BOCC DISCUSSES FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE, CONSERVATION REPORTS & RESILIENCY PLANS

LeeAnn McDougall, pictured holding her award, is recognized as Monroe County’s Employee of the Second Quarter for her outstanding work in the county’s facilities maintenance department. KRISTEN LIVENGOOD/Monroe County

In one of the quickest commission meetings in recent memory, the majority of the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners’ July 20 meeting was spent hearing reports from staff on flood mitigation assistance programs, public programs offered by master gardeners, habitat conservation plans on Big Pine and No Name keys, and amendments to language in the county’s comprehensive plan regarding Adaptation Action Areas (AAAs).

A presentation from the county land acquisition and land management department highlighted funds applied for annually by the county through the state of Florida from FEMA to assist in flood mitigation efforts. Focusing on homes with repetitive damage over a 10-year period, the Flood Mitigation Assistance program (FMA) provides funding for property owners who wish to either elevate or reconstruct their properties above the minimum flood elevation – or sell their properties altogether – in pursuit of a more flood-resilient community.

“Severe repetitive loss” properties, classified as homes with at least two separate National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims exceeding the home’s market value, are eligible for a 100% grant, while “repetitive loss” structures with at least two NFIP claims equaling or exceeding 25% of the structure’s market value are eligible for a 90% grant with a 10% match requirement by the property owner.

Land Authority executive director Christine Hurley said that with no repetitive loss structures submitted in Monroe County’s 2021 application for funding, the county has begun sending direct mail to qualifying properties encouraging them to apply. 

“I can’t emphasize enough how competitive the program is,” said Hurley. “Florida has never really been a player in this arena. … I think it’s very important to note, though, that if you are a property owner in Monroe County that has a repetitive loss structure, you are very likely to become someone who could receive the grant.” 

The county is accepting applications for the fiscal year 2022 FMA grant, with applications closing around Sept. 15. More details are at https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/768/Grant-Funding-Flood-Mitigation-Assistanc.

Emily Schemper, senior director of planning and environmental resources, later delivered a presentation on the county’s 16th Annual Monitoring Report (AMR), detailing progress in habitat conservation for Key deer and other protected species on Big Pine and No Name keys. Under a 2006 permit issued by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the county is permitted a limited take of endangered species in the area due to development. With a cap set on the total allowable impact from commercial, institutional and residential development over the 20-year life of the permit, the county must mitigate any impacts on protected habitat with three times the value of the impact in acquisition of conservation land.

“As of the end of 2021, our impact so far has only been … about 55% of the maximum allowed impact,” said Schemper. “We’ve acquired 99% of the maximum (mitigation land) that we would have to acquire if we got to our full impact. … So we’re in very good shape.”

According to Schemper, even if all the permits competing for ROGO allocations in the monitored area were issued, the county would still sit at less than 60% of its allowable impact.

The board additionally elected to move forward with a preliminary framework for policy language regarding Adaptation Action Areas within the county. Intended for eventual incorporation into the county’s comprehensive plan, the AAAs would identify areas most vulnerable to coastal flooding and rising sea levels and provide strategies to address such vulnerabilities. The AAAs would allow the county to further prioritize funding for infrastructure needs and adaptation planning.

“It seems like a no-brainer to me to adopt these sorts of policies,” said commissioner Holly Raschein. “We’re already doing a lot of this work. I think it just falls right in line with our resilient nature; we’re sort of leading the charge for the state.”

Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.