THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
Approval of this item supports the Commission’s Value of “Encouraging investments in renewable energy, sustainable practices and environmental protection”. Specifically, it supports Goal 1: Seek funding for, implement policies and pursue projects promoting, the use of alternative energy and sustainable practices; and 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, and Goal 4: 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; by providing additional water conservation incentives.
This Agreement provides additional funding to distribute water conservation devices through the services of the regional Water Conservation Incentives Program and the Broward Water Partnership. This program is being administered by the Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division, in collaboration with municipal and water utility program partners, with cost share reimbursement to the County for program and administrative services provided. This Agreement will provide Broward County with up to $2,500 in additional reimbursement for program rebates issued and/or water conserving plumbing devices distributed on behalf of the City of Margate in Fiscal Years 2019, 2020, and 2021, as part of the Margate water utility service area.
The county-wide Water Conservation Incentives Program was launched on September 30, 2011. The program delivers comprehensive and uniform water conservation messaging through program branding, media messaging, and diverse communication tools and the delivery of rebates and retrofits for high-efficiently plumbing devices with residential and commercial sectors. The goals of the program are to achieve a prominent ethic of water conservation throughout the community, and to realize measured water savings through individual and commercial participation in the rebate and incentives program. Delivery of the program on a regional basis will serve to maximize program benefits through broad and uniform messaging and the efficient leveraging of funds in all program expenditures.
This program has been supported via resolution of the Broward League of Cities (September 3, 2009) and the Board of County Commissioners (November 3, 2009, Item No. 14). The Water Resources Task Force identified this initiative as a priority recommendation in their final report which was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on September 14, 2010 (Item No. 50), and the Broward League of Cities on April 7, 2011. Interlocal agreements with 14 partners, including the City of Margate, were approved by the Board on August 30, 2011 (Item No. 30). On September 30, 2011, the program was launched under the collaborative of the Broward Water Partnership with “Conservation Pays” program branding. The current Interlocal Agreement runs from FY 2017 through FY 2021 and was approved by the Board on December 13, 2016 (Item No. 11).
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