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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnvironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) - 25 Feb 2026 - Minutes - PdfEnvironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 MINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Wednesday, February 25, 2026 - 5:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Anastasia Houston, ESC Member Amy Palmer, ESC Chair Todd Miner, ESC Member Sarah Boren, ESC Member Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member Amy Franqui, ESC Member Absent: Bruce Andrews, ESC Member Also Present: Chris Delk, City Arborist Payton Jamieson, Principal Planner (PP) 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at approximately 6:08 p.m. 2. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR - GUEST PRESENTATION A. Steve Swann, City of Atlantic Beach Engineer - Marsh Pilot Project City Engineer Steve Swann presented on salt marsh conditions and potential pilot project locations, explaining that he wanted to frame the issue rather than discuss specific restoration techniques, which Hunter Matthews had covered in previous presentations. Swann began by noting that the city has lost significant salt marsh over the years, primarily due to sea level rise causing parts of the marsh to drown and boat traffic impacts along the Intracoastal Waterway. "Most of it, I think, is due to sea level rise and parts of the marsh drowning. And then but boat traffic is just killing us, and it's intercoastal," Swann explained. He said the situation is "getting worse every year" and that he assumes "the rate of salt marsh loss is going to accelerate." Using aerial photography dating back to 1942, Swann demonstrated the progression of marsh loss, particularly over the past 15 years. He showed a slide from Mayport indicating that sea level rise is accelerating, calling the situation "not necessarily a good thing for the salt marsh" and emphasizing that "the time to take action is probably now." Swann acknowledged that while Atlantic Beach only has about 400-500 acres of salt marsh, projects developed there "could be something that's utilized in other parts of the southeast." He indicated plans to work with UNF and consultants, partnering with the Saint Johns River Water Management District. Page 1 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 The presentation focused on two potential pilot project locations. The first area was a small island north of Atlantic Boulevard that has been "really colonized by mangroves" with "several hundred red and black mangroves on the island." Swann noted uncertainty about whether they would survive winter freezes but reported they "made it through the freeze last year without too big of a problem, and they actually flourished quite well over the summer." Through the historical aerial sequence, Swann showed how the Corps of Engineers had dug a side channel in 1960 to reduce strong currents under the bridge, which "really changed things a lot there." The dredging created substantial spoil deposits that covered marsh areas. By 2023, the north end of the island had "totally gone, and the intercoastal channel itself is even wider." Member Amy Franqui asked about a new marina planned across from the bridge. Swann confirmed this was part of a development agreement requiring public boat ramps and parking but would also increase boat traffic. Swann explained that what they're seeing is the Intracoastal "widening, and the creek mouths are widening. And then you have salt marsh loss radiating back up into the creeks." The historical comparison showed dramatic changes, with some areas being "twice as wide as what it was" within decades. The second potential location was at the south end of Dutton Island, near the boat dock, kayak launch, and campsite. Historical photos showed this area had been "pretty narrow creek really well vegetated, which a lot of salt marsh back then." By 1960, mosquito control ditches were visible around Dutton Island, and by 2011 "a lot of this area is gone. It's just opened." Swann highlighted an oxbow bend that "is no longer an oxbow bend. It’s just open water. So the marsh is gone." Even between 2011 and 2023, there was "really significant amount of marsh’s lost." This second location appealed to Swann because "it's really readily accessible" for monitoring by graduate students, "easy to see for the public at low tide," and "you could probably even see what we're doing from the from the docks." He noted they own all adjacent property, making implementation easier. Daniele Giovannucci asked two key questions about causality and project feasibility. Regarding boat traffic impacts, Swann referenced work done at the Guana National Estuarine Research Reserve that "quantified impact of boat wakes on marsh loss." He explained that boat wakes along the Intracoastal widen creeks, increasing tidal prism and flow, leading to higher currents and more erosion. "Sea level rise is kind of a chronic thing. And then the acute thing is the boat waste, you know, by blasting the marsh out," Swann explained. When asked about speed limits, Swann noted there's only a speed limit under the Atlantic Boulevard bridge, not between there and the Saint Johns River jetties. The most damaging impacts come from large yachts during migration seasons putting out "4-foot wake. It just destroys the marsh." Page 2 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 Regarding long-term viability with continued sea level rise, Swann acknowledged uncertainty but suggested that "by the time we're looking at another meter, these aren't this is not going to be spartana grass anymore. This will be all mangroves. Just like what's happening down in Saint Augustine." From a storm protection perspective, Swann emphasized wanting "something out here besides open water" because "if you have open water, then your wave impacts on the west side of the city during a severe storm are huge." On runoff impacts, Swann said there are "very local issues, kind of where some of our ditches hit the hit the intercoastal or, I hit the marsh, but I think they're very localized. I don't I don't think that's impacting what's going on out here." Chair Palmer asked about next steps, and Swann explained he'd "like to have something set up that we could put in our budget for next fiscal year" with most funding coming from grants, though "most of these grants we get are all reimbursable grants." He reported productive conversations with the Saint Johns River Water Management District, who will do mosquito control ditch work "on their dime" and are interested in collaborating on pilot projects. Hunter Matthews then provided additional technical input, identifying a specific area near the fishing pier that would be "good for oysters because it's at a pretty low shoreline slope and tidal gradient" with existing oysters nearby and "pretty apparent erosion." He noted that while oysters are effective at "attenuating wave energy," the high energy environment might require combining approaches, potentially using breakwaters made from invasive bamboo cuttings as "a use for invasive species." Matthews explained that the Guana Reserve had studied breakwaters paired with oyster structures using crape myrtles, creating beneficial use for invasive species removal. The location would also provide public visibility, "creating fish habitat" and allowing people using the fishing pier to see the restoration work. Swann noted that most project costs would likely be in long-term monitoring rather than installation, with help expected from GTM, UNF, and Saint Johns River Water Management District. He expressed interest in trying multiple sites since "nothing better than to try something out on the ICW channel itself, but everything that GTM has tried, it just pretty much failed." The presentation concluded with discussion of next steps and partnership opportunities. 3. ONGOING - OLD BUSINESS A. ESC Joint Workshop with Commission Chair Palmer explained that the agenda for the joint workshop with the Commission had not been finalized, sharing that Mayor Ford wanted to delay having subject matter expert Ken Cornell speak at the workshop, preferring to communicate through other channels instead. Page 3 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 Chair Palmer reported mixed messages about the workshop content, noting that while the priorities section seemed straightforward, there were concerns about reviewing all Chapter 23 recommendations. "Kevin expressed some concern about going through all of the recommendations for chapter 23," Chair Palmer said, though she emphasized these were not her proposals but feedback she had received. Chair Palmer requested that Todd Miner provide a brief presentation about the public information session that had just concluded, asking for "maybe a slide or handout or something" covering "how the session, you know, supported these priorities or some takeaways." She noted sensing that "this movement towards preserving big trees is really the most important focus to address" for the tree portion of the meeting, though she hadn't received conclusive feedback on the agenda. Giovannucci expressed concern about the lack of preparation, stating "I think we're dangerously out of our we're not doing anything here. We just have a vague set of priorities, which disturb me. I thought we were going to have a PowerPoint by now." He emphasized the urgency: "So far, we've had a lot of, I would say, not connected discussions about the tree program that Anastasia's done, the comparisons to other codes, the work we've proposed about the arborist day, quarterly arborist day to go out and you know, there's a lot of little things that we have that we haven't that have not risen to commission yet. And if we don't use this opportunity to do it, they're kind of gone." Giovannucci stressed the importance of Chapter 23 revisions, noting they had been working on them for two years and hadn't been able to get on the commission agenda for "at least 8 months now, 9 months." He said, "It's been done. I've forgotten half what the changes are at this point. I have to keep rereading it. It's that long ago." He proposed presenting both tree issues and Chapter 23 revisions as "a coherent set of slides so the commission knows. Here are 4 things you can do, super low cost, really high impact, and something we've, you know, we've been discussing for a while." Chair Palmer clarified that she was sharing concerns she had heard, not advocating for them, and that she was working on a presentation but needed to incorporate the public comment session results that had just concluded. City Arborist Chris Delk from staff reported looking over Chapter 23 revisions and indicated the commission would "go over them a lot more" on Monday, with commissioners potentially granting some items or requesting more information. Chair Palmer expressed confusion between different messages she was receiving, with Delk's information suggesting more comprehensive discussion than what she had previously heard. Page 4 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 B. ESC Priorities The committee reviewed their draft priorities document, with extensive discussion about framing and specifics for the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget. Chair Palmer noted the challenge of timing, explaining that while they focus on 2027 priorities, "a lot of these things are happening now before informed the budget." She gave the marsh pilot project as an example - while they were discussing it now, it would go into the 2027 budget. Member Sarah Boren advocated for keeping 2026 and 2027 priorities separate, arguing that combining fiscal years "muddies and complicates" the presentation. She explained that their 2025-2026 priority was to study and make recommendations, while 2026-2027 would be to implement, providing a clear step-by-step progression that aids in reporting achievements. Boren identified critical budgetary needs, emphasizing that the committee must be "very clear about our tasks" and distinguish between general fund requests (like the marsh pilot, film series renewal, air potato Easter egg hunt) and tree fund expenditures. "If we don't ask for it now, it will not get into a staff budget, and the commission won't consider it," she stressed. Chair Palmer suggested requesting a modest outreach budget of "$2500 or $5000" to support various efforts rather than itemized requests, noting that "a lot of the expenses have come out of pocket to this point." The discussion revealed that two commissioners had specifically expressed interest in a heritage or landmark tree inventory, which would either require city arborist staff time or dedicated budget funding. Regarding specific wording changes, Boren proposed modifying the Chapter 23 priority from "support passage" to "implement approved revisions" or "support staff with education and outreach implementation and enforcement" since passage was already underway. She also suggested adding "and strengthen data and reporting" to better reflect the committee's ongoing role. For the parks and open spaces priority, Boren recommended changing from "study and recommend" to "help staff and city implement" to reflect the shift from study phase to implementation phase, and suggested including marsh "erosion and restoration" as related but distinct concepts. Amy Franqui suggested changing "Florida Friendly Landscape design" to "principles" to broaden the scope to include waterfront protection and buffer zones with no mowing or pesticides. Discussion emerged about including lights-out initiative implementation, which Chair Palmer noted had just been signed as a proclamation by the mayor. This would involve education and potentially costly infrastructure changes like street light replacements, though it wasn't clear whether the city or JEA would handle costs. Page 5 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 Boren suggested increasing the education and outreach budget to accommodate lights- out education rather than creating a separate line item. The committee debated whether to include LEED Cities recertification, with Boren reporting that commissioners supported it "as long as there's no staff burden." The $8,000 recertification cost would require budget inclusion, though Scott Jones from UNF offered to do the required greenhouse gas inventory for free. Todd Miner suggested reorganizing the priorities presentation to lead with the "motivating coordinating body" activities since they represent "the tangible things" that "get people out and doing things," making them potentially more engaging for commissioners. Commissioner Jessica Ring provided guidance on presentation format, recommending "very brief, you know, like a 1 pager and not that you could fit, you know, size 8 font on 1 page" with clear, concise priorities. She emphasized the commission's heavy workload - "Monday night, I had over 200 pages of agenda" - and expressed trust in the committee's expertise, noting the value of their individual communications to commissioners on significant issues. C. Chapter 23 and other tree related items  Any updates from committee and staff on Chapter 23  Trees in setbacks  Tree Resolution (see below)  Summary of comparative tree ordinance structure research The committee discussed various tree-related updates and initiatives, with significant focus on setback protections and Heritage Tree applications. Chris Delk confirmed he was directed to reach out to Alachua County regarding their tree ordinance, stating he was "looking at a code now" and would "reach out to somebody" to learn from their approach, particularly regarding protecting large trees. The major discussion centered on Giovannucci's proposed resolution for protecting trees in setbacks. Giovannucci presented language he had developed with staff: "Trees and setbacks are protected. Setbacks as designated for each property may have trees and or understory shrubs that can serve to provide an array of services ranging from privacy and sound reduction to rain absorption, soil stabilization, and biodiversity. Setbacks are not intended for building or construction, and any trees therein may not be removed or compromised by any involvement of other." Giovannucci explained this addressed clear-cutting issues, noting that many residents plant trees on property edges expecting protection when properties are developed, but "apparently, that is not the case" as "developers find it much easier to clear cut a lot, and I get it. It's cheaper when you do it all at once." Page 6 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 Principal Planner Payton Jamieson raised practical concerns about existing code provisions, explaining that open patios can project up to 48 inches into setbacks, stairs are allowed, and various structures may be permitted through variance processes. She noted recent cases involving carports and other structures in setbacks. Boren asked about grading for base flood elevation requirements, with Jamieson explaining that properties in flood zones must build 2.5 feet above FEMA flood elevations, accomplished through various methods including stilts or soil additions. Giovannucci acknowledged potential conflicts, suggesting exceptions could be made with tree-friendly design like "a notch in the deck for a tree" and clarifying that the proposal wouldn't "override building codes and things." Chair Palmer proposed presenting this as a "conceptual notion" requiring more detailed development, while Jamieson suggested adding it to ESC priorities for thorough development rather than immediate code implementation, noting "there it's not as simple as just being like, this is what I want to write in the code. That's not how it works." Anastasia Houston suggested a broader resolution asking staff to explore multiple tactics for saving heritage trees, including right-of-way protections, lowering DBH requirements, no-removal policies, improved permit processes, preventing clear cutting, and requiring sealed tree surveys. MOTION: That the setback protection resolution be submitted to staff for consideration as a tool for retaining vital trees. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Anastasia Houston Anastasia Houston (Seconded By) For Amy Palmer For Todd Miner For Sarah Boren For Daniele Giovannucci (Moved By) For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui For Motion passed 7 to 0. D. Public Input Session and Survey Results This agenda item was deferred due to time constraints, though Chair Palmer noted that Todd Miner had successfully led a public information session earlier in the evening that informed their priorities discussion. E. Upcoming Events/Comms/Campaigns  Centennial Tree Planting Campaign - 100 Trees for 100 years Page 7 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026  Howell Park Native Plantings  Earth Day/Mayor's Monarch Pledge (April)  Film Series (May) Chair Palmer announced a March 7th native planting event at Howell Park at 9:00 AM to install native plants where invasive species had been removed. Anastasia Houston provided an update on the Centennial Tree Planting Campaign, reporting "26 applications and 43 trees signed up thus far" before fully launching the campaign, putting them "almost halfway there" to their goal of 100 residential tree plantings with several days remaining in the month. Christina Kelcourse reported that Jacksonville had created a Minecraft flyer announcing event dates, suggesting ESC rebrand it with Atlantic Beach logos and sponsors for local school distribution. 4. REPORTS AND/OR REQUESTS FROM ESC MEMBERS AND STAFF A. Monthly Tree Report This item was deferred due to time constraints, though discussion touched on the need to update the Tree Fund Action and Spending Plan to align with new priorities. B. Heritage Tree Application The committee reviewed a heritage tree application for 1440 East Coast Drive. MOTION: To APPROVE the heritage tree application for 1440 East Coast Drive. Motion: Sarah Boren Second: Amy Franqui Chair Palmer expressed particular enthusiasm about this application, noting "This is the That's such awesome tree, and I have worried about it endlessly. And so this was so great to see." The committee acknowledged Mayor Ford's role in facilitating the application. Chris Delk noted there had been several heritage tree applications recently, with staff maintaining a running list of designations. Anastasia Houston For Amy Palmer For Todd Miner For Sarah Boren (Moved By) For Daniele Giovannucci For Christina Kelcourse For Amy Franqui (Seconded By) For Motion passed 7 to 0. Page 8 of 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) February 25, 2026 C. Chair Report D. Member Reports 5. NEW BUSINESS 6. ADJOURNMENT Page 9 of 9