The City of Miami Beach, a highly urbanized coastal community in southeast Florida and a major economic resource to the region, continues the be a leader in adapting to the impacts of climate change. The solutions to adapt present major challenges due to the relatively low-lying topography surrounded by intracoastal waterways with significant tidal influence, a subtropical climate with high intensity rainfalls, limited surface or soil storage for infiltration, and high amounts of impervious areas. Despite of all these challenges, investments in community-wide adaptation strategies—such as implementation of Neighborhood Improvement Projects (NIPs) which include the elevating roads and seawalls, providing robust drainage systems and replacing aged water and sewer infrastructure—are essential to protect property and communities from extreme high tides, gradual sea level rise and intense rainfalls.

While the City recently approved major resilience adaptation strategies and the prioritization of NIPs citywide, the implementation of these NIPs will require a major financial commitment and will take decades to complete.

At its June 22, 2022 meeting, the City Commission approved item number C4B, a referral to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee to discuss the motion passed by the AD HOC Neighborhood Resilience Projects Advisory Committee.

At its October 31, 2022 meeting, the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee members were provided a verbal report from Public Works, including an update on the City’s Stormwater Master Plan, which is scheduled to be completed by October 2023. On April 21, 2023 staff provided an update to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee on the City’s Stormwater Master Plan progress.

On September 28, the Administration presented the Draft Stormwater Master Plan to the community in a public outreach meeting. The meeting was available in person and remotely through Zoom. Residents who attended in person discussed their questions and concerns one-on-one with City and consultant staff, following the presentation. The City also distributed a link to a web-site where all meeting materials could be reviewed and residents could submit their feedback and questions. The public meeting was intended to inform the community as well as to gather feedback for consideration into the Final Stormwater Master Plan.

The Stormwater Master Plan is intended to address the following goals:

• To identify stormwater improvements City-wide that will alleviate flooding under a 10-year, 24-hour design storm condition.
• To develop a City-wide water quality treatment strategy to protect the health of Biscayne Bay
• To develop a prioritized implementation plan for Neighborhood Improvement Projects and Stormwater Critical Needs Projects.

The Master Plan continues to recommend the implementation of Neighborhood Improvement Projects (NIPs) as the only sustainable long-term solution to mitigate tidal and rainfall induced flooding. Recognizing that the implementation of NIPs will take a long time and will be costly, this Master Plan also identified and prioritized Critical Needs Projects. These are smaller projects aimed at addressing nuisance flooding to provide both beneficial and cost-effective solutions within targeted areas that currently suffer from recurring flooding. These projects are intended to be complimentary and adaptable to the future Neighborhood Improvement Projects.

This Master Plan incorporated the following prior studies:

• Neighborhood Project Prioritization (2020)
•  Blue-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Concept Plan (2020)
•  Road Elevation Strategy (2020)
•  Stormwater Facilities Plan (2019)
•  Seawall Prioritization Plan (2020)
•  Basin Drainage Reports for the Flood Mitigation Study (2019)
•  Stormwater 20-Year Needs Analysis (HB 53, 2022)

• Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan (ongoing)

City staff alongside the engineering consultant will present the Final Draft Stormwater Modeling and Master Plan Update. The presentation slides are enclosed for reference.

The Administration recommends presenting the Final Draft Stormwater Master Plan to Commission for adoption and implementation.

In parallel, the Administration continues to work on the execution of previously approved NIPs, including the following:

• Indian Creek Drive (roadway and drainage completed; seawall construction completed; landscape improvements underway)
• West Avenue Phase II (design/build, construction is expected to start at the end of 2023)
• First Street (detailed design phase ongoing, at 60% design)
• FDOT’s Alton Road South from Michigan to 43^rd St (90% design)
•  North Shore D – North Beach Town Center ($10 M grant agreement for design was executed, preliminary design is underway)