BACKGROUND
At the City Commission meeting on February 10, 2016, the Mayor and City Commission referred a discussion item to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee (SRC) prohibiting contractors from using roundup and other chemicals that may be carcinogens in public spaces. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Ricky Arriola. This item was discussed at the March 30, 2016 and May 18, 2016 Sustainability & Resiliency Committee. The Committee discussed the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for both City staff and contractors to follow.
During the October 26, 2016 SRC, Rodney Knowles, Greenspace Division Director, explained that the City currently complied with the principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) and IPM when managing pests in the landscape. At the request of the SRC, the Greenspace Management Division developed a FFL Plan with educational component for City Hall in order to educate the public about the environmental benefits derived from the principles of FFL including IPM. Millicent McFadden, Parks Superintendent, presented the FFL guidelines, explaining how IPM is incorporated into these guidelines. Ms. McFadden also presented a plan for a resilient FFL pilot with educational gardens for City Hall. After the presentation, the SRC Committee referred the item to City Commission with a favorable recommendation to implement a FFL landscaping plan for City Hall, including an educational component.
Analysis
The City of Miami Beach’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Public Works Department -Greenspace Management Division, and their contractors currently use pesticides and fertilizers to maintain the landscaping in our parks, greenspaces and parking lots.
Parks and Recreation Department and Greenspace Management Division and their contractors currently follow the State of Florida’s Green Industries Best Management Practices for pest control management, which uses FFL and IPM as its foundation. IPM utilizes best practices to minimize the use of chemicals while emphasizing the proper horticultural methods to ensure the overall vitality of the landscape. In their everyday operations, Parks and Recreation Department and Greenspace Management also follow the FFL principles which are landscaping practices that conserve water, protect the environment, are appropriate for local conditions, and are drought, wind and/or salt tolerant. These practices also includes planting the right plant in the right place, efficiently watering, appropriate fertilization, mulching, attraction of wildlife, responsible management of yard pests (IPM), recycling yard waste, reduction of stormwater runoff, and waterfront protection. Additional components of FFL include planning and design, soil analysis, use of solid waste compost, practical use of turf, and proper maintenance.
At the request of the SRC, the Greenspace Management Division has developed in-house a resilient FFL project for City Hall (Attachment A- Conceptual Design). The Greenspace Management Division will be working with the Environment and Sustainability Department, UF/IFAS Extension Office, and the Miami Beach Botanical Garden to include an educational element and native plant identification. The goal of the project is to demonstrate and educate our residents, visitors and employees about how a resilient FFL can protect the environment through environmentally sustainable practices, using low-maintenance plants, conserving water and reducing fertilizers and pesticides use.
The project will provide for a formal, FFL utilizing Florida Native Plants around City Hall to demonstrate to the public that FFL and Florida Native Plants can provide for both highly esthetic and sustainable landscaping. The educational component, along the perimeter of the property, will be divided into four different “gardens” that will present different plant palettes, including the most common/available, resilient native plants for South Florida featuring:
· Butterfly attractors;
· Wildlife attractors;
· Seaside Garden; and
· Grasses and Wildflowers.
Each garden will have an educational signage with information about the different habitats, resilient plant species, benefits to the environment and how residents can bring back these principals into their own landscaping.