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10/23/2023 Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Monday, October 23, 2023 4:00 PM Special Meeting Clearwater East Community Library, 2465 Drew St, Clearwater, FL 33765 — Community Room Environmental Advisory Board 1 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 Rollcall Present 3 - Chair Jared Leone, Vice Chair John Thomas, Board Member Glenna Wentworth, and Board Member Kelly Dobbin Absent 1 - Board Member Marita Lynch Also Present— Micah Maxwell — Chief Innovation Officer and Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk 1. Call To Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. at the Clearwater East Community Library. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve the minutes of the July 19, 2023 EAB meeting Approval of Minutes was continued to the next meeting. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Discussion of a City "Feebate" program Greenprint 2.0 identifies a use of a "Feebate" program as an action item under the Green Energy and Buildings section. The intent would be to impose additional fees to developers that do not meet nationally recognized standards. Those fees would then be used to provide financial incentives for those who do meet the standards. For this type of program to exist there would need to be a change to the City's Land Development Code, and it would also need to clear any legal issues. Staff also anticipates needing to pre-fund such a program through the use of General Fund dollars. As Planning and Development is beginning to update City Code, the time to request that such a program be researched and considered is now. Chief Innovation Officer Micah Maxwell said the concept is part of the Greenprint plan and developers not using environmentally friendly processes will pay into a fund that will benefit developers who douse nationally recognized performance standards. In response to questions, Mr. Maxwell said the program criteria is not yet set and the Planning & Development Department staff can look at options and best practices. He said the program would apply to all new development. The reward does not necessarily have to be financial, it could be density and flexibility. One individual said Dunedin would be a good city to look at for an example. 2 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 4.2 Discussion about use of pesticides at city facilities Staff will provide a copy of the County's Integrated Vegetation Management plan, as well as a summary of our city practices. Mr. Maxwell said the City uses the County's Vegetation Management Plan. Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Matthew Anderson provided an overview the Management Plan and said Clearwater and other municipalities were involved in the Plan's development. He said anyone who applies chemicals must have a limited lawn and ornamental applicators license. The license is obtained after attending a class and passing a test. Chemical labels are the law and must be followed. An applicator has to document where and how much of a chemical was used. He said the City does not have a licensed aquatic applicator on staff and a contractor is hired when aquatic applications are needed. He said herbicides are applied as needed in parks. There are certain locations, like ball fields, that require chemicals. Chemicals are not sprayed in playgrounds and are applied situationally in dog parks for nuisances like ants. In response to questions, Mr. Anderson said staff uses as little herbicide as possible in nature parks. In some cases, invasive species will need to be sprayed as mechanical removal is not always the best removal process. He said staff has looked at alternative solutions for invasive removals, but there will always be a place for chemical applications. In response to a suggestion, Mr. Anderson said it is a goal of his department to publish information online regarding the City's process of pesticides and herbicides use. 4.3 Rainy Season Fertilizer Ban Update presentation by Sierra Club. Sierra Club will give a presentation and followed by a proposed resolution for approval by the EAB. Sierra Club representative Brian Beckman provided a PowerPoint presentation. Mr. Beckman said the Sierra Club requested support from the County and local municipalities for the fertilizer bans that are in place today. He said evidence shows that fertilizer bans improve the nitrogen load in Tampa Bay. A law that became effective July 1, 2023 prevents any new county or municipal ordinance that places any new or amends any existing fertilizer restrictions for the next year. The County has made this issue a legislative priority, to support efforts to maintain local governments'ability to regulate the retail sale and application of fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous in order to reduce nutrient runoff into waterways. One person spoke in support of the Sierra Club's efforts. 3 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 Member Thomas moved to support stricter rainy season bans on fertilizer and support home rule. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.4 Review near term items with the EAB. Based on discussions at last month's meeting staff has identified a timeline for discussing some of the near-term concerns of the board. This is the time to add additional items to this list. January Budget Priorities for EAB Greenprint Implementation Update Ready for 100 April Update on Solar July Cenergistic Year Two Legislative Priorities for 2025 October Mr. Maxwell said the Greenprint implementation update will be provided in January. He said if additional information is available, Cooper's Bayou and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan may be discussed. There will be an update to the City's solar installations and Cenergistic's annual information will be reported in April. He said more information will be needed from Planning and Development regarding the Feebate implementation. In response to a question, Mr. Maxwell said the new City Hall is in the design phase. Chair Leone said he shared an email he received from a concerned citizen with Mr. Maxwell regarding a shark fishing ban adopted by the City of Indian Shores in September and asked if information could be provided to the Board. He said he was contacted by the Suncoast Surfrider Foundation about an initiative to push back on using phosphogypsum as a material in building roads. He requested a presentation on the push back initiative. 5. Old Business Items 5.1 Update on Cooper's Bayou Sarah Kessler from Engineering with be in attendance to discuss the status of the Cooper's Bayou project. Lead Environmental Specialist Sarah Kessler said a water quality and habitat improvement Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued on Monday. She said the project plans are at 30% completion and a permit was issued by Southwest 4 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). The project includes dredging Cooper's Bayou and dredging and enhancing the flushing of selective mosquito ditches. It will create a pass under the bridge that goes to Nova Southeastern University to allow access to old Tampa Bay. A cut will be made in Cooper's Point at a narrow point to allow for better water circulation. A 400 ft cut will also be made on the north side of Courtney Campbell Causeway, west of the little bridge. She said she will request Board input regarding recreational elements at the appropriate time. She said grant funding is available for this type of project. In response to questions, Ms. Kessler said Florida Department ofTransportation (FDOT) provided most of the work for the 30% design phase, which equates to approximately$750,000. FDOT will remain a partner in the project but will not provide additional funding. SWFWMD is currently focused on water production and providing grant dollars to public utility divisions. She said staff will research grant opportunities for the recreational elements. The consultant has grant people on staff who are familiar with what types of grants the city may be able to seek. She said the solution to pollution is dilution and when the water can move around better, it helps algae issues. Mr. Maxwell said once the project is closer to the final design, the City will be able to request funding from the state and the Tourist Development Council. 5.2 Update on Parks and Recreation Master Plan A member of Park's and Recreation administration will be in attendance to provide an update on the status of the Park's and Recreation Master Plan. Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Matthew Anderson said the original Master Plan was developed in 2002 and last updated in 2013. Toole Design Group is the consultant who is assisting in the process. They conducted stakeholder meetings and have received input from various city departments. He said staff had surveys available during the Coachman Park opening to gather feedback. The design team provided valuable data to determine the average usage of parks across the City. There is a final community meeting that will be held virtually in December and then the Plan will be taken to Council for approval. In response to questions, Mr. Anderson said with the average usage data provided, staff was a little surprised at the usage of some of the smaller park areas. Park maintenance schedules may be tweaked once all the data is compiled. He said Toole Design is utilizing Greenprint as a reference tool and there was opportunity on the survey to provide environmental and sustainability feedback. Mr. Maxwell said his office met with Toole Design to provide environmental and sustainability information. 5.3 Update on policy to maintain the City of Clearwater's urban forests. 5 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 In September 2023, the Public Works Department requested direction its new Urban Forest policy. ACM Dan Slaughter reached out to EAB board members for individual comments prior to council consideration of the policy due to the timing of council consideration for the item. Below is the item that was provided for consideration by council, and attached is the policy itself. While the direction was provided to move forward with the policy, staff will provide any recommendations from the board generated by board discussion to the Public Works Department and City Council. Summary from City Council Meeting In 2020, the city began conducting an inventory and assessment of trees in the right-of-way. Using that inventory and assessment, the City contracted with a vendor for tree and stump removal and began removing trees rated "0" or trees that were assess as dead. In January 2023, the Public Works Department halted the program after citizen concerns helped identify some operational concerns which included insufficient detail in the assessment/inventory, insufficient public outreach and resident notification, and the lack of a tree-replacement planting program. After an internal review and discussion with the Environmental Advisory Board on May 17, 2023, city staff prepared a high-level policy for Council's consideration. The policy was developed to be consistent with the City of Clearwater Strategic Plan: Environmental Stewardship: Objective 4.3: Protect the conservation of urban forests and public green spaces to promote biodiversity and reduce our carbon footprint. The policy prioritizes the urban forests. The policy calls for the surveying, assessment, and classification of trees to restart; and includes the removal of trees that are dead or rated "0." The citizen notification process will include three methods of contact of an adjacent property owner and notification of the homeowner's association, if applicable. The policy proposes a re-planting program at a ratio of five trees planted for every four removed. Additionally, the city will identify species that are authorized to be planted and the place conditions for each species. Public Works will collaborate with the Neighborhood Services Team and Public Communications Team to promote the philosophy "right tree, right place", properly identifying property/right-of-way lines, and neighborhood stewardship of public trees. Funding to implement this policy is provided in various appropriation codes, as listed below, with the proposed amounts for fiscal year 23/24. 6 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 Assistant City Manager Daniel Slaughter said the driving force behind the policy was the Strategic Plan that speaks to environmental stewardship. The policy prioritizes the urban forest, meaning if the city has control to route utilities, roads, sidewalks, etc. around an existing tree, it will be done. The tree survey will be reconstituted and every tree will be looked at at least once every five years. The City will do a better job communicating the program with residents and promote and encourage resident participation in the maintenance of trees. Any tree identified for removal will be reviewed at the department director level. Five trees will be planted for every four trees removed. A replacement tree will be in the near vicinity of the one that was removed. If planting a replacement tree is not feasible where the removed one was located, attempts will be made to place the tree in the same neighborhood and if that is not feasible, the tree will be planted in the same zone. The City will support a program with neighborhoods who wish to enter into a pact with the City to plant and maintain trees. Staff will take the rest of the year to gauge the funding aspect of the program to see if additional funding will be needed to move forward. An educational component will be incorporated into the program. In response to questions, Mr. Slaughter said there is criteria that will determine which tree species are suitable for different areas, for instance oak trees will not be planted in narrow rights-of-way. The City is not staffed for continual tree maintenance and vendors will be relied upon for trimming, removals, and stump grinding. He said once the tree survey is complete, information will be made available online. The tree survey and catalog method is being done with more structure. One individual suggested planting more trees in commercial areas where big paved parking lots are located and questioned if the new policy will address the state mandated arborists that need to declare a tree may be removed. One individual questioned the information residents will receive regarding tree care and and how to report issues and asked if there is an assessment for hurricane damaged trees and shrubs. Mr. Slaughter said an arborist would be required to obtain a permit to remove a tree, even if the tree is on city property. He said the hurricane resulted in saltwater intrusion on north beach and the City has not discussed an assessment of hurricane damaged foliage. 5.4 Recycling Update Council recently approved a new agreement with Waste Connections of Florida. The agreement was for the disposition of recyclable materials at the rate of$120/ton with revenue share on the sliding scale presented below which would result in an offset of a portion of$120/ton price. The initial term of this contract is for a period of one year and may be extended for up to three additional one-year terms upon mutual consent of the parties. City Council also approved a 6-month credit 7 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 Mr. Maxwell said Council approved a contract with Waste Connections and a six-month credit for customers. Pinellas County is adjusting their solid waste ordinance and the Board will be made aware of what the adjustments are when the time comes, like composting, etc. In response to questions, Mr. Maxwell said the County will decide if they will include control of a Material Recovery Facility(MRF) in their ordinance. He said the City's website has a recycling dashboard that reports monthly and annual information. The types of materials accepted has not changed but may change if a MRF is incorporated. Mr. Slaughter said Waste Connections does not accept cardboard or glass. Both are being collected and the cardboard is being handled by a separate vendor. Naples is the only place that has a vendor that accepts glass, so it is not economically feasible to continue to recycle glass. 6. Director's Report: None. 7. Board Members to be Heard Member Thomas said he was impressed by the different issues presented to the Board today. Member Wentworth questioned when the EV chargers at Coachman Park would be unveiled. She encouraged all to fill out the City Hall survey on the City's website. Mr. Maxwell said the EV charging stations in Coachman Park would be unveiled at an event on December 1, 2023. They are in working order and staff is working through issues regarding the phone application to pay for the charging service. A press release will go out regarding the event on December 1 and announcing the EV charger installation. Discussion ensued regarding the Board's meeting frequency. Mr. Maxwell said the City Manager and City Clerk need to determine if more meetings can be supported due to staffing concerns. He will report back in January. 8 City of Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board 8. Adjourn Attest: Meeting Minutes October 23, 2023 The meeting adjourned at 6:12 p.m. Board Reporter City of Clearwater 9