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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-08-2021 IPM Minutes w/ AttachmentsINTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FL FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Call to Order -- The meeting was called to order by Mr. Benton at 2:00 p.m. II. Pledoe of Alleaiance was recited by all. III. Roll call Present Dr. Cox Mr. Carrano Mr. Sladelman (Zoom) (Late Arrival) Ms. Callaghan (Zoom) (Late Arrival) Mr. Griffin (Zoom) Ms. Lovell (Zoom) Not Present Ms. Haigler -- Excused Absence Ms. Munroe — Excused Absence Also Present: Brian Benton, Leisure Services Director Joseph Perez, AV Technical Assistant Janet Graham, Technical Writer (Zoom) IV. Announcements -- None V. Public Input Mark Bondy, 997 George Street, Sebastian, presented handouts to the Sub -Committee members. He reviewed that back on December 4th at the City Council meeting there was a presentation by Aquaculture that was highly embraced by the Vice -Mayor, and following that presentation City Council embraced a proclamation that is contained in the handout. Mr. Bondy asked, since this was so heartily endorsed by City Council, whether the IPM Sub -Committee is going to take up that issue and delve into that type of pest management. He hopes that members of this Sub -Committee would choose to accompany Vice -Mayor Hill when he goes down and examines the process that Aquaculture uses. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 2 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Jim Clifton, Cain Street, Sebastian reviewed that at the first meeting Mr. Griffin made a statement that in the future all the vegetation that was cut in ditches was going to be removed. Since that time, the ditch near his property has been cleared, what was above the water level, and the vegetation has never been cleared. Today after the rain that recently occurred, if you go to the point where it goes underneath Wentworth Street there is a very large collection of debris that is forming sort of a dam. This points to the reason why the vegetation needs to be removed from these ditches. If the debris is supposed to be removed, he expects it to be removed. It is only good management to not have the ditches filled with compost. Peter Henke, Sebastian stated that recently he saw a section that was sprayed, and he took a video of it to try to educate people as to what is going on. There was an algae bloom in that section. He noted from the comments from that video the big difference in people's views as to whether to spray or to go in the apposite direction. In all the comments he heard there was no really scientific data addressing either way. People are just going by what they feel in their hearts. He will be doing more videos and covering what is being done here in Sebastian as far as the waterways and clearing them. He plans to bring in on both sides biologists and scientists from the spray companies or talk to the city councils, city managers, and also environmentalists --people with degrees —who can talk about each side of this subject. He will then be looking at different options that are being implemented throughout Florida. He hopes that will help the people of Sebastian understand what is going on, why, and what is the best practice. He has a YouTube channel. He has been doing this for four years, and this year he is looking at what can be done as a community and what can be done by individuals to make things better here in Sebastian and throughout Florida. Bob Steven, 150 Concha Drive, Sebastian stated his house faces southeast, and there is a huge body of water in front of his house where three canals connect. These canals all go out to the St. Sebastian River. He has been asking for six years to stop poisoning the water. There is not much wildlife in the area since the spraying started. He thinks this Sub -Committee is very important. He breathes those chemicals every day if the winds come from the southeast. He asked that the Sub -Committee members watch a film called "Life On Our Planet" that is on Net0ix which addresses the environmental situation on earth. The fact that there were nine months of no spraying in Sebastian showed that life forms started to increase until the City decided to start spraying again. Seeing no one else in chambers who wished to speak and hearing no one on Zoom who wished to speak, Mr. Benton moved to the next item on the agenda. VI. New Business INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 3 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 A. Draft Sections 114I of the Plan I. Non -chemical methods by asset classifications ii. Further non -chemical recommendations Mr. Benton stated that typically Ms. Haigler handles these discussions. She is really the brains behind the Plan on the staffing level. He stated he would provide input today based on what Ms. Haigler has provided on these items. Mr. Benton provided a review of Sections II-V of the Plan, which were included in the agenda packet (SEE ATTACHED). These sections covered structures, canals, ponds, and ditches. He pointed out that under each of the sections there is included a Do - Nothing Option, and he addressed these Do -Nothing Options as he went through each of the sections as well as describing the non -chemical methods that are available. He also reviewed Section VI, Further Non -Chemical Recommendations. Mr. Benton then called for any questions/comments from Sub -Committee members. Mr. Carrano: He referred to the IPM Plan that the Sub -Committee implemented for Parks and Properties. He recalled that the members had many lengthy discussions about each field, how important it was for them to be pest free and, in some cases, how unimportant it was for them to be pest free. For this Stormwater IPM Plan, this Sub -Committee has yet to do that. It seems that everything is being geared towards spraying. He does not feel the Sub -Committee has discussed these waterways in a separate manner to look at the ecological impact that may occur if spraying is continued. He said this document is a good start, but there is a lot of information that is missing. He is hoping that the Sub - Committee does not move on this today, because it is inadequate. Mr. Benton recalled that when this process was first started, each Sub -Committee member was assigned pests for which to come up with biological, cultural, and mechanical control methods. That is where a lot of this information came from as far as the non -chemical methods. He suggested bringing this back and breaking it down at the next meeting and having a discussion on structures, ditches, ponds, and canals if Mr. Carrano feels that is more adequate. He added that Sub -Committee members need to bring some input to that meeting regarding each one of these items. Mr. Carrano agreed. He also suggested that something else to took at is which ones do connect to the Sebastian River, either historically or seasonally. He does not know if there is direct flow constantly year round. He does not know if the Lidar information is available that would show us historically the natural creek beds that existed before development. He feels that is extremely important. When the Sub -Committee created the Parks and Properties IPM Plan it was a lot easier. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 4 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 When spraying is done in an aquatic environment, the spraying is being done directly into that aquatic environment at a strength that has to be high enough to kill the vegetation even after being diluted. So there is a lot more impact associated, especially when the base of the food chain is being attacked. Everything that may live in that aquatic system is being attacked by spraying. He feels this group does not have enough information as to what is living in those ponds, what species are going to be damaged, and where those waterways are going. Isolated ponds are relatively easy to think about because the water is not going anywhere. It slowly sleeps into ground water, and a lot of the chemicals that are being discussed by this group have a residency rate that allows them to dissipate and not cause significant damage. But when spraying is being done directly into an ecological system that has phytoplankton, zooplankton, plants and animals of all kinds, you need to be more discerning about what you are spraying and what you are spraying for. When all those reviews of all that vegetation was done, not once did the Sub -Committee find that the vegetation was noxious and poisonous to the environment. They all had a function. They all absorbed excess nutrients that everyone puts into the water. They all help to make the water cleaner, and they all act as refuge for smaller animals. By taking them out, there is an environmental impact. By destroying them with chemicals, there is an even greater environmental impact, because none of these materials that are being looked at are specific. They do not target just one thing. They attack numerous chemical pathways in numerous photosynthetic plants. So he suggested this group has to be careful about what it is doing. Just like the ballfields which required an extra level of protection because of the children who use them, he suggested that the waterways that make their way into the Sebastian River require an extra level of protection from spraying because the impacts are going to be more widespread than an isolated ditch or pond that runs through the neighborhoods which has a large area of filtration to take place before it works its way into the canals and then goes into the Sebastian River. He suggested that the Sub -Committee used much more scrutiny in protecting the terrestrial parks than it is doing for our waterways, and he thinks this Sub -Committee should step back and take a look at each of the waterways. Those that are connected he suggested need a high level of scrutiny so that we are not just spraying because we do not like the look of the plants. It takes a lot to remove invasive vegetation from ponds and lakes, which he has experience in doing. He stated that literally nothing works. It can be made to look good for a little while, but nothing really works; it all comes back. We have to be careful. We can impact the local waterways, especially the Sebastian River which makes its way into the Indian River. He stated the Sub -Committee must be careful, and he does not think this document as presented is there yet. At least this section of the document is not there yet. Mr. Benton reiterated that a discussion was had by this Sub -Committee early on where it INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 5 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 was stated what a small percentage of nutrients in the Sebastian River is from these actions. It is mostly from septic tanks with their nitrogen levels, etc. Mr. Carrano stated that some of the City's canals are parts of historic waterways. He also stated that spraying would not be taking place during the wet season. He said that spraying on land is different than spraying in the water. The concentrations are not as dilute because the products still have to be effective, and there is a residence time available with that. When in flowing water, they will get to the main waterway. The ditches are easy because water infiltrates downward and sideways, and there are other materials there that are going to absorb the pesticides. He just thinks this group is not ready yet to go this far. He feels that the group has not looked enough as a committee close enough to say this is ready to go. Dr. Cox: He totally agreed with Mr. Carrano that this Sub -Committee needs to do a lot more work on this document. He asked if there Is a map that shows where all these structures are so that the group can look one by one to see what measures are proposed or would be appropriate. He has said all along that on the canal system there are choke points that we need to know about. Then we can go and take a look at them and try and decide what is going to work best. It might be a backhoe, or it might be by spraying with something, which he hopes is not the case. When the group gets to the section with canals and the do-nothing option, it is listed that this will be considered moderate action to take. He thinks it should be considered high action to take. The section dealing with ponds is high; he thinks the canals should be rated as high. Regarding the ponds and non -chemical methods, he has had some very useful conversations back and forth with the stormwater manager in the City of Port St. Lucie. They have now started a system using probiotic bacteria in a lot of their pondstretention areas. He has provided information to Mr. Griffin and to Ms. Haigler on what that is all about. It comes down to stimulating the nitrogen cycle in the ponds. Mr. Benton asked if Dr. Cox knows why there is only data in this plan from 2002 and 2014. They do not provide any data prior to when they started, so we have no idea if this is seasonally what these levels normally are. He also questioned the fact that the data provided is 19 years old and 7 years old. If it were successful, this company should have data that is recent, like 2019 and 2020. Dr. Cox stated that the data is from the City of Port St. Lucie. They have a contract with Aquatic Vegetation Control (AVC) who are evidently the local experts on how this system works. Dr. Cox has requested several times having a conversation INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 6 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 with AVC to talk about their approach and their techniques for dealing with this matter. He stated he will go back to Port St. Lucie and ask why there is data missing. Dr. Cox referred to the bottom of page 12 of the document where it talks about planting native emergent vegetation. This goes to the heart of the issue he has with the idea that, if you spray a herbicide on a patch of vegetation you want to get rid of, then somehow native vegetation will reestablish itself. It does not. Whatever native vegetation is there is going to be outcompeted by the invasive species. So, unless the City is prepared to employ a lot of human resources --that is, to get in the mud and plant native vegetation, then constantly tend it like tending a garden —this does not work. He has had this conversation with about four biologists, all of whom say no way are you going to get native vegetation reestablishing itself without a lot of work and a lot of tending. Dr. Cox next referred to page 14 of the document where it discusses environmental enhancements and calls for creation of a self -maintaining littoral shelf. He states this is the key issue: Will invasives always win and ran we afford to keep planting native vegetation only to see it overwhelmed by invasives. That goes to the heart of the existing contract the City has with Aquatic Vegetation. Their explanation to him is that they use a methods called control and maintain. Control means spraying heavily the first time around, then come back and spray some more until you can see it is being maintained. He further stated he has had conversations with Dr. Grant Gilmore who has been studying the fish population in the area for many years. Dr. Gilmore stated that what has been done by systematically spraying all sorts of pesticides, when the lagoon is looked at all the small animals that the fish depend on are being wiped out. Restoring sea grasses is only a part of the picture. We have to restore the system from bottom to top. Dr. Cox has had conversations with the stormwater manager in Satellite Beach. That city passed a resolution to not use glyphosate. They have been experimenting with many things to deal with their problem. His advice is to do as much mechanically and physically and culturally as you can. Only as a last resort, when nothing like that works, can you consider going to herbicides. That stormwater manager said they have had the best luck with Avenger, which is on our list, and Midmichi as replacements for glyphosate. He has asked that we send him an explanation of what we are doing here so that he can contribute his comments on this. Mr. Benton commented that when implementing the IPM Plan for the parks Mirimichi was discussed. He said the data have pretty much shown that it is not effective on parks. It is something that we can look at for the stormwater plan, but when we looked at it then, all it does is basically bum it down, and it has grown back within two weeks. Mr. Benton said he would look into the Avenger product. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 7 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Mr. Griffin interjected at this point. He stated that when we are talking about planting desirable native species as part of a larger discussion of what we can do to think about a replacement of the invasives that are causing this problem with the desirable native vegetations. Dr. Cox and he had some emails back and forth this week, and Mr. Griffin indicated that, as these conversations were going on, his department was in the process of exploring doing those plantings. His people were seeking proposals to plant high - quality, desirable, native aquatic vegetation to help in the effort to replace the undesirable invasive species with desirable natives. He opined that he should have something soon to discuss. He thought that was a very good suggestion, and he was pursuing that option as he spoke. Mr. Cox stated he has appreciated the input from Mr. Griffin regarding this matter. Mr. Benton added that sometimes things get lost in all the discussion regarding spraying chemicals, and he emphasized that Sebastian's Stormwater Department has been doing mechanical removal for probably the last six months nonstop, every single day. They just recently removed all the vegetation on the ditch side of CR-512. The County came through, cut it, and left it. So Sebastian Stormwater Department went through and cleaned it all out. They have gone through a lot of the neighborhood ditches. In the area of Easy Street, they are redoing that large ditch/canal area over there. He wants to recognize their work. The stormwater staff is every single day working in these ditches and these canals doing manual excavation. When people say all we are doing is spraying, that is not true. The fact of the matter is that there is staff on a daily basis out on machines and taking dump truck loads of material out every single day. He does not supervise those workers, but he rides around the City and looks to see what they are doing. He would hope everyone else is looking at that too. Mr. Carrano agreed that the stormwater staff in Sebastian do an amazing job for the number of miles that they tend. Mr. Griffin commented that this month alone his crew has removed many thousands of pounds of aquatic vegetation, of cut vegetation, of muck and debris, and disposed of that material, and they continue to do so. It is one of their main means of control, and it is a mechanical means of control. Ms. Callaghan: She stated she thinks in general the very things that are being discussed, the various structures and possible non -chemical methods that can be employed, that the pages that were presented here have listed out our complete matters which were discussed as a group previously. Her main comment would be along the same lines, as she would like a bit more detail. Some of the detail she would be interested in goes to the point that was made earlier that there is a lot of work done by mechanical means. She would like to INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 8 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 know historically how much success there has been in using these non -chemical methods, what percentage of the time are they effective in treating the various structures so that there is not a need to go to the last resort with some kind of chemical treatment. If there is the ability to add more detail and document everything that historically showed some history of success in using many of these non -chemical methods, she would like to see this section be built out and point to where really are we talking about chemicals, where really are we showing great success in all the efforts that are being done today. Relating to the highlighted areas of text on page 11 relating to a City ordinance, and on page 13 there is one about a City ordinance, and also the NPDES permit, she assumes they are going to be attachments. She would like to read that material if it is accessible for the Sub -Committee members to have. Mr. Benton stated staff would get the Sub - Committee members copies of the ordinances that are referenced within this document and also the NPDES permits. He will get that information to the members once Ms. Haigler is back in the office. Ms. Lovell: She echoed what others have already said. She would like to have that foundation for the chemical application based on the locations. She thinks what has been presented so far is a great start. She appreciates that it was a lot of work. At this time, Mr. Benton opened the meeting for public input on Item A, Section i and section ii in regards to the draft sections II thin VI that were discussed as far as the asset classifications and the non -chemical recommendations. Bob Steven, Concha Drive, Sebastian. He appreciates the work that the Sub - Committee has done on this matter. He agrees 100% that we do not need to go any further with this, but he is afraid that this has all been in vain because City Council has already accepted this. He feels it is a shame, and he would recommend strongly that everyone just walk out and quit. If the City continues with the three-year contract they have with this company to poison this City, you should all just walk away. There should be a big roundtable, and facts and figures should be discussed with people who have done it, not people who have never done this. There are communities that are doing it. They should be in the roundtable talking with us. The people who do that sort of thing mechanically should be here. He allows that the stormwater employees have been working hard, but they have not done anything for 20 years except poisoning. He asks how many men are on the crew cleaning the ditches. He suggested that the City could have gotten grants for this project and a continuing grant to maintain it. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 9 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Tim Glover, President of the Friends of St. Sebastian River, Micco. He appreciates this Sub -Committee trying to strike a balance between maintaining the waterways for flood control and protecting the St. Sebastian River. Ideally, if all the canals in the City of Sebastian were filled in, there would not be the issue with runoff, etc. The St. Sebastian River is technically not part of the aquatic preserve, but it is obvious, if one looks up and down the lagoon, the communities and municipalities along there are spending millions of dollars trying to help restore the lagoon. So that should be part of the consideration of the impacts occurring from whatever actions the City of Sebastian will take. Obviously, you do not want to be putting anything into the river that you will have to clean up later on the other end. He appreciates the Sub -Committee's consideration of all of those aspects. Jim Clifton, Cain Street, Sebastian. Emphasized one thing: ditches relative to vegetation. He totally and completely agrees it is a do-nothing option. If they weed -eat it and if they do get around to actually removing the vegetation after it has been cut, that is what we want. At that point, that is where the nutrients are coming off the lawns and getting absorbed and used by those plants in the ditches. If they are cut and removed, that is that much less nutrients that are going into the canals. His problem with his particular ditch is that it does not have the original flow line. So the intake pipe into that ditch is half full year round. When we had the rain recently, the water was over the top of the ditch. The ditches that are in this same situation need to be restored to their original flow lines so that the water can be gotten up the street and into the larger canals where they are designed to handle it. Mr. Benton stated his recommendation, based on the input from every Sub -Committee member, is that at the next meeting there be a breakdown discussion of each asset classification that will address the do-nothing option and non -chemical methods for each asset classification, including structures, canals, ponds and ditches. There were requests from Mr. Carrano and Dr. Cox for a map that shows each of the structures where the outfalls are. Mr. Carrano stated that is correct —and if they connect either historically or currently to the existing adjacent waterways. Mr. Benton stated that is the information that staff will work to bring back. It might not all be brought back for the next meeting, as we need to slow this process down somewhat. He stated there were requests for some historical data on non -chemical methods. He will get with Mr. Griffin, and they will discuss whether he has the historical data. If not, this group can work on what we have done over the last six months or so, at least to be able to provide that data. Also, staff will share the ordinances and the NPDES permit with the Sub -Committee members. Dr. Cox stated regarding the mapping of the structures, he wishes this group would have the stormwater management plan contract that is done and in hand. He thinks that will answer a lot of the questions as to what structures are in what kind of shape and what needs to be done to fix them. It is unfair of this group to criticize when we don't really know these things. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 10 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Mr. Benton clarified that Dr. Cox is referring to the Stormwater Master Plan which Mr. Griffin has submitted for a grant from the state in the range of $600,000.00. He understands that the state representative for that department was let go, and so the City has not gotten a response back on the grant. Dr. Cox stated that there are several people he knows who have experience with lobbying for grant money, and they would be happy to help in this endeavor. There being no one else in chambers or on Zoom who wished to speak, Mr. Benton moved to the next item on the agenda. B. Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) Brief explanation of the EIQ and how it will be used to assess the IPM program Mr. Benton stated that there are those present today who are familiar with the Parks and Properties IPM Plan that was completed this past year. He reviewed that several of the Sub -Committee members wanted something that could be quantified, something that would really show the number of products that were being used as far as chemical methods. The EIQ and the Field Use EIQ were developed by Cornell University. It is a formula that helped this group out quite a bit. He pointed to the attachment in the agenda packet and reviewed each of the points that are included in the EIQ that was developed by Cornell (SEE ATTACHED). He explained that the basic principle behind this is to be able to show that maybe by using this one product, it will only have to be applied once and only 12 ounces is used, and that is better than applying another product that has to be applied every single month or every other month, and at the end of the year it shows the field use EIQ and how it all breaks down. Basically, the discussion of this was going to be seeing if the Sub -Committee was okay with staff moving forward with the EIQ formula, because staff will have to start running some numbers and get those items entered into the chemical spreadsheet for this plan. Mr. Carrano commented that, because of things such as the leaching potential and soil half-life persistence, this formula is really not that applicable to what we are doing. However, as a relative risk in comparing chemicals, since this is the best we have, at least it will give us the relative risk of the different chemicals. Mr. Benton stated he cannot speak for Ms. Haigler, but she has tried to reach out to Cornell University and get their input on whether this formula is adequate for aquatics. If it isn't, it still gives us some adequate data to compare. We just will know that the Field Use EIQ portion probably would not be as applicable for this plan. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 11 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Dr. Cox asked if a big number is good or bad. He added that one of the biggest issues we had with glyphosate was the fact that it was not just glyphosate; it was all these adjuvants that are mixed in. He wonders whether this group should be including adjuvants in this list. Mr. Benton replied that the adjuvants are included in the chemical spreadsheet. Five are included. That is another question that has to be figured out. If Cornell does not have the EIQ assigned, this group can still take the data and figure out a close number for the EIQ on those. But Ms. Haigler is the one who would handle that. Mr. Carrano suggested also including the EIQ for water. That would give people a comparison when they looked at this chart. Mr. Benton agreed. Hearing no further commentslquestions from the Sub -Committee members, Mr. Benton opened the meeting up for comments/questions from the public regarding the EIQ. Bob Stephen, Concha Drive, Sebastian. He asked if members of this group are familiar with Lisa Sullivan's report card. He stated that she suggested getting a barrel and taking some of the 14 chemicals that are being used on our waterways, dropping them into the barrel, mixing them in, and have the scientists and chemists open that up. Nobody can analyze all of them together. He stated that report card says it all. Seeing no one else in chambers who wished to speak and hearing from no one on Zoom, Mr. Benton moved to the next item on the agenda. VII. Old Business A. Chemical Spreadsheet Approve the final draft for Plan Mr. Benton stated the final draft is attached to the agenda packet. He understands the group is going to take a step back regarding the non -chemical methods and revisit that. Basically, what is being sought here is the adjustments that were made and approval for those. It will still have to comeback to this group for discussion once we get it 100% filled in. At this time, Mr. Benton opened the meeting for public input on the Spreadsheet. Seeing no one in chambers and hearing no one on Zoom who wished to speak, Mr. Benton called for a motion. Mr. Carrano made a motion that this format be approved as the final draft for the Plan. Ms. Callaghan asked for more information regarding the EIQ to be included in the spreadsheet. Mr. Benton stated that in discussions among Mr. Griffin, Ms. Haigler and Mr. Benton, it was decided to simplify it a little bit for this plan and not go off any historical data. We are going off the maximum rate that is on the label. So it is more of a worst -case scenario. So the Field Use EIQ would be the highest that it possibly could be following the label. Ms. Callaghan seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously via voice vote. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 12 MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Vill. Sub -Committee Member Matters Dr. Cox He suggested that the Minutes for these meetings should be a part of the record when it goes in due course to City Council, so they know what kind of thorough discussions this group has had on this matter. If and when the City gets a contract with someone involved in the whole cleanup project, is the Natural Resources Board going to be allowed some input to that contract, or at least be present for part of the discussions as to how it is going to work. Mr. Benton stated he will make note of those two subjects and will get the answers to Dr. Cox. IX. Staff Matters Mr. Griffin gave an update on one of the matters that came up in the last meeting. That was the request that the City provide some type of notification process when spraying was scheduled to occur. He has been working with the MIS Department to explore that. He believes they have a plan whereby the City's website can be used. For citizens who are interested, they can sign up to receive notifications. He will work closely with the contractor who is doing the work for the City. When there is work that needs to be scheduled, he will post it on the City's website on the calendar, and the citizens who have signed up for notification will automatically get a notification that some work is scheduled to be performed. X. Items for Next Aaenda Item A. Draft of Section VI, Pesticide Use Methodology Mr. Benton made it clear to the Sub -Committee members that everything that was discussed today is not all coming back at the next meeting. It is going to take some time for staff to start to work on these. Staff are going to slow down and address each one of those asset classifications. Mr. Carrano stated that he and the other members of the group acknowledge that Mr. Benton and Ms. Haigler have other tasks that they have to perform, and the Sub - Committee members appreciate all that staff do. XI Adiournment INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 8, 2021 PAGE 13 There being no further business, Mr. Benton called for a motion. Motion to adjourn was made by Dr. Cox, seconded by Mr. Carrano, and the motion passed unanimously via voice vote. The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m. By: Cto Date: 3 /lZ/ZOZ / / /l A Ork Cw SEBASTt_" HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND Board Meetinq Date Agenda Item Title Recommendation Backqround: IPM SUB -COMMITTEE AGENDA TRANSMITTAL FORM February 8'", 2021 VI. NEW BUSINESS Item A. Draft Sections II -VI of the Plan —ACTION ITEM i. Non -Chemical Methods by asset classification Submitted for Committee Member Approval If Agenda Item Requires Expenditure of Funds: Total Cost: n/a Attachments: Draft Sections II-V of the IPM Plan INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN II. STRUCTURES Overview Stormwater assets classified as "structures" includes all dams, weirs, spillways, catch basins, baffle boxes, culvert pipes, inlets, outlets, and outfalls. There are over 100 such structures across the stormwater system. These assets have a virtually zero tolerance for pests, as they must stay clear of vegetation and debris at all times in order to function. Do Nothing Option The overgrowth of aquatic vegetation around and within these structures can greatly impede the flow of water, contributing to flooding issues. Also, the vegetation can inhibit their operation and cause costly damage to structures. Therefore, the tolerance threshold for pest activity, before action is taken is considered the very low for these assets. Non -Chemical Methods In order to eradicate vegetation, the following cultural and mechanical methods will be conducted routinely_ as part of standard proactive maintenance procedures within the City's stormwater system: • Vacuum Removal. A vacuum truck is utilized to remove all accumulated sediments and vegetative debris from catch basins and baffle boxes regularly. The amount of debris removed is recorded. • Manual Removal. When safe and practicable, vegetation will be removed by hand from structures as part of routine inspections. CITY OF SEBASTIAN PAGE 10 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN III. CANALS Overview Stormwater assets classified as "canals" include the entire interconnected system of wide, mostly sea walled waterways. Altogether, the City maintains over 9 miles of canals and seawalls. It is acknowledged that aquatic vegetation provides an important ecological function in the canals. However, the City must be careful that the storage and flow capacity of these important waterways is protected. Do Nothing Option The overgrowth of aquatic vegetation within the canal system can greatly impede the flow of water, crucial for flood control throughout the City. The canals are also frequently utilized for kayaking and fishing. These recreational opportunities are lost when dense vegetation blocks navigation and affects the habitat quality by altering the water's chemistry and decreasing light penetration. Finally, and most importantly, the canal system has multiple direct outfalls to the San Sebastian River (SSR). Any vegetation that is not properly maintained in the canal system is easily introduced into this State protected freshwater system. For this reason, Florida Statute 369.22 (Appendix X) requires that all public and private water owners enact a "maintenance program" for aquatic veyeiUiion. Therefore, the tolerance threshold for vegetation growth, before action is taken is considered moderate for these assets. Non -Chemical Methods In order to control vegetation, the following cultural and mechanical methods will be conducted routinely as part of standard proactive maintenance procedures within the City's stormwater system: • Dredging. When areas of the canal system are at their lowest storage, the City can access the canal bottoms with equipment to mechanically remove the vegetation and accumulated sediments. • Mechanical Removal by Contractor. During periods where invasive vegetation has spread too extensively at a location to be brought back under control by routine methods, a contractor may be hired with the equipment to cut and remove the vegetation by boat. • Sediment and Erosion Control at Development Sites. In compliance with City Ordinance No. XXX (Appendix X) and the City's NPDES Permit (Appendix X), proper erosion and sediment control at all sites of development is required to be established and maintained throughout the duration of the project and is inspected regularly for compliance. Sediments directly washing off a site, and into the canals created a mound of substrate for vegetation to establish and carry nutrients which many invasive species thrive on. CITY OF SEBASTIAN PAGE 11 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN IV. PONDS Overview There are dozens of stormwater "ponds" throughout the City. These include all of the ponds and dry retention areas that are located within City parks and properties, as well as the interconnected ponds of the Stormwater Park. Pond vegetation provides an ecological as well as an aesthetic benefit. If left to grow uncontrolled, however, the flood control and safety of these properties can be impaired. Do Nothing Option Too much aquatic vegetation in the ponds can very quickly reduce their stormwater storage capacity. This accelerated succession causes localized flooding problems. Also, many species of tall grasses growing around the pond edges can create dense thickets which are impossible for police and park visitors to see beyond; creating a serious safety concern. Many of the ponds also contain a fountain for aeration and algae control. Dense vegetation can damage the fountains by clogging the pump system or blocking the spray. The tolerance threshold for pest activity, before action is taken is considered high for these assets. Non -Chemical Methods In order to control vegetation, the following cultural and mechanical methods will be conducted routinely as part of standard proactive maintenance procedures within the City's stormwater system: • Dredging. When all or part of the ponds are at their lowest storage, the City can access the pond bottoms and edges with equipment to mechanically remove the vegetation and accumulated sediments. • Mechanical Removal by Contractor. During periods where invasive vegetation has spread too extensively at a location to be brought back under control by routine methods, a contractor may be hired with the equipment to cut and remove the vegetation by boat. • Fi.. i "i. Aeration. A fountain installed in the center of the pond provides water circulation and increases the dissolved oxygen of the water. This inhibits vegetation growth and increases the habitat quality for aquatic animals as well. • Planting Native Emergent Vegetation. Maintaining a healthy, natural shoreline of native vegetation will help prevent the pest vegetation from re-establishing and enhance the habitat and aesthetic quality of the pond. CITY OF SEBASTIAN PAGE 12 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN V. DITCHES Overview Stormwater assets classified as "ditches" includes a massive 80 mile system of open ditches. The ditch system is a massive spider web connecting most of the ponds, and canals to one another. Vegetation in the ditches assists with the infiltration of the water through the soil and stabilizes the steep banks. However, the growth of vegetation must also be controlled enough to preserve the connectivity of the entire stormwater system. Do Nothing Option The overgrowth of aquatic vegetation around in the ditches can eventually decrease their storage capacity, creating localized flooding problems. The ditch vegetation can cause very costly blockages in the road crossing culvert pipes. Many of the ditches bisect blocks of residential lots and an overgrowth of woody vegetation from the ditches threatens utility and residential structures. The tolerance threshold for pest activity, before action is taken is considered very high for ditches. Non -Chemical Methods In order to control vegetation, the following cultural and mechanical methods will be conducted routinely as part of standard proactive maintenance procedures within the City's stormwater system: • Dredging. When the ditches are at their lowest storage, the City can access the ditch bottoms with equipment and mechanically remove the vegetation and accumulated sediments. • Sediment and Erosion Control at Development Sites. In compliance with City Ordinance No. XXX (Appendix X) and the City's NPDES Permit (Appendix X), proper erosion and sediment control at all sites of development is required to be established and maintained throughout the duration of the project and is inspected regularly for compliance. Sediments directly washing off a site, and into the ditches create a mound of substrate for vegetation to establish and carry nutrients which many invasive species thrive on. These sediments can travel with stormwater and enter the canals as well. • Mowing. The City maintains a contract for mowing of all right-of-way areas and ditch banks. Mowing the ditch banks reduces the self -seeding of the pest vegetation while still allowing the vegetation to remain established as it plays an important role in stabilizing the banks and filtering nutrients and sediments. • Mow at correct height. Mowing to low can thin out and starve the vegetation and mowing too high or not often enough can facilitate the further spread of the plants. • Always mow with sharp blades and Sanitize Tools. Dull mower blades cause uneven cutting and weaken the Vegetation can easily spread among sites by hitchhiking seeds and plant fragments on un-sanitized mowing and maintenance equipment. Cleaning the these tools between areas minimizes pest transport CITY OF SEBASTIAN PAGE 13 INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN VI. FURTHER NON -CHEMICAL RECOMMENDATIONS Future Considerations In addition to the cultural and mechanical pest control methods currently being implemented within the City's stormwater conveyance system, observations of the areas and sub- committee member research prompted the following recommendations for future consideration (Figure 4): • Seawall Reconstruction. Reconstruction of seawalls that border most of the canal system. The seawalls hold back nutrient laden sediments from residential and commercial landscapes from entering the waters while keeping the banks stabilized. • Expanded Dredging of Open Water Dreas. Dredging of canal, pond, and ditch to de -muck the nutrient rich deposits that comprise the top layer of the substrate and remove seawall sediments, which readily accommodate emergent vegetation growth • Environmental Enhancements. Creation of a self -maintaining littoral shelf with native aquatic vegetation, which will provide healthy habitat and nutrient filtration for the • Pathogens. The control of some pest vegetation can be aided by pathogens such as specific bacteria or fungus, which are amended to the pesticides or the water itself. While these bioherbicides are currently under research and review, many studies have shown that they help provide more effective long-term control. • Stormwater Fee Credits. Utilize the existing Stormwater Fee Credit Program to incentivize private property owners to install a buffer zone of emergent vegetation along stormwater ponds and natural canal boundaries CITY OF SEBASTIAN PAGE 14