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9-10-25 ESC Adopted MinutesMINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Wednesday, Septemher 10, 2025 - 6:00 PM IF City Hall, Commission Chamber 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Bruce Andrews, ESC Member Amy Palmer, ESC Member Anastasia Houston, ESC Member Jeannie Gracy, ESC Member Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member Amy Franqui, ESC Member Sarah Boren, ESC Chair Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member Absent: Todd Miner, ESC Member Also Present: Amanda Askew, Neighborhoods Department Dir. (NDD) 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A. Sarah Boren noted that the agenda format passed on August 13 had the consent agenda after courtesy of the floor and chair remarks, which differed from today's agenda. She suggested keeping the current flow for this meeting. MOTION: To APPROVE the agenda as presented. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second. Amy Palmer Bruce Andrews (Moved By) For Amy Palmer (Seconded By) For Anastasia Houston For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci For Motion passed 8 to 0. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 3. 4. 5. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve minutes of the August 13, 2025 Environmental Stewardship Committee meetings. Chair Boren read the standard language regarding the consent agenda items being considered routine and enacted in one motion. During discussion, Amy Franqui noted her last name was misspelled a few times in the minutes. Sarah Boren asked if there would be minutes from the August 27 and September 2 meetings. Director Askew confirmed those would be provided later, as support staff was currently out. Chair Boren encouraged members to review the City of Jacksonville's newly launched dashboard mentioned in the FYI report. MOTION: To approve the consent agenda. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second. Amy Palmer Bruce Andrews (Moved By) For Amy Palmer (Seconded By) For Anastasia Houston For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci For Motion passed 8 to 0. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR There was no public comment. CHAIR REMARKS Chair Boren provided several updates and remarks: • The Community Development Board (CDB) did not approve staffs recommendation on on-site stormwater retention. The commission had previously sent it back to CDB wanting some relief to the trigger mechanism. Staff proposed a relief idea, but CDB rejected it. Jeannie Gracy noted it would go to commission on September 22 as a first read, with storage only required for the delta between 35% and 45%. • At the recent budget workshop and commission meeting, the city arborist position made it into the budget, though it's unclear if it will be part-time or full-time. The position is currently above the cut line but that could change. • The city decided to do citywide awards, so the ESC will not be doing their own awards moving forward. • The city manager instructed Amanda to find $2,000 in her budget for the film series. • Sarah asked Dan to share takeaways from the three appeals later in the meeting. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 • The City of Jacksonville will be doing an April 2026 Minecraft competition again. Sarah suggested potentially pitching that one of the projects focus on sustainability and resilience in Atlantic Beach. She asked for direction from the committee and Amanda on whether to pursue this idea. • The Northeast Florida Regional Council completed their Flagler compound flooding assessment, which will be available on their website soon. • Sarah and Abrielle attended a Resilient First Coast collaborative meeting where they launched the First Coast Resilience Action Plan with about 36 action items. Sarah noted potential opportunities to leverage resources through this collaborative, particularly for tree canopy mapping and the marsh pilot project. • The Cosgrove case can now be discussed publicly as there was no appeal filed. • Sarah asked if new members received ShareFile access. Some confusion was expressed about the platform, so Sarah and Amanda said they would follow up to ensure everyone had proper access. • Sarah will be meeting with the city manager on Friday and asked if members had any questions they wanted her to raise. • Regarding the edible orchard project, Sarah explained they couldn't encumber funds in time to pay for Tim Armstrong's consultation. She offered to personally donate money to get the project started and will connect Jeannie with Tim. Amanda mentioned Tim had an installer/nursery contact, though it would still need to go through the city process. • Sarah confirmed with Police Chief that residents can call police to document weekend chainsaw tree cutting, though police will not enforce but only document the activity. 6. 90 DAY CALENDAR AND ORGANIZATION EXCELLENCE METRICS A. Organizational Excellence Tracker Chair Boren discussed the organizational excellence tracker: • She is still working on a planner format • A notebook was passed out for members to add their August hours • A sign-up sheet for October 26 Tricks and Trees event shifts was circulated • The to-do list was updated on September 3 based on available information • Sarah acknowledged the process needs refinement and welcomed suggestions for improvement Members discussed ways to streamline the updating process, including potentially having individual documents or spreadsheets that could be easily compiled. B. ESC To Do List Action Items Dan questioned why the to-do list hadn't been updated recently. Chair Boren explained it was updated September 3 based on available information but lacks member updates. The committee discussed challenges with the current update process, including Sunshine Law considerations for collaborative documents. Chair Boren suggested members submit updates via member reports or email by month's end. The process remains clunky but necessary for tracking the committee's extensive work. Amy Franqui noted timing challenges with submission deadlines and suggested better calendaring of reminders. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 7. C. 90 Day Calendar The committee reviewed the 90 -day calendar. Several members discussed and adjusted their assigned commission meeting dates due to schedule conflicts: • Sarah Boren confirmed the following assignments: • September 22: Jeannie Gracey • October 13: Dan • November 10: Bruce Andrews Other calendar items discussed: • September 20: Fall Festival at Donner Park. The committee considered having a table and what information to promote. • October 2 and November 6: Speaker series events • October 11: Hodges Creek cleanup (Amy Franqui later suggested postponing this to winter/early spring) • October 26: Tricks and Trees event • November and December meetings will be on the third Wednesday due to holidays MOTION: To approve the calendar as amended. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Anastasia Houston Bruce Andrews (Moved By) For Amy Palmer For Anastasia Houston (Seconded By) For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci For Motion passed 8 to 0. COMMISSION AND/OR STAFF REPORTS A. Tree Data By Month Director Askew presented the monthly tree data, noting the tree fund balance fluctuates as property owners sometimes pay heavily into the fund then later plant trees on-site, requiring partial refunds. Current balance stands at approximately $325,000. The committee is averaging expected permit applications. Trees removed without permits totaled a significant number, though most had arborist letters. Total trees removed with permits: 28; inches removed: 389 (including two large trees at 740 and 760 Sherry); trees planted: 35. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 Anastasia asked about tracking arborist letters received after the fact. Director Askew explained state statute requires the letter be created before removal but doesn't specify when it must be provided to the city. Most violations involve letters created after removal without the arborist seeing the tree. Chair Boren mentioned exploring ChatGPT to scrape permit and arborist letter information for better tracking. B. Howell Park park Dig Out & Littoral Planting Director Askew reported that Amy Franqui has been working with Steve Swann, the city engineer, on a planting plan: Trees would be planted in fall (late October/early November) Plants would be added in spring C. Tree Funding Plantings Director Askew presented potential tree planting locations identified by staff, having reached out to COJ four times hoping to access their tree funds for larger specimens. Locations included: Levy Road west of Mayport Road: New sidewalk area with overhead power line constraints. Staff identified opportunities where sidewalk meanders to plant palms or other appropriate species. Challenges include maintaining distance from utilities and lack of irrigation. Seminole Road entrance: Near tennis courts and city hall, though some areas fall under existing tree canopy. Plaza West/West Plaza near Rose Park: Top of swale area previously containing pines that died off. Would require coordination with public works and potentially neighboring property. Saturiba Drive: Replacement of declining oaks with sand live oaks. Dan noted the trees aren't dead but declining, possibly from salt spray. Upper Seminole Road: Location identified by Bruce Andrews requiring field visit. Donner Road: Replacement of failed trees from previous planting, particularly cypress that didn't survive August heat and intermittent watering. Howell Park: Working with Amy to identify appropriate trees. Sherry Street lift station: Opportunity to add cedar trees when replacing chain link fence with wooden fence. Cutlass area near Hopkins Creek: Potential locations while keeping creek bank open for future trail connectivity. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 Wastewater treatment plant: Open area where cedars and pines could provide screening and potentially help with odor. Dan suggested denser plantings for better screening. Various infill locations: Including Saturiba Drive, 1420 Seminole Road, Selva Marina Drive, Johansson Park, City Hall, Tide Views, and 18th Street public parking. The committee discussed soil improvement with compost to retain moisture, proper berming for efficient watering, and protecting existing trees. Bruce Andrews emphasized needing robust watering capability if the city invests general fund money in trees. Amanda confirmed parks department staff could be reallocated in fall when grass growth slows, borrowing public works' watering equipment. MOTION: To have ESC members individually reach out to COJ to help provide these trees, with Director Askew providing contact information. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second. Bruce Andrews Bruce Andrews (Seconded By) For Amy Palmer For Anastasia Houston For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Dauiele Giovanuucci (Moved B)7 For Motion passed 8 to 0. D. Marsh Oaks Community Center Update Director Askew provided a brief update on the Marsh Oaks Community Center: • The project has stalled due to lack of funds • The most recent City Commission agenda passed on first read includes $320,000 to continue work • This amount should cover everything needed to open the center • They are continuing to look for grant funding for additional improvements • The target opening date is July 2026 E. ESC member report out on Recent Commission Meetings Chair Boren reported on recent commission meetings: • Discussion about wastewater treatment plant odor, which staff believes is from fatty acid decay rather than sulfur dioxide • CDB did not recommend approval of backyard hens for multifamily housing; commission directed staff to research how many multifamily lots are on large, single -family -sized lots Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 8. • September 17-23 is Constitution Week • Budget discussions included potentially removing grants for local schools from ARC, reducing ARC budget by $10,000 • Consensus to keep millage rate the same, not rolling it back • Considering increasing commission member salaries after the next election OLD BUSINESS A. Motion & Discussion: Chapter 23 Revisions, Recommendation to Commission, & Advocacy for Adoption Chair Boren requested a motion to approve the final version of Chapter 23 revisions for presentation to commission, incorporating all of Dan's edits. She emphasized the importance of advocacy once in Amanda's hands, with members meeting individually with commissioners to answer questions and explain recommendations. Dan noted the document contains many editorial comments that might need cleaning before attorney review. He and Bruce Andrews offered to be available for staff questions during review to expedite the process and prevent misunderstandings about multi-year efforts. MOTION: To approve the proposed Chapter 23 revisions. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Amy Palmer Bruce Andrews For Amy Palmer (Seconded By) For Anastasia Houston For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci (Moved By) For Motion passed 8 to 0. B. Motion: Data Fields Necessary for Tree Reports Chair Boren presented her comprehensive wish list of data fields for online permit applications and arborist letters, explaining the need to capture more data for required reporting. Green items are currently collected; red items are desired additions. The motion aims to request the vendor consider these fields, though implementation depends on cost and software flexibility. Discussion covered whether to require or request certain fields beyond state statute requirements. Amanda noted they can ask for information but cannot require anything Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 9. beyond state statute. Dan expressed interest in reviewing multiple pages of data fields. After reviewing the extensive list, Bruce called the questions. MOTION. To approve the proposed data fields list. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Amy Palmer Bruce Andrews For Amy Palmer (Seconded By) For Anastasia Houston For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci (Moved By) For Motion passed 8 to 0. NEW BUSINESS A. Motion: "No Mow" Wildflower Pilot Chair Boren presented the concept for a wildflower or perennial peanut planting on Sandpiper Lane East median, having received preliminary support from Rick Harper. Discussion focused on appropriate plant selection and project parameters. Amy Franqui suggested using Florida Growers Co-op's Florida ecotype native wildflower roadside seed mixes, which would self -seed and provide year-round interest with appropriate mowing schedules. Amy Palmer questioned whether coverage would be continuous throughout seasons. Dan suggested including signage to help residents understand the project's purpose during less attractive phases. MOTION: To move forward with a plan to implement a "no mow" wildflower plot pilot program with signage that would make it palatable and exciting for residents to support as it moves through the cycles of wildflowers and as a pilot program. Motion: Anastasia Houston Second. Amy Franqui Bruce Andrews For Amy Palmer For Anastasia Houston (Moved By) For Jeannie Gracy For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui (Seconded By) For Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci For Motion passed 8 to 0. 10. MEMBERS CLOSING REMARKS Jeannie Gracy praised Amy's rain barrel workshop, reporting 32 in-person attendees with 10 signing up for free yard reviews. She already received feedback that one attendee installed their rain barrel, and another was getting one for their neighbor. Amy Franqui thanked ESC members who attended her workshop and looked forward to next month's presentation. She reported positive community feedback and follow-through on rain barrel installations. Christina shared research on tree programs in other cities, focusing on similar -sized coastal communities. She's reaching out to builders about tree ordinance impacts and welcomes city suggestions, particularly noting Fernandina Beach. Chair Bautista suggested focusing on smaller cities with similar budget constraints and coastal vulnerabilities. Amy Franqui reflected on Hopkins Creek cleanup scheduling concerns given high water levels and invasive lantana timing. After discussing ideal conditions and conflict dates (Arbor Day, reed wrangle, Brazilian pepper removal), the committee agreed to postpone to January or February for better conditions and volunteer effectiveness. Dan Giovannucci seconded recognition of Amy's excellent workshop presentation and turnout. He thanked committee members for guidance during three tree appeals, all denied. While sympathetic to appellants who seemed unaware of regulations, the committee confirmed staff properly applied code. He emphasized lessons about community awareness and code simplification needs, suggesting simpler requirements would improve compliance and reduce feelings of being over -governed. He praised Amanda's staff coaching that improved their presentation capabilities. Bruce Andrews echoed Dan's comments about staff performance during appeals. He suggested directing some appeals directly to CDB when they clearly seek relief rather than code interpretation. Regarding city trees, he requested an arborist evaluate unhealthy oaks at the five - way intersection near the fire station, suggesting using tree fund money if necessary. Director Askew agreed to investigate funding options. Bruce also proposed adding a tree fund line item for contractors to edge and mulch circles around right-of-way oak trees to protect them from mowing equipment and improve aesthetics. Chair Boren observed from attending appeals that deterrence doesn't work when residents don't know rules exist. She suggested using Al to identify the three most common violations for targeted education. She also proposed a business partnership program where businesses could join the city's bulk tree purchasing to plant on their properties at their own expense, receiving recognition but no public funding. Anastasia suggested creating a commercial challenge with flyers for door-to-door business outreach. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025 11. 12. Attest: Amy Palmer supported appeals comments about tree company accountability, noting frustration that property owners bear sole expense when companies often advise incorrectly. She questioned if the city attorney could advise on holding companies financially accountable for illegal removals. She recalled Commissioner Grant's suggestion for a developer workshop and noted Chris's builder outreach efforts. One developer has already reached out expressing willingness to participate. The committee discussed coordinating with the building department's planned contractor meeting, with Chris attending to assess tree discussion opportunities. Anastasia requested help defining "elder" trees for her program. Larry suggested referencing Florida Champion Tree logs and establishing a percentage threshold (perhaps 40%) based on DBH and canopy coverage to accommodate different species characteristics. She's learning drone technology and various software platforms (iTree, QGIS, Google Earth Pro) for tree assessment and welcomes guidance on UNF departments that might assist as thesis projects. Dan suggested contacting ISA for professor connections. RECAP OF DECISIONS, ACTION ITEMS AND NEXT STEPS The committee briefly discussed sharing files through ShareFile and confirmed all members have access. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:09 p.m. Amanda Askew Sarah Boren, ESC Chair Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) September 10, 2025