Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Accepting The Updated Unified Sea Level Rise Projection Of The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the Attached Resolution.
Explanation:
Globally, sea levels have risen 3 inches since 1992 and while the South Florida region has kept pace with that rise, it is expected that in the future sea level rise in South Florida will outpace global trends. Impacts of sea level rise on the South Florida region and the City of Hollywood will be both physical and socio-economic. Sea level rise will result in coastal inundation, increased frequency of coastal flooding, increased impairment of stormwater structures and resulting flooding, impacts on drainage systems and canal systems, saltwater intrusion into the aquifer increasing the chloride content at local water supply wells, and contamination of the land and ocean with pollutants, debris, and hazardous materials released and carried by flooding. Socio-economic impacts might be the displacement of some City residents and businesses, decreases in property values and the tax base, increased insurance costs, and impairment of access to and functionality of critical infrastructure.
The likelihood of sea level rise impacts is relative to the rate of sea level rise. The rate of rise is dependent on many factors including global greenhouse gas emissions, rate of land ice melt, and the investments made locally to increase climate resiliency. Because of uncertainty, a projection for sea level rise includes a range of likely outcomes. The unique factors contributing to rise in the region as well as the desire for and existence of regional collaboration makes it useful to have a sea level rise projection that is relative specifically to, and uniformly adopted by, the South Florida region.
The Unified Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida, originally released in 2011 and updated in 2015, was created by the Sea Level Rise Work group of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. The Work Group consists of experts from government agencies and universities and utilizes the best available data and projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 5th assessment report and consistent with current guidelines from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).
The Unified Sea Level Rise Projection will provide guidance for land use and infrastructure planning decisions and investments for both the short term and long term projects. The City currently recommends elevations that are above those required by FEMA. Adopting the Unified Sea Level Rise Projection will inform and enhance the intention of the existing policy to create a long term viable and resilient built environment.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dr. Wazir Ishmael, City Manager
Lorie Mertens-Black, Chief Civic Affairs Officer
Lindsey Nieratka, Sustainability Coordinator