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Resolution 059-2014RESOLUTION NO. 059 -2014 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PLEDGING THEIR SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMPACT COUNTIES 2014 STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS AND THEIR APPROVAL TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE MONROE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR 2014. WHEREAS, Florida is considered one of the most vulnerable areas in the country to the consequences of climate change, with Southeast Florida on the front line to experience the impacts of climate change; and WHEREAS, Monroe, Miami- Dade, Palm Beach, and Broward Counties, constitute the southeast Florida region, and share in common a strong quality of life rooted in the region's rich cultural heritage, vigorous economy, and environmental resources of global significance; and WHEREAS, the four counties of southeast Florida and their respective populations, totaling more than five million residents, are expected to share disproportionately high risks associated with climate change; and WHEREAS, the four counties have banded together to form the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, which was adopted by the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners in 2010; and WHEREAS, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact includes a commitment to develop and advocate for joint state and federal legislative policies; and WHEREAS, as a member of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Monroe County participates with the other counties in developing an annual legislative agenda which advocates for state and federal action related to energy and climate issues; and WHEREAS, Monroe County adopted Resolution 022 -2010 in which the County pledged to work in close collaboration with the other counties in the Compact to develop legislative policy statements to be considered by the Congress of the United States and the Florida Legislature; and WHEREAS, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact has finalized its 2014 State and Federal Agendas; and WHEREAS, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact is presenting to the Board of County Commissioners of each member county its 2014 State and Federal Legislative Agendas with the request that they be formally ratified. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that: Section 1 : Monroe County adopts the proposed Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact's two legislative programs (attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibits A and B respectively): A. 2014 State Energy and Climate Legislative Program, and B. 2014 Federal Energy and Climate Legislative Program. Section 2 : Monroe County hereby incorporates the two programs into the Monroe County State and Federal Legislative Program. Section 3. Effective date: This Resolution shall become effective upon Adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting of said board held on the 19 day of March, 2014 n N cv 0 N Mayor Sylvia Murphy Commissioner Danny Kolhage, District 1 Yes Commissioner George Neugent, District 2 Yes Commissioner Heather Carruthers, District 3 Yes Commissioner David Rice, District 4 Yes HEAVILIN, Clerk BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF v v X MONROE COUNTY, F LQRIDA lerk _0 BY: Mayor MONROE COUNTY ATTORNEY 4APAT14L ED AS TO FORM: NE W . . CASSEL ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY Date Deputy SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMPACT COUNTIES 2014 STATE ENERGY AND CLIMATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM As an ongoing effort to develop and collaborate regionally on energy and climate issues, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Counties of Broward, Miami -Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe and municipal partners renew support for the 2013 State Energy and Climate Legislative Program and affirm our support for the following state legislative policies for 2014. 2014 State Policies Sea Level Rise and Adaptation OPPOSE any infringement on local home rule authority to plan for and adapt to future climate conditions, including sea level rise, precipitation patterns, and temperatures. SUPPORT greater incorporation of adaptation strategies in state climate /energy policies, legislation, and appropriations priorities. SUPPORT legislation, programs, and funding that support local governments' adaptation activities, including the establishment and use of Adaptation Action Areas. SUPPORT legislation and policies requiring state agencies, water manage and industries regulated by the state (e.g. electric utilities) to consider projected sea -level rise and potential storm surge in all infrastructure and facility- siting decisions. Ener SUPPORT integrated resource planning /least cost planning for electric utilities to ensure that energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are fully considered as strategies for meeting future needs. SUPPORT energy efficiency and renewable energy finance options to advance greenhouse gas emissions goals, alternative and renewable energy technologies, and green sector economic development. SUPPORT stringent energy efficiency and conservation targets set by the Florida Public Service Commission pursuant to the Florida Energy Efficiency & Conservation Act, as amended. SUPPORT rebate programs, tax credits, and other financial incentives that encourage property owners to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. EXHIBIT 9 SUPPORT renewable portfolio standards (RPS) for utilities that would require a set percentage of electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by a given date. SUPPORT legislation requiring natural gas companies to reduce the amount of "lost and unaccounted -for" gas. Water SUPPORT returning Water Management Districts' authority, taxing powers, and budgetary control to the situation that existed prior to 2010. Offshore Drillin OPPOSE relaxation of prohibitions against leases or permits for oil or gas drilling within Florida's territorial seas and the Everglades, and OPPOSE any legislation limiting the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's authority to block requests for offshore drilling in federal waters off Florida's coast. Everglades SUPPORT legislation and funding supporting complete implementation of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and policies recognizing that a restored Everglades will help make the region more resilient to sea level rise and extreme weather events. Investment Priorities SUPPORT funding for adaptation planning and no- regrets investments in water management, water supply, conservation land acquisition, transportation, and other infrastructure that provide hazard mitigation and improve immediate and long -term resilience. SUPPORT prioritized funding for infrastructure investments in Adaptation Action Areas, or other areas subject to the impacts of sea level rise. SUPPORT funding for the Water Protection and Sustainability Program. Transportation SUPPORT development of electrical vehicle infrastructure, including statewide policies to streamline siting and permitting of electrical vehicle charging stations, siting of charging infrastructure on state property, and inclusion of electric vehicle models and specifications in the state contract system. Support legislation that encourages the design, completion, or expansion of integrated networks of non - motorized transportation corridors (such as bike lanes) on a local and /or regional level. Support legislation that would provide additional local transit connectivity to existing and proposed regional transit systems ( "first and last mile strategy "). Support legislation that supports planning and implementation of transit - oriented developments (TODs) on a local and /or regional scale. SOUTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE COMPACT COUNTIES 2014 FEDERAL ENERGY AND CLIMATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM Background Southeast Florida is one of the most vulnerable areas in the country to climate change and sea level rise. Recognizing their shared challenges, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami -Dade and Monroe counties (Compact counties) adopted the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact (Compact) in 2010. The Compact includes a commitment to develop and advocate for joint state and federal legislative policies. Therefore, the Compact counties have adopted a Federal Energy and Climate Legislative Program each year since 2011. The following federal policies and priorities form the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Counties 2014 Federal Energy and Climate Legislative Program: Infrastructure Investments SUPPORT — the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA) and specific support for provisions: • Authorizing Everglades restoration projects, either by name or by reference to those projects for which Chief's Reports have been completed. • Creating a procedure for later authorization of projects under review at the time of passage of the Act, such as the Central Everglades Planning Project. • Allowing non - federal sponsors to receive reimbursement or in -kind credit for project expenditures incurred before the execution of a Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers. • Creating an evaluation procedure for federal shore protection projects nearing the end of their 50 -year federal authorization and allowing the Assistant Secretary of the Army to extend the authorization for an additional 15 years. • Supporting the potential use of nonstructural alternatives, such as dunes, wetlands, marshes, reefs, mangroves, and other natural features. • Creating a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA). SUPPORT — federal legislation that would create and fund a national infrastructure bank or other new infrastructure funding source to finance projects needed by state and local governments to adapt to climate impacts and address aging infrastructure. Emphasis should be placed on investments in water management, water supply, transportation, and other projects that make urban infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events and rising sea levels. SUPPORT — legislation that creates incentives for the consideration of climate impacts inchirlinn spa level rise, in federal aid for transportation, water, and other infrastructure projects. EXHIBIT Page 1 Is SUPPORT — the use of emissions reduction and climate adaptation performance measures and standards to evaluate infrastructure investments, including transportation and water projects. SUPPORT — federal programs that shift priorities toward public transit and non - motorized travel, including reinvestment in existing infrastructure and communities, support for public transportation and transit - oriented development, and congestion management strategies other than new road building. Adaptation and Resilience SUPPORT — Congressional recognition of adaptation as a critical climate change issue in the development of all legislation and appropriations priorities. SUPPORT — specific recognition in federal legislation of land use designations made by local governments for the purposes of building community resilience, such as the Adaptation Action Areas (AAAs) defined in Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, and the development of regulations that give priority consideration to local land use designations for climate - resilient investments. SUPPORT — federal grants, technical support, and other services to aid community planning that incorporates sustainability and climate adaptation practices. SUPPORT — reform of the Stafford Act to allow greater flexibility in disaster reconstruction efforts to ensure that properties and infrastructure are not merely rebuilt to their previous condition, but to higher, more resilient standards (where appropriate). SUPPORT — funding for weatherization programs provided by the U.S. Department of Energy to harden buildings against windstorm impacts. SUPPORT — continued funding for the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) natural hazard mitigation programs to include mitigation for hazards associated with climate change impacts. SUPPORT — the continued eligibility of funding for activities to adapt to climate change and extreme weather events under the Federal -Aid and Federal Lands Highway programs, including vulnerability /risk assessments, highway project development, environmental review and design, construction of projects or features to protect existing assets, and evaluation of life cycle costs. Program Cuts and Restrictions OPPOSE — reduction in funding for critically important conservation, public health, and environmental protection efforts that reduce carbon emissions, support climate preparedness, build resilience to extreme weather, and protect the nation's natural resources. Climate and Energy Research SUPPORT — creation of a National Climate Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a means of providing climate - related science and technical products needed by state and local governments to prepare for the potential impacts of global climate change. Page 2 SUPPORT — continued funding for the US Global Climate Change Research Program and the completion of its National Climate Assessment process currently underway under the auspices of the US Global Change Research Act of 1990. SUPPORT — funding to ensure that the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is launched as quickly as possible. SUPPORT — funding for a "gap- filling" weather satellite to provide critical data between the end of the current polar satellite's lifetime and the launch of the next - generation Joint Polar Satellite System. SUPPORT —funding for advanced energy research programs. Enerav and Emissions SUPPORT — reauthorization of and renewed funding for the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. SUPPORT — continued funding for the U.S. Department of Energy to support the Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition and funding for implementation of projects developed under the Clean Cities Community Readiness and Planning for Plug -in Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure, Funding Opportunity Number, DE -FOA- 0000451 (Drive Electric Florida & US -1 Corridor Pilot Project). SUPPORT — continued funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support the Southeast Diesel Collaborative and the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE SUPPORT — federal legislation that supports local Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, specifically by removing barriers to PACE and similar programs for residential properties. Oil Exploration and Drilling OPPOSE — oil exploration and drilling in federal waters on Florida's Outer Continental Shelf. Everglades Restoration SUPPORT — the Everglades for the Next Generation Act, which would expedite implementation of projects related to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. SUPPORT — continued focus on Everglades restoration as an essential component of protecting regional water supply and building regional climate resilience. Tax Policy SUPPORT — renewal of tax incentives for renewable energy production. SUPPORT — the elimination of federal subsidies for oil and gas production. Page 3 SUPPORT — renewal of the recently- expired Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows deductions for energy efficiency improvements in commercial buildings, and an increase in the per - square -foot value of the deduction from the previous value of $1.80. SUPPORT — legislation that aff irms equal treatment of pretax spending programs for transit and parking and makes future increases in the transit program maximums automatic (as the parking maximum increases already are). Other SUPPORT — amending the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to allow multi -peril coverage from a national catastrophic insurance fund. Page 4