Item R07Meeting Date: July 15, 2015 Department: SustainabiliLy
Bulk Item: Yes — No X Staff Contact Person: Rhonda Haag, 453-8774
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community in Florida, only I of 3 communities in the State that have been certified.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The STAR Community Rating System (STAR) is the first national
certification program to recognize sustainable communities. STAR is an assessment tool to measure
�ow sustainable a community is over time. The intent of the rating system is to help communities
identify, validate, and support implementation of best practices to improve sustainable community
conditions. It was released in October 2012 and the system's goals and objectives provide a structure
I'm communities to more effectively strategize and define their sustainability planning efforts. We are
using it in conjunction with the GreenKeys Sustainability and Climate planning process.
2 communities have been certified (Broward achieved a 4 STAR rating, the it of Palm Bay
achieved a 3 STAR rating)
* 3 communities are "reporting" meaning they have joined as a member and completed the
Crosswalk (this includes the Village of Islarnorada, Bonita Springs and Coral Gables), but not
the verification/certification process
0 2 communities are in the certification process presently (Sarasota County and the City of West
■
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
7-17-13; Approval to advertise an RFP to develop a Sustainability Action Plan with Climate Change and
Energy Savings Initiatives. The RFP included a request for the base Sustainability Plan plus any optional
services that would help the County prepare for a fully sustainable future.
10-16-13: Approval to negotiate both the sustainability base contract and the additional climate modeling
services.
11-20-13: Approval of the contract with climate change and energy savings elements.
03-19-14: Approval of Amendment No. I to modify task and deliverables schedule.
02-18-15: Approval of Amendment No. 2 to add outreach components for sea level rise workshops in the
middle and lower Keys.
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DEUERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE: N/A
COST TO COUNTY: SOURCE OF FUNDS: Sustainability Budget
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No X AMOUNT PER MONTH Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty OMB/Purchasing Risk Management tk-�4'
DOCUMENTATION: hicluded x Not Required —
DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM #
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jason Haryke, Chair
Shannon Parry, Vice Chair
Monica Gilchrist, Secretary
Garrett Fitzgerald
Brooks Rainwater
.... ... ....
USTAINSBILITY'. OOLS FOR As iESSING & IZ ING COMMUNITIES
Roman Gastes! Jr.
Monroe County Administrator
1100 Simonton St,, Suite 205
Key West, FL 33040
Dear Mr. Gastesi-
I am pleased to announce that effective June 2015 the County of Monroe,
Florida is formally certified in the STAR Community Rating System, Your
Approved Final Score is 261.3; you have earned the 3-STAR Community Rating,
Your community's public facing report will be available here,
https:l/rtporting.starcommunities.org/com unitie_s/102-florida-rnonroe-
SCO2ynty
The report highlights your application, accomplishments across STAR goals and
Dylan Siegler objectives and provides general information about your local efforts. You can
update the text by logging in and updating your community's information.
Hilari Varnadore Community members can also find your report by clicking on the "Who's
Involved" tab on our home page, then using the map or search functions to
navigate to your report.
We commend you for your commitment to sustainability and emphasis on a
data -driven process to measure performance, We look forward to working with
you going forward and receiving feedback about your experience.
Lacey Shaver and I will remain in contact with your team about media and
outreach, coordination with leadership, and general next steps, Please let us
know how we can support your certification announcement and plans for
implementation.
Congratulations'
g, 11(eltt tojj�o
�Iil;ari Varnadore
Cc: Lacey Shaver, Community Engagement Manager
Kristi Warnstarl-Evans, Technical Director
Monroe County, Florida
STAR Communities recognizes Monroe Counlyfor
promoting a healthy environment, a strong
economy and well beingfor all residents, now and
forfuture generations.
June 2015
Presented to the Honorable Mayor Danny Kolhage
The STAR Community Rating System (STAR)Is the first national certification program to recognize
sustainable communities.STAR is an assessment tool to measure how sustainable a community is over
time. The intent of the rating system is to help communities identify,validate,and support
implementation of best practices to improve sustainable community conditions. It was released in
October 2012 and the system's goals and objectives provide a structure for communities to more
effectively strategize and define their susta ins bility planning efforts. We are using it In conjunction with
the GreenKeys Sustainability and Climate planning process.
The STAR framework consists
of 7 Focus Areas,44
objectives, 109 outcome level
measures,408 local actions
resulting in 526 different
m A Am A Catwe cJvk Acdvc Uv easurable indicators. The Kaqw6w evaluation process required
collection of information
Grew Markm commtrAy cW a HUM" comflwn
related to a I I of these actions. y6w SPIUM Gas m6ptim Dewdo"nt Comow, HC*h A K
The process determined SYS—
...........
whether or not the County WPM a
CW�*O Grecw"s am LDMI Emnarny OPP--*Y a
had already achieved results &—V SW* R-P—
thus gaining points to ...........
.....................
ultimately position it as a 3,4 H&Aft kwmtrw senw I q%MkYJC1U& Hawk ERPOc" F*W Auta
or 5 STAR Community(*5 is Akr*ib&q Resource UftVVArcs Prescmdon Servim a Armu Nutrkic
the highest level). Monroe ...............
County achieved a 3 STAR has Resound Tmrwd 50ew A cukural Indow A
ranking. The staff and Dftrmy 0wom
consulting team spent one
year collecting this
information and using an online reporting tool for certification and verification.
The process for becoming a STAR Community is rigorous. A 350 page Technical Guide provides direction
on how to achieve the various points within the Focus Areas. The following steps are taken to complete
certification/verification.
1. Crosswalk-this is a spreadsheet consisting of 749 rows and 2,247 cells for entering data out
the 526 different measures. The Crosswalk also required 749 narrative descriptions of various
actions.
2. Online Reporting Tool®this required conversion of all data entered into the Crosswalk
spreadsheet into a separate online reporting tool—over 2,ODO individual entry cells in the online
tool had to be completed.
3. Verification/Certification-staff of the STAR organization then verify all information submitted to
assure the scaring is correct. Resubmittal for certain credits then occurs based on initial
verification.
4, It took approximately 500 hours of time from the Team to complete this process.
Thirty-one communities across the U.S. have completed the STAR evaluation process so far with another
60 currently undertaking it. The results of those that have been certified include:
a 3 STAR certified — 15 communities (Albany, NY; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Chandler, AZ;
Cleveland, OH; Des Moines, IA; El Cerrito, CA; Fayetteville, AR; Fort Collins, CO; Indianapolis, IN;
Lee County, FL; Palm Bay, FL; Park Forest, IL; Reading, PA; Rosemount, MIN IS Woodbridge
Township, Ni)
0 4 STAR certified — 13 communities (Austin, TX; Broward County, FL; Burlington, AT; Davenport,
A Dubuque, IA; Evanston, IL; Memphis, TN; Piano, TX; Portland, OR; Raleigh, NC; Tacoma, WA;
Tucson, AZ & Washington, DC)
a 5 STAR certified — 3 communities (Baltimore, DID; Northampton, MA IS Seattle, WA)
0 2 communities have been certified (Broward achieved a 4 STAR rating, the City of Palm Bay
achieved a 3 STAR rating)
3 communities are 'reporting" meaning they have joined as a member and completed the
Crosswalk (this includes the Village of Islamorada, Bonita Springs and Coral Gables), but not the
verification/certification process
2 communities are in the certification process presently (Sarasota County and the City of West
Palm Beach)
* Monroe is the most recently completed certification
* 8 total communities in Florida are involved in STAR
STAR can be used for multiple purposes including strategic planning, goal setting and measuring
progress over time. Many of the actions we have not achieved in the STAR framework yet will have a
dual purpose: 1) they will become recommendations in the GrevoKeys Plan and 2) they identify areas
where the County could make commitments to achieve them in the future and improve from a 3 STAR
to a 4 or 5 STAR rating.
The following staff and agencies helped collect information for the Team to undertake the STAR
evaluation process-,
• Rhonda Haag — Sustainability Program Manager
• Alicia Betancourt - OF-IFAS Monroe County Extension Director
• Beth Bergh - Monroe County Land Steward
• Mayte Santamaria, Senior Director, Planning and Environmental Resources
• Emily Schemper, Comprehensive Planning Manager
• Teresa E, Agular, PHR, SHRM-CP, CPM - Employee Services Director
• Marlene Steckley — Social Services
• Kim Gabel, Environmental Horticulture Agent - UF/IFAS Monroe County Extension Service
• Diane E. Silvia, Ph-D, Executive Director • Historic Florida Keys Foundation
• Bill Brookman, Monroe County Health Department
• Alison Morales, Monroe County Health Department
• Linda Mlxon, Monroe County Sheriff's Office
• Becky Herrin, Monroe County Sheriffs Office
• Donatella Kelly, Sheriffs Aide
• Joyce Griffin, Monroe County Supervisor of Elections
• TJ Patterson, Member Service Representative - Florida Keys Electric Cooperative Assoc., Inc-