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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-03-2018 NRB Agenda NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD AGENDA REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018 - 6:00 P.M. 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FL “To improve the quality of life in Sebastian by nurturing the balanced relationship between our citizens and our environment by protecting, preserving and promoting our natural resources” 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – ACTION ITEM FEBRUARY 6, 2018 Meeting Minutes 5. ANNOUNCEMENTS a. Jason Van Hoffman, New NRB Board Member b. Open Positions on the NRB 6. PUBLIC INPUT 7. NEW BUSINESS 8. OLD BUSINESS Item A. Earth Day/Arbor Day Celebration 2018 Call for volunteers and suggestions for activities, supplies and estimated cost. Item B. Role of Natural Resources Board i. Community Oyster Garden Project at Working Waterfront Update Given by Kim Jones ii. Guest Speaker Schedule MAY 1, 2018: Stephanie Fonvielle, Recycling Education and Marketing Coordinator for the Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District 8. MEMBER MATTERS 9. ITEMS FOR NEXT AGENDA: a. Native Landscaping Ordinance Discussion b. Sustainable Business Initiative 10. ADJOURNMENT ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL ANY DECISION MADE ON THE ABOVE MATTERS, 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 APPEAL IS TO BE HEARD. SAID APPEAL MUST BE FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WITHIN TEN DAYS OF THE DATE OF ACTION. (286.0105 F.S). IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA), ANYONE WHO NEEDS SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THIS MEETING SHOULD CONTACT THE CITY'S ADA COORDINATOR AT (407)-589-5330 AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS MEETING. TWO OR MORE ELECTED OFFICIALS MAY BE IN ATTENDANCE. NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD AGENDA TRANSMITTAL FORM Council Meeting Date: April 3, 2018 Agenda Item Title: 4. February 6, 2018 Meeting Minutes Recommendation: Submitted for Board Member Approval Background: If Agenda Item Requires Expenditure of Funds: Total Cost: n/a Attachments: 1. Natural Resource Board, Minutes of Regular Meeting, February 6, 2018 City Manager Authorization: ________________________________ Date: _________________ CITY OF SEBASTIAN NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 6, 2018 1. Mr. Gordian called the Natural Resources Board Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all. 3. Roll Call: Present: Rose Glaser Gilbert Gordian, Jr. Nicole Mosblech Brian O'Neill Members Not Present: Charles Stadelman Also Present: Margarita Hernandez, Parks Administrator Kimberly Jones, Environmental Technician Janet Graham, Technical Writer 4. Approval of Minutes: -- December 5, 2017 Meeting Minutes A motion to approve the December 5, 2017 Minutes as presented was made by Ms. Mosblech, seconded by Mr. O'Neill and passed unanimously by voice vote. 5. Announcements: Ms. Hernandez introduced Kimberly Jones, Environmental Technician, whose educational background is Environmental Management. She will be the liaison for this Board. Mr. Gordian inquired if she will have an email address, and Ms. Hernandez stated Ms. Jones had emailed the Board an agenda packet, so the Board should have her email address. Ms. Hernandez stated Ms. Frazier is in Tallahassee meeting with the DEP. Ms. Frazier will update the Board at the next meeting. Natural Resources Board Page 2 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 Mr. Gordian addressed the subject of open positions on the Board. Ms. Hernandez stated there are three open positions: one regular Board position and two alternates. 6. Public Input: Missy Weiss, Sebastian, FL. She stated she is the owner and educator for SEA A Difference Environmental Services based out of Indian River County. She is a resident of Sebastian. In December 2017 their organization conducted a 12 -day litter removal challenge, which encouraged residents to visit 12 different beaches in Sebastian and Vero Beach to collect litter. For the 12-day period, they collected almost 100 straws, 32 shoes, 85 pieces of plastic cutlery, 399 plastic bottle caps, 2,700 pieces of Styrofoam, 68 pounds of plastic and much more. What was most noticeable was the amount of plastic collected. She stated that plastics do not degrade. They are broken down into micro plastics over time and enter our waterways and into the bodies of animals. One of the locations that was most worrisome with the amount of litter collected was along the Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian just adjacent to Mulligan's Resta urant. The debris collected included plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plastic bottle caps, and a 5 -gallon bucket full of plastic bags in an area less than 200 square feet in 45 minutes and just two volunteers. She then put photographs on the screen showing all the debris that was collected over 12 days. SEA A Difference would like to initiate the recruitment of local students and concerned citizens to form a Sebastian Sustainability Taskforce. The taskforce would help local businesses and restaurants transition to a more eco-friendly approach and develop a plan to integrate sustainable and environmentally friendly processes into t heir businesses. These processes could include replacing plastic cutlery with reusable silverware or biodegradable options, composting, basic recycling, going straw free or offering straws instead of providing them, limiting waste by purchasing conscientiously and with environmental ethics. Satellite Beach is currently moving in this direction and is hosting a summit tomorrow night. Sebastian would be the first in Indian River County. She believes that, in order for this effort to be successful in Sebastian, it will take the support of the Natural Resources Board and the City of Sebastian . Ms. Glaser requested information on the summit. Ms. Weiss stated she would email Ms. Glaser with the information. Mr. Gordian stated that the City has supported the Lagoon Preserve group to do island cleanup three to four times a year. Natural Resources Board Page 3 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 Mr. O'Neill inquired whether the SEA A Difference organization is set up to do this type of thing. Ms. Weiss answered yes. SEA stands for Stewardship, Education and Action, so it's an environmental organization. It is a new business that is looking to become a non-profit. Mr. O'Neill stated the lack of recycling that is being done was talked about at the Board's last meeting. Ms. Mosblech stated she understood that if the city is less than 100,000 people, the city can enact a local city ban on plastic bags. She has looked into the subject since the last Board meeting, and there are communities that are moving toward a kind of rating system where they encourage businesses to opt into this program and there would be a certification, and they could reach different levels depending on what processes they do such as eliminating straws, etc. She stated this may be something that can be collaborated along with private citizens to create a taskforce where we can make Sebastian sustainable. Ms. Hernandez suggested getting board members that are necessary to complete the Board. Then, if it's something that the Board would be interested in, with enough collaboration it is something that is ultimately going to benefit the City and the County. Mr. O'Neill inquired if the Board decides to pursue a plastic straw ban, is this something that the Board presents to City Council as a recommendation. Ms. Hernandez stated yes, it would be something that would need approval by City Council. Mr. Gordian suggested that going forward some of Ms. Weiss's images could be downloaded to the Board's website. Mr. O'Neill suggested that dates for cleanups be posted, and Ms. Glaser stated that the Board already has Ms. Weiss's email on the Earth Day vendor list. Mr. Graham Cox, 1213 George Street, Sebastian FL. He attended a meeting of the Indian River Neighborhood Association Lagoon Committee, and a large part of the afternoon was spent in discussing the subject of plastic. On Thursday and Friday of this week there is a meeting at Harbor Branch about the research that people are doing at the Lagoon. One item he wants to discuss is regarding a conference that Audubon had on native plants and transforming landscapes with a sustainable future. Laura Moss of Vero Beach has come to the Pelican Island Audubon Society and stated that they are willing Natural Resources Board Page 4 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 to discuss updating their ordinances dealing with landscaping, and he doesn't want Sebastian to get left behind in this endeavor, to convert turf into landscapes that are made up of native plant species. They have also heard from a law school that has looked at landscaping codes and come up with a model ordinance. Mr. Cox would like their group to be able to work with Vero Beach and Sebastian to look at the development landscape ordinances to find out how lawns can be replaced with something that is sustainable and provide a more natural landscape that doesn't require the amount of water, doesn't generate the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen, etc. He would like to bring these ideas to Council in due course. He then raised the issue of spraying herbicides along the canals. His group has studied this subject, and there are at least 60 approved methods in the State for controlling invasive plants along our waterways. The one used in Sebastian is monthly spraying of a mixture of chemicals. He would like to have this matter considered for investigating the cost/benefit analysis of the alternatives. His group has made up signs that say "Do Not Spray," and they have gone door-to-door in some areas of the canal system. They are asking people to post the signs in their backyards along the canal to tell Applied Aquatics who do the spraying not to spray, and they will follow the instructions on the signs. Mr. Gordian asked if this subject had been presented to City Council. Mr. Cox said not yet, but that they plan to present it in the future. Mr. O'Neill inquired about the Roundup that is used---how much is dispersed. Mr. Cox stated they don't know the exact amount that is dispersed, but it is dispersed once a month, and he has been told that it is a minimal amount. Ms. Mosblech asked if City Council has ever made a counterproposal. Mr. Cox stated that Applied Aquatics has a contract with the Water Management Districts, and the City has a piggyback contract for the spraying. He has not been able to find out who has the authority to enforce the terms of the contract. Mr. Gordian stated he understood that Applied Aquatics was going to look at herbicides that are environmentally more friendly. Mr. Cox stated that Applied Aquatics has switched to a product that is not as lethal, but it still has chemicals in it. Ms. Mosblech inquired whether they are trying to kill invasives that are growing over the wall or aquatic invasives. Mr. Cox stated it is aquatic invasives. 7. New Business: Item A: Pelican Wildlife Festival Natural Resources Board Page 5 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 Ms. Glaser stated she has one topic that she asked to be put under New Business, and it is not on this Agenda. She stated it is the Pelican Wildlife Festival coming up in March. She inquired whether the Board wants to have a booth there a gain. The contact person is Eileen Fretz, who is in charge of the volunteers. They need volunteers at the festival, they need vendors, they need wildlife. They are starting all over. Mr. O'Neill inquired whether there are links on our website as to this type of activity, and Mr. Gordian stated no. Mr. O'Neill asked if the Board could post a link on their own website to the Wildlife Festival page. Ms. Hernandez stated she feels it is up to the Board, but it would be the Natural Resources Board requesting volunteers for the Pelican Wildlife Festival. Mr. Gordian asked for volunteers to contact Ms. Fretz. Ms. Glaser said she would follow through on it. Ms. Glaser also said if the Board wants to have a booth at the Wildlife Festival, she will go to the website and do the registration. Mr. Gordian asked for a vote on whether the Board wants to participate in the Pelican Island Festival. The vote was unanimous in favor of participating. Item B: Selection of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Mr. Gordian inquired whether a full board is needed for the vote. Ms. Hernandez stated that, since there is a quorum present, they will be able to vote. Ms. Glaser was nominated by Mr. Gordian as Chairperson. Ms. Glaser declined. Motion was made by Ms. Glaser to nominate Ms. Mosblech as Chairperson, seconded by Mr. O'Neill, and passed unanimously by voice vote. Motion was made by Ms. Glaser to nominate Mr. Gordian as Vice Chairperson, seconded by Mr. O'Neill, and passed unanimously by voice vote. 8. Old Business: Item A: Earth Day/Arbor Day Celebration 2018 Ms. Glaser stated Earth Day is less than three months away, and they have 27 vendors signed up so far and just a couple food vendors. All the bands are in place. What she needs help with is the advertising and activities. She asked for suggestions. Mr. O'Neill inquired about the Board's Facebook page, and Ms. Glaser stated she has the registration form on there. Mr. Gordian suggested putting flyers out, and he will handle that aspect. Ms. Glaser stated they are going to do the rock painting again, and she needs a vote on purchasing rocks and supplies. She estimates a $55.00 expense for Natural Resources Board Page 6 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 rocks and rock-painting supplies. Ms. Mosblech asked for a vote to approve the expenditure of $55.00. The vote passed unanimously by voice vote. Ms. Glaser also suggested a scavenger hunt this year. They will also have the chalk art and the gopher tortoise tunnel. Ms. Glaser asked for any additional ideas from the Board before the next meeting. Ms. Mosblech asked if there is a way we can discourage the use of single-use plastics with the vendors. Mr. O'Neill suggested the Board might provide the vendors with enough biodegradable or compostable flatware, etc. Ms. Glaser suggested encouraging people to bring their own bottles, etc. Mr. O'Neill suggested the Board might present the attendees with kits of biodegradable utensils, and that would provide a good example, depending on the budget. Item B: Role of Natural Resources Board I. Oyster Bag Project at Working Waterfront Kimberly Jones made a Power Point presentation regarding the oyster promulgation project. For this project there is a cost-share grant. Per the Indian River Lagoon Council there is a project planned and timeline already established. The project site has been assessed and surveyed. The project plan has been approved by the Lagoon Council. All permitting through the St. John's River Authorit y and Army Corps is complete. They have permission to cure the shells at a site on the Airport Property. In order to comply with the May 31st completion date, they need to collect 16,000 shells by the end of next week, as they have to cure a minimum of three months before installation. They need volunteers and materials to sew 80 biodegradable oyster bags. Unfortunately, their site is no longer suitable as the site is dominated by a sandbar now, and its proximity to the shoreline protection project is going to cause further installation delays. Failure to meet that project deadline will result in the loss of the $25,000.00 cost-share grant money. The City of Sebastian has already paid the cost of permitting and engineering service, and noncompliance could hurt the chances of being awarded similar grants in the future. The City will still have the cost -share amount that is set aside for a similar project, but it will be difficult to find a feasible project in that price range. One alternative proposal that has been researched and supported by the staff is to alt er a project to incorporate Taylor floats. She described the Taylor floats in detail and their costs. She also described the pros and cons of these floats. A Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Board Page 7 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 Commission special activities license is required, which costs $25.00 and is good for a year. She described other projects using Taylor floats that are successful. Should they decide to utilize the Taylor floats, they would have to apply for modifications to the permitting and grant agreements. They need to decide on the most suitable area and purchase native live juvenile oysters from a local aqua culturist, purchase floats and tie them to the pier at Fisherman's Landing with pulleys, and they will incorporate educational signage and prepare a schedule for monthly data collections. So they need to decide which avenue they want to pursue. Mr. O'Neill inquired about the FIT program wh ere they hung the bags off the pier. Ms. Jones stated they could do the bags, but there is a problem with wave action, as that is a busy dock. Ms. Glaser asked about pulling the floats out of the water every two weeks and cleaning them. Ms. Jones stated it would be a great educational opportunity for volunteers. Mr. Gordian asked how long modification would take in order to get re - permitted. Ms. Jones indicated that she has already inquired to see if it is possible and has consulted with the Brevard Zoo and gotten advice from them. If they decide to go with the floats, they are not concerned with the three-month threshold for curing shells. Mr. O'Neill asked if this would be her recommendation to the Board. Ms. Jones stated yes. Ms. Mosblech asked how many Taylor f loats would be involved. Ms. Jones said that is something that has yet to be dete rmined. Mr. O'Neill stated he agrees with going with Ms. Jones' recommendation on the Taylor f loats. Ms. Jones stated this project has to be started by May, as that is the season the oysters are spawning. A motion to proceed with the Taylor floats was made by Ms. Mosblech, seconded by Mr. O'Neill, and passed unanimously by voice vote. II. Guest Speaker Schedule Ms. Hernandez inquired if the Board has invited any guest spea kers. Mr. O'Neill mentioned someone from Indian River Recycling. Ms. Mosblech will contact that person and have her contact Ms. Jones for the March meeting. Ms. Mosblech stated she has been in touch with a representative of the Surf Rider organization. They have something set up that is called Ocean Friendly Restaurants, and that it might be something that could serve as a model for Sebastian. Ms. Mosblech will see if that organization might be able to send a representative i n April. Natural Resources Board Page 8 Meeting Minutes of February 6, 2018 9. Member Matters: Ms. Glaser stated she went to the seminar that Mr. Cox went to, "Transferring Landscapes for a Sustainable Future," and what a great seminar it was. She gave some examples of what was presented at the seminar. Ms. Mosblech asked Mr. Cox about the native landscaping and can the Board meet with counterparts from Vero Beach about this. Mr. Cox said the Pelican Island Audubon Society has a model ordinance that was devised by a law school, and what they would like to do is go through existing landscaping rules and compare them with the model ordinance and see if language from the model ordinance can be incorporated into the Vero Beach ordinances. They would like to do the same with Sebastian, and maybe his group could work with one person on the Natural Resources Board on this. Ms. Hernandez stated that staff would add that item to the agenda for the next meeting. Mr. Cox stated that the ordinance can be written in such a way as to encourage Florida native species and discourage so much turf. 10. Items for Next Agenda: A. Discussion of proposed Native Landscaping Ordinance. B. Earth Day updates. 11. Adjourn: There being no further business, Ms. Mosblech adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m. By:________________________________ Date:____________________________ /jg NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD AGENDA TRANSMITTAL FORM Council Meeting Date: April 3, 2018 Agenda Item Title: 8. Item A: Earth Day/ Arbor Day Celebration 2018 Recommendation: Materials submitted by organizer, Rose Glaser, for review and event planning. Background: Earth Day Celebration to be help on April 21, 2018, from 8am to 4pm. If Agenda Item Requires Expenditure of Funds: Total Cost: n/a Attachments: 2. Event Plans 3. Vendor List City Manager Authorization: ________________________________ Date: _________________