2014-28520 Reso RESOLUTION NO. 2014-28520
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA,APPROVING THE CITY'S
FISCAL YEAR 2014/15 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
WHEREAS, it is important that the City of Miami Beach work with its representatives in
Washington D.0 to secure funding for City projects, to implement and change legislation that is in
the best interest of the City,and to liaison with Federal Agencies on issues that impact the City;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 City's numerous Federal-level needs have been assessed and prioritized to
produce the most effective use of its legislative team; and
WHEREAS, the legislative priorities for Fiscal Year 2014/15 include, but are not limited to,
the following: Coastal Flooding; Miami Beach Convention Center;Transportation; Education;North
Beach Revitalization; Flood Insurance; Beach Renourishment; Atlantic Greenway Network;
Municipal Bonds; Program re-authorizations; and Support of Local Funding Programs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
-- THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA,that the Mayor and City Commission hereby approve the
City's Fiscal Year 2014/15 Federal Legislative Agenda as set forth herein.
PASSED and ADOPTED this S-A day of MQM , 2014.
ATTEST:
PHILIP ,,- * AYOR
RAP H EL E. GRANADO, CITY CLERK
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Condensed Title:
A Resolution approving the City's 2014/15 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 the City
to address.
Item Summa /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.
This year the proposed agenda includes the following:
• Coastal Flooding
• Miami Beach Convention Center
• Transportation
• Education
• North Beach Revitalization
• Flood Insurance
• Beach Renourishment
• Atlantic Greenway Network
• Municipal Bond
• Re-authorizations
• Support of Local Funding Programs
Advisory Board Recommendation:
N/A
Financial Information:
Source of Amount Account
Funds: 1
N/A 2
I
3
OBPI Total
Financial Impact Summary:
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
Joe Jimenez, City Manager's Office/Judy Hoanshelt
Sign-Offs:
Department Director As ist t City Manager City Manager
AGENDA ITEM
MIAMMEACH ITEM G7H
DATE -"-6-IV
MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members o the City
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: March 5, 2014
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR ND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI REACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR
2014/15 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.
The proposed Federal Legislative Agenda below includes the following items:
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.
Commission Memorandum
March 5, 2014
Federal Legislative Priorities
Miami Beach Convention Center
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 has 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
master plan for this regional convention facility.
The City is seeking to identify opportunities for Federal partnership related to:
• Economic Development with the Department of Commerce
• Water, Sewer and Transportation Infrastructure with the Department of
Transportation/Convention Center Access and Infrastructure Improvements
with the Departments of Transportation and Commerce
• Security System with the Department of Homeland Security which will be a
Model Security System for Destination Cities.
• 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;
Transportation
o Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
o Seawalls
o Trolley
o 1-395 MacArthur Causeway/Connector to the mainland
Education
The City is seeking to identify funds for educational programs through a coordinated
grant development campaign to include funding and legislation. Focus will be on Middle
School Achievement/Nautilus Middle School and STEM education (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics).
North Beach Revitalization
The City proposes to lead an effort to develop a comprehensive plan for revitalization of
the North Beach area of the City. This area is considered blighted and the revitalization
effort is designed to review existing conditions in the area, prepare a vision for the area's
future, and design an implementation strategy to move towards the vision. The project
will involve significant interaction with and input from residents, business owners and
property owners. Federal funds, in the area of Economic Development are needed for
this major revitalization effort.
Commission Memorandum
March 5, 2014
Federal Legislative Priorities
Flood Insurance
The City seeks to secure relief from Flood Insurance changes inordinately affecting
Miami Beach residents, primary and secondary home-owners, and real estate markets.
Beach Renourishment
The City urges the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate this project and apply for the
necessary permits from the State of Florida to secure the necessary amount of domestic
sand.
Atlantic Greenway Network
The City seeks authorization of $12 million for the Atlantic Greenway Network Project in
the new Transportation Authorization Bill to provide 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.
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%.
Re-Authorizations
The City supports the reauthorization of the following programs:
• Transportation: MAP— 21
• Workforce Investment Act
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.
Commission Memorandum
March 5, 2014
Federal Legislative Priorities
The City will pursue funding under the following specific grant programs/agencies:
o EDA — Department of Commerce
o Choice Neighborhoods— Department of HUD
o TIGER— Department of Transportation
o Funding for coastal flooding/sea level rise
o Environmental Protection Agency
o Department of Labor
o Homeland Security
CONCLUSION
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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TAAGENDA\2014\March\Federal Legislative Agenda.docx