Goal 4: Invest in resilient and smart infrastructure

Miami Forever Climate Ready Goal 4

In late 2017, the residents of the City voted to approve a $400-million General Obligation Bond, known as “Miami Forever,” to fund implementation of five major categories of infrastructure improvements selected by the City Commission. Not only does this Bond give the City funding to implement crucial infrastructure upgrades throughout the City, but also provides a unique opportunity to create and implement an integrated framework for smart and resilient capital investments. This goal is about leveraging our current resources, like the Miami Forever Bond and its project selection process, to ensure the infrastructure we invest in today has a positive, multi-benefit return on investment, and significant long-term impact. Our investments need to protect residents from future climate conditions, prioritize critical and highly vulnerable areas and people, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

OBJECTIVES

  • Objective 4.1: Create and implement an integrated approach (policy, design, and finance) to reduce current and future risks from storms, high tides, ground water, and sea level rise while conserving fresh water and protecting the health of Biscayne Bay and other natural areas.
  • Objective 4.2: Prioritize projects that protect the most critical and vulnerable assets and areas.
  • Objective 4.3: Make existing and new government buildings, assets, and fleet efficient, sustainable, and resilient.
Plan icon
 
PLAN

development of a document or gathering of information intended to inform future initiatives

Policy.png

POLICY

update or addition to a City policy or standard

Program.png

PROGRAM

creation or refinement of an on-going initiative that typically serves external stakeholders

Project icon

PROJECT

a one-time initiative to develop a specific deliverable

Protocol icon

PROTOCOL

revision or addition to the standard operating procedure, practices, or operations of a City department

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Policy

Institute Building Efficiency 305 Program which requires public and private buildings over 20,000 sq. ft. to track and report energy and water use through EnergyStar Portfolio Manager. Larger buildings will be required to evaluate opportunities to improve the performance of their buildings every 10 years.

ORS

City Attorney, Building,DREAM, GSA, MDC,Planning

Refine design criteria for ensuring new capital projects are designed and constructed with triple bottom line performance goals: mitigate for current and future flood, heat and storm risk, improve energy and water efficiency, enhance quality of life, reduced operating and maintenance costs, and economic stability.

OCI

ORS

Program

Prioritize and improve coordination and communications with FPL around protocols and efforts to improve energy grid reliability.

RPW

City Manager, Government Affairs

Project

 

Develop and implement a public property vulnerability assessment and audit tool that can generate recommended flood and storm risk mitigation improvements for existing city-owned buildings.

DREAM

GSA, OCI, ORS

Implement new trolley route recommendations from the Better Bus Project to better coordinate trolley system with other public transit options. Improve ease of use of trolley system by updating user interface of trolley app.

RPW

DoIT, TPO, Transit Alliance

Protocol

Leverage funding allocated from existing grants, Bond, and capital plan by pursuing matching Federal and State grant funds.

OCI

Grants,ORS, Parks, RPW

Develop a process for evaluating existing area assessments and aligning with established master plans when undertaking new capital projects.

OCI

 

Refine Construction Review and Sync Process (CRSP) to prioritize improved safety, mitigated losses, economic stability, equity, and environmental quality in City capital projects.

OCI

OMB

Create and implement systematic plan for street-sweeping that utilizes GIS to ensure all streets are cleaned at least annually. Consider initiatives that would make street cleaning more successful such as alternate side parking or periodic clearance of parking.

SW

MPA, RPW

Advocate for additional funding to increase frequency of street sweeping and drainage system cleaning to improve stormwater quality and system performance.

RPW

SW

Create and implement systematic plan for tree trimming in the right-of-way that utilizes GIS, to reduce storm damage.

RPW

FPL

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Plan

Update and implement bicycle master plan to improve safety and connectivity of bicycle routes.

OCI

Planning, RPW

Program

Work with local partners to advance inclusive workforce and small business development opportunities, and policies related to climate adaptation and carbon mitigation related investments.

ORS

Grants,HS, Procurement

Program

Establish a regional Infrastructure Coordination Committee with South Florida’s major infrastructure organizations to develop climate change informed design standards, identify cascading vulnerabilities, and establish coordination mechanisms.

RPW

City Manager, OCI, ORS

 

Project

Implement Tranche 1 of the Miami Forever Bond which includes basic flood mitigation projects such as back flow prevention valves, select drainage improvements, and planning and design for prototype projects on the Bay and the Miami River.

OCI

DREAM, HCD, OMB, ORS, Parks, Planning, RPW

Apply portfolio assessment and property audit tool to all city-owned critical facilities to develop an updated, prioritized hazard mitigation plan.

ORS

OCI

Support expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) by installing EV charging stations at City-owned properties and changing over fleet vehicles to EVs when possible.

GSA

 

Protocol

Evaluate need for updating right-of-way maintenance plans and parking policies to meet recommended BMPs and accommodate pervious materials, bioswales, and other new green and grey features.

RPW

OCI,OMB

Type

Action

Lead(s)

Partners

Policy

Approve diversified financing tool set and start to collect funds to pay for resilient infrastructure priorities.

Planning

OCI,Planning, Zoning

Policy

Explore and identify various financing mechanisms that can help fund resilient infrastructure projects such as special taxing districts, stormwater fees, transit-oriented development (TOD), tax increment financing, and transfer of development rights (TDR).

OMB,Finance

CityAttorney,Grants,OCI, Planning, Zoning