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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-07-2020 NRB MinutesCITY OF SEBASTIAN NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 7, 2020 Chairman Stadelman called the Natural. Resources Board to order at 6:00 p.m. ll. Pledoe of Alleaiance was recited by all. III. Roll Call Present: Ms. Callaghan Ms. Lovell Ms. Ware Mr. Stadelman Ms. Mosblech Mr. Carrano (a) Mr. O'Neill Mr. Bedea (a) Also Present: Lisa Frazier, Community Development Director Kim Haigler, Environmental Technician Janet Graham, Technical Writer IV. ADDroval of Minutes Mr. Stadelman asked if there were any corrections/changes to the Minutes of the December 3, 2019 as presented. Ms. Lovell questioned the wording of last meeting's Minutes where it states on Page 7, 'The voice vote for regular members was three nays, two gays, and two abstentions. Based on the majority of nays from the regular Board members, the Board will not move forward with attempting to have beer served at the event." Mr. Stadelman stated that the voting on this matter was incorrect, as two altemates' votes were counted and should not have been. Therefore, Mr. Stadelman will withdraw his motion to serve beer at the Earth Day Celebration. Ms. Haigler explained that alternate members are allowed to vote only if there is one or more regular member of the Board absent. A motion to approve the December 3, 2019 Minutes with the aforementioned change was made by Ms. Ware, seconded by Mr. O'Neill, and passed unanimously via voice vote. V. Announcements NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 2 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING A. No Board Member Positions Available Mr. Stadelman announced that there are no Board positions available. VI. Public Inout Graham Cox, Sebastian, spoke about the two workshops that are coming up, arranged by City Manager Carlisle, and scheduled as follows: A. January 15, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. B. January 23, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The purpose of these workshops is to have discussion and input on the use of glyphosate. The facilitator for the meetings is going to be Dr. Duane De Freese who is head of the Indian River Lagoon Council. The goal is to get concrete, specific information and proposals during the discussions. Mr. Stadelman stated this is a very positive step in addressing this problem, and he is pleased that the Mayor, City Council and the City Manager are all supporting the push to help improve the environment. He also called for positive ideas and proposals to be put forth in these workshops in order to progress in this endeavor. • Bob Stephen, Sebastian, stated he appreciates this Board and the job they are doing, thanked them, and wished them luck. • Diana Bolton, Environmental Chairperson for the Sebastian Property Owners Association. She thanked the Board for their work. She stated her group wants to help in everyway possible, and they will work to get the word out and encourage the public to get involved in this endeavor. VII. New Business -- None VIII. Old Business A. Christmas Parade on December 7th. Thank you to our partners and notes for next year Mr. Stadelman thanked the Board members who contributed their time and energy in putting together the float and participating in the parade. It was a success. He also NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING thanked the Art Club and the Sebastian Public Works Department for their help. Having the float representing the Natural Resources Board in the parade did much to get this Board's name out to the public. There were a lot of seed packets handed out, and they were very well received by the public. After seeing how many candy wrappers had to be picked up after last year's parade, this Board decided to do something more eco-friendly this year rather than handing out candy in plastic wrappers. Ms. Haigler gave a special thanks to "A Tree For Me" for supplying the trees for the float and the Sebastian Police Department for doing their part. She asked for any notes that Board members want to make so she can put them into the file so that they can be used next year. Ms. Callaghan stated they forgot the Natural Resources Board banner for the float, but they did display the new logo. She stated the Board members who were on the float were very vocal in pushing Sustainable Sebastian and wishing everyone happy holidays. She also stated the seed packets that were handed out were met with surprise and enthusiasm from the public. She hopes to be able to continue with that in the future. She stated she ran out of packets about halfway through the parade, and Ms. Haigler stated she would make a note to try to have 400 packets next year. B. Sustainable Sebastian Review of agenda schedule for implementation plan Mr. Stadelman thanked Mayor Dodd and City Council for approving the resolution defining the Sustainable Sebastian project. This Board has a real opportunity to provide input into the Comprehensive Plan. In the coming months the NRB is going to launch the program. There will be a calendar listing what and when the necessary items will be addressed. Ms. Haigler called the Board's attention to the back page of the agenda packet. That page sets forth the agenda schedule that the Board needs to adhere to in order to discuss the goals and action items for each meeting and cement an implementation plan in time that the NRB can propose the funding it will need to have budgeted for the next fiscal year. All of this leads up to having a finalized plan by June 11, 2020 to present to City Council for their consideration of next fiscal year's NRB budget. Mr. Stadelman discussed the goals and related tasks which will be addressed at the February 4, 2020 meeting. These goals and tasks will relate to reduction in the use of single -use plastics by the City and the support of landscaping practices that promote a healthy native ecosystem. This will be a huge undertaking, and there will be two NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 4 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING workshops between now and that meeting. He also discussed the remaining goals for the meetings following the February meeting. He is pleased that Mayor Dodd and City Council has been supporting this Board's efforts in this endeavor. Ms. Frazier emphasized the need to devise the implementation plan for those goals. She encouraged each Board member to look at each goal and try to think of two objectives per goal and a few tasks that they feel can be accomplished for these objectives. It is necessary to get this implementation plan done and gotten to City Council with a request for what is needed to be considered in next year's budget, so If there are any tasks that will require money, those can be presented to City Council for budget consideration. The fiscal year starts October 1. The budget requests will need to be made during the summer of 2020 for next fiscal year's budget. Ms. Mosblech inquired if there could be a collaborative document created that everyone could contribute to in a program such as Google Docs. Ms. Haigler stated that she inquired into that, and it is not an option. She stated that if a member has suggestions, he or she should send them to her, and she will put them into a document which she then will disseminate to all Board members. Ms. Frazier informed Mr. Stadelman that the other Boards/Committees are having the Comprehensive Plan discussions at their regularly scheduled meetings instead of separate workshops on this subject. This was done purposefully in order to be considerate of the Board/Committee members' time and schedules. She pointed out that this Board is not restricted to only one hour for a meeting. If they feel that they need to be here longer to have a fruitful discussion, they are free to do that. Ms. Haigler stated she will send this Board's members an agenda forthe workshops being held through the Planning and Zoning Commission, the first of which focuses on livability, which is relevant to sustainability. Mr. Bedea inquired as to how the initiatives numbered 1 through 6 were selected in the order they are listed. Ms. Haigler stated they are not prioritized, but that is the order in which they are listed on the Resolution. Ms. Lovell asked regarding the expectations and timeline. She understands that nothing is going forward until they are presented to City Council for their approval. Ms. Haigler stated no, but anything tied to the budget will require Council's approval. The items that are already in progress will continue to be addressed. NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 5 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING Mr. O'Neill explained that the Litter Quitter program offers different levels of participation which addresses other goals beyond plastic straws. Mr. Stadelman suggested ways to get the restauranteurs and other businesses to be made aware of the Litter Quitter program. Mr. Stadelman stated that this whole idea of Sustainable Sebastian is a large project, and this Board's role is to go step-by-step in order to achieve the goals outlined in the Resolution. Product ideas for logo/public awareness Mr. Stadelman reviewed that the logo for Sustainable Sebastian was voted on at the last meeting. There was extended discussion about using reusable grocery bags with the logo displayed, seed packets with the logo displayed, and other items to increase public awareness of the Sustainable Sebastian initiative. Ms. Haigler stated that the Board needs to decide on what items they will need in order to present that plan to City Council so that the Council will possibly assist the Board with the funds needed. She stated that it will take time to order and receive the items that are decided upon. Ms. Ware inquired as to how many of each item will need to be ordered. It was the consensus that 200 would be sufficient. She also likes the idea of the reusable bags. The public was called upon for input Rebecca Paschal, Sebastian. She opined that when the products are considered, the products should match what the goals are. She suggested a tee-shirt that people might want to purchase with the logo on it, and a portion of the price would go to Sustainable Sebastian. She stated she only found out about Sustainable Sebastian from friends. She knows her kids have no idea about it, and she feels very strongly that this initiative has to be brought to the schools because the kids are the future. Ms. Ware suggested a coloring contest of the logo and maybe give small prizes out to the winners on Earth Day. Ms. Callaghan stated the Board did talk about a coloring contest. There needs to be advertising for it. She thinks the tee-shirt idea is a good one, but perhaps the Board needs to keep to something simpler this year and attempt the tee-shirt idea next year. She likes NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 6 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING the idea of having a poster contest. Ms. Callaghan also suggested devising a brochure to hand out at Earth Day and the Pelican Island Wildlife Festival in order to get the word out to the public. She also suggested having the logos printed up and giving them to the local businesses to display in their windows, which will also help with awareness. She also suggested the need for setting forth the six initiatives in simple language. • Julia Held, Sebastian. She is a teacher and is very active in the community. She likes the idea of keeping Sustainable Sebastian in Sebastian. From what she understands, she is afraid this project is going to be turned over to Keep Indian River Beautiful, Keep Brevard Beautiful, and the University of Florida. She thought that the project should be implemented by people here in this community and not outsiders. Mr. O'Neill stated that one of the reasons the Litter Quitter program and the Surfriders' Ocean Friendly Restaurants program were mentioned is because they are already established programs. Litter Quitter doesn't cost anything out of pocket for the business owners, which would be more attractive to them. Ms. Mosblech added that the Keep Brevard Beautiful and Keep Indian River Beautiful programs provide the digital support where they have a database that is collecting all the information, etc. The reason this Board decided on that approach is because the information collected by those two groups is very extensive and expensive. She thanked the members of the public who are at this meeting and asked for continued input from the public. Mr. Stadelman stated that this is a work in progress, and if alterations need to be made in the future, those will be considered. He then recognized members of the public. Lisa Boisvert, Sebastian suggested that when the Board is considering the promotional products, they look further than putting just "Sustainable Sebastian" on these promotional products. Many people have no idea what sustainability means, so she suggested expanding on what sustainable means by bullet points or something else that would make it easier for people to understand. • Renee Boisvert, Sebastian, suggested emphasizing "being good stewards." He is very much in favor of this endeavor. Ms. Haigler requested the Board members send to her suggestions, emphasizing public awareness, for various promotional products, and she will get the information on cost, etc. NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 7 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING Ms. Mosblech suggested getting the information into the schools. Ms. Haigler stated an outside group wanting to do some promotion inside of the schools requires a lot of school board approval, and it is an involved process. She will look into what the process would be and will let this Board know what she finds out. Ms. Mosblech is concerned about handing out stickers at the Earth Day Celebration, as she feels some people will just throw them on the ground. iii. Determine focus of message at Pelican Island Wildlife Festival Mr. Stadelman stated it has pretty much been determined that it's going to be Sustainable Sebastian C. Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, April 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Discuss event budget by department Ms. Haigler stated the largest part of the budget will go for entertainment. Mr. O'Neill said he has verbal commitments from all the entertainers, and he is presently putting together the contracts. He should have them by next month's meeting. Ms. Callaghan requested that she have the completed flyer for the vendors as soon as Mr. O'Neill has all the information on the entertainment. Mr. Stadelman emphasized that Earth Day will be the roll -out for Sustainable Sebastian, and the programs at the event will be geared toward that. Mr. O'Neill asked Ms. Haigler if she could let him know when the City will be using the new sound equipment so that he can go there and see how it is set up. Ms. Callaghan asked Ms. Haigler if she would send her the information on the oyster beds. Ms. Haigler will send that information to her. K�ITIM -MIT1F=1 Mr. Stadelman asked for clarification on whether an alternate member is allowed to vote. Ms. Haigler stated alternate members may vote only when a regular member is absent. Otherwise, alternate members may participate fully in the meeting. Mr. Bedea stated that when it comes to the use of our natural resources, the main NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 8 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING concerns are poisons that are not biodegradable and continue to do damage, the nutrification problem, and the way that households in general handle their waste. He mentioned the new technology in septic tanks where the waste no longer leaches out into the ground. He mentioned the stormwater drains and canals and those problems. He also mentioned cigarette butts, which are one of the biggest litter items. He mentioned there are ways of installing filters where the items in the drains and canals empty into our waterways. He feels these are really important matters. Mr. Carrano agreed with Mr. Bedea. He described in his work where it was the feeling that landscaping was a big problem, but they found out that was not the case; the biggest problem was the nitrogen from septic systems. The release of nitrogen and phosphorous into the water systems is a much bigger problem. He agrees that it is important to stop litter from going into the waterways, but the nitrogen and phosphorous is the bigger problem, which is going to be more difficult to address. Ms. Lovell inquired as to the progress on the website. She suggested having someone on the Board be trained to do minor website revisions, and she volunteered if that turns out to be feasible. Ms. Haigler stated she has looked into having someone monitor and revise the website, and it is not an easy task. She will look into getting additional links on the website as it now exists. She also stated that a consultant has been hired to work on the City websites, and that is beginning immediately. Ms. Callaghan said she had attended a meeting which was a presentation given by the Florida DEP Aquatic Preserve Manager for Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves, Florida Coastal Office. She noted that "Leave No Trace' is a national organization that Florida has worked with to come up with a brochure that shows seven different concepts regarding the "Leave No Trace" initiative. They talked about the different methods they are attempting to implement that program in the Indian River Lagoon. A lot of what was emphasized was public awareness, word of mouth, education, etc. Ms. Callaghan spoke with a member of the group about coming to Sebastian to speak about their program, and the answer was yes, they are willing to help with education, etc. Ms. Callaghan opined that the vast amount of trash that was found on the spoil islands is brought by boaters, and those are the people who need to be contacted. She received cards from the "Leave No Trace' group, and she suggested maybe those cards be available at the docks for those using the waterways. She would like to see someone from the Florida DEP come and speak to this Board. Ms. Haigler said that after the cleanup she contacted Emily Dark, who works with the NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE 9 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7, 2020 MEETING Leave No Trace group. Ms. Dark stated the biggest challenge is getting the word out. Ms. Haigler informed Ms. Dark that the Natural Resources Board was willing to help in any way that they could. • Pamela Parris, Sebastian. She thanked the Board for their hard work and for inviting the public for input. She also emphasized how important grant writing would be involving the issues that the NRB is addressing. She suggested that these meetings and workshops are not advertised enough or in a timely fashion. She would like to see advancement of the website. • Rudy Kirchner, Sebastian. He is a former board member of KIRB. He reviewed that five years ago he and some members of his family all contracted cancer from spraying. He stated he has done much research about the toxicity of the weed killers, and he is very concerned about lifting the moratorium. He has a company that provides a natural product. He met with the City Manager and will provide an efficacy report on his product to the City Manager. He has donated some of his product to others for testing. • Damien Gilliams, Sebastian. He thanked the Board members for their service. He supports pursuing grant money. He stated the budget is going to be discussed the following day at the City Council meeting, and he is going to try to see that all the boards and committees in Sebastian get the funding that they need. He is also concerned with the TV broadcast. He is going to look into the contract with Comcast. He stated that the following day there is on the agenda for the City Council meeting the request to lift the moratorium on spraying of weeds, etc. in Sebastian. He asked to hear this Board members' opinions on this matter. His opinion is that there should be specific areas where use of a new organic product called "WOW' could be used to see its impact. He asked for the Board's feedback at this meeting so he could take that back to City Council at its meeting the following evening. He stated his opinion on the lifting of the moratorium and asked for this Board's position on the moratorium. Mr. Stadelman asked the Board members if they are prepared to answer that question. It was the consensus of the Board that they did not have enough information. Mr. Stadelman proposed that the matter be put on the agenda for the NRB's next meeting in February. He reviewed that Mr. Carlisle, the City Manager, has set up two workshops on NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD PAGE10 MINUTES OF JANUARY 7. 2020 MEETING this particular subject. He feels that after those workshops, as well as the Board members themselves doing some research, the Board will be better prepared to address this matter. Ms. Callaghan asked if there is any information available on the scientific data on the WOW product. Ms. Haigler stated she will send the Board members a link to the City Council meeting where the information on the WOW product is available. Mr. Stadelman inquired of the Board members, other than the alternate members, whether they want to make any recommendation to the City Council member at this time. General discussion ensued among the Board members on the subject, after which it was the general consensus that they need more information before making any recommendation. X. Items for Next Aaenda A. Discussion of Sustainable Sebastian goals and related tasks for initiatives 1 and 2 on R-19-30. XI. Adjournment There being no further business, a motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Ms. Callaghan, seconded by Mr. O'Neill, and passed unanimously via voice vote. Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. 1-J S Date Chairman Charles Stadelman A