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08/26/1996 (2) . " ! ,_..'____......~...~...__,_..,..."......' , ' :/", . . 1 ,f ,l ,.,' " ' ; \ I.c":: ,', -. ,I~.., , . ,. , ' , , '. c " >',. J , " t '.'" ,... > ... " > . {>'.'.> < ;,', I , . c ,'., . ' , " , , c , . "."" ' ""~'..,-<{. .....IV~. t;!,...~.~.l.r~,...I,. .~.:............"..,..~.t....J~~"n~'ft..,"...,f~!jI.f".;....JIof.....;;'"':fr.-'~'t..l.,"':~~' c:"r~'~ ";.d'''< ~,"', . "',' " ; ",. , . ".. .' I . , , }.. > < ' , ' NGCTT NORTH GREENWOOD COMMUNITY TASK TEAM MINUTES Date . I ~\ lO " . , ' " "'-' "\ ,':': ....' "", : ",>:" ',,' .',"',," ,.~~',::"'.',,..,,;,",:::,":,,~'.',. "'" ",:' ,,'::((;.',,-," " ,', '" """"", ',." ", ',: :,>,,~, ":"\'1,," 1't,. ,,' ,',','," ,',,' ""'-":'1 1 '\: " , ' " ' ,,' , .' " , t . ..'" " , . "', ' Scott Shuford Alan Ferri Daniel Mayer Teresa Finch Brenda Moses Chair Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member Recreation Supervisor II Assistant Economic Development Director Deputy City Manager Special Assistant to the City Manager/Community Response Team Director of Central Permitting Economic Development Director Engineering Environmental Researcher Environmental Programs Supervisor Board Reporter ( . ~. .', I, ' , ~ -: . .' ,~\. . '. ' ,,',:"\>J,,;,:,',' :,,:,:::-:~.:( :,' . , ,.,c .' : .c.'. , , ~ . ~ r NORTH GREENWOOD COMMUNITY TASK TEAM CITY OF CLEARWATER August 26, 1996 Present: Reverend William Graham MacArthur Boykins Dennis Golden Mayme Hodges Mary Samuel Samuel Collie AI Hinson Michael Holmes Kathy S. Rice Lt. Jeff Kronschnabl Absent: ' Tal Rutledge Bertha Kelley Joe Marshall David Grice Beverly Bryant Reverend Lucius Pitts, Jr. Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member o The meeting was called to order by Reverend William Graham at 6:34 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Center, 1201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave,nue, Clearwater, Florida. To provide continuity. the items listed were not necessarily discussed in that order. Ms. Rice introduced Terry Finch, Environmental Programs Supervisor and Dan Mayer, Research Environmentalist. Ms. Rice reviewed steps being taken by the City at the Marshall Street AWT Facility at Stevenson's Creek. Improvements and enhancements included: Installed odor control misting device on influent structure Installed odor control misting devices on primary tanks Installed two roll-up doors on belt press building Redirected truck on morning route R~piped bayfront sewage line for odor control Covered open influent channels for odor control Collect, duct and neutralize ,influent odor o The influent structures bring raw sewage into the plant. The primary tanks are the large tanks that hold the sewage in the first phase of the digesters. Two roll-up doors were installed on the belt press building to reduce noise levels. The truck on the morning mNGC08d.96 1 08/26/96 , , .' <-. c' " ,. " ~ " .' > \:,}':\ I ~ .' ' , , ' I . .'. . ' " ~ ~. ... :., c' ~ route was redirected because they came in early in the morning and disturbed residents. Open channels that collect raw sewage coming into the plant were covered to control the odor. Other influent odors have been neutralized. Ms. Rice asked if any neighbors living near Stevenson's Creek noticed the improvements this past month. Some residents said they noticed the improvement in odor and noise. Initial short term issues suggested to improve Stevenson's Creek included: Brazilian pepper removal Outfalls Littoral shelf plantings Community dock Community small boat launch area ,Educational programs for community on best management of stormwater runoff Ms. Finch said Brazilian pepper removal is being considered for private properties east of Betty Lane to north of Stevenson's Creek. They are noxious plants and can cause allergy problems, and overtake other forms of vegetation. When the peppers are removed, low~growing shoreline grasses can be planted. Ms. Rice said the City will look into employment of neighborhood children to help with shoreline plantings. Residents said they want to be able to see the water and do not want bushes or tall vegetation planted in place of'the peppers. ;:.) Outfalls were discussed. It was explained an outfall is a stormwater pipe, which can bring water from other areas. There are ways water can be held in catch basins until cleaned to prevent materials from going into the creek, and depositing undesirable nutrients. Investigating stormwater sub-bases to determine how much water is getting into the system must be done in order to retrofit stormwater outfalls and put structures in place to clean mechanical equipment. Fish and other debris also become trapped in storm water pipes at high tide and create unpleasant odors. Educational programs on managing storm water runoff would be beneficial to residents throughout the City. Ms. Rice asked if a community dock or small boat launch area for recreational purposes would be of interest to residents. The dock would be placed on public property for maintenance purposes. Residents were not interested in boat docks. Initial long term issues suggested included: Watershed management plan Addressing salvage/junk yard runoff Inventory septic tank system Dredging studies and actual dredging of the creek Removal of silt from shallow pockets City to help homeowners with asbestos siding removal ' ."'"" U Ms. Finch noted Stevenson's Creek has been dredged in the past. She said as creeks age, sediment and debris are deposited in the mouth of the creek. Urbanization, construction practices, building too close to creeks, and dumping oil and debris accelerates mNGC08d.96 2 08/26/96 fi\ " {~ .,....1 ,1""Io-t... u " the aging process. Ms. Finch said permitting agencies generally do not grant permits for debris removal or dredging based solely on the natural aging process of the creek. The alternative is to use the urbanization approach in order to obtain permitting. Ms. Finch said the state will not grant a permit for dredging unless assurances are made that sediment deposits will not take place as quickly in the future. Agencies will also require provisions for other treatment areas or catch basins as preventive measures. A watershed management plan addressing treatment ponds in the upper reaches of the basin for sediment and pollution control would be included in the permitting application process. The Core of Engineers, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Pinellas County Water and Navigation Control Authority, The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, and the Agency on Bay Management will be involved. The permitting process is lengthy, may take up to 2 years, and no assurances can be given that all permits will be granted. In conjunction with the permitting process, it is necessary to address issues involving slowing the aging process. Residents throughout the City must be educated on proper use and disposal of herbicides, pesticides and other materials. A question arose about dredging funds from the Penny for Pinellas tax. Although no funds were anticipated to come from the Penny for Pinellas project, funds may be derived from stormwater fees that are collected with monthly utility bills. It was suggested working with the county, state and SWFWMD, (Southwest Florida Water Management District) to obtain additional funds. Mr. Mayer said dredging may need to be done west of Alt 19 to get better action and maximum stream flow in the Stevenson's Creek area. A feasibility analysis is necessary before the permitting process begins. It was noted dredging depth is dependent upon the methods used and the desired results. A resident noted they wanted to ensure the 1700 block of Stevenson's Creek would be positively affected by dredging done in other areas. A question arose regarding the creek work done by the City between Betty Lane up to Franklin Street. Ms. Finch said the work done in that area was a flood control project. She said pipes have been enlarged and work done on inlets on Harbor Drive since the "nopname" storm. A resident said after heavy rains, water approaches the top of retention devices in the creek in some areas, and affects household sanitation usage. Residents are encouraged to inform the City of any known drainage problems. Mr. Boykins said it is important for citizens to be sure dredging is the answer to the existing Stevenson's Creek problems. Residents stressed they felt dredging Stevenson's Creek should be the City's number one priority, and asked that the permitting process begins immediately. Residents want to be involved in the entire process. Mr. Boykins asked if residents felt the Stevenson's Creek issue was related to the Marshall Street facility. No specific response was given, except residents restated they felt Stevenson's Creek needs to be dredged. Ms. Finch noted it is more difficult and more expensive to solve the Stevenson's Creek problems due to the fact the creek directly discharges into a salt water environment. There are no other creeks within the jurisdiction of Clearwater that have this unique situation. Ms. Hodges said studies have already been done on the creek and she asked if the results could be utilized. Ms. Finch said a small amount of water quality work has been done and more feasibility analyses are necessary before obtaining permits. mNGC08d.96 3 08/26/96 .........'+., Removal of Brazilian peppers along the shoreline Littoral shelf replanting employing neighborhood children whenever possible Residents want Stevenson's Creek to become pristine and enjoyable Residents want the City to take the necessary steps to begin the dredging process immediately Residents want to be involved in all aspects of the process The City will begin conducting feasibility studies prior to application for permits An invitation will be extended to Chief Klein to attend the September 9, 1996 meeting ~ It was suggested providing a detailed stormwater quality plan to the appropriate agencies to expedite the permitting process. SWFWMD will require removal of the Brazilian peppers along the shoreline, and a stormwater maintenance schedule for keeping catch basins and infrastructure free of sediment and debris. Ms. Finch said it will take time to complete analyses and paperwork. Ms. Rice summarized action items: Enlargement of the Marshall Street plant was discussed. Residents asked a request be made to the Commission not to enlarge the facility for any further affluent wastewater treatment. Residents would like to see the new site plans. It was noted site plans are available for public view at the Municipal Services Building. tU:; 'l,~ Reverend Graham asked about soil studies on Stevenson's Creek. Mr. Mayer said the City is in the process of doing core studies on soil in various areas surrounding the creek. Preliminary analyses were good. No raw sewage was found to have been flowing into the creek. Ms. Finch said test results can be made available to residents. A concern about animal control was discussed. A resident asked for help with a cat problem. Lt. Kronschnabl will work with animal control to try to resolve the problem. A drainage problem was discussed on Garden Avenue where it turns to Hart. It was noted areas with older trees shedding leaves can create problems. It was noted there is a parking problem at Christ Temple on North Greenwood. Church members have parking problems on Tuesday and Friday nights, and on Sunday. Friday nights are a real problem. It was requested the City consider signage for parking. u Residents said the teen club is a major problem in the Greenwood community. A question arose whether anything can be done about the club. The City has regulations for occupational licensing and if criteria is met, businesses are granted permits. Mr. Shuford said unless the club becomes a public nuisance or enough violations are filed, occupational licenses cannot be revoked. If residents are concerned and they have valid complaints the club has violated laws, they can inform the City. Lt. Kronschnabl is working with Rob Surette, the Assistant City Attorney, to develop effective tools to legally revoke licenses of business who have frequent disorderly conduct and drug offense problems. The community can boycott the club to indicate their displeasure. A resident suggested mNGC08d.96 4 08/26/96 The meeting recessed at 8:08 p.m. " ~', .:':~;:' ;,~"':',:'::/;:i,3?~':";~::'>.::' ~ condemning the property. Mr. Shuford said if the club did not meet code compliance requirements, condemnation could be addressed. Mr. Boykins mentioned there was a near riot over the weekend. He understood an incident occurred where someone was maced and several people were arrested. Some ' people said police brutality was involved. Another incident involving a young man occurred. He is in a coma. Mr. Boykins said these types of activities make his business and other types of businesses in the community look bad. He said the community is not proud of lots of things that occur in the community, and stated policing and other preventive measures must be addressed. Business owners have the responsibility to become involved to alleviate these situations. Mr. Boykins feels there must be some type of community response to remedy the problems. It was noted some police officers in the community are volunteers, and it was suggested paid officers may be more effective. Ms. Rice said Chief Klein is very concerned about community issues and she will invite him to the September 9, 1996 meeting. The meeting was called to order at 8: 19 p.m. by Reverend Graham. t~ "....J A question arose regarding the reasoning behind the way the City changed waste collection at apartment complexes. Costs have risen and containers must be full before they are emptied. Ms. Rice will speak to the Solid Waste Department to obtain details. Lt. Kronschnabl said Bob Brumback, Director of Solid Waste, is working on an amendment to the code relating to waste receptacles. Reverend Graham reminded everyone the next meeting is September 9, 1996, at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Center. Ms. Hodges moved to adjourn at 8:26 p.m. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ~JtI~oBrJ~ Chair Attest: ' ~JJ1 M>>r /) oard Reporter o mNGC08d.96 5 08/26/96 " ."{' "'" ", ", I