The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) says it has presented South Miami with Silver level certification for being a “Florida Green” city.
“The FGBC Green Local Government program is truly unique within the country,” FGBC executive director C.J. Davila said in a statement. “It creates an environment of communication and coordination amongst different departments. This collaboration streamlines processes, decreases redundancies, and generates new approaches toward sustainability and resource preservation.”
The City of South Miami, with a population of almost 13,000, achieved 31 percent of its 304 applicable points, earning them Silver-level designation.
South Miami is the first city in Florida to require owners of new homes to install solar panels by city ordinance. This is the first certification for South Miami. Jennifer Languell was the FGBC evaluator.
The green certification program scores the city in terms of categories. These categories include: Energy efficiency, Water, Economic Development, Tourism, Emergency Management, Planning and Zoning and many more. In each category there are points that can be achieved.
Some highlights from the City of South Miami include:
- Pace Program for Solar Financing
- Solar Photovoltaic Ordinance
- Single Use Plastic Restrictions
- Sustainable Mosquito-Control Strategies
- Offers Incentives for Green Redevelopment
“The designation demonstrates exemplary leadership by mayor Philip Stoddard, vice-mayor Walter Harris, commissioners Luis Gill, Josh Liebman, Robert Welsh and city manager Steve Alexander who provided the framework and support to move forward with the certification,” Davila said.
FGBC says to date 78 local governments have participated in the program.