Please place on the June 7, 2017 City Commission Agenda, a referral to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee to learn about the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Silver Jackets program via a presentation and consider possible partnerships in on-going and future City improvement projects.

Silver Jackets teams in states across the United States bring together multiple state, federal and local agencies to learn from one another in reducing flood risk and other natural disasters. Although each state Silver Jackets team is unique, common agency participants include state agencies with mission areas of hazard mitigation, emergency management, floodplain management, and natural resources management or conservation among others. Federal participation typically includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and often others such as the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USACE Silver Jackets was referenced in the publication Flood Hazard Mitigation for Historic Buildings where the program was described as a good tool to assist communities with mitigating for the flooding of historic buildings via evaluation, planning, financing and the execution of flood hazard mitigation projects for pre-FIRM buildings. I would like to learn more about the program and explore possible partnership opportunities through which to counter the effects of sea level rise and better preserve our beautiful historic buildings and neighborhoods.

Please contact my office at extension 6437 for additional information.