Agenda 07/14/2020 Item #10B (Sea Level Rise)07/14/2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Recommendation to direct the County Manager, or designee, to develop a scope, estimated cost
and schedule for a combined Vulnerability Assessment and Adaption Planning Study related to
sea-level rise for future consideration.
OBJECTIVE: To acknowledge that Collier County’s sea level rise (SLR) planning activities to date
have established the basis and need to begin the next step in the process. At play are two needs: a
planning strategy to guide our region through the near term (throu gh 2030 and 2060) during which
climate change impacts will be less severe and addressable through economically sustainable practices;
and a long term strategy (to 2100) when the sustainability of the existing cultural and economic
character of the County may be challenged by the extreme effects of climate change.
The next step is to direct the County Manager, or his designee, to proceed with the preparation of
scope, estimated cost, and schedule for a combined Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning
Study for both short term (to 2060) and long term (2100) needs by the Board of County Commissioners
(Board).
CONSIDERATIONS: In June of 2015, the Board confirmed their interest in the SLR challenge
coastal communities face and provided direction to the County Manager to proceed with data
gathering, etc. Since that time, two scientists, Drs. Peter Sheng, Professor of Civil and Coastal
Engineering at the University of Florida, and Michael Savarese, Professor of Coastal Resilience and
Climate Adaptation, The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, received a $1 million grant
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study SLR. These two
scientists chose Collier County for their study primarily because County and City Governments were
fully supportive and because of the integrated urban and natural landscape of our region.
The Board has continued to move that discussion forward with a series of presentations and direction to
staff related to the SLR planning process including:
• Support of the NOAA grant application for a 3-year study and modeling exercise related to the
impacts of SLR and storm surge on Collier County
• Establishment of specialized End User teams to support the NOAA grant
• Comprehensive updates including additional working tasks, identifying stakeholders and
partners, etc., legislative actions, rate of rise calculations, coastal resilience, business
stakeholder meetings, vulnerability assessment activities, regional compact discussions, etc.
• Status presentations on the NOAA project including demonstrations of the capabilities of the
model and a rapid forecasting tool (ACUNE)
• Interviews and community surveys, which include work by Dr. Savarese (FGCU) and the
League of Women Voters to collect needed data for the Vulnerability Assessment
Based on the activities that have occurred so far, combined with the ongoing work by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (ACOE) through the Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study and the
commencement of the second NOAA study, ACUNE+, and completion of the initial Climate
Vulnerability Assessment for the City of Naples, this is the appropriate time to move forward with a
combined Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning Study. This Planning Study will benefit
from the tools and findings from the first NOAA study (ACUNE), the ACOE study, and the City of
Naples study.
The process is envisioned to be comprehensive, with input from the City of Naples, the City of Marco
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Island, and the City of Everglades. Data collection for this effort will also include other governmental
agencies, not-for-profits, non-governmental organization (NGOs) citizen and cultural groups, etc. The
general strategies/categories for this Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Study include:
Identification of Risk (Where effects may occur? Who is affected? What infrastructure and populations
are the focus?); Regulatory (Comprehensive Planning/Zoning, Land Development and Building Code
Laws and Ordinances); Adaption Options (Protection, Accommodation, Retreat, Avoidance); Legal
Issues and Property Rights; Public/Private Partnerships; Infrastructure Planning; Financial and
Economic Modeling and Public Outreach and Input.
This study will focus specifically on sea level rise and storm effects, but will also serve a template for
future evaluations of other environmental drivers (e.g., effects of precipitation and freshwater flooding,
increased temperature, etc.). This is not a new initiative and has been discussed by the Board in the
past. In our prior discussion, we said we would wait until the technical studies were far enough along to
support the planning effort. I have confirmed with staff that we are now at that stage and ready to
initiate the planning effort.
FISCAL IMPACT: Estimated cost for the Study will be developed as part of the proposed scoping
and scheduling for future review by the Board. There is currently no funding identified for this effort
in the current fiscal year or in the proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: This action is consistent with is consistent with the applicable
sections of the Stormwater Management and Conservation and Coastal Management elements of the
Collier County Growth Management Plan.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item has been reviewed by the County Attorney, raises no legal
issues, and requires majority vote for approval. -JAK
RECOMMENDATION: To direct the County Manager, or his designee, to develop a scope,
estimated cost and schedule for a combined Vulnerability Assessment and Adaption Planning Study
related to sea-level rise for future consideration by the Board of County Commissioners.
Prepared by: Penny Taylor, District 4, County Commissioner
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COLLIER COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Item Number: 10.B
Doc ID: 12852
Item Summary: Recommendation to direct the County Manager, or designee, to develop a scope,
estimated cost and schedule for a combined Vulnerability Assessment and Adaption Planning Study
related to sea-level rise for future consideration. (Commissioner Taylor)
Meeting Date: 07/14/2020
Prepared by:
Title: Executive Secretary to County Manager – County Manager's Office
Name: MaryJo Brock
07/07/2020 1:02 PM
Submitted by:
Title: County Manager – County Manager's Office
Name: Leo E. Ochs
07/07/2020 1:02 PM
Approved By:
Review:
Office of Management and Budget MaryJo Brock Level 3 OMB Gatekeeper Review Skipped 07/07/2020 1:02 PM
County Attorney's Office Jeffrey A. Klatzkow Level 3 County Attorney's Office Review Completed 07/07/2020 4:26 PM
County Manager's Office Nick Casalanguida Level 4 County Manager Review Completed 07/08/2020 9:01 AM
Board of County Commissioners MaryJo Brock Meeting Pending 07/14/2020 9:00 AM
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