Loading...
08/31/1998BROWNFIELDS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER August 31, 1998 Present: Gary Gray Interim Chair Stephen Fowler Interim Vice-Chair Mary Miller Board Member Brian Flaherty Board Member Thomas Noble Board Member Willa Carson Board Member Renu Khator Board Member Robert Washington Board Member Amy Lovett Board Member Also Present: Miles Ballogg Brownfields Coordinator Cynthia E. Goudeu City Clerk Leslie Dougall-Sides Assistant City Attorney The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Recreational Center followed by meditation and the Pledge of Allegiance. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEM #5 - Approval of Minutes Member Fowler referred to page 3, fourth line from the top, and indicated August 24, 1998 should be changed to July 31, 1998. Member Fowler moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of July 27, 1998, as corrected. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM #6 - Staff Reports Brownfields Coordinator Miles Ballogg was congratulated for Clearwater being the first city in Florida to be awarded job-training grants. Discussion ensued regarding how Career Options, PTEC (Pinellas Technical Education Center), and the City of Clearwater will utilize EPA funding to train residents of the Clearwater Brownfields Area in environmental technician careers. It was also mentioned that the Public Works Academy will be offering training for these residents in public works careers at the City Public Works Infrastructure Facility. Both of these programs will begin in January 1999. Mr. Ballogg reported the City has applied for an extension of the USEPA (U.S. Environment Protection Agency) Brownfields pilot program through 2000. Program funds mainly will be used to pay for Phase I and Phase II site tests. It was reported 12 separate quarterly reports will be produced during the year. Mr. Ballogg reported the Enterprise Zone Strategic Plan, approved by the Planning & Zoning Board, will offer incentives beyond those available through Brownfields project. In response to a question, he said the Enterprise Zone should be approved within a month. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Director Michael Holmes said the 6 planned development projects have a combined funding of $1.3-million. He reported $100,000 will be set aside for a 50% match program for facade improvements of existing businesses within the Brownfields area. A 50% loan matching program for new businesses in the Brownfields area also is planned. He said $150,000 will be set aside to offset interest rates on development loans and $300,000 has been set aside to upgrade infrastructure, landscapes, and public areas. He said $250,000 will be used to purchase moderately to lightly contaminated Brownfields properties and clean-up of the sites. Once marketable, the properties will be sold for development. The City has applied for $350,000 in Section 108 Loan Guarantee Funds for Community Pride to increase the number of daycare spaces. ITEM #7 - Action Items Thomas Miller, Assistant Director of Public Works/PD&E will serve as liaison for the Technical Advisory Committee and will bring an action item forward for the approval of the Technical Advisory Committee and recommended membership at the next meeting.. The BAB will review the development of a Master Plan with USF (University of South Florida) Graduate Student Thomas Ward. Members will provide input at the next meeting Mr. Ballogg will work on a spreadsheet to detail the appropriation of federal funds received to date. Rules of Procedure were approved. The next meeting is scheduled at the Martin Luther King Recreational Center at 3:00 p.m. on September 30, 1998. ITEM #8 - Other Business Barbara Dick, Region IV Brownfields Project Manager discussed the USEPA Brownfields Program. FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) Brownfields Coordinator Roger Register and FDEP Southwest District Brownfields Coordinator David Gerard FDEP discussed the FDEP Brownfields Program. ITEM #9 - Public Comment Period - None. ITEM #10 - Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.