HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Back-up DocumentCITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO:
FR
Arthur Noriega V
ity Ma..ger
rdo Ed Santamaria, PE, CGC, LEED AP
ilding Director
DATE: December 1, 2025 FILE: 2025_1001
SUBJECT: Update on SAVES Program Framework
REFERENCES: R-25-0347
ENCLOSURES:
On September 11, 2025, the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 25-0347, which established
a pilot program incentivizing residential storm -proofing and future -proofing upgrades by
reducing permit fees up to 50% for qualifying improvements, providing expedited permit review
for qualifying applications, and developing public outreach materials to inform residents of the
program and eligible improvements. This resolution also directed the City Manager to report
back to the City Commission within 90 days of adoption with a framework for implementation,
estimated costs, and proposed metrics for evaluating program effectiveness.
Proposed Framework
Upon adoption of the SAVES pilot program, the Building department immediately began to
collect the business requirements to develop a system enhancement for the program's
implementation. The parameters for the applicability of the program were set to include single-
family homesteaded non-commercial residential properties applying for remodeling and stand-
alone permits related to the following types of upgrades:
• Impact -resistant windows
• Reinforced roofs
• Flood protection measures
• Solar panels
• Energy -efficient HVAC systems and appliances
• Upgraded insulation
• Low -flow toilets and water -saving fixtures
• Smart thermostats
• Other sustainable and resilient improvement
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Applicants submitting permit applications for said improvements would be eligible to receive a
50% reduction on their building permit fees. It is important to note that the reduction is not off
the total invoice due to charges tied to other jurisdictions, such as Miami -Dade County and the
State of Florida. It is expected that the business requirements will be completed within two
weeks for deployment in January 2026.
In addition to the system enhancement process, the Building department is collaborating with
other City departments, such as the Office of Resiliency and Sustainability and Communications
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Update on SAVES Program Framework
December 1, 2025
to support the research activities and development of an appropriate communications plan for
the marketing of this program.
As part of the communications plan, the Office of Communications produced a video that was
posted on the City's social media platforms and added to the Channel 77 programming loop,
informing residents that the program was approved by the City of Miami Commission and that a
launch date would be announced soon. This is a first step in the development of more
comprehensive marketing and educational materials for the public. These materials will consist
of web updates, social media marketing, and informational videos. We will also work with staff
from the Building department's Homeowner's Assistance section to promote the program.
Estimated Costs
Projected costs tied to the implementation of the SAVES program, would be absorbed by the
Building department through current resources available to develop and code the business
requirements and the marketing and educational materials. The system enhancement is limited
to an update to iBuild, which is a City managed system that would not require intervention from
an outside vendor.
To gauge potential fiscal impact, we generated a report on Remodeling and Stand-alone permits
on Single family residential permits for roofs, windows, solar panels and various electrical and
plumbing components. The figure below illustrates the potential fiscal impact based on a three-
year report for the period covering fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Fiscal Year
No. of Permits
Total Building Permit Fee
Average Savings under SAVE
Average Building Permit Fee
2025
2,474
$
299,654.50
$
149,827.25
$
169.98
2024
2,804
$
336,018.50
$
168,009.25
$
138.16
2023
2,857
$
349,514.50
$
174,757.25
$
140.04
Fiscal Impact
$
492,593.75
Evaluation Metrics
As part of the business requirements development process, we are developing the reporting
mechanism to determine the effectiveness of the program. We will report on permitting trends
tied to the pre-set work items under the SAVES program. Other data points that will be collected
will be the value of construction, geographical location of the improvements and timeframes for
permit issuance. As we monitor the program throughout the pilot we may identify other points
to report on for the program's one year review.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this initiative, please do not hesif4te to
contact me.
C: Natasha Colebrook -Williams, Deputy City Manager
Asael Ace Marrero, Assistant City Manager / Chief of Infrastructure
George K. Wysong III, City Attorney
Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk