Roman Gastesi presents from his office desk in Key Largo at Tuesday’s 2020 Climate Leadership Summit. He discussed lessons learned across county lines with Miami-Dade Deputy County Mayor Jack Osterholt.

MONROE COUNTY’S GASTESI AND HAAG PRESENT VIRTUALLY AT ANNUAL CLIMATE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi and Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag presented at Tuesday’s 12th Annual Southeast Florida Regional Compact Climate Leadership Summit that was held virtually this year due to COVID-19. The summit is an annual event focused on facilitating climate-related collaboration.

Gastesi spoke with Miami-Dade Deputy County Mayor Jack Osterholt during the “Voices of Leadership: Partnerships and Lessons Learned in Preparing for and Managing Cross-Boundary Risks.” While Miami-Dade and Monroe counties are vastly different in size and population, the counties’ cross-boundary systems – including transportation, water supply, and shared economies – and shared risks, from hurricanes to intensifying flooding, means that partnership is foundational to unearthing the solutions required. The two discussed what they have learned from working across boundaries to build long-term preparedness and resilience, including the challenges and need for partnerships.

The internationally recognized Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact was created in 2010 by Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties to coordinate and collaborate on climate change action across county lines and is a leading example of regional-scale climate action.

Haag provided an update on the countywide roads adaptation study, how the rating of the vulnerability of roads is anticipated to occur, engagement of stakeholders and residents, and what’s next in the “Rising Seas, Raising Roads” segment.

“Monroe County continues to be committed to ensuring resilience efforts and remaining in the forefront and ahead of the cumulative effects of climate change,” said Haag.

For the past 10 years, Monroe County has been preparing for the implementation of resilience plans and modeling to schedule road adaptations, funding, levels of service, among other things. The roads analysis will be completed in 2021 for the 314.06 miles of county-owned roads. More information on the roads analysis can be found at www.keysroadsplan.com and today’s presentation can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/sustainability. To learn more about the compact, visit www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org.

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