Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO APPROVE Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Counties 2014 Federal Energy and Climate Legislative Program.

(A member of the public pulled this item.)

ACTION: (T-11:04 AM) Approved. (Refer to minutes for full discussion.)

VOTE: 7-0. Commissioner Jacobs was not present. Commissioner Wexler was not present at the time of the vote.

Adoption of the Federal Legislative Program requires Board approval.

Establishes common positions for all four Compact counties on energy and climate issues and provides direction to County legislative staff and contracted lobbyists.

None

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.

This item supports the Commission’s Vision of “A Pristine, Healthy Environment,” Goal 1: “Promote, protect and enhance the environment with collaborative partners,” and Goal 2: “Encourage and promote community stewardship and appreciation of the environment and the conservation and wise use of our natural resources.”

The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, approved by the Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach County commissions in late 2009/early 2010, is a regional collaboration to adapt to rising sea levels and other climate impacts and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in southeast Florida. One of the commitments established by the Compact is the annual development of joint legislative programs on climate and energy issues at both the federal and state level. Consequently, joint federal and state legislative programs have been developed and approved by all four Compact County commissions in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Staff historically has finalized language of the joint legislative package with sufficient time to allow each of the counties to incorporate the joint Compact federal legislative program within each county’s Federal Legislative Program. This year, however, the Compact Staff Steering Committee did not reach agreement on the language of the Compact Federal Legislative Program until after the Broward County Federal Legislative Program had already been adopted by the Board. Therefore, this item adopting the 2014 Compact Federal Legislative Program is required.

This year’s Compact Federal Legislative Program includes:
• A focus on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) currently pending in Congress.
• Renewed calls to:
o Fully fund and expedite Everglades restoration projects.
o Support adaptation measures and carbon pollution reduction efforts by local governments.
o Invest in water and transportation infrastructure.
o Shift funding priorities towards public transit.
• A general revision and tightening of the program’s language compared to 2013, resulting in a 25% shorter document.

As a point of information, our county Compact partners have adopted the 2014 Compact federal program as follows: Miami-Dade County, March 4, 2014; Monroe County, March 19, 2014; and Palm Beach County, February 25, 2014.