Item N3
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date:
Bulk Item: Yes
August 20, 2003
No X
Division: Growth Management
Department: N/ A
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval ofa resolution replacing Resolution 347-1999 to revise County policy
regarding the windload and flood design standards for all new enclosed buildings of 2,000 square feet or more
owned by and constructed for use by the County.
ITEM BACKGROUND: At the request of the Board of County Commissioners, the Growth Management
Division has reviewed previous resolutions adopted by the Board regarding windstorm design standards for new
County-owned and used enclosed buildings of more than 2,000 square feet or more. As stipulated in Resolution
347-1999, all new County-owned and used enclosed buildings of more than 2,000 square feet or more are to be
constructed to withstand a minimal category 5 hurricane, which is defmed by the SaffIT-Simpson Hurricane Scale as
having sustained winds of an excess of 155 mph. This construction design standard was intended to provide more
shelters of last resort in the County.
This policy requires that new enclosed buildings of 2,000 square feet or more owned by and constructed for use by
the County must be built to withstand wind pressures as measured in a peak three-second gust velocity of 192 miles
per hour (extrapolated from Florida Building Code). For standard construction, the County building code requires
new buildings to withstand sustained winds of 122 mph, which converts to a three-second gust velocity of 150
miles per hour.
A major problem with this blanket policy is that is adds substantially to the construction costs of County projects. It
may not be practical or even make economic sense to design every new County building to sustain a storm event
which may only occur two to three times per 100 years. Furthermore, these buildings may not be appropriate for
serving as shelters of last resort.
Therefore, the Growth Management Division staff in consultation with the County Administrator, Public Works
Division, and Public Safety Division recommends that the Board adopt a resolution that replaces the existing policy
with one that requires only facilities critical to sustaining public safety; emergency response, or essential
governmental functions to meet the windload design standard for minimal category 5 hurricane and provides that
the Board of County Commissioners may approve on a case by case basis other new County buildings be built to
this standard upon recommendation of the County Administrator.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOARD ACTION: Adopted Resolution 347-1999 on July 22, 1999.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval
TOT AL COST: N/A
BUDGETED: Yes
No
N/A
COST TO COUNTY:
N/A
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
N/A
REVENUE PRODUCING:Yes N/A No
AMOUNT PER MONTH N/A YEAR
APPROVED BY: County Attorney X
Risk Management
N/A
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
DOCUMENTATION: Included _~
DISPOSITION:
To follow
Not Required __
AGENDA ITEM #:
M3
RESOLUTlON ~003
A RESOLUTION REPLACING RESOLUTION 347-1999 TO
REVISE COUNTY POLICY REGARDING THE WlNDLOAD
CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS FOR NEW ENCLOSED
BUILDINGS OF 2,000 SQUARE FEET OR GREATER, OWNED
BY AND CONSTRUCTED FOR USE BY MONROE COUNTY
WHEREAS, Resolution No. 347-1999 adopted by the Board of County
Commissioners on July 22, 1999 established a County policy on flood plain and wind load
design standards for all new buildings of 2,000 square feet or more in floor area owned by
and constructed for use by Monroe County in order to provide for additional public
refuges of last resort; and,
WHEREAS, this County policy requires that all such new buildings be
constructed so they can withstand a minimal category five hurricane and thereby serve as
additional public refuges of last resort; and,
WHEREAS, a minimal category five hurricane is defmed by the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Scale as having sustained winds in excess of 155 miles per hour; and,
WHEREAS, this policy requires that newly constructed buildings must be
designed and built to withstand wind pressures as measured in a peak three-second gust
velocity of 192 miles per hour, which converts to sustained winds of 155 miles per hour;
and,
WHEREAS, for standard building construction within Monroe County, the
Florida and County Building Code requires new buildings to withstand wind pressures as
measured in a peak three-second gust velocity of 150 miles per hour, which converts to
sustained winds of 122 miles per hour; and,
WHEREAS, this wind10ad design standard for County buildings of 2,000 square
feet or more significantly increases the construction costs of County projects; and,
WHEREAS, the County staff has concerns about the appropriateness and cost-
effectiveness of requiring all County buildings of 2,000 square feet or more to meet such
design windload standards solely to make these structures available for refuges of last
resort; and,
WHEREAS, the County staff recommends that for public safety and security
reasons certain critical facilities should be built to withstand a minimal category 5
hurricane and, that all other County buildings should be built to meet the standard
wind10ad design requirements required in Section 6.3, Monroe County Code, except,
upon recommendation of the County Administrator, where the Board of County
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Commission determines such buildings are appropriate and suitable to serve as additional
refuges of last resort; and,
WHEREAS, the County staff further recommends that the floodplain
construction design policies for in Resolution 374-1999 are still relevant and appropriate
and should be maintained;
WHEREAS, the Board
recommendations of County staff;
of County Commissioners concurs with the
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT:
Section 1. All new enclosed buildings of greater than 2,000 square feet or more
owned by and constructed for use by Monroe County as correctional, morgue, fIre and
emergency response facilities, Sheriff's substations, and emergency operations centers,
shall be designed and constructed to withstand a minimal category 5 hurricane. These
buildings are deemed as "critical" to sustaining County public safety, emergency
response, and essential governmental functions during and after major and catastrophic
storm events. Other critical facilities may be added to this list upon recommendation of
the County Administrator and approval of the Board of County Commissioners.
Section 2. Upon the recommendation of the County Administrator, the Board of
County Commissioners may require "non-critical" new enclosed buildings of greater than
2,000 square to be designed and constructed to withstand a minimal category 5 hurricane,
if the proposed building is suitable and appropriate for use as an additional shelter of last
resort
Section 3. Section 6-3, Monroe County Code mandates the use of the windload
design standards of ASCE 7-98. Therefore, new County-owned buildings that are
deemed "critical" under Section 1 or are to serve as a refuge of last resort under Section 2
shall be designed and constructed to withstand sustained winds in excess of 155 miles an
hour, which converts to a three-second gust velocity of 192 miles per hour.
All other new enclosed buildings of greater than 2,000 square feet owned by and
constructed for use by Monroe County shall be designed and constructed to meet the
windload requirements of Section 6-3, Monroe County Code. This standard requires
buildings to withstand sustained winds of 122 miles per hour, which converts to a three-
second gust velocity of 150 miles per hour.
Section 4. All new enclosed County-owned buildings constructed for use by
Monroe County and elevated on columns must meet the same engineered support and
foundation design required for V flood hazard zone construction in accordance with
Section 9.5-317, Monroe County Code.
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Section 5. All new County-owned buildings constructed within an AE flood
hazard zone for use by Monroe County and elevated by fill must be constructed on
properly designed and compacted fill (ASTM D-698 or equivalent), approved by a
Florida registered engineer, that extends beyond the wall before dropping below the base
flood elevation and has appropriate protection from erosion and scour.
Section 6. All new County-owned buildings constructed for use by Monroe
County and located within a VE flood hazard zone shall be constructed so that the bottom
of the lowest horizontal structural member is greater than one (1) foot above the base
flood elevation.
Section 7. All new County-owned buildings constructed for use by Monroe
County and located with AE flood hazard zones shall be constructed so that the finished
floor is greater than one (1) foot above the base flood elevation.
Section 8. The Clerk of the Board is hereby directed to forward one (1) certified
copy each of this Resolution to the County Administrator, Division of Growth
Management, Division of Public Safety, Division of Public Works, Fire Chief, and
Florida Division of Emergency Management.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 20th day of August, A.D., 2003.
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Mayor Pro Tern Murray Nelson
Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner David Rice
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
Mayor/Chairman
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY KOLHAGE, Clerk
By:
Deputy Clerk
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MONROE COUNTY ATTORNEY
~ORM:
R T N. WOLFE
O;t~I~~S~hC~NTY ATTORNEY
Page 3 00