HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-07-0202City of Miami
Legislation
Resolution: R-07-0202
City Hall
3500 Pan American
Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 07-00497 Final Action Date: 4/12/2007
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING THE PRESIDENT
AND THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT
INCREASED INVESTMENTS IN WEATHERIZATION TO BENEFIT THE NATION'S
COMMUNITIES, AS STATED HEREIN; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO
TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE OFFICIALS DESIGNATED
HEREIN.
WHEREAS, during the past five (5) years, the City of Miami ("City") has launched a
comprehensive and aggressive environmental program to clean our streets, our waterways, brown
fields, and storm drains, and to improve our air and water quality, thus erasing decades of
environmental neglect; and
WHEREAS, in furtherance of this environmental program, Mayor Manuel A. Diaz ("Mayor") was
one of the first United States Mayors to sign the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement (the
"Agreement") committing cities to take actions to reduce global warming pollution by striving to meet
or to exceed Kyoto Protocol targets; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor's commitment to join other mayors throughout the country (today 400
mayors representing over 58 million people have signed the Agreement) brought the issue of
environmental policy to the forefront of South Florida priorities; and,
WHEREAS, during the Mayor's 2006 State of the City Address, core steps for environmental
policy were etched out, increasing the level of focus on innovation, and developing a strong
foundation for environmentalism; and
WHEREAS, the cost of energy to heat and to cool homes, businesses, and municipal buildings in
the City has been rising in recent years to unprecedented levels; and
WHEREAS, the rising costs of heating and cooling homes, businesses, and municipal buildings in
the City has a direct and substantial impact on the financial well-being of families and business; and
WHEREAS, these high energy prices amount to a substantial drain on the economy of the City;
and
WHEREAS, there are many factors that drive the cost of energy, most of which are outside the
control of families, businesses and local governments, but one important factor, ensuring that homes
and buildings are properly weatherized, generally can be controlled; and
WHEREAS, there are many simple and cost-effective weatherization measures that can help
reduce the amount of energy used and therefore help lower energy bills; and
WHEREAS, federal resources to assist with weatherization have been declining in recent years,
City of Miami
Page 1 of 2 File Id: 07-00497 (Version: 2) Printed On: 3/27/2017
File Number: 07-00497 Enactment Number: R-07-0202
even in the face of rising energy costs; and
WHEREAS, the City is well -positioned to assist families, businesses and its municipal budgets by
educating its residents on weatherization measures and aggressively promoting weatherization
through local programs; and
WHEREAS, the City recognizes the importance of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program ("LIHEAP") as an important federal resource to assist qualified individuals and families with
paying energy bills, but also recognizes that weatherization efforts are critical because LIHEAP
generally does not provide sufficient funding to meet the demand for the program; and
WHEREAS, LIHEAP serves only one small segment of the population, and LIHEAP does nothing
to assist energy consumers with lowering their actual energy bills;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by
reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The Miami City Commission urges the President and the members of the United States
Congress to substantially increase the amount of federal resources to assist families, businesses and
local governments with weatherization efforts, without jeopardizing LIHEAP.
Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to the President, the
Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and all the members of the
United States Congress.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and signature of
the Mayor.{1}
Footnotes:
{1} If the Mayor does not sign this Resolution, it shall become effective at the end of ten calendar
days from the date it was passed and adopted. If the Mayor vetoes this Resolution, it shall become
effective immediately upon override of the veto by the City Commission
City of Miami Page 2 of 2 File Id: 07-00497 (Version: 2) Printed On: 3/27/2017