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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-21-2023 Joint City-County Workshop01'1017 %3ASTJ �1V HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND Joint City — County Workshop September 21, 2023 10:00 a.m. to Noon Location: North Indian River County Library Meeting Room 1001 Sebastian Boulevard Sebastian, Florida 32958 AGENDA 1. Call to Order & Introduction a. Board of County Commissioners b. City Council c. Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Expectations for Today (TCRPC) 4. Septic to Sewer a. Presentation on IRC wastewater capacity b. Current projects underway/planned c. Desired future projects d. Funding strategies e. TMDLcredits 5. Joint Use Planning— Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement 6. Regional Park and Recreation Partnership Opportunities 7. Closing Comments/Next Steps 8. Adjournment This is not a public hearing. However, if a person decides to appeal a decision made with respect to any matter considered at the above meeting, he or she may need a verbatim record of the proceedings including the testimony and evidence, which record is not provided. (Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes). Anyone who needs a special accommodation for this meeting may contact the County's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator at (772) 226-1223 at least 48 hours in advance of meeting. Anyone who needs special accommodation with a hearing aid for this meeting may contact the Board of County Commission Office at 772-226-1490 at least 20 hours in advance of the meeting. Board of County Commissioners City of Sebastian Joint City -County Workshop 1. Call to Order 'ITY of FDAT! 4 N HOME Of PELICAN ISLAND The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM by Tom lAnahan, Executive Director Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, who introduced himself as the facilitator for this meeting. 2. Introductions Introductions were made individually by all present Indian River Count• Board of Countv Commissioners Chairman Joe Earman Vice Chairman Susan Adams Commissioner Joseph E. Flescher Commissioner Deryl Loar Commissioner Laura Moss County Attorney William DeBraai County Administrator John Titkanich Citv of Sebastian City Mayor Fred Jones Vice Mayor Chris Nunn Council Member Ed Dodd Council Member Bob McPartlan Council Member Kelly Dixon City Manager Brian Benton City- Attorney Jennifer Cockcroft 3. P1edQe of Alle iQ ance Mr. Lanahan led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag 4. Exnectations for Joint Meeting Mr. Lanahan stated the importance of having an open dialogue about the current issues and stated the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, the Sebastian City Council, and the City Manager had jointly determined the topics for discussion. The Joint City d County Workshop l Thursday, Septetnb,.:r 21, 2023 objective was to discuss these topics, share perspectives, and find areas of agreement. He indicated there would be no public input taken at this meeting. 5. Sevtie to Sewer Indian River County Utility Services Director Sean Lieske, in his PowerPoint presentation titled "Septic to Sewer and Septic System Mandated OSTDS Upgrades," reviewed the number of Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTF) within the County and their capacity. He noted the Central WWTF primarily serves the Sebastian area and pointed out that there was an existing capacity of 1.1 57 MGD remaining. At this point, the County would need to start looking at expansion toward future demand with an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 single- family residence septic tanks that would need to be converted over to sewer, not including future development or annex properties. Mr. Lieske brought up House Bill (HB) 1379 and noted as part of the Bill, lots one acre or less where sewer is not available, new onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) must upgrade to enhanced nutrient -reducing OSTDS beginning January 1, 2024, unless previously permitted. Fie added existing OSTDS would be required to connect to the central sewer or upgrade to an enhanced nutrient -reducing OSTDS by July 1, 2030. He went over the estimated costs of an enhanced nutrient -reducing OSTDS, the required annual operating permit cost, and the two-year maintenance agreement. Mr. Lieske concluded his presentation by reviewing the public and private infrastructure needs when doing septic -to -sewer projects and the cost estimates for both public and private infrastructure funding options. A discussion ensued on HB 1379 and competing with counties in the entire Slate for funds due to the recent State unfunded mandate. The County planned to seek federal grant opportunities and discussed the possibility of the County and the City of Sebastian (the City) partnering as a community to sign on to the grant applications together in order to add more leverage. The City mentioned that they currently had two septic -to -sewer issues, one being the entire City and the second being the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Sector located directly along the Lagoon, which was the highest priority and was shovel -ready. They wanted to keep the two issues separate and move forward with the CRA Sector project. Further discussion was held on educating the public on the State's unfunded mandate in regard to the enhanced nutrient -reducing OSTDS, permitting and enforcement of the enhanced nutrient -reducing OSTDs, seeking funding for septic -to -sewer conversion, expanding the capacity of existing wastewater treatment facilities, and looking at a future plan to build a North County WWTF. Mr. Lieske hoped that if the County had a septic -to - sewer conversion project timeline identified within a plan, maybe it would eliminate the need to make that OSTDS upgrade. lie indicated the County would be starting an Integrated Water Joint City - County Workshop 2 Thursday, September 21, 2023 Master plan next year, and part of that plan included septic -to -sewer conversion and additional WWTFs. A suggestion was made for a Septic -to -Sewer committee. Mr. Lanahan summarized from the discussions there was a consensus for the prioritization of the CRA area septic -to -sewer conversion project, the County collaborating with the City to pursue potential grant funds for septic -to -sewer conversion, and moving forward with septic - to -sewer conversion. 6, Joint Use Planning — Interlocal, Service Boundary- Agreement Mr. Benton brought up the City Council's discussion to bring forward an area agreement in regard to the planning boundary at Indian River Boulevard from U.S. Hwy I connection to the north and U.S. Ilwy 1 connection to the south. County Administrator John Titkanich, from the County's perspective, wanted to include all areas where the boundaries abut. Mr. Lanahan spoke of his experience in doing an Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement (ISBA) and the state requirements for an ISBA. He cautioned against going too small (under 10 acres), but where a large area may seem efficient, it created a hearing process that attracted concerned parties from all areas and created a misperception that it would change a person's jurisdiction. A Joint Planning Agreement (JPA), in which any development that happened to touch another city's boundary, would commit the parties to make aware of and discuss planned projects without binding either the City or the County. Mr. Lanahan stated there was a way to roll a JPA into an ISBA, and what you may include in an ISBA: municipal service area, the unincorporated service area, identify who will provide and/or fund the provision of public safety, fire rescue, water and wastewater, road ownership, construction, and maintenance, conservation, parks and recreation, and stormwater management in the areas of discussion. A discussion followed on an ISBA and opening a line of communication between the City and the County to address issues such as the proposed hotel on Indian River Boulevard in Sebastian and the expansion of County Roads 510 and 512. A request was made for the County to include the City, acid vice versa, on its meeting notice list for committees, board meetings, and committee vacancies. Mr. Lanahan proposed to have a more formalized and durable agreement, adopted with a resolution that could withstand changes in personnel, elected officials, or administrative star'. It was a consensus for staff to explore the best mechanism for the City and the County. 7. Regional Park and Recreation Partnershiu Onvortunities Indian River County Parks and Recreation Director Beth Powell demonstrated the new Indian River County website (iridiantiver.gov) to highlight the park and recreation facilities within the County. She announced that on September 27, 2023, there would be a Kickoff Meeting for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. She stated the Master Plan would take an assessment of the County"s existing resources and identify future needs and opportunities. She said it was the County's initiative to complete this Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Joint City - County Workshop 3 Thursday, September 21, 2023 which would give the public an opportunity to provide valuable input that will guide future improvements and support the expansion of services. She concluded the plan would create a clear path for capital improvements and strengthen the County's ability to leverage available grant funds. A discussion followed on the need for additional parks and a recreation center in the Sebastian area. 8. Closing Comments/Next Steps County Administrator Titkanich, in response to a question concerning the closure of the Old Dixie Railway in Sebastian to accommodate the widening project for CR-510, stated the County would ensure the availability of a turnaround area for traffic. 9. Adiournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:57 a.m. Please note: These minutes are filed with the Clerk to the Board and are available for inspection upon request. Joint City - County Workshop 4 Thursday, September 21, 2023