Item N08BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: May 20, 2015 Division: County Administrator
Bulk Item: Yes X No _ Department: Sustainability
Staff Contact /Phone 4: Rhonda Haag, 453-8774
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of Monroe County's participation in a grant application to be
submitted May 28, 2015 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for a Grant to
fund the South Atlantic Regional Resilience proposed four (4) state Coastal Community Resilience project,
which includes a 30% cash match from the County; and approval to allow Dr. Jason Evans (Stetson
University) and Erin Deady (Erin L. Deady, P.A.) to prepare and submit the grant application on behalf of
the County
ITEM BACKGROUND: NOAA's Office for Coastal Management and Sea Grant has coastal community
resilience funding available. Funding will be awarded for projects related to the resilience of coastal
communities to natural hazards, including both contemporary disasters such as hurricanes, storm surge and
coastal flooding, and future hazards associated with sea level rise and climate change.
A four (4) state team comprised of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, in
partnership with the University of North Carolina, the University of South Carolina, and Stetson University
and their project partners (including Erin L. Deady, P.A.), has been selected to submit a full proposal to this
regional funding opportunity. The project proposal will request a total of $450,000 for a two-year period
($225,000 per year). The Florida portion of the award will be $100,000 ($50,000 per year) for Monroe
County. The other three (3) state totals are similar, except for the University of Georgia which will receive
an additional $25,000 per year to serve as the lead coordinating institution. The other participating
communities to benefit from this proposed project, in addition to Monroe County, include Nags Head, NC
(Outer Banks), McIntosh County, GA (best known for Sapelo Island and the Gullah community of Hog
Hammock), and Beaufort, SC (which includes Hilton Head Island).
Monroe County will provide a cash match contribution to the project, as required by the funding
solicitation. If awarded to this team, staff seeks approval to provide $30,000 as a cash match contribution to
this project. This project will develop some much needed basic geographic information systems (GIS)
data and improved planning capabilities that will be used to increase Monroe County's ability to improve
local resilience to environmental hazards and threats_ Specifically, the project will develop important
data and analysis necessary for our local officials to effectively and accurately assess the risks and
vulnerabilities the County faces from a variety of hazards including rising tides, storm surges, and other
flooding.
If the grant application is successful, Monroe County will be receiving the following as a result of grant funds
and match:
• Participation in a four (4) state regional network of coastal hazard specialists, who will provide
Monroe County with technical and policy assistance in support of the County's application into the
National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS). A successful CRS
application will help lower flood insurance rates for Monroe County homeowners;
• Update and modernization of Monroe County's GIS data to include complete building footprints,
public record Elevation Certificate data for finished floor elevations of buildings, and digital
mapping of stormwater drainage features along the US corridor. Development of these databases
will make Monroe County a recognized national leader in the use of GIS technologies to support
effective adaptation and mitigation of coastal flooding hazards;
• Detailed flood hazard vulnerability results using the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
(FEMA's) Hazus storm surge model with the newly modernized GIS datasets. These results will be
delivered in a form appropriate to support Monroe County's future application for Pre -Disaster
Mitigation Grant requests through FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management; and
• Outreach and communications through the four (4) state regional Sea Grant network. This is
expected to attract a high level of national media attention to Monroe County's unique issues and
proactive approach to sea level rise and coastal flooding hazards.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: None related to this NOAA grant.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: Not applicable.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval
TOTAL COST: $30,000 INDIRECT COST: BUDGETED: Yes No X
DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE: N/A
COST TO COUNTY: SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes X No AMOUNT PER MONTH Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty OMB/Purchasing Risk Management
DOCUMENTATION: Included X Not Required
DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM #
County of Monroe
The Monda Keys
Debbie Frederick
Deputy County Administrator
Monroe County
1100 Simonton Street, Ste. 2-205
Key West, FL 33040
February 10, 2015
Re: South Atlantic Regional Research on Coastal Community Resilience
Call for Pre -Proposals
Dear Review Committee Members:
On behalf of Monroe County, Florida, I am writing to express support from our County, located in the
beautiful Florida Keys, for the grant proposal submitted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the
University of Georgia, the University of North Carolina, the University of South Carolina, and Stetson
University and their project partners in response to the South Atlantic Regional Research on Coastal
Community Resilience call for pre- proposals.
This project will develop some much needed basic GIS data that will be used to improve hazard damage
assessments and increase our ability to improve local resilience to environmental hazards and threats. The
project will develop important data and analysis necessary for our local officials to effectively and
accurately assess the risks and vulnerabilities we face from a variety of hazards including rising tides, storm
surges, and other flooding. The Florida Keys is particularly vulnerable to the effects of these events, and
thus we are interested in increasing our ability to manage them.
Thank you for your consideration. 1 encourage you to support this project and I look forward to our
County's participation in the assembled team.
Debbie Frederick
Deputy County Administrator
Monroe County, FL
Cc: Rhonda Haag
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
County of Monroez �''t Mayor Danny L. Kolhage, District 1
The Florida Keys { •' Mayor Pro Tem Heather Carruthers, District 3
George Neugent, District 2
a ! David Rice, District 4
Sylvia J. Murphy, District 5
Roman Gastesi Jr.
County Administrator
Monroe County
1100 Simonton Street, Ste. 205
Key West, FL 33040
May 29, 2015
Re: South Atlantic Regional Research on Coastal Community Resilience
Request for Proposals
Dear Review Committee Members:
On behalf of Monroe County, Florida, I am writing to express support from our County, located in the
beautiful Florida Keys, for the grant proposal submitted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the
University of Georgia, in partnership with the University of North Carolina, the University of South
Carolina, and Stetson University and their project partners in response to the South Atlantic Regional
Research Coastal Community Resilience call for proposals_
This project will develop some much needed basic geographic information systems (GIS) data and
improved planning capabilities that will be used to increase our ability to improve local resilience to
environmental hazards and threats_ The project will develop important data and analysis necessary for
our local officials to effectively and accurately assess the risks and vulnerabilities we face from a variety
of hazards including rising tides, storm surges, and other flooding.
Monroe County officials and staff are eager to participate in the Vulnerability, Consequences, and
Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS) process as well as identify local assets critical to our community's
resilience. Our role will also include participating in the development and dissemination of information
about flooding risks based on the improved hazards assessments developed as part of this project.
Should this project be funded, Monroe County is willing to assist by providing $30,000 as a cash match
contribution to the project. The Florida Keys are particularly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and
the associated flooding events, and thus we are interested in this opportunity to increase our ability to
respond to them.
The point persons for the community we are working with on this project are:
County Contact:
Rhonda Haag
Sustainability Program Manager
Monroe County
Phone: (305) 453-8774
Email: HaagRhonda(a�MonroeCoLmty-Fl.gov
Non -County Contact:
Erin Deady
President
Erin L. Deady, P.A
Phone: (954)593-5102
Email: erin(cr�deadylaw.com
Thank you for your consideration. I encourage you to support this project and I look forward to our
County's participation in this project.
Best regards,
Roman Gastesi Jr.
County Administrator
Monroe County, FL
Cc: Rhonda Haag