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’s Value of “Encouraging investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection” and Goal 1: Seek funding for, implement policies and pursue projects promoting, the use of alternative energy, and sustainable practices; Goal 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; Goal 3: Increase water quality protection efforts and lead creative approaches to water storage and aquifer recharge, as well as diversification of water supplies, regionally.
On May 8, 2018, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners approved a professional services agreement with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. providing for engineering and modeling services to support update of the Broward County 100-year Flood Elevation Map under future conditions (Item 46). This updated map is anticipated to substantially improve the resilience of the Broward community by ensuring that new structures and critical infrastructure are designed in accordance with evolving flood conditions and risk, accounting for the combined influence of sea level rise and increased rainfall intensity on local flood elevations.
In 2016, the Board adopted the updated Unified Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida (Compact, 2015) and directed staff to apply this projection as the basis for regional sea level rise adaptation planning. This action reflected the recognized vulnerability of both coastal and inland areas to the impacts of rising seas, including increased coastal flooding, changes in groundwater levels, and reduced capacity of gravity-dependent stormwater systems.
In May 2017, the Board approved the establishment of a future conditions map series as part of the Broward County Code of Ordinances, to provide a regional basis for resilience standards as part of project permitting, and adoption of the first map in the series, the future conditions average wet season groundwater table map. This map became effective July 2017, and requires that drainage systems and surface water management systems be designed in accordance with the change in groundwater elevation predicted with sea level rise and a 9% increase in rainfall predicted for the timeframe from 2060-2069.
The current project is anticipated to generate the next map in the County’s future conditions map series. Local government participation is significant as communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System are able to secure flood insurance discounts on behalf of local policy holders, based on flood mitigation measures and activities. Eligible activities earning credit include: adoption of more protective standards, planning for more extreme rainfall, planning for sea level rise, participation in studies that inform flood reduction efforts, and public outreach. These are all activities supported by this project. In addition, with the movement toward risk-based rating for flood insurance policy rates as part of the NFIP, anticipated in 2020, resiliency investments by local and regional governments are expected to substantially improve the risk-rating of individual properties, and the community as a whole. Ultimately, these collaborative improvements in flood risk reduction and community resilience will help ensure the affordability of flood insurance while protecting against damage and losses. The benefits of these investments are expected to extend to a broad range of risk assessments and insured investments involving both public and private entities.
These agreements have been provided legal review and approval as to form by the Office of the County Attorney. |