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RESOLUTION APPROVING LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT NO. 4600004032 BETWEEN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AND THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO CONDUCT TASKS NECESSARY FOR THE DESIGN OF THE CUTLER WETLANDS C-1 FLOW WAY PROJECT; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE SAID AGREEMENT THROUGH WHICH THE COUNTY WILL PAY THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT UP TO $289,012.00 FOR THESE PURPOSES; AUTHORIZING THE DISBURSEMENT OF UP TO $289,012.00 FROM THE BISCAYNE BAY ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT TRUST FUND FOR THESE PURPOSES; AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO EXERCISE ALL RIGHTS CONTAINED THEREIN

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WHEREAS, this Board desires to accomplish the purposes outlined in the accompanying memorandum, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:

Section 1. The foregoing recitals are incorporated in this resolution and are approved.

Section 2. This Board hereby approves Local Government Agreement No. 4600004032, in substantially the form attached hereto as Attachment A and made a part hereof, between Miami-Dade County and the South Florida Water Management District to share costs of tasks necessary for the design of the Cutler Wetlands C-1 Flow Way Project.

Section 3. This Board authorizes the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to execute said Agreement and exercise all provisions contained in the Agreement.

Section 4. This Board hereby approves the disbursement of funds not to exceed $289,012.00 from the Biscayne Bay Environmental Enhancement Trust Fund to fund up to 50 percent of specified tasks, with a not-to-exceed amount per task, necessary for the design of the Cutler Wetlands C-1 Flow Way Project.

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Date:

To: Honorable Chairwoman Audrey M. Edmonson
and Members, Board of County Commissioners

From: Carlos A. Gimenez
Mayor

Subject: Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Local Government Agreement with the South
Florida Water Management District for Design of the Cutler Wetlands C-1 Flow Way
Project and Authorizing the Disbursement of up to $289,012.00 from the Biscayne Bay
Environmental Enhancement Trust Fund

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Board of County Commissioners (Board) approve the attached resolution authorizing the execution of Local Government Agreement No. 4600004032 with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for the design of the Cutler Wetlands C-1 Flow Way Project, authorizing the disbursement of up to $289,012.00 from the Biscayne Bay Environmental Enhancement Trust Fund (BBETF) to share the cost of tasks necessary for the design of specific elements of the project to restore the sheet flow of water through wetlands to Biscayne Bay, and authorizing the execution of the Local Government Agreement by the County Mayor or the County Mayor�s designee. The Agreement is Attachment A to the resolution.

Scope
The project occurs in areas of undeveloped wetlands along the east side of the C-1 Canal beginning south of SW 224 Street and east of Old Cutler Road in Commission District 8, which is represented by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava.

Fiscal Impact/Funding Source
This resolution authorizes the disbursement of up to $289,012 from the BBEETF for tasks necessary for restoration and enhancement activities. This BBEETF disbursement is consistent with Section 24-40 of the Code of Miami-Dade County that allows the BBEETF to be used for the restoration and enhancement of Biscayne Bay and its foreshore as further described below. The available balance of the BBEETF as of June 30, 2019 is $15,989,161.82.

Track Record / Monitor
The Chief of Water Resources Coordination in the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, Division of Environmental Resources Management, Craig Grossenbacher, will monitor the activities authorized by the proposed resolution.

Background
The Cutler Wetlands C-1 Flow Way Project is a project element of the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project, a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The objective of this project element is to improve the distribution of freshwater to Biscayne Bay and Biscayne National Park by redirecting water from the C-1 Canal to the coastal wetlands along Biscayne Bay. The Cutler Wetlands C-1 Flow Way Project includes several construction elements, such as a pump station on the C-1 Canal, 7,000 linear feet of lined conveyance canal, 13,160 linear feet of spreader canal, box culverts under SW 97 and SW 87 Avenues and through the L-31E Levee, and the plugging of ditches within the wetlands east of SW 87 Avenue to disrupt channelization of water from the spreader canal. The SFWMD will construct this project and has requested funding assistance from Miami-Dade County to complete hydrologic modeling and surveying tasks necessary for the project design. The proposed Agreement and disbursement will allow Miami-Dade County to fund up to 50 percent of each task, with a not-to-exceed amount per task, as shown in Exhibit A to the attached Agreement.

Miami-Dade County�s Biscayne Bay Environmental Enhancement Trust Fund was created for the purposes of environmental enhancement of Biscayne Bay and its foreshore. The disbursement request to fund a portion of the tasks necessary for the design of this project is consistent with Section 24-40 of the Code of Miami-Dade County because the project�s purpose is to enhance water quality within the nearshore areas of Biscayne Bay and to restore coastal wetlands within the Bay�s foreshore. The design and construction of this project are intended to rehydrate coastal wetlands owned by the SFWMD and Miami-Dade County and to restore salinity patterns to more natural conditions in the adjacent nearshore areas of Biscayne Bay within Biscayne National Park.

It is recommended that the attached resolution be approved, authorizing the disbursement of funds from the BBEETF and the execution of the Local Government Agreement by the County Mayor or the County Mayor�s designee.

In accordance with Chapter 24-40(4) of the Code, I have received and considered the attached recommendation from the Director of the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.





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Jack Osterholt
Deputy Mayor