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11/20/2002ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD CITY OF CLEARWATER November 20, 2002 Present: Rev. Sandra Jamieson Chairperson Alan Smith Vice Chair Clorinda Gilreath Board Member David Rhame Board Member D. Michael Flanery Board Member Also Present Al Carrier Asst. Dir of Engineering/ESM Andy Neff Public Utilities Director John Milligan WPC Supervisor Leslie Dougall-Sides Assistant City Attorney Norma Skinner Staff Assistant II To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. Unless otherwise noted, no action was taken regarding items. Administration The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. ITEM #1 Approval of minutes – October 16, 2002 RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve corrected minutes. In reference to Item #4, 2nd paragraph, change sentence to read, “Chair recommended that the board members think....” Item #7, 1ST paragraph change the word trichloride to trihalomethanes. Item #7, 2nd paragraph, change last sentence to read....” the County proposes a rate hike of $1.97 per 1,000 gallons of water....” ACTION: Minutes approved unanimously as corrected. ITEM #2 Citizens To Be Heard None Action Items ITEM #3 Commission Liaison Report Chair met with Commissioner Gray and discussed the Board’s mission statement. The City Commission will be examining all boards to determine their mission and how they are serving the City. The City Commission also wants to see if some of the boards can be merged. Commissioner Gray suggested asking the board members, if they were going to establish an environmental advisory board, what would they think the function of the board should be. Members agreed that their function is to provide insight and make recommendations regarding environmental issues to the City Commission. Mr. Carrier suggested that the board could be more in touch with the public. By finding out what the citizens’ concerns are, we can provide better information to the City so that citizens’ issues can be addressed. The objectives of the board are to identify natural resources that need to be protected, to identify those natural resources that can be effectively managed, to evaluate and identify those resources and areas that can support proper growth and development and to identify environmental problems and offer solutions to preserve our natural resources. Another goal is to try and bring out the public’s position and offer the City more insight, as to the public’s pros and cons. ITEM #4 Report on Stevenson Creek Member Rhame gave a brief update on the status of Stevenson Creek. He contacted the Army Corp of Engineers and is expecting their report by April of 2003. The salvage yard in Hillsborough County has been purchased by the City and will be used for storage of silt while it dries out. The City is testing a system of concrete cubes that are sunk into the ground in order to separate trash from the water before it goes out into the bay. They are still in the process of working out some problems and will have another report in three months. ITEM #5 Community Development Plan Member Smith had no new information to report. ITEM #6 Potable/Reclaimed Water Mr. Neff gave a brief presentation on the status of the reclaimed water project. Completion of the water plant is scheduled for August 2003. The Utilities Department is currently working on the water main replacement project, which will replace the lines between the water main and meters. The customers will be responsible for replacement of lines from the meter to their house. The entire project is expected to be completed by August of 2004. Design of the Harbor Oaks project is about 90% completed. Future projects that will require Southwest Florida Water Management District funding are Seville area, south Clearwater Mall and Del Oro, south of Safety Harbor. Discussion Items ITEM #7 FDEP Compliance Mr. Milligan provided an update on Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) compliance. FDEP has submitted final Consent Orders to the City for the Marshall Street, East and Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plants. These consent orders will address higher interim limits for copper, trihalomethanes, and toxicity to allow the City to modify the treatment plants to come into compliance by December 31, 2004. Consent Orders will be presented at the next Commission meeting. Penalties in the Orders total $97,500. The City may elect to accomplish in-kind projects in lieu of paying the full penalty. ITEM #8 Proposed EAB Work Session Chair proposed having a work session prior to the regular EAB meeting. Another suggestion was to take an item and discuss it at the end of the meeting providing there is enough time. Work sessions would give the members an opportunity to bring forth issues and discuss them without the time constraints of a formal meeting, enabling them to be more proactive as a board. Member Flanery moved to try a work session for the next EAB meeting in January. All members were in favor. ITEM #9 Town Pond Update Mr. Carrier gave a brief update on Town Lake. He stated that 95% of the work has been completed and now it’s a matter of cleaning and landscaping. Project is on schedule and on budget and is expected to be completed in May of 2003. The Myrtle Avenue project is being built for two reasons; the first reason is due to the road swap with Ft. Harrison and Myrtle Avenue with FDOT. The second purpose of that project is for a new outfall for Town Pond. Years ago, the City had tried to purchase land in the downtown area to build a 10 acre pond for the biological treatment of stormwater. However, they were unable to secure those properties and had to cut back on the size of the pond. Instead of biological treatment, alum injection is being used to remove particles in the stormwater before it discharges into Clearwater Harbor. Attenuation of the flood issue will be handled by a large box culvert being built underneath Myrtle Avenue to Jones Street and out to Clearwater Harbor. Permits for townhouses foundation have been pulled and work should start soon. This is a private development, not a City project. ITEM #10 Mission Statement Cyndie Goudeau explained the Sunshine Law. She stated that Board members may attend civic meetings, but cannot engage in private discussions pertaining to the issues presented at the meeting, nor use a 3rd person to pass on information. When two or more board members meet, it has to be announced as a public meeting. Ms. Dougall-Sides added that civil or criminal action can be filed by a state attorney against a board for meeting outside of a public meeting. Ms. Goudeau said the Board may review their purpose and mission and make changes. The members determine how they can best add value to the City. One of the most important things the EAB does is to offer input and make recommendations to the City Commission on environmental issues. Member Rhame strongly recommended revising the policy manual. Chair asked Mr. Rhame if he would make the necessary revisions, and also suggested that a copy be mailed to each member so they can note their comments and bring to the next meeting at which time the manuals will be given to staff for retyping. ESTABLISH AGENDA: Discussion of Mangrove Ordinance Update Policy Manual ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.