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Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee
PPI Committee Overview
The Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee is tasked with identifying communication projects that reduce flood risk and increase flood awareness. The Committee works together to create the PPI Plan and yearly updates. This not only shows activities conducted for flood awareness but also demonstrates the impact that outreach projects have on the community. The annual report allows the Committee to keep track of the plan’s outcomes, celebrate achievements, identify areas of improvement and continue planning for the future.
In 2017, the City of Miami Beach completed the Program for Public Information (PPI), referred to as the Resiliency Communications Plan at the time, through FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS). Since then, the Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee has met to monitor and evaluate the status of projects and outcomes. City staff conducted outreach projects and other CRS activities, collected data on implementation and measures. In 2022, the Committee created a new, five-year Program for Public Information.
PPI Committee 2022
The Program for Public Information (PPI) Committee, made up of private and public stakeholders, guides the Program for Public Information (PPI).
| Name | Title |
| Melissa Berthier | Communications Director, City of Miami Beach |
| John J. Lee | Vice President, First Service Financial |
| Scott Diffenderfer | Broker Associate President, Belle Isle Residents Association |
| Carlos Gutierrez | Broker Associate, Coldwell Banker 2016 President Miami Association of Realtors |
| Mohsen Jarahpour | Floodplain Manager, City of Miami Beach |
| Alex Carrasco | Vice President/Private Banking Relationship Manager |
PPI Plan
The Program for Public Information Plan was developed in 2017 to help reduce flood risk and the cost of national flood insurance premiums for residents and businesses. The plan is updated every year to highlight the progress made toward desired outcomes, review project implementation status and propose recommendations for improvement. In 2022, the Committee created a new, five-year Program for Public Information.
The plan and annual report are part of the Community Rating System (CRS) requirements, a voluntary program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allowing communities to earn flood insurance discounts.
Miami Beach pursued an aggressive goal to improve its CRS ranking from a Class 6 to a Class 5 and was officially awarded the new score in 2019. In 2022, the City received formal notice that its Class 5 rating was officially recertified. With this score, the City continues to receive a 25% discount which totals $8.6 million in savings annually. This helps offset increasing federal rates.