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05/15/1996ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD CITY OF CLEARWATER May 15, 1996 Present: Jill Melkonian Chair Allan Stowell Board Member Rich Baier City Engineer Tom Miller Asst. Director Engineering/Environmental Terry Finch Environmental Program Supervisor Gwen Legters Board Reporter Absent: Whitney Gray Vice Chair Anne Garris Board Member Lisa Lanza Board Member Mike Foley Board Member Alan Smith Board Member To provide continuity, the items are listed in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in City Hall. The meeting recessed to wait for a quorum. The meeting reconvened at 4:15 p.m. without a quorum. The Chair requested guests to make their presentations for the benefit of the public, but explained no action could be taken by the board. Minutes Approval - April 17, 1996 -- No action taken due to lack of a quorum. City Correspondence a. Agenda Memo from Chair to Tom Miller -- Worksheet copied to board. b. Response from Mayor Garvey -- Mayor affirmed the City supports fund raising efforts to purchase Camp Soule if the Boy Scouts are willing to sell. Staff was directed not to use utility bill stuffers to determine public interest in reclaimed water because experience has shown them not to be effective. Staff is compiling lists of those expressing interest and can be reached by phone at 562-4747, or in the new offices at 100 South Myrtle Avenue. c. EAB Action Memo to City Commission re Mangrove Legislation -- Chair thanked Mr. Miller and staff for preparing the memo, indicating it was a good vehicle for transmitting board action to the City Commission. d. Memorial Causeway Bridge LIG -- Letter from Mayor Garvey forwarding invitation and response form to Chair. Letter from City Engineer Rich Baier forwarding LIG information to Shelly Allen, Pinellas County Aquatic Preservation Manager. Chair received minutes and project update form from the first LIG meeting. Chair is unable to attend the May 23 LIG meeting. Member Stowell will attend on behalf of the board. e. Downtown Lake Memo -- Mr. Miller reported early concept studies are incomplete and requested postponing EAB review until more information is available. Staff will agenda this item prior to City Commission review. f. Board Attorney Memo -- Ms. Dougall-Sides reported she is unable to attend today’s meeting due to a schedule conflict regarding Florida Bar certification requirements. g. Marina Awards -- Certificate and cover memo from Harbormaster Bill Held regarding the Governor’s Environmental Education Award presented to the Clearwater Marina for the “Vessel Sewage Pump Out System” program. Regular Agenda a. Charting the Course for Tampa Bay -- Update Dick Eckenrod, Tampa Bay National Estuary Program (TBNEP) Mr. Eckenrod reported the last town meeting culminated four years of research into Tampa Bay and the plan on how to address it. A summary of Charting the Course for Tampa Bay was advertised in newspapers and distributed to libraries, schools and citizen action centers and he conducted meetings with six or seven focus groups to gain input. He received over 800 constructive comments from the public. He felt this was a good indication of public interest in the plan and the important role the TBNEP will have in future bay management. Before the end of this year, Mr. Eckenrod will bring the plan to the Clearwater City Commission for approval at a work session that will include key City and EAB staff. Approvals will be needed from his policy committee, the EPA administrator Carol Browner, and the Governor. He anticipated the final signing ceremony in February or March, 1997. He relayed details of drafting the final plan for an implementing agreement to include goals and a time line. Specific plans will be drawn up with local agencies to aid cooperation on all levels. He invited the public to call his office in St. Petersburg at 893-2765 to receive copies of the flyer mentioned above. In response to questions, Mr. Eckenrod stated with this high level of local government involvement, TBNEP has taken the lead in estuary programs nationwide. The first national estuary program was started in 1987 through the Clean Water Act and TBNEP was named to the program in 1990. The act established 11 or 12 estuaries in which to begin a new approach to resource management, by involving stakeholders from the bottom up. The program now involves 27 estuaries. He responded to questions regarding State and local approving agencies and funding. In response to a question, Mr. Eckenrod provided historical background since the first Bay Area Scientific Symposium in 1982, when it was realized the bay needed to be recognized and managed as an ecosystem. A study of the Future of Tampa Bay was conducted under the tutelage of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Counsel (TBRPC). As a result the Agency for Bay Management (ABM) was formed as a watchdog group. The ABM was instrumental in having Tampa bay named as a priority water body in SWIM legislation in 1987. Board members thanked Mr. Eckenrod and commended his presentation and the program. b. Edgewater Drive Project Presentation -- Terry Finch, Project Manager Ms. Finch gave a slide presentation illustrating examples of problems and solutions along Edgewater Drive, and discussed project status. This issue came up after the March 1993 storms when the overburden was washed away, exposing concrete and asphalt rubble and debris that has been dumped along Edgewater Drive through the years. While dumping was stopped in 1984, exposure of the debris raises pedestrian safety and water pollution concerns. Ms. Finch displayed and explained conceptual drawings of energy barriers proposed for an offshore breakwater to be constructed no more than 30 feet out from mean high water. The project will provide an aesthetic marsh area to provide habitat and stormwater mitigation benefits. A permit has been received from DEP and plans have been submitted to Pinellas County for review. County Commission review may be needed. Ms. Finch hoped to begin work before the end of this year. In response to questions, Ms. Finch said research of aerial photographs shows the rubble was dumped since the 1930’s, presumably to help prevent erosion. She said it has done a good job because the shoreline has not moved since that time, even with the overburden washed away. She said existing rubble will be removed and natural limestone added during construction of the energy barrier. Some of the removed rubble will be recycled, the rest properly disposed. She indicated a report that mangroves would be planted was not correct. No mangroves are in the permits and none will be planted in conjunction with this project. She proposes planting Spartina alterniflora and other vegetation to help prevent erosion. Board members thanked Ms. Finch for a clear, concise and informative presentation. c. Reclaimed Water Presentation -- Rich Baier, City Engineer Mr. Baier reported a sizable portion of the funding for reclaimed water in Clearwater will come from the Pinellas Anclote Basin Board, which recently listed this as the most important project to receive funding. Mr. Baier recognized Tom Miller for being instrumental in bringing this about. Mr. Baier explained the use of reclaimed water for irrigation can offset potable water use Citywide by 2.5 million gallons per day. The City uses 14.5 to 15 million gallons per day currently. Initially proposed for Island Estates, it will also benefit Coachman Park, City soccer fields, Jack Russell Stadium and traffic medians. He discussed the issues raised by the North Greenwood community regarding their request to move the Marshall Street plant and plans for a reclaimed water storage tank. He distributed copies of a four page reclaimed water analysis highlighting information pertaining to this issue. Referring to the handout, Mr. Baier reported facts and figures related to project costs, funding sources, metering, anticipated usage, customer costs and savings, and charges to unconnected properties. He estimated using reclaimed water for non-potable uses will save the City $6,069.00 and the average homeowner about $29.00 every month. Mr. Miller added, for every half million gallons of stormwater runoff reclaimed daily, 1.5 tons of nitrogen are prevented from discharging into Clearwater harbor annually. Mr. Baier said the coastal and barrier island communities have expressed the greatest interest for reclaimed water. Interconnecting with existing infrastructure will allow water to be diverted to the Marshall Street area to supply industrial non-potable water uses such as steamers and chillers. In response to a question, Mr. Baier indicated the east to west fall in grade will not allow existing piping to carry reclaimed water to the Countryside area without additional pumping stations. Discussion ensued regarding existing infrastructure and the reclaimed water storage analysis matrix in the handout. Mr. Baier highlighted nine locations considered for locating reclaimed water storage tanks, and the associated features, including: 1) functionality of the overall system, 2) aesthetics, 3) constructibility considering ground water contamination or other site related obstacles, 4) operation and maintenance costs, 5) capital cost including land, and 6) adjacent land use compatibility. Computer enhanced visual images helped illustrate how storage tanks and appurtenances might look in two different areas if screened with vegetation, terraced landscaping and berming. This was compared to the strong visual impact of the tanks in Countryside along SR 580, located on a small site with no way to screen them. A question was raised regarding whether the community might want to become involved in an artistic painting contest as is done in other states and discussion ensued. In response to questions, Mr. Baier said the Marshall Street location is preferred because the City already owns the land, a transmission main running the right direction is already in place, and redundant pump stations would not be required to get the water to where it is needed because Marshall Street is closer to the destination. He pointed out a natural depression in the land on that site would lessen the visual effect even more. He said it is not cost efficient to bury the tanks because of additional costs of dewatering the site and the need to build thicker tank walls. He said landscaping costs are not included in any of the proposals, but were estimated to be approximately ten percent of the tank budget. The tank is to be constructed of masonry and will last about 50 years, compared to the eight to ten year life span of a lined pond. Maintenance costs for open storage ponds run five to ten times more because suspended solids tend to clog residential sprinkler systems. He said the buildings will be sound insulated and will not create any more noise. Referring to maps, Mr. Baier pointed out existing piping and indicated which neighborhoods are anticipated to come on line first. He explained the petition driven procedure for expressing neighborhood interest. He said, while DEP has not mandated this for the City, questions have been raised regarding why the City produces reclaimed water but has no residential based distribution system. He said he will deliver this presentation to the City Commission tomorrow and was confident they would make an informed decision. He stated all of the proposals are possible, but the most important thing is to get something into the ground to avoid losing the grant money and missing this opportunity to benefit the community at large. Mr. Baier explained the new advanced wastewater treatment plants are a dramatic improvement over the old sewer plants. He offered tours to anyone wishing to view the improvements. Both members indicated a personal preference for the Marshall Street plan, but were unable to make a recommendation to the City Commission because of lack of a quorum. d. Clearwater Harbor Symposium Report - Continued to the next meeting Establish Agenda for June 19, 1996 a. Rainbow Project - Continued from April 17, 1996 b. Clearwater Harbor Symposium Report - Continued from May 15, 1996 c. Memorial Causeway Bridge Environmental Impacts Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 5:52 p.m.