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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnvironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) - 14 Jan 2026 - Minutes - PdfEnvironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 MINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - 6:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Anastasia Houston, ESC Member Amy Palmer, ESC Member Todd Miner, ESC Member Sarah Boren, ESC Chair Bruce Andrews, ESC Member Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member Amy Franqui, ESC Member Also Present: Amanda Askew, Neighborhoods Department Dir. (NDD) 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA A. Approval of Agenda MOTION: To APPROVE the agenda. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Christina Kelcourse Motion passed 8 to 0. 3. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR (5 MINS.) A. Guest and Topic: Priorities Discussion with Deputy City Manager Chair Sarah Boren welcomed Interim City Manager Kevin Hogencamp and explained that the purpose of having him attend was to discuss priority alignment between the ESC and the city commission. Chair Boren shared that she had sent specific questions to City Manager Hogencamp regarding the definition of priorities, how many priorities the ESC should recommend to the commission, and what additional information should be provided for each priority. Chair Boren noted that two major confusions had occurred in the previous year: the definition of a "priority" and the presentation of the work plan versus priorities. She explained that Mayor Ford had described priorities as urgent matters where "the house is on fire," while Commissioner Kelly suggested priorities could be "cathedral building." Chair Boren expressed concern about overwhelming commissioners with too much information. Page 1 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 Interim City Manager Kevin Hogencamp thanked the committee for their invitation and expressed gratitude for their service. He suggested that the ESC embrace simplicity and focus on a few key issues to achieve higher quality outcomes and avoid burnout. City Manager Hogencamp defined a priority as "the most essential work that the commission can do" or establish as policies for city staff through its strategic plan. He advised that strong priorities should be urgent, achievable within the city's jurisdiction, and connected to the city's mission, vision, and values. Regarding the priority-setting process, City Manager Hogencamp indicated that Linda Lanier would likely return to facilitate the session as she has done since 2018. He suggested that the committee could reach out to commissioners with ideas to improve the priority voting process. He announced that a joint workshop was being planned tentatively for Monday, March 2, 2026, at 6:00 PM to discuss priorities, with a separate agenda addressing Chapter 23 revisions on the same night. Committee members discussed the combined meeting format, with Dan Giovannucci expressing concern about potential fatigue from combining two significant topics. City Manager Hogencamp acknowledged this concern and indicated that the order of discussion was flexible. Chair Boren supported the March 2nd date as it would allow more time for preparation and community input. She also asked about the process for commission voting on priorities, noting that last year they had only chosen one priority from ESC's recommendations. Amy Palmer inquired about the marsh pilot project, asking if it was still a defined priority for the ESC to focus on. City Manager Hogencamp confirmed it was still important and deferred to Director of Neighborhoods Amanda Askew, who explained that stabilizing the marsh and preventing erosion remained a priority for the city. Amy Palmer also thanked City Manager Hogencamp for the First Night event, praising its success and community representation. City Manager Hogencamp credited Director Askew, Jordan Leslie, and community volunteers for their efforts. Dan Giovannucci thanked City Manager Hogencamp for stepping into his role and noted the strong community support demonstrated at the previous night's commission meeting. City Manager Hogencamp informed the committee that the city commission would be hiring an executive search firm to lead the process of selecting a permanent city manager, and he encouraged committee members to be engaged in that process. Chair Boren asked City Manager Hogencamp about his perspective on what the city manager position focuses on most. He explained that key responsibilities include managing the workforce, maintaining relationships with citizens, carrying out the strategic plan of the city commission, following city laws, and planning for capital improvements and emergency preparedness. Page 2 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 Before departing, City Manager Hogencamp mentioned that he planned to meet with the newly elected ESC chair to establish a relationship between the city manager's office and the committee. 4. CHAIR REMARKS Chair Boren thanked several committee members for their contributions: Amy Palmer for documenting her discussion with a developer, Christina Kelcourse and Amy Franqui for handling First Night tabling and writing a report, and Dan Giovannucci for reviewing and updating the master to-do list. She also thanked members for the book and gift card she had received. Chair Boren discussed a matter that came up at a previous meeting regarding double mitigation for unpermitted tree removal. The Community Development Board (CDB) had twice dealt with cases where property owners claimed they did not know they needed a permit to remove trees. Chair Boren suggested that someone from the Tree Subcommittee should attend the January CDB meeting to explain the reasoning behind the double mitigation requirement. A discussion followed about whether the committee was ready to make recommendations on this matter. Bruce Andrews noted that the double mitigation requirement predated ESC's formation and questioned whether doubling mitigation was appropriate for large mitigation amounts. Amy Franqui suggested adding clear warnings about double mitigation on permit forms. Dan Giovannucci emphasized the need for education, noting that despite existing efforts, residents still engaged in improper tree practices like hurricane cuts on palms. He suggested annual reminders about tree permits and best practices. The committee decided that Dan Giovannucci would attend the January 20th CDB meeting to listen to their concerns, and the new chair would add this topic to the January 28th ESC agenda for further discussion. Chair Boren announced that Chris Delk had been hired as the new city arborist and would be staffing the committee's second meetings each month. She noted issues with the end-of-year survey, which only worked for four members due to technical problems. She passed around a form for members to contribute to a staff appreciation letter. 5. ESC 2026 OFFICER ELECTIONS AND REVIEW OF DUTIES A. Review of ESC Duties Chair Boren presented a document outlining the position descriptions and responsibilities for ESC officers that she had updated based on previous discussions. Amy Palmer noted that the document still included a secretary position, which was not in the ordinance. After discussion, the committee decided to use the document as a general guideline rather than taking formal action on it. Page 3 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 MOTION: To use the position description as a guideline. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Amy Franqui Motion passed 8 to 0. B. ESC 2026 Officer Elections and Tree Subcommittee Chair and Member Elections  ESC Chair  ESC Vice Chair  ESC Tree Subcommittee Chair  ESC Tree Subcommittee Members Meeting will be turned over to newly elected Chair to run the rest of the meeting The committee proceeded with elections, beginning with the Chair position. Amy Palmer expressed willingness to serve but emphasized she would need support and could not do all the things Chair Boren had done. She suggested dividing responsibilities among committee members and focusing on fewer items but doing them better. She also noted that after 2026, several experienced members (Bruce Andrews, Dan Giovannucci, and Sarah Boren) would be terming out, followed by herself at the end of 2027. For the Vice Chair position, Amy Franqui and Christina Kelcourse both indicated they were not interested in the position at this time, having only been on the committee for about six months. Committee Member Franqui disclosed that she was likely to roll off the committee at the end of 2026 when her term ended. Todd Miner explained that his work travel schedule would make it difficult for him to reliably fulfill the Vice Chair role. Dan Giovannucci offered to serve as Vice Chair to support continuity and help train future leaders, with the understanding that he could step aside if someone else's circumstances changed and they wanted to take on the role. The committee established that the Tree Subcommittee would consist of Bruce Andrews (Chair), Todd Miner, and Dan Giovannucci, with Anastasia Houston serving as an alternate. Christina Kelcourse mentioned that she knew someone interested in serving on the ESC who worked as a sustainability officer for a global company. The committee discussed the application process and advised that the individual should submit an application through the city website, possibly include a resume, and be aware that the Board Member Review Committee was expected to meet in February. Page 4 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 MOTION: To nominate Amy Palmer as ESC Chair. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Daniele Giovannucci Motion passed 8 to 0. MOTION: To nominate Dan Giovannucci as Vice Chair. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Sarah Boren Motion passed 8 to 0. MOTION: To nominate Bruce Andrews as Tree Subcommittee Chair. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Sarah Boren Motion passed 8 to 0. 6. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve minutes of the December 10th, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. B. Approve minutes of the December 17th, 2025 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. C. Items ESC has consensus to share with Commission in next 30 days D. Proposed Promotional Content Until February 2026 E. FYI Report: Interesting Information and Resources F. Member Reports  ESC First Night Tabling Report  ESC Member Report - A. Franqui MOTION: To approve the consent agenda. Motion: Amy Franqui Second: Daniele Giovannucci Motion passed 8 to 0. Sarah Boren noted two corrections: 1) In the December 17th minutes, on page 2, paragraph 4, the comment attributed to Amy Palmer should be attributed to Anastasia Houston; 2) On the proposed promotional content, the date for the Lorax had been changed to Saturday, February 21st, not the 18th. Page 5 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 Amy Franqui directed attention to the last bullet in the outcomes section of her and Christina Kelcourse's First Night tabling report, noting its relevance to the Marsh pilot conversation. Chair Amy Palmer highlighted her write-up of a conversation with a developer on recommendations for Chapter 23 that would help preserve trees or incentivize developers to preserve more trees, which she thought might be helpful for the larger conversation with developers. 7. 90 DAY CALENDAR A. 90 Day and 2026 ESC Planning Calendar Sarah Boren reviewed the 90-day calendar and noted several updates: the Lorax film had been moved to February 21st, the Chapter 23 workshop and priorities workshop were now planned for March 2nd, and the centennial celebration was scheduled for March 28th. Director of Neighborhoods Amanda Askew reported that the city currently had few applicants for the front yard tree planting program and hoped the upcoming Arbor Day event would generate interest. The committee discussed setting an internal deadline of February 21st for promoting the spring planting, after which they would shift focus to promoting the October planting. Sarah Boren explained the process for requesting items to be placed on the city commission calendar, suggesting that members email the city manager's assistant with Amanda on copy, after getting Amanda's approval first. Sarah Boren also discussed the Marsh Pilot community meetings that had been delayed. She proposed holding virtual subject matter expert meetings in January and February, followed by an in-person workshop west of Mayport in March. The goal would be to present a recommendation for a pilot project to the commission by April for potential funding in the 2026-27 budget. MOTION: To approve the 90 Day Calendar. Motion: Sarah Boren Second: Bruce Andrews Motion passed 8 to 0. B. 2026 ESC Planning Calendar (attached) This item was discussed as part of the 90-day calendar discussion. C. 2025 Organizational Excellence Tracker This item was included in the consent agenda and no additional discussion occurred. Page 6 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 D. ESC Member To Do List Action Items This item was included in the consent agenda and no additional discussion occurred. 8. COMMISSION AND/OR STAFF REPORTS These agenda items were not discussed due to time constraints. A. Monthly Tree Report B. Chapter 23 revisions February workshop update (tentatively February 23, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m. C. March Joint Commission and ESC 2026-2027 Priorities Alignment Workshop (TBD Feb/March) D. Developer/Builder Workshop Update E. ROW plantings update F. ESC Member Commission Meeting Reports 9. OLD BUSINESS A. MOTION: COJ Trees for COAB Parks Director of Neighborhoods Amanda Askew explained the City of Jacksonville did not approve Staff's planting locations west of Mayport. The staff's recommendation was to use COJ trees for Atlantic Beach's parks. She noted they had used COJ trees in the parks previously and there are more opportunities and fewer conflicts with utilities in the parks. MOTION: To approve using COJ trees for COAB parks. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Amy Palmer Motion passed 8 to 0. B. MOTION: Tree Trust Fund Action and Spending Plan The committee discussed a motion to allocate $13,628 from the Tree Trust Fund for a State of the Canopy Report. Bruce Andrews questioned what specifically the money would be spent on. Sarah Boren explained that when the committee had developed the Tree Fund Action and Spending Plan, they had budgeted this amount for canopy health and data, including a biannual tree report. After discussion, the committee agreed to specify that the funds would be used for data, design, and dissemination of the report. Dan Giovannucci suggested keeping it simple with language about "professional support to ensure quality data and good messaging to citizens about the state of their tree canopy." Page 7 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 Sarah Boren explained that if the motion was approved, the new chair would draft a memo to the city commission requesting that the item be placed on a commission agenda within the next month. This would allow time to prepare the report for the January 2027 deadline previously established by the former city manager. MOTION: To approve the motion to allocate $13,628 from the Tree Trust Fund for the State of the Canopy Report, with funds to be used for data, design, and dissemination. Motion: Sarah Boren Second: Bruce Andrews Motion passed 8 to 0. C. MOTION: Youth Council This agenda was not discussed due to time constraints. D. MOTION: Revised tree list on free tree yard planting application This agenda was not discussed due to time constraints. E. Commission Workshops Preparation  CDB Meeting - January 20, 2026: ESC to make public comment  Joint Workshop on Priorities and Chapter 23 - March 2nd F. Preparation for Upcoming events  January 15, 2026 Arbor Day  January-February Farmer's Market Tabling to promote yard planting before March 1, 2026  January-March Marsh Pilot Meetings  February 19, 2026 Film Series  February 21, 2026 Weed Wrangle G. ESC Centennial Celebration Efforts and Plan This agenda was not discussed due to time constraints. 10. NEW BUSINESS These agenda items were not discussed due to time constraints. A. MOTION: List of ESC 2025 Accomplishments This agenda was not discussed due to time constraints. B. ESC 2025-2026 Priorities Reframe  ESC 2026 Priorities - Draft 01.2026  ESC 2025-2026 Priorities Proposed to Commission  ESC 2025-2026 Proposed Workplan  Confusion and difference between priorities, workplan, and ongoing work Page 8 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) January 14, 2026 C. ESC 2026-2027 Priorities Process, Timeline, and Outcome Discussion D. Green Corridor This agenda was not discussed due to time constraints. 11. MEMBERS CLOSING REMARKS This agenda item was not discussed due to time constraints. 12. RECAP OF DECISIONS AND NEXT STEPS These agenda items were not discussed due to time constraints. The committee discussed plans for Arbor Day (January 15th), including:  A heritage tree designation ceremony at a large tree at the entrance to the city on Sherry in Atlantic, with realty companies Berkshire Hathaway and Petway participating.  Announcements at Atlantic Beach Elementary and Mayport Middle School, with Christina Kelcourse coordinating with the schools.  Creating and distributing a flyer for the free tree yard planting program through the schools' backpack system rather than attempting to hand them out during drop-off.  Having sample trees to show the community. Sarah Boren offered to design a half-page handout with a QR code linking to the application. Anastasia Houston had already created a flyer and suggested rebranding the "Free Tree Program" as "COAB Community Canopy" and calling the centennial initiative the "Centennial Canopy Drive." Director Askew mentioned she had new ESC shirts for members to wear at events. A. Discussion of items for January 28, 2026 ESC Meeting Agenda This agenda item was not discussed due to time constraints. B. ESC Member Homework This agenda item was not discussed due to time constraints. C. Review Tree Trust Fund Action and Spending Plan to discuss at January 28, 2026 meeting and vote on update at February 11, 2026 meeting (agreed to review quarterly) This agenda item was not discussed due to time constraints. 13. ADJOURNMENT Chair Amy Palmer adjourned the meeting at 9:00 PM. Attest: Amanda Askew Amy Palmer, ESC Chair Page 9 of 9