Resolution 2020-31504 RESOLUTION NO. 2020-31504
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, CREATING A NEW "MIAMI BEACH
RESILIENCY FUND," CONSISTING OF ALL UNCOMMITTED AMOUNTS
IN FUND NOS. 320 AND 433,AND ALL FUTURE PAYMENTS RECEIVED
BY THE CITY PURSUANT TO SECTION V.A OF THE AMENDED AND
RESTATED INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
CITY AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, DATED JANUARY 20, 2015;
APPROVING THE ALLOCATION OF$666,666.66 FOR FY 2020,AND UP
TO $666,666.66 ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, FROM THE MIAMI BEACH
RESILIENCY FUND, FOR A PRIVATE PROPERTY FLOODING AND SEA
LEVEL RISE RESILIENCE PROGRAM.
WHEREAS,the Mayor and City Commission desire to create a"Resiliency Fund,"as
part of the City Commission's efforts to plan, prioritize, and identify funding for City-wide
infrastructure resilience projects, including road elevation projects, new stormwater
infrastructure incorporating stormwater treatment systems, and projects to reduce flood risk
due to sea level rise, high tides, rainfall, and storms; and
WHEREAS, on or about January 20, 2015, the City and Miami-Dade County
("County") executed an Amended and Restated Interlocal Cooperation Agreement
("Interlocal Agreement"), approved by the City pursuant to Resolution No. 2014-28836,
which Interlocal Agreement, among other terms, removed restrictions with regard to certain
payments previously received by the City for capital projects within the former South Pointe
Redevelopment Agency geographic area, as well as payments the City would continue to
receive under Section V.A of the Interlocal Agreement until 2022, with the intent that the
City would use such funding for sea level rise mitigation or other projects in the City (the
"ILA Funds"); and
WHEREAS, the City Commission subsequently earmarked the ILA Funds for
stormwater capital projects to offset the need for an additional stormwater rate increase
needed for the third $100 million in planned stormwater capital projects. The Financial
Feasibility Report developed for the 2017 Stormwater Bonds (the second $100 million
tranche) included an anticipated $103 million from this funding source, with the actual
amounts to be received dependent on growth in property values. The Engineer's Report
developed by AECOM for the 2017 Stormwater Bonds estimated the total cost of the
Stormwater program at $658.9 million; and
WHEREAS, since January 20, 2015,when the Interlocal Agreement was executed,
the ILA Funds (residing in Fund No. 320 and Fund No. 433) amount to approximately $68
million, of which $5.7 million has been spent, $24.2 million is committed, and $38 million is
uncommitted; and
WHEREAS, by 2022,the year the City receives the final payment of ILA Funds from
the County pursuant to the Interlocal Agreement, the City estimates receiving an additional
$35 million in ILA Funds, with actual amounts to be received dependent on growth in
property values; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to create a new"Miami Beach Resiliency
Fund," with such Miami Beach Resiliency Fund consisting of the $38 million of existing
uncommitted ILA Funds, as well as all future ILA Fund payments to be received from
Miami-Dade County,with the total estimated funding in the Miami Beach Resiliency Fund to
approximate $68 million by 2022; and
WHEREAS, the intended use of the new Miami Beach Resiliency Fund would
continue to be for stormwater, flooding, and resiliency projects, as determined by the Mayor
and City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission have taken a leadership role in
reducing flood risk for private properties through the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, Sea Level
Rise and Resiliency Criteria for Land Use Boards, amendments to the City's` Land
Development Regulations for new construction and for substantial renovations, and various
innovative plans and studies; and
WHEREAS, although as a general matter, investment in private property is the
private responsibility of the property owner, the City Commission desires to continue its
leadership role in the resilience arena by incentivizing resilience projects in the City,
through governmental support, such as grants or loans, for projects that complement the
City's various public resiliency efforts and strengthen the City's resilience infrastructure as a
whole; and
WHEREAS, on September 22, 2020,the Land Use&Sustainability Committee(the
"Committee") discussed a private property flooding and sea level rise resiliency program,
and the Committee moved the item by acclamation to the full City Commission to reduce
the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings and infrastructure due to sea level rise,
storms, tidal flooding and rainfall; and
WHEREAS, from the overall community perspective, the City's 2019 Community
Satisfaction Survey shows that 43% of residents are satisfied, 33% neutral, and 24%
dissatisfied with their buildings' flood risk protections. In addition, "efforts to manage
stormwater drainage and flooding" was ranked in the top 3 priorities for the City. Being
proactive makes significant financial sense- the National Institute of Building Sciences
(NIBS) released a finding that every $1 invested in disaster mitigation by three federal
agencies saves society$6.The Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report was
the first part of the long-awaited update to a 2005 study that had identified a lower return on
investment. The results of the City's Business Case Analysis of the Stormwater Program
were presented at the January 27th, 2020 Commission Workshop, illustrating significant
benefits for both public and private resilience investments. Private adaptation was
highlighted as a vital component of the City's overall resiliency and dry flood-proofing was
identified as a cost-effective strategy for homeowners. For individual private properties,
resiliency investments can increase home value, reduce the likelihood of flood damage,
and lower insurance rates; and
WHEREAS, from the regional perspective,the Southeast Florida Regional Climate
Change Compact, along with local business and nonprofit communities, partnered with the
2
Urban Land Institute.(ULI)to comprehensively assess the economic impact of investment in
resilience in southeast Florida. The study found that climate adaptation measures are
predicted to offer a significant return on investment, protecting communities, jobs, and
properties. The study specifically found that building-level adaptation have a 5.18 benefit-
cost ratio. Lack of adaptation investment and infrastructure now will have major
consequences for the future economic well-being of the region.
WHEREAS, the details of the proposed Private Property Flooding and Sea Level
Rise Resilience Program, including eligibility criteria, project types, and staff resources
which would be funded by the program, will be subject to prior City Commission approval
and developed with the intent for the proposed program to be implemented as part of the
City's FY 2021-2022 Budget.
WHEREAS,the proposed Private Property Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience
Program is intended to apply prospectively, to provide incentives to property owners by
covering a portion of the costs for flood mitigation and associated sustainability
infrastructure projects that property owners may wish to undertake in the future; and
WHEREAS, the proposed program will not include or cover private property
harmonization costs, such as fences and gates associated with utility improvements.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby create a new "Miami Beach Resiliency Fund," consisting of all
uncommitted amounts in Fund Nos. 320 and 433, and all future payments received by the
City, pursuant to Section V.A of the Amended and Restated Interlocal Cooperation
Agreement between the City and Miami-Dade County, dated January 20,2015;further,
approve the allocation of $666,666.66 for FY2020, and up to $666,666.66 annually
thereafter,from the Miami Beach Resiliency Fund,for a Private.Property Flooding and Sea
Level Rise Program.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of November, 2020.
ATTEST:
Dan Gelber, Mayor
Rafael . Granado, City Clerk
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MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: November 18, 2020
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, CREATING A NEW "MIAMI BEACH
RESILIENCY FUND," CONSISTING OF ALL UNCOMMITTED AMOUNTS IN
FUND NOS. 320 AND 433, AND ALL FUTURE PAYMENTS RECEIVED BY
THE CITY PURSUANT TO SECTION V.A OF THE AMENDED AND
RESTATED INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
CITY AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, DATED JANUARY 20, 2015; FURTHER,
UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE CITY BEGINS TO RECEIVE MINIMUM FIXED
RENT PAYMENTS PURSUANT TO THE CITY'S JULY 31, 2018 LEASE
AGREEMENT FOR THE CONVENTION HEADQUARTER HOTEL,
APPROVING THE ALLOCATION OF $666,666.66 ANNUALLY FROM THE
MIAMI BEACH RESILIENCY FUND, FOR A PRIVATE PROPERTY
FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE RESILIENCE PROGRAM.
Applicable Area
Not Applicable
Is this a"Residents Right Does this item utilize G.O.
to Know" item, pursuant to Bond Funds?
City Code Section.2-14?
No No
Legislative Tracking
Finance
Sponsor
Commissioner Mark Samuelian
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
❑ Memorandum
o Resolution
Page 1111 of 1430
MIAMI EACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach,Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: November 18, 2020
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, CREATING A NEW "MIAMI BEACH RESILIENCY FUND,"
CONSISTING OF ALL UNCOMMITTED AMOUNTS IN FUND NOS.320 AND 433,AND
ALL FUTURE PAYMENTS RECEIVED BY THE CITY PURSUANT TO SECTION V.A OF
THE AMENDED AND RESTATED INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, DATED JANUARY 20, 2015;
FURTHER, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE CITY BEGINS TO RECEIVE MINIMUM FIXED
RENT PAYMENTS PURSUANT TO THE CITY'S JULY 31,2018 LEASE AGREEMENT
FOR THE CONVENTION HEADQUARTER HOTEL,APPROVING THE ALLOCATION
OF $666,666.66 ANNUALLY FROM THE MIAMI BEACH RESILIENCY FUND, FOR A
PRIVATE PROPERTY FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE RESILIENCE PROGRAM.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
STRATEGIC PLAN SUPPORTED
Environment and Infrastructure— Reduce Risk from Storms, High Tides, Groundwater, and Sea
Level Rise
BACKGROUND
At the City Commission meeting on February 12, 2020, an item to explore the creation of a
resiliency fund was referred to the Finance&Economic Resiliency Committee and Budget Advisory
Committee. That item has been withdrawn and replaced with this item. In addition, a separate but
related item for a Private Property Resiliency Adaptation program concept was presented at the
September 22, 2020 Land Use and Sustainability Committee.The Committee moved the item by
acclamation to the full City Commission with direction to staff to provide funding options.
ANALYSIS
RESILIENCY FUND
The amended and restated Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with Miami-Dade County (Miami-
Dade ILA)approved on November 19,2014(resolution#2014-28836)authorized a modification to
the payments from the County to the City of funds that were restricted for capital projects within the
former South Pointe Redevelopment Agency geographic area. The amended agreement removed
restrictions on the City's use of these funds,thus allowing the City to use the funding for sea level
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Resiliency Fund and Private Adaptation Resilience Program
Page 2
rise mitigation or other projects in the City.
The City Commission subsequently earmarked the Miami-Dade ILA fund for stormwater capital
projects to offset the need for an additional stormwater rate increase needed for the third $100
million in planned capital projects. The Financial Feasibility Report developed for the 2017
Stormwater Bonds(the second$100 million)included an anticipated$103 million from this funding
source (actual amounts to be received are dependent on growth in property values). The
Engineer's Report developed by AECOM for the 2017 Stormwater Bonds estimated the total cost of
the Stormwater program at$658.9 million.
Since the Miami-Dade ILA was amended and restated in 2014,this funding source(funds 320 and
433)has generated $68 million, of which $5.7 million has been spent, $24.2 million is committed,
and $38.0 million is uncommitted. Between now and the last payment in 2022, the City currently
estimates receiving an additional $35 million (actual amounts to be received are dependent on
growth in property values).
The attached resolution would create the City's new "Resiliency Fund" by allocating the $38.0
million of uncommitted and $35 million of anticipated Miami-Dade ILA revenue(funds 320 and 433)
for a total of$73 million. The intended use of the new Resiliency Fund would continue to be for
stormwater,flooding,and resiliency projects.The resolution also proposes designating a portion of
this fund for a new private property flooding and sea level rise resilience program.
On November 6, 2018, the voters approved ballot question 2 by 79.5% regarding the use of rent
payments received by the City from the proposed Convention Center Hotel Lease. This question
requires the City Commission to adopt an ordinance dedicating all the guaranteed rent payments
the City receives from the Convention Center Hotel lease to enhance funding, in equal portions
annually, for City projects addressing the following areas:
• stormwater projects (in lieu of rate increases)
• traffic reduction measures, and
• education
To illustrate the proposed use of the Convention Center Hotel guaranteed rent payments, the
Hotel's guaranteed rent to the City is fixed at$2,000,000. Once this funding is available, the City
would dedicate $666,666.66 for each of the areas above, including stormwater projects.
Since it will be several years until this dedicated funding is available and there is currently a strong
need to make public and private investments to enhance resiliency, the attached resolution
proposes to allocate an annual amount of$666,666.66 from the City's Resiliency Fund to create a
private adaptation resilience program until the time the Convention Center Hotel guaranteed rent is
available for this purpose.
PRIVATE PROPERTY FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE RESILIENCE PROGRAM
•
Cities and private property owners generally rebuild more resiliently after a disaster with the help of
federal funding. However, damage can be avoided through flood mitigation, the implementation of
actions to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, other structures and
infrastructure.
Staff developed the private property flooding and sea level rise resilience program concept through
a multi-disciplinary departmental approach, best practice research, and market research industry
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Resiliency Fund and Private Adaptation Resilience Program
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meetings. The program is innovative, and approaches from other cities provided /earnings and
were presented at the Land Use and Sustainability Committee. Best practice research focused on
private adaptation programs implemented by other cities and entities.This included programs from
the Global Resilient Cities Network (formerly known as 100 Resilient Cities), including the San
Francisco Utilities Commission; Norfolk,Virginia; City of New Orleans,Louisiana;Washington DC;
Berkeley California. The program concept was also discussed with the City's National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP)for Public Information Committee (PPI)for feedback.
The closest program was discovered to be the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission that
created the Floodwater Management Grant Assistance Program in 2013 to help private properties
make property improvements to help protect against flooding. The program is funded with $1
million annually from combined stormwater and wastewater operating revenues. The program has
had forty potential applicants since 2013. The projects to date have been primarily small scale,
assisting with efforts such as backflow valves and trench drains. The utility manages the projects
and oversees a pool of contractors to design and construct the projects.
The purpose of the program an envisioned is to incentivize property owners to take action to reduce
the risk of damage from flooding now and in the future. If funding is obtained, the program is
envisioned as a grant program designed to through a 50/50 matching grant between the City and
grantee. The program would include an application process and submittal time frames,established
criteria, a staff committee to score and rank the applications, and reimbursement based on the
completion of permitted work. Initial impressions are that grants up to $20,000 per property from
the City would be appropriate for the first year of the program to help mitigate low elevation
properties (the highest priority).
Preliminary criteria to qualify for the program can be broken down into income/assessed property
values,flood risk and extent of benefit. The staff team would develop a ranking system to prioritize
the funding based on need and severity of flood risk. Recommended preliminary criteria include the
following:
• Income or Assessed Property Value: Property owners with lower income, lower assessed
property values, or that lease to lower income renters.
• Group A: A property with low elevation or evidence of flooding.
• Group B: Two or more properties with low elevation or evidence of flooding that can
increase the extent of benefit through flood mitigation for a greater number of properties/
residents.
• Group C:All other properties within the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, with increased
risk of flooding within the next 30 years due to sea level rise projections.
Market research and the City's own plans and studies provided insight into the practical and
feasible grant program options including:
1. Flood risk and mitigation assessment: An assessment can help property owners
determine what type of improvement is needed for the property.
2. Green infrastructure: Incorporating both the natural environment and engineered elements
such as rain gardens and bioswales can reduce flooding and improve groundwater quality.
Florida friendly landscaping filters and reduces stormwater runoff,while proper tree planting
also manages runoff through the rooting system (taking up water and promoting soil
infiltration),dense leaf canopies(reducing erosion from rainwater)and by providing surface
area that assists with rainwater evaporation.
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Resiliency Fund and Private Adaptation Resilience Program
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3. Cisterns and rain barrels: Capturing water can reduce the amount of stormwater and
harvesting rainwater for other uses.
4. Replacing impermeable with permeable materials: Permeable pavements and surfaces
can allow direct infiltration of water into the ground. By allowing water to naturally infiltrate
into the ground as opposed to ponding or runoff, and replenish the groundwater lens.
5. Appliance and equipment elevation: Mechanical and electrical equipment can be
elevated to avoid flood damage.
6. Dry floodproofing:This process makes a building watertight to prevent entry of water into
interior spaces.
7. Garage floor and yard elevation: There many cases where the main floor of a home is
higher, however, the garage is at a lower elevation and is susceptible to flooding. In such
cases, it may be possible to construct a garage floor or garage at a higher elevation and
raise portions of the yard to provide access to the raised garage without impacting the main
structure. •
8. Elevate interior first finished floor: This strategy consists of buildings being adapted
internally by raising the first floor.
9. Wet flood proofing: This method makes uninhabited areas of the property structure
resistant to flood damage by allowing water to enter and exit the outside area of the
property.
10. Blue roofs: Capture rainwater by functioning as a tank-like structure. Water can be
collected for reuse within the building for non-potable needs such as irrigation.
11. Green roofs: Capture rainwater and slowly release it through evaporation and plant use-
reducing the amount of rainwater that otherwise would runoff in an impervious roof surface
12. Flood barriers: Barriers can be an effective option, but they require an assessment of the
property to ensure that they won't create an adverse effect on neighboring properties.
Additional market research insights include:
• Solutions must be tailored to each property's conditions. Collective private property work is
more powerful than individual property adaptation.
• The market for flood mitigation is evolving,with innovative techniques and products. Flood
barriers exist that are lightweight and practical to install in the event of flooding form high
tides or storms, however some products need to have Miami-Dade County Product
Approval.
• For buildings below base flood elevation (BFE), elevation is the most effective option,
however it may be cost prohibitive for many property owners. Elevation, however, offers
the most benefits from potential long-term flood insurance savings and avoided flood
damages.
PROGRAM FEEDBACK
To understand the interest from the community, feedback was gathered through a simple
questionnaire distributed through existing City communications channels.The results were provided
to the City Commission on October 19, 2020 through LTC#367-2020.
Noteworthy observations include:
• 50% of the respondents have observed flooding on the road in front of their house, with
29% on the lawn and 27% in the garage, and 13% in the habitable areas of their property.
• Out of those experiencing flooding, 45% reported drained with no damage, and 32%
reported replacement or renovation needed.
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Resiliency Fund and Private Adaptation Resilience Program
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• 77% of respondents indicated they would apply for a 50/50 matching grant if offered
• The top five options selected were
o Engineering assessment to learn how to reduce risk(49%)
o Green infrastructure such as bioswales, retention areas, and rain gardens (46%)
o Yard and/or driveway grading (32%)
o Dry floodproofing measures to make the structure watertight(29%), and
o Garage flood and/or yard elevation (28%)
•
PROGRAM BUDGET AND STAFF RESOURCES
This program as detailed would be new grant program offered by the City of Miami Beach. From a
staff resources perspective, the program would require personnel to ensure that the program is
well-run, can meet demand, and can comply with all anticipated Inspector General audit
requirements. Expertise in grant administration,monitoring and flood mitigation will be required and
requested through the FY 2021-2022 Annual Operating Budget process.
Miami Beach Flooding Vulnerability and Resilience Investments
Miami Beach is low-lying, and 93% of all buildings are in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area.
Miami Beach faces flood risk from high tides, storms, hurricanes, and sea level rise. On July 24,
2020,the Mayor and City Commission adopted 2019 update of the Unified Regional Sea Level Rise
Projection for Southeast Florida,developed by the Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact for
planning purposes. The projections further highlight the need to prepare for increased flooding in
the future.
• Short term:by 2040,sea level is projected to rise 10 to 17 inches above 2000 mean sea
level.
• Medium term: by 2070, sea level is projected to rise 21 to 54 inches above 2000 mean
sea level.
• Long term:by 2120,sea level is projected to rise 40 to 136 inches above 2000 mean sea
level.
Investment in Resilience Makes Sense
Being proactive makes significant financial sense- the National Institute of Building Sciences
(NIBS) released a finding that every $1 invested in disaster mitigation by three federal agencies
saves society$6. The Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves:2017 Interim Report was the first part of the
long-awaited update to a 2005 study that had identified a lower return on investment.
Additionally, the City's Business Case Analysis of the Stormwater Program results were released
early this year, illustrating significant benefits for resilience investments. The study was presented
to the City Commission on January 27, 2020. For specific private properties analyzed, flood
mitigation for private properties have a benefit-cost ration of 2.8.This means that every dollar spend
saves nearly three dollars in avoided damages and other benefits.
From the regional perspective, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, along
with local business and nonprofit communities, partnered with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to
comprehensively assess the economic impact of investment in resilience in southeast Florida.The
study found that climate adaptation measures are predicted to offer a significant return on
investment, protecting communities,jobs,and properties.The study specifically found that building-
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Resiliency Fund and Private Adaptation Resilience Program
Page 6
level adaptation have a 5.18 benefit-cost ratio. Lack of adaptation investment and infrastructure
now will have major consequences for the future economic well-being of the region.The full report
can be accessed through: https://seflorida.uli.orq/business-case-for-resilience-southeast-florida/
From the overall community perspective,the 2019 Community Satisfaction Survey shows that 43%
of residents are satisfied, 33% neutral, and 24% dissatisfied with their buildings' flood risk
protections. In addition,"efforts to manage stormwater drainage and flooding"was ranked in the top
3 priorities for the City.
CONCLUSION
This action would enhance the City's strong commitment to resiliency by: (1) reaffirming the City's
intent to earmark $73 million for resiliency efforts by creating a dedicated Resiliency Fund; (2)
expanding our robust resiliency program to create an innovative property adaptation program;and
(3) dedicating funding of $666,666 annually to incentivize private property adaptation; and (4)
identifying staff resources through FY 2021-2022 Operating Budget development.
The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission adopt the Resolution to
create the City's new Resiliency Fund from uncommitted and anticipated revenue from the Miami-
Dade ILA, approve the dedication of$666,666.66 from the Resiliency Fund on an annual basis for
a Private Property Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Program until the Convention Center
Hotel funding is available for this purpose.
JLM/JW/AK
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