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11-12-25 ESC Adopted MinutesMINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Wednesday, November 12, 2025 - 6:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Bruce Andrews, ESC Member Amy Franqui, ESC Member Sarah Boren, ESC Chair Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member Todd Miner, ESC Member Absent: Amy Palmer, ESC Member Anastasia Houston, ESC Member Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member Also Present: Kevin Auster, Planner 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Boren called the meeting of the Environmental Stewardship Committee on November 12, 2025 to order at 6:02 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A. Sarah Boren noted that the timing of agendas requires submission far in advance, and that consent agenda item 5.I and agenda items 6.A, 8.F, and 9.A all involve Arbor Day and tree giveaway dates or end -of -year community input and survey, which might create conflicts. She warned members they might need to move things around during the meeting. The committee initially could not approve the agenda due to lack of quorum. Once Bruce Andrews arrived to establish quorum. MOTION. To APPROVE the agenda. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second. Daniele Giovannucci Bruce Andrews (Moved By) For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci (Seconded By) For Todd Miner For Motion passed S to 0. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 1 of 11 3. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR (5 MINS.) Payton Jamieson, the new Principal Planner and Environmental Coordinator for the City of Atlantic Beach, introduced herself to the committee. She shared her background from North Texas, her undergraduate studies at Mercer University focusing on biology with references to law and public policy and aquatic ecosystems, and her master's degree from Jacksonville University in marine science and public policy. Planner Jamieson expressed her passion for the ocean and public policy, noting her previous experience at the City of Jacksonville's resilience office where she worked on policy implementations addressing sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. She also worked as a current planner with COJ, learning about land development regulations. She conducted Jacksonville's vulnerability assessment using GIS work. When asked about her priorities for Atlantic Beach, Planner Jamieson stated she wants to better understand the flooding Atlantic Beach faces and develop green infrastructure solutions. She's interested in addressing saltwater intrusion and understanding the community through the zoning code. Her ultimate goal is to get environmental protections into the city code, as "once you get it in code, you can't really get it out." Amy Franqui asked about Planner Jamieson's aquatic ecosystem work, and Planner Jamieson shared research she conducted on the impacts of sunscreen on sea anemones, discovering significant differences in how various sunscreens affect marine life. The committee welcomed her enthusiastically. 4. CHAIR REMARKS � - - - Chair Boren made several announcements: Jeannie Gracy has resigned, and the BMRC (Board Member Review Committee) meeting to replace her will be scheduled in January. She thanked Dan for feedback on the organizational excellence tracker and Bruce for attending the recent commission meeting. Regarding staff updates, Adam Thornton is the new public works director and has been invited to the next meeting. Planner Genest is now working in St. Johns County, and the committee has gained Planner Jamieson as their new environmental coordinator. Chair Boren confirmed that Beaches Go Green is "100% on board and excited" about partnering on the film series. She also noted upcoming important dates: Marsh Oaks Community Center grand opening is scheduled for July 4th, and the Mayport Road Diet timeline shows bidding in July 2026 with work starting January 2027. She emphasized the need to keep pushing for landscaping elements in the road diet project, as "we're the only ones that are going to keep pushing on that." Chair Boren followed up with Gretchen on the weed wrangle but found it's "kind of a no-go on piggybacking on that." The Weed Wrangle is scheduled for Saturday, February 21st at Howell Park. She mentioned that a folder of handouts was circulating for signing up for 2026 commission meetings, volunteer hours, and public ideas. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 2 of 11 5. 6. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve minutes of the August 27, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. B. Approve minutes of the September 2, 2025 ESC Tree Subcommittee meeting. C. Approve minutes of the September 10, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. D. Approve minutes of the September 24, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. E. Approve minutes of the October 8, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. F. Approve minutes of the October 15, 2025 ESC Tree Subcommittee Meeting. G. Approve minutes of the October 22, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. MOTION. The consent agenda included approval of multiple meeting minutes from August through October 2025, items ESC has consensus to share with Commission, proposed promotional content, and an FYI report. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second. Todd Miner Bruce Andrews (Moved By) For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci For Todd Miner (Seconded By) For Motion passed S to 0. 90 DAY CALENDAR AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE METRICS A. Calendar The committee discussed the 90 -day calendar. Chair Boren confirmed that Amy Franqui, Dan, and Chair Boren were still good for their November and December commission meeting assignments. For the December 8th meeting formal report, Sarah suggested Dan could do the tree report while she handles the rest. Todd clarified he had switched with Amy Franqui and would cover the November 24th commission meeting. For January meetings, Dan volunteered for January 12th and Todd for the fourth Monday. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 3 of 11 Chair Boren raised the idea of hosting community input gathering at their December 17th meeting, potentially making it a longer meeting with community input from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and the regular meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. with a potluck. Regarding Arbor Day giveaway, Sarah noted January 11th would be the best date to avoid competing with the Martin Luther King weekend and Greenscape's tree giveaway on January 16-17. Dan suggested potentially piggybacking with Greenscape's event, but Bruce and Sarah expressed concerns about perceived overlap and competition. The committee decided to postpone approving the 90 -day calendar to address the Arbor Day giveaway question later in the meeting. B. 2025 Organizational Excellence Tracker Chair Boren explained she added a motions and memos tracker because "one of the things that's come up frequently is, okay, so we pass something, and then where does it go, and what happens to it?" She noted it's still in process and she forgot to add two items: the tree spending plan memo from earlier than October 22nd and the chapter 23 revisions from the 22nd. She also added the 25-26 work plan even though it hasn't been formally approved by commission, since they've started working on it. She noted she still needs to add planned attendance for other meetings like commission meetings to capture those volunteer hours. Amy Franqui said she liked the additions, especially the motion tracker. Sarah remained open to suggestions for continual improvement. C. ESC Member To Do List Action Items The master to-do list has not been updated since October 1 St. Chair Boren suggested that member reports, both verbal during meetings and written submissions under the consent agenda, are the most efficient way to track progress on action items given limited meeting time. The committee acknowledged this is an evolving process that needs refinement but represents a good start. 7. COMMISSION AND/OR STAFF REPORTS A. Monthly tree report Planner Auster presented the monthly tree report. Chair Boren asked if they had numbers for front yard trees planted, and Planner Auster confirmed 21 were planted in spring with approximately 33 for fall planting happening within the next week or two. Chair Boren raised the possibility of using AI tools or automation to gather more robust data from permits and arborist letters without increasing staff burden. Todd indicated it would require more customization than initially thought. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 4 of 11 The committee discussed adding tree giveaway data to the report. Dan suggested using conservative mortality estimates of 10-20%, though Amy mentioned hearing statistics of 50% mortality for city -planted trees. After debate about accuracy and methodology, Chair Boren suggested that Todd and Dan could work together on developing giveaway numbers with proper caveats for future reports. However, they decided this could wait until the June 2026 report rather than rushing for the December commission presentation. B. Status update on when Chapter 23 revision, including historical corridor, tree fund action and spending plan, and three mature tree incentive proposals will go before Commission Planner Auster confirmed that Chapter 23 revisions will be on the November 24th commission agenda. Chair Boren explained it will be under miscellaneous items as a touchpoint with commissioners to see if there's "any heartache or heartburn" before drafting the ordinance. The committee debated whether to proactively meet with commissioners before the 24th or wait to see their reaction. Dan felt they should preempt potential concerns by highlighting 2-3 key points. Bruce suggested working in conjunction with staff rather than separately. Chair Boren proposed supporting staff at the initial presentation and then doing one-on-one outreach only if they see concerns. The committee agreed to this approach, with Dan volunteering to reach out to Amanda about staffs presentation plans. C. Howell Park Dig Out & Littoral Planting Community Service Amy Franqui reported that the event is likely scheduled for March timeframe as they coordinate with spring tides. She met with Steve and Gretchen from Friends of Howell Park to discuss and ensure community perspectives were included. She has action items to finalize details with Director Askew. D. Developer/Builder Workshop Update Planner Auster reported there's no update yet on a new date for the workshop that was supposed to happen in October. Chair Boren mentioned she's still working on a title company lunch and learn with realtors. E. ROW plantings update Planner Auster reported that front yard trees are currently being planted along with right- of-way trees and park trees. All Howell Park trees were ordered, plus sand live oaks on Saturiba Drive and others. They're currently maxing out their budget at $25,000, which would require commission approval to exceed. Bruce asked about the implementation of previously identified planting areas, and Planner Auster confirmed they'll likely happen in another round, possibly February or March. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 5 of 11 Chair Boren asked about tracking locations of plantings for potential use with Jacksonville's tree plotter program. Planner Auster said they have general property data but not precise latitude/longitude data. Dan noted that single points at property centers would be sufficient for small Atlantic Beach properties. F. ESC Member Report Outs on Recent Commission Meetings Bruce Andrews reported on the November 10th commission meeting. During public comment, he mentioned the success of the tree giveaway, Amy's Florida Friendly speaker series, and the upcoming chapter 23 revisions. He also noted that 14 -yard reviews were being conducted as part of the speaker series. At the meeting, Eric Williams received his 20 -year service award with his family present. Rick Carper's assistance as interim public works director was acknowledged, with him staying another couple of weeks to facilitate transition. The commission discussed residential parking issues in Royal Palm, with Amy Rose raising concerns about haphazard on -lawn parking. The City Manager and Director Askew will work on solutions, recognizing that neighborhoods built for one car now have families with four cars. Short-term rental enforcement difficulties were discussed, with commissioners believing violations should still be cited even if legal action is uncertain. The Safety and Traffic Committee made recommendations about parking distances from stop signs. Commissioner Candice mentioned the idea of a community garden at the senior center, =which already ha§Tunding committed. The Mayor reported from the Board Member Review Committee about appointments to various boards: a gentleman to the pension board, Rick Carper to the CDB, and someone from Ocean Walk as an alternate. They discussed adding a second alternate position to help with quorum issues. Appointments were also made to ARCC and the pension board. Amy Franqui, who had covered a previous meeting, shared an amusing moment when a public commenter praised her rain barrel session and advocated for city -funded rain barrels, immediately before Amy was called for her own public comment. She clarified she hadn't planted him in the audience. 8. OLD BUSINESS A. 12/8/25 ESC Report to Commission Chair Boren outlined the agenda for the December 8th ESC report to commission, which needs to be submitted by November 25th. The report will include: update on members and structure, formal report presentation, monthly tree report with Dan covering the permit process semiannual report, outline of the State of Canopy biannual report, seeking suggestions for improvements, status update on the work plan and progress on commission priorities, accomplishments, and centennial ideas like Minecraft. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 6 of 11 Chair Boren asked whether to mention the ESC reorganization's effectiveness. Dan felt they should focus on the work rather than process unless they have something specific to request. The committee agreed to focus on substance over process. Chair Boren noted they need to specifically request scheduling of their annual workshop meeting with commission for February or March. B. Status Update & Discussion on ESC 2024-2026 Priorities & To Do List Discussed as part of the commission report planning. C. MOTION: ESC Priority Setting Process Chair Boren explained that despite still working on 2025-26 priorities, they need to start thinking about 2026-27 due to the budget cycle. To get priorities into the budget, they need to submit by late March/early April when staff begins budgeting. The process involves seeking community input through in-person gatherings and online surveys, getting ESC member input, and commissioner input. They would meet in January to flesh out priorities, identify budget implications and staff resource needs, then present no more than 3 priorities to commission. During discussion, the committee debated whether to do just surveys or include in- person gatherings. Todd volunteered to handle community input gathering, suggesting --possibilities like farmers markets or piggybacking -Qn. Wither events. --Dan suggested including QR codes to surveys in water bills for broader input. MOTION. To APPROVE the following process and general schedule to continue to improve upon its priority setting process. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Bruce Andrews Bruce Andrews (Seconded By) For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci (Moved By) For Todd Miner For Motion passed 5 to 0. D. MOTION: End of Year ESC Self Evaluation & Priorities Survey Chair Boren presented the draft survey combining evaluation of ESC performance and individual member performance with priority gathering. She suggested adding questions about what aspect ESC should focus on improving in 2026 and what aspect individual Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 7 of 11 members hope to improve. She also noted missing questions about events and public education/outreach needs. Dan acknowledged the breadth and depth of the survey but suggested some items could be trimmed to reduce survey fatigue. He specifically questioned how to measure "good record of meeting attendance," suggesting 90% attendance as a reasonable goal. The committee agreed this was appropriate for organizational excellence. MOTION. To APPROVE the enclosed survey for its 2025 end of year self-evaluation and priority gathering form. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Bruce Andrews Committee members have one week to submit any additional refinements to Planner Auster and Director Askew. Bruce Andrews (Seconded By) For Amy Franqui For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci (Moved By) For Todd Miner For Motion passed S-t»f 0. E. ESC Volunteer Opportunities Chair Boren explained the city's volunteer form is -very events and recreation oriented, lacking ESC opportunities. She proposed additions including: serving on citizen committees with hyperlinks to descriptions, serving as volunteer subject matter experts, helping with social media and research, public education and outreach, tree giveaways, tabling at events, and listing ESC events like tree giveaways, Arbor Day, Earth Day, film series, speaker series, community service days, and wellness festival. Amy suggested at minimum adding something that says "environmental events and activities" with the word environment in it. The committee agreed to submit these suggestions to see if the form can be updated. F. 10/26/25 Tricks & Trees Giveaway Debrief & Draft Giveaway Guide Chair Boren presented a draft guide documenting lessons learned from tree giveaways, noting it's "kind of a kitchen sink" but a start. The committee discussed whether to continue giveaways given mortality rates and costs versus the community engagement benefits. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 8 of 11 Bruce suggested following up with a statistical sample of recipients to gather data on tree survival. The committee discussed the loss of the pre -registration system due to public records concerns. Sarah expressed frustration about reverting to "stone ages on process," noting they had 91 pre -registrations for Arbor Day with great data and reminder capabilities. Todd emphasized the issue is about working with staff rather than the process itself, noting concerns about data collection requirements and sunshine law compliance. Amy offered to meet with staff about finding solutions, as she faces similar issues with speaker series RSVPs. Director Askew had indicated openness to having someone teach Valerie how to create Microsoft forms for registration. Amy volunteered to take on this coordination with Director Askew, Valerie, and Planner Auster. G. MOTION: AB Mindcraft Challenge The committee discussed participating in Jacksonville's 2026 Minecraft Education challenge where students design virtual worlds. Atlantic Beach would be one of four challenges, with students learning about the city through the game. The budget would be $3,00045,000. Chair Boren noted Chris is very interested in running this initiative, limiting ESC's workload. The challenge needs to align with ESC's mission and might include beach access, sea turtle conservation, or dune protection themes. Sarah mentioned East Jacksonville, "the totally red -lined part of our city," will be one of the challenges through LISC -_ MOTION. To RECOMMEND that the City Commission approve the City of Atlantic Beach to fund and participate in the 2026 Jax City Build Challenge with Minecraft Education, empowering students to help redesign Jacksonville's future. The challenge integrates STEM, urban planning, and creativity to foster collaboration, civic engagement, and innovative thinking. Students will design Minecraft worlds that envision a dynamic forward thinking future for the city. By participating in this challenge, the City would be added to the game, and visitors would learn about our city. The budget for the program is expected to be no more than 3-5 thousand dollars, which would also include up to 3 historical or significant aspects of our city being highlighted in the game with a build challenge attached. Motion: Danie[e Giovannucci Second. Amy Franqui Bruce Andrews For Amy Franqui (Seconded By) For Sarah Boren For Danie[e Giovannucci (Moved By) For Todd Miner For Motion passed S to 0. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 9 of 11 H. MOTION: Awards Call for Nominations The committee reviewed award categories but hadn't received final vote tallies from only 4 responses. Categories under consideration included tree canopy award, sustainability resilience award, planting with natives award, beautification award, and environmental steward of the year award. Chair Boren noted they need to launch by December 1 st to allow time for nominations. Dan suggested keeping categories somewhat generic for flexibility, expressing concern that "tree canopy" might be too specific. The committee discussed whether "tree award" might be better than "canopy award." Amy said she voted based on whether she could think of someone to nominate in each category. She could identify nominees for two categories. The committee agreed to refine the categories and descriptions for the next meeting, with Sarah needing to run the final version by the city manager. 9. NEW BUSINESS A. EVENT(S): Arbor Day & Arbor Day Giveaway The committee debated whether to hold another tree giveaway so soon after October's event. Dan and others expressed inclination against doing two giveaways in such a short time period. Bruce noted spring motivates planting more than fall, suggesting March in work. Dan proposed partnering with Greenscape's giveaway as a secondary site to reduce travel and lines for beach residents. Bruce offered to explore this possibility before the next meeting. The committee discussed doing their own event in March if partnering doesn't work out. Regarding Arbor Day celebration on January 16th, Sarah noted Amanda felt the flag raising was "a little stale" and suggested exploring new ideas from the Arbor Day Foundation. B. DISCUSSION: Centennial Celebration Ideas Dan emphasized the importance of getting a centennial list together to piggyback on city events, specifically mentioning First Night as an opportunity. The committee agreed to prioritize this for the next meeting. 10. SIGNIFICANT MATTERS ARISING IN SUBCOMMITTEES No matters were discussed as time had run short. 11. MEMBERS CLOSING REMARKS Members did not provide closing remarks due to time constraints. 12. MEETING RECAP Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 10 of 11 13. Attest: Items identified for the November 19, 2025 agenda include continued discussion of Arbor Day plans, centennial celebration ideas, and award category refinements. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:22 p.m. f !JAAd-A OWL -I Sarah Boren, ESC Chair Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) November 12, 2025 Page 11 of 11