LTC 105-2017 Update on Sea Level Rise Outreach and ProjectsMIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 105-2017
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members o the City C mmission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: February 27, 2017
SUBJECT: Update on Sea Level Rise Outreach nd Projects
The following is a brief update on our sea level rise education and outreach efforts.
Over the past several weeks I have heard resident concerns about upcoming
neighborhood stormwater management projects. I am sensitive to the worries
experienced by our residents given the complex nature of the work and the disruption in
the neighborhoods. I have asked staff to work in an interdisciplinary manner to make
sure we are best conveying how we are incrementally adapting to climate change for the
benefit of our city and residents now and in the future. My areas of focus include:
• Miami Beach's risks and vulnerabilities to flooding and sea level rise
• Our proactive planning, design and construction to reduce this risk through
investments in improved drainage and street elevation
• Actual elevation data in an easy to understand format
• Preliminary private property adaptation considerations
• Making connections with the insurance industry
Adaptation Calculator
Our stormwater consultant, AECOM, is developing a simple adaptation calculator for our
residents and businesses to understand and better visualize new road elevation in
inches, not NAVD. With an elevation certificate and data from the city, the calculator will
illustrate, in inches, the actual elevation of the public right-of-way adjacent to private
property. A homeowner can then take a yard stick and easily see, in inches, the actual
future road elevation in comparison to their driveway and their home's finished floor
elevation. This will be ready in early March.
Local Prototypes
We are partnering with a local firm, Coastal Risk Consulting, LLC (CRC), whose mission
is to assist communities, business and governments in the US and around the world to
better adapt to current and future climate impacts, in particular coastal flooding, storm
surges and sea rise. They are developing prototype Miami Beach model properties to
illustrate what a homeowner can experience in the future over the next few years. This
will be a very preliminary education and planning tool to start the homeowner on their
own personal adaptation journey. CRC is led by local scientists and engineers that
understand our unique South Florida challenges. They have done work with other
municipalities, like the Village of Key Biscayne. This will be ready in March/April.
Resiliency Communications Plan.
The City participates in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating
System. As part of this, adoption and implementation of a communications plan, on your
March 1 agenda, will result in important activity points as a "Program for Public
Participation". Accumulation of points leads to a score that equates to monetary savings
for annual NFIP flood insurance premiums for residents and businesses. (Our current
CRS score is 6 and that equals up to 20% savings on premiums).
Visualization of Stormwater Drainage Benefits
AECOM is creating a visual illustration based on drainage modelling. This will help
residents see how the existing roads, now and in the future, handle drainage and sea
level rise. This will be ready this spring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The FAQs have answers for questions the City has heard from homeowners since the
onset of the program. They cover topics such as how elevated roads will transition into
private property, flood insurance, and personal property adaptation. These are
available on line, and will be shared via social media.
Adaptation Toolkit
All of these efforts are important part of an Adaptation Toolkit. This toolkit includes a
variety of learning options. It consists of leading edge information for residents - visually
through illustration, tactically through real on-site measurement in inches, conceptually
through private property considerations, and in writing through Frequently Asked
Questions.
Insurance Industry Meeting
Finally, I am also convening an insurance industry meeting to come learn about the
City's initiatives. I want to share information that is helpful to agents, brokers, and
companies, and make sure that we are taking action, as a city, to support effective flood
insurance coverage. This will allow for an exchange of information between government
and industry. This will be convened in March/April.
I realize that neighborhood construction and disruption is frustrating. I also understand
that information can be confusing when speaking to the general public in engineering
calculations (NAVD or NGVD). It is for these reasons that we are taking a small pause to
better communicate our risk, our risk reduction efforts, and private property options. We
are heralded all over the world for our leadership in climate adaptation, and public
understanding and support is key to our success continuing to make Miami Beach Rise
Above.
Thank you for your leadership and support. If you have any questions please contact
Susanne Torriente, Eric Carpenter or me directly.
JM/SMT/ALK