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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-05-2019 NRB MinutesCITY OF SEBASTIAN NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 5, 2019 Ms. Mosblech called the Natural Resources Board to order at 6:00 p.m. II. Pledae of Alleaiance was recited by all. III. Roll Call Present: Ms. Callaghan Ms. Lovell (a) Mr. Stadelman Ms. Mosblech Mr. O'Neill Ms. Brothers Ms. Ware Also Present: Lisa Frazier, Community Development Director Kim Haigler, Environmental Technician Ed Dodd, Sebastian City Council Member Janet Graham, Technical Writer IV. ADDroval of Minutes A motion to approve the October 1, 2019 Minutes as presented was made by Ms. Callaghan, seconded by Mr. O'Neill, and passed unanimously via voice vote. V. Announcements A. Introduction of New Board Member Ms. Mosblech introduced the new Board member, Jessica Lovell, who will serve as an alternate on the Board, and asked her to give a little information about herself. Ms. Lovell stated she has been a resident of Sebastian for several years. She described her background has mostly been in the emergency management and project management fields in both public and private sectors. B. Board Member Positions Available NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 2 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING Ms. Mosblech stated there are two board positions available, one regular board member position and one alternate board member position. VI. Public Input — None VII. New Business A. Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 7th at 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. i. Board to discuss ideas and materials for float Ms. Mosblech asked Mr. Stadelman to begin the discussion Mr. Stadelman reviewed that at the last meeting it was asked for Board members to present ideas for a float for the Christmas parade. He presented a small-scale sample of an idea for the float and asked for suggestions or comments regarding his sample. Mr. Stadelman stated the float will be erected on a flat-bed trailer provided by the City. It will have seating areas for people who are on board the float. The presents under the live tree will be labeled as clean water, fresh air and things that the Natural Resources Board (NRB) is involved with. The "Sustainable Sebastian" initiative will be promoted by sustainable housing (gingerbread house), and promoting clean areas, recycling, the NRB and their plans. Ms. Callaghan asked if there is a way to tie in the Sustainable Sebastian initiatives that there has been the most progress on, such as Litter Quitter, etc. Mr. Stadelman stated that will be included. He also stated the people who are on the float could represent businesses and entities who have already committed to being involved in the Sustainable Sebastian initiative. Mr. O'Neill inquired about the size of the gingerbread house as well as the materials that it wilt be made of. Mr. Stadelman stated his plan is that the gingerbread house will be made out of recycled brown paper. He will make it to scale. As soon as he knows how big the flat-bed trailer is, he can then plan everything on the float to be made to scale. He said he can probably get a tree or trees donated by a local nursery. Ms. Callaghan stated that the signage will be important so that the public will know that the float is connected with the NRB and how the items on the float are connected with the NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 3 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING Sustainable Sebastian initiative. Mr. Stadelman stated that the signs can display any of the Board's initiatives, such as clean water, native species, etc.— whatever the Board decides on. Mr. Stadelman stated there will be no plastic -wrapped candy handed out by the NRB this year. Ms. Callaghan stated she was alluding more to informational handouts. It was the consensus of the Board members that that is a good idea. Mr. Stadelman inquired how he can get all the necessary information out to the Board members without violating the Sunshine Law. Ms. Haigler said to send it to her, and she will disseminate it to the Board. Ms. Brothers suggested working a pelican into the plan for the float. Mr. Stadelman said he had been considering that, and he thinks that is doable. Ms. Haigler stated she will speak to Public Works regarding the Flatbed truck. According to when the City has provided the flatbed in the past, it will only allow a few days for the vehicle to be used, so it cannot be decorated until just before the date of the parade. Mr. Stadelman said his plan is to park the vehicle at the boat landing and work on it there. The question was raised as to whether materials might be stolen if It is parked there. It was decided that it should be parked at the compound or City Hall instead. Ms. Frazier suggested that, if Mr. Stadelman can't get enough saplings, maybe wildflower seeds for the kids would be something that could be done. It was the consensus of the Board that this is a great idea. Ms. Callaghan inquired about whether the budget that was agreed upon at the last meeting would be sufficient if seeds have to be purchased. Ms. Haigler stated Keep Indian River Beautiful may still have seeds available. She will check with them on that. Ms. Mosblech suggested maybe not having the gingerbread house, if that is going to use up most of the budget. Mr. O'Neill also stated he likes the idea of maybe more than one tree and the "gifts" such as clean beaches, clean water, healthy animals, etc. He is also concerned about a paper gingerbread house if there are high winds or rain. It was the consensus of the Board not to use the gingerbread house NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 4 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING It was the consensus of the Board not to use the gingerbread house. Mr. Stadelman also asked that he be provided for the rules the City has for asking businesses to donate vehicles or items. Ms. Haigler will check on that. it. Volunteers needed Mr. O'Neill and Ms. Brothers volunteered to help. Ms. Mosblech and Ms. Brothers stated they could provide large boxes to use for the "presents." Ms. Mosblech suggested the Board members coordinate with Ms. Haigler as to when and what they will volunteer for. B. Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday. April 25, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. L Divide up primary tasks among Board members • Entertainment — Mr. O'Neill stated he will contact the musicians. He noted that the City has purchased a new sound system, and Ms. Haigler stated that City staff is being trained on the system. • Volunteers — Ms. Callaghan stated she will work on that. Ms. Haigler said there should be an email sent out to the vendors before the holidays such as "Save this Date," so they can plan appropriately. Ms. Mosblech said she can also help with coordinating with the vendors. • Organization/Setup on Day of Event — Ms. Mosblech commended Mr. Stadelman on his organization/setup last year. He arrived early and guided the participant vendors. Mr. Stadelman volunteered to be the MC again this year. Ms. Callaghan suggested having volunteers or Board members scattered throughout the park to help with setup. • Volunteers — Ms. Callaghan will take care of that this year. She will also help out at the NRB booth. NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 5 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING • Activities — Mr. Stadelman volunteered to work on the gopher turtle event. He will also meet with the Rotary about providing beer at the event. He is proposing to use paper cups to serve beverages. Ms. Brothers asked about controlling underage use of alcohol. Mr. Stadelman stated the Rotary Club handles that. Ms. Brothers asked what the goals of the Earth Day Celebration are. Ageneral discussion was had which described how the vendors are focusing on recycled and repurposed items; the NRB will have informational brochures at their booth; Sustainable Sebastian will be emphasized; activities for children will be held, etc. — all focusing on sustaining the natural resources that are now in this community. Mr. Stadelman stated this celebration is tied Into National Earth Day. He stated it is also Arbor Day Celebration, which will also be emphasized with signage, etc. Potential Vendors Need Contacted ASAP Discussion on this was had, and Ms. Mosblech suggested she get together with Ms. Lovell and Ms. Brothers on this subject, as well as Ms. Haigler, and coordinate reaching out to the vendors. Vill. Old Business A. Sustainable Sebastian Ms. Mosblech introduced Councilman Ed Dodd, who would like to speak on this subject Councilman Dodd thanked the Board for allowing him to speak. He stated he has a lot of interest in the Sustainable Sebastian initiative and has watched a lot of this Board's meetings. He is here tonight as a private citizen, not as a representative of City Council. He stated the Board is now at a point where the public needs to recognize what Sustainable Sebastian means. He stated that the vast majority of members of the community wouldn't have the slightest idea of what the Sustainable Sebastian initiative is. Councilman Dodd reviewed that since the early 1970s he has seen multiple initiatives on this subject die because the need to do something scientific runs into the political spectrum, and it all falls apart. He would not like to have the Sustainable Sebastian initiative fall apart. He said he feels the first thing that this Board needs to do in order to have the initiative NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 6 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING be successful is to have the City staff, City residents, and City businesses buy into this initiative. Changes need to be implemented in small steps so that the public can get used to them. He stated that up to now Sustainable Sebastian Is "owned" by this Board. Now, it needs to be "owned" by the community as a whole. That entails educating the public as to what this initiative means and what effect it will have on making the environment more ecologically friendly in the future. This also means convincing citizens and businesses that it is a necessity. He also suggested that the Sustainable Sebastian logo be added to the "Old Grouches" sign as you enter the City. Mr. Dodd opined that the Sustainable Sebastian project needs to become akin to a campaign or a new product launch. He suggested designing a logo which will tie in with the City's logo. Also, brochures need to be available for education purposes. Another suggestion is to have window stickers for businesses that say something like "I support Sustainable Sebastian" along with its logo displayed. This can be effective without asking the businesses to do anything else. He stated Earth Day should be all about Sustainable Sebastian. "Sustainable Sebastian" should be visible on everything possible at the event -- tents, shirts, reusable shopping bags, reusable cups. The object of these items is to get the public to buy in to the program, and the City has to be the first and foremost supportedperpelrator of Sustainable Sebastian. Regarding landscaping, he suggested the NRB come up with a brochure describing the "Florida Friendly" program. He asked the NRB to think about having a plan for a roll -out of the Sustainable Sebastian project so that it can become viable by making Earth Day 2020 the kickoff. He then asked for questions or comments. Mr. O'Neill asked if there would be funds budgeted for the Sustainable Sebastian brochure that Mr. Dodd described. Mr. Dodd asked for a written plan, with the cost, for launching the program, to be presented to Ms. Frazier, who will take it to the City Manager, who will take it to Mr. Dodd, who will take it to City Council. Mr. Stadelman suggested creating a branding program for Sustainable Sebastian. A discussion ensued regarding branding and doing some research on how to go about it. It was the general consensus of the Board members that Mr. Dodd's presentation was very helpful. NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 7 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING i. Litter Quitter Presentation and Update Ms. Haigler stated she did meet with the Board of "Keep Indian River Beautiful;' as the NRB has to have their approval to go forward with this program. They will be hosting the online reporting system for the Litter Quitter program. She displayed a Power Point presentation, reviewing the Litter Quitter program as a part of the Sustainable Sebastian initiative (SEE ATTACHED). Ms. Haigler stated there is a training manual which she will send out to the Board members. ii. Identify Key Tasks Mr. O'Neill reviewed the activity that has been taking place regarding the Litter Quitter program. He suggested contacting the volunteers from the first training session and scheduling another session soon. Ms. Haigler said she would see to that, and at the Board meeting next month she will address setting up another training session. Ms. Mosblech asked if Keep Indian River Beautiful (KIRB) is going to be able to take the information and be able to check up on the volunteers. Ms. Haigler said the NRB can't do anything until the link to the reporting system is set up. Ms. Mosblech asked if there is a timeline available for that to happen. Ms. Haigler said, since she just got KIRB's approval today, it would probably be within a month. Ms. Ware asked if some of this Board's members need to be included when the volunteers approach the businesses, etc. Ms. Haigler said that there is a very in-depth training program and manual. She suggested it might be helpful to do some role-playing at the end of the session to familiarize everyone with speaking about this program. Ms. Haigler stated she will be working on revising the NRB's website and focusing on Sustainable Sebastian and a logo that ties in with the City's logo. Mr. O'Neill suggested providing the businesses, etc. with a one -page flyer that defines what Sustainable Sebastian is. Ms. Mosblech asked if the Board thinks it is worthwhile to do a survey from residents on what they want or like as far ecological preservation. Ms. Frazier reminded the Board that the City staff is working on a Comprehensive Plan, and the NRB will be included in the planning as it addresses ecology and, particularly, Sustainable Sebastian. Ms. Callaghan questioned whether the NRB needs to focus on a launch plan before getting into specifics. NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 8 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING Mr. Stadelman questioned If it would behoove the NRB to research branding and if there is anyone local who has experience with branding. Ms. Brothers stated she has had experience with branding, and she offered to get with Ms. Haigler and provide suggestions on what a branding expert would advise the Board. Ms. Callaghan suggested putting on next month's meeting agenda a launch plan for Sustainable Sebastian and ask different Board members to be the point people for different categories that will be included in the launch plan, one of which can be branding. The Board members all agreed. Ms. Frazier reviewed what City staff will be working on relative to the Comprehensive Plan, and she stated the NRB will be asked for their input and their support for this project. Ms. Mosblech presented an article on storm drain mural projects that have been instituted in surrounding communities, and maybe that is something that could be begun in Sebastian. Ms. Frazier said the Chamber of Commerce has just begun a mural program, and perhaps the NRB could partner with the Chamber on that. Staff will bring this forward to get approval of the plan. IX. Member Matters Ms. Callaghan addressed the item on the NRB handout that addresses connectivity of the pathways and parks and assessment of crossings and if they require attention. She related that she is very interested in safety. Being a bicyclist herself, she has ridden around the streets of Sebastian and related the number of near misses that she experienced. She particularly described the situation at Main Street and US1. She suggested that safety could be considered as a concern of the NRB. Ms. Haigler stated that livability and safety are to be included in Sebastian's sustainability plan. Ms. Mosblech announced that she will be stepping down as the Chairperson for the NRB due to some personal Issues. She still wants to serve as a Board member, but she is finding it difficult to attend all the meetings and events. She has notified Ms. Haigler. X. Items for Next Aoenda A. Replacement of the Chairperson B. Launch Plan for Sustainable Sebastian C. Earth Day Celebration Discussion NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 9 MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019 MEETING D. Christmas Parade Final Planning XI. Adjournment There being no further business, a motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Ms. Mosblech, seconded by Ms. Brothers, and passed unanimously via voice vote. Meeting was adjourned at 7:41 p.m. By: ls"H �d—�� Datec-. .jr a01% Chairperson Nicole Mosblech Ch rles 1S. 51jnat