07/18/2018 Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018
City of Clearwater
City Hall
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
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Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
4:00 PM
Council Chambers
Environmental Advisory Board
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City of Clearwater
Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018
Roll Call
Present 5 - Chair Jared Leone, Vice Chair Mark Wright, Board Member Ashley
Wilson Pimley, Board Member John Thomas, and Board Member
Candace Gardner
Also Present: Sarah Kessler— Environmental Specialist, Patricia O. Sullivan — Board
Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve meeting minutes of the Environmental Advisory Board from April 18, 2018.
Member Thomas moved to approve minutes of the April 18, 2018
Environmental Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written
summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None
4. New Business Items
4.1 Presentation of litter removal initiatives by Patricia DePlasco, Executive Director of Keep
Pinellas Beautiful
Keep Pinellas Beautiful Executive Director Patricia DePlasco provided a
PowerPoint presentation. She reviewed the history of Keep America
Beautiful and Keep Pinellas Beautiful's mission to conserve and beautify
the natural environment by means of community engagement and
education, the organization focused on reducing litter. She discussed
programs including volunteers, leadership, school outreach, coastal cleanup,
and adopt alleyways, trails, piers, community, etc. She said 8,000 volunteers
participated in the organization's Pinellas County coastal cleanup. She
said the online newsletter listed weekly weekend projects needing
volunteers.
In response to questions, Ms. DePlasco said the organization engaged
several municipalities re trash, she did not know why its partnership with
the City's Parks & Recreation Department had ended. She said Keep
Pinellas Beautiful engaged volunteers to plant sea oats and mangroves
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City of Clearwater
Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018
where invasive plants had been removed but did not have money to
purchase plants. She recommended that beach trash receptacles feature
lids and drain holes.
A resident said the City should have recycle bins on the beach.
4.2 Presentation of Hillcrest Bypass Project by Roger Johnson, Senior Professional Engineer
Senior Professional Engineer Roger Johnson provided a PowerPoint
presentation reviewing the history, funding sources, and plans for the
Hillcrest Bypass Project along Stevenson Creek designed to reduce area
flooding and remove 36 homes from the floodplain. The project will begin
in October.
In response to questions, Mr. Johnson said the project will remove trees
on the west side of Hillcrest and make an effort to shift the east embankment
to save some trees there. The ditch could not be dug deeper because roads
ran along both sides. Rankings of department master plan projects were
based on cost benefits, the Hillcrest Bypass Project had been on the master
plan since 2001. Many projects addressed water quality as well as
floodplain properties. This project was designed to handle 4 inches of rain in
12 hours. Upstream invasive species were removed. The banks were not
wet enough to support wetland plants that attenuated pollutants. More
wetland storage could be added. Raising the level of the bridge and roads
would increase drainage onto residential properties.
Concerns were expressed the project could be dangerous for children
and animals. Mr. Johnson said the creek was not a safe place for
children. The 1,200-foot weir discharged into the creek.
A resident said Stevenson Creek was once navigable, noted past efforts to
stop development along the creek, and questioned why construction of a
structure at 1367 Lakeview Avenue had been approved.
5. Old Business Item: None.
6. Director's Report
Environmental Specialist Sarah Kessler reviewed the October agenda:
1) Review Board's December report to City Council to include its
recommendation for improved beach trash receptacles and
2) Planning Manager Lauren Matzke's GreenPrint presentation.
In response to a suggestion, Ms. Kessler recommended a presentation
on Imagine Clearwater be scheduled when design is 50% complete.
In response to a question, Ms. Kessler said Emergency Management
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City of Clearwater
Environmental Advisory Board
Meeting Minutes July 18, 2018
had issued a countywide document on a local mitigation strategy that
identified how the County would react to disaster scenarios and projects that
could mitigate dangers. City projects funded by Hurricane Irma grant money
included elevating some Clearwater Beach lift station control panels.
Ms. Kessler requested interested members email her re participating in a
local mitigation strategy group that will consider ways to improve the
City's Community Rating System. Lunch will be served at the January,
July, and October meetings.
7. Board Members to be Heard
8. Adjourn
Member Thomas encouraged board members to attend workshops re the
Alternate 19 Cultural Corridor.
Member Wright expressed interest in sharing ideas during early design
stages of the Imagine Clearwater Coachman Park project. He wanted to
start work to improve beach trash receptacles and invite Friends of Pinellas
to join board efforts at the City Council presentation. He expressed concern
that board meetings were too formal and requested that a workshop be
scheduled after the October meeting to discuss issues.
Chair Leone requested the date of Ms. Matzke's GreenPrint presentation to
the City Council. He said he was shocked at the number of cigarette butts he
picked up from the beach during a recent coastal cleanup. He congratulated
6 Clearwater Beach businesses for qualifying for Ocean Friendly
certification. He reported 42 Clearwater Beach businesses were participating
in the strawless summer challenge.
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
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