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04/15/2015 ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES CITY OF CLEARWATER April 15, 2015 Present: Chair Linda S. Varonich, Vice Chair Lynn F. Sumerson, Board Member Michael Engelmann, Board Member Lindsay Collins, Board Member Leann J. DuPont Also Present: Laura Mahony -Assistant City Attorney II, Ed Chesney - Environmental Manager, Sarah Kessler - Environmental Specialist, Patricia O. Sullivan - Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Municipal Services Building. 2 —Approval of Minutes 2.1. Approve the minutes of the January 21, 2015 Environmental Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written summation. Environmental Manager Ed Chesney said a scrivener's error had been reported. Member Sumerson moved to approve Item 2.1. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3 —Citizen To Be Heard re Items Not on the Agenda: None. 4— Discussion of 1St Downtown Development Stakeholders Meeting on April 13, 2015 re ULI (Urban Land Institute) Report Mr. Chesney said links to the ULI (Urban Land Institute) Report and stakeholders meeting were on the City's website. More than 100 residents attended the meeting. Many provided input; some were frustrated that changes could not be achieved more quickly. Staff prioritized report recommendations. Design work was delayed until CMA (Clearwater Marine Aquarium) finalized its plans. Zoning and sign regulation amendments to enhance the downtown's character will be considered. Mr. Chesney will forward to the board the matrix of ULI project timelines and keep members apprised of future activities. Discussion ensued with recommendations that Clearwater consider City of Dunedin's efforts to create an active downtown and that downtown and Clearwater Beach should be integrated. Interest was expressed in serving on the RFP (Request for Proposals) selection committee re the downtown waterfront district. Assistant City Attorney Laura Mahony said only staff serves on selection committees; the public will have an opportunity to speak to the top rated proposals when they are presented to the City Council for final decision. 5—Alligator Creek - FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Impairment for Bacterial (E. coli) Environmental Specialist Sarah Kessler said the City monitored all surface water in Clearwater; 90% of water bodies in Pinellas County were impaired. The County and FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) also operated several monitoring stations. The City's top priority was to improve a section of Alligator Creek impaired with bacteria. A control plan will Environmental Advisory 2015-04-15 1 be developed once the contamination source is determined; sources could be septic tanks, illicit discharges, and wildlife. The City also was testing water surfaces near McCormick Drive and Enterprise Dog Park. Testing indicated several mobile home parks in unincorporated enclaves within Clearwater had nonfunctional wastewater plants and could be sources of pollution; residents of one affected mobile home park also encouraged Muscovy ducks to nest by their homes. Once old wastewater plants are removed and homes are hooked to sanitary lines, the City will determine the best methods to improve water quality. Additional water quality monitoring will determine if City projects to reduce pollution have been effective. The City's pollution control plan was due to the State by December. It was requested that Ms. Kessler keep the board updated re progress. Items Not on the Agenda Moccasin Lake Park Member Sumerson said the Audubon Society of Clearwater made annual donations of approximately $1,000 each to summer camps at the CMA, Moccasin Lake Nature Park and in Largo and Dunedin. He said Moccasin Lake Nature Park staff ran the summer camp successfully for more than a decade. He said the Audubon Society of Clearwater also provided scholarships for the camp, which was affordable and attracted many underprivileged neighborhood children. He expressed concern that after the City assigned camp operations to professional organizers, fees were increased significantly, few children enrolled, and the previously successful summer camp, which taught children about nature, was eliminated. He said it was a shame that Largo, Dunedin, and the CMA still received annual donations from the Audubon Society of Clearwater, but Clearwater did not. It was suggested that a recommendation from the board should include details such as overhead costs for previous summer camps. Member Sumerson said the park no longer was staffed 5 days a week as its previous full-time staff had been reassigned. Member Sumerson moved that whereas Moccasin Lake Park has provided programming and camps for Pinellas County residents and visitors, which were all well received, affordable and popular for well over a decade and whereas the Department of Parks & Recreation has made an arbitrary and reprehensible decision to eliminate the 2015 Summer Camps at Moccasin Lake. After declining to make use of experienced staffers, they instead opted to hire professional organizations who proved to charge higher fees for their services. This resulted in a significant decline of participants and the eventual cancellation of the 2015 Summer Camps. Therefore, we urge City Council as well as the Mayor to reinstate these valuable and important Summer Camp options in order to preserve the traditions of protection of our beautiful park's environment for those who visit to learn and study at this site. The motion was duly seconded. Member Sumerson welcomed changes to his motion. He said this was an environmental issue. He said this was the only camp in Clearwater where attendees learned about the environment; other Parks & Recreation camps teach children how to play games on ball fields. He said the park was poorly managed and summer camp at Moccasin Lake was more important than any improvements that could be funded by the $600,000 grant. Environmental Advisory 2015-04-15 2 Concern was expressed that the motion was emotionally charged and did not include important facts. As the board had one chance to make this point, it was suggested the motion include facts re attendance figures during previous years. It was agreed that Moccasin Lake Nature Park had provided a very good summer camp program. Recommendations were made to remove the word "reprehensible" from the motion and for board members to not disparage members of staff. The Environmental Advisory Board recessed from 5:02 to 5:07 p.m. In response to a question if the Master Plan for City parks specifically excluded environmental education, Member Sumerson said Parks & Recreation Department staff lied and the department had two Master Plans, one public and one secret. Attorney Mahoney said the Parks & Recreation Department only had one Master Plan. Discussion ensued with concern expressed that Moccasin Lake Nature Park was the City's only summer camp that provided education re the environment. It was commented that the motion could not be supported in its current form and it was too late to alter the 2015 summer camp schedule. It was recommended that at the next meeting the board consider a motion on this topic restated to include information re costs and attendance for previous summer camp seasons. It was requested that Member Sumerson forward these numbers to Mr. Chesney, who can distribute them to the board prior to the next meeting so that members can prepare comments. It was felt the tone of the motion should not be antagonistic and that it was not helpful to call people liars and accuse the City of having secret plans. Member Sumerson said it was a sad state of affairs to see Moccasin Lake Nature Park, the only nature park in the City, being run this way. He said staff fought every attempt by the Audubon Society of Clearwater and others to improve the park. He said staff hampered installation of a bird blind and adding another eagle. He said a volunteer had to run the whole show with volunteers. He said the City did nothing for the birds of prey and wanted Moccasin Lake to be a passive park, only requiring maintenance, which was similar to a cemetery. Concern was expressed that without facts, the City could argue that changes were made to eliminate costs. Discussion ensued regarding the motion. Member Sumerson withdrew his motion. 6 - Agenda for October 21, 2015 meeting Moccasin Lake Park Summer Camp program 7 — Adjourn The meeting adjourn at 5:20 p.m. Attest: JvI Board Reporter Environmental Ad isory 2015 -04 -15 >ht.-4 a/LA-1.6-(J_ air Environmental Advisory Board 3