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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-03-2021 IPM MinutesINTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FL MAY 3, 2021 I. Call to Order -- The meeting was called to order by Mr. Benton at 2:00 p.m. II. Pledoe of Allegiance was recited by all. III. Roll call Present Mr. Griffin (Zoom) Ms. Callaghan (Zoom) Dr. Cox Absent Ms. Munroe — Excused Mr. Carrano -- Excused Mr. Sladelman -- Excused (?) Also Present: Brian Benton, Leisure Services Director Kim Haigler, Environmental Planner Joseph Perez, AV Technical Assistant Janet Graham, Technical Writer (Zoom) IV. Aooroval of Minutes -- March 22, 2021 Chairman Benton asked if everyone had a chance to review the Minutes as presented. All indicated they had. Mr. Benton called for a motion. A motion approving the March 22, 2021 Minutes as presented was made by Dr. Cox, seconded by Mr. Griffin, and approved unanimously via voice vote. V. Announcements -- None VI. Public Input -- None VII. New Business A. Amended Meeting Schedule i. Five new dates added through July 19� INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 2 MINUTES OF MAY 3, 2021 MEETING Ms. Haigler explained that the present meeting schedule ended today. She has scheduled additional meetings as follows: Monday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m.; Monday, May 24 at 2:00 p.m.; Monday, June 14 at 2:00 p.m.; Monday, June 28 at 2:00 p.m.; and Monday, July 19 at 2:00 p.m. Mr. Benton stated the original calendar stated there would be a meeting on Monday, July 12; however, because he had a conflict with that date, that was corrected so the meeting date was changed to July 19. Ms. Haigler asked if any Sub -Committee members have any conflicts. All indicated they had none. Mr. Benton called for a motion to approve the calendar. A motion approving the calendar setting forth the last date of July 19'h was made by Mr. Griffin, seconded by Ms. Haigler, and approved unanimously via voice vote. Mr. Benton called for anyone from the public who wished to speak on this item. Seeing no one in chambers and hearing no one on Zoom, Mr. Benton moved to the next item on the agenda. B. AVC Spraying Contract Summary January, February and March added to presentation from January 11'h meeting Ms. Haigler made a PowerPoint presentation and explained that this presentation was first made at the January 11' , 2021 meeting. At that time, the December spraying was discussed as well as the data from Applied Aquatics. Now that a few more months have passed, she reviewed all data to date to identify where some trends are happening. She began with December, during which the ponds and the canals were treated. Mostly treated were torpedo grass, Salvinia, hyacinths, and cattails. Torpedo grass was the one most recently treated that month. Seven gallons of chemicals were used. Of that, 4.8 gallons were actually herbicides, and the balance were the adjuvants. The total cost was $1,789.00. Mr. Benton emphasized that the total cost included labor, equipment, and chemicals. Ms. Haigler continued, and in January the most frequently treated pest was the Salvinia. That was three times. Also added was the Stormwater Park at that time, where they just treated for cattails, torpedo grass, and primrose -willow along the shoreline. Also treated was the Brazilian pepper for the first time. There were 10.8 gallons total. Of that, 4.4 gallons were herbicides, and 6.4 gallons were adjuvants. Total cost was $3,150.00. In February, the most frequently treated pest was the cattails in four different locations. That included some in the ponds and in the canals. There were 5.1 gallons of chemicals applied. Of that, 3 gallons were herbicides, and 2.1 gallons were adjuvants. Total cost was $2,229.00. For March the most frequently treated pest was the alligator weed. That was treated at three different locations. Also treated was the Brazilian pepper again as well as the torpedo grass. There were 20.8 gallons applied. That high number is mainly because in March they did a test treatment of WOW. They sprayed 15 gallons of WOW past Hardee Park to CR 512. Last week the contractor INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 3 MINUTES OF MAY 3, 2021 MEETING revisited the site and reported that WOW only burned the vegetation and was minimally effective for the amount that was used. They sprayed with a higher pressure to get better mist coverage, and they sprayed fairly heavily with it. She reminded all that this is the all - natural product, including peppermint oil. The summary was that the damage done was the same as if they had used just adjuvants like the mentholated oil or citrus oil except that those will do that much damage at a much lower rate. So that is not something they would recommend using again going forward. She emphasized that there were good results using the WOW on terrestrial in the parks and properties. An adjuvant was not used with the WOW, as the contractor stated the WOW is not effective with the adjuvant added. In the four -month summary, the adjuvants applied were 13.5 gallons. Herbicides applied were 15.2 gallons. The WOW was 15 gallons. She stated the WOW is a safer product, but since so much more of the natural product is needed to be used, and it is not yet known what effect that much peppermint oil could have if it were continued to be used. In the four months the most frequently treated pest was the torpedo grass. She added that pretty much in every area that was treated it was necessary to treat torpedo grass. The main problem AVC feels they are having with treating it is that the most accepted method of control is with a mixture of chemicals which increases selectivity, reduces effects on the non -target pests, and increases effectiveness. So this is one of those pests that is really controlled by this mixture with imazapyr, and mostly glyphosate is mixed with some imazapyr, and in that way it is completely safe for the non -targets. So imazapyr was used on torpedo grass and some alligator weed. When that is done, there can be very little sprayed on the edges because, if they get too close to the shoreline and there are any trees on the shore, it will affect their roots and will damage the trees. She reminded all that the reason they are not using glyphosate is because it was requested by City Council that they not use it for aquatics at this time when they first approved the contract. The glyphosate alone is not effective on the torpedo grass and other grasses. The imazapyr alone will kill it, but at the concentration it would take to kill it, it will kill so many other things. It is very non -selective. The contractor also said that there are some larger contracts that they have, and if lheyjust use imazapyr orjust glyphosate on treating torpedo grass on their data sheets, they will be told to go back and correct it and spray it correctly because that means that they have to revisit that site multiple times, and that is why the same places are being treated month after month for the torpedo grass. It is not controlling it; it is still a problem, and they have to keep treating it because they do not have the right combination. Another piece of data that she discovered in her research shows that the chemicals and the adjuvants are actually mixed with a lot of water. So when people say they saw the areas being sprayed were being sprayed with gallons and gallons of liquid, there were INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 4 MINUTES OF MAY 3, 2021 MEETING only ounces of chemicals entered on the treatment sheets. As an example, one employee of AVC actually wrote out how much water was used at Hardee Park in January. There were 2-1/2 acres of Salvinia and hyacinths mixed, and there were 1.25 gallons of diquat and 1.25 gallons of adjuvant, and 250 gallons of water were used. The actual chemicals used are only a small percentage of the liquid that was sprayed. She called for questions/comments from the Sub -Committee members. Dr. Cox asked if glyphosate and imazapyr are not being used, what is being used? Ms. Haigler stated it is imazapyr by itself. But when the outer edge is sprayed, it is so non- selective it gets some of the other native vegetation. So the employee cannot spray anything that is close to the shoreline because it can affect other emergents and trees. She also said that imazapyr persists for a long period in the soil and travels in the soil. Dr. Cox clarified that glyphosate is not being used presently, but the contractor would prefer to use it at some time. Ms. Haigler stated yes. She further explained that, in looking at the label uses, it says how imazapyr is to be used for aquatics. It tells you the recommended combination, and it explains why. Dr. Cox stated it is going to take a long time till the invasives are eradicated completely. Ms. Callaghan asked if the contractor provides more data than what is shown on the slides in terms of where we are on the control and effectiveness of what has been applied. Ms. Haigler stated the best way to measure effectiveness is how often treatment is needed for the same plant in the same area. There are different technicians out there every time, and it is not something measurable. She added that when she summarized Applied Aquatics data she went in depth more, as we had a full year's data. But she does have the data for Hardee Park, and that area was treated four times for torpedo grass in six months. In this section of the canal hyacinths were treated three times in six months. She suggested it was helpful when the Applied Aquatics data were looked at that way. By the next meeting she opined that she should have another month of data sheets. Ms. Callaghan stated that would be very helpful. Dr. Cox asked if the PowerPoint slides are on the website. Ms. Haigler stated she always posts every presentation that has been done. Mr. Benton called for public input on this agenda item. Seeing no one in chambers and hearing no one on Zoom, he moved to the next item on the agenda. C. New Pests at Garden Club Park Lygodium microphyllum (Old World Climbing Fem) Nyphoides cristata (Crested Floating Heart) INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 5 MINUTES OF MAY 3, 2021 MEETING Ms. Haigler put photos of these pests on the monitor. She stated staff was contacted by James Gillenwakers from AVC last week about a new pest that had appeared that has never been in our system before. It is not common to this region presently. It is very invasive. It can be seen in dense mats. It spreads very fast like almost the growth rate of hyacinths where it is exponential. It can grow very fast once it establishes. What was unique about this is the location where it showed up. When we had the mechanical demonstration by the Weedo where they did the demonstration at Garden Club Park, the little piece of shoreline where they came in and cut the cattails is the only place that this has appeared right now. Considering that it is nowhere else in the City's system, it is a fair conclusion that it was brought in by unsterilized equipment when it was brought in to do the demo. Also, right near there up in the trees is Old World Climbing Fem. The Climbing Fern is located in a few places within the City, but nowhere around there. Regarding the Crested Floating Heart, it usually is in deeper water, and it usually forms a very dense mat quickly. Staff caught it very early. Thankfully, since it was found early, it can be controlled. Mr. Gillenwalters found it, contacted staff, and asked about using it before he used a chemical he does not normally use, just to make sure it was okay. It is an approved aquatic called ProcellaCOR, and it is on our chemicals list. Although we are getting to it early, now we have to spray this mixture that is pretty non -selective over this small area in order to control it. So, some of the emergent vegetation there will be lost. In addressing the Old World Climbing Fern, Ms. Haigler stated that sometime ago it was only in a couple places in the City. Jane Schnee contacted Ms. Haigler and sent her a map of locations where she had spotted it. Ms. Haigler has built on that map over time. Most of the locations are within Collier Club, the bridge that goes over the San Sebastian River outfall area. She saw one small area over by the Stormwater Park, but now it is over in other areas. It is disturbing because what it does is sort of like we have seen Kudzu do, how it climbs straight up and makes a sort of wall. It goes straight up the trees, chokes off the trees and kills them. It also becomes a conduit for fire, so if any sort of small f re broke out, it would bring that fire straight to the crown of the trees and kill them and thus spread the fire faster. So, it is considered a problem in many ways. It is also in the same area in Garden Club Park. So they are going to treat both these pests the same way. She thought since they were two pests that had not been discussed previously, it was worth bringing them up and discussing them, especially the vector by which they arrived there. That goes to the importance of sterilizing equipment, and there was no way City staff would have known that the equipment would not have been sterilized by the company doing the demo. Dr. Cox asked what was used on the Old World Climbing Fern. Ms. Haigler stated she has heard that only glyphosate will work, but they are using ProcellaCOR, and the INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 6 MINUTES OF MAY 3, 2021 MEETING contractor believes that it will work. One of the problems with Old World Climbing Fern is that it has many spores on the back of the plant. So, if you try to move it mechanically or by hand, millions of spores fly off of it, and it spreads rapidly. So it really has to be killed in place before it is removed. Ms. Callaghan suggested adding these two pests to the pest list in our IPM document. Ms. Haigler said these two pests would be added to the pest list. She said that Old World Climbing Fern will be very hard to eradicate, but it can be controlled. As to the Crested Floating Heart, it is such a small area and it was caught early, and she thinks it can be eradicated from that area. Ms. Callaghan asked if the plan is not to include the Crested Floating Heart in the pest list. Ms. Haigler stated that when the first Parks and Properties IPM Plan was created, there was the list of the main pests, and then she proposed that every year an annual report would be done, and when the other pests are discovered, their information will be added into an appendix as an occasional pest. She would recommend adding the Old World Climbing Fern at this time. Mr. Benton called for further questionstcomments from Sub -Committee members. Hearing none, he called for anyone who wished to speak on Item C, New Pests at Garden Club Park. Seeing no one in chambers and hearing no one on Zoom, he moved to the next item on the agenda. Vill. Old Business -- None IX. Sub -Committee Members Matters Dr. Cox reviewed that at the last meeting it was discussed that negotiations are in progress with AVC regarding extension of their contract. He asked where we are with that contract. Mr. Griffin stated they have a contract for a one-year period of time. So far staff are pleased with the work they are doing. He is very much appreciative of the fact that these two new invasive species were caught early on. He stated staff will continue to evaluate AVC, and when it is time to review the contract staff will look closely at them and make sure that there is a new contract or renewal in place in plenty of time so that there is no gap in coverage. Dr. Cox asked Mr. Griffin if he would be amenable to some of the Sub -Committee members reviewing the contract as it is developed. Mr. Griffin stated he would be, if available. He stated he will bring the draft document to the Sub - Committee. Ms. Haigler added that, just like with the Parks and Properties IPM Plan, it was put in the appendix a stipulation that the contractor agrees to follow the terms of the IPM Plan, which itemizes the main steps that they have to follow. They got a copy of the IPM Plan, and they know how they were to conform to it. So, what is being done now is essentially part of that contract. Mr. Benton added that staff piggybacked off of the South INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT SUB -COMMITTEE PAGE 7 MINUTES OF MAY 3, 2021 MEETING Florida Water Management District contract. Dr. Cox stated that when he saw the Port St. Lucie contract, it was a lot of pages, segment by segment, and chemical by chemical, etc. It listed everything in great detail, and it was an impressive document. X. Staff Matters Mr. Griffin thanked Ms. Haigler for her work and Mr. Gillenwalter's for addressing the very concerning, invasive, rapidly growing species very quickly. Ms. Haigler said the Earth Day Celebration was very successful, and there were a lot of questions regarding the IPM program. She had the Parks and Properties IPM Plan out on the NRB table in plastic covers, and a lot of people stopped and went through it and asked questions. Even though people may not be participating in the meetings, they are following, and they do know what is going on. XI. Items for Next Aaenda — May 10, 2021 A. Chemical Methodology B. AVC Breakdown by the Sites Treated XII. Adjournment There being no further business, Mr. Benton called for a motion to adjourn. A motion to adjourn was made by Dr. Cox, seconded by Ms. Haigler, and approved unanimously via voice vvootttee... Meeting was adjourned at 2:37 p.m. By 6% `-� �/ Date: ✓/°� 'S�a d a jg