LTC 168-2023 Dune Maintenance Report & PlanMIAMI BE A C H
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. L TC# LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Honorable Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Alina T. Hudak, City Manag~
DATE: April 17, 2023
SUBJECT: Dune Maintenance Report & Plan
At the February 22, 2023 City Commission Meeting, a Resolution was approved requesting that
the Administration ensure the maintenance of dunes and regular trimming of dune maintenance
in an effort to protect the City's dune system and mitigate the adverse effects of overgrown
vegetation, particularly in the portion of the dunes located between 5" Street and 15" Street and
further requesting that the administration provide the City Commission with a Dune Maintenance
Report and a Plan that includes the regular trimming of dune vegetation via L TC no later than
sixty (60) days following the adoption of this Resolution. The following memorandum outlines the
City's approach to dune maintenance including background, projects, and regulatory
requirements.
B ackground
Coastal dunes are invaluable nature-based infrastructure. The City of Miami Beach's seven-miles
of Atlantic Ocean shoreline are protected by a dune system which was initially installed as part of
the United States Army Corps of Engineers' ("USACE") Dade County Beach Erosion Control and
Hurricane Protection ("BEC&HP") project in the 1980s. A healthy dune system keeps our beaches
healthy, minimizes beach erosion rates, protects coastal infrastructure and upland properties from
storm damage, habitat for wildlife and support a high biodiversity of flora and fauna that in turn
fortify the sand.
Historically, the City has maintained the dune as a natural system with little to no maintenance.
In response to challenges to the dunes, the City adopted a State-approved Dune Management
Plan in 2016. Challenges include invasive/non-native vegetation, trampling from trespassers,
unauthorized trimming, homeless and vagrant activities, and arson. The Dune Management Plan
guides the City's efforts in managing the urban, man-made dune as close to a natural system as
possible to ensure the dunes provide storm protection, erosion control, and a biologically-rich
habitat for local species.
For FY 2023, the City increased funding to $240,000 annually for the Environment and
Sustainability Department (E&S) for maintenance of the dunes through the removal of exotic
vegetation, vegetation trimming, and dune planting/restoration. These funds are allocated for
targeted restorations and enhancements that are beyond the standard maintenance performed
by the Greenspace Management Division or under their landscape maintenance contract.
Current projects are focusing on the trimming of dune vegetation to create a more environmentally
healthy dune system that is safer through CPTED - Crime Prevention through Environmental
168-2023
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Design. E&S is working in collaboration with Public Works' Greenspace Management Division,
Police, and Housing and Community Services Departments, conducting joint inspections and
planning to identify areas considered hotspots for crime and vagrancy due to overgrown dune
vegetation, including sea grapes, that have created desirable locations for vagrants and homeless
encampments. The areas that are currently being targeted are Lincoln Road, 15th - 16th Street,
17th- 18th Street, 53rd - 57th Street, and 77th- 79th Street. We are still working with the Police
Department & Homeless Outreach to identify further hotspots to tackle once the ones listed have
been completed. In FY 2023, E&S has spent $90,975.00 to-date and expect to fully complete the
hotspot areas.
Lummus Park
There are overgrown vegetation concerns regarding the dune system adjacent to Lummus Park
between 5" and 14 Street. Landscape services in the vicinity of 5 - 14" Street were excluded
from the Citywide Dune Restoration Services contract (1TB No. 268-2013-TC) adopted in 2014.
The contract specifically states that the dunes adjacent to Lummus Park are maintained by Miami-
Dade County. However, the County does not cut, trim, or maintain any vegetation in the dunes
other than that what is encroaching into the beach access paths. Since there has been minimal
maintenance of this area, the vegetation found here is predominantly nonnative invasive (i.e.
Beach naupaka and Brazilian peppertree). Trimming of nonnative invasive vegetation is illegal
and a full removal, including roots, is necessary from both a legal and environmental standpoint.
The City's State-approved Dune Management Plan, the Code of Miami-Dade County, and
Statutes at several levels of State government state that Category I and Category II exotic pest
plants must be fully removed. Trimming invasive species proliferates them greatly which could
explain the significant issue adjacent to Lummus Park. Based on poor management of the area
in the past and the overtaking of the native vegetation by exotics, this is unfortunately not a simple
trimming. It is estimated that this project could be over a million dollars for this ten-block area.
Additionally, there are several other factors that must be considered due to the location of the
park and its proximity to environmentally sensitive areas:
• The vegetation in this area is predominantly nonnative invasive vegetation and requires a
full removal including roots. However, to maintain the elevation of the dune and ensure
they are not destabilized, the dune restorations will need to be completed in small sections.
Once the invasive removal has taken place, the area will need to be replanted with native
vegetation and/or require the placement of new sand material to increase the elevation of
the dunes. The placement of sand material may require additional permitting by the State.
• Due to the dense presence of invasive vegetation, the dune trimming/removal and
restoration work will result in a mostly cleared area consisting of newly planted native
juvenile vegetation. This will leave our shoreline temporarily vulnerable to winds and wave
surges from storms and hurricanes, for each section that is completed, especially during
hurricane season. As such, the dune sections will need to be completed strategically in
phases over time to minimize disruption.
• The beaches and dunes adjacent to this area have been identified as Marine Turtle
Nesting habitat by the State of Florida (FWC and FDEP) and the City observes the season
between April 1st- October 31st. Specific restrictions on the area are placed by the State
during marine turtle nesting season, including the prohibition of the use of heavy
machinery in the dunes during this time unless prior authorization is received.
• Lummus Park is one of the City's most popular parks and top locations for special event
activations organized throughout the year. Due to the large influx of people that are always
visiting Lummus Park, we need to be strategic on how we tackle the dune restorations in
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this area. Close coordination would be needed with the City's Tourism and Culture
Department to minimize disruptions to both the trimming activity and any special event
activations.
Due to the complex nature of the dunes in the Lummus Park area, E&S anticipates beginning to
address removal and restoration work in this area in the next fiscal year; however, it will take
several years to complete the entire area for the reasons detailed above. To prepare, the
department has sought additional budget funds, significant grant funding, and have requested
that non-profit partners, like Surfrider, focus volunteer efforts in this area. The City was also
awarded a $1.3 million Resilient Florida Grant for dune restoration to be spread evenly among
South, Mid, and North Beach. We anticipate that we will begin using these grant funds in the next
fiscal year to work toward addressing a portion of this concern as funding allows. We will continue
to seek additional grants for dune maintenance and restoration.
Attachment A: C7 Z Commission Memo from February 22, 2023
ATH/EC/AK/LP/ST/JL
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Resolutions - C7 Z
MIAMI BEACH
C O M M IS S IO N M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
Rafael A. Paz, City Attorney
February 22, 2023
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, REQUESTING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION
ENSURE THE MAINTENANCE OF DUNES AND REGULAR TRIMMING OF
DUNE VEGETATION IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT THE CITY'S DUNE
SYSTEM AND MITIGATE THE ADVERSE IMPACTS OF OVERGROWN
DUNE VEGETATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE PORTION OF THE DUNES
LOCATED BETWEEN 5TH STREET AND 15TH STREET; AND FURTHER
REQUESTING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION PROVIDE THE CITY
COMMISSION WITH A DUNE MAINTENANCE REPORT AND PLAN THAT
INCLUDES THE REGULAR TRIMMING OF DUNE VEGETATION VIA A
LETTER-TO-COMMISSION (LTC) NO LATER THAN SIXTY (60) DAYS
FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the request of Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, the above-referenced
Resolution is submitted for consideration by the Mayor and City Commission at the February
22, 2023 Commission meeting.
SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
N/A
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The sponsor of this item requests that the Administration include the fiscal impact of this
proposed measure in the requested Dune Maintenance Report.
Is this a "Residents Right
to Know" item. pursuant to
City Code Section 2-14?
No
Legislative Tracking
Office of the City Attorney
Does this item utilize G.O.
Bond Funds?
No
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Sponsor
Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
D Resolution
Page 458 of 1507