TITLE
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI BEACH�S APPLICATION FOR UP TO $100,000.00 IN GRANT FUNDS FROM THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY BEAUTIFICATION COUNCIL FY 2013-2014 GRANT PROGRAM FOR A LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT AND BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT ON NW 167TH/163RD STREET

BODY
WHEREAS, the Community Image Advisory Board (CIAB), and per Miami-Dade County�s Aesthetic Master Plan approved in 2010, the County developed an inventory of transportation corridors and interstate entrances that serve as Priority Gateways into the core of significant tourist attractions; and

WHEREAS, the NW 167th Street / 163rd Street transportation corridor is one of these Priority Gateways; and

WHEREAS, the CIAB formed a cooperative partnership with the City of North Miami Beach and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to coordinate a landscape improvement and beautification project along NW 167th/ 163rd Street; and

WHEREAS, the City of North Miami Beach intends to apply for up to $100,000.00 in the FY 2013-2014 grant cycle of the Florida Highway Beautification Council for a landscape improvement and beautification project; and

WHEREAS, it is the mission of the CIAB to support projects that improve aesthetic quality along Priority Gateways,

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board authorizes support of the City of North Miami Beach FY 2013-2014 application to the Florida Highway Beautification Council for up to $100,000 in grant funds for beautification and landscaping along NW 167th/ 163rd Street.

HEADER
Date:

To: Honorable Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa
and Members, Board of County Commissioners

From: Carlos A. Gimenez
Mayor

Subject: Resolution Authorizing Support of the City of North Miami Beach�s Application for Up to $100,000 in grant funds from the Florida Highway Beautification Council for a Landscape Improvement and Beautification Project on NW 167th/ 163rd Street

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board adopt the attached resolution supporting the City of North Miami Beach�s application for up to $100,000 in grant funds to the Florida Highway Beautification Council for a landscape improvement and beautification project on 167th /163rd Street.

Scope
The portion of NW 167th / 163rd Street where the landscape improvements and beautification project is proposed spans from the Golden Glades Interchange to NW 8th Avenue, entirely located within Commission District 2, Commissioner Jean Monestime.

Fiscal Impact/Funding Source
There is no fiscal impact to the County. Funding for the proposed landscape improvement and beautification project will come entirely from the Florida Highway Beautification Council and the City of North Miami Beach. The proposed project will include the installation of trees in the medians and on the roadsides, shrubs in the median, and the repair of the irrigation system not to exceed $200,000. The grant will fund up to $100,000 through Florida Highway Beautification Council and the remainder will be funded by the City of North Miami Beach.

Track Record/Monitor
The Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department�s (PROS) Community Image Manager, Christina Casado will monitor the project.

MANAGER'S BACKGROUND
Background
As part of the work of the Community Image Advisory Board (CIAB), and per Miami-Dade County�s Aesthetic Master Plan approved in 2010, the County developed an inventory of transportation corridors and interstate entrances that serve as Priority Gateways into the core of significant tourist attractions. The NW 167th Street / 163rd Street transportation corridor is one of these Priority Gateways. The City of North Miami Beach and the County, through the CIAB, share the common goal of improving the physical appearance of NW 167th / 163rd Street from the Golden Glades Interchange east towards the beaches as a vital component of the community�s overall economic well-being. The Florida Highway Beautification Council has funded the FY 2013-2014 grant cycle where funds have been made available to enhance the aesthetic quality of these transportation corridors through landscaping.

The City of North Miami Beach is currently maintaining the 167th / 163rd Street landscaping that was installed in 2004 and 2008 under a maintenance agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The City�s intention is to restore and enhance the existing landscaping. The Florida Highway Beautification grant award requires a permit and maintenance agreement for the project. Since the project area overlaps with the areas covered under the City of North Miami Beach�s maintenance agreement, they will be the grant applicant (Attachment A).

The proposed beautification project will focus on the median and swale areas along the four-lane roadway. Project elements will include landscape design, installation, and maintenance. The landscape plan will include site preparation, tree and shrub planting, wildflower and grass planting, and urban streetscape improvements. With the acceptance of this grant, FDOT will require that the grantee(s), the City of North Miami Beach, sign a maintenance agreement to include watering, trimming, edging, and pruning.

This beautification project will allow Miami-Dade County to enhance, beautify, and showcase this major gateway leading to the Cities of North Miami Beach, North Miami, Sunny Isles Beach, and the northern beaches of the County.


Attachments


_______________________________
Lisa M. Martinez, Senior Advisor
Office of the Mayor