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04/21/2021 Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Wednesday, April 21, 2021 4:00 PM Main Library - Council Chambers Environmental Advisory Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 Roll Call Present 4 - Chair Jared Leone, Vice Chair John Thomas, Board Member Marita Lynch, and Board Member Glenna Wentworth Absent 1 - Board Member Mark Wright Also Present - Sarah Kessler— Environmental Specialist 111, Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk 1. Call To Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Main Library. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve January 20, 2021 Environmental Advisory Board meeting minutes. Member Thomas moved to approve minutes of the January 20, 2021 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 Councilmember Kathleen Beckman thanked board members for their service. She provided an update on Imagine Clearwater, stating she had promoted sustainable choices. She encouraged resident and EAB (Environmental Advisory Board) involvement in the GreenPrint update. She encouraged residents to contact her with questions or comments. She said opportunities to make decisions that impact the environment occurred at every City Council meeting. Dagmar Ortiz, Vice President of the Lake Belleview Homeowners Association, and a Lake Belleview area resident said the Lake Belleview Homeowners Association was submitting a petition to the City Council requesting restoration of Lake Belleview, a youth ecology program, monthly water sample testing, improved trash abatement in the neighborhood and lake, a City earmark for seasonal management of lake overgrowth, stormwater drain filters, a launch pad for kayaks and a dock for lake access, and planting flowers and installing kiosks along the walking trail that provide information on the flora and fauna. They said the EAB may be able to help them with the plan. It was stated Lake Belleview was beautiful with a lovely ecosystem and diverse bird population but it needed restoration as litter was everywhere and the nearby exercise centers needed updating. It was commented that Page 2 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 Lake Belleview was the center of the community, which would benefit from lake improvements. It was suggested the EAB schedule a field trip to the lake to meet with the Homeowners Association and invite Parks & Recreation Board participation. Information was requested on how the EAB requested City earmark funding. In response to questions, the Lake Belleview representatives said the HOA met monthly. They said the association formed for the street mural project and the lake was their next project. They said this was their first City meeting, they had not attended a Parks & Recreation Board meeting. In response to questions, Environmental Specialist Sarah Kessler said the City owned the lake's perimeter except for one edge. Due to a failure to perform, the City fired the firm previously contracted to maintain the lake; a new RFP (Request for Proposals) process had to occur. The stream at the south end of the lake sometimes was choked with debris, the north end of the lake also had problems. The mitigation area on the west side of the lake where plantings had been done exhibited some improvement. Deeper areas had been dredged to allow fishing from parts of the shoreline. Ms. Kessler said the City did not have a written management plan for Lake Belleview but did have maintenance plans to make certain the lake was as good as it should be. Stormwater maintenance and trash removal occurred regularly but more efforts were needed. The City's community liaison was identifying problems at the lake and bringing those concerns to the responsible departments, including the need for trash cans along the trail, signage, etc. The City's Lake Watch program was designed to address algae issues in all City lakes. Brian Beckman said he had emailed the board re the value of Lake Belleview from personal and environmental perspectives. He said a solar co-op was in progress in Pinellas County and residents had an opportunity to contract with the vetted vendor, Solar Energy World based in Tampa, by the May 28 deadline. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Presentation about Pinellas County Water Quality Monitoring Program by Robin Barnes, Environmental Specialist II, from Pinellas County's Division of Environmental Management Pinellas County Environmental Specialist Robin Barnes provided a PowerPoint presentation on Pinellas County's Water Quality Monitoring Program. Concern was expressed that sea grass should be monitored near the Imagine Clearwater project where boat traffic will increase and careless anchoring would seriously harm seagrass beds, an area seagrass survey Page 3 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 was suggested. Ms. Barnes said she would provide County data on seagrass beds. She said many boaters did not look for a sandy patch to throw anchor. It was questioned if the County had an overlay map of E. coli contamination and if that type of pollution was a septic tank issue. Ms. Kessler said Pinellas County monitored E. coli for the City and provided Clearwater with the results, the City was responsible for acting on the information. The City had bacteria pollution control plans based on septic tank locations and lateral issues such as homeless camps, dog walking areas, etc. The lengthy mapping process required staff to walk most of the watershed and review water quality sampling results. Ms. Kessler said the Marshall Street Water Reclamation Facility, built before SWFWMD (Southwest Florida Water Management District) required water quality treatment, released good water. All runoff from the surrounding older neighborhood drained directly into Stevenson Creek which continued to have sediment problems even after the Army Corps of Engineer's dredging project. As part of the City's bacteria pollution control plans, all new construction in that neighborhood was required to have stormwater ponds that discharged cleaner water. The City was studying how to improve the creek's nutrient issue. In response to questions, Ms. Barnes said water testing standards had not changed for a while. She said Pinellas County water's high levels of natural phosphorus may have altered testing results. 4.2 Update on Sustainability Programs by Sheridan Boyle, City of Clearwater's Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability Coordinator Sheridan Boyle said staff was completing the final draft of GreenPrint. She had met with the heads of departments that operated a large number of vehicles to obtain feedback. A policy was developed over the past few months to establish date certain goals for replacing City vehicles featuring internal combustion engines with electric, electric hybrid, and gas hybrid vehicles. As proposed, light duty vehicles, such as sedans, SUVs, vans and other vehicles less than a half-ton, will be the first replacements. Staff will help each department create a plan to achieve the goals. The number and location of charging stations needed to be determined. GreenPrint's position on natural gas was questioned. It was stated that 26,000 natural gas customers lived in the City and it was questioned if the GreenPrint update supported increasing the number of customers. Page 4 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 Ms. Boyle said the first GreenPrint called for an expansion of natural gas use. The current draft listed natural gas as a strategy, promoted its efficient use and encouraged resource conservation education. A line in the update recognized that increasing the number of residences connected to the City's sewer system would decrease septic tank use and reduce water pollution. Water had the smallest component of emissions in the greenhouse gas inventory, septic tanks increased water emissions. It was reported the GreenPrint update will be presented to the City Council in July. Ms. Boyle said a group representing Fire and Police stations and the Airpark formed to discuss a cohesive comprehensive approach to advance solar panel installations on new facilities and retrofitting old facilities when feasible. She wanted to talk with firms in Clearwater for a Citywide solar feasibility study that would identify buildings that would be good candidates for solar panels and create benchmarks. An informal presentation was planned for 4 firms that worked across the country with procurement. Ms. Boyle said there was a good turnout of people representing all age groups at the City's Earth Day celebration at Moccasin Lake Nature Park which included a fun invasive species scavenger hunt. Also attending were the Florida Native Plant Society and Clearwater department representatives. The Audubon Chapter exhibited birds of prey. Ms. Boyle said a Stevenson Creek clean-up was planned. She said 40% of City facilities were enrolled in the Duke's Clean Energy Connection. She reviewed goals to increase the City's tree canopy. A pilot program intentionally planted trees in specific areas and calculated nearby carbon levels. 4.3 Discuss spring field trip schedule to Crest Lake Park by Sarah Kessler and all board members Ms. Kessler said a Parks & Recreation Department tour guide will identify Crest Lake Park improvements to board members. Consensus was for the board to meet at the Veteran's Memorial Parking Lot for a Crest Lake Park field trip on April 28, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. Concern was expressed that even though Crest Lake Park had many trash cans, a lot of trash was in the park. 5. Old Business Items 5.1 Discuss Environmental Advisory Board Council Discussion Items by Board Members Page 5 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 Support was expressed for a suggestion that the board hold bimonthly meetings at 5:00 p.m. as updates to GreenPrint, the Strategic Plan, and Comprehensive Plan were underway. It was suggested the board take a hands on approach to environmental issues in Clearwater by participating in 4 annual field trips and reducing the number of sit-down meetings. It was questioned if the EAB would have increased access to planning processes just because the board met more frequently. It was suggested if the board was attached to Sustainability rather than Stormwater, other departments might be more likely to seek EAB input. Ms. Kessler suggested the board discuss their suggestions for changes in July, approve their recommendations in October, and present them to the City Council at the board's annual presentation. A Lake Belleview resident encouraged the board to visit City locations and gather feedback re environmental issues of community interest. 6. Director's Report Ms. Kessler said in late March a leak in a pond was discovered at Piney Point in Manatee County. The FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) authorized the release of 480-million gallons of contaminated wastewater into the Port of Manatee to avoid a catastrophic collapse,just over 200-million gallons were released. Environmental monitoring was underway. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program's dashboard included information from USF's (University of South Florida) study on the effect of currents on movement of the contaminants. The State planned to remove the remaining contaminated water in the ponds and inject it deep into the ground, under the Florida aquifer. Concern was expressed that citizens and the federal government should have been able to react to previous warnings about Piney Point and prevent this spill even though it is private property owned by a private firm. Ms. Kessler said monitoring will continue. While contaminants have shifted slightly to the north and south, warm summer weather and runoff may affect the contaminants'movement. Ms. Kessler requested member input for the board's July agenda. It was suggested the EAB be provided an opportunity to review the GreenPrint update and be part of the process. A separate section for Quality of Life was recommended. It was stated that the City's Strategic Plan should place more weight on environmental issues and environmental health. Page 6 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 21, 2021 In response to a question, Ms. Kessler will report on the timing of updates to the City's Strategic and Comprehensive plans. 7. Board Members to be Heard 8. Adjourn Member Thomas recommended the EAB write a letter in support of the Lake Belleview Homeowners Association and recommend the City Council direct staff to investigate capitalizing this underutilized natural resource and prepare a comprehensive management plan for the 30 -acre spring fed lake that addresses trash abatement, seasonal overgrowth, runoff, and other items in the homeowners' petition that will benefit the community and other Clearwater residents. Member Thomas moved for the EAB to write a letter supporting the Lake Belleview Homeowners Association petition to the City Council. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Member Wentworth reported that 10% of proceeds raised from the downtown Clearwater's "Dine Out for a Difference" event would be donated to the Suncoast Sierra Club. Member Thomas hoped another incident similar to the Piney Point spill will not occur again. Member Lynch said Crest Lake Park had insufficient shade and needed additional seating. She noted many City meetings, including the EAB, were streamed live on FaceBook. The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. Page 7 City of Clearwater