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Home My WebLink About09-26-2018 CC Minutes w CRALin Lf SERASTN HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BUDGET HEARING REGULAR MEETING & 2ND BUDGET HEARING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 - 6:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Vice Mayor Kinchen called the Regular City Council Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. A Moment of Silence was held. Council Member Dodd led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Vice Mayor Linda Kinchen Council Member Ed Dodd Council Member Albert lovino Council Member Bob McPartlan Members Absent Mayor Jim Hill Citv Staff Present: City Manager Paul Carlisle City Attorney James Stokes City Clerk Jeanette Williams Administrative Services Director Ken Killgore Asst. Admin. Services Director Cindy Watson Procurement Manager Randy Moyer Public Facilities Director Scott Baker Community Development Director Lisa Frasier Community Development Manager Dorri Bosworth Police Chief Michelle Morris Police Lieutenant Tim Wood AGENDA MODIFICATIONS - None PROCLAMATIONS. AWARDS. BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS Brief Announcements Sebastian Police Department's Community Night Out - October 23rd from 5-7pm Recess Citv Council Meetina and Convene as Communitv Redevelopment Aqencv A. Call to Order Members Present included Vice Chairperson Kinchen, Mr. Dodd, Mr. lovino, Mr. McPartlan. Chairman Hill was not in attendance. B. Aooroval of the Auaust 8. 2018 CRA Meetina Minutes MOTION by Mr. McPartlan and SECOND by Mr. lovino to approve the August 8, 2018 CRA Minutes. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Two ROLL CALL: Mr. Dodd — aye Mr. lovino —aye Mr. McPartlan — aye Chairman Hill — absent Vice Chairperson Kinchen - aye Motion carried 4-0. C. Conduct Public Hearinq on CRA Budqet for FY2019 — CRA Resolution No. 18-01 (Transmittal. R-18-01. Ex. A) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY (CRA) ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2018 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2019; MAKING FINDINGS; AUTHORIZING AMENDMENTS AND TRANSFERS; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SCRIVENER'S ERRORS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The City Attorney read the title of CRA Resolution No. 18-01 and the City Manager explained the CRA budget was required to be adopted separately from the City's fiscal year budget in accordance with Florida Statute. There was no public input. MOTION by Mr. McPartlan and SECOND by Mr. Dodd to approve CRA Resolution No. 18-01. ROLL CALL: Mr. Dodd — aye Mr. lovino —aye Mr. McPartlan — aye Chairman Hill — absent Vice Chairperson Kinchen - aye Motion carried 4-0. D. Septic to Sewer Program I. ADDrove Grant Award to 821 U.S. Highwav 1 (Transmittal. Application. Deed. Receiat. Plan) The City Manager said this was an ongoing program to remove septic tanks and have properties connect to the County's sewer system. MOTION by Mr. Dodd and SECOND by Mr. lovino to approve the Septic to Sewer grant award to the property located at 821 U.S. Highway 1. ROLL CALL: Mr. McPartlan — aye Chairman Hill — absent Vice Chairperson Kinchen - aye Mr. Dodd — aye Mr. lovino —aye Motion carried 4-0. ii. Approve Grant Award to 1206 U.S. Highwav 1 (Transmittal. ADDlication. Deed. Receipt. Plan) The City Manager stated this property was eligible for up to $45,000 to remove three tanks and explained that staff would like the applicant to tie into the City's force main and provide a maintenance agreement prior to the connection. He noted to cover the City's cost for tying into the main; the award amount would be reduced $2,763.50. 2 Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Three MOTION by Mr. Dodd and SECOND by Mr. McPartlan to approve the Septic to Sewer grant award to the property located at 1206 U.S. Highway 1 with the stipulations recommended by staff. ROLL CALL: Vice Chairperson Kinchen - aye Mr. Dodd — aye Mr. lovino —aye Mr. McPartlan — aye Chairman Hill — absent Motion carried 4-0. E. Facade. Sian & Landscaoina Proaram i. Consider Proposed Revisions to the FSL Proaram (Transmittal. Proposed Chances. Final Coov) The City Manager stated since agenda publication, he noted there was a typographical error on page 45 and asked the property ratio be changed to "Il to 1" in the first paragraph; and on page 47, he asked to add, "#9 The funds cannot be used to correct a current code violation." The Community Development Director confirmed that if someone received a grant within the last two years, they would not be eligible to receive another grant for the same improvement. Mr. lovino added that the CRA Board may use their discretion as noted on page 49. MOTION by Mr. McPartlan and SECOND by Mr. Dodd to approve the revised grant program with the two corrections requested by staff. ROLL CALL: Vice Chairperson Kinchen - aye Mr. Dodd —aye Mr. lovino —aye Mr. McPartlan — aye Chairman Hill — absent Motion carried 4-0. F. Vice Chairperson Kinchen adjourned the CRA Meeting at 6:13 p.m. 8. Adiourn Communitv Redevelopment Anencv Meetina and Reconvene as Citv Council Vice Mayor Kinchen reconvened the City Council Meeting. 9. PUBLIC HEARING 18.013 A. Final Hearina on Millaae for Calendar Year 2018 and FY 2018/2019 Budaet Attornev advises Council on Procedure for Millaae/Budaet Hearina and Reads Titles for Resolutions R-18-31. R-18-32, and R-18-33 The City Attorney advised that Florida law requires municipalities to adopt a budget prior to October 1s` with two public hearings; the first public hearing was held September 17`" and he read the titles to Resolution Nos. R-18-31, R-18-32, R-18- 33 to proceed with the second public hearing. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Four ii. Citv Manaaer Announces Pr000sed Millaae Rate of 3.1514 Mills which is Eaual to the Rolled -Back of 3.1514 The City Manager stated the presented budget was balanced and at the rolled -back rate. iii. Budaet Overview The Administrative Services Director reported that staff had complied with all of the requirements; after approval, he would submit the required forms. He displayed a brief PowerPoint presentation. (See attached) He said he appreciated the support from City Council, the Budget Review Advisory Board, the City Manager, staff members and in particular, his Assistant Accounting Services Director, Jennifer Smith, for their assistance in putting the budget together. iv. Mavor Ooens Hearina for Public Comment on Millaae, Budaet, and CIP Vice Mayor Kinchen opened the public hearing at 6:19 p.m Mavor Closes Public Hearina There was no public input and Vice Mayor Kinchen closed the public hearing at 6:20 p.m. Vi. City Council Deliberation and Action: a) Adoot Resolution No. R-18-31 Millaae Rate for Calendar Year 2018 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A MILLAGE RATE OF 3.1514 MILLS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2018 AND ALLOCATING SAME TO THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2018 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2019; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SCRIVENER'S ERRORS; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION by Council Member McPartlan and SECOND by Council Member lovino to approve Resolution No. R-18-31. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dodd — aye Council Member lovino —aye Council Member McPartlan — aye Mayor Hill — absent Vice Mayor Kinchen - aye Motion carried 4-0. b) Adoot Resolution No. R-18-32 Budaet for Fiscal Year 2018/2019 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA ADOPTING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2018 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30,2019; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE PAYMENT OF OPERATING EXPENSES, CAPITAL EXPENSES, AND FOR THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON THE INDEBTEDNESS OF THE CITY IN THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, DEBT SERVICE FUND, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS, GOLF COURSE FUND, AIRPORT FUND, AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT FUND AS PROVIDED FOR IN SCHEDULE "A", ATTACHED HERETO, ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT THE BUDGET; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SCRIVENER'S ERRORS; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Id Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Five MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member McPartlan to approve Resolution No. R-18-32. ROLL CALL: Council Member lovino — aye Council Member McPartlan — aye Mayor Hill — absent Vice Mayor Kinchen — aye Council Member Dodd — aye Motion carried 4-0. C) Adopt Resolution No. R-18-33 Approval of Six -Year CIP — FY 2019- 2025 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA ADOPTING A SIX-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEARS ENDING 2019-2024; PROVIDING REPEAL OF RESOLUTIONS OR PARTS OF RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR SCRIVENER'S ERRORS; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION by Council Member lovino and SECOND by Council Member McPartlan to approve Resolution No. R-18-33. ROLL CALL: Council Member McPartlan — aye Mayor Hill — absent Vice Mayor Kinchen — aye Council Member Dodd — aye Council Member lovino — aye Motion carried 4-0. 10. CONSENT AGENDA All items on the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of consent agenda items unless a member City Council so requests; in which event, the Item will be removed and acted upon separately. If a member of the public wishes to provide input on a consent agenda item, he/she should request a Council Member to remove the item for discussion prior to start of the meeting or by raising his/her hand to be recognized. A. Approval of Minutes — September 12, 2018 Regular Meeting 18.128 B. Resolution No. R-18-27 — Abandonment of Side Yard Easements — 409 Warren Street (Transmittal, R-18-27, Map, Report, Approvals, Application) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, VACATING CERTAIN EASEMENTS OVER LOTS 2 AND 3, BLOCK 77, SEBASTIAN HIGHLANDS UNIT 2, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR RECORDING, PROVIDING FOR SCRIVENER'S ERRORS; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE. 18.104 C. Approve FY2018/2019 Employee Group Medical (Florida Blue), Dental and Vision (Humana), Employee Assistance Program and Life Insurance (Lincoln Financial) as Presented at the August 8, 2018 Council Meeting (Transmittal) 18.129 D. Authorize the City Manager to Renew Policies with Preferred Governmental Insurance Trust (PGIT) for Property, Casualty, Liability and Workers' Compensation Insurance Coverage (Transmittal, Quote) 18.130 E. Approve Sebastian River Middle School's I.B. Program 5K Cowboy Run at the Sebastian Municipal Golf Course on November 10, 2018 from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (Transmittal, Application, Receipt, Route) Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Six 18.131 F. Approve 6'" Annual Capt. Hiram's River Challenge Triathlon on November 18, 2018 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (Transmittal, Letter, Routes, Application) 18.132 G. Approve Alcoholic Beverages at Community Center for Garcia Event on October 13, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. - DOB Verified (Transmittal, Application, Receipt) 18.133 H. Approve Alcoholic Beverages at Community Center for Discepolo Event on December 8, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. - DOB Verified (Transmittal, Application, Receipt) 18.134 I. Approve Alcoholic Beverages at Community Center for Smith Event on January 11, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. - DOB Verified (Transmittal, Application, Receipt) 18.135 J. Approve Alcoholic Beverages at Community Center for Giresi/Civita Event on February 2, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - DOB Verified (Transmittal, Application, Receipt) MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member McPartlan to approve consent agenda items A -J. ROLL CALL: Mayor Hill — absent Vice Mayor Kinchen — aye Council Member Dodd — aye Council Member lovino — aye Council Member McPartlan — aye Motion carried 4-0. 11. COMMITTEE REPORTS & APPOINTMENTS - None 12. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None 13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 14. PUBLIC INPUT New information or requests to City Council not otherwise on the prepared agenda Fred Messing said the Florida East Coast Railway was recently bought by a Mexican company to ship larger containerships and plans to acquire additional track; and Brightline plans to build a track across Central Florida. He said by having a station in the City, it will slow down the train in addition to the 25 mph speed limit over the Sebastian River Bridge. In regard to the bridge, he also said at times when there will be a north bound and south bound train that needs the bridge, traffic will be tied up for 15-20 minutes. He asked the City to take a healthy look at all of the factors coming up regarding Brightline and offered to discuss these further by calling him at (772) 532-6035 Bob Stephen, 150 Concha Drive, distributed a Lagoon Report Card. (See attached) He reported that a San Francisco jury awarded Dewayne Johnson $289M after ruling Monsanto intentionally concealed the health risks of its popular Round Up products which should be a strong message to the City. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Seven 15. NEW BUSINESS 18.111 A. Authorize a Construction Services Aoreement with Builders Showcase, Inc. in the Amount of $135.910.00 for the Renovation of the Barber Street Football Field Restrooms and Authorize the Citv Manaaer to Execute the Appropriate Documents (Transmittal. Bid. Aareement) The City Manager said this agreement was to renovate the bathrooms and staircases and asked for Council approval. Council Member lovino noted the building is the original structure that was discussed as being non ADA compliant at Disabilities Advisory Committee meetings. MOTION by Council Member McPartlan and SECOND by Council Member lovino to approve the construction services agreement with Builders Showcase, Inc. to renovate the restrooms and staircases at the Barber Street Football Field. ROLL CALL: Vice Mayor Kinchen — aye Council Member Dodd — aye Council Member lovino — aye Council Member McPartlan — aye Mayor Hill — absent Motion carried 4-0. 18.136 B. Approve the Purchase and Installation of an Emeraencv Stand-bv Generator for the Police Evidence Buildino from Eau Gallie Electric in the Amount of $24.050.40 and Authorize the Citv Manaaer to Execute Appropriate Documents (Transmittal. Quotes) The City Manager said the construction of the evidence building did not include an emergency generator to keep the evidence cool and requested approval. He noted there will be a second generator request for the City Hall building in the near future. MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member McPartlan to approve the purchase of an emergency generator for the police evidence building. ROLL CALL: Council Member Dodd —aye Council Member lovino — aye Council Member McPartlan — aye Mayor Hill — absent Vice Mayor Kinchen — aye Motion carried 4-0. 18.137 C. Approve Work Authorization #CSA4 to Continuina Services Aareement with Schulke.Bittle & Stoddard. LLC to Desian a Pickleball Court and Parkina Complex on Airport Drive East in the Amount of $37.900.00 and Authorize the Citv Manaaer to Execute the ADDropriate Documents (Transmittal. CSA4. Map) The City Manager said this item was to put eight pickleball courts with adequate parking out at the Airport where the old maintenance building used to be. He said he looked at this location after hearing from one of the Budget Advisory Board members. MOTION by Council Member McPartlan and SECOND by Council Member lovino to approve CSA#4 to have Schulke, Bittle & Stoddard design pickleball courts and parking on the Airport property. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting September 26, 2018 Page Eight Bill Tiernan, 104 Elena Drive, asked why the location is being switched to where there are no restrooms and lighting. Vice Mayor Kinchen said the Friendship Park bid came in over budget for four courts. Council Member Dodd explained there was $213K budgeted and the bid came back over $500K for four courts with 14 parking spaces; there wasn't enough room without purchasing property and once that expense was added in, the cost would have increased up to $1.5M. He said the Airport location is a great piece of property with ample parking and additional restrooms; people will be playing in 2019. ROLL CALL: Council Member lovino —aye Mayor Hill — absent Council Member Dodd — aye Motion carried 4-0. 16. CITY ATTORNEY MATTERS - None 17. CITY MANAGER MATTERS Council Member McPartlan — aye Vice Mayor Kinchen — aye The City Manager reported that the first rack of the Splash Pad's solar panel is up. He will be attending the rescheduled City of Fellsmere conflict resolution meeting on October 10 and bring a report back to them. 18. CITY CLERK MATTERS - None 19. CITY COUNCIL MATTERS A. Council Member McPartlan thanked staff and the Chamber for holding the Opioid Summit at City Hall last Friday and invited everyone to review it on YouTube or the Chamber's website as it is a national epidemic. B. Mayor Hill - absent C. In response to Vice Mayor Kinchen, the City Manager said the old solar shade panels from the Splash Pad would be going to the dog park. D. Council Member Dodd - None E. Council Member lovino - None 20. Being no further business, Vice Mayor Kinchen adjourned the Regular City Council meeting at 6:42 p.m. the October 10, 2018 Regular City Council Meeting. } Janette Williams, MMG=City Clerk pity of Sebastian 2019 budget and Capital Program Presentation on Recommended Final Budget and Capital Program City of Sebastian City Council Meeting Wednesday, September 26, 2018 Prepared By: Ken Killgore Administrative Services Director/CFO Requirements Newspaper Advertisements of This Hearing And A Budget Summary Were Run Saturday, September 22, 2018. Tax Collector & Property Appraiser To be Advised Tomorrow of Final Millage. All Required Forms (DR420 and Maximum Millage, Certification), Plus the Advertisements Then Sent To State for Review. Budget Surnmary $12,171,81 6 8.681 ,709 403,81 4 7,751,243 1 ,333,254 550,676 840,868 $ 31,73 3,380 General Fund Special Revenue Funds Debt Service Fund Capital Improvement Funds Golf Course Airport Fund Building Fund Total City Budget 3 Chanqe i.n Full-time Employees General Fund: 1 MIS Systems Administrator 2 School Resource Officers 2 Police Sworn Officers 2 Road Maintenance Workers 3 Parks Maintenance Workers 1 Leisure Services Director (1) Parks Administrator Stormwater Fund: 1 Construction Inspector Building Fund: �V 1 Building Inspector v Chanqe in Part-time /Ternporary General Fund: 1 Police COPE Assistant 1 Recreation Attendant (1) MIS Audio Visual Technician (2) Two Police Temporary Officers Golf Course Fund: (2) Cashier (2) Cart Attendants Building Fund: 1 Clerical Assistant i Recap of A Good budget Year Millage Levied at Rolled -Back Rate. Consolidated Parks and Recreation In The Leisure Services Department. Added Accountability For Stormwater Fees. Added Needed Employees and Funded More for Employee Raises. Limited Increase in Health Insurance Cost. Invested More in Capital Infrastructure. R Staff's Recommendations Conduct the Public Hearing. Approve The Resolutions For: The Final Millage. The Final Budget. The Capital Improvement Program. ► Questions or Comments? !1► I;�'ll Dolphin: $50,000+ Galesi Family Foundation IRL National Estuary Program Manatee: $25,000-$49,999 Jim and Jonnie Swann Corporation Pridmore Family Foundation, Inc. Mangrove: $10,000-$24,999 Applied Ecology, Inc. MRC LagoonFest 2016 Uppercase, Inc. Snook: $5,000-$9,999 Bass Pro Shops Melbourne BMW The Moir Family Northrop Grumman Redfish: $1,000-$4,999 David R. Heil, P.A. Vince Lamb Oyster: Up to $999 Col. Jim and Marcia Ridenour Conradina Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society Douglas and Mary Sphar Helayne Ray Joseph and Sylvana Strawn Leon Stein MJ Waters Nancy Roberts and Mike Godfrey Raymond Fink Tim Deratany and Liz Lamb Turtle Coast Sierra Club This project was supported almost entirely by community members like you. Please support the next Health Update by contributing online at SaveThelRL.org. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendations by the state. The toll-free number of the department is 1 -800 -HELP -FLA (435-7352)—calling from within the state of Florida, or (850) 410-3800—vcalling from outside of Florida. The department's website is www.800helpfla.com. [s. 496.412(1)(c), F.S.I. id Indian River Lagoon Health Update SaveTheIRL.org LAGOON RESTORATION WATER CONNECTION VA"k Lagoon Restoration is a Marathon, Not a Sprint The lagoon is linked to the land that surrounds it through a series of canals, tributaries, and storm drains. Everything that we do on the land impacts the lagoon, whether it is cutting new drainage canals, building new roads and buildings, or fertilizing the lawn. Restoring the lagoon's health is fundamentally about reducing all of the sources of pollution entering it from the watershed. Restoring the lagoon to a healthy system will take a united lagoon community approaching the problem from many different angles. We need to implement better stormwater strategies that encourage waterto percolate into the ground instead of running off into the lagoon. We need to improve our wastewater infrastructure and require high efficiency septic tanks. We need to establish natural lagoon buffers, reduce fertilizer and herbicide use, and adopt alternative landscapes. At the same time, we need to restore living resources like mangroves, shellfish, and seagrasses and remove the muck that continues to pollute the lagoon from the bottom. There is no quick fix to the problem. It will take decades to bring our lagoon back to a healthy, highly productive system. Fortunately, our lagoon community is inspired and highly motivated to bring our estuary back to health. Brevard County residents successfully passed a half -cent sales tax dedicated to lagoon restoration. Many cities have signed an agreement to work cooperatively to protect and restore the lagoon. New nonprofits have emerged to join the community of organizations dedicated to lagoon protection and restoration. In addition, the Marine Resources Council regularly assembles community conferences to reach consensus on priority actions and support lagoon protection policies. We engage citizen scientists in research to monitor the lagoon, to identify pollutant sources, and to map and prioritize muck management projects. We grow and plant thousands of mangroves on the lagoon shoreline every year to help filter water, stabilize the shoreline and provide much-needed fish and bird habitat. We reach out to adult and youth audiences with updates on the lagoon, progress reports, and strategies to reduce pollution. It will take our entire community's efforts to bring our lagoon back to health, and these projects are the beginning. Marine Resources Council IRL Health Update 2018 13 SaveThelRLorg LETTER FROM MRC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR &A10, ; We know the lagoon is in bad shape why do we need a report to tell us? , The purpose of the Indian River Lagoon Health Update is not to reiterate what we already know. The goal is to evaluate changes in the lagoon's health over time so we can see improvement and target efforts where they are most needed. It is a message of hope for our community and a means to evaluate restoration success. Our goal is to produce this report annually, to answer the basic question: Is the lagoon getting better or worse? This initial report shows the change in water quality and seagrass health over the past 20 years to compare it with future conditions. A and a reduction in the parameters being collected. The Marine Resources Council (MRC), Marine Discovery Center, Florida Oceanographic Society and the Loxahatchee River District are joining forces to create a single volunteer network to collect more water quality data and fill in the gaps that the agencies are missing. But even with these efforts, it is still not enough. We need to let our state leaders know that funding for on-going monitoring is important to assess the lagoon's health. (See page 14 to learn more.) Overall, the lagoon is healthier near inlets where polluted water is mixing with ocean tides. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) regions that are shallow and have no ocean inlets are particularly susceptible to damage from pollution because the water never leaves. In these regions (like the Mosquito Lagoon, North IRL, and Banana River) muck and algae accumulate, cutting off the light that needs to reach seagrasses. This report has uncovered an alarming lack of data in some areas of the estuary, especially in the southernmost South IRL where there are no water quality monitoring sites at all. State funding cuts have resulted in fewer monitoring stations The IRL needs help and our community is coming together to help it. We need our political leaders to support policies, funding initiatives, and programs to help the lagoon. The MRC continues to work with our partners throughout the lagoon to educate youth on lagoon science, to restore shorelines, and to engage citizens in conducting science to inform policy. It's our lagoon, and together we can bring the IRL back to health. Thank you for all that you do for the (Indian River Lagoon. TABLE OF CONTENTS ASSESSING ® F THE LAGOON HEALTH � OF WEALTH TORS HABITAT SCOREWATER QUALITYS NORTH STORY O SCORES Y .S L � Marine Resources Council IRL Health Update 2018 2 SaveThelRLorg cTox�$�TIT LAGOON Why does the water quality look so good when the seagrass is completely gone? The South Lagoon is somewhat of a special case, where the watershed has been dramatically altered by the construction of the C-44 canal. The C-44 canal connects Lake Okeechobee to the south fork of the St. Lucie River which discharges into the South IRL Central. Lake Okeechobee is managed as a reservoir for large-scale agriculture. When there is a drought and the lake is low, water managers reserve water in the lake to use for agricultural irrigation. When it starts to rain and lake levels are high, billions of gallons of nutrient rich, silt -laden fresh water are discharged into the estuary causing toxic algae blooms, high turbidity, and low salinity. These conditions kill seagrass and are a threat to lagoon and human health. The South IRL has three relatively large, well -spaced inlets that allow the lagoon water to exchange with the ocean. Water quality in the South IRL appears to be better than other regions like the Banana River or the Mosquito Lagoon. One reason is that the nutrients are quickly diluted by ocean water near the inlets. Secondly, even though salinity can be low after fresh water discharges from Lake Okeechobee, salinity is not being considered a health indicator because there are no established regulatory targets throughout the lagoon. Third, many monitoring stations have been discontinued and certain important water quality parameters, (harmful algal blooms, for example) aren't monitored at all. Clearly, regulatory standards that examine nitrogen and phosphorus levels do not capture the picture of toxic algae, sudden salinity change, and turbidity that is effectively killing the South Lagoon. Nutrient pollution is a problem, but the elephant in the room for the South IRL is the Lake Okeechobee discharges. Lake Okeechobee releases coming through the South IRLand St. Lucie Inlet in 2013 Photo creditJ Thurlow-Uppech Marine Resources Council IRL Health Update 2018 it SaveThelRLorg Seagrass reduces erosion and provides habitat and food for many types of lagoon life. The seagrass scores below clearly show the recent seagrass losses throughout the lagoon, even in the Mosquito Lagoon South, where historically seagrass has thrived. There are several reasons for these losses. Seagrass needs saltwater and high levels of light to survive. Heavy freshwater drainage into the lagoon negatively impacts seagrass, especially if salinity SEAGRASS SCORES drops below 10 parts per thousand for long periods of time. Drainage canals and stormwater also bring sediment into the lagoon, which can smother seagrass and prevent light from reaching the bottom. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus feed excessive algae and phytoplankton which reduce the amount of light reaching seagrass on the bottom. Using herbicides and driving propelled boats through shallow seagrass beds can also destroy seagrass. Seagrass does not grow in the North Mosquito Lagoon due to natural conditions (NA in chart below). Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito Banana North Central Central South South South Lagoon Lagoon Lagoon River IRL IRL IRL IRL IRL IRL North Central South 73 law 19ea 1999 North South North Central South 1994 NA 67 I 70 1 60 I 'S8 1 70 I 66 S7 S4 72 1995 NA _ 67 70 62 59 68 66 59 1 N DATA NO DATA tees NA _ 67 86 67 59 72 68 57 53 73 law 19ea 1999 NA NA NA 64 80 71 60 73 75 74 74 73 68 58 59 59 52 52 73 73 74 1 66 84 74 65 68 84 73 68 2000 2001 NA NA 65 80 75 68 73 7S 73 73 59 S8 4 S1 73 78 62 80 68 6S 2002 2003 NA NA 62 82 71 65 69 68 56 53 80 57 84 70 66 69 72 57 52 78 2004 2005 NA NA 58 94 71 65 73 73 77 b9 60 54 53 52 80 78 S7 82 70 62 2006 2007 NA NA 58 81 80 68 78 82 72 70 58 61 55 56 77 78 1 60 86 87 71 2006 NA 66 98 93 70 84 77 59 53 79 2606 2070 NA NA 66 68 86 99 79 77 71 71 76 79 75 75 62 61 53 55 78 78 2011 2012 2013 NA NA NA 67 62 62 98 80 78 61 26 50 61 59 61 56 9 37 57 47 50 61 59 57 61 59 62 79 78 77 2074 NA 66 79 56 64 50 57 58 55 77 2015 NA LL 61 78 58 63 50 59 59 56 72 2016 NA Off -76M 74 111 56 I 51 0 69 Marine Resources Council IRL Health Update 2018 4 '' LUSH (1)SPARSE Photo credit SJRWMD SaveThelRLorg WATER QUALITY & HABITAT SCORES USING THE FIVE 14' INDICATORS OOF HEALTH, our team calculated annual water quality and habitat health scores in each lagoon area. Water quality scores were developed using the four water quality indicators: nitrogen, phosphorus, turbidity, and chlorophyll -a. Habitat scores looked at the fifth indicator: seagrass. The maps are divided into the north and south and show the average scores in 2016 for each monitoring station and each area. As you can see by the circles, we have monitoring stations throughout the lagoon to provide water quality and habitat data. While some monitoring station data may be red for extremely poor, the overall score for that entire lagoon region may average out to fair (yellow). The circles show the score for the specific monitoring station and the region color shows the average score of all of the stations. Locate your area of the lagoon and compare it with other regions. Are other areas of the lagoon healthier or less healthy in terms of water quality? What about habitat? In some regions, the water quality score is good and the habitat score is bad, and in others it is the opposite. Places like the Banana River had poor water quality and habitat scores in 2016, which is when the brown tide caused the extensive fish kill in that area. Where are the monitoring locations with the worst scores located? NORTH LAGOON HEALTH SCORES 2016 HABITAT 2016 WATER QUALITY 0 HABITAT INDICATOR 2016 SCORES = Water Monitoring Station CJ C) 09 DO 00 s`79 D�3 EXTREMELY . POOR 011 3: Nitrogen F Nitrogen (N) is another key nutrient necessary to the lagoon's health. However, in excess it can be devastating, causing algae blooms and lowered dissolved oxygen in the water, which chokes out life. The Clean Water Act requires local municipalities to reduce the discharge of nitrogen. Twenty years of data show that these efforts are paying off, as nitrogen levels in some areas of the lagoon have significantly decreased over the past 20 years. The table to the left shows how nitrogen scores were better in the decade from 2005-2015, during which we also had seagrass increases. The nitrogen scores severely Marine Resources Council IRL Health Update 2018 0 76 8;2 94 9:1 92 97 90 86 95 81 69 98. 74 81 9S 91 7 99 85 89" 97 78 1 73 99 951 M 88 917 411 9`7 86 9TU 9U 82 92 89 91 87 67 92 92 62 91 95 71 91 92 0 91 91 9.. 92 9U 61 91 9 VERY GOOD declined in 2016, the same year the brown tide caused an extensive fish kill in the Banana River and North IRL. In the southernmost portion of the South IRL, all water quality monitoring was discontinued in 2013, thus the missing data thereafter. Nitrogen enters the lagoon through many sources. Water contaminated with nitrogen from fertilizers, septic tanks, leaking wastewater infrastructure, and animal waste enters the lagoon through stormwater drains, canals and seepage. It is also being released by the black ooze known as "muck" that covers about 11 % of the lagoon bottom. SaveTheIRL.org