04/20/2022 Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2022
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
4:00 PM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Environmental Advisory Board
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City of Clearwater
Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2022
Roll Call
Present 4 - Chair Jared Leone, Vice Chair John Thomas, Board Member Marita
Lynch, and Board Member Glenna Wentworth
Absent 1 - Board Member Sheila Sullivan
Also Present - Sarah Kessler— Lead Environmental Specialist, Patricia O. Sullivan —
Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes from Wednesday, January 19,
2022 and Special Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes from Wednesday,
January 19, 2022.
Member Thomas moved to approve minutes of the January 19, 2022
Environmental Advisory Board meeting and the January 19, 2022
Special 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
Brian Beckman provided an update on solar installations in Clearwater.
When contracting for solar panels, he recommended residents verify cost
per watt and work with SolarUnitedNeighbors co-op for significant savings.
With high costs often buried within financing deals, he encouraged
legislation providing truth in lending protections. In response to a question,
he said the Governor had not yet signed the bill that eliminates net metering.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Presentation about sustainable direction and goals for Clearwater by Jon Jennings, City
Manager
Lead Environmental Specialist Sarah Kessler said the City Manager was
not available.
4.2 Presentation about stormwater improvements on the Cleveland Street, Phase 3 project,
by Stormwater Engineering Staff
Ms. Kessler said Engineering Staff was not available.
5. Old Business Items
5.1 Sustainability Program Updates by Sheridan Gemuendt, Sustainability Coordinator
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City of Clearwater
Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes April 20, 2022
Sustainability Coordinator Sheridan Genuendt provided an update on
sustainability efforts to reduce City greenhouse gas emissions. Cenergistic
is calculating a baseline for City building energy use to calibrate goals
for reducing energy use while increasing renewable energy resources.
Cenergistic and staff are interviewing an energy specialist to be employed
by Cenergistic who only will work on Clearwater energy reduction efforts.
City Manager approval is required to implement energy reduction actions.
Goals will be disseminated to all departments.
Ms. Genuendt reviewed plans to install new EV(Electric Vehicle) charging
stations in the Garden Avenue and Municipal Service Building garages.
The City's fleet eventually will need 10— 12 EV stations, she hoped the City
will install 6 EV stations by year's end.
Discussion ensued regarding public EV stations in Pinellas County, including
significant public use of EV stations at Dunedin's recreation center and
library. Ms. Genuendt said most EV charging occurs overnight at residents'
homes. Downtown Clearwater features private EV stations. The City is
considering an ordinance requiring EV station installation at new multifamily
construction and off-street parking locations. Recommendations were made
for the City to encourage residents to install home EV stations by reducing
permit fees and to allow electric golf cart use on some City streets. Ms.
Genuendt said walking and bicycling creates no pollution.
Ms. Genuendt said staff was partnering with the library system to incorporate
Greenprint activities in the 8-week summer youth program. The new
Sustainability Specialist has begun work to engage the public and
businesses in Greenprint activities. A solar plan is being developed for the
new Hercules Avenue fire station. Ms. Kessler said every City development
work order incorporates GreenPrint. Ms. Genuendt said quarterly updates
posted on the website reporting City's sustainability progress were planned.
6. Director's Report
Ms. Kessler reported the agenda is created a month prior to board meetings.
It was requested that she email board members with deadline reminders.
7. Board Members to be Heard
Member Lynch expressed concern re City's ability to accomplish Ready for
100 campaign goals due to its ownership of a natural gas system. Ms.
Genuendt said the City's Resolution will only reference electricity. Proposed
reductions to electricity use are limited to City facilities not public services
such as water treatment and natural gas distribution. The City plans to
supplement its energy use with onsite solar. Greenprint and Ready for 100
goals are aligned. Discussion ensued regarding the Resolution. It was stated
that ongoing technology improvements will help the City reach its goals.
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City of Clearwater
Environmental Advisory Board
8. Adjourn
Attest:
Meeting Minutes April 20, 2022
Member Thomas moved to approve the proposed Ready for 100
Resolution as amended to focus solely on electricity, coordinate with
GreenPrint 2.0, and reference the City throughout the document. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Ms. Kessler said she would forward the amended document to the City Clerk
for City Council review. In response to a question, she said none of the
City's applications to the Resilient Florida Grant Program was funded.
Member Lynch referenced recent media articles re sustainable shorelines
and expressed concern most Clearwater shoreline where sustainability
efforts would be beneficial is privately owned. She said Elizabeth Drayer had
offered to buy anyone a free tree. She recommended Environmental
Advisory Board agendas include the board's objective.
Member Thomas recommended the City Council survey sea grass beds to
accurately document current conditions and implement protections. He said
the Martin Luther King Center would be good site for a GreenPrint
community garden but the center has concerns re administrative
responsibilities and liability issues.
Chair Leone reviewed upcoming events. He encouraged residents to contact
the Governor to veto solar metering legislation. He supported a no wake
zone in Stevenson Creek. He said he had drafted a letter requesting the City
to reschedule the Super Boat races outside sea turtle nesting season.
Member Thomas moved to send Chair Leone's letter as drafted to the
City Council and City Manager requesting the City to reschedule Super
Boat races outside sea turtle nesting season. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
Chair Leone recommended the Board schedule a field trip to Lake Bellevue.
He requested a presentation to the Board regarding City pesticide use. He
hoped the City Manager will attend the Board's next meeting and address
the Board's request to increase the frequency of its meetings.
The meeting adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
Chair Env.
oard Repo
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City of Clearwater
oard