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03/08/1999BROWNFIELDS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER March 8, 1999 Present: Gary Gray Chair Stephen Fowler Vice-Chair Brian Flaherty Board Member Thomas Noble Board Member Willa Carson Board Member Renu Khator Board Member Also Present: Michael Flannery Brownfields TAC Board Member David Gerard Brownfields TAC Board Member Alicia Reid Brownfields TAC Board Member James Steele Brownfields TAC Board Member Ray Harbison Brownfields TAC Board Member Leslie Dougall-Sides Assistant City Attorney Thomas Miller Asst. Director of Public Works/TAC Liaison Miles Ballogg Brownfields Coordinator Tom Ward Graduate Student USF Karma Killian Environmental Specialist Brenda Moses Board Reporter Absent: Mary Miller Board Member Robert Washington Board Member (resigned) Amy Lovett Board Member (resigned) To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEMS 1-3 - Call to Order, Inovcation, Pledge of Allegiance The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. at Ross Norton Park, followed by meditation and the Pledge of Allegiance. ITEM 4 - Introductions Members of the Brownfields TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) introduced themselves. Asst. Director of Public Works, Tom Miller, explained the Brownfields TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) will review Brownfields technical issues and provide recommendations to the BAB (Brownfields Advisory Board). Mr. Miller will serve as the TAC’s liaision to the BAB. The TAC has elected a chair, vice-chair, and by laws/rules of procedure. The meeting recessed from 6:10 to 6:15 p.m. ITEM 5 - Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings Postponed to the next meeting. ITEM 6 - Action Items a. Approval - next meeting date, time and location. Establish a yearly calendar for first or second Monday of every other month. Meetings to be held in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Consensus was to hold BAB meetings the fourth Monday of every other month, at 6:00 p.m. The next meeting will be May 24, 1999. Thereafter, meetings will be July 26, Septemer 27, and November 22, 1999. b. Recommend Reverend William Sherman to City Commission to serve as a Brownfields Advisory Board member, replacing Robert Washington, and Karen Fenton to replace Amy Lovett. Member Flaherty moved to recommend approval of Reverend William Sherman as replacement for Robert Washington and Karen Fenton to replace Amy Lovett. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM 7 - Staff Reports a. Presentation - Review of Regulatory Listed Sites - Miles Ballogg Brownfields Coordinator Miles Ballogg distributed and reviewed the regulatory listed Brownfields sites. In response to a question, he said if it is unknown whether a site is contaminated, the FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) or other agencies will be helpful. It was remarked although cash transactions for property do not require bank financing, generally the buyer’s attorney recommends an environmental assessment. b. Greenwood Tank Removal Ground Breaking - 1108 N. Greenwood Avenue March 13, 1998, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Mr. Ballogg reported the North Greenwood Community Empowerment Project ground breaking for underground storage tanks at 1108 North Greenwood Avenue will take place on Saturday, March 13, 1999, at 10:00 a.m. Tanks will be removed and the property will be remediated. Staff is working with the community to develop an RFP (Request for Proposal) to redevelop the site. The community will develp the criteria for the RFP and evaluate them. The Economic Development team will serve as facilitators. Senator Latvala, Reverend Sherman, Bob Keller, the Mayor, City Manager, Chair Gray, and a member of the North Greenwood Association will attend. In response to a question, Mr. Ballogg said the North Greenwood Association was asked to participate in the process since that group includes many different members of other community groups. ITEM 8 - Other Business a. Environmental Justice Action Plan Update - Renu Khator Member Khator thanked board members for attending an environmental justice community meeting held on February 4, 1999. She felt after having spoken to numerous citizens at that meeting, that there is no need for another community brainstorming meeting. A second meeting will be held on March 22, 1999, at 6:00 p.m. at Ross Norton Park. The 42 issues raised by the community at the first meeting will be sorted and the committee will inform citizens of their status. Member Khator and USF (University of South Florida) student Lori Hernandez represented the BAB and USF at a 2-day meeting regarding community government university partnering regarding empowering the community. She said it is important to empower the community to take charge and focus on what needs to be done. Education is the key. Most communities rely heavily on the GIS (Geographic Information System) system and are eager to research on their own or partner with other agencies. Meeting atendees expressed dismay at litigation situation and felt it important to use the community energy in a constructive manner. b. Presentation - Technical Advisory Committee, Introductions, Goals, and Objectives - Tom Miller See Item #4. c. Presentation - Brownfields Strategy - Tom Ward Tom Ward, Graduate Student, University of South Florida, presented information obtained from 18 interviews done with Brownfields board members, except the 2 new members. Resident and board member interviews were done separately. He started out with one interview, and obtained referrals after each one. He has not done a complete circle to get the same names and therefore is not done. The education level of those interviewed had a high school education and were employed. Those people with less than 12 years of education, unemployed, or in low skill jobs did not want to do a formal interview. He did not know why. He found there are no clear set goals and priorities within the community. It is obvious the community does not understand exactly what Brownfields is, or what the City is trying to accomplish. He split males and females into 4 different age groups. The first two groups of males were job oriented. The last two groups of males involved economic development. The first and last group of females involved health issues. The two middle female groups involved career job issues that provided a standard of living income that had benefits attached. The community views Brownfields issues as health issues and quality jobs. How to encourage the community to participate in the process is a problem. The community feels distrust exists between the community and the past actions of the City. The community response from these conversations included the community has been planned to death and very little has been action upon. There needs to be a basic understanding of the history between the citizens and the City. The community is well aware the BAB is an advisory board. Even if they participate and attend meetings, and reach a consensus regarding recommendations to the City, residents feel it does not mean the City will accept the board’s recommendations or take any action. Mr. Ward said the community wants to participate from conception to completion on all issues affecting the community. Citizens expressed concern the City and the BAB needs to involve the community prior to any decision-making. Citizens also are leary of the possibility that when staff begins to make progress with the community, the City can move that employee to another position. Mr. Ward will continue conducting conversations throughout the community as a means of obtaining input until the community participation builds up. He felt that residents are more guarded on specific interviews. In response to a question, Mr. Ward said the major differences between the board members’ views and the residents’ views was economic development, creating jobs and health issues. He said the board’s views are not that far off from the community’s views. What divides those issues is important to the community. The City is providing jobs, but the community is not turning out for those jobs because they don’t believe they will be jobs that create careers and benefits. Mr. Ward felt under-employment also is an issue within the community, forcing residents to work 2 to 3 jobs without benefits. He felt he did not have enough information from the community to draw a consensus on anything at this point. It was suggested the board include a workshop-oriented format to encourage community participation. It was commented the process does not encourage the community to empower themselves. Better communicaton between the City and the community regarding ideas and changes to proposed projects are necessary at each step of the process. It was remarked more diverse job training programs are needed. It was remarked regardless of the number of studies in the community, nothing is ever done. Mr. Ballogg said some forthcoming signs of progress are the Greenwood Community Empowerment Project at Greenwood and LaSalle Streets and the proposed housing project at Pennsylvania Avenue. A police substation is being developed at Woodlawn and Greenwood Avenue. CSF (Community Service Foundation) is putting in a family center with computers and an after school center. It was noted the annual Advisory Board dinner is scheduled for April 6, 1999. ITEM 9 - Public Comment Period Duke Tieman, South Greenwood Citizens for Progressive Action, said his agency formed a partnership with CSF to help fund low income apartments at Greenwood Avenue and Woodlawn Street. ITEM 10 - Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.