M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, Town Manager
Date: June 15, 2016
Re: Amending the Town's Growth Management Plan: New Climate Change Element
REQUESTTitle
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A CLIMATE CHANGE ELEMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE TOWN GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Town staff is requesting that the Town Council transmit the proposed Climate Change Element to the Department of Economic Opportunity and other review agencies.
Since incorporation, the Town has been a leader in green building and other environment friendly programs, within Miami-Dade County and beyond. The Town Growth Management Plan and Land Development Regulations are at the forefront of "going green".
The Town has already taken a number of steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage environmental responsibility at the local level. The Town, along with neighboring communities, participates in the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program, which provides loans to property owners for solar panels, wind generators, insulation and shutters. The Town also recently gained the legislative authority to allow residents of certain areas to receive loans, which can be paid off over time, to finance the initial costs of installing an alternate energy producing device. With that being said it is estimated that between 400,000 and 450,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases are emitted by various sources within the Town.
Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the consumption of fossil fuels are widely considered to be the major contributing factor to climate change. Short term climate change impacts such as increased drought, flooding, and extreme weather events are already being felt in many areas. Long term impacts such as damage to bu...
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