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06/14/2023 Marine Advisory Board Meeting Minutes June 14, 2023 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Wednesday, June 14, 2023 8:00 AM Main Library - Council Chambers Marine Advisory Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Marine Advisory Board Meeting Minutes June 14, 2023 Roll Call Present 4 - Chair Michael Grohman, Vice Chair Kevin Laughlin, Board Member Wade Carlisle , and Board Member Deena Stanley Absent 2 - Board Member Francis Bugaj, and Ex Officio Phil Henderson Also Present— Eric Gandy - Marine & Aviation Director, William Hodgson - Marine & Aviation Assistant Manager, and Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk 1. Call To Order The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approval of March 8, 2023, Marine Advisory Board Meeting Minutes. Chair Grohman said he was not at the last meeting and the minutes reflect he was in attendance. Member Carlisle moved to approve the minutes of the March 8, 2023 Marine 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 Welcome new Board member Dr. Francis Bugaj Dr. Bugaj was not in attendance. 4.2 Overview of Derelict Vessel Issues Marine and Aviation Director Eric Gandy said state legislation was passed in 2009 that preempted local government's ability to regulate anchoring. The city previously had an ordinance prohibiting anchoring longer than 72 hours and all waterways across the state had different rules and regulations. The state legislators passed a uniform law to create consistency across the state. Unintended consequences of such a law negated the city's ability to regulate anything. Boaters realized they didn't have to pay to store their vessel so they anchored it and because of the proximity to residential areas in Mandalay Channel, vessels that broke loose from their anchor would hit a residential dock or seawall. Some vessels were being rented out as an Airbnb or used for low-income housing. It is assumed the vessels were not Page 1 City of Clearwater Marine Advisory Board Meeting Minutes June 14, 2023 being pumped out and enforcing pump outs is extremely difficult. The city has created an expedited process and the Police Department issues citations to vessels with no anchor lights or are inoperable and there is a hearing scheduled to provide them due process. The city's process mirrors the Fish and Wildlife Commission process but is faster, the downside being the cost for vessel removal which is approximately$5,000 to $8,000. The statute was changed a couple years ago to allow counties, not municipalities, to create Anchor Limitation Areas (ALA) with anchoring limited to 45 days. The City requested the County to establish an ALA in Mandalay Channel and the County is evaluating the request. In response to questions, Mr. Gandy said the Police Department tracks the vessels and would be able to identify how many days a vessel has been anchored. He said agencies mark vessels so the public knows the authorities are aware of the them. 5. Old Business Items 5.1 Beach Marina Update Mr. Gandy said permits are being pursued and are in process. The big challenge now for this project is cost. During COVID, marinas were not constructed so it is difficult to find a comparable marina cost. Staff has met with the construction manager and design team and the layout is established. Staff is working on obtaining an earlier Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) to determine if the project is on budget and what, if any, Council action or financial action may be necessary to move forward. Council has been supportive of the project and added a seawall to the project scope and allowed staff to investigate the possibility of a parking garage. Storage for the commercial fleet remains an issue that is being discussed. The recreational fleet will not be able to remain at the marina during construction, the commercial fleet will remain in the marina as the construction progresses. The city is committed to maintain accessibility for the commercial fleet to conduct business during the project. Recreational fleet tenant have been notified that they will need to seek other accommodations during construction. Construction will commence during the end of the 1st quarter or beginning of the 2nd quarter of 2024. Grant funding is being pursued for the transient docks in the approximate amount of$1.2 million with an agreement made that the City will provide a pump out for the transient tenants. Resiliency grants may be available since the marina is using a floating dock system, allowing for sea level rise. Page 1 City of Clearwater Marine Advisory Board Meeting Minutes June 14, 2023 In response to questions, Mr. Gandy said dredge sampling has been conducted and there is contamination, so the dredge material can't be pumped elsewhere. It must be disposed of, adding cost to the project. The parking garage is contemplated for the east end of the lot. Phasing of the project has not been determined so staff does not know when and for how long the fuel dock will be out of service, however, arrangements for fuel trucks will be made. The commercial fleet's kiosks will be rented by the tenant. 5.2 Harbor Attenuator Update Mr. Gandy reviewed the harbor attenuator replacement project. The attenuators are currently being transported and will be stored in the water, secured to the Harbor Marina inside the existing attenuators. They are scheduled to be installed in December. The master maintenance plan has been created and the budget will be available in 2025 for a maintenance schedule. He said the opening of Coachman Park may generate more transient bookings and he wants the facility to be representative of the City. The Marina is 13 years old, is a large facility, in an exposed area, is showing its age, and staff is doing their best with upkeep. 5.3 Seminole Docks Maintenance and Replacement Update Mr. Gandy said the gangway, which was installed over 20 years ago, to the floating dock had concrete swelling and cracking and is worn out. The gangway pulled away from the concrete and was unsafe. The floating dock was removed which limits access to two of the eight launch ramps. Repairs were scheduled and, at first, FDEP said a permit would not be required because it was a replacement, not a new dock. During the repair preparation work, FDEP found a discrepancy in the legal description and may require a permit. Mr. Gandy said the state provided funding for the initial docks and parking lot in 1967 and accepted all titles, deeds, and legal descriptions. They permitted concrete piers and dock replacements in that location in 2000 and the area footprint has not changed. He met with Public Works and the Legal Department who will engage with FDEP to determine a path forward. He said the city's original documents date back to 1920 and with today's survey technology, discrepancies have been identified. Seminole Boat Ramp is one of the busiest launch facilities in the County. In response to a question, Mr. Gandy said a phased approach could be used should all docks need repair or maintenance at the same time. Page 1 City of Clearwater Marine Advisory Board 5.4 Stevenson Creek Update Meeting Minutes June 14, 2023 Mr. Gandy said installation of the signage will occur once permits are issued. A contractor is in place, the signage and hardware are ready, and he said he hopes to receive permits in the next four months. He said the signage will benefit the area once installed. He said a high tide and small boat are needed to access the area to get GPS coordinates for sign placement. 6. Director's Report 7. Board Members to be Heard 8. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 8:44 a.m. City of Clearwater Page 1 e Chair, Marine Advisory oard