MIAMI BEACH: YOU’RE GETTING IT RIGHT
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Every once in a while, the government deserves a congratulations. This is one of those times.
The City of Miami Beach deserves credit for taking water quality and stormwater seriously. In Miami-Dade County, that is not a small thing. We live surrounded by water, and Biscayne Bay is our backyard, our economy and a huge part of our quality of life.
THE REPORT CARD IS IN
Now somebody is putting our municipalities under the microscope. Miami Waterkeeper, Everglades Law Center, P.E.E.R. Group and the University of Miami Environmental Justice Clinic put 34 municipal permittees under review for the latest Stormwater Report Card.
The results were all over the map. Fourteen municipalities received Excellent or Good ratings. Twelve were Moderate. Eight were Low or Poor. The countywide average was 76.5 percent, a C. The City of Miami scored 91 percent, an A-.
MONEY MATTERS
But here is the number that really caught my attention. Money matters. The report found that municipalities with larger stormwater budgets generally performed better. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Pumps need maintenance. Pipes need inspections. Pollution-control systems need attention. You want better results? You have to invest. And you have to make sure taxpayers are getting something for that investment.
The report also found some troubling trends. Pump inspections dropped from 94.1 percent to 78.9 percent. Pollution-control box inspections fell from 53.3 percent to 41.2 percent. Pipe and culvert inspections also declined. That should get somebody’s attention. We cannot wait until the water is in the streets to discover the stormwater system isn’t working.
MIAMI BEACH KNOWS WHAT’S AT STAKE
And that brings us back to Miami Beach. The city doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring stormwater. It is surrounded by water, and its residents, businesses and visitors depend on infrastructure that can move stormwater while protecting Biscayne Bay from pollution.
Miami Beach has continued investing in stormwater improvements and water-quality monitoring. That deserves recognition. It is not glamorous work. Nobody gets a parade for inspecting a pipe or maintaining a pump. But that is the work that protects a community before there is a crisis.
ACCOUNTABILITY WORKS BOTH WAYS
We spend plenty of time criticizing government when it wastes money or fails taxpayers. We should also recognize government when it gets something right. Credit also goes to the organizations behind this report. They are independently measuring government performance and putting the results in front of the public. That is accountability. And taxpayers need more of it.
The goal isn’t to get a good grade on a report card. The goal is clean water. The goal is a healthier Biscayne Bay. The goal is a stormwater system that works before, during and after the next big storm.
NOW RAISE THE BAR
So today, no criticism. Just congratulations, Miami Beach. Keep investing. Keep inspecting. Keep improving. And to the rest of Miami-Dade, take a good look at your grade. If you’re doing well, do better. If you’re getting a C, don’t accept it.
Miami Beach deserves the applause. Now let’s see if the rest of Miami-Dade can raise its game.
