A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY COMMITTEE AT ITS SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 MEETING, FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO: (1) IDENTIFY A TARGETED LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEMPORARY PUMPS, (2) DEVELOP A FISCAL YEAR 2019 (FY 2019) BUDGET AND (3) FIND A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEMPORARY PUMPS; AND (4) RECOMMEND AN IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF TEMPORARY PUMPS; WHICH PLAN, BUDGET, AND FUNDING SOURCE ARE SPECIFICALLY DELINEATED IN THIS RESOLUTION, AND ACCEPTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION.

To meet the stormwater needs of the City of Miami Beach, the City is investing over $650 million in various infrastructure improvements, which improvements will need to be made over an estimated span of 10 years.  The infrastructure improvements include installing larger pipes, building pump stations, and raising roads to ensure that the roads do not flood in future tidal and rainfall events.

During King Tide events, to prevent localized street flooding in areas where the roadway elevation is lower than the high tide levels, temporary pumps have been installed and the water has been pumped to the adjacent canal or Biscayne Bay. Typically, pumps have been deployed in these lower areas, such as along upper North Bay Road, Orchard Park, Indian Creek, Tatum Waterway, and other North Beach areas.

All temporary pump locations have been permitted through DERM, which deployment incorporates best management practices to protect water quality (including, but not limited to, cleaning of the stormwater system in the area adjacent to the temporary pumps to remove potential pollutants).

In Fiscal Year 2018, $325,410 was spent on temporary pumps, not including the cost of fuel and labor to operate the equipment. Costs associated with the increased use of, and requests for, temporary pumps will continue to increase as higher tides occur during each King Tide season. The City’s current stormwater rates do not include components for widespread usage of rental temporary pump installations.

A continued reliance on temporary equipment to alleviate flooding will require a permanent source of funding, as, until now, the costs have been paid from the stormwater utility’s operations and maintenance fund.  The stormwater utility operations and maintenance fund, in its current design, is unable to continue to fund this temporary pump practice into the future without neglecting the intended operations and maintenance obligations for the stormwater system.

A resolution regarding the utilization of temporary pumps and generators was placed on the July 25, 2018 City Commission meeting agenda and the City Commission took up the item. After several members provided comments with regards to the draft resolution, Commissioner John Aleman moved to refer the discussion to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee for further discussion; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Góngora; and the item passed 6 – 0 (Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez was absent during the vote).

At its September 26th, 2018 meeting, the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee moved to have the Administration: (1) identify a targeted level of service for temporary pumps; (2) develop a Fiscal Year 2019 proposed budget for the deployment of temporary pumps; (3) find a permanent funding source; and (4) implement a recommended process for deployment of the temporary pumps; and to (5) bring the item back to the City Commission for approval.

Consistent with the direction of the Sustainability and Resilience Committee, the Administration has determined that the targeted level of service for temporary pumps, during King Tide events, for previously identified low lying areas not equipped with permanent stormwater pumping stations, will be to maintain the roads passable for vehicles and pedestrians. This level of service will require the City to deploy of at least 25 temporary pumps, at an estimated cost of $270,000.00 (assuming three (3) months of King Tides, in the Spring, and three (3) months of King Tides, in the Fall), which plan for deployment for temporary pump stations.

Consistent with the direction of the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee, the Administration has identified $272,000.00 in the Fiscal Year 2019 Stormwater Maintenance and Operations Fund.

It is expected that the pumps can keep the roadways free of standing water; provided, however, some additional roadways may experience temporary flooding depending on the magnitude of the tides and coinciding rainfall events.

The Public Works Department will closely monitor the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tidal predictions for our area and implement deployment of temporary pumps, as needed, and at the discretion of the Public Works Director.