Resolution 2020-31527 RESOLUTION NO. 2020-31527
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE 2020 PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC
INFORMATION (PPI) ANNUAL UPDATE AND EVALUATION REPORT,
ATTACHED HERETO AS EXHIBIT A; AND FURTHER CREATING AN AD
HOC,ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO SERVE AS A PPI COMMITTEE FOR THE
2021 PROGRAM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT UNDER THE COMMUNITY
RATING SYSTEM, TO IMPLEMENT, MONITOR, AND EVALUATE THE PPI,
AND PRESCRIBE THE PURPOSE, DUTIES, APPOINTMENTS,AND TERMS
OF THE COMMITTEE'S MEMBERS, FOR A TERM COMMENCING ON
JANUARY 1, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON DECEMBER 31, 2021.
WHEREAS, the goals of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ("FEMA")
National Flood Insurance Program ("NFIP")are to provide flood insurance to property owners,
to encourage flood loss reduction activities by communities, and to save taxpayers' money; and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach participates in the NFIP and the Community Rating
System ("CRS"), a voluntary program that provides both incentives and tools to further these
goals; and
WHEREAS, participation in the CRS saves residents money by reducing flood
insurance premiums; and
WHEREAS, the Program for Public Information ("PPI") provides activity points to
improve the City's CRS score, which in turn helps to reduce flood insurance premiums; and
WHEREAS, an advisory ad hoc Resiliency Communications Committee was first
created per Resolution No. 2016-29585 to serve as a PPI Committee from October 1, 2016
through October 1, 2017; and
WHEREAS, a second PPI Committee was created pursuant to Resolution No. 2017-
30104 to serve from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018; and
WHEREAS, a third PPI Committee was created pursuant to Resolution 2018-30658 to
serve from January 1 , 2019 through December 31, 2019; and
WHEREAS, a fourth PPI Committee was created pursuant to Resolution 2019-31083,
and will expire on December 31, 2020; therefore, a new PPI Committee should be created in
order for the City to continue to participate in the CRS; and
WHEREAS, a PPI was developed by the prior ad hoc PPI Committee according to a
seven-step planning and public involvement process defined by the Community Rating System
Program, and the PPI was adopted by the City Commission per Resolution 2017-29771 ; and
WHEREAS, membership criteria for a PPI Committee is specified by the Community
Rating System and must include: real estate agent(s), insurance agent(s), banking industry
representative(s), the City's Floodplain Manager, and a Communications Department
representative, and at least half of the Committee's members must be from outside the local
government; and
WHEREAS, an evaluation report is prepared annually by a PPI Committee and
submitted to the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the 2020 PPI Annual Update and Evaluation Report prepared by the
Committee that was created per Resolution No. 2019-31083 is attached hereto as Exhibit A
and the City Manager recommends that the Mayor and City Commission accept the 2020
report; and
WHEREAS, the members of the new ad hoc, advisory PPI Committee, (the
"Committee"), shall be as follows: the City's Communications Director; the City's Floodplain
Manager, Scott Diffenderfer; a real estate agent, Carlos Gutierrez; a real estate agent, Alan
Randolph; a local bank representative; and a local insurance agent, John Lee; and
WHEREAS, the powers and duties of the Committee will be to serve as a PPI
Committee in accordance with NFIP requirements for credit under the Community Rating
System to implement, monitor and evaluate the PPI, and to submit an annual evaluation report
of the PPI to the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the terms of membership on the new ad hoc Committee shall commence
on January 1 , 2021 and expire on December 31, 2021 , subject to earlier or later sunset by the
City Commission.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby accept the 2020 Program for Public Information (PPI)Annual Update and
Evaluation Report, attached hereto as Exhibit A; and further create an ad hoc, advisory
Committee to serve as a PPI Committee for the 2021 Program, in accordance with National
Flood Insurance Program requirements for credit under the Community Rating System, to
implement, monitor, and evaluate the PPI, and prescribe the purpose, duties, appointments,
and terms of the Committee's members, commencing on January 1 , 2021 and expiring on
December 31, 2021.
PASSED and ADOPTED this ? day DQClm..be/ , 2020
ATTEST: , 2-2 ,--______
Dan Gelber, Mayor
1 if
I Z/i Y rte%
Rafael/cSi. ranado, Oily Clerk
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FieaAP EXECUTION
.91j6444,44 01011),(0
fisl City Attorney r� D to
Resolutions - R7 J
MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: December 9, 2020
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE 2020 PROGRAM FOR
PUBLIC INFORMATION (PPI) ANNUAL UPDATE AND EVALUATION
REPORT, ATTACHED HERETO AS EXHIBIT A;AND FURTHER CREATING
AN AD HOC, ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO SERVE AS A PPI COMMITTEE
FOR THE 2021 PROGRAM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONAL FLOOD
INSURANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT UNDER THE
COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM, TO IMPLEMENT, MONITOR, AND
EVALUATE THE PPI, AND PRESCRIBE THE PURPOSE, DUTIES,
APPOINTMENTS, AND TERMS OF THE COMMITTEE'S MEMBERS, FOR A
TERM COMMENCING ON JANUARY 1, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON
DECEMBER 31, 2021.
RECOMMENDATION
The City of Miami Beach Administration recommends that the City Commission accept the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Program for Public Information (PPI) Annual
Evaluation Update and Evaluation Report prepared for Community Rating System (CRS)and to
reconvene the annual ad hoc committee starting on January 1st of 2021 and ending on
December 31st of 2021. The Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee's continuous
participation and work is required to monitor the implementation of flood awareness projects,
which provide valuable activity points for the CRS program.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
This program helps the city reduce flood risk and earn flood insurance discounts for residents
and businesses. This year, the Program for Public Information (PP I) Committee focused on
implementing the Program for Public Information, which focuses on flood risk reduction
messaging projects and evaluating progress toward the established outcomes. The original plan
was approved on March 1, 2017 via Resolution No. 2017-29771. On November 5, 2020, the
committee approved the Annual Update and Evaluation Report to be transmitted to City
Commission, as required by the Community Rating System (CRS).
ANALYSIS
The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary program under the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) allowing communities to earn flood insurance discounts. Under
Page 1505 of 1707
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), cities earn points for conducting activities
promoting flood insurance and reducing flood risk. The CRS rating scores range from 1 to 10
(1 being the highest and 10 the lowest). Miami Beach pursued an aggressive goal to improve its
CRS ranking from a Class 6 to a Class 5 and was officially awarded the new score in May of
2019. As a result, many new policies and renewals after May 1, 2019 can save 5% more on
flood insurance premiums in comparison with last year. With this score improvement, the City
receives a 25% discount, an estimated $8.2 million in savings annually. This helps
offset increasing federal rates.
The mission of the National Flood Insurance Program for Public Information is to create and
monitor a Program for Public Information (PPI), referred to as the Program for Public
Information Plan with the purpose of reducing flood risk and ultimately reducing the cost of flood
insurance.
The committee meets twice a year to address CRS requirements as well as monitoring and
evaluating the plan. The committee's composition requires representation from the Marketing
and Communications Office, the City's Floodplain Office, real estate, banking, and insurance.
The committee was previously created by the City Commission through Resolution No. 2017-
30104 on November 29, 2017. The recommended Program for Public Information Committee
members for 2021 are:
2021 PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION COMMITTEE
Tonya Daniels Chair
Director, Marketing and Communications Department
John J. Lee Vice Chair and Insurance Agent
Vice President, FirstService Financial
Scott Diffenderfer, Real Estate Agent
CIPS, LCAM Licensed Real Estate Broker Associate, Compass
President of the Belle Isles Residents Association
Residential Board of Governors for the Miami Association of
Realtors
Carlos Gutierrez, PA Real Estate Agent
Sales Manager, Compass
2016 President Miami Association of Realtors
Mohsen Jarahpour, Floodplain Manager, Building Department
CFM
Alan Randolph Banking Industry Representative
Deputy Director of Community Banking, Bank OZK
The National Flood Insurance Program Public Information Plan Update and Annual Evaluation
Report highlights the progress made toward desired outcomes established on the plan adopted
on March 1, 2017 via Resolution No. 2017-29771. It provides data and details regarding project
implementation status and recommendations for future improvements.
Page 1506 of 1707
The Annual Evaluation Report, Attachment 1, includes:
A review of projects conducted in 2019 and 2020;
• Progress towards the desired outcomes; and
Recommendations for improvement.
Relevant Community Survey Data
The 2019 Community Satisfaction Survey shows that 43% of residents are very satisfied or
satisfied, 33% neutral, and 24% dissatisfied with their buildings' flood risk protections. 50% of
residents are very satisfied or satisfied with efforts to address stomiwater and drainage, while
30% rated the item as fair and 20% as poor. This item improved by 4% from 2016 and also
ranked as a top priority for residents.
CONCLUSION
The administration recommends the City Commission accept the National Flood Insurance
Program for Public Information Committee Annual Evaluation Update and Report and
reconvene the annual ad hoc Program for Public Information Committee for 2021 to continue
reducing flood risk through awareness communications and to achieve CRS points, thereby
earning flood insurance premium discounts for residents and businesses.
Applicable Area
Citywide
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
Strategic Connection
Environment & Infrastructure - Reduce risk from storms, high tides, groundwater, and sea level
rise.
Legislative Tracking
Office of the City Manager
Sponsor
Commissioner Mark Samuelian
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
❑ Resolution
o Exhibit A Report
Page 1507 of 1707
2020 PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION
ANNUAL UPDATE & EVALUATION REPORT
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DEVELOPED FOR THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM
DECEMBER 9, 2020
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NATIONAL FLOOD
INSURANCE PROGRAM
Page 1510 of 1707
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND 2
ANNUAL UPDATE & EVALUATION REPORT OVERVIEW 2
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW 4
PLAN DEVELOPMENT 5
SEVEN-STEP PROCESS 5
EVALUATION AND MONITORING 7
SUMMARY OF OUTREACH PROJECTS 7
OUTREACH IMPLEMENTATION TABLE 10
SUCCESS MEASURES 18
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT 24
CONCLUSION & NEXT STEPS 28
Mayor and City Commission
Dan Micky Mark Michael Steven Ricky David
Gelber Steinberg Samuelian Gongora Meiner Arriola Richardson
Mayor Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner
Committee 2020
Tonya Daniels John Carlos Mohsen Scott Alan Randolph
Chair Lee Gutierrez Jarahpour Diffenderfer Banking
Marketing and Vice Chair Real Estate Floodplain Real Estate Industry
Communications Insurance Representative Manager Representative Representative
Director Representative
City Manager's Office
Amy Knowles
Chief Resilience Officer
Ines Mato
Senior Management Analyst for Resilience
1
Page 1511 of 1707
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
ANNUAL UPDATE & EVALUATION REPORT OVERVIEW
The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary FLOOD INSURANCE
program under the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) allowing communities to earn flood FACTS
insurance discounts. Under FEMA's National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP), communities earn points for • The City of Miami Beach
conducting activities promoting flood insurance and participates in the
reducing flood risk. The CRS rating score ranges from National Flood Insurance
1 to 10 (1 being the highest and 10 the lowest). Program (NFIP)
IP)
Rating System
(CRS).
Miami Beach pursued an aggressive goal to improve • Miami Beach has
its CRS ranking from a Class 6 to a Class 5 and was improved its score to a
officially awarded the new score in 2019. As a result, Class 5. This makes the city
many new policies and renewals after May 1, 2019 one of the few
can save 5% more on flood insurance premiums in municipalities to achieve
comparison with 2018. This translates into nearly $2 this score in Miami-Dade
million in new savings citywide. Miami Beach has County.
•
participated in the CRS program for many years. With This effort saves residents
and businesses 25% on
this score improvement, the city receives a 25% their flood insurance
discount, that totals $8.2 million in savings premiums - an estimated
annually. This helps offset increasing federal rates. $8.2 million in annual
savings.
In the summer of 2020, the city was able to retain its
Class 5 rating during the annual recertification despite As a coastal barrier island, 97%of the
facing COVID-19 demands. This means the
properties in City of Miami Beach
community will continue to enjoy 25% savings in flood are located within or near aHigh-
insurance premiums or $8.2 million. Retaining this Risk Flood Zone Area (Special Flood
rating required an interdisciplinary effort focused on Hazard Areas- "SENA") as mapped
conducting and documenting CRS activities. This was by FEMA. The flood zone requires
not an easy task considering that all in-person flood insurance coverage for any
meetings switched to virtual meetings and staff took building with a federally backed
on new priorities to respond to COVID-19. However, mortgage.
reducing flood risk is a top priority for the city - even
ismmiummimimmimmim
during a pandemic.
2
Page 1512 of 1707
As part of the CRS program, the Program for Public Information (PPI) is available to cities
as another way of earning points toward the CRS rating. This program allows cities to
convene a committee and collaborate to identify communication projects that reduce
flood risk and increase flood awareness.
The program complements the city's approach to public participation and is a key part
of communications strategies regarding resilience. This is one way the city can help with
economic resilience- to keep flood insurance as affordable as possible within the
current National Flood Insurance Program.
The PPI requires a plan for implementation and an annual report updating the City
Commission about the different outreach programs implemented.
This annual update and evaluation report highlights the progress made toward desired
outcomes established on the plan, discusses project implementation status for 2020 and
includes an update on existing recommendations as well as new ones. In 2017, the City
of Miami Beach completed the Resiliency Communications Plan, referred to as a
Program for Public Information (PPI) through the Community Rating System (CRS). Since
then, the Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee has met to monitor and
evaluate status of projects and outcomes. In addition, city staff collected data on the
PPI project implementation and success measures.
The Program for Public Information not only shows activities conducted but also
demonstrates the impact that outreach projects have in the community. This report
allows the committee to keep track of the plan's outcomes, celebrate
achievements, identify areas of improvements and continue planning for the
future.
The following items are covered in this report, as required by the National Flood
Insurance Program:
• A review of projects conducted in 2019 and 2020
• Progress towards the desired outcomes
• Recommendations for improvement
3
Page 1513 of 1707
PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION (PPI) COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
The Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee, made up of private and public
stakeholders, guided the Program for Public Information (PPI). When the program
started in 2017, the committee followed a seven-step planning and public involvement
process defined by the Community Rating System Program. Their unique perspectives
and expertise helped define target audiences, messages, outcomes, and outreach
methods.
The City of Miami Beach has a wealth of knowledge regarding flood hazards and flood
risk. The committee is comprised of six stakeholders, each with valuable perspectives
and insight on flood risk and insurance. The committee member expertise is specified
by the CRS program, which requires representation from the city's Communications
Department, the city's Floodplain Office, real estate, banking, and insurance. The
committee was previously formed by the City Commission through Resolution No. 2016-
29585 on September 27, 2016; Resolution No. 2017-30104 on December 13, 2017;
Resolution No. 2018-30658 on December 12, 2018; and Resolution No. 2019-31083 on
December 11, 2019. The committee is re-created annually to comply with the CRS
program.
2020 PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION (PPI) COMMITTEE
Tonya Daniels, Chair Chair, Director
Office of Marketing and Communications
John J. Lee Vice Chair, Insurance Agent
Vice President, FirstService Financial
Scoff Diffenderfer, CIPS, LCAM Real Estate Agent
Licensed Real Estate Broker Associate, Compass
President of the Belle Isles Residents Association
Residential Board of Governors for the Miami Association
Realtors
Carlos Gutierrez, PA Real Estate Agent
Sales Manager, Compass
2016 President Miami Association of Realtors
Mohsen Jarahpour, CFM Floodplain Manager
Building Department
Alan Randolph Banking Industry Representative
Regional Director, Bank OZK
4
Page 1514 of 1707
PLAN DEVELOPMENT
SEVEN-STEP PROCESS
The committee followed a seven-step process that serves as a roadmap for completing
and reviewing the PPI's activities. The committee held its first meeting in October of
2016 and since then staff has continued working diligently in completing several projects
outlined on the following pages of this plan.
ESTABLISH THE COMMITTEE
IMPLEMENT, MONITOR, STEP ASSESS OUR PUBLIC
AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION NEEDS
PROGRAM Jo 0I Cec.'�?I�
annually STEP STEP
7 2
PREPARE THE
PROGRAM FOR
PUBLIC
INFORMATION STEP STEP FORMULATE
DOCUMENT MESSAGES
4acrt��
111. tit
EXAMINE OTHER STEP STEP IDENTIFY
PUBLIC INFORMATION 5 I 4 OUTREACH
INITIATIVES PROJECTS
Below is a summary of the seven steps followed by the committee in the last three years:
1. Establish the Committee: The committee was established in 2016 and meets at
least twice a year to discuss initiatives within the program and approve
documentation.
2. Assess the Community Information Needs: The committee agreed that, for the
purpose of the Program for Public Information, the entire city should be
considered one target area with six different audiences (property owners, renters,
businesses, recently flooded areas, repetitive loss sites, local organizations).
3. Formulate Messages: The committee conducted an insurance coverage
assessment and formulated specific messages to those properties that carry a
lower rate of flood insurance. In addition, all the Miami Beach area is targeted
5
Page 1515 of 1707
with flood awareness messages disseminated through different channels.
4. Identify Outreach Projects to Convey the Messages: The committee identified
various outreach projects outlined on the outreach implementation table of this
report. The projects are crucial to achieve established outcomes on this plan,
such as increasing flood insurance coverage and awareness of flooding in the
community.
5. Inventory of other Public Information Efforts: The Program for Public Information
requires examining existing information efforts. A list was compiled through staff
research and committee members' input. This list is published on the City's
Resiliency Communications Plan published in March of 2016 and available on the
City's website.
6. Prepare the PPI Document: Preparing the PPI document involved a concerted
effort from staff and the committee. PPI documentation is updated every year
through the evaluation annual report to make improvements to projects and
increase community outreach.
7. Implement, Monitor and Evaluate: The committee meets twice annually to
evaluate the program and incorporate revisions. This report specifically addresses
steps six and seven and includes a summary of the progress made in 2020.
6
Page 1516 of 1707
EVALUATION AND MONITORING
SUMMARY OF OUTREACH PROJECTS
City staff and the committee identified 12 outreach projects. All the projects planned
for 2020 were completed or are on track to be completed, and new projects were
identified for additional outreach opportunities. In addition, the city is preparing for the
2020 CRS cycle verification audit this December with the goal of maintaining its CRS
score. In order to do this, an interdisciplinary team formed and meets every week to
review projects and gather documentation.
Flood mitigation projects are a priority for staff who have developed new approaches
for helping the community prepare for extreme weather events. For example, after
action reviews to evaluate the impact of a heavy rain event are conducted. After
actions have led to centralization and more accurate reporting of flood data. The
meetings have also led to more effective communication about flood risk and flood
awareness. Routine after-actions are conducted for heavy rain and King Tide events.
After-Action Review
Rain Event
May 24-26, 2020
City of Miami Beach
Another innovative project includes the Stormwater Management Dashboard. This
dashboard measures the effectiveness of the stormwater program, the impact of
extreme events and infrastructure improvements. This data has been used to better
prepare for flood events and communicate flood awareness information to the public.
Phase II of the dashboard was completed to include tidal levels from the National
7
Page 1517 of 1707
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This data allows the city to analyze
historical tidal data and compare NOAA's data with the city's tidal gauges. The data is
especially important to prepare for King Tides and analyze the impact of these events.
Stormwater Management Dashboard
.gym. Flood and Drainage Related Number of Flood and Drainage Number of Tidal Flooding Incidents Avoided --.,.-.c
- - Events Resolved Within 5 Days Related Events Due to Road Raising(Sunset Harbour) -63.3% 358 21
Flood any Drainage Related Events by Date Avoided Tidal Flooding in Sunset Harbour Date tecat:n
aa
•x
Ling.
• Flood and Drainage Related Work Orders By Description Pump Capacity Cum.Increase(Gallons per Minute) Linear Feet of Cumulative Elevated Roadways
not et.
nor I
iSs
NMI
falUgliMing•
&'S e
us iwitainsimiliiilligerotax MINA
Stormwater Management Dashboard
Flood awareness information provided to all properties: An important milestone in
completing the seven steps of the program was to develop 10 messages for flood
awareness. The 10 messages are included in the Miami Beach Magazine which is mailed
directly to 61,000 households every quarter and distributed at city's public facilities. This
year because of the pandemic, two issues of the magazine were mailed to residents.
However, flood awareness materials were prominently featured in mbrisingabove.com
and City of Miami Beach's website. The materials include the 10 steps to flood
awareness, fact sheets and important resilience projects. In addition, the city hosted 18
community meetings focused on improvement projects that will reduce flood risk.
Additional meetings are in progress.
Flood Awareness and Hurricane Guide: The flood awareness guide has informed
hundreds of residents about the different existing flood awareness messages. The
guide has been published on the city's website since spring of 2017 and was updated
this year. The hurricane guide includes flood preparation messages in addition to tips
on how to respond to extreme weather events. This year COVID-19 has added more
8
Page 1518 of 1707
complexity to hurricane preparedness. The hurricane response was modified to adjust
to social distancing protocols and protect the most vulnerable populations. The
Department of Emergency Management worked with all departments to make sure all
departmental plans reflect the current COVID-19 considerations. Hurricane exercises
were conducted internally to prepare for hurricane season in the context of the
pandemic. In addition, messages continue to be sent out through email blasts to the
community in advance of anticipated rainfall, King Tides and potential hurricanes.
Response to flood events: Responding to flood events in the community is an important
priority for the city. In 2020, the city addressed more than 600 flood and drainage
related requests and resolved 66% of them within five days. Flood and drainage related
requests were mostly caused due to King Tides or heavy rain. Staff not only resolved
requests by going on site to address issues but also documented flooding and
communicated with homeowners. Frequent communication with residents about
flooding issues have led to projects that have alleviated flooding in different areas.
Social media messages and MB Rising Above 96% of respondents rated the
Campaign: As more residents use social media, usefulness of flood awareness
the city has expanded its reach via Twitter, information received by email as very
Facebook and Nextdoor. Tweets related to flood useful or moderately useful. This is
awareness received more than 600,000 an increase of 18% over last year's
impressions in 2020. Impressions mean that Tweets results.
were viewed by users and possibly re-tweeted. In
addition, the city continues measuring the quality
of flood awareness messaging in social media and email to ensure all communications
have the desired change of behavior.
As part of collecting feedback for this process, a questionnaire was created and
disseminated through various outreach channels. This tool not only served as feedback
for the program but it's also useful to increase awareness about flooding.
Letter from elected leadership: In 2020, a video message from the Mayor about the
importance of purchasing flood insurance was sent out to the community via email. The
video includes six of the 10 steps to flood awareness messages as well as important
hurricane preparedness information. This effort provides valuable activity points for the
CRS Activity 370 Flood Insurance Coverage Improvement Plan.
Fact Sheets: In 2017, different fact sheets were created to reach various types of
properties, focusing on the areas with low flood insurance coverage as defined through
the flood insurance coverage analysis. In 2019, fact sheets were updated to include
9
Page 1519 of 1707
new information. In the absence of in-person customers in City Hall, fact sheets have
been featured on the website and promoted through Program for Public Information
(PPI) Committee. Through the flood insurance coverage assessment, 2-4 unit properties
were identified as having low coverage. Special fact sheets were sent this fall to all these
building types to encourage the purchase of flood insurance. Also, to prepare the
community for King Tide season, flood preparation messages are communicated
before and during these events. More than 10,000 subscribers receive this information
via email. Additional fact sheets include information tailored to business owners, real
estate agents, tenants, construction industry, potential homeowners and for Biscayne
Bay water quality protection.
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10
Page 1520 of 1707
OUTREACH IMPLEMENTATION TABLE
The following outreach implementation table details the audiences, messages, desired
outcomes, projects to support the messages, list of projects, project accomplishments
for 2019 and 2020 and stakeholders that help disseminate the information. The table
serves as a tracking mechanism to ensure that projects are completed on a timely
manner. In order to evaluate the outreach project status for 2020, the table shows the
status of projects for this year, achievements and output measures indicating the level
of effort and resources invested for this plan.
11
Page 1521 of 1707
OUTREACH IMPLEMENTATION TABLE
•AII Miami Beach is considered a target area
Outcome
(Desired Changes Project(s) to Support Department 2020 Status of 20192020 Project
Target Audience Messages in Behavior) Message Assignment Projects Accomplishments Stakeholder
In 2019,flood awareness information was
provided quarterly to all households
through MB magazine.MB Magazine is
mailed directly to 61,000 households and
OP#1-Flood awareness information
provided to all properties through MB distributed at City's public facilities.
Magazine. The 10 messages were also
Two times this year
Messages 1-10 Communications communicated at community meetings Neighborhood
Additional outreach through email due to COV ID-19.
blasts and meetings. and through neighborhood association associations shore
ernails.In 2020,the city held 18 messages.
community meetings to discuss
important resilience projects aimed at
reducing flood risk.Also,an online portal
with all resilience projects and project
updates was developed.
In 2019,a letter from the Mayor was
incorporated into the Mayor's news letter
to encourage the purchase of flood
ins uronce and update res idents on Miami
Increasecomprehensive Beach's CR5 new score.
OP#2-Letter from elected leaders hip
Messages 1-5,7&9 awareness of flood hazard encouraging purchase of flood City Managers Office Complete-5 ummer
2020 In 2020,o video message age from the Mayor ND
and Miami Beach messages ins uronce coverage.
related to people and was s hared with the community through
properties protection for flood email and social media.The video
All of Miami Beach event. discussed the importance of purchasing
flood ins urance and preparing for flood
audience events.
Note that the flood
The flood awareness guide has informed
awareness messages and hundreds of residents about the different
outreach projects are existing flood awareness messages. The
im portant for all of Miami OP M3-Flood Awareness Guide Building and City Ongoing
Messages 1-10provided on website. Manager's Office guide easinbee2publishedonthe
eCity's Yes-associations
Beach residents andwebs
bust ,since 97%of
messages are communicated via MB
all properties are within a Magazine to res idents
S FHA(S pec iol Flood Hazard
Area). In addition to providing the Hurricane
OP"-Hurricane Guide.E-blasts and Guide,hurricane evacuation routes were
news letters including hurricane posted on the webs Re.
city's
Emergency Management/Complete-SummerYes-res idents,bus ines s
Mess ages 1-3 and 7-8 preparedness mess aging are also Communications 2020
sent out to the community.(S upports This information has been shared with owners
Activity 330) residents and businesses during trainings
and community events.
OP 45-FEMA and State of Florida
Messages 2,3,4,5,9 Flood Hazard and Flood Ins urance Building Ongoing Informational fact s beets are provided in
highly trafficked areas of city hall. No
Guides available at City Hall.
Spring and Foil King Several emails and social media posts
Tide season emoils. were sent out in 2019 and 2020 to
Increase safety awareness Beginning of hurricane prepare the community for extreme
before,during and after flood OP sWK-For Flood Response(before, season in June and weather conditions.
events. during and after a flood)Messages 1- Communications,Public preparation messages. Yas-tical news and
Mess oyes 1.10 10 provided through email blasts. Works,Emergency After action presentations were social media sharing.
Reduce preventable Additional messages provided through Management Flood response ern oils developed in response to major flood
accidents and damage from social media. and social media events.This helps the city analyze flood
flood waters. posts. events and better prepare for flood
events.
Page 1522 of 1707
Outcome
(Desired Changes P roject(s) to S upport Department 2020 Status of 2019/2020 Project
Target Audience Mess a.es in Behavior) Message Assignment Projects Accomplishments Stakeholder
Increase comprehensive
awareness of flood hazard
Messages 1 through 10
and Miami Beach messages See OP#1,3,4,5 Building See OP#1,3,4,5 R LA property owners are part of the See OP#1,3,4
related to people and greater target audience.
properties protection for flood
event.
Messages 1 though 10 Increase building retrofits and Letters to RLA property owners are sent
1. Repetitive Loss flood resistant materials OP#7-Letter mailed to all R LA out to encourage flood resistant
(Supports Activity 360 Building Fall 2020 construction and prevent flood damage. No
Areas RLA inquiries from Repetitive Loss properties,(supports Activity 360)
) Flood Protection The letter was sent to 370 property
(RLAs ore defined by Information)
Area property owners, owners in 2019.
FEMA)
Messages 1,2,3,4,5 CP#B-Fact Sheet with public Factsheet and
infrastructure improvements and inquiries:Annual,
Maps illustrate planned risk Increase in map information guidance for private property resilient ongoing Building Department staff responded to
inquiries from Repetitive Loss building options Building,Public Works 316 flood maps information inquiries in No
reduction improvements in Area property owners. Map was updated in 2019 and 285 in 2020.
relation to Repetitive Loss Activity 320-Map information services fall of 2020.
Areas(Activity 320) provided by the Floodplain Manager
Increase corn prehens ive
awareness of flood hazard
Messages 1 through 10 and Mami Beach messages See OP#1,3,4,5,6 Building,Public Works Flood response 'Described prevously in the'All of Miami
related to people and emails and social Beach'audience No
properties protection for media posts as
flood event. needed.
Spring and Foll King
Tide season emoils.
Beginning of hurricane
Increase awareness of being Lead:Communications season in June and
safe before,during and after See OP#6 preparation messages. As part of increasing awareness about
flood events. S upport:Building, being safe during a flood event,more
Messages 1,2,3,4,5,7 OP 46-Fact Sheet and messages Emergency Management, Flood response emoils thon 100 tweets and Focebook posts Yes-local news
Reduce preventable provided online,through s ocial media, Environment and and social media posts. about flood awareness topics have been
accidents and damage from eblasts to stakeholders,radio,tv. Sustainability,Public posted.
2. Recently floodwaters. Works Neighborhood
flooded areas meetings to address
flood concerns.
OP48-Fact Sheet with res ources for In res ponse to flooding,the floodplain
the specific flooded area. manager visited Sunset Harbour
condominiums to discuss flood
Messages 1,2,3,4,5,9, Increase ins uronce coverage OP 48-Diss eminate Fact Sheet Lead:City Manager's protections strategies with res idents.
10 through packets on doors, Office,Building,
Increase building retrofits, neighborhood associations, social Communications, Ongoing Public Works is constantly Yes-area associations
medic. Environment and communicating with residents about con share
Importance of reducing and flood resistant materials
Sustainability,Public flooding and at least three projects have
personal flood rsk. inquiries.
OP 49-Attend community meeting(s) Works been implemented in 2020 in response
to provide Fact 5 heet,and information to flooding issues.
on reducing flood risk.
•
13
Page 1523 of 1707
Outcome
(Desired Changes Project(s) to Support Department 2020 Status of 2019/2020 Project
Target Audience Mess ages in Behavior) Message Assignment Projects Accomplis hments Stakeholder
Increase insurance coverage
Messages 1 through 8
Increase flood preparedness SeeCiP#1,3,4,5,6
Importance of ins urance awareness See OP#1,3,4,5,6 The tenant facts heel was created to
City Managers Office,
3a. Residents:tenants coverage for renters. OP#t3-FactSheetfor tenants provided Building specifically target tenants and is available No
Increase in the use of flood on webs ite OP A8-Ongoing on the webs ite.
Discuss storm/flood res is tont materials by
preparation with landlord. tenants.
Increase comprehensive
Messages 1 through 10 awareness of CR S and See OP#1,3,4,5,6 City Manager's Office, Ongoing "Described previous ly in the'All of Miami Yes -local news,
Mom i Beach flood B uilding,Comm unications Beach'audience retweets
mess••es.
Messages 1,2,3,4,5,6 Increase retrofits,use of flood
res istont materials OP48-Fact Shest des ignedfor all
res idents that highlight risk reduction
The City is investing in from the sand dune system,new Bulding,Communications Ongoing
flood risk reduction efforts. Increase in inquiriesAechnical
3b. Res idents: property Know your elevation and assistance to the F load Plain elevationrequitormws,street
p P y elevation and s tormwater pumps. Through the flood ins urance coverage
owners" your options to reduce risk. Manager asses s ment,2-4 unit buildings were
identified as having low coverage.S pecial
Fact Sheets were sent to all thes e
building types to encourage the purchase
of flood ins urance.
Increase in ins urance
Messy a 1,2 coverage for 2-4 family unit
properties. OP#6-Fact Sheet mailed for 2-4 Yes-associations share
Building,Communications Fall 2020 with multi-family
Insure your property from (Targeted through Flood Family Unit properties. bldg.
flood loss. es idents
surance Coverage
Assessment)
Page 1524 of 1707
Outcome
(Desired Changes Project(s) to Support Department 2020 Status of 2019/2020 Project
Target Audience Messa.es in Behavior Messa.e Assi.nment Projects Accomplishments Stakeholder
Messages 1-10
King Tides are normal in OP AB-Fact S heet designed for King Spring and F all King King Tide fact s heel messages are
coastal areas but can Reduce preventable Tides eon ons.Facts beet messages Communications, Tide messages sent
3b.Residents:property communicated before and during King Yes-associations share
owners'continued cause flooding. accidents and damage from distributed through social media, Environment and by email and social Tide season. Wore than 4,000 with members
floodwaters. eblaststostakeholders. Sustainability media. subscribers receive these email blasts.
Protect your family,home,
and your vehicles.
Increase insurance coverage See OP#1,3,4,5.
3c: Residents:
Condo/Neighborhood Mess ages 1 through 10 OP#13-Fact Sheet provided in person Building,Communications OngoingDescribed previously in the'All of Marni Yes-associations share
Increase retrofits,flood at meetings,and also shared by Beach'audience with members
Associations res is rant materials
ass ociations with members.
Increase ins urance coverage
Messages 1 through 10 See OP#1,3,4,6
Increase retrofits,flood
4a.Businesses: Importance of ins urance res is tant materials OP it8-Fact S heet emailed and mailed Building,City Manager's
tenants' coverage and discussing with the Business Tax Receipt(BTR) Office,Finance N°
storm/flood preparation (Targeted through Flood renewals.
with landlord. Ins urance Coverage
Improvement)
Messages 1 through 10
This fact sheet is moiled to business es
Importance of insurance renewing their Business Tax Receipts.
coverage and discussing Fall 2020
storm/flood preparation Increase insurance coverage Approximately 6,000 copies were mailed
to businesses in 2020.
with tenants. See OP#1,3,4,6
Increase retrofits,flood
4b. Businesses: Resources to understand res is tan t materials OP#8-F act S heet em ailed and mailed City Manager's Office,
property owners' elevation,public with the Business Tax Receipt(BTR) Building,Finance No
infrastructure (Targeted through Flood renewals.(Supports Activity 360)
improvements,resources Insurance Coverage
for retrofits. Assessment)
(S upports Activity 360
Flood Protection
Information)
15
Page 1525 of 1707
Outcome
(Desired Changes Project(s) to Support Department 2020 Status of 2019/2020 Project
Target Audience Messages in Behavior) Message Assignment Projects Accomplishments Stakeholder
Message 1 through 8
See OP#6 The retrofit fact sheets have been
Importance of protecting handed out to homeowners,contractors,
Increase resilient retrofits, OP48-FactSheet for"building architects and engineers through the Yes-contractors share
equipment and vehicles. flood resistant materials. resiliently''issued with buildingBuilding Ongoing buildingpermittingprocess and the with property p perry owners
Education in retrofits and permits. community industrial construction
flood resistant materials. meetings.
4c.Businesses: Message 8
contractors
Importance of keeping the OP 48-Fact Sheet for Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Boy clean and
the storm drain system and storm drain system cleanliness
iss ued with building permits(S upports
clean. Reduce dumping and Activity 540) This fact sheet is available at the City's
pollutant discharges tostorm Building,Environment and going website and physical copies can be found Yes-contractors shore
(Supports Activity 540 drains and Bay. Activity 540-Included as a condition in Sustainability at the Building Deportment. with sub-contractors
Drainage System
Maintenance-Compliments Right of Way and Building Permit
National Pollution Condition.
Dis charge Elimination
System(NP DES)
outreach.)
Messages 1 through B
See OP#1,3
The City is investing in Maintain or increase flood
flood risk reduction efforts. OP#10-Real E s tate F act Sheet
Know your elevation and insurance coverage rates. available on City webs ite
your options to reduce risk. Targeted letter sent to more than 90 real
Increase resilient retrofits Foil 2020 Yes-Real Estate
5.Real Estate Agents with renovations. OP#10-Real Estate Fact S heet to be Building,Communications estate agents,insurance agents,and
and Insurance Agents Resources to understand distributed to MB agencies,and by the banks on Miami Beach advising about agencies and agents
personal property elevation, Miami Association of Realtors. flood zone information. share
if there is any history of Increase in information
flooding.
inquiries technical assistance OP#11-Letter to Real Estate Agents,
to the Flood Plain Manager. Insurance Agents,and Banks.
(S upports Activity 340 R eal
E s tate Agents Brochure)
16
Page 1526 of 1707
1
Outcome
(Desired Changes Project(s) to Support Department 2020Stat us of 2019/2020 Project
Target Audience Mes sages in Behavior) Message Assignment Projects Accomplishments Stakeholder
Messages 1 through 10 Increase in information See OP#1,3,4
S hared electronic only
provided at organization Marketing and Communications
OP 46-Fact S heel provided at due to CCNID-19.See
Importance of flood meetings. meetings by Comm unity Outreach Building,Communications OP#1 for more Department attends meetings and Yes-organizations share
insurance and building provides facts heels.
resiliently. S pecialis f information.
6.Local Organizations
(Schools,
Neighborhood Spring and Fall King
Importance of being Tide season emails.
Associations,Civic In 2020,messages about King Tides
prepared through signing Beginning of hurricane
Organizations,Cultural up with City Increase in organizations season in June and were shored more than three times in
Organizations,etc.). communications channels signed up for S ocial Media See OP#6 Communications preparation messages. social media in addition to email blasts, Yes-organizations,
Tweets related to flood awareness and media s hare.
for information on flood, and E-Blasts. environmental issues received more than
hurricane,and King Tide Flood response em oils
600,000 impres s ions.
preparedness. and social media
posts.
The dashboard's purpose is to measure
Nes sages 1,3,5 how the city is becoming more resilient
over time,track the effectiveness of the
Stormwater fv4rnagement Increase safety awareness stormwater program and understand the
Dashboard impact of extreme events as well as the
before,during and after flood
events. City Manager's Office city's response.
Importance of reducing Additional Project:Stormwater Spring 2020
(Resilience),Public No
flood risk,meas uring the Management Dashboard Phase II completed The dashboard has a section on resilient
Reduce preventable Works,IT
effectiveness of improvements such as number of
and accidents and damage from
stormwater
program flood wafers. properties that have been built above BF E
responding to flooding. and number of properties with resilient
improvements.
7.Special Projects
All audiences
Increase safety awareness
Messages 1 and 3 before,during and after flood
events.
After Actions Capturing Understanding the impact of heavy rain
Extreme Rain Events and Reduce preventable events and King Tides allows the city to Shared in Sustainabilif
King Tides accidents and damage from better prepare,communicate and make y
City Manager's Office and Resiliency
flood waters. Additional Project:After Actions (R esilience),Public Works Ongoing-as needed improvements.After Actions include Committee-open to
Importance of recommendations to improve the city's
understanding the impact Increase retrofits,flood response to flooding and data collection res idents.
of heavy rain events and resistant materials. efforts.
how the city can better
respond and document. Increase flood preparedness
awareness.
17
Page 1527 of 1707
SUCCESS MEASURES
The following success measures show progress toward the desired outcomes described
on the outreach implementation table. The measures not only serve as a tracking
mechanism, but they are also important to celebrate successful initiatives and identify
areas of improvement. The measures help illustrate the city's stormwater program
resilience initiatives and efforts undertaken in the past years. The PPI plan's outcomes
are highlighted below based on importance, alignment with the city's goals and data
availability. The tables show the plan's desired outcomes (at the top) and are followed
by measures indicating progress made and corresponding data.
Outcomes:
1. Increase comprehensive awareness of CRS and Miami Beach flood messages
2. Increase awareness of being safe before, during and after flood events.
2017 2018 2019 2020
Success Measures
Actual Actual Actual Actual
Number of Twitter impressions about flood 256,224 410,747 1,217,629' 635,463
awareness messages
Number of pageviews on MBRising Above website N/A 13,255 28,134 19,6512
Usefulness of City of Miami Beach's flood awareness
information shared through Facebook(by percent N/A N/A 47% 39%3
of respondents rating the item as very useful or
moderately useful)
Usefulness of City of Miami Beach's flood awareness
information shared through Twitter (by percent of N/A N/A 53% 25%
respondents rating the item as very useful or
moderately useful)
Usefulness of City of Miami Beach's flood awareness
information shared through city email (by percent N/A N/A 78% 96%
of respondents rating the item as very useful or
moderately useful)
'Twitter impressions increased significantly in 2019 due to the implementation of communication campaigns and outreach efforts.
Data was obtained from the City's Communications Department.
2Number of pageviews captured through mid-October. Data was obtained from the City's Communications Department.
3Questionnaire is not statistically valid.
Page 1528 of 1707
Using various channels to reach different audiences has been a key part of this outreach
plan. Since social media is such an important communication channel for various
demographics, the city is reaching several residents through this outlet and raising
awareness of flooding issues. Promoting flood awareness materials online has also been
an important way of communicating with residents and businesses. The city continues
measuring the usefulness of flood awareness information by conducting an annual
questionnaire. This helps the city tailor messaging for different channels and audiences.
The results of the 2020 questionnaire show that:
o Usefulness of City of Miami Beach's flood awareness information shared
through Facebook decreased from 47% to 39% in 2020
o Usefulness of City of Miami Beach's flood awareness information shared
through Twitter decreased from 53% to 25%
o Usefulness of City of Miami Beach's flood awareness information shared
through city email increased from 78% to 96%
One of the limitations of the questionnaire is that is not statistically valid, and the number
of respondents vary from year to year. The number of pageviews on MB Rising Above
decreased from 28,134 in 2019 to 19,651 in 2020. Pageviews increased primarily in 2019
due to the highly publicized Miami Beach Rising Above education campaign created
to better educate residents and visitors about the city's resilience efforts. The last few
months of 2020 may increase pageviews. In addition, the city launched a
Neighborhood Services team with a project-specific portal for public engagement on
specific flood mitigation projects that has been widely utilized.
Outcome: Reduce preventable accidents and damage from flood waters
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Success Measures '
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual
Linear feet of elevated roadways (cumulative)' 2,930 5,516 15,474 26,817 26,8172
Cumulative increase in stormwater treatment system 154,804 339,168 548,368 548,368 658,368
capacity(gallons per minute)3
Percent of flood and drainage complaints resolved 71% 88% 73% 73% 66%'
in 5 days from initiation date
%of catch basins and associated piping cleaned 85% 95% 100% 100% 100%
annually
Total NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) claims 15 4453 N/A5 N/A5 N/A5
19
Page 1529 of 1707
This data considers all roads elevated in linear feet.The data doesn't take into consideration the different number of lanes per
street raised and their width. Past years' figures were updated to reflect improved tracking methodology and data accuracy.
Project'completion methodology is provided by the Public Works Department.
2 The linear feet of elevated roadways did not increase in 2020.
3Stormwater treatment system capacity measured includes only stationary stormwater treatment systems.Data provided by the
Public Works Department.No change in capacity for year 2019.
4 The methodology to track this metric was revised to accurately reflect flooding issues.
5 Data from 2017 reflects claims associated with Hurricane Irma. Data for 2018,2019,and 2020 data was requested from FEMA and
is not yet available.
Reducing preventable accidents and damage from flood waters is an important
desired outcome of the plan and the stormwater program. The measures above help
the city track progress on this area but also reflect the various efforts dedicated to
improving the storm water system, responding to flooding more efficiently and building
resiliently.
The City of Miami Beach reduces potential pollution and continuously improves its
stormwater management through a combination of education and outreach, good
housekeeping, as well as the use of cutting-edge technology and industry-vetted
operational practices. As it relates to the operations of its stormwater system, the city
has made a commitment to inspect, clean and maintain the entire stormwater system
at least once per year. Public Works Operations staff responsible for overseeing these
activities is evaluated annually on their ability to meet this metric. In addition, every year
Environment and Sustainability Department staff conducts an audit of these activities as
part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) annual reporting.
The city goes above-and-beyond in its stormwater management. For reference, the
NPDES permit that governs the system's operation requires the entire system be
inspected, cleaned and maintained a minimum of once every three years. The NPDES
annual reports for most municipalities show that they clean their system approximately
once every five to seven years. In addition to exceeding the required NPDES frequency
the city cleans certain structures more frequently than once a year. For example,
stormwater treatment systems are cleaned at a minimum once per quarter as required
by their maintenance manuals. The city elects to clean certain stormwater treatment
systems more frequently, as needed. Stormwater treatment systems connected to
higher trafficked drainage basins like the Entertainment Districts are cleaned once per
week to ensure they are preventing as much pollution from entering the receiving water
body, as well as operating as designed.
20
Page 1530 of 1707
Outcome: Increase awareness of being safe before, during and after a flood event
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Success Measures
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual
Household is prepared with food/water/supplies for an 58% No No 66% No
emergency(percent of strongly agree and agree) survey survey survey
I know where to get information during an emergency65% No No 71% No
(percent of strongly agree and agree) survey survey survey
I'm comfortable with my building(s) flood risk protectionsN/A No No 43% No
(new 2019 measure) survey survey survey
Increasing awareness of being safe before, during and a after a flood event is important
to ensure residents have the information needed to remain safe and protect their
property during extreme weather events. The Resident Survey measures emergency
preparedness and awareness as it relates to weather events and emergencies. Results
in both areas increased. The survey is conducted to measure residents' satisfaction with
city services and perceptions about various issues. The most recent survey was
conducted in the Spring of 2019.
Outcome: Reduce preventable accidents and damage from flood waters
2009 2012 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Success Measures
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual
Percent of residents observingN/A* N/A* N/A* 74% No No 40% No
increased flooding survey survey survey
Resident satisfaction with efforts to No No 50% No
address stormwater and drainage 44% 37% 25% 46% survey survey survey
(rating of excellent or good)
*Resident Survey data not available.
In order to understand if residents are experiencing issues with flooding and drainage,
survey questions related to these areas are provided to households in Miami Beach. In
addition, data related to the satisfaction with stormwater program is provided above.
21
Page 1531 of 1707
• The percent of residents observing flooding decreased by 34% since 2016. This
means residents observed less flooding than in 2016.
• Satisfaction with efforts to address stormwater and drainage improved by 4%
since 2016. This issue ranked also as a top priority item for respondents.
Outcome: Increase insurance coverage for 2-4 units and non-residential units
2017 2018
Success Measures
—
Actual Actual
%of units with NFIP insurance policies in AE and X areas* 84% 80%
%of units with NFIP insurance policies in AE areas* 86% 81%
Percent of units with NFIP insurance policies in X areas* 58% 63%
Percent of 2-4 units with NFIP insurance policies* 46% 47%
Percent of non-residential units with NFIP insurance policies* 17% 15%
'Data accuracy is affected by various factors explained below.The flood insurance coverage assessment is required every five
years for CRS credit.
Property data was obtained from the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser. National
Flood Insurance Coverage data was obtained from FEMA National Flood Insurance
Program. The assessment was not conducted in 2019 or 2020, as it's only required every
five years.
Ninety-three percent of Miami Beach's buildings are located in the Special Flood Hazard
Area (SFHA) AE Flood Zone. Location in the AE flood zone means that insurance is
required for units with federally backed mortgages. The remaining buildings, 7%, are
located in Zone X. Buildings in the X zone, adjacent to the AE flood zone, are not
required to carry insurance, however, they are vulnerable to flooding and they are
encouraged to purchase insurance. The committee examined the flood insurance
coverage in Miami Beach in both 2017 and 2018 to identify where coverage can be
improved. Specifically, the committee focused on 2-4 units and non-residential units due
to a lower rate of coverage. These properties were actively targeted to increase
insurance coverage.
Miami Beach has an overall high rate of flood insurance coverage. The insurance
coverage rate has remained stable in the last two years with minor changes in percent
of units covered. The table above shows:
• The overall % of units with NFIP Insurance Policies in AE and X areas slightly
22
Page 1532 of 1707
decreased to 80% in 2018 from 84% in 2017.
• The percent of units with NFIP Insurance Policies in AE areas decreased from 86%
in 2017 to 81% in 2018. From 2017 to 2018, there was an increase of approximately
1,634 units in the AE area. The spike in units from one year to the next one affects
the percent of units insured in 2018, as this percent is calculated as number of
policies over number of units. This was further impacted by 1,323 fewer policies for
this area.
• The percent of units with NFIP Insurance Policies in X areas increased to 63% in
2018 compared to 58% in 2017. For the X zone, the change in units from 2017 to
2018 was 15 fewer units and the change in policies was 197 more policies in 2018.
The decrease of new units in this area resulted in a higher percent for the measure
"Percent of units with NFIP Insurance Policies in X areas." The increase in policies
also impacted the percent of units covered by flood insurance.
• The percent of 2-4 units with NFIP Insurance Policies increased to 47% in 2018
compared to 46% in 2017.
• The percent of non-residential units with NFIP Insurance Policies decreased to 15%
in 2018 from 17% in 2017.
Two factors affecting the accuracy of data were identified in this analysis. First, both
data sources, Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser and NFIP, are external to the city.
For this reason, the reliability of the data is not within the city's control. Another factor is
the number of units obtained for this report which was captured in two different points
of time for comparison purposes. Both systems likely have reporting lag times as well.
Changing the time frames to account for increase in new units may result in slightly
different insurance coverage rates.
The committee also discussed reasons that may be impacting the rate of flood
insurance coverage in the city. For example, properties without a federally backed
mortgage do not require flood insurance. Homeowners of these properties may decide
to drop flood insurance or seek a private insurer. Another reason is that NFIP flood
insurance policies in the AE zone are more expensive than in 2017. The flood insurance
assessment shows that the average policy for the AE zone costs $49 more in 2018 than
in 2017. This increase may be a reason for homeowners to seek lower rates in the private
market. Private insurance coverage for flooding is not part of this assessment. It is likely
that the inclusion of this data may change the coverage rate results.
This analysis also compliments the flood insurance coverage assessment, coverage
improvement plan, and coverage implementation plan as part of the CRS Activity 370
Flood Insurance Coverage Improvement Plan.
23
Page 1533 of 1707
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
As part of this report, recommendations were developed with the committee to make
improvements to the implementation of the plan. The following paragraphs provide a
summary of recommendations with their corresponding status.
1. Being able to better track building retrofits to help staff track upgrades that
reduce flood risk.
STATUS: COMPLETE
The Building Department continues tracking the use of flood resistant materials,
elevation of equipment, flood retrofits and other improvements in Miami Beach.
The department has worked with the resilience team to create a dashboard that
shows this data through interactive visualizations that update real-time. The
dashboard helps staff to further analyze trends and communicate how the city is
becoming more resilient. In order to capture the first living floor elevation of Miami
Beach properties, the city input elevation certificates data dated before 2016 into
GIS to have this information in an accessible and readable format.
2. Implementing tracking mechanisms for measuring the quality of information
disseminated as part of the outreach projects.
STATUS: COMPLETE
The city continues tracking the usefulness of social media and email flood
awareness messaging through an online questionnaire. The city also measured
the top flood awareness topics of interest to the community. Efforts to reduce
flood risk messages continues to be ranked as the preferred topic. This initiative
helps the city to better tailor messaging to different audiences and channels.
Flood communications messaging has also expanded through additional
communication channels, such as tex: message alerts through MBTraffic,
MBAlerts, and through Nextdoor.
3. Developing phase II of the Stormwater Management Dashboard to further
understand extreme weather events and the effectiveness of the stormwater
program.
STATUS: COMPLETE
As mentioned earlier in this report, the stormwater management dashboard is
currently tracking how the city responds to flooding, infrastructure improvements
and avoided tidal flooding incidents. Phase II was completed to include
additional tidal data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) to better understand the impacts of extreme weather events and access
24
Page 1534 of 1707
historical tidal data.
4. Adopting new road elevation standards and a neighborhood prioritization list.
This is part of achieving an integrated stormwater strategy.
STATUS: COMPLETE
Jacobs Engineering developed an integrated blue- green concept plan,
evaluated the city' s road elevation policy, and prioritized the current
neighborhood project list. As part of the first task, Jacobs analyzed various blue-
green strategies and provide a list of vetted design approaches that are
applicable to Miami Beach. Jacobs also recommended new elevation standards
to reduce flood risk in the upcoming years. Finally, Jacobs prioritized the city's
project list by using a weighted criterion. The criteria take into consideration flood
risk, water and sewage projects as well as population. This list will help the city to
move stormwater projects forward.
5. Focusing on tracking flood insurance coverage is a lesson the city learned while
completing this report for the first time. The city conducted analysis to
understand coverage for 2018, however, there are data variables that need to
be further analyzed in future years to better understand the rate of flood
insurance.
STATUS: ONGOING
Among the recommended actions from 2018 were to connect with private
insurance companies to analyze private coverage. This effort is still underway. As
the city and committee members obtain more access to private insurance
companies, flood insurance coverage will be further explored.
6. Continue implementing outreach projects to reduce flood risk and help reduce
the cost of flood insurance premiums.
STATUS: ONGOING
As mentioned above, this year the city continued disseminating flood awareness
messages despite the pandemic. The city focused on using the website and
online communication methods to continue informing the community about
flood risk.
7. Implementing the Urban Land Institute's recommendations to improve the
stormwater management program, communication with residents and
integrating green and blue infrastructure.
STATUS: ONGOING
25
Page 1535 of 1707
The City Manager's READY (Resilient Enhancement Design for YOU) Team studied
the feasibility of these recommendations, many of which require policy-level
action and funding. The team continues to meet monthly to review projects with
the purpose of integrating resilience
8. Implementing a holistic approach to resilience in the organization through the
implementation of the Resilient305 Strategy and the Strategic Plan Through the
Lens of Resilience with a resilience focus on addressing our shocks and stresses.
STATUS: ONGOING
In 2019, both strategic plans (Resilient305 and Strategic Plan Through the Lens of
Resilience) were officially adopted by the City Commission on July 17th, 2019 and
their implementation is underway. The actions within these plans will help drive
efforts to reduce flood risk.
9. Sharing the "Are You Interested in Purchasing Property on Miami Beach?" Fact
Sheet with real estate agents. The Fact Sheet targets potential property buyers in
Miami Beach, and serves as a guide to prepare homeowners for extreme
weather events and flooding.
STATUS: ONGOING
UPDATE: Fact sheets were updated in 2019 to reflect the most current flood
awareness information. In addition, the MB Magazine focusing on resilience was
shared with local real estate agencies. Messaging about the importance of
obtaining flood insurance will be shared with the Association of Realtors as one of
the PPI activities. This effort provides valuable activity points and can lead to
important resilience investments from buyers.
10.Using the best science and engineering to address current flood risk and prepare
for sea level rise.
STATUS: ONGOING
This approach includes the following:
o Utilizing the Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact's Unified Regional
Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida for planning purposes.
(Adopted by the City Commission in 2016 and 2020).
o Working with universities, such as Columbia University (2018) and Harvard
University (2018) on innovative studies to inform the city's sea level rise
approach
o Understanding the value of investing in resilience by hiring ICF Inc, who
conducted a Business Case Analysis of the Miami Beach Stormwater
Program. ICF conducted catastrophe, drainage, and economic modeling
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and estimated that city-wide investments of up to $2 billion are reasonable
based on 1 foot of sea level rise, king tides and storms. The study also
showed that home prices are higher near areas of higher elevation. For
more information, visit: http://www.mbrisingabove.com/climate-
science/innovative-studies/
11 .Adopting plans and policies to advance resilience. Over the last four years,
more than 20 land use amendments have been adopted to address sea level
rise and a full city Resiliency Code update will begin soon.
STATUS: ONGOING
The new 2040 Comprehensive Plan incorporates resilience, sea level rise and
sustainability (2019). And, most recently, Buoyant City and the Urban Forestry
Master Plan were completed (2020). These resources are available through:
http://www.mbrisingabove.com
12.Implementing Resilience Projects: Miami Beach is leading the way in South
Florida in designing neighborhood projects with an integrated approach to
address flooding and neighborhood design.
STATUS: ONGOING
Neighborhood projects are designed to have multiple co-benefits including
upgrading aging water and sewer infrastructure, improving mobility with bike
lanes and complete streets, lighting, and incorporating native and Florida
friendly vegetation and tree canopy to help retain and treat stormwater.
Additionally, greater emphasis on aesthetics, particularly regarding above
grade elements associated with neighborhood projects, is being implemented
and will be another significant co-benefit. Sunset Harbour neighborhood and
other areas where neighborhood improvements have been completed now
experience far less flooding, if any, due to king tides. Upcoming projects
include:
o Short-term: Address policy issues to begin construction in West Avenue
and First Street. Finalize the construction for existing projects including the
Venetian Islands and Indian Creek.
o Mid-term and Long-term: The City Commission approved the Jacobs
Neighborhood Prioritization on July 24, 2020. The first phase of cost
estimates will be timed with the FY21/22 capital budget process. The 2018
General Obligation Bond includes $85 million dedicated to above-ground
improvements for aesthetics and amenities for neighborhood
improvement projects.
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13. Launching an inspirational resiliency vision campaign to envision what Miami
Beach will look like in thirty years or longer.
STATUS: IN PROGRESS
The campaign will illustrate the city's resilience efforts, the fight against sea level
rise, and the planned mitigation and adaptation measures the city envisions for
the future. The city is working with Florida International University to develop a
global competition of alternative visualizations looking out 50+ years that will
engage local, regional national and international stakeholders in public discussion.
This would include public forums and community outreach. The end objective is
not to select one single 'winning vision' of a city that can flourish and adapt to its
nature-based challenges, but perhaps a subset of 3-5 finalists.
CONCLUSION & NEXT STEPS
Overall, the Program for Public Information (PPI) Plan's activities were implemented
successfully in 2020 despite the challenges of COVID-19 response and recovery. Various
outreach projects were completed and continue to be scheduled for upcoming years.
New projects have been added with the purpose of using data for better decision-
making and more effective communication. In addition, the city is preparing for its CRS
audit this December by tracking and documenting PPI efforts. The goal of the audit is to
maintain our CRS score which provides the community with valuable flood insurance
savings.
Miami Beach is committed to reducing the cost of flood insurance, reducing flood risk
and increasing flood awareness. The efforts complement the stormwater program, land
use amendments to reduce flood risk, and the Miami Beach Strategic Plan Through the
Lens of Resilience adopted in 2019.
This Program for Public Information (PPI) Annual Update & Evaluation Report, developed
for the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System program, opens
the doors for increased integration of initiatives that go hand in hand with resilience
practices and provides the city with opportunities to improve its programs. The
committee and staff will continue to implement the plan, track progress and make
recommended improvements.
For more information, visit MBRisingabove.com, and select the Flood Awareness tab.
MBRisingabove.com is the City of Miami Beach's resource for climate change adaption
and mitigation efforts.
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