LTC 218-2018 Miami Beach READY Team - Resilience Enhancement ActMAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 218-2018
LETTER T!► COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commi' cri
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: April 23, 2018
SUBJECT: Miami Beach READY Team- Resilient Enhancernentt Action Design for You
Over the last few months I have been listening to residents, reading letters and emails
and studying the many questions and concerns about the deployment of our stormwater
neighborhood improvement program. Each of you have voiced and shared your own
observations and anecdotes from the campaign trail and your daily interactions with your
constituents. Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to hear results from the Harvard
Graduate School of Design two-year relationship with the city, This product is a source
of inspiration for innovative design options that integrate green infrastructure with robust
engineering. Last week the Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel of expertise
was in town also listening and observing. Their preliminary findings were not only a
validation of our initial efforts, but also a call to raise our standards to ensure a livable
and sustainable community. I had an opportunity to spend time with the panel as they
questioned, learned and interacted with staff and the community. I am convinced that
we must continue to invest in replacing our aging infrastrujctiure (including water and
sanitary sewer) and adapt to sea level rise over time. I ani also convinced that as we
work our way around the city, we can improve design and deployment.
Mayor and Commissioners, I have been listening and I dim pleased to share some
organizational improvements I am instituting in advance of and in preparation for the
complete Urban Land Institute final report this summer. Effective immediately, Assistant
City Managers Susy Torriente and Eric Carpenter will a -chair a staff Resilience
Enhancement Action Design for YOU team, the READY Team, The READY team will
convene staff on a routine basis, at least monthly, to review eill neighborhood design and
construction programs as they are being developed for the procurement process. They
will bring in our diverse team of experts in not only engineering, but also, resilience and
strategic planning, urban planning and design, landscape architecture, environment,
sustainability, urban forestry, mobility, and other experts as needed. Together they will
package and inform future neighborhood projects in a more interdisciplinary manner,
looking for the co -benefits we have been discussing lately. Recommendations will be
informed by the Harvard report, the ULI report, the 100E IC process, business case
analysis, the public process and by the professional recommendations developed by
staff and consultants based on the best available science and/or engineering as
appropriate.
The READY team will also be tasked with developing a strategic neighborhood
communications and engagement plan. They will analyze past communication tactics
and build upon success and learn from the not so successful moments. They will review
current practices with neighborhood PIOs and our communications staff. The goal is to
create a dialogue with the community to understand resident requests and to
communicate how staff develops recommendations for Commission action.
Eric Carpenter will continue to provide strategic guidance to Public Works, Capital
Improvement Projects and Parks in his full time role as Assistant City Manager. He will
also focus on updating the stormwater management plan based on all this new
information and ultimate Commission direction. Susy will continue in her dual role as
Assistant City Manager & Chief Resiliency Officer (CRO). As CRO, she and Deputy
CRO Amy Knowles will continue developing two plans, the Greater Miami and the
Beaches Resilience Strategy and the Miami Beach Resilience Strategy (strategic plan),
both scheduled for release in 2019 and both with the support of the 100 Resilient Cities
network, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation. Finally, the READY team will work
closely with the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee to make sure the strategy
reflects the priorities of the City Commission and the community, as well as a critical
vehicle to communicate in a public forum.
am confident these organizational and administrative changes will be the foundation of
a new chapter of our resilience textbook. Together we will be READY. Please feel free
to reach out to Susy, Eric or me directly if you have any questions.
JLM/SMT/AK