Resolution 072-1994
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Corrunissioner Earl. Cheal
'94 MAR -9 P 4 :1 7
~.,' EES9f..uTION NO. 072-1994
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A RESOLttE~B~. ti~ob~J~:f~m 'rHAT THE STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION AND THE LEGISLATURE TAKE ACTION TO REQUIRE
THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES BE
CONSTRUCTED TO SERVE AS PUBLI C SHELTERS IN THE EVENT OF
A CATEGORY V HURRICANE OR LESS.
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys lie in an area which is subject to
hurricanes, and
WHEREAS, last year's Category IV Hurricane Andrew renewed
our realization of the devastation that a major hurricane can
have on a corrununity, and
WHEREAS, all available data points to the fact that all
residents of the Keys will not be able to evacuate the Keys and
South Florida due to highway constraints, and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
has, for these reasons, conunitted to a policy of all new County
facilities being built to withstand a Category V hurricane so as
to provide refuges for as many people as possible, and
WHEREAS, other school districts are reported to be taking
action to utilize school buildings for hurricane shelters, and
WHEREAS, behavioral data and past experience have shown that
several thousand persons will remain in Monroe County after an
evacuation from a major hurricane has been concluded, and
WHEREAS, existing structures, appropriate for use as last
resort refuges, have capacity for less than one in five persons
that may be seeking such refuge, and
WHEREAS, historically hurricanes have affected Monroe County
with warning insufficient to meet the time requirements of a full
evacuation, and
WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Education is required by
Sec. 235.26(10), Fla. Stat. (1993), to determine and recommend
amendments to the State Uniform Building Code for Public
Educational Facilities Construction so that new school buildings
could safely serve as public shelters in emergencies, and
WHEREAS, the Department's recommendations were required to
be submitted to the Governor and Legislature by January 1, 1994,
and
WHEREAS the State Board of Education is required to amend
the Sta.te Uniform Building Code for Public Educational Facilities
Construction by July 1, 1994 to include emergency public shelter
criteria, and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
concurs with and adopts Recommendation No. 23 and Recommendation
No. 24 presented to the 1993 Legislature by the Lewis Commission,
said Recommendation Nos. 23 and 24 provides the following:
(a) The Legislature should amend appropriate sections of
the Florida Statutes related to the construction of public
schools, community colleges and universities, to require the
State Board of Education and the Board of Regents to incorporate
public shelter design criteria into the appropriate building
codes;
(b) The Legislature should create a program to:
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(1) Survey existing schools, universities, community
colleges, and other state, municipal and county owned public
buildings to identify those that are appropriately designed and
located to serve as shelters. The owners of the facilities
should participate in the surveys;
(2) Retrofit as necessary the selected facilities with
hurricane shutters and other improvements such as emergency power
generation equipment, adequate to fulfill the needs of the
shelter. Funding for this program should be provided by the
Florida Legislature as it will benefit citizens statewide, now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
1. The State Board of Education is requested to adopt
amendments to the State Uniform Building Code for Public
Educational Facilities that would allow new public school
facilities to be used as public shelters in the event of
hurricanes of Category V or less.
2. If the recommendations from the Florida Department of
Education do not contain criteria for new public school
facilities capable of serving as public shelters in a Category V
hurricane or if the State Board of Educationts proposed
amendments do not contain such criteria, then the Legislature is
requested to consider amending Sec. 235.26, Fla. Stat., in order
to require that all new public school facilities be built so that
they may safely serve as public shelters in the event of
hurricanes of Category V or less.
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1 To the extent not addressed by the State Board of
Education, the Legislature is further requested to implement by
statute the Recommendation Nos. 23
and 24 of the
Lewis
Commission.
4. The Clerk is directed to mail certified copies of this
resolution to members of the state Board of Education and the
Legislature.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Conunissioners of
Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held
on the 16th day of
February
, 1994.
Mayor Jack London yes
Mayor Pro Tern Earl Cheal yes
Commissioner Wilhelmina Harvey yes
Commissioner Shirley Freeman yes
Commissioner Mary Kay Reich yes
(Seal)
COMMISSIONERS
~
Mayor/Chairman
A~ L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
By C. [w;1~
Deputy Cle.z'k
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I '7 1<!!f".2fl:s Office
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