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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-25-26 ESC Adopted MinutesY yv,, ,' 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 MINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - 6:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber Present: Bruce Andrews, ESC Member Anastasia Houston, ESC Member Amy Palmer, ESC Chair Sarah Boren, ESC Member Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member Amy Franqui, ESC Member Absent: Todd Miner, ESC Member Also Present: Chris Delk, City Arborist 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR (5 MINS.) There was no one to speak. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT A. Special Guest: City Engineer Steve Swann - Nlarsh Pilot Project City Engineer Steve Swann presented an update on the MARSH pilot project proposal. He explained that the committee had received a proposal about a week prior to the meeting. Swann noted that the budget numbers in the proposal were inflated because the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI) program wanted projects with higher budgets, so he had to increase the numbers multiple times to meet their expectations. Swann explained that to actually implement the project, they could scale it down to something much more reasonable. He asked the committee whether they wanted to present it to commission with a budget or just the project scope, and whether they wanted something budgeted for the next fiscal year. Sarah Boren asked whether any match was required for SASMI funding, and Swann confirmed there was no match required. Boren suggested putting a placeholder in the budget with "TBD" while waiting for the grant response, noting that the commission was supportive of this type of project. Swann described how he had identified three project areas that could all be seen at low tide from the kayak launch and dock, which he felt was important for public visibility and ownership of the project. He explained that each of the three areas had lost salt marsh Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 for different reasons - erosion, high currents, or wave action - requiring different restoration approaches. Sarah Boren provided additional context from her meeting with the North Florida Estuary Restoration Team (VERT), where experts had provided positive feedback on Swann's location selections and made suggestions for potential location adjustments. She noted that Atlantic Beach was one of eleven projects submitted to SASMI, and there was positive sentiment about the likelihood of funding approval. The committee discussed how this project aligned with other regional efforts, including a living shoreline project at Little Jetty's near Mayport that would be at 30% design by December 2026, funded by Fish and Wildlife and the Navy. Boren also mentioned work being done by the Saint Johns River Water Management District on what were previously called "mosquito lanes" but were actually pre-existing channels into Tideviews. Amy Franqui noted recent news about Florida's coastline protection bill that would fast- track permits and funding for living shorelines, which would be helpful for these types of coastal projects. Christina Kelcourse asked about the mangroves that had been planted, and Swann reported that they likely did not survive the recent cold weather, though Scott Jones from UNF was keeping hope that some in lower areas might have stayed warm enough. MOTION: To RECOMMEND Commission support and fund Staffs proposal for a Marsh pilot M their fiscal year 2026-2027 budget. Motion: Sarah Boren Second: Anastasia Houston Motion passed 7 to 0. Swann discussed next steps and potential roles for ESC members, including public participation, education and outreach, leveraging partnerships with organizations like UNF and Saint Johns River Water Management District, and eventually hands-on participation in implementation activities like oyster shell placement. 4. REPORTS AND/OR REQUESTS FROM ESC MEMBERS AND STAFF A. Staff updates on research to inform Chapter 23 City Arborist Chris Delk provided an update on research for Chapter 23 revisions. He explained that Staff was waiting for the town hall meeting to gather more citizen feedback before proceeding. The town hall meeting had been rescheduled to May 2nd to avoid conflicts with Arts in the Park. Delk anticipated being able to present recommendations to commission in May after collecting all feedback from citizens, ESC, and staff. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 Delk reported on his research into other municipalities' tree ordinances, particularly Alachua County. He spoke with their urban forestry staff and learned that they still require trees over 60 inches in diameter (DBH) to go before commission for removal approval. They also use a health rating system where trees with a health rating of 4 at 60+ inches require commission approval. Arborist letters can still override these requirements, but the system has reportedly slowed down tree removals. Chair Palmer mentioned seeing similar setups in Clay County, where the county commission was considering large tree removals. Dan Giovanucci requested that given the history and number of petitions over the past six years, Staff schedule another meeting to review key changes and provide context before finalizing recommendations to commission. There was extensive discussion about appropriate diameter thresholds for protecting large trees. The committee noted that Alachua County's 60 -inch threshold might not be appropriate for Atlantic Beach's urban setting, where such large trees are rare. Discussion included consideration of 24 -30 -inch thresholds that other urban areas commonly use. Bruce Andrews provided historical context about the committee's formation in response to community concerns about tree ordinance enforcement, and how state legislation had limited local authority over tree removal decisions. He emphasized the importance of strict adherence to state requirements when arborist letters are used to justify tree removal. MOTION. To RECOMMEND that Staff add a size requirement to ESC's previous motion regarding preservation of valuable trees, specifying that Staff should consider trees in the 24-30 inch DBH range as reflecting common standards in other urban forestry situations. Motion: Daniele Giovannucci Second: Anastasia Houston Motion passed 7 to 0. B. Monthly Tree Report The monthly tree report was provided as an attachment in the agenda materials. Chair Palmer noted it was "depressing" given the continued high number of tree removals. Sarah Boren pointed out that they had not received a tree fund update since September 2025. Chris Delk explained difficulties getting fund information from the new accounting system but reported that the current fund balance was $575,000 as of the meeting date. Bruce Andrews emphasized the need for a rolling accounting report showing beginning balance, collections, expenditures, and ending balance to properly track the tree fund. Sarah Boren noted ongoing challenges getting basic financial reporting from the accounting department. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 MOTION. To RECOMMEND that Staff provide a quarterly general ledger report of the tree fund. Motion: Sarah Boren Second. An►y, Pahner Motion passed 7 to 0. Dan Giovanucci raised concerns about the high number of trees being removed per arborist report (averaging more than 2 trees per report), which seemed unusual. There was discussion about requesting more detailed documentation from arborists, including risk assessment forms and potentially photos, to ensure compliance with state statute requirements. C. General Staff Updates Chris Delk provided updates on several initiatives. He reported that the Brazilian Pepper Tree Roundup would be postponed to next year due to multiple ongoing projects and staffing transitions. A new planner was expected to start soon, which would help with capacity. Christina Kelcourse provided an update on the Minecraft competition. The first round closed March 27th with results to be announced shortly. She reported that volunteers were needed for the final event on April 17th at WJCT, and she would coordinate with sponsors first before reaching out to commissioners and committee members for volunteer opportunities. 5. ONGOING AND OLD BUSINESS A. COAB Awards Chair Palmer provided an update on the awards situation, noting there had been considerable back -and -forth discussion. She reported that the latest direction from staff was that awards would not be presented at the May 7th volunteer appreciation dinner to avoid conflating the two events. The new proposal was for awards to be presented at an ESC committee meeting rather than at commission, though they could be reported to commission later. Palmer noted this represented changes from previous plans and indicated she would seek more information from staff before bringing recommendations back to the committee. She requested to table this discussion until the April meeting. Sarah Boren clarified for the record that the citywide awards concept had originated from commission direction, not the former city manager, after the success of ESC's awards program. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 B. Centennial Event - March 28, 2026 Chair Palmer discussed the upcoming Centennial event on Saturday, March 28th, which would serve multiple purposes: participating in the city's centennial celebration, meeting Tree City USA and Mayor's Monarch Pledge requirements, and launching Anastasia Houston's centennial tree campaign. The committee organized volunteer schedules for staffing a table from 10 AM to 2 PM at Jack Russell Park. Christina Kelcourse volunteered for setup and the 10 AM -12 PM shift, Bruce Andrews committed to the morning shift, and Dan Giovanucci and Amy Palmer agreed to cover the afternoon 12 PM -2 PM period. Sarah Boren indicated she could cover 12 PM -2 PM if needed. They discussed materials for the table including promotional materials from Amy Franqui, tree raffle prizes, sign-up sheets with QR codes from Anastasia Houston, and potentially children's activities like butterfly crafts from previous Earth Day events. There was discussion about obtaining native milkweed seeds or plants for educational purposes, with Amy Franqui cautioning against tropical milkweed which is now considered invasive. C. Centennial Trees for All Campaign Anastasia Houston presented her work on rebranding the city's free tree program. She explained that she had been consulting with a resident and design team to develop the "Trees for All" concept, which could expand modularly to other programs like "Parks for All" or "Coastline for All." Houston explained that "Trees for All" better communicated the equity, civic engagement, and comprehensive benefits of the program compared to the previous "AB Loves Trees" branding. She presented preliminary logo concepts, with Bruce Andrews expressing preference for the more traditional bottom design over the colorful top versions. The concept included potential slogans like "Connected by Canopy" or "Rooted Together" to emphasize local pride and community connection. Houston noted the colorful design direction was inspired by the successful bright pink "Save ABE" campaign. MOTION: To RECOMMEND that the City of Atlantic Beach approve the rebranding of its existing free tree planting program under the new name "Trees for All", with related logo, tagline, and supporting branding materials to be developed and presented for follow-up review and approval. Motion: Anastasia Houston Second. Amy Palmer Motion passed 7 to 0. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 Houston then presented a second motion regarding funding for the campaign, explaining needs for campaign activation, end -of -year achievement party, promotional materials, branded items, signage, door hangers, yard signs, and recognizable decor like bunting to identify tree campaign activities. There was discussion about appropriate funding limits, with Sarah Boren calculating that 20% of projected tree planting costs (approximately $44,000) would yield about $8,800 for educational materials based on the 10% fund allocation for education and outreach. Dan Giovanucci suggested exploring whether some costs could be covered by the city's existing centennial celebration budget rather than the tree fund. MOTION. To RECOMMEND that the City allocate tree trust fund resources as allowable to support the rollout, promotion, and execution of the Trees for All campaign during the city's 2026 centennial celebration year in furtherance of the campaign goal of 100 trees for 100 years, with funding considered for campaign related expenses such as community event signage, decor, door hangers, yard signs, promotional materials, branded items, campaign progress display, and an end of year goal completion community tree celebration. Motion: Anastasia Houston Second. Sarah Boren Motion passed 7 to 0. D. Discussion - Tree Fund Action Plan Update This item was deferred due to time constraints, with Bruce Andrews indicating he could do additional work for the next meeting. E. Chapter 23 Proposed Motions Bruce Andrews discussed his work on improving front yard tree requirements for residential development. He explained the current ordinance requires one 4 -inch caliper tree per 2,500 square feet of development area, with only one required in the front yard regardless of lot size. Andrews described problems with this approach, citing a large corner lot house that met requirements with just one small tree on the side street while having no trees along the main Ocean Boulevard frontage. He was working with Chris Delk on developing linear footage requirements to ensure more appropriate tree placement on larger lots. Andrews decided to defer presenting a formal motion until the next meeting to allow more time for development with staff. MOTION. To RECOMMEND that the City automatically offers to replace a dead or ill tree that is being removed with a free city planted tree (and old tree stump removal if appropriate). The recommendation is based on the science that a tree can be planted where another tree once Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 was located and addresses the concern that residents are removing trees via arborist letters to circumvent the permit process. Motion: Sarah Boren Second. Anastasia Houston Motion passed 7 to 0. F. FY2027 ESC General Fund Recommendations Based on FY2027 ESC Priorities This item was deferred due to time constraints. G. Board Member Review Committee -ESC Chair Palmer reported that the Board Member Review Committee meeting was scheduled for the following evening. There was one strong candidate for District 13-07, which was the only district eligible for consideration. Palmer expressed confidence about the candidate potentially joining ESC if approved. Sarah Boren noted that her motion regarding this topic was intended for future planning when four members' terms expire, not for the immediate appointment process. Palmer agreed to defer this discussion and possibly incorporate insights from the next evening's committee meeting experience. 6. NEW BUSINESS A. 1809 Live Oak Lane HERITAGE Application and Staff Report Chris Delk described this as a beautiful live oak that had been struck by lightning years ago but recovered well. Located in a backyard but visible from the front of the house, Delk called it "one of the best I've seen" and "amazing." The homeowner applied after learning about heritage tree designation following recent tree losses in the area. B. 1024 Ocean Boulevard HERITAGE Application and Staff Report This application was also supported by staff, with both trees located on private property with willing homeowners. MOTION: To APPROVE both heritage tree applications for 1809 Live Oak and 1024 Ocean Boulevard. Motion: Sarah Boren Second. Amy Palmer Motion passed 7 to 0. 7. RECAP OF DECISIONS, ACTION ITEMS AND NEXT STEPS There was no discussion on this topic. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 8. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:12 p.m. Attest: J�hl 06�2 s Amanda Askew, erector of Neighborhoods Amy Palmer, ESC Chair Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) March 25, 2026 Page 8 of 8