TITLE
RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE A REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON CONVERTING THE COUNTY�S �ADOPT-A-ROAD� PROGRAM TO AN ENHANCED ROADWAY BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE TREE CANOPY IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

BODY

WHEREAS, adequate tree canopy is vital to the environmental and economic well being of our community; and
WHEREAS, trees improve air quality, shade pavement, reduce air temperature, reduce storm water runoff, make communities more visually environmentally appealing and save money on electric bills by shading homes, offices and streets and reducing the need for air conditioning; and
WHEREAS, on September 11, 2007, this Board passed Resolution No. 231-07 adopting the Miami-Dade County Street Tree Master Plan which found that tree canopy in Miami-Dade County is in critically short supply; and
WHEREAS, the Street Tree Master Plan found that a number of factors have contributed to the diminished tree cover in Miami-Dade, including the removal of trees due to citrus canker, but the problem became even more significant after many trees were destroyed by the 2005 hurricanes, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma; and
WHEREAS, the Street Tree Master Plan set the ambitious goal of achieving 30 percent tree canopy by 2020; and�
WHEREAS, one of the key goals of the Street Tree Master Plan was to plant quality trees in the public rights of way; and
WHEREAS, in an effort to increase tree canopy, Miami-Dade County and its Community Image Advisory Board through the leadership of Commissioner Dennis C. Moss has initiated the �Million Trees Miami� campaign with the goal of planting one million trees across Miami-Dade County by 2020; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County also has an Adopt-A-Road Program in place to improve the aesthetic appearance of roads in the County; and
WHEREAS, on May 7, 1996, this Board adopted Resolution No. R-509-96 sponsored by Senator Javier D. Souto establishing the Adopt-A-Road Program in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, under the Adopt-A-Road Program, public, not-for-profit and private sector organizations and firms volunteer for at least two (2) years to adopt a one-mile section of road right-of-way and remove litter at least four (4) times a year; and
WHEREAS, the County posts Adopt-A-Road signs acknowledging the group at the beginning and end of the adopted roadway, provides safety vests and litter bags, picks up litter at specified locations and assists with safety meetings; and
WHEREAS, there are currently 49 Adopt-A-Road volunteer participants that pick up litter along 49 miles of county roads; and
WHEREAS, roadside littering is an ongoing and chronic problem, and the Adopt-A-Road Program has been and continues to be a strong tool for public outreach and education on litter reduction; and
WHEREAS, there is a cost to the County taxpayers for the Adopt-A-Road Program of approximately $20,000 per year based on the County�s various obligations to install signage, pick up litter at specified locations and provide safety vests and litter bags; and
WHEREAS, because of the costs associated with the program coupled with the existing County budget situation, the Adopt-A-Road Program currently is closed to new groups participating; and
WHEREAS, some states and local governments have expanded on adopt-a-road programs to include Sponsor-A-Road programs, whereby a sponsoring public, not-for-profit or corporate entity provides funding for crews to collect litter; and
WHEREAS, under such Sponsor-A-Road programs, sponsors contribute an amount equal to the full year-round maintenance for a particular segment of road, covering the entire cost of such maintenance to the governmental entity; and
WHEREAS, in Miami-Dade County, such full year-round maintenance generally would consist of eighteen (18) litter cleanup cycles per year, as compared to only four (4) under the County�s existing Adopt-A-Road Program; and
WHEREAS, such Sponsor-A-Road programs also provide a safer alternative for high traffic roads where conditions may present dangers for volunteers to pick up litter; and
WHEREAS, a number of states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Washington successfully have introduced and maintained Sponsor-A-Road programs; and
WHEREAS, yet another approach is a Landscape-A-Road program, wherein sponsors would contribute funding for installation of trees, other enhanced landscaping and maintenance in the public right of way; and
WHEREAS, Chicago successfully took up this approach through the Chicago Gateway Green initiative , which joins the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago and Chicago�s corporate community with the goal of converting Chicago�s expressways into beautifully-landscaped parkways; and
WHEREAS, distinct from Adopt-A-Road or Sponsor-A-Road programs, Chicago Gateway Green develops and maintains trees and landscaping on major expressways into and out of the City of Chicago through corporate sponsors; and
WHEREAS, on June 2, 2009, this Board passed Resolution No. 751-09 sponsored by Senator Javier D. Souto which directed the Mayor or designee to conduct a study to determine the feasibility and advisability of creating a Landscape-A-Road program; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has also pursued a similar approach related to parks; and
WHEREAS, on September 4, 2007, this Board also passed Resolution No. 998-07 sponsored by Chairman Joe A. Martinez which directed the Mayor or designee to create a program for corporate sponsorship and underwriting of County parks; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County should build on the success of these worthwhile programs by pursuing roadway beautification, Sponsor-A-Road and Landscape-A-Road programs as part of the effort to improve the aesthetic appearance of roadways and the tree canopy in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, such programs not only would provide a self-sustaining mechanism to improve tree canopy along roadways and maintain the appearance of roads in Miami-Dade County, but also could provide jobs during these challenging economic times,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board directs the Mayor or designee to provide a report and recommendations to the Board related to implementing an enhanced roadway beautification program as part of the effort to improve tree canopy in Miami-Dade County. The report and recommendations shall be presented to the Regional Transportation Committee during its committee meeting in the third month following the effective date of this resolution, or the next available RTC Committee meeting if no meeting is held that month. The report and recommendations shall include, among other relevant and related matters:
(1) A survey of other successful programs of this nature around the U.S., and how they are structured and funded.

(2) Recommendations based on current estimated costs for the amounts corporate and other sponsors could contribute for each mile of:

a. Litter cleanup;
b. Landscaping maintenance; and
c. Landscaping installation.

(3) The efforts the County might undertake to market and promote such a program to potential corporate and other sponsors.

(4) Options for foundation support and grants, and for facilitating donors and benefactors in addition to corporate and other sponsors.

(5) Signage options the County could use to recognize sponsors, any restrictions on such signage being placed in the right-of-way and identification of other possible sponsor benefits and recognition.

(6) The cost to the County of such a program, including both an analysis of the start-up costs that the County might have to incur to initiate the program and the ongoing costs to maintain the program, and where such funding might be found.

(7) Options for securing labor to clean up litter and install and maintain landscaping under such a program, whether through contracted labor or use of internal County staff or both.

(8) Options for use of community groups, such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or 4-H as volunteers, and where such volunteers could be most effectively and safely utilized.

(9) Options for using inmate crews to clean up litter and carry out other aspects of the program and the associated costs.

(10) Options for entering into agreements with the Florida Department of Transportation and other governmental entities to extend such a program to state roads and roads owned and maintained by other governmental entities.

(11) The need for and contents of any legal agreements that may need to be entered, including issues such as ownership and site control; design, type of trees and plantings; and provisions addressing liability, theft and vandalism issues.