2013-28200 Reso RESOLUTION NO. 2013-28200
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING
THE CITY'S FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR THE
FIRST SESSION OF THE 113T" CONGRESS.
WHEREAS, the City must avail itself of all potential sources of funds; and
WHEREAS, Federal legislation may need to be enacted to protect and enhance the
City's interests; and
WHEREAS, action of Federal executive agencies may be necessary for the same
purposes; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative that the City's legislative consultant is aware of, and has
a list of, City priorities; and
WHEREAS, the City's legislative consultant has met with the Mayor, City
Commission, City Attorney, and Administration to identify priorities; and
WHEREAS,the Administration has prioritized funding needs and identified potential
funding sources; and
WHEREAS, the City's numerous Federal-level needs have been assessed and
prioritized to produce the most effective use of its legislative team.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the recommended
Federal Legislative Agenda for the first session of the 113th Congress be approved, as
more specifically set forth in the attached Commission Memorandum.
PASSED and ADOPTED this day of m a , 2013.
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AttornV, Date
COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution approving the City's 2013/14 Federal Legislative Agenda
Key Intended Outcome Supported:
Supports Multiple KIOs
Supporting Data (Surveys, Environmental Scan, etc.): The quality of the beaches appears as
one of the most important areas affecting quality of life. More recreational opportunities is ranked
as one of the changes that will make Miami Beach a better place to live. Storm drainage catch
basins cleaning citywide; improving infrastructure was listed number 5 in important safety areas for
he City to address.
Item Summary/Recommendation:
Each year, the Mayor and City Commission adopt the City's funding and legislative priorities
that will be pursued by the City's representatives in Washington D.C. during the annual
Congressional session. The proposed priorities include project, authorization, and policy
requests which will continue to evolve as the Congressional process continues. So far in
2013, efforts to secure funding for project has stalled, due to a 3-year old moratorium on
earmarks, four straight years of the federal government operating on continuing resolutions
instead of an adopted budget, as well as the recent issues regarding the debt ceiling and
budget sequester.
This year the proposed agenda includes the following issues:
• Beach Renourishment
• Coastal Flooding / Sea Level Rise
• Miami Beach Convention Center
• After School Program and Education
• Atlantic Greenway Network
• Municipal Bond Tax Exemption
• Support of Local Funding Programs
Advisory Board Recommendation:
N/A
Financial Information:
Source of Amount Account
Funds: 1
N/A 2
3
OBPI Total .
Financial Impact Summary:
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
Jorge Gomez, City Manager's Office/Kevin Crowder
Sign-Offs:
De,pa rt Director ssistant Cit anager City Manager
MIAMIBEACH AGENDA ITEM C 7 C
DATE /
® MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Me FAND of the ity Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: May 8, 2013
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR ITY COM MISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR
2013/14 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
ANALYSIS
Each year, the Mayor and City Commission adopt the City's funding and legislative
priorities that will be pursued by the City's representatives in Washington D.C. during the
annual Congressional session. The proposed priorities include project, authorization,
and policy requests which will continue to evolve as the Congressional process
continues. So far in 2013, efforts to secure funding for project has stalled, due to a 3-
year old moratorium on earmarks, four straight years of the federal government
operating on continuing resolutions instead of an adopted budget, as well as the recent
issues regarding the debt ceiling and budget sequester.
Due to these challenges, this year's Federal Legislative Agenda has been reorganized to
identify programs and opportunities for City projects that do not require an earmark, and
to identify opportunities to provide input to the budget process to improve the chances
for City projects to match the requirements of various Federal programs.
The proposed Federal Legislative Agenda (attached) includes the following items:
Beach Renourishment
Army Corps of Engineers Renourishment Project— For over a decade, the City of Miami
Beach has been seeking implementation of an effective long term solution, through a
Federal partnership with the full and united support of our Congressional Delegation, to
preserve the coastline and effectively prevent devastating shoreline erosion. The
current "band-aid" solutions to address erosion are nearing an end and another
Hurricane Season is approaching. The lack of action on a long-term solution is no longer
acceptable. The project that relocated sand from South Beach to the northern beaches
confirmed the depletion of the local borrow pits and represents the final renourishment
action under existing circumstances.
Commission Memorandum
May 8, 2013
Federal Legislative Priorities
Resolution of the Foreign Source Sand Issue - Miami-Dade County, which currently
holds the 50 year contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for beach
renourishment activities, learned from the USACE in the late 1990s that the borrow pits
off its shores were severely depleted and an alternate source of sand was essential. As
a result, the USACE began a study to determine whether any feasible sources were
available domestically before allowing project sponsors to seek a source outside of the
United States. Regrettably after 12 years, the USACE remains unable to come to a
conclusion on this urgent matter. The Army Corps is currently working with the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection to implement a regional sand source program.
The City urges immediate conclusion of this effort.
Coastal Flooding
The City of Miami Beach urges the Federal Government to identify and fully fund
programs to address coastal flooding caused by sea level rise, climate change, high
tides, and any other source. Flooding in high hazard coastal areas— we need resources
and funding support to deal with flooding issues, including improvements and upgrading
the stormwater system including installation of projects including valley gutters,
stormwater pump stations, injection wells, and other technology which increases the
capacity flow of the stormwater system. Additional support to address coastal flooding
including dune system restoration and maintenance, and improving seawalls is also a
necessary component to achieve full infrastructure resilience. Prioritization of areas with
high groundwater elevation and drainage basins that are barely above sea level should
be a priority, since flooding occurs in many of these basins during periods of high tides
when there has not even been any rain. This recurring flooding has a significant
environmental, health and economic impact, causing businesses to be inaccessible to
customers, and resulting in the additional cost of replacing and repairing damaged
property. The high groundwater elevation results in slow drainage, leading to
deterioration and failure of paved roads, mosquito breeding, and other public health
issues.
Additionally, the City strongly supports the establishment of a National Catastrophe
Fund.
Miami Beach Convention Center and Conference Facility Expansion
There is a need for Federal support for high-impact tourism industry infrastructure
investments, especially in attracting an increase share of worldwide meeting and
convention business. Infrastructure such as convention and meeting facilities and related
support systems, including transportation access and energy efficiency are critical to
enhance the United States' competitiveness in this international marketplace. Targeted
debt and equity funding opportunities through the New Market Tax Credits program of the
Treasury Department should be prioritized, especially in states that are underserved by
the program. Providing support to the strong foundation that already exists is critical,
especially for large, transformational projects that provide significant return on investment.
The Miami Beach Convention Center is South Florida's third largest economic engine,
after Miami International Airport and the Port of Miami. Discussion about enhancements to
the Miami Beach Convention Center have been ongoing for almost ten years, culminating
with a plan of action that was agreed upon by the City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade
County, in conjunction with interested stakeholders, to develop a long-term vision and
Commission Memorandum
May 8, 2013
Federal Legislative Priorities
master plan for this regional convention facility. The result is a process that will culminate
in 2013 with a public private partnership to enhance the facility and solidify its role in
supporting the regional economy. The City of Miami Beach is seeking to identify
opportunities for Federal partnership related to:
• Convention Center Access and Infrastructure Improvements with the
Departments.of Transportation and Commerce;
• Sustainability, LEED, Renewable Energy and Green Building Components
with the Department of Energy and the EPA;
• Debt and Equity Funding Opportunities through New Market Tax Credits and
the Department of Treasury;
Juvenile Justice, the Miami Beach After School Program and Education
The City seeks continued federal support of the After School Program through the
Department of Juvenile Justice. Continued After-School and Summer programs ensure
that youth "grows up" within the support system. These youth are less likely to entertain
outside and detrimental participation in other unsupervised activities, such as
involvement in gangs and/or drugs. Participation in the recently created Teen
Intervention Program in North Beach has increased dramatically, as have the various
programmatic offerings by the City of Miami Beach. The primary goal of this program is
to prevent and reduce delinquent behavior and keep the community's at-risk youth in a
positive environment to foster personal growth and encourage teens to become well-
rounded individuals through the accumulation of new skills, awareness, and knowledge.
Moreover, the program's aim is to promote healthy relationships that facilitate social skill
development, decrease teen substance and alcohol abuse, and increase quality
programming offerings that appeal to teenage youth. As a result, the participants
involved in this program are less likely to entertain outside and detrimental participation
in other unsupervised activities, including involvement in gangs and/or drugs. Success
can be measured through the enrollment figures which demonstrate that more
participants return for subsequent years in the program. The educational component of
the program offers weekly skills training classes, drug prevention courses, tutoring, and
even cultural and recreational outings.
The City will work to identify and apply to additional educational programs such as
additional funding competitions for Race to the Top and Innovation grants.
Atlantic Greenway Network
The City seeks authorization of $12 million for the Atlantic Greenway Network Project in
the new Transportation Authorization Bill. Continued funding support for alternative
modes of transportation that connects the workforce and consumers with centers of
commerce and employment, cultural and tourism centers, parking facilities, parks, and
schools. Dense urban areas, especially with historic districts, should be prioritized, both
in terms of population density as well as density of housing units and other forms of
habitation, such as hotel rooms. Effective modes of transportation are crucial to the
continued economic success of urban historic districts, especially where less than two-
thirds of the population drove to work alone and over 15% walk to work. The return on
investment of alternative modes of transportation in dense urban areas is significant,
since these areas have already demonstrated the local population's acceptance of the
modes.
Commission Memorandum
May 8, 2013
Federal Legislative Priorities
Municipal Bonds
The City supports the current tax exemption for municipal bonds, and opposes its
elimination. The City further opposes the proposed cap of the exemption at 28%.
Local Funding Programs
The City opposes funding reductions to programs such as the Community Development
Block Grant, HOME Housing Partnerships, Energy Efficiency Block Grant, Urban Area
Security Initiative, Hazard Mitigation and Pre-Disaster Mitigation programs.
The City will work to identify potential resources and associated criteria for local
development of alternative water sources, including funding support for a study of the
feasibility of desalinization in Miami Beach, as well as funding opportunities for water
reclamation activities.
The City will monitor, report and advocate for full funding of budget allocations which
fund social services and other programs provided by Miami Beach organizations.
The City strongly encourages and supports the direct allocation of federal funding to
local governments, without state and/or county pass-through. The City further feels that
this position should be a key element of the White House's new Urban Policy.
CONCLUSION
i
The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission review the
proposed Federal legislative agenda, establish the priorities and adopt the attached
Resolution.
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