Title
A Resolution authorizing an exemption to the Procurement Code for an assessment of the water quality and habitat conditions in the City provided by Florida International University pursuant to Section 2-607(26) of the City’s Procurement Code entitled “Exemptions - University provided consulting, education services or cooperative activities”.
Body
The purpose of this item is to request authority to move forward with Phase 1 ($299,995) of the project which has already been budgeted for this Fiscal Year 2020 and for future phases (Phases 2 and 3) which are contingent on funding availability from the City or external grants.
The collaborative nutrient loading assessment of the Coral Gables waterway system discharging to Biscayne Bay, is designed to provide a detailed quantification of nutrient loads at critical junctures in the brackish waterway/canal system as a contributor and driver of water quality impairment in the Coral Gables Waterway and the Biscayne Bay Habitat Focus Area. In the short term, the assessment is to serve as a guide to municipal managers for the cost-effective management of nutrient sources in the watershed to improve water quality in the canal system and the quality of the discharge to Biscayne Bay.
In the long term, the proposed assessment of the Coral Gables waterway system is intended to assist the City of Coral Gables with watershed nutrient management and infrastructure planning for adaptation to future potential sea level rise. The overall scope of this project is to be performed as a collaborative effort between scientists from multiple public and non-profit institutions with local presence in Miami and the City of Coral Gables.
Upon completion of all three phases of the project, a detailed assessment of the watershed specific loads affecting the Coral Gables waterway system will be provided to serve as a guide for targeting watershed nutrient management.