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09/11/2013 MARINE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES CITY OF CLEARWATER September 11, 2013 Present: Paul J. Kelley Acting Chair Tom Calhoun Board Member Donald O. McFarland Board Member Paul E. Lightfoot Board Member Eric D. Spaulding Board Member Jane Davison Bongo Board Member Absent: Tim Trager Chair Also Present: Camilo Soto Assistant City Attorney William Morris Marine & Aviation Department Director Patricia O. Sullivan Board Reporter The Acting Chair called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2 — Minutes Approval — June 12, 2013 Changes were requested to Item 4.3. Consensus was for paragraph one, sentence two to read "Discussion ensued and concern was expressed that wake surfing activity and fast large and small boats . . ." and to delete sentence two in paragraph two. Member Bongo moved to approve the minutes of the Marine Advisory Board meeting of June 12, 2013, as amended. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3 —Citizens to be Heard re Items Not the Agenda: None. 4 - Old Business: None. 5 - New Business 5.1. Gulf fisheries and Restore Act Update —Charter Boat Captain Mike Colby Charter Boat Captain Mike Colby, president of the Clearwater Marine Association, discussed the Restore Act. He said many groups have identified projects for funding with Pinellas County's portion of the final payout. He recommended the money remain in escrow to address unforeseen environmental impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill when they occur. He said partners, such as the Charter Fisherman Association and Clearwater Marine Aquarium, could provide stewardship and education if funded. Mr. Colby discussed the pros and cons of Florida's new responsibility for the regional management of recreational fishing for red snapper. The State is establishing bag limits and opening and closing dates for the season. The Federal government has retained oversight of accountability, paybacks for overfishing, and minimal length. He said while the change will provide more flexibility in choosing management measures, the allocation of red snapper could be contentious with no guarantee that regions will not overfish. He expressed concern that additional Marine Advisory 2013-09-11 1 enforcement, enhanced data collection, and oversight resources may not be available and there is no guarantee that federally permitted charter boats will have access to the State fishery. Mr. Colby reported the Gulf Queen and Double Eagle are participating in a 2-year pilot program of restricted year-round fishing for red snapper and gag grouper, using VMS (Vessel Monitoring Systems). He said sector allocation remains under consideration. Marine & Aviation Department Director Bill Morris requested board members to submit ideas for use of Restore Act funds, stating he wanted funds for dredging. Recommendations included adding Beach Marina parking to help businesses and for Economic Development involvement in the decision as the spill impacted local businesses and boat manufacturing. Mr. Morris will ask the Sailing Center regarding its needs. 5.2. Ts on groins at Shephard's Beach Resort & Quality Hotel Beach Resort Joe Burdette, representing Shephard's Beach Resort and Quality Hotel Beach Resort, said the Sand Key jetty is responsible for erosion that washed sand away from the hotels' beaches. He said the hotels hired a premier engineer who designed a renourishment project that would cause sand to accrete naturally back to the beaches by adding Ts to the end of each hotel's groin and constructing a new groin with a T between them. He said the hotels will pay all costs for the project. New construction will not extend past the end of existing groins and will not force boats to anchor in deeper water. He reviewed necessary government approvals. Quality Beach Resort General Manager Manny Oliver said visitors expect a beach front hotel property to have a beach; current conditions diminish the hotel's value and discourage guests from returning. Discussion ensued with comments the project will have a positive economic impact on the hotel properties; similar projects have been effective. It was stated the board should have received background information prior to the meeting. In response to a concern that the groins may restrict boat traffic, it was felt any difficulty boaters face accessing the area between the groins would be short term until the area between the groins fills with sand. It was recommended that the project be brought back to the MAB (Marine Advisory Board) before it is presented to the City Council for final approval. In response to questions, Mr. Morris reviewed the expired plan to renourish this beach and said the Army Corps of Engineers does not anticipate this project will be detrimental to the channel. Mr. Burdette said obtaining necessary permits will take approximately one year and require engineering studies that cost between $30,000 and $40,000. He said after the permit process, the City will retain its right to refusal. He said the previous renourishment attempt was abandoned after some partners withdrew from the project. Member Spaulding moved that the MAB supports the proposal to renourish the beach by adding Ts to the groins in Clearwater Pass in front of Shephard's Beach Resort and Quality Hotel Beach Resort and constructing an additional groin in between. The motion was duly seconded. Members Calhoun, Spaulding, Bongo, and Acting Chair Kelley voted "Aye"; Members McFarland and Lightfoot voted "Nay." Motion carried. Mr. Burdette said the project will be brought back to the MAB after permits are approved. 5.3. Clearwater Basin Marina High & Dry—Todd Pressman Todd Pressman, representative for the applicant, requested the MAB recommend approval of a high and dry at the Clearwater Basin Marina; a boat storage facility previously was on this site. Marine Advisory 2013-09-11 2 He said the CDB (Community Development Board) had concerns that the project was too large and about other issues. He said he met with neighbors and a nearby business owner. He said the applicant is revising the proposal by reducing the footprint, maintaining the elevation, and addressing neighbor concerns regarding insulation, facility activity, and the location of moving doors. He said there is a significant need in Clearwater for additional boat slips. In response to questions, he said staff did not object to parking plans. David McComas, representative for the applicant, presented a project drawing and stated the facility would store boats up to 36 feet. He said the facility would have no commercial uses or sell fuel. He said there is more local demand for boat slips than supply and this is the only opportunity in the market to build this type of facility. In response to questions, Mr. Morris said a high and dry would not compete with City boat docks due to a limited number of smaller slips at City marinas. He reported Planning Staff had recommended denial of the project as it is not consistent with the Downtown Plan. Current zoning does not permit this type of development; zoning was changed after the previous high and dry was razed. The MAB is not being requested to consider zoning but to decide if a boat storage facility would benefit the boating community. Discussion ensued with comments that boaters sometimes cannot access the Seminole Boat Ramp due to heavy use and many people say they need a place to store their boat. It was stated the MAB should defer zoning issues to the CDB, but from the marine perspective, a boat storage facility seems to be something the boating community needs. Member Calhoun moved that the MAB agrees that a boat storage facility at the Clearwater Basin Marina would benefit the boating community. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 6 - Agenda for next meeting on December 11, 2013 1) Written update re Clearwater Pass groin project Items not on the Agenda Mr. Morris reported a CIP (Capital Improvement Project) was established for dredging and waterway maintenance; staff has started the permit application process for the next dredging project. The channel to Clearwater Pass from the Marina needs frequent dredging. Also, the Dunedin Pass Channel needs dredging to remove "lumps and bumps" and shoaling reported by area residents and boaters. It was recommended that future presentations be limited to 10 minutes. 7 - Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 9:47 a.m. Attest: Board Repo Marine Advisory 2013 -09 -11 Chair —" Marine Advisory Board 3