Regional Climate Action Plan

Tomorrow night, Resolution 40-2015 is on the agenda under New Business.  This resolution is to affirm the City’s support of the RCAP Plan and agree to consider integration of its goals and action items into the City’s Comprehensive Plan, master plans and ordinances where and when appropriate and financially feasible.

Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties entered into a Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact (Compact) in 2010 in order to recognize the need for immediate, coordinated and visionary action to address the impacts of a changing climate and provide economic and environmental resilience in Southeast Florida.

In accordance with their commitment, the Compact Partners developed the Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP). The RCAP contained many recommended actions for local government to take in support of the RCAP. Municipalities individually have been working to achieve sustainability, and the RCAP presents an opportunity to align these individual local efforts with the regional framework and vision.

The Resolution  for the Plan addresses the following actions:

Designate and implement Adaptation Action Areas to aid in funding to  address areas most vulnerable to sea level rise;

• Revise local Comprehensive Plans and zoning regulations to include  recommendations from the RCAP;

• Develop policies and stormwater master plans to improve resilience to  flooding and salt water intrusion;

• Encourage walkable communities;

• Develop Green Neighborhood certification programs;

• Coordinate living shorelines natural infrastructure;

• Restore the urban tree canopy;

• Amend land development regulations to eliminate provisions that act  as a barrier to installation of renewable energy systems;

• Develop policies to ensure energy efficient public infrastructure; and

We expect this Resolution to pass and that might finally subdue the bully blogger (a Democrat..I thought ALL Democrats were in support of addressing climate change) and the local newspaper editor (a Republican who is always in negative mode when it comes to McVoy). Perhaps now their snide remarks will cease and we can come together on at least one issue.