Resolution 2018-30579 RESOLUTION NO. 2 U 1 8 0 3 0 5 7 9
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, URGING THE STATE OF
FLORIDA TO ADOPT LEGISLATION TO PROTECT THE STRUCTURAL
INTEGRITY OF ALL BRIDGES IN THE STATE BY REQUIRING THE
INSTALLATION AND USE OF WATERSPOUT ELIMINATOR VALVES
ON PERSONAL WATERCRAFT VESSELS TO PREVENT THE
CORROSION UNDER BRIDGES CAUSED BY SALT WATER SPRAY.
WHEREAS, according to the engineers overseeing current repairs of the MacArthur
Causeway, which connects Downtown Miami and the southern portion of Miami Beach over
Biscayne Bay, motor-operated water vessels traveling at high speeds and shooting salt water on
the underside of the Causeway have caused extensive corrosion, necessitating the current repair
work to Causeway's beams and columns; and
WHEREAS, Florida Department of Transportation's ("FDOT") May 2018 report
corroborates the engineers' findings that salt water discharged by personal watercraft, such as
jet skis and waverunners, traveling under the bridges is the leading cause of corrosion and FDOT
recommends implementing measures to limit watercraft speed under bridges; and
WHEREAS, FDOT deems those parts of bridges subject to salt water spray from motor-
operated water vessels to be an "aggressive environment," which increases the likelihood of
corrosion; and
WHEREAS, the Director of FDOT's Structures Operations, a division responsible for the
statewide oversight of inspection, management, and repair of Florida bridges, believes that there
is extensive corroborative evidence showcasing that salt water spray from motor-operated
watercrafts contribute to the rapid corrosion of bridges; and
WHEREAS, specifically, in a report by Lehigh University's Advanced Technology for Large
Structural Systems ("ATLSS") Engineering Research Center, it was noted that a bridge in South
Florida necessitated repairs due to accelerated corrosion from the salt water sprays caused by
personal watercraft passing underside of the bridge; and
WHEREAS, an anti-corrosion control plan for bridges issued by the National Association
of Corrosion Engineers("NACE"), an international leading authority on corrosion, identified marine
environments as highly aggressive toward corrosion, and bridges immediately adjacent to
seawater are at risk of corrosion; and
WHEREAS, the protection of the structural integrity of the Florida bridges is essential to
the public health, safety, and welfare of the City of Miami Beach, Florida residents, and visitors
because corroding bridges present a safety concern to the population and necessitate repairs
that disrupt travel and commutes; and
WHEREAS, a simple solution to protecting Florida bridges from salt water sprays and
corrosion is to require owners of personal watercrafts to install a water spout eliminator valve on
their jet skis and waverunners in order to shut off the water spout located at the back of many
personal watercraft vessels to eliminate the tall, vertical streams of salt water spray; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach are limited by
Section 327.60 of the Florida Statutes in their options to pass regulations on vessels and on
associated equipment performance or other safety standards; and
WHEREAS, Section 327.46(1)(b)(2) of the Florida Statutes, however, empowers local
governments to an establish slow speed, minimum wake boating-restricted area by ordinance if
the area is within 300 feet of any bridge fender system and within 300 feet of any bridge span
presenting a vertical clearance of less than 25 feet or a horizontal clearance of less than 100 feet;
and
WHEREAS, on October 17, 2018, motivated by the need to protect the structural integrity
of bridges in the City of Miami Beach, the Mayor and the City Commission of the City of Miami
Beach passed, on First Reading, the attached Ordinance that amends provisions in Section 66-
43 of the Miami Beach City Code, establishing narrow boating-restricted areas near City of Miami
Beach bridges to protect them from salt water corrosion; and
WHEREAS, in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of Florida residents and the
protection of the State's bridges and infrastructure, the State of Florida is urged to follow the City
of Miami Beach's lead in enacting legislation to address salt water corrosion under bridges and
to further regulate or prohibit water propulsion from the water spouts on personal watercraft
vessels, such as jet skis and waverunners.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISISON OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby urge the State of Florida to adopt legislation to protect the structural integrity
of all bridges in the state by requiring the installation and use of waterspout eliminator valves on
personal watercraft vessels to prevent corrosion under bridges caused by salt water spray.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this /7 day of 0c4-ober „ 2018.
ATTEST:
.%Dan Gelber, Mayor
Rafa`,. E. Granado, City Clerk `•.INCORP ORATED)*r APPROVED AS TO
�. ��/ / - Fe. - •,GUAGE
4;9;8CH.26O.. •%ELUTION
--- - — 41'ny Attorney D
(Sponsored by Mayor Dan Gelber)