Item I13
.......... .
ADD-ON
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Division: Growth Management
Department: N/ A
Meeting Date:
Bulk Item: Yes
November 19,2003
No X
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of a resolution rescinding Resolution 347-1999 regarding
County policy for windload and floodplain construction design standards for new buildings owned by and'"
constructed for use by Monroe County.
ITEM BACKGROUND: At the request of the Board of County Commissioners, the County
Administrator, County Attorney, staffs of the Divisions of Public Works, Safety, and Growth
Management Divisions, and Fire Chief have met and reviewed Resolution 347-1999 regarding windstorm
and floodplain construction design standards. As stipulated in this resolution, all new County-owned and
used enclosed buildings of 2,000 square feet or more are to be constructed to withstand a minimal
Category 5 hurricane and all habitable floor space is to be constructed a minimum of one-foot above the
base flood elevation.
The County staff fInds that these construction standards signifIcantly increase the construction costs of
County projects and may not be technologically feasible for some types of structures. The staff is
concerned about the appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of requiring such construction design
standards for all new County buildings that are above those required by the Florida Building Code and
County floodplain regulations. It is of the staffs opinion, that if more stringent standards are appropriate
and justifIed, they can be imposed on a case-by-case basis prior to design and construction of any new
County buildings.
Therefore, the staff is recommending that the Board rescind Resolution 347-1999.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOARD ACTION: Adopted Resolution 347-1999 on July 22, 1999.
CONTRACTIAGREEMENTCHANGES: N~
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval
TOTAL COST: N/A
BUDGETED: Yes
No
N/A
COST TO COUNTY:
N/A
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
N/A
REVENUE PRODUCING:Yes_ No X
AMOUNT PER MONTH N/A YEAR
DOCUMENTATION: Included X
Risk Management
N/A
APPROVED BY: County Attorney X
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROV A
Not Required __
DISPOSITION:
AGENDA ITEM #:
Ia
NOV-14-03 11,39 FROH,HONROE COUNTY' ATTY OFFICE ~~3862S235IB
PAGE 1/2
RESOLUTION -2003
A RESOLUTION RESCINDING RESOLUTION 347-1991
REGARDING COUNTY POUCY FOR W1NDLOAD AND
FLOODPLAIN CONSTRUCTION DESIGN STANDARDS FOR
NEW BUILDINGS 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 windload
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 hwricane is defined by tbe Saffir-Simpson
Hwricane Scale as having sustained winds in excess of 1 55 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 constmction within Monroe COWlty. 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, the windload construCtion design standard for County buildings of
2.000 square feet or more set by Resolution No. 341-1999. significantly increases the
construCtion costs of County projects and may not be technologically feasible for some
types of structureS; and.
WHEREAS, the floodplain construction design standards in Resolution 341-1999
require that the finished floor of all new County buildings be one foot higher than the
base flood elevation, which is the minimwn level required of all new and substantially
improved structures under the County's floodplain regulations; 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
windload and floodplain construction design standards solely to make these structures
available for refuges of last resort; and,
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PAGI> ~,~
WHEREAS. the County staff believes that COlmty policies for special windload
and tloodplain design constrUction standards above those tbund in the Florida Building
Code and County's floodplain regulations are too complex to be simply applied to all
new COWlty-owned or used buildings; and.
WHEREAS, the Board of County Couuoissioners concurs with the
recommendations of County staff;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT:
SeetioD 1. Resolution 347-1999 is hereby rescinded.
Section 2. Unless otherwise directed by the Board. the windload design
construction standards shall be pursuant to the Florida Building Code and Chapter 6,
Monroe County Code, and floodplain design construction standards pursuant to the
County Floodplain Management Regulations.
SectiOD 3. The Clerk of the Board is hereby directed to forward one (1) certified
copy each of this Resolution to the CoWlty Administrator, Division of Growth
Management, Division of Public Safety, Division of Public Works, Fire Chief, and
Florida Division of Emergency ManagemenL
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 19111 day of November, A.D., 2003.
Mayor Dixie Spehar
Mayor Pro Tem Murray Nelson
Commissioner Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner David Rice
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
MONROE COUNTY. FLORIDA
By:
Mayor/Chainnan
(SEAL)
Attest: DANNY KOLHAGE, Clerk
By:
Deputy Clerk
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