C7F - Accept Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan

Resolutions - C7 F

COMMISSION MEMORANDUM

RECOMMENDATION

The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission adopt the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan funded by the Resilient Florida Grant Program for planning purposes.

BACKGROUND/HISTORY

On September 20, 2024, a Letter to Commission was issued, LTC #418-2024, (Attachment A) detailing the motion made by the Neighborhood Resilience Projects Advisory Committee (NRPAC) on September 18, 2024, supporting the continued development of the draft Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan.

On October 30, 2024, Resolution No. 2024-33332 (Attachment B) was adopted by the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, accepting the City of Miami Beach Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan and supporting the continued development of an adaptation plan focused on changing conditions, offering a more flexible and innovative approach compared to traditional planning. The item was sponsored by Commissioner Laura Dominguez.

On February 3, 2025, the Mayor and City Commission approved item C4 S, a referral to the Land Use and Sustainability Committee to present and discuss the draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan funded by the Resilient Florida Grant Program (Attachment C). The item was sponsored by Commissioner Laura Dominguez.

On April 15, 2025, the Land Use and Sustainability Committee heard Item 15 “Discussion to Present and Discuss the Draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan Funded by the Resilient Florida Grant Program”. The draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan item was moved to the full City Commission for consideration (Attachment D). The item is sponsored by Commissioner Laura Dominguez.

ANALYSIS

The City of Miami Beach continues to be a leader in building resilience in adapting to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. As a low-lying city surrounded by water, Miami Beach is increasingly vulnerable to flooding including intensifying coastal storm surges, more frequent and intense rainfall events, and higher annual king tides, which are worsened by the addition of rising sea levels. The unique porous limestone allows groundwater to push through the subsurface and flood interior parts of the city during high coastal water level conditions such as King Tides.

The city was awarded a $454,000 Resilient Florida Grant to develop a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. The first phase of the project was the Vulnerability

Assessment, which was adopted by the Mayor and City Commission October 30, 2024, Resolution No. 2024-33332. The Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment identified and prioritized over 67,000 assets vulnerable to flooding. Assets were evaluated using the best available data and stormwater modeling techniques to assess exposure to flooding scenarios through 2070, sensitivity to floodwaters, and the community consequences of their failure. Assets that ranked highly across these three categories were considered highly vulnerable to sea level rise. The city will use the findings to pursue targeted project funding to address the identified vulnerabilities over time.

The second phase of the grant is the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan, which outlines a comprehensive, forward-thinking, and flexible framework to safeguard the city’s infrastructure, protect its residents, and maintain its position as a global destination for visitors. This long-term plan features a phased framework of strategies to provide flood protection through 2100. An adaptation plan differs from traditional planning in that it provides a flexible framework to respond to changing conditions, rather than a traditional, static plan with fixed assumptions.

The city is a pioneer in incremental adaptation and has already carried out plans and projects for sea level rise adaptation. This Adaptation Plan builds on the city’s broader resilience framework and integrates ongoing plans and initiatives to align adaptation efforts with existing flood management, land use, and neighborhood improvement efforts. Integration with existing plans also promotes the adoption of long-term resilience considerations into individual plan updates based on evolving climate conditions. The goal of the Adaptation Plan is to develop a holistic, coordinated path to flood resilience that addresses the complex, interconnected nature of sea level rise hazards, which often require a flexible and phased approach to adapt.

The draft Adaptation Plan identifies a range of adaptation options depending on changing conditions and decision points. The proposed strategies for flood protection fall into the following themes: • Keeping water out: refers to techniques used to prevent or limit water from entering specific areas. • Living with water: focuses on coexisting with water by using floodable designs rather than trying to completely prevent water from entering an area. • Nature-based protection: uses natural ecosystems and processes to reduce the impacts of flooding. • Strategic relocation: refers to the planned relocation of specific facilities or assets that are at risk to flooding or the modification of existing land uses to avoid infrastructure damage. • Plans and policies: refers to modifications in city plans, design criteria, or ordinances to provide an enhanced level of flood protection.

The proposed strategies are organized into phased “pathways” that look at their potential lifespans based on NOAA sea level rise projections over time. These “pathways” analyze the City’s current main flood protection strategy for a given category, look ahead to determine when that strategy may no longer be viable, and present other possible options.

Community engagement through workshops and focus groups has helped shape the plan by capturing flooding concerns and community priorities. Staff conducted engagement at Hispanic Heritage Festival, Culture Crawl, and Chess Challenge. Staff provided two presentations to the Miami Beach Chamber Board, and the following City of Miami Beach Committees: Sustainability Committee, Neighborhood Resilience Projects Advisory Committee, and the FEMA Program for Public Information Committee. Additionally, eight focus groups were held for residents in each area of the city (North, Mid and South) with outreach to the business community and local subject matter experts. Staff also collaborated with experts from both Florida International University (FIU) and University of Miami (UM). The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan presentation was shared with the broader community at a public meeting on February 20, 2025, and the report was available

for public comment until March 21, 2025. The documents are available online by visiting www.mbrisingabove.com/va. The Adaptation Plan will be submitted to the State for their review before the grant deadline of March 30, 2026.

This initiative is part of the competitive Resilient Florida Grant Program which has awarded the City of Miami Beach $80.6 million in funding for resilience projects. The Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan positions the city to secure additional grant funding for future resilience projects.

FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT

The City’s budget process will be utilized to fund selected strategies over time.

Does this Ordinance require a Business Impact Estimate? (FOR ORDINANCES ONLY)

If applicable, the Business Impact Estimate (BIE) was published on: See BIE at: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/city-clerk/meeting-notices/

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The draft Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan was funded by a $454,0000 Resilient Florida Grant. The city provided a $100,000 match for compound flood modeling for the plan.

CONCLUSION

The City of Miami Beach continues to be a leader in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. The city was awarded a $454,000 Resilient Florida Grant to develop a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. The Adaptation Plan outlines a comprehensive, forward-thinking, and flexible framework to safeguard the city’s infrastructure and protect its residents. This long-term plan features a phased framework of strategies to reduce flood risk. The Adaptation Plan will be submitted to the State for their review before the grant deadline of March 30, 2026.

Applicable Area

Citywide

Was this Agenda Item initially requested by a lobbyist which, as defined in Code Sec. 2-481, includes a principal engaged in lobbying? No

If so, specify the name of lobbyist(s) and principal(s):

Department

Environment and Sustainability

Sponsor(s)

Commissioner Laura Dominguez

Co-sponsor(s)

Condensed Title

Accept Rec/Adopt the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan. (Dominguez) EN

Previous Action (For City Clerk Use Only)