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RESOLUTION URGING THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SFWMD) TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ADDRESS THE FLOODING DISASTER THAT TOOK PLACE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS AND TO IMMEDIATELY ISSUE A REPORT THAT EXPLAINS IN DETAIL THE ACTIONS THAT THE SFWMD TOOK IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FLOODING DISASTER

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WHEREAS, beginning on Friday, May 22, 2020, and continuing into the week of May 25, 2020, torrential rainfall pounded Miami-Dade County, resulting in some of the worst flooding in decades; and
WHEREAS, the flooding was so excessive that storm water flooded residents� homes and businesses throughout Miami-Dade County, resulting in significant and unexpected property damage; and
WHEREAS, the flooding also covered roadways, creating unsafe traffic conditions and flooding vehicles, resulting in further property damage; and
WHEREAS, some of the worst flooding took place in the far west part of the County, where thousands of residents suffered substantial property damage; and
WHEREAS, a multibillion-dollar flood protection system, including, but not limited to, the C-4 (Tamiami) Canal and connected waterways and pumps, previously had been constructed in this part of the County to prevent and mitigate the type of disastrous flooding that just took place; and
WHEREAS, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is responsible for operating this flood protection system; and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that this heavy rainfall was forecasted, despite calls from concerned individuals for the SFWMD to take action to prepare the flood protection system to handle the heavy rainfall, and despite assurances from the SFWMD that everything was under control, the extreme and extensive flooding that occurred suggests that the SFWMD may have utterly failed to competently operate the flood protection system to deal with the rainfall; and
WHEREAS, the SFWMD�s inaction led to the excessive flooding and property damage suffered by Miami-Dade County residents and businesses, which has only compounded the economic and personal hardships that the community has been enduring due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; and
WHEREAS, in an attempt to bring transparency and accountability to a preventable disaster that left thousands of County residents and businesses in substantial financial hardship, and to ensure that this does not happen again, especially as we head into hurricane season, this Board urges the SFWMD to take immediate action to address the flooding disaster that took place in Miami-Dade County over the past two weeks and to immediately issue a report that explains the actions that the SFWMD took in anticipation of the flooding disaster,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the South Florida Water Management District to (1) take immediate action to address the flooding disaster that took place in Miami-Dade County over the past two weeks and (2) immediately issue a report that explains in detail the actions that the South Florida Water Management District took in anticipation of the flooding disaster.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Members of the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District, the Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District, the Governor, and the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County�s state lobbyists to advocate for the actions set forth in section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to amend the 2020 State Legislative Package to include this item and to include this item in the 2021 State Legislative Package when it is presented to the Board.