Activity 360 -Flood Protection Assistance: Credit is provided for offering one-on-
one advice regarding property protection and making site visits before providing advice.
Credit is also provided for advisor training at appropriate EMI courses. Credit is
enhanced by having a PPI. (74 points)
Activity 370-Flood Insurance Promotion: Credit is provided for assessing the
community's current level of flood insurance coverage and assessing shortcomings.
Credit is also provided for development and implementation of a coverage improvement
plan. Credit for implementing a coverage improvement plan is enhanced by having a
PPI and stakeholder involvement. (90 points)
Activity 420-Open Space Preservation: Credit is provided for preserving
approximately 20 percent of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as open space.
(313 points)
Activity 430-Higher Regulatory Standards: Credit is provided for enforcing
regulations that require development limitations, freeboard for new and substantial
improvement construction, cumulative substantial improvement, and local drainage
protection. Credit is also provided for the enforcement of building codes, a BCEGS
Classification of 2/2, other higher standards, state mandated regulatory standards, and
regulations administration. (267 points)
Activity 440-Flood Data Maintenance: Credit is provided for maintaining and using
digitized maps in the day to day management of the floodplain. Credit is also provided
for establishing and maintaining a system of benchmarks and maintaining copies of all
previous FIRMs and Flood Insurance Study Reports. (170 points)
Activity 450-Stormwater Management: The community enforces regulations for
stormwater management, low impact development, soil and erosion control, and water
quality. (200 points)
Section 502-Repetitive Loss Category: Based on the updates made to the NFIP
Report of Repetitive Losses as of January 31, 2017, the City of Miami Beach, FL has 74
repetitive loss properties and is a Category C community for CRS purposes. The
community is required to submit either a Repetitive Loss Area Analysis or Floodplain
Management Plan. (No credit points are applicable to this section)
City of Miami Beach, FL
NFIP #: 120651
Page 3
Activity 510-Floodplain Management Planning: Credit is provided for the adoption
and implementation of the Miami Dade County Local Mitigation Strategy, adopted
December 15, 2015. A progress report must be submitted on an annual basis. An
update to the credited plan will be due by October 1, 2020. (207 points)
Activity 540-Drainage System Maintenance: All of the community's drainage
system is inspected regularly throughout the year and maintenance is performed as
needed. Credit is also provided for listing problem sites that are inspected more
frequently, and for implementing an ongoing Capital Improvements. The community
enforces a regulation prohibiting dumping in the drainage system, and annually
publicizes the regulation and has appropriate signs posted. Credit is enhanced by
having a PPI. (31 0 points)
Activity 610-Flood Warning and Response: Credit is provided for a program that
provides timely identification of impending flood threats, disseminates warnings to
appropriate floodplain residents, and coordinates flood response activities. Credit is
also provided for the designation as a Storm Ready Community by the National
Weather Service. (290 points)
Activity 710-County Growth Adjustment: All credit in the 400 series is multiplied by
the growth rate of the county to account for growth pressures. The growth rate for
Miami Dade County, FL is 1.08.
Attached is the Community Calculations Worksheet that lists the verified credit points for
the Community Rating System.
CEO Name I Address:
Jim L. Morales
City Manager
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Date Report Prepared: December 2, 2018
CRS Coordinator Name I Address:
Mohsen Jarahpour, CFM
Floodplain Manager
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
(305) 673-7550
Community: City of Miami Beach, FL NFIP Number: 120651
720 COMMUNITY CREDIT CALCULATIONS (Cycle):
CALCULATION SECTION :
Verified Activity Calculations: Credit
c310 38 38
c320 90 90
c330 350 350
c340 17 17
c350 92 92
c360 74 74
c370 90 90
c410 xCGA =
c420 290 xCGA 1.08 = 313
c430 247 xCGA 1.08 = 267
c440 157 xCGA 1.08 = 170
c450 185 xCGA 1.08 = 200
c510 207 207
c520
c530
c540 310 310
c610 290 290
c620
c630
Community Classification Calculation:
cT = total of above cT = 2508
Community Classification (from Table 110-1): Class= 5
CEO Name/Address:
Jim L. Morales
City Manager
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
CRS Coordinator Name/Address:
Mohsen Jarahpour, CFM
Floodplain Manager
1700 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
(305) 673-7550
Date Report Prepared: December 2, 2018
AW-720