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1 RESOLUTION NO. _____ _
2 A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of South Miami,
3 Florida, supporting the Miami-Dade County resolution urging the United States
4 Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
5 and the South Florida Water Management District to expedite Phase II of the
6 Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project.
7 WHEREAS, the beaches throughout Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida are vital
8 to the quality of life for residents and tourists alike; and
9 WHEREAS, it is important to preserve the quality of s.and that is placed on the public
10 beaches that provide a source of recreation and relaxation for both adults and children; and
11 WHEREAS, on April 19,2016, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution
12 No. R-325-16 (the "County Resolution"), attached hereto as Exhibit "A"; and
13 WHEREAS, the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands (BBCW) project is a critical
14 component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), as authorized by
15 Congress in 2000 which is intended to restore natural coastal wetlands and marine habitats in
16 Biscayne Bay and Biscayne National Park; and
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18 WHEREAS, the BBCW project will provide increased water storage in the wetlands
19 east of the coastal ridge which is expected to protect against saltwater intrusion and thereby
20 increase resiliency against sea level rise in southern Miami-Dade County; and
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22 WHEREAS, the City Commission finds that the adoption of this Resolution is in the best
23 interest and welfare of the residents of the City; and
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25 NOW, THEREFORE, BE RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
26 COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA THAT:
27 Section 1. The above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this
28 reference.
29 Section 2. The City Commission supports the County Resolution No. R-325-16, which
30 urges the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Environmental
31 Protection, and the South Florida Water Management District to expedite the planning of Phase II
32 ofthe Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project as outlined in the County Resolution (Exhibit "A").
33 Section 3. The City Clerk is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the
34 United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental
35 Protection, the South Florida Water Management District Board Members, and municipalities in
36 Miami-Dade County.
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38 Section 4. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for any reason
39 held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the holding shall not affect
40 the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
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Section 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this __ day of ___ , 2016.
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM,
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND
EXECUTION THEREOF
CITY ATTORNEY
Page 2 of 2
APPROVED:
MAYOR
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Stoddard:
Vice Mayor Welsh:
Commissioner Harris:
Commissioner Edmond:
Commissioner Liebman:
EXHIBIT "A"
Resolution-Exhibit A -Supp0l1ing BCC Resolution R-325-16 (Page I of 5)
Approved ________ =M=ayJ-'-0=r Agenda Item No. l1(A) (10)
4;.19-16 Veto
Override
RESOLUTION NO. R-325-16
RESOLUTION URGING THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS, THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND THE SOUTH
FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT to EXPEDITE
PHASE II OF THE BISCAYNEBA Y COASTAL WETLANDS
PROJECT SO THAT PLANNING FOR PHASE II MAY
COMMENCE-AS SOON AS POSSIDLE AND TO TAKE ALL
NECESSARY AC110NS TO COMPLETE PHASE I OF THE
BlseA YNE BAY COASTAL WETLANDS PROJECT
WBEREAS, Miami-Dade County is the only county in the nation that is home to two
national parks, Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park; and
WHEREAS, the health of Biscayne Bay and the Everglades is intrinsically linked to the
economic well-being of Miami-Dade County through nature-based tourism and commercial and
recreational fishing; and
WHEREAS, restoration of the greater Everglades' ecosystem is important for continued
clean water supply, environmental and public health, and the economic viability.of Miami-Dade
County; and
WHEREAS, the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands (aBCW) project, a critical component
of the Comprehensive Everglades· Restoration Plan (CERP), as authorized by Congress in 200Q,
is intended to restore natural coastal wetlands habitat by redistributing freshwater flow through
more natural "sheet flows," and reconnecting coastal wetlands and marine habitats in Biscayne
Bay and Biscayne National Park; and
Resolution -Exhibit A -Supporting Bee Resolution R-325-16 (Page 2 of 5)
Agenda Item No. 11(A) (10)
Page No. 2
WHEREAS, the BBeW project is the only CERP project that is dedicated to restoring
Biscayne Bay and Biscayne National Park, both of which are vital to the ecological and
economic health of Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, the BBCW project will provide increased water storage ill the wetlands east
of the coastal ridge, which is expected to protect against saltwater intrusion and thereby increase
resiliency against sea level rise in ~outhern Miami-Dade County; and
, .
WHEREAS, both Phase I and Phase II of the BBeW project must be completed in order
to achieve the full project benefits as envisioned in CERP; and
WHEREAS, although there isa plan in place for the completion of Phase I of the BBCW
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project, the planning for Phase II of the BBCW project is not scheduled to begin unti12021, and
actual construction' of Phase II would occur even later in time; and
WHEREAS, Phase II of the :SBCWproject is intended to provide water storage and
rehydrate significant wetland areas between the Princeton and Mowry Canals as well as the
Model Lands wetland area, which contains more than 20,000 acres of important wetlands that
connect the Everglades to Biscayne Bay and Card Sound; and
WHEREAS, in addition, Phase I of the BBCW project has not been completed, and
therefore the potential benefits of that portion of the BBCW project have not yet been fll11y
realized; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County is deeply invested and committed to seeing the
imcw project completed, and in order to do in: a timely manner, Phase n of the BBCW project
mustmove forward in advance of the current schedule; and
Resolution -Exhibit A -Supporting Bee Resolution R-325-16 (Page 3 of 5)
Agenda Item No. 11 (A)(lO)
Page No. 3
WHEREAS, to this end, Miami-Dade County has continued to contribute substantial
resources towards the goals of CERP and the BBCW project, includiDg land acquisition,
technical data, and staffing resources to those project delivery teams; and
WHEREAS~ in order to expedite Phase II of the BBew project, the South Florida Water
Management Disnict, as the local sponsor for this project, would need to ask the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to include, in its budget for fiscal year 2017;..2018, the SO percent federal
share of flmding for the planning of Phase II of the BBCW project, and such a request by the
South Florida Water Management District may need to be made as early as mid-May 2016 in
order to meet budgetary deadlines; and
WHEREAS, as such, this Board wishes to request that the U.S. Anny Corps of
Engineers include the above-mentioned funding in its budget for fiscal year 2017-2018; and
WHE~AS, this Board also Wishes to request that: (1) the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District move forward with
planning for Phase II of the BBCW project on an expedited schedule, and take all necessary
steps to do so, including the allocation of up to $3 million dollars, or equivalent in-kind services,
as approved and reguired by the U.S. Anny Corps of Engineers, for such planning efforts; and
(2) the U.S. Army Corps, Florida Department of Environmental PrQ~ection, and the South
Florida Water Management District take all necessary steps to complete Phase I of the BBeW
project.
NOW, THEREFORE~ _BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI.;DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board hereby:
Section 1. Urges the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and the'South Florida Water Management District to take all steps
Resolution -Exhibit A -Supporting BCC Resolution R-325-] 6 (Page 4 of 5)
Agenda Item No. l1(A) (10)
Page No. 4
necessary to expedite the planning of Phase II of the SBCW project, so that such planning occurs
as soon as possible, and in any event, sooner than the current schedule of2021, including but not
limited to:
(a) Urging the South Florida Water Management District, as local sponsor of the BnCW
project, to ask: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include, in its budget for fiscal
year 2017-2018, the 50 percent federal share of funding for the planning of Phase II
of the BBCW project.
(b) Urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include such funding for the planning of
Phase II of the BBCW project in its budget for fiscal year 2017-2018, and
(c) Urging the South Florida Water Management District to allocate up to $3 million
dollars, or equivalent in-kind services, as approved and required by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers for the planning of Phase II of the BBCW project.
Urges the U.S Anny Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and the .South Florida Water Management District to take all steps
necessary to complete Phase I of the BBeW project.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit certified copies of this
resolution to the Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation; the Assistant Secretary of
the Army for Civil Works, the Governor, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade State
Legislative Delegation, the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, and the
Governing Board and Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District.
Section 4. Directs the COUfity'S state and federal lobbyists to advocate for
administrative action that would accomplish the goals set forth herein and as described in Section
1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item
Resolution -Exhibit A -Supporting Bee Resolution R-325-16 (Page 5 of 5)
Agenda Item No. 11 (A) (10)
Page No. 5
in the 2017 State Legislative Package and the 2016 and 2017 Federal Legislative Packages when
they are presented to the Board.
The Prime Sponsor of the foregoing resolution is Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, It
was offered by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava , who moved its adoption. The
motion was seconded by Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan and upon being put to a vote,
the vote was as follows:
Jean Monestime, Chairman aye
Esteban L. Bovo, Jr., Vice Ch&irman aye
Bruno A. Barreiro aye Daniella Levine Cava
Jose nPepe" Diaz absent ' Audrey M. Edmonson
Sally A Heyman absent Barbara J. Jordan
Dennis C. Moss aye Rebeca SOBa
Sen. Javier D. Souto aye Xavier L. S'l1arez
Juan C. Zapata aye
aye
aye
aye
aye
absent
The Chairperson thereupon declared the resolution duly passed and adopted this 19th day
of April,2016. This resolution shall become effective upon the earlier of (1) 10 days after the
date of its adoption unless vetoed by the County Mayor, and if vetoed, shall become effective
only upon an override by this Board, or (2) approval by the County Mayor of this Resolution and
the filing oftbis approval with the Clerk of the Board.
Approved by County Attorney·as U. ..
to form and legal sufficiency. ~
Abbie Schwaderer Raurell
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY ITS BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
HARVEY RUVIN, CLERK
By: Christopher Agrlppa
Deputy Clerk