On September 14, 2022, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2022-32404, approving, and authorizing the creation of an Ad Hoc Iguana Remediation Advisory Committee to examine measures taken by other jurisdictions to control the invasive iguana population and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Commission concerning options for iguana mitigation and removal.

On May 17, 2023, the Mayor and City Commission approved the referral of item C4 H, sponsored by then Commissioner Meiner to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC”) to discuss the three (3) motions passed at the March 14, 2023 meeting of the Ad Hoc Iguana Remediation Advisory Committee (the “Ad Hoc Iguana Committee”) relating to the City’s iguana remediation efforts.

The Ad Hoc Iguana Committee was established in December 2022 with three (3) members appointed by the Mayor and Commission. In February 2023, an additional member was subsequently appointed. In accordance with Resolution No. 2022-32404, the Committee originally sunset in April 2023. On June 28, 2023, the Mayor and City approved Resolution No. 2023-32650 reestablishing the Ad Hoc Iguana Committee.

The Ad Hoc Iguana Committee has held several meetings since its formation. At the March 13, 2023 Committee meeting, members of the Ad Hoc Iguana Committee passed the following three (3) motions. For each motion, a brief synopsis and update have been provided herein:

Motion 1: Recommend that the City provide tangible responses to inquiries referencing (iguana remediation efforts on) private property.

The City Attorney’s Office has drafted a Private Property Access Agreement, should the City assume the responsibility to remediate iguanas on private property at the City’s sole expense. Currently, the City addresses iguana control exclusively on City-owned properties. However, the City’s primary iguana remediation vendor offers a discounted rate for Miami Beach residents and property managers.

Motion 2: Recommend that the City provide tangible results in terms of negotiating with and ensuring accountability of contractors, so that they are paid per iguana.

The Administration is finalizing negotiations with the primary responsive bidder, Iguana Control, pursuant to RFQ-2023-007-WG (Iguana Control Services Citywide). Several partner agencies with experience in control and remediation of invasive iguana species, such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Government of the Cayman Islands have recommended against establishing a per carcass award and are in favor of establishing award base on an established monthly rate, per location.

To ensure accountability, the awarded contractor will be required to provide monthly reports detailing number of man-hours and funds expended as well as quantity of iguanas exterminated, per location.

Motion 3: Recommend that the City set up a hotline or website that residents can access to have iguanas removed from their private property.

A link for residents to obtain information regarding the City’s iguana remediation program was added to the City’s website in May 2023. Residents can access this link under the Animal Control subsection accessed from the Resident portal on the City’s main webpage.

In lieu of a dedicated hotline, the City’s Information Technology Department has recommended adding an option to the City’s main help line: “604-CITY”, wherein residents can dial “9” for additional options and then “2” to be connected directly to the City’s Iguana Remediation Contractor. This measure would carry no fiscal impact to the City and can be operationalized in short order once the Iguana Remediation Services Contract is fully executed.

The City has dedicated resources to mitigate iguana infestation. The original budgeted appropriation for iguana control was $35,000. In September 2022, the Mayor and City Commission approved an additional allocation of $200,000. Subsequently, another appropriation of $200,000 was approved at the February 17, 2023, Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee meeting.

In Fiscal Year 2023, the City expended a total $447,555 for the remediation of these pests. To date, approximately 9,619 iguanas have been eradicated. The total appropriation for FY 2024 is $435,000.