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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-17-16 IR LAGOON COALITION AgendaINDIAN RIVER COUNTY LAGOON COALITION AGENDA WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016 — 2 PM SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS SEBASTIAN CITY HALL 1225 MAIN STREET SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Approve April 6, 2016 IRC Lagoon Coalition Minutes B. Chairman Update C. Annual Funding Contribution 5. PUBLIC COMMENT 6, MEMBERS' MATTERS 7. ADJOURN ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL ANY DECISION MADE WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER CONSIDERED AT THIS MEETING WILL NEED A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE HEARD. (F.S.286.0105) IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA), ANYONE WHO NEEDS A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION FOR THIS MEETING SHOULD CONTACT THE CITY'S ADA COORDINATOR AT 589-5330 AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THIS MEETING. INDIAN RIVER COUNTY LAGOON COALITION MINUTES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 — 2 PM SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS SEBASTIAN CITY HALL 1226 MAIN STREET SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Chairman Gillmor called the Indian River Lagoon Coalition meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. ROLL CALL Present: Richard Gilmor, Chairman, Council Member Sebastian Richard Winger, Council Member Vero Beach Joel Tyson, Mayor Fellsmere Jason Newmaker, City Manager for City of Fellsmere Monte Falls, Director of Public Works for City of Vero Beach Robert Ginsburg, City Attorney for Sebastian Also Present: Jeanette Williams, City Clerk for Sebastian Cathy Testa, Records Clerk for Sebastian 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Approve January 19, 2016 IRC Lagoon Coalition Minutes MOTION by Mr. Winger and SECOND by Mr. Tyson to approve the January 19, 2016 minutes passed with a unanimous voice vote. B. Presentation by Amelia Fontaine. Collective Water— Indian River Lagoon Stormwater Capture and Treatment — Project Development and Feasibility Study Ms. Fontaine said the project is looking at large scaled diversions for stormwater treatment along all of the 5 Lagoon counties and because the Coalition is under the Council she has been asked to speak to the Council about this feasibility study. Ms. Fontaine is an engineer with Collective Water. Collective Water does water resources and stormwater work across the Treasure Coast and south Florida. The goal of this project is to bring large scale projects such as the stormwater treatment and projects that have been done in the South Florida area and bring them together and take them to legislators early next year. The project will study the benefits of the Lagoon itself as well as the salinity, the fresh water balance, and removing nutrients & sediments. Chairman Gillmor asked if Collective Water checked with individual projects such as the Indian River Farms or the Sebastian River Area Improvement District to get their historical data on the outfalls. Ms. Fontaine assured him they will obtain a copy of those reports. The information collected during the discovery phase will be included in the Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan of the Lagoon. Mr. Tyson asked when Collective Water started taking samples. Ms. Fontaine responded that they are only looking at existing data, not collecting any samples or doing any field work as part of this project. They are collecting geographic information data available through cities, counties and other agencies such as the Water Management District. Jones Edmonds is the primary consultant on this project. The project was initially contracted through the St Johns Water Management District. Jones Edmonds is looking at Brevard and Volusia Counties. Collective Water is looking at Indian River County. South Florida Engineer and Consultants are looking at Martin and St Lucie Counties. Mr. Winger asked what happens next, when and what should be expected and what the time frame is. Ms. Fontaine said by May 2nd Collective Water will have completed and delivered the initial report to the Indian River Lagoon Council NEP. There is also a second phase in May and June where they will take the initial results of the discovery phase and decide which projects will be approved based on the benefits. Mr. Winger asked if these projects would be financed by the appropriations from the legislature in the future. Ms. Fontaine responded that there has not been funding set aside for these projects. For this study the funding source is primarily from the NEP and the Water Management Districts. The entire funding for this project is $350K. Ms. Fontaine distributed her card, and said she welcomed any project summaries or smaller projects that are being worked on in Sebastian and she will include them in the Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan report. Mr. Winger suggested that everyone should read the book "The Swamp". The book traces the history of Florida's drainage and goes through each of the actions that were taken with the canals, who it was sponsored by and who approved it in Tallahassee. C. Recao of March 15, 2016 Indian River Lagoon Council Meeting Held in Sebastian by Council Member Gillmor On Friday the Council will have next meeting in Deland. The difficulty the Council is having with SFWMD is they have put some financial pressure on Council to make sure their contribution goes toward projects. It has been a majority of the board's wishes that most of the money that is collected is turned back into grants. The EPA held their money last year; instead of giving their money to Council they put their money towards this study. SFWMD did the same thing, they were supposed to put money into the Council by October and have yet put the money in. The Director Mr. DeFreese, and Mr. Sakuma have a done a phenomenal job juggling money and making sure the money goes toward projects. A preliminary budget has been put together and 74% is going to projects. The projects that are scheduled to be funded, based on voting, are Vero Beach getting fully funded, Sebastian will receive $100K for septic and sewer. $50K was put in and the city will get double in return. That is a great return on our money. Chairman Gilmor read an ad published in yesterday's Florida Today paper, (see attached) Chairman Gillmor maintains that the problems we are having with the Lagoon are a generational thing, we must get everyone on same page, and there is no magic bullet. Mr. Winger expressed he hears the excuse that not knowing precisely what percent septic tanks cause or what effect the northern relief canal has and the fact that we don't know what effect cleaning up the surface water coming out of McCanish is, makes it an excuse to do nothing. It's very frustrating. Mr. Tyson remembered a storm system that hit 15 years ago and everything was flooding. Fellsmere opened the C54 canal and have not had any problems since. He also remembers 40 years ago there was talk about putting pumps at Stick Marsh and pumping into St. John but there is no need for that today. PUBLIC COMMENT Bob Stephens says his background is in the automotive industry as a service manager, dealer principle and car mechanic. He has seen similar problems in the automotive industry where engineers couldn't figure out a problem and they would dump the problem on the service department saying it was a field problem. The best techs would get together and start doing a project management system with flow charts. Sounds like that's what is happening here the Scientists are studying, but something needs to be done today. We can start with simple things like stop putting poison into the Lagoon by stopping applied aquatic from spraying. Talking to local retailers and stop the sale of fertilizer. Start digging ditches to get ready for the septic systems. Send someone to go to lobby big business to help us. Honda is ready to help with the carbon issue in the lagoon. We need to start checking the carbon in the water and in the air. 6. MEMBERS' MATTERS Being no further business, Chairman Gillmor adjourned the Indian River Lagoon Coalition meeting at 2:50 p.m.