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Draft Community Action PlanCity of Atlantic Beach Sustainability and Resilience Community Action Plan Draft 2022 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks to the numerous people who participated in community meetings, online discussions, and surveys. A heartfelt thank you also goes to the following individuals that have supported the creation of this plan. We could not have done it without you! ATLANTIC BEACH MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS Ellen Glasser, Mayor Bruce Bole, Commissioner Seat 2 Michael “Mike” Waters, Commissioner Seat 3 Candace Kelly, Commissioner Seat 4 & Originator of LEED for Cities certification Brittany Norris, Mayor Pro Tem & Commissioner Seat 5 ATLANTIC BEACH ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE (ESC) Mark Gabrynowicz, ESC Chair Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Vice Chair Bruce Andrews, Tree Subcommittee Chair Amy Palmer, Outreach Subcommittee Chair Sarah Boren, Sustainability & Resilience Subcommittee Chair Barbie Brooksher Linda Chipperfield Anastasia Houston Christopher McHan Patrick Nobles Romy Vann ATLANTIC BEACH COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN TASK FORCE Mark Gabrynowicz Sarah Boren Barbie Brooksher Romy Vann Dr. Christopher Perle Dr. Melinda Simmons Dr. David Lambert CITY STAFF: Amanda Askew, AICP, Director, Planning and Community Development Brian Broedell, Principal Planner Shane Corbin, City Manager Jennifer Johnston, Operations Manager Table of Contents Coming Soon EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HISTORY & BACKGROUND Atlantic Beach, Florida is a charming, eclectic coastal town just east of Jacksonville that was incorporated in 1926. We are a family-friendly city of almost 14,000 residents with a keen sense of place. We love and value our parks and green spaces, our public beaches, and our lush maritime forest. With the future of our unique community in mind, the City of Atlantic Beach has constructed its first Sustainability and Resilience Community Action Plan (CAP) to prepare for resilience challenges and maintain a healthy, prosperous, sustainable and equitable future for generations to come. This CAP is for all those who have or will experience our beautiful oasis city. Resilience and sustainability are more than just caring for environmental assets. Resiliency and sustainable development also spurs a spirit of innovation and has the goal of high quality of life, a thriving natural environment, and economic prosperity for all in the city while building a society that thinks beyond its time. The City of Atlantic Beach began the process of seriously planning for a sustainable and resilient future in August 2017 by establishing an Environmental Stewardship Committee, and in January 2018 when its elected officials put environmental stewardship and LEED for Cities certification as a priority. On July 19, 2018, the City became the first LEED for Cities Pilot Silver certified city in Florida. In developing this CAP, the City is creating a living document that is meant to guide the City’s current and future sustainability and resiliency-based endeavors ranging from community programs and policy development to infrastructure improvements –all with measurable outcomes. This first edition of the CAP is meant to be adaptable, allowing the City to check -in annually and adaptively manage based on economic, social, and environmental dynamic needs. PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN To take positive, integrated action forward is the main reason for this CAP. Doing nothing is not an option. The cost of inaction and lack of an actionable plan is not good governance. To have a community supported plan with target goals, deadlines, and proven strategies to achieve goals alongside LEED certification for performance measurement allows the City and its citizens to know where it stands in preparing for the future in terms of sustainability and resilience. Resiliency is often defined as the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, endure, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. Sustainability was defined in 1987 by the Bruntland Commission as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” and is often characterized simply as taking care of the three P’s: people, planet and profits or often known as:Economic, Social, and Environmental. INTENDED AUDIENCE The intended audience for this CAP includes the citizens and businesses of Atlantic Beach, the City of Atlantic Beach itself as an entity, and the community at large including Duval County, Transportation Planning Organization, JEA, local universities and other assets that support Atlantic Beach’s quality of life directly and indirectly. STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN Working with the LEED for Cities framework including former STAR Communities, our city staff, citizen-based Environmental Stewardship Committee, and the citizens of Atlantic Beach, the following eight focus areas have been identified as priorities: Natural Systems & Ecology Energy & Climate Quality of Life / Livability Water Green Buildings & Infrastructure Solid Waste Transportation Governance, Community Outreach & Education Each focus area has its own section in the CAP and contains the following information: Overview & How We Benefit 2050 (or earlier) Goals Current Status Performance Metrics Progress Highlights Potential Strategies The CAP is meant to encourage action right away as well as think about and plan long term. This is why for each focus area there will be education and community outreach, performance measurement, setting of short and medium term milestones to show progress towards long term goals, and annual review and reporting. Some actions will take longer than others to complete. Also, while goals are meant to remain steady, the CAP itself will be a living document that will continue to capture new strategies, best practices, and resources as they become known to city staff, ESC and engaged citizens. It is the goal to annually update the CAP with new information, progress, statistics, etc. and refine priorities and strategies as the City continues its sustainability and resiliency journey. Natural Systems & Ecology OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT The nine initiatives in the Natural Systems & Ecology focus area help communities protect and restore the places that provide resources to support life.This focus area takes an ecosystem services approach and recognizes the wide range of benefits natural systems provide,such as clean water and air, flood control, habitat, food,and natural regulating processes affecting climate such as localized cooling.Ecosystem services also extend to cultural benefits like aesthetic value, human health,and recreation. Here is a quick list of the nine initiatives and their objectives in this focus area: •Ecosystem Assessment --To assess existing ecosystem conditions and services provided by ecosystems, built landscapes, and other open spaces to inform the city development along with conservation and restoration efforts. •Green Spaces -To provide accessible green spaces to positively impact physical, mental and psychological health and well-being of the community while also enhancing the environmental quality of the city or community. •Natural Resource Conservation and Restoration -To conserve and restore the natural resources within the city and community. •Light Pollution Reduction -To minimize and manage ambient light levels to protect public health and the integrity of ecological systems and increase the night sky access, improve nighttime visibility, and reduce the consequences of development for wildlife and people. •Resiliency Planning, Adaptation & Mitigation --To strengthen the resilience of communities to climate change risks, natural and man-made hazards, chronic stressors, and extreme events. •Biodiversity & Invasive Species –To maintain the urban ecosystem habitat at levels that promote biodiversity and manage or prevent invasive species •Outdoor Air Quality –To ensure that outdoor air quality is healthy for all segments of the human population and protects the welfare of the community •Water in the Environment –To protect and restore the biological,chemical,and hydrological integrity of water in the natural environment •Working Lands –To conserve and sustainably manage lands that provide ecosystem services and raw materials It is up to our community to demonstrate leadership by making natural resource protection and green space and implementing strategies that improve the quality of natural resource areas and human health a priority with concrete goals and milestones to show progress. 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Develop and enhance connectivity and walkability between parks and within city •Ensure that 95% of residential addresses are located within ½ mile of a park or open space. •Increase and maintain healthy, diverse tree canopy to 40%.* •Reduce use of harmful chemicals and biocides by 90% Natural Systems & Ecology ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 3 -Good Health and Well-Being 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 13 -Climate Action 15 -Life on Land 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORT •Comprehensive Plan •Parks Master Plan •Marsh Preserve •Coastal VRA •Mayor’s Health & Wellness Task Force Natural Systems & Ecology CURRENT STATUS The state of Atlantic Beach’s parks, green spaces, and natural systems and ecology is good. There is a high percentage of residents living within ½ mile of a park or open green space. The City has worked hard to increase connectivity and walkability with parks and throughout the city and has taken several steps to strengthen protection of its trees and tree canopy. There are still some impaired waterways within the city that need focus and improvement. The Atlantic Beach community ranked the care, improvement and expansion of AB’s parks, green spaces, and natural systems and ecology including the beach, marsh and wetlands, and ICW as the second highest priority in the 2021-2022 Community Action Plan survey. In addition to the high priority ranking, many comments and suggestions were shared ranging from more trees to better water quality. With the goals of increasing, protecting, and maintaining a healthy tree canopy, parks and green spaces as well as reducing the use of biocides significantly, we need to continue to listen to the community, educate the community about the value of natural systems and spaces, and continue to make progress annually and prioritize this focus area. PERFORMANCE METRICS Natural Systems & Ecology PERFORMANCE METRICS Continued Natural Systems & Ecology PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS To date, the city has implemented several actions to support and improve the natural systems and ecology of Atlantic Beach. Highlighted efforts include: •Tree Canopy –The City and ESC have been hard at work to protect trees and expand the tree canopy. ESC launched a “Verified Tree Trimmer” program. The City has planted more than 500+ trees throughout the city both in right of ways and resident yards using a pre-researched list and free tree adoption program. •Chemicals Usage –The City recently banned the use of Round-Up for municipal use and is trying to educate its citizens to voluntarily stop using Round Up by sharing its negative impacts on human health, animals, and natural systems. •Wetland Protection --The City included wetland protection regulation into code. •Green Infrastructure –The City included multiple types of green infrastructure techniques into its Parks Master Plan and municipal right of way. •Stormwater Pollution Prevention –The City adopted a policy to comply with U.S. EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program for stormwater pollution prevention from construction and industrial activities and municipal sources. POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next steps to achieving our natural systems and ecology goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. To see the full accounting of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. •Promote and educate about the benefits of trees, tree ordinance, tree planting and pervious surfaces •Assess and address how construction practices are negatively affecting trees (e.g., heavy trucks parking on tree roots reducing lifespan of trees) •Develop and maintain canopy assessment tools •Strive for zero net loss of canopy •Conserve, restore, and maintain the health, quality, and function of AB’s natural systems (marsh, wetlands, beaches, canopy, green spaces, dunes, parks, waterways, etc.) through regular assessment and attention. •Increase the connectivity between habitats needed for threatened species •Achieve a minimum of 70% of the dwelling units must have a green space within 1/2 -mile (800 meters) walking distance. •Adopt and/or incentivize best practices for resilient properties (e.g., trees, hardening, elevation, first floor floodable, raising up houses, etc.) •Strive to eradicate invasive species by preventing growth and expansion •Coordinate a Friends of the Park program so those who use the park can have more impact in a park’s maintenance and care. Natural Systems & Ecology Energy & Climate OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT As a coastal barrier island city with a diverse racial and socio -economic population, we must plan ahead to reduce our vulnerability to environmental, economic and social chronic stressors and acute shocks. This focus area’s intent is to reduce climate impacts through adaptation and mitigation efforts and increase resource efficiency. Energy consumption (mostly from residential electricity use and transportation in AB) causes greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn causes climate change. While this is a global issue, local governments can impact the sources and sinks within their jurisdictions. Expanding alternative modes of transportation, improving energy efficiency, eliminating waste, and increasing vegetation can reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and provide many benefits to the community. These many benefits include reduced energy, water and waste bills, less asthma, better indoor and outdoor air quality so less pollution, quieter neighborhoods, cooler pavements for those precious pet paws, and much more. Here are the main initiatives for this focus area: •Power Access, Reliability and Resiliency --To provide safe, secured, reliable, resilient and equitable access to power. •Energy & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Performance --To support energy management and move towards a zero energy and emissions city. •Energy Efficiency --To improve sectoral energy efficiency in the city and community. •Greening the Energy Supply --Transition the local energy supply for both transportation and non- mobile sources toward renewable,less carbon-intensive, and less toxic alternatives •Renewable Energy --To reduce the environmental and economic harms associated with fossil fuel energy and reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions by increasing self-supply of renewable energy and the use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies. •Low Carbon Economy --To progress towards a low carbon economy by decoupling economic growth of the city or community from greenhouse gas emissions. •Grid Harmonization --To improve operational efficiency of the energy system and encourage consumer participation in energy use optimization. •Climate Adaptation --Strengthen the resilience of communities to climate change impacts on built,natural,economic,health,and social systems •Greenhouse Gas Mitigation --Achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions throughout the community Energy & Climate 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Reduce GHG emissions to below two metric tons per capita or 80% below 1990 levels* •Commit to Under 2°actions and implementation* •Reduce 20% of overall energy consumption * •33% of citywide electricity generated by renewable energy and obtain 100% of electricity from clean, renewable sources city wide* Energy & Climate ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 3 -Good Health and Well-Being 7 -Affordable and Clean Energy 8 -Decent Work and Economic Growth 9 -Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 13 -Climate Action 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Comprehensive Plan •Connectivity Plan •Parks Master Plan •Coastal VRA Energy & Climate CURRENT STATUS Currently the City of Atlantic Beach greenhouse gas emissions are approximately 8 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year per capita which is fairly typical of a U.S. suburban neighborhood city. When compared to other cites participating in the LEED for Cities and Communities program, COAB is on the lower emissions side. The majority of the emissions come from vehicles, natural gas and electricity with residential electricity use as the highest source of emissions. With the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to below two metric tons per capita or 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 or earlier, it is important the COAB and its residents accelerate their efforts on energy efficiency actions, clean energy alternatives in transportation and the built environment and overall water, materials, and waste resource efficiency. Consistently working on these priorities will create a safer, healthier, and more sustainable and resilient community. PERFORMANCE METRICS In 2019 according to DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), COAB’s GHG emissions were approximately 8 metric tons per person and in 2021, they were 7.61. In 2020 -2021, the EERE data measurement and methodology tool moved over to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE). The following graphs and visualizations are from both entities: COAB Annual Energy GHG Emissions 2019 (Source: EERE/SLED) COAB Annual Energy GHG Emissions 2022 (Source: NREL/SLOPE) PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS To date, the city has implemented several actions to begin to reduce GHG and energy consumption and increase resource efficiency. Highlighted efforts include: •Measurement –The City, at a high level, has begun to measure its GHG and energy consumption per capita, by sector and fuel type, and for its own operations. By understanding its baseline, the City can prioritize its strategies and direct actions for its own operations and the community at large. •Assessments --The City has performed sea level rise vulnerability assessment, created a Resiliency Adaptation Plan and has shared with the public via workshops, presentations and easy access on website. •Comprehensive Plan –The City updated its comprehensive plan to include adopting alternative fuel guidelines and targets for locally owned facilities and vehicles. •Efficient Street Lighting –The City has upgraded 90%+ of its street and area lights with high efficiency fixtures with a luminous efficacy of between 102-123. •Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations –The City installed one public electric station at City Hall and has added EV parking to the draft code update. •Heat Island Effect –The City has systematically planted 500+ trees over the past few years to help with its heat island effect. POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next best steps to achieving our energy and climate goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. our energy and climate goals. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. •Adopt and/or incentivize best practices for resilient properties (e.g., trees, hardening, elevation, first floor floodable, raising up houses, etc.) •Become a solar and EV ready community •Implement specific programs and services that increases energy efficiency, increases renewable energy adoption, and reduces waste in the community •Work with JEA on dynamic pricing for metered users to motivate load shifting •Adopt (or be committed to) an Interconnection and Net metering policy. •Maintain 100% access, reliability and resiliency of power to AB •Install and maintain resilience hubs in most needed areas of AB •Implement and incentivize a voluntary benchmarking and green building challenge for city, residential and commercial buildings. •Work with JEA on dynamic pricing for metered users to motivate load shifting and a dopt (or be committed to) an Interconnection and Net metering policy. •Consider best practices for sustainable principles into neighborhood planning Energy & Climate Quality of Life & Livability OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT Quality of Life and Livability ranked the highest in priorities for the City of Atlantic Beach to focus on in the 2021-2022 Community Action Plan survey. Local government and its residents both play a critical role in protecting and enhancing the three pillars of sustainability: environment, economy and social equity, to increase its ability to consistently thrive over time. This focus area covers an array of critical topics, including community and human health, education, housing, economic conditions, civil rights, and safety. The education metrics focus on literacy and workforce readiness and the equitability metrics consider the affordability of housing and distribution of wealth. The prosperity metrics reflect economic performance and opportunities for upward mobility. Finally, the health and safety metrics look at susceptibility to outdoor air pollution and the impact of violence. Taken together, these metrics reflect the socioeconomic condition of the population living within the jurisdiction and its overall ability to endure chronic and acute stressors and ultimately improve and thrive as a community. The many initiatives for this focus area include: •Demographic Assessment --To describe the population demographics and housing characteristics of the area. •Quality of Life Performance --To track and measure metrics related to elevating the living standards of all people. •Trend Improvements --To demonstrate an improvement over time in key metrics pertaining to a person’s quality of life. •Distributional Equity --To foster equitable economic prosperity and expand access to community services to all. •Environmental Justice --To address conditions that may lead to neighborhoods or populations being overburdened by environmental pollutants. •Housing and Transportation Affordability --To provide an adequate and diverse supply of location- efficient and affordable housing options for all. •Civic and Community Engagement --To promote a cohesive, and socially connected community and facilitate their participation in local decision-making. •Civil and Human Rights --To uphold a process that ensures the civil and human rights of all people is fundamental •Ambient Noise & Light --Minimize and manage ambient noise and light levels to protect public health and the integrity of ecological systems •Arts & Culture --Provide a broad range of arts and cultural resources and activities that encourage community member participation,creative self-expression,and community revitalization •Historic Preservation --Preserve and reuse historic structures and sites to retain local,regional,and national history and heritage,and reinforce community character •Social & Cultural Diversity --Celebrate, respect,and represent the diverse social and cultural backgrounds of the community and its members •Aging in the Community --Encourage active aging by optimizing opportunities for health,participation,and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age •Active Living --Enable adults and kids to maintain healthy,active lifestyles by integrating physical activity into their daily routines •Community Health --Achieve positive health outcomes and minimize health risk factors associated with behaviors and poor indoor air quality in schools and homes •Food Access & Nutrition --Ensure that adults and children of all income levels have physical and economic access to fresh and healthful food and have opportunities to learn about nutritious eating and food safety Quality of Life & Livability 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Demonstrate an annual improving trend achievement for the stated thresholds and metrics (LEED QOL data , safe community, housing & transportation affordability, food access & nutrition, community health, ambient noise & light, active living, aging in the community, environmental justice, arts & culture, historic preservation, social & cultural diversity) ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 1 -No Poverty 2 -Zero Hunger 3 -Good Health and Well-Being 10 -Reduced Inequalities 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 13 -Climate Action 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Comprehensive Plan •Connectivity Plan •Parks Master Plan •Mayor’s Health & Wellness Task Force Quality of Life & Livability CURRENT STATUS City of Atlantic Beach quality of life metrics are pretty high currently with a LEED for Cities score of 86 out of 100 which is higher than the U.S. and global average. This makes sense as a fairly affluent, active lifestyle beach community. In the 2021 -2022 Community Action Plan survey, there were a lot of comments and suggestions on the desire to continue to improve AB’s quality of life and suggestions on how to increase livability. With the goal of annually improving trend achievement towards the stated thresholds and with metrics in each quality of life subcategory, we need to continually improve how we accurately gather and measure data for metrics and how we inclusively engage all stakeholders in the community. Consistent high quality accurate data and methodology will lead to identifying and addressing where the City can improve it performance for all its residents. PERFORMANCE METRICS The following graphs are from the LEED for Cities & Communities Arc platform. Quality of Life & Livability PERFORMANCE METRICS Continued Quality of Life & Livability PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS To date, the city has implemented several actions to improve the quality of life and livability through the lens of this SRCAP starting in 2019. Highlighted efforts include: •Measurement –The City for the first time measured key metrics to better understand its quality of life of all its citizens. Through this process, it learned that some metrics may need to be adjusted to better fit AB’s dynamics (e.g., AB has very little violent crime so it might be more useful to measure crimes that the community is most worried about and wants to be addressed). •Environmental Justice --The City is actively working on cleaning up trash from sites not previously known as dumping sites as well as reducing smell from wastewater plant. •Comprehensive Plan –The City has included higher density of residential units closer to transit hubs with an aim for Compact, Mixed Use and Transit Oriented Developments in its comprehensive plan to help address the need for affordable housing. •Civic and Community Engagement –Through its LEED for Cities and Communities v4.1 certification process, the City realized that it did not know the diversity of its citizen boards, committees and commission and that it could not quantifiably state that its gender, racial and ethnicity of its leadership reflected its community. As a recognized best practice, the City rectified this data gap by asking for this information on the application forms and paperwork for all governance and advisory bodies •Civil and Human Rights –The City passed a Human Rights Ordinance and updated its parental leave policy. POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next steps to achieving our quality of life and livability goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. •Achieve a Livability Index score of 60 or greater •Set standards and understand effects of excessive exposure and mitigation techniques for ambient noise and ambient light •Continue to install sidewalks, safe and widened walkways and appropriate lighting in areas most needed •Identify the priority environmental justice conditions and make plan to address •Outdoor exercise equipment installed in city parks •Enhance public spaces, including public rights of way, roadsides, City buildings, beach accesses and other publicly held properties with art and carefully maintained landscape design and plantings •Incentivize and advocate for use of native plants and beautification of private and commercial spaces •Reduce the number and appearance of degraded or blighted properties •Incorporate a framework of health & wellness for individuals and community health in AB’s overall approach to QOL and livability (e.g., blue zone work) •Develop a workforce / attainable housing policy Quality of Life & Livability Water OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT Water is the lifeline of any city. However, equity and access have been a major challenge in many cities. Water demand has been constantly increasing, stressing freshwater reserves and increasing the cost of extraction, treatment and distribution. This focus area addresses water at multiple levels – meeting demand, maintaining water quality, reducing water losses, capturing stormwater, and managing urban floods. Water Access and Quality requires the implementation of policies and infrastructure for the equitable supply of clean and safe water to all members of society, along with the treatment of wastewater and stormwater before it is released into the environment. Water Performance requires Atlantic Beach to track and monitor per-capita water consumption in the domestic sector which we already started to do in 2019. Integrated Water Management focuses on reduced freshwater consumption and encourages the shift to a net zero water city. Stormwater Management focuses on strategies to capture the maximum possible quantity of rainwater to reduce runoff volume, prevent erosion and flooding, as well as recharge groundwater. These efforts will compliment Atlantic Beach’s resiliency efforts. Smart Water Systems encourages Atlantic Beach to improve operational efficiency, reduction in water losses, and monitoring of water flow within the city through the use of smart technologies such as smart meters. 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Meet or exceed NPDWR limits for 90 known contaminants and add status of water withdrawal areas in annual report •Reduce gross potable water consumption per capita by 40% including on lawns. •Make 100% of COAB waterways fishable and swimmable •Ensure COAB has sufficient water storage and mitigates inland flooding during extreme weather events. •No treated or non-point source pollution in ICW or ocean by 2030; Meet or exceed whichever is more stringent the CWA NPDES permit program or local/state equivalent for 100% of wastewater generated and the water quality parameter thresholds ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 3 -Good Health and Well-Being 6 -Clean Water and Sanitation 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 12 -Responsible Consumption and Production 13 -Climate Action 14 -Life Below Water 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Comprehensive Plan •Coastal VRA Water CURRENT STATUS Currently the per capita water use in Atlantic Beach is 77 gallons per day or 28,105 gallons a year. According to the St. Johns Water Management District 2021 Annual Report , the average for the region is 115 gallons/per person and from NEEF, it is 87 gallons per person on average for the whole state of Florida. Consumption has been going down for a few reasons including increased use of reclaimed water, conservation measures, population changes, economic factors, rainfall and more yet there is more work to be done. Residents still use between 40 -50% of there potable public water supply on their yards and could easily reduce indoor water use by 20-30 gallons per day through behavior and water saving fixtures. In terms of wastewater and stormwater, the City has made progress yet also has some more work to do to reach the goals set and/or federal and state deadlines. For instance, by 2030 the City will not be allowed to release any treated and/or non-treated water into the ICW and it still has some waterbodies that are impaired and/or not safe to fish or swim in. With quality, conservation, and usability goals for potable water and water in our environment, it is vital to continue to improve our measurement of success metrics, education of the community and improve our strategies and actions each year so we can maintain clean and affordable drinkable water and healthy waterways. PERFORMANCE METRICS Here are a few graphs and data points that share the water consumption picture of Atlantic Beach and its region. Water Source: COAB Arc score for LEED for Cities & Communities v4.1 certification Source: SJRWMD 2021 Annual Report PERFORMANCE METRICS Continued PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS To date, the city has implemented several actions to improve its water efficiency, quality and stormwater management. Highlighted efforts include: •Reclaimed Water –Any new development in or around AB is encouraged to use reclaimed water for landscape irrigation. The Atlantic Beach Country Club Golf Course is a good example of this effort. •Education –Through its website, the City posts water conservation and restrictions to inform its citizens about specific limitations and best practices. Water Source: SJRWMD 2021 Annual Report; COAB has a consumptive use permit from FL DEP and SJRWMD Water POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next best steps to achieving our water goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. Adopt a community wide specific water management plan to improve water efficiency and reductions by residential and commercial sectors Increase amount of reclaimed water access and use in AB Create and maintain a dynamic map of flooding incidences to which both staff and citizens can contribute Improve the operational efficiency of the water management systems through use of smart technology. Engage in restoring and maintaining critical water bodies and the buffer zones that protect those water bodies Improve use of landscape and rainwater harvesting tools to capture rainwater for filtration or reuse. Continue to provide and improve equitable access to healthy drinking water and sanitation services. Review best practices that meet multiple objectives regarding water runoff and on site retention , pervious and impervious surfaces, tree retention, beautification, etc. Green Building & Infrastructure OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT Buildings impact resource consumption, ecological systems, human health and well -being and generate about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions from a city. Hence, green building practices are an essential component of a city’s sustainability strategy and they are critical to minimizing environmental impacts and ensuring efficient use of environmental resources.Furthermore, since green building practices can enhance climate resiliency, these spaces will be better equipped to withstand the potential impacts of global climate change. This focus area encourages the design, construction, and retrofit of buildings, parks, open spaces and landscapes using green practices. In this way Atlantic Beach will conserve energy and water, minimize waste, and create healthy and resilient environments for businesses, residents and visitors. The implementation of green building practices will also keep utility and maintenance costs down, benefitting low-income residents and small businesses. Green infrastructure is also an integral component of a sustainable community. It can help communities protect the environment and human health while providing other social and economic benefits. In addition, green infrastructure and sustainable community approaches can help local governments that are struggling to pay for needed upgrades to stormwater and wastewater infrastructure. Benefits can include improved water quality, reduced municipal water use. • and flood risk mitigation; reduced ozone and pollution; increased recreation space and wildlife habitat; cost savings, increased property values, and jobs. 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Ensure 100% of new buildings meet green building and resiliency standards (GB&R).* •Ensure 100% of existing buildings are educated about GB&R standards and benefits and at least 50% actively striving to meet standards* •Reduce total electricity consumption by 20%* ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS •3 -Good Health and Well-Being •8 -Decent Work and Economic Growth •10 -Reduced Inequalities •11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities •12 -Responsible Consumption and Production •13 -Climate Action •17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Comprehensive Plan •Connectivity Plan •Parks Master Plan •Coastal VRA Green Building & Infrastructure CURRENT STATUS The community and City of Atlantic Beach has made progress on considering, encouraging and installing some large and small green infrastructure projects. Thanks to the Coastal Vulnerability Assessment and Resilience Adaptation Plan, AB is aware of its most low lying and vulnerable areas and critical facilities. This helps prioritize capital investment projects and the use of green infrastructure strategies where possible. Less is known about the status of holistic green building throughout AB. We learned through the LEED of Cities certification process that in terms of energy usage, the average annual kWh residential usage is 16,640 kWh which is almost 3,000 kWh more than the average Florida residential home. In terms of water usage, the average annual per capita is 28,226 gallons or 77.33 gallons per person per day. This is significantly better than the average SJRWMD annual per capita of 41,975 gallons or 115 gallons per person per day. Besides energy and water usage, we do not know much about the indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, resilience measures and/or how sustainable the residential site functions with trees, native plants, chemicals, etc. To our knowledge there is no 3 rd party certified green building in AB yet several have used ICF, SIPs, solar, and other measures. PERFORMANCE METRICS Green Building & Infrastructure 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 Sep-19 Oct-19 Nov-19 Dec-19 Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20 Apr-20 May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 COAB Public Buildings Energy Usage (kWh) Sep 2019 –Sep 2020 Public Works Building Jordan Park Community Center Gail Baker Community Center Adele Grage Community Center City Hall Public Safety Building Utilities Office Building Total Energy Usage (kwh) PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS This past year there was more focus given to asking about the energy performance of our municipal buildings and a direct request and assessment for how to make the Public Works building more energy efficient. How to make the Life Guard Station more environmentally friendly was also brought up a few times. Many small green infrastructure projects from pervious pavements, bioretention and bioswales to rain gardens, more trees and greener streets and parking lots have been implemented recently on residential, commercial and public property. Green Building & Infrastructure POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next best steps to achieving our green building and infrastructure goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. Incentivize smaller home sustainable and resilient construction and renovation and consider accessory dwelling units and/or mother in law suites as a legal alternative residential dwelling in the city if lot size and parking can accommodate Enact a municipal building performance disclosure program Adopt policy for all new construction undertaken by the city government to achieve a green building certification level with resiliency best practices. Incentivize and make it easy for all private sector buildings to obtain a level or higher green building certification, implement resilient best practices and measure annual performance. Consider requiring certification with resilient best practices for all buildings 5000 square feet and above. Pass PACE legislation Assess green infrastructure functionality Create a green infrastructure policy and incentives for both public and private sectors. Incentivize the use of pervious surfaces to reduce stormwater runoff Incentivize permeable and recycled concrete installation Pilot floating solar array in retention pond Keep the public appraised of city and homeowner insurance issues and availability Solid Waste OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT Cities are large aggregators and consumers of materials and nutrients, accounting for the highest natural resource consumption affecting the environment and human health. The intent behind this focus area is to eliminate waste from mainstream operations and utilize it as a resource. Cities with their high concentration of resources, capital, data and skills over a small geographic territory, provide opportunities to uniquely drive a transition from a linear to a circular economy This section addresses adequate waste management infrastructure by proper estimation of waste generation and diversion, prepare the city and community to transition from a linear to a circular economy, and cover strategies adopted to improve operational efficiency of the waste management system. The objectives/initiatives for this focus area include: •Waste Performance •Special Waste Streams Management •Responsible Sourcing for Infrastructure •Material Recovery •Smart Waste Management Systems 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Reduce MSW generated by 30% •Increase MSW diverted from landfill by 30% •Actively work at becoming a “zero waste” community reporting action items and lessons learned in annual report ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 3 -Good Health and Well-Being 9 -Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 12 -Responsible Consumption and Production 13 -Climate Action 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Parks Master Plan Solid Waste CURRENT STATUS According to 2020 data, AB’s waste diversion rate is approximately 26%. This means that through rethinking what we buy, reusing items, composting, and recycling, we are preventing 26% of our total waste generated from going to the landfill. The US national diversion rate is approximately 32.1% (2018 data). There are many strategies a community can take to improve its waste diversion (from landfill) rate including education, access to composting sites and ways to recycle non -mainstream items (e.g., electronics), and incentives/disincentives (e.g., recycling is free but trash has a fee by weight). PERFORMANCE METRICS Diversion rate is calculated with the following formula: Solid Waste PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS The City of Atlantic Beach was the only City in Duval County that had continuous, uninterrupted trash and recycling pick up during COVID. This was a big success during a time when service and the commodity market had significant challenges. The City passed a Styrofoam ban for all city activities and is also looking at reducing single use plastic. The City runs a successful beach litter basket program to reduce trash on the beach. There is also a lot of interest in composting and gardening which can directly reduce waste. Solid Waste POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next best steps to achieving our solid waste goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. •Build/renovate a green and resilient certified community composting, special waste recycling, community gardening and education center (crossover) •Increase number of public recycling and composting bins •Partner with local restaurants to improve food re-distribution and reduce food and solid waste •Achieve a solid waste recycling rate of 40% or greater •Develop or participate in a regional coalition that enhances the community’s ability to address waste management targets •Implement communitywide incentives and/or enforce regulations ensuring that residents and businesses are working toward community waste reductions targets •Operate at least 3 specific waste management programs for critical waste stream types found in the community, such as: organic waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, and construction and demolition waste •Host semi-annual collection site to collect difficult to recycle, hazardous, and electronic waste items •Offer community clean ups (after big events such as July 4, Memorial Day, etc) to build community alliance while helping our city environment. •Start a home composting recognition program to increase landfill diversion rate and community engagement. •Collect and re-use unused paint for local facade facelifts Transportation & Land Use OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT The transportation sector is responsible for a quarter of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. Land use is the key driver of mobility in a city, and rapid urbanization has disrupted land use patterns, resulting in urban sprawl and increased dependency on personal, motorized vehicles. This focus area encourages Atlantic Beach to adopt an integrated approach towards urban planning through mixed-use development, efficient transportation, better connectivity and engagement with stakeholders. The seven subcategories and strategies that ask Atlantic Beach to measure the total vehicle miles travelled by their addresses, addresses land use and encourages compact development and access to diverse uses which discourages urban sprawl and encourages people to walk or bike thereby improving public health. There is also a focus on use of different types of transportation modes available in a city and offers strategies for comfort and safety of commuters and addresses intermodal connectivity for easy access and transition from one mode of transport to another. Alternative Fuel Vehicles encourages a shift to alternative fuel vehicles by providing infrastructure such as charging stations for electric vehicles and through policies and incentives. Smart Mobility and Transportation Policy intends to promote efficiency in operation of transport systems, and behavior change, thereby reducing environmental impacts Finally, there is also an attempt to preserve and revive the urban fabric of a city by promoting engagement, community development and social and mental wellbeing as well as encourages preservation of historic structures and sites and focuses on growth and redevelopment for infill and other priority locations. 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Increase number of historic homes/buildings, number of lots that retain trees (not denuded due to construction), and renovate versus razing by 25% •Reduce total VMT and emissions from vehicles by 20% and achieve majority of trips made by foot, bike, carpooling, or transit. •Achieve and maintain a Gold ranking for the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community Score. •Eliminate pedestrian and bike fatalities. •Attain a “good” rating on the Air Quality Index (AQI) 365 days/year ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 3 -Good Health and Well-Being 8 -Decent Work and Economic Growth 9 -Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure 10 -Reduced Inequalities 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 13 -Climate Action 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Comprehensive Plan •Connectivity Plan •Parks Master Plan Transportation & Land Use CURRENT STATUS Most of AB’s transportation is for work and short trips for errands. The total vehicle miles traveled in 2020 was approximately 156,545 on 11 of our main roads which equates to about 11.12 VMT per person. There is a growth in golf carts, electric micro-mobility, and electric vehicles use and adoption. Traffic and idling patterns could be improved upon according to feedback in the CAP survey. For land use, there is a lot of redevelopment happening given that AB is a near fully -developed municipality where the predominant land use is residential consisting of stable and well -established neighborhoods. Lots are being overdeveloped to the full lot line allowed currently by zoning codes resulting in many projects choosing to remove trees that are benefiting neighbors and the community at large. PERFORMANCE METRICS Data taken from 2020 FDOT traffic data: https://tdaappsprod.dot.state.fl.us/fto/ Transportation & Land Use PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS The City has diligently been working on parking issues and keeping all forms of transportation safe. Added sidewalks through complete streets plan has helped increase pedestrian and bicycle opportunities. The City worked hard on its pervious impervious ratio ordinance. It increased the ability for each lot to percolate more storm and rain water but has had some unintended consequences as well such as more on street parking due to single car driveways to allow more house square footage and swales that may have replaced some trees Transportation & Land Use NEW STRATEGIES The following strategies were prioritized by the community and City staff as the next best steps to achieving our transportation and land use goals. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. •Transition City fleet vehicles to zero emission •Improve infrastructure and amenities for bikers and pedestrians and partner with community organizations to deliver bike and pedestrian safety education. •Improve transit connections to employment and activity centers from underserved areas and consider car-sharing programs to low-income residents using various tools. •Study the feasibility of a regional congestion fee for travel during peak hours. •Limit and/or discourage idling engines. •Install necessary infrastructure to support the use of EVs and alternative fuel vehicles consider solar for the EV chargers •Increase mass transit adoption and improve micro-mobility •Create a recognition program for historical buildings, trees, structures, and features to retain character of AB, it’s eclectic nature, and honoring history. •Demonstrate a measurable reduction in vulnerability and/or increase in resiliency to 3 Community wide risks (e.g., flooding, heat, tornados, hurricanes) and 1 at -risk population group (e.g., mobile home) •Assess tools to address overdevelopment of lots by looking at zoning codes and how considering the value of “communal” trees on private property that provide co -benefits to neighbors and the community at large. Governance, Community Outreach & Education OVERVIEW & HOW WE BENEFIT With good organizational excellence, governance, community outreach and education, and communications, a city can elevate achievement and success rates across multiple goals and objectives. With the City leading by example, committing to a transparent process, data and an annual review and progress update of this plan, as well as continuing to improve measurement and actively listening, learning, and engaging the community. The initiatives of this focus are include: •Good Governance & Oversight •Innovation •Community Engagement •Education •Leadership Commitments 2050 (or earlier) GOALS •Improve measurement, performance, and reporting year over year and share results in annual report for both city and community wide •Achieve and maintain best quality bond rating •Continue to grow COAB sustainability and resiliency leadership commitments (one per year/multi- year) •Achieve 90% engagement by COAB residents with this plan •Designate a CSRO/Office and add sustainability and resiliency to employee’s workplan and performance metrics (2025) •Uphold a process that ensures the civil and human rights of all people is fundamental ALIGNMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 11 -Sustainable Cities and Communities 16 –Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions 17 -Partnerships for the Goals CROSSOVER WITH OTHER ATLANTIC BEACH PLANS & EFFORTS •Comprehensive Plan •Parks Master Plan Governance, Community Outreach & Education CURRENT STATUS The current status of sustainability and resilience governance, community outreach and education is good yet, like with every city, there is room for improvement. From the Community Action Plan survey, we learned that the AB community wants more outreach and education about the topics in this plan. With residents busy and distracted by many sources of information, we must get creative and be persistent on how we engage and inspire behavior change. PERFORMANCE METRICS Below are a few results from the CAP survey that conclude that citizens for the most part trust the City to listen, they don’t know much about what the city is doing in terms of resiliency planning or sustainability, many want to be involved more and offered their email, and many (73% of respondents) take some sort of environmentally friendly action in the home or individually. Governance, Community Outreach & Education PERFORMANCE METRICS Continued Governance, Community Outreach & Education PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS The City and ESC’s Outreach Committee has been hard at work educating and engaging the community through programs like the beach litter basket and tree trimmer verified program to “Call Before you Cut” and welcome packet initiatives. Both are also very active on social media pushing out educational information that is useful to residents. POTENTIAL STRATEGIES The following strategies are suggestions from the community through a survey and the City of Atlantic Beach’s Environmental Stewardship Committee of what the City and community could focus on as potential next best steps to achieving our governance, community outreach and education goals. Outreach and education, measurement of progress, and setting short term and medium term milestones for this focus area will be performed every year. To see the full list of actions proposed, see Appendix XXX. •Review and report out on status and progress of CAP annually •Improve measurement, performance and tracking of each focus area’s metrics annually •Set short and medium term milestone targets for each focus area to show progress toward long term goals •Grow number of people interested and engaged in making AB more sustainable and resilient through partnerships, high touch and high tech outreach tactics, identifying local and regional like - minded assets, inviting participation by Subject Matter Experts, attracting volunteers, and starting an AB Sustainability & Resiliency Steward and Ambassador program •Learn and implement best practices and innovations from other local governments, private sector, nonprofits, and academia •Demonstrate cohesive and socially connected community by achieving diversity in selection and appointment to citizen committees and boards (e.g., represent the makeup of the population) •Continue to commit to leadership commitments aligned to plan (e.g., Monarch Butterfly Pledge; Ban on Glycophosphate; Under 2 Degrees MOU) •Achieve a Best Quality or High Quality bond rating with 1 or more of the 3 major rating agencies •Start a recognition program that recognizes positive behavior through yard signs and annual awards program (e.g., green certified business/home, NWF certified yard; saved a tree, highest diverter, etc.) •Create a centralized virtual space and physical local sustainability / composting / recycling / gardening center with educational programming so residents and businesses know where to go to learn about and engage in sustainability and resiliency efforts. Through this space, center, staff and ESC, create an education and outreach campaign to engage residents and businesses in sustainability, resiliency and climate change related impacts that include each focus area. Topics should include but are not limited to: •Care, protection and maintenance of trees and tree canopy •Energy, transportation, waste and water efficiency programs •Sea level rise vulnerability,resiliency,adaptation, and mitigation •Extreme weather events •Chronic stressors that affect resiliency of the community •Changes in the ecological distribution of flora and fauna Governance, Community Outreach & Education APPENDIX •Glossary of terms •Sustainable Development Goals Alignment •Focus Area Goals, Indicators and Baselines •Sources & Resources •List of proposed action items •Community survey results