Accomplishments
Sustainability Initiatives
Below are a number of initiatives and actions that Palmetto Bay has already taken to solidify our record as an environmentally conscious community and to ensure that our environment continues to be protected for years to come.
Creating a Tree Advisory Board
The purpose of the Tree Advisory Board is to promote the general welfare of the village and to encourage the preservation of green space and the environment . The tree board would assists the village in developing an urban or community forestry program, and ultimately, an annual, systematic management of the village's tree resources, including, tree planting, maintenance and removal program for trees on streets, parks and other public places.
Members serve for two-year term on a voluntary basis. Each advisory board member must be knowledgeable in at least one of the identified fields of: urban planning; landscape architecture; or be a tree-related professional such as a forestry professor, nursery operator, arborist, or other environmental civic activist. To ensure a balanced and diverse advisory board it is recommended that at least two of the board members be a tree-related professional or show substantial participation in horticultural activities, and one be a civic leader in the community.
To learn more about the Tree Advisory Board, please visit the board's webpage. If a vacancy exists on the board and you or anyone you know is interested in serving on the board, please contact our Village Clerk.
Operating a Commuter Bus Service (I-Bus)
In 2006, the Village of Palmetto Bay launched a much-needed intra-Village bus service in full compliance with Miami-Dade County policy, as directed by the staff of the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) and the County Attorney's Office. The service was designed to increase the number of destinations that can be reached via fixed public routes throughout Palmetto Bay and surrounding areas, as well as to connect with Miami-Dade Transit routes and the very popular busway.
For more information, please visit the I-Bus Commuter page.
Creating the Resilience Committee
The purpose of the Resiliency Committee is to identify, study, and recommend policies and programs that strengthen the Village’s sustainability and resiliency, and to develop a committee report that identifies short-term, medium-term, and long-term projects that will make the Village a more sustainable and resilient municipality, prioritizing natural and/or structural improvements within the Village.
The committee is to address matters such as sea level rise, drinking water, canals, stormwater, coastal ecology, architecture mitigation, septic to sewer, flood mitigation, natural habitats, and the preservation of Biscayne Bay.
The Resiliency Committee was established by Ordinance 2022-05, which was adopted on May 2, 2022.
For more information, visit our webpage about the Resiliency Committee HERE.
Organizing Community Recycling Drives
Drop off your old electronics, dispose of your household hazardous waste such as paint, batteries, and light bulbs, shred your sensitive documents, and donate gently used clothing to benefit Club Fellowship, a local nonprofit at Palmetto Bay’s Bi-Annual Recycling Drive-Thru Event!
This event is held twice a year and free of charge to all Palmetto Bay residents.
For more information, visit our Recycling Drive-Thru webpage.
Participating in the Community Rating System
The Village of Palmetto Bay has been an active participant of the CRS since 2017 entering the program as a Class 8 community, rewarding residents with a 10% premium discount on their flood insurance. The Village is currently rated as a Class 7, which rewards policy holders with a 15% reduction in their flood insurance premiums within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Non-SFHA policies (Standard X Zone policies) receive a ten percent (10%) discount, and preferred risk policies receive a five percent (5%) discount.
For more information on the Village’s efforts to continue reducing our CRS Rank, visit our Community Rating System webpage.
Participating in the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Certification
The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) is a nonprofit Florida corporation dedicated to improving the built environment. Their mission is “to provide a statewide green building program that defines, promotes, and encourages sustainable efforts with environmental and economic benefits.”
The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) is dedicated to improving Florida’s built environment through verified green certification standards for homes, land developments, commercial buildings, high rises, and city and county governments.
Standards that take a scientific approach and are developed with state-specific criteria. They address Florida’s hot-humid environment, distinctive topography, unique geology, resiliency, and natural disasters.
In 2018, the Village was certified Bronze in the FGBC program. Currently, Village Staff is working hard to upgrade our status within the FGBC system. For more information about the FGBC program, visit their website.