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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnvironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) - 08 Apr 2026 - Minutes - PdfEnvironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 MINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 6:00 PM City Hall, Commission Chamber 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Anastasia Houston, ESC Member 1 Amy Palmer, ESC Member 2 Sarah Boren, ESC Member 4 Bruce Andrews, ESC Member 6 Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member 7 Amy Franqui, ESC Member 9 Payton Jamieson, Principal Planner (PP) Absent: Todd Miner, ESC Member 3 Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member 8 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Palmer asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Chair Palmer mentioned that their next meeting would be on Earth Day, which would be a fortuitous opportunity to celebrate together. No changes to the agenda were requested. 3. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR Chair Palmer introduced Matt Matilla, who had been unanimously approved by the board member review committee and would go before the commission for official approval on April 13th. Matt Matilla introduced himself and his daughter Sloane, explaining his background in corporate strategy, sustainability, clean transportation, and city planning. He expressed interest in working on maintaining the tree canopy and offered to meet with committee members for coffee before becoming officially bound by sunshine law requirements. Jeremy, a member of the public and environmental geologist, introduced himself as someone interested in observing the committee's work beyond the speaker series. 4. CHAIR REMARKS A. Committee Member Lead/Support Chair Palmer discussed the need to assign leads for various committee initiatives and projects. She explained that in the agenda packet, there was her first attempt at making assignments based on things people were already working on and areas where their aptitudes would be well-suited. She emphasized that being a lead meant coordinating help, working with staff and commission, handling communications and outreach components, and providing reports. Page 1 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 Chair Palmer praised existing examples of effective leadership, citing Sarah Boren's work on the film series and email coordination that day, and Amy Franqui's excellent work on lights out, including media support, communications, speaker series coordination, and follow-up emails. She explained that having designated leads would help avoid "somebody syndrome" in groups and provide clear accountability. She proposed that leads would put together timetables and activities to give the group a sense of direction and opportunities to help, which would also assist with succession planning as the committee would be losing several members. Chair Palmer also emphasized the importance of providing progress reports as needed, which could include items that don't require meeting discussion time but keep everyone informed. She suggested that reports could be submitted by the Tuesday before meetings to be included in agendas. Sarah Boren asked about communicating missing items from the proposed assignments. She noted there were several items from their 25-26 priorities that weren't captured, such as friends/stewards of the park programs and the edible orchard project. She emphasized the importance of having leads develop work plans with timelines, milestones, and success metrics to determine whether initiatives should continue, especially given the upcoming turnover of committee members. Sarah Boren stated she was a "hard no" on taking ESC governance and organizational excellence metrics, not because she didn't enjoy the work, but because she was rolling off the committee and believed someone else should take ownership this year. She was willing to help transition someone else into the role but suggested conducting a "keep, change, or disregard" exercise to evaluate the effectiveness of current processes. Chair Palmer asked if Sarah could put together a worksheet for the next meeting to evaluate current organizational processes. She expressed that some elements, particularly the motion tracker, were important and discussed potential AI assistance for maintaining it. Sarah explained that many processes were interconnected and emphasized the need for formal motions rather than just consensus for AI tracking purposes. Anastasia Houston noted that many of Sarah's processes were highly valuable and that non-usage might have been due to other factors rather than ineffectiveness. Daniele Giovannucci suggested creating a list with categories of "definitely keep," "good to have," and "not critical" for review before the next meeting. Amy Franqui suggested adding tree giveaways as a potential item needing a designated lead, recalling the successful October event. Sarah Boren noted that Todd had handled the previous tree giveaway effectively and questioned whether having Anastasia handle all events might be too much responsibility. The discussion revealed several items missing from the initial assignments, including demonstration learning gardens, rain gardens for Jack Russell Park, heritage tree grant programs, comprehensive reports, and various tree fund projects. Chair Palmer noted that some of these appeared elsewhere in the document under different categories. Page 2 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 Regarding reporting responsibilities, there was clarification about the biannual versus biennial reports. The tree subcommittee was responsible for semiannual reports on the permit process as required by ordinance, while there were also broader ESC reports to the commission twice yearly. Sarah Boren explained the evolution from quarterly to twice-yearly reporting and emphasized the importance of securing adequate time for presentations, suggesting 15-20 minutes rather than the strict 10-minute limit previously imposed. Committee members discussed various specific assignments, with most expressing comfort with their proposed roles while noting areas for adjustment or clarification. The conversation established the framework for more formal lead assignments to be finalized at the next meeting. 5. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve minutes of the February 11, 2026 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. B. Approve minutes of the February 25, 2026 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. MOTION: To APPROVE the minutes of the February 11 and February 25 regular Environmental Stewardship Committee meeting. It was noted that Sarah had supplies some changes and they had already been completed by Staff. Motion: Bruce Andrews Second: Anastasia Houston Motion passed 7 to 0. 6. 90 DAY CALENDAR AND ORGANIZATION EXCELLENCE METRICS A. Internal Organizational Excellence Focus (Sarah) Chair Palmer deferred the organizational excellence discussion to the next meeting based on Sarah Boren's earlier suggestion to conduct a comprehensive review exercise. She passed around a sign-up sheet for commission meeting attendance, noting several openings and requesting members add their names to available slots. B. ESC Members Attending 2026 Commission Meetings Sarah Boren noted that the April 18th meeting had been moved to May 2nd for the town hall and asked about process improvements for reporting back from commission meetings. She suggested various methods including short write-ups, verbal videos, or photographed notes to better convey the extensive information shared at commission meetings, particularly important given the delegated duties approach being implemented. Anastasia Houston proposed creating a shared folder system for member reports where each member would maintain their own document that could be accessed for agenda Page 3 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 preparation, though there were concerns about sunshine law compliance and staff workflow preferences. C. Outreach  Film Series (May 2026)  Heritage Tree Ceremony Chair Palmer confirmed the May 28th film showing of "The Biggest Little Farm" on Thursday and requested panelist suggestions from Sarah Boren. She also discussed the heritage tree ceremony for the cherry tree by the realtor office, noting that while the property owner wasn't interested in speaking publicly, they supported acknowledging the tree. Daniele Giovannucci agreed to coordinate with Amanda on scheduling the ceremony. 7. COMMISSION AND/OR STAFF REPORTS A. Commission Priority-setting Workshop Planner Jamieson reported that the commission priority-setting workshop was held on April 6th, identifying seven main priority categories: stormwater maintenance and resiliency, environmental stewardship, public works and utility, public safety, parks and programs, financial stability, and communications and customer service. Within environmental stewardship, items that received two or more votes included beach maintenance and upkeep for sea oats, marsh shoreline protection (a project Steve Swann was actively working on), and tree canopy protection. Planner Jamieson provided detailed breakdowns of priorities in each category, including stormwater drainage, new streetlights at town center, e-bike legislation, traffic calming on Sherry Drive, park master plan updates, Donner Park adjustments including baseball fields and splash pads, dedicated resources for the new Marsh Oaks Community Center, modernized rates and fees citywide, hiring and maintaining quality staff, and pursuing boundary and budget issues with Duval County School Board regarding Atlantic Beach Elementary. Sarah Boren disclosed that she had made public comment during the workshop, asking commissioners to consider refining their vision to include protecting and preserving the natural environment as stated in the city charter, and adding communications and customer service to organizational excellence and financial stability themes. Amy Franqui noted discrepancies between what she observed in the video versus the reported outcomes, particularly regarding tree canopy versus heritage tree ordinance priorities. She expressed concern about the mayor's comment wanting different treatment for 250-year-old trees versus 25-year-old trees and his desire to know the inventory of large trees before prioritizing funds for property acquisition. Amy was concerned that the planned tree study would only cover public property, not private property where many significant trees are located, which could lead to decisions based on incomplete information. Sarah Boren agreed about the private tree inventory limitation and added it to her project list. She also noted concerns about the city's ability to afford expensive properties like Page 4 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 the Fourth Street property for pocket parks, though she acknowledged other mechanisms like easements and deed restrictions might be available. B. Stormwater Plan Planner Jamieson reported that the city was awarded cost-sharing funding up to $300,000 and was waiting for a contract from FEMA to solidify the matching contract arrangement. The city was currently developing the scope of work for the project. Sarah Boren emphasized the urgency of providing input during the scope of work development phase if the committee wanted to influence the plan. She suggested several areas for consideration including sub-drainage basin level studies, on-site storage capacity analysis at the parcel level, analysis of the newly passed turf block resolution's effect on tree placement, and analysis of swales versus trees placement options. She stressed this was the appropriate time to submit their priorities rather than waiting for a formal agenda discussion. Daniele Giovannucci offered to add this to the next agenda for a vote rather than just discussion to expedite the process. Sarah Boren agreed to provide recommendations by Tuesday for the next meeting's agenda. C. Commission's Town Hall (May 2, 2026) Planner Jamieson explained that the May 2nd town hall would be tree-focused rather than the originally planned general format. Staff planned to compile everything from the town hall along with ESC proposals and current information to bring directly to commission without returning to ESC first. Bruce Andrews expressed concern that input from one person at the town hall shouldn't carry the same weight as the months of volunteer work the committee had invested in chapter 23 revisions. He hoped staff wouldn't make changes to their carefully developed proposals based on limited public input unless it had substantial support. Planner Jamieson clarified that the goal was to create the best possible outcome considering input from ESC, commission, and citizens, with ESC having more detailed proposals already presented. He indicated the focus would likely be on possible additions rather than changes to existing ESC work. Chair Palmer encouraged committee members to attend the May 2nd workshop, noting it was an opportunity to address the commission directly through public comment and reiterate their work and priorities. She confirmed the meeting would be at 10 AM on Saturday, May 2nd. Sarah Boren asked about using the city's new FlashVote system to crowdsource solutions for tree preservation, suggesting a simple question like "submit one solution for preserving our precious trees." Payton agreed to ask about this possibility. Page 5 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 D. Minecraft Update Chair Palmer provided an update on the Minecraft event scheduled for Friday, April 17th, 10 AM to 1 PM at WJCT, with doors opening at 9:30 AM. The elementary school session focusing on transforming the Atlantic Beach community center into a resilience hub would run from 10:25 to 11:05 AM, highlighting sustainability, emergency preparedness, and community resources. Christina had volunteered to be the ESC judge for the event, and Amanda would volunteer as city staff. The mayor was also invited to participate. Chair Palmer encouraged public attendance, noting it was an inspiring and energetic event where two elementary teams would compete in real-time to design the Marsh Oaks Community Center resilience hub. Sarah Boren suggested future opportunities to use the Minecraft resource, including using it to showcase potential programming for the center's September grand opening and hosting a mini-competition for Atlantic Beach schools and families as a way to thank sponsors and engage the community. E. Environmental Awards Planner Jamieson reported that after speaking with Amanda, there was a May 7th volunteer appreciation dinner, and the environmental awards were essentially in ESC's hands to decide how to proceed. The awards were still tied to occurring at a committee meeting if they wanted them to happen this year. Sarah Boren expressed significant disappointment with the situation, noting this was the third time they had invested substantial effort into the awards program only to see it "die on the vine." She emphasized that the event was a huge success previously and served important functions in building momentum, community culture, and recognition for environmental work. She stated she would not vote to relegate the awards to a committee meeting format, as it wouldn't provide appropriate exposure and recognition for nominees. The discussion revealed ongoing uncertainty about the awards' future, with staff still working through various options and parameters for the program. 8. OLD BUSINESS A. MBRC Updates Chair Palmer reviewed the committee membership terms document, noting that members highlighted in yellow would finish their terms at the end of December 2026. Three members (Bruce Andrews, Sarah Boren, and Daniele Giovannucci) were terming out and not eligible for reappointment, while Amy Franqui was eligible but indicated she wanted to finish at the end of her term. Todd's intentions were unknown. Page 6 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 Members in blue (Amy Palmer, Anastasia Houston, and Christina Kelcourse) would finish terms at the end of 2027, with Palmer terming out at that point and Houston finishing her second term. Matt would be the newest member, filling the remainder of a term through 2026. Chair Palmer emphasized the critical need to actively recruit for four and possibly five positions, noting the requirement that all districts be represented on the committee though seats were no longer tied directly to specific districts. She had discussed the situation with the board member review committee, city clerk, and mayor, with meetings planned for summer and fall to address the openings. There was discussion about whether term limits should be consecutive and reapplication possibilities. Chair Palmer clarified that termed-out members could reapply after a one- year waiting period. Bruce Andrews questioned whether the ordinance was causing turnover or if members would naturally rotate off, noting he would probably choose to leave even without term limits due to feeling somewhat jaded and burned out after nine years of service. He expressed concern that the ordinance was creating too much turnover given the institutional knowledge being lost. Chair Palmer emphasized the importance of succession planning and having a balance between institutional knowledge and fresh perspectives. She noted that Anastasia would become the longest-serving member if she continued for a third term. Sarah Boren asked about her previously tabled motion regarding BMRC ranking criteria for applicants. Chair Palmer agreed the criteria suggestions were valuable and wondered about the best approach to present them to another committee, whether through public comment at their meetings or other channels. B. Chapter 23 Motions Bruce Andrews made a motion regarding increased front yard tree planting requirements. The discussion revealed complexity around coordination between Chapter 23 (tree code) and Chapter 24 (land development code), with staff noting the need to ensure both codes work together. After discussion about the specifics and potential unintended consequences, Sarah Boren suggested a more conceptual approach. MOTION: That Staff explore a more intense front yard tree planting based on linear footage versus square foot lot area and return to ESC with ideas. Motion: Sarah Boren Second: Bruce Andrews Page 7 of 8 Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) April 8, 2026 Bruce Andrews withdrew his original more detailed motion in favor of the conceptual approach. Motion passed 7 to 0. C. Tree Fund Budget Update Discussion Due to time constraints, Bruce Andrews indicated he had an updated spending plan to distribute but could email it to staff for inclusion in the next meeting's agenda. Both he and Sarah Boren had suggestions based on recent meeting motions that affected the tree fund planning. D. General Fund Budget This item was deferred due to time constraints, with plans to address it at the next meeting along with the tree fund budget discussion. 9. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business. 10. MEMBERS CLOSING REMARKS This item was deferred due to time constraints. 11. RECAP OF DECISIONS, ACTION ITEMS AND NEXT STEPS This item was deferred due to time constraints. 12. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m. Attest: Amanda Askew, Dir. of Neighborhoods Amy Palmer, ESC Chair Page 8 of 8