Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO APPROVE amended Coastal Dune Restoration Program Grant Agreement to include the County's current standard form language on indemnification as the previous version of this grant agreement was prepared in the year 2015 and therefore does not contain indemnification language; to authorize the County Administrator to execute same; and to authorize the County Administrator to make the necessary administrative and budgetary actions to implement the agreements. (Commission Districts 4, 6 and 7)

(Per the Tuesday Morning Memorandum, please add the following to the end of the Summary/Explanation/Background: “Individual agreements based on the form agreement will be subject to review of and approval by the Office of the County Attorney.”)

ACTION:  (T-10:26 AM)  Approved.  (Scrivener’s Error – See County Administrator’s Report: Motion currently reads: MOTION TO APPROVE amended Coastal Dune Restoration Program Grant Agreement.  Should read: Coastal Dune Restoration Program Grant Form Agreement.) 
 
VOTE: 6-0.  Commissioners Geller, Holness and Sharief were not present.

Board approval is required to authorize use of the revised Coastal Dune Restoration Grant Agreement and to authorize the County Administrator to execute the agreements and implement administrative and budgetary actions to implement the agreements.

This action authorizes the use of the revised Coastal Dune Restoration Grant Agreement and authorizes for the County Administrator to execute the agreements and make administrative changes to implement the agreements.

None taken.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.

Approval of this item supports The Board of County Commissioners value of encouraging investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection and the goals to: 1) Seek funding for, implement policies and pursue projects promoting the use of alternative energies and sustainable practices; 2) Proactively lead in the planning, design and construction of projects supporting resilience and climate adaptation, including coordination with other entities to foster resilient design as part of local and regional projects, especially shore protection efforts; and 3) Educate the public about the fragile South Florida ecosystems, impacts of severe weather, sea level rise, and climate change, with special emphasis on the coral reef ecosystem.

The original Coastal Dune Restoration Grant Program and associated documents were approved by the Commission on June 2, 2015 (Agenda Item No. 27) and minor modifications to the Agreement were approved on March 28, 2017 (Agenda Item No. 26). The Program provides local project partners (e.g., municipalities, not-for-profits, and associations), with cost share funding to augment and rehabilitate coastal dunes as resilient shoreline features, with a required public engagement component. Beach dunes are a living shoreline feature that improve the resilience of our shorelines by helping to buffer wave energy and retain sand on the beach. The County has established the goal of achieving an 80% dune presence along the Broward County shoreline as part of the County's climate change resiliency efforts. Funding for this program is currently provided at $25,000 per year as part of the County's beach program capital fund.

The grant agreement is being amended at the request of the Risk Management Division to include indemnification language as noted in Section 7.8, entitled "Indemnity." The previous version of this grant agreement was prepared in the year 2015 and did not include the County's standard form language on indemnification. The addition of Section 7.8 to this agreement was coordinated and approved by the Risk Management Division and the County Attorney's Office.

To date, ten successful dune restoration projects have been funded through this program, the grantees being private property owners, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. In all, the program has disbursed $49,000 in grant awards, while grantees contributed $58,924 of in-kind services and cash, resulting in a total investment of $107,092 towards dune restoration efforts in Broward County. The program demonstrates the power of community-based approaches in conducting dune restoration projects that build awareness about the importance of vegetated sand dunes as important natural features which help protect upland property from coastal hazards (e.g. flooding), restore coastal habitat, and contributes to the long-term sustainability and health of Broward County’s shoreline.

Dr. Jennifer Jurado, Director, Environmental Planning & Community Resilience Division, (954) 519-1464