HomeMy Public PortalAbout2018-04 Urging concerted local actions to take steps necessary to retain the NOAA Fisheries Headquarters on Virginia KeyRESOLUTION NO. 2018-4
A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE
VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA, URGING
CONCERTED LOCAL ACTIONS TO TAKE STEPS
NECESSARY TO RETAIN THE NOAA FISHERIES
HEADQUARTERS ON VIRGINIA KEY; PROVIDING FOR
TRANSMITTAL; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ("NOAA") conducts
atmospheric, marine and fisheries -related scientific operations at two NOAA facilities
headquartered in Virginia Key; and
WHEREAS, one of NOAA's Virginia Key facilities, the Southeast Fisheries Science
Center ("SEFSC"), is responsible for scientific research on living marine resources that occupy
marine and estuarine habits of the continental southeastern United States, as well as Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and
WHEREAS, SEFSC is one of the six national marine fishery science centers responsible
for federal marine fishery research programs and is the primary provider of research on fisheries
and habitats for Biscayne National Park and Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary; and
WHEREAS, the annual total budget for SEFSC Miami lab ranges between $15,000,000
to $17,000,000, the bulk of which supports salaries for about 170 masters and Ph.D. level
scientists and the coral reefs in south Florida that SEFSC Miami lab works to protect have an
estimated asset value of over $4.4 billion and are directly associated with over 70,000 part-time
and full-time jobs in the area; and
WHEREAS, NOAA operations at Virginia Key are performed in concert with research
and teaching functions at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and
Atmospheric Science ("RSMAS"), which is located directly adjacent to the NOAA campuses;
and
WHEREAS, NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies
(CIMAS) funds and coordinates scientific partnerships with RSMAS, Florida International
University (FIU) and other university programs in South Florida to educate the next generation
of scientific leaders and collaboratively work on pragmatic problems of societal importance; and
WHEREAS, leveraging their shared mission and physical proximity, for decades
scientists and staff personnel involved in NOAA's operations at Virginia Key have served as
adjunct faculty, research assistants and other venture partners with RSMAS faculty and students,
supporting and expanding on RSMAS's educational mission and engendering extensive working
collaborations between NOAA and RSMAS thus catalyzing significant research and knowledge -
advancement opportunities that relate directly to our sub -tropical marine environment; and
WHEREAS, local news reports and reports provided by the University of Miami
indicate that NOAA's Fisheries facility on Virginia Key may be outdated and in need of capital
improvements, and that NOAA may be incentivized to close its fisheries facility on Virginia Key
and relocate that operation to St. Petersberg; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Key Biscayne (the "Village"), the City of Miami and South
Florida generally benefits from the proximity of NOAA and RSMAS, and from CIMAS-
sponsored scientific collaborations which, among other things, contribute materially to the
Village's and Key Biscayne Community Foundation's Citizen Scientist Program and to the
positive reputation of greater Miami; and
WHEREAS, the Village considers it a materially adverse development for NOAA to
relocate its fisheries headquarters, which would set back pending research dealing with critical
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local issues such as hurricane intensity, weather research, fish population sustainability and coral
reef health, engendering a "brain -drain", diminishing Miami's standing for future investments
such as that contemplated by Amazon, and compromising the reliability and effectiveness of
future collaborations between NOAA and RSMAS, all to the detriment of the Village and the
greater Miami area; and
WHEREAS, as thoughtful environmental stewards, Village residents regularly seek
ways to improve, enhance, beautify and care for the Key Biscayne ecology and surrounding
marine environment, and draw important guidance and purpose from NOAA and RSMAS in
such connection.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE
VILLAGE OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals Adopted. Each of the recitals stated above is hereby adopted and
confirmed, and incorporated as part of this Resolution.
Section 2.
Encourage Effective Intervention.
(a) The Village Council urges Miami -Dade County, the City of Miami, RMAS and
the University of Miami, FIU, South Florida federal and state legislators, and others interested in
the future of greater Miami as home to an educated citizenry and excellent institutions, to
advocate for and take other affirmative steps promptly to address NOAA facilities needs and
encourage and enable NOAA and CIMAS to maintain their full presence and mission on
Virginia Key.
(b) The Village Council draws favorable attention to the numerous significant and
positive collaborations between NOAA and other local institutions that are facilitated by
NOAA's location on Virginia Key.
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(c) The Village Council also draws favorable attention to the reputational
enhancements and positive prospects for future growth for greater Miami deriving from NOAA's
and CIMAS's presence on Virginia Key.
Section 3. Transmittal. The Village Clerk is hereby directed to transmit this
Resolution to the local governments, legislators and institutions noted in the introduction, to the
Key Biscayne Community Foundation and its Citizen Scientist Program and to other recipients
as may be identified by the Village Council.
Section 4. Effective Date. This Resolution shall be effective immediately from and
after adoption hereof.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 13th day of February 2018.
ATTEST:
NNIF MEDIN: , CMC
VILLA E CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGAL S1
VILLAGE ATTORNEY
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