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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-06-1999City of Sebastian, Florida 1225 Main Street [] Sebastian, Florida 32958 Telephone (561) 589-5330 ~ Fax (561) 589-5570 City Council Information Letter August 6, 1999 City of Sebastidh "Dele,qation" You will recall from last week's information letter, my efforts to solicit interest in City Council members joining me at upcoming presentations in both Vero Beach and Tallahassee respectively; to solicit funding to help acquire the Good Guys, Inc. property. Both Councilmembers Ed Majcher and Joe Barczyk have expressed interest in attending both meetings, which I think is fantastic. However, concern has been raised about more than one member attending any particular function, which may be construed as a possible violation of the Florida Sunshine Law. Personally, I do not see any problem with this arrangement. It is common practice for multiple elected officials to attend meetings and conferences away from cities they represent (particularly to venues such as these). As such, I would like to have the City Council consider a policy that addresses this issue. City Attorney Rich Stringer has already begun research so as to offer an opinion. Chuck Neuber,qer, 1999 Florida Lea,que of Cities Votin,q Deleflate Vice Mayor Chuck Neuberger has expressed his desire to attend the 73rd Annual Florida League of Cities Conference, August 19th - 21st in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Arrangements have been made so that the entire City Council can officially authorize this trip during your August 11th meeting. I am confident that Mr. Neuberger will represent us well! City Council Information Letter August 6, 1999 Page 2 Curbside Rec¥clin.q Collection Please find the attached correspondence from Mr. Ronald Brooks, Manager, Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District, which provides notice to the City of Sebastian of a contract extension for Recycling Collection Services at single, multi-family and mobile home units through September 30, 2000. In addition, this service will now be rendered weekly rather than bi-weekly, as the present interlocal agreement governs. Update~ Interstate 95 Construction Please find the attached memorandum from City Engineer Martha Campbell pertaining to construction activity at Interstate 95 between County Road 512 North and the Brevard County border. I realize that this area is not within our municipal limits. However, I feel that it is important for both city administration and residents to know what physical activity is taking place in this vicinity, particularly due to the fact that this exit serves as a main entrance into our community. "Waterin,q Your Florida Lawn" Yesterday, I received a copy of the attached article, "Watering Your Florida Lawn" delivered to our offices by Sebastian resident Mr. Robert Stuart. He asked if I would share this University of Florida publication with all of you, in hopes of addressing the proposed revised Water Restriction Plan, to be presented during next week's meeting. Attachments: Letter from Ronald Brooks, Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District Memorandum from Martha Campbell Handwritten Letter from Mr. Robert Stuart Article "Watering Your Florida Lawn" My Documents/InfoLetter5 INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL DISTRICT Landfill / Administration / Recycling 1325 74th Avenue SW Vero Beach, FL 32968 Phone:561-770-5112 561-770-5113 561-770-5114 Fax: 561-770-5296 July 29, 1999 Terrance Moore, City Manager City of Sebastian 1225 Main Street Sebastian, FL 32958 Re: Curbside Recycling Collection Service Assessment Fees 1840 25th Street Vero Beach, FL 32960 Phone: 561-567-8000 Ext. 300 Fax: 561-770-5143 Dear Mr. Moore: This provides notice that the Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District has extended the contract for Recycling Collection Service at single, multi-family and mobile home units through September 30, 2000. The service for single family units has been expanded to provide collection on a weekly basis rather than collection every other week. Inasmuch as the District has an interlocal agreement with your municipality for provision of this service, this service will continue in your community through September 30, 2000. If you have any questions regarding this service, please contact this office at 770-5113. Sincerely, Ronald R. Brooks, Manager Solid Waste Disposal District RRB/dc A: SEBAST-1Umsw Printed on Recycled Paper City of Sebastian 1225 MAIN STREET [] SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA 32958 TELEPHONE (561) 589-5330 [] FAX (561) 589-2566 MEMORANDUM DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: August 2, 1999 Terrence Moore, City Manager Martha S. Campbell, P.E. City Engineer 1-95 Construction There was a pre-construction held today for the resurfacing project on 1-95 between CR-512 nodh to Brevard County line. The contractor is Dickerson and work will commence on August 9, 1999. After a few weeks of clearing and fencing along the right-of-way, the contractor will start milling and resurfacing the end of August. This work will continue through to the end of the year. At this time, only day work is anticipated that will include lane closures. The POC for the project is Rodney Temple, Keith & Schnars at 561-794-7680. 8] Mr. Robert Stuart 679 biulbenv Sc Sebastian, FI' 82958~441 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA Florida Cooperative Extension Service IFAS/Indian River County Cooperative Extension Service 1028. 20Ih Place, Suite D Veto Beach, FL 32960-5360 561-770-5030 Fact Sheet ENH-9 1994 Watering Your Florida Lawn John L. Cisar, L. B. McCarty and Robed J. Black2 Water is an essential element in all living plants: · It combines with carbon dioxide and sunlight for photosynthesis. Food manufactured by photosynthesis and nutrients absorbed by the ~:o~)ts are transported by water to all parts of the plant. · Plant temperatures are maintained by transpiration of water. · Seeds need water to germinate. · Turfgrasses that have been fully watered can withstand more stress and wear. Lawn irrigation is often necessary in Florida's hot climate. Daily temperatures can be over 90°F (32.2° C) 6 months per year which muses large water losses from soils and plants. Rainfall averages 60 inches per year, but half the amount falls from June through September, often in sporadic large rainstorms. Less rainfall occum during the winter and spring. Another reason for lawn irrigation is the fact that Florida's sandy soils do not hold much water. An efficient watering program must include three basic steps: 1. determining when water is needed, 2. determining how much should be applied, and 3. deciding how water is to be applied. DETERMINING WHEN TO WATER The most efficient way to water a lawn is to apply water when it begins to show signs of stress from lack of water. The following signs are indications of water need: · Bluish-gray areas in the lawn. · Footprints or tire tracks that remain in the grass long after being made (Plate 16). · Many leaf blades folded in half (Plate 17 and Figure 1). · Soil sample from the rootzone feels dry. Prolonged dry periods of high temperatures, strong wifids, and low relative humidity cause these symptoms. During such times, plants wilt even though water may be in the soil, because they are l. This documcnt is Fact Sho~t ENH-9, a s~'i~s of thc Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Exlension Scrv/cc, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Univc~ity of Florida. This in[ormation b included in thc Florida Lav.,n Handbook, SP-45. For a c~py of this handbook, requ~t information on its purcha.se at your county extension office. Publication ~iatc: May 1991. R~vised: June 1994. 2. John L Cisar, as.sociate professor, Tud Specialist, FL Lauderdal¢ Re~.arch and Education Oxnter, L. B. McCar~, a.$.sociate professor, Commercial Turf Specialist and Robert J. Black, mate prof~s.sor, Consumer Horticultural SPeCialist, Environmental Horticulture Department, G aincsvill¢; Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science:a, University of Florida, Gain~xvitl¢ FL 3261 I. The term "prates,' whe~ used in this document, refers to color photograph~ that can be displayed on screen from CD-ROM. These photographs are not included irt the printed documcnL The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your coun~ Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida Cooperative Extension Selvice / Institute el Food and Agricultui'al Sciences / University of Florida / John T. Woeste, Dean · Watering Your Florida Lawn losing water faster than it is absorbed througb root systems. However, watering may be needed. Watering immediately when the lawn first shows signs of stress is the most economical way to water; delay can cause permanent damage. Add-on devices are available for some sprinkler systems to automatically determine when to water. Electronic moisture sensing units or tensiometers (Figure 2) allow automatic sprinkler systems to operate only when soil water is getting Iow. These devices eliminate overwatering and have potential for water savings. AMOUNT OF WATER TO APPLY The amount of water to_ ~apply at any one time varies with the amount of water present in the soil, the water-holding capacity of the soil, and drainage characteristics. An efficient watering wets only the turfgrass rootzone, does not saturate the soil and does not allow water to run off. Florida soils are typically sandy and hold 1 inch of water in the top 12 inches of soil. If the roots are in the top 12 inches of soil and the soil is dry, then 3/4-1 inch of water is required to wet the area thoroughly. This is equivalent to 465-620 gallons of water for each 1000 square feet of lawn. Generally, turfgrnsses require no more than 0.3 inches of water per day. Under extreme summer conditions, water use can be as high as 0.4 inches of water per day. During the winter when grasses are not actively grow/rig, water use can be as little as 0.05 inches of water per day. A simple watering schedule would be to apply ¥4 inch of water when the tuffgrasses show water deficiency symptoms as discussed earlier. Once this ¥4 inch of water is applied, do not apply any more until water stress symptoms are again noticeable. Typically, two to three waterings per week in the summer and once every 10-14 days in the winter are required. If rainfall occurs, irrigation should be suspended according to the rainfall amount. MANNER OF APPLYING WATER Water should never be applied at a rate faster than it can be absorbed by the soil. If the sprinkler applie~ too much water, it runs off, and is wasted. This seldom happens with small sprinklers unless the lawn is thick or the soil compacted. Page 2 Figure 1. Cross sections of grass leaves showing var/in, degrees of wiling. Left: leaf tully expanded. Center: leaves wilting and folded. Right: leaf rolled up under drought conditions. Ftgura 2. Tensiometer. Avoid extremes in watering frequency and amount. Light, frequent watering is inefficient and encourages slmllow root systems. Excessive irrigation, which keeps the root system saturated with water, is harmful to the lawn. Roots need a balance of water and air to function and grow properly. The time of watering is important. The best time for lawn irrigation is in the early morning hours. Watering during the day can waste water by excessive evaporation and during very hot periods can scald the lawn. Watering in late afternoon or late morning may be detrimental if it extends the time the lawn is naturally wet from dew. Lawn irrigation should be scheduled to avoid peak residential water demand if using municipal water. LAWN WATERING ECOLOGY To insure quality tuff, bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) and St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum [Walt.] Kuntze) need supplemental irrigation. Lack of properly timed irrigation can weaken the turfs and predispose them to weed Watering Your Florida Lawn invasion and other pest problems. Centipedegrass (Eremochloo optffuroides IMunro.] Hack.) often needs no supplemental irrigation under shaded conditions where natural rainfall and runoff is often sufficient. However, in sunny open areas, centipedegrazs may need supplemental irrigation. Bahiagrass (Paspalurn notamm Flugge.) is the southern turfgrass that when properly established and maintained requires less irrigation than the others. Improper watering of bahiagrass lawns is detrimental to turf quality and leads to weed problems. Underwatering of turf is obvious by wilting of the leaves, but overwatering is not so obvious and may show up in numerous ways. Excessive thatch buildup and constantly wet turf are signs of overwatering. The presence of pennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellata) and sedges (Cyperus spp.) indicate too much water is being applied and turf disease and other pests may invade the lawn under this situation. An efficient watering program combined with a moderate level of fertilizing and proper mowing height will produce a superior lawn. Not only will your lawn look good, but it will also be able to withstand the stresses it encounters. INSPECT SPRINKLER SYSTEM FREQUENTLY · Check sprinkler heads for an even spray pattern and direction of spray. · Check for damaged sprinkler heads, replace these if leaking. · Check that valve~ open and close properly. · Check for proper time on controller if your system has one. ~PS FOR TURFGRASS Follow these tips to reduce leaching, thus saving fertilizer. Remember, your objective is to keep water and fertilizer in the root zone of the grass for az long as possible. Page 3 Know ho,.,; much water your system applies over a time period. Simply place coffee cans in a straight line from your sprinkler lo the edge of the watering pattern (Plate 18). Turn the water on for 15 minutes and calculate the average depth of water. Multiply this number by four to determine the irrigation rate in inches per hour. Make sure your sprinkling system applies water uniformly. Don't mix head types or let the reach of two sprinklers overlap excessively. Apply no more than */4-1 inch of water per irrigation. Wait until turf stress symptoms are noticeable before applying 3/., inch of water. Watch the grass for a bluish-gray color, folded leaf blades, and/or inability to recover from foot or vehicular traffic. Don't water when rain is forecasted for your area. Don't be fooled by the word "organic." Some organic fertilizers leach as quickly as inorganic. Look for the words "slow release" and "insoluble" on the fertilizer labels. Nitrogen in this type of fertilizer will not wash away az quickly. Include potassium (K) in your fertilizer as this element is necessary to increase the turf's drought tolerance. Lime your lawn if your soil is highly acidic (a Iow pH) to reduce phosphorus solubility. Increase mowing height of lawns; this increased height allows the plant to develop a deep root system.