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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6-24-26 ESC Adopted MinutesMINUTES Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) Meeting Y . Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - 6:00 PM ` City Hall, Commission Chamber -ill 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 Present: Anastasia Houston, ESC Member 1 Sarah Boren, ESC Member 4 Bruce Andrews, ESC Member 6 Daniele Giovannucci, ESC Member 7 Amy Franqui, ESC Member 9 Absent: Amy Palmer, ESC Member 2 Todd Miner, ESC Member 3 Matthew Mattila, ESC Member 5 Christina Kelcourse, ESC Member 8 Also Present: Chris Delk, City Arborist 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 2. COURTESY OF THE FLOOR (5 MINS.) There were no public comments. 3. CHAIR REMARKS Chair Andrews announced the addition of a standing agenda item designated "6.F - Other Time Sensitive ESC Matters," to allow the committee to address pressing non -tree -related items between regular meetings. The committee agreed unanimously. 4. STAFF REPORTS A. Tree Report City Arborist Chris Delk presented the tree data summary through May 2026. He noted that mitigation payment figures are now labeled "proposed" to reflect that numbers remain subject to change, as some applicants subsequently elect to plant trees rather than pay into the fund. He expressed his continued goal of increasing the number of trees planted on private property in lieu of mitigation payments. The current tree trust fund balance was reported at $613,000 as of June 1. Boren requested several enhancements to the monthly report, including separate line items for public plantings, removals, and losses; a tracking column for heritage tree designations; a general ledger for tree fund expenditures; color -coded differentiation between permits and arborist letter data; and a renaming of the "Adopt -A -Tree" column to "Trees for All." City Arborist Delk and Chair Andrews concurred with these suggestions. It was further suggested that the Finance Director provide a publicly EnN ironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) June 24, 2026 accessible, periodically updated link to tree fund expenditure data as a transparency measure. Houston observed that through May 2026, 63 arborist letters had been received - a pace significantly exceeding the prior three-year annual average of just over 50 - and queried whether it was typical for a single arborist letter to involve an average of nearly two trees. City Arborist Delk acknowledged the trend as problematic and confirmed he is actively engaging the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) to address substandard letter quality and to establish a formal checklist of required documentation. He noted his intent to build rapport with the ISA so that certified arborists producing deficient or potentially fraudulent reports can face professional accountability, including potential loss of certification. Boren proposed that an automated notification be sent to permit applicants upon submission, clearly setting out tree planting requirements in advance of construction, to reduce instances of non-compliance. City Arborist Delk expressed support and indicated a one-page informational sheet could be developed for this purpose. Chair Andrews raised the current mitigation rate of $181.00 per inch, noting that it may no longer be economically incentivizing tree planting over cash mitigation, as the cost to install a tree now likely exceeds the mitigation payment for smaller -caliper trees. City Arborist Delk confirmed that the city follows the City of Jacksonville rate and that a modest increase was anticipated. Discussion also touched on the feasibility of requiring landscape plans as a condition of the permit process, which City Arborist Delk supported as a means of identifying tree placement conflicts early. Boren suggested that a proactive, automated communication to applicants early in the permit process could help address the issue of trees being planted in inappropriate locations. 5. OLD BUSINESS A. Semi-annual tree permit report to the commission to include in the commission agendas as follows: • due to Amanda by Monday, June 29, for the July 13 Commission Meeting • due to Amanda by Monday, November 30, for the December 14 Commission Meeting The committee reviewed the draft semi-annual tree permit report due to the City Clerk by Monday, June 29, for presentation at the July 13 Commission Meeting. Chair Andrews noted that the ESC has been allotted 15 minutes total, including questions and answers. Boren suggested the report place greater emphasis on process - including appeals, variances, enforcement, and the impact of having a city arborist - rather than focusing primarily on statistics. She also recommended including ESC recommendations, a process flow diagram, a summary of outstanding motions that have not advanced to commission, a status update on the Centennial Tree Canopy Drive, and a path forward for the state -of -the -canopy report. Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) June 24, 2026 The committee agreed that the report should include a slide summarizing all outstanding ESC motions passed but not yet acted upon by the commission, and that this be framed as a call for a timeline and path forward. Boren noted that the tree fund action plan and proposed Chapter 23 changes have been pending without commission action for an extended period. It was agreed that the July 13 presentation would serve as the appropriate venue to seek that direction from commission. B. Current status of possible Chapter 23 changes The committee acknowledged that proposed Chapter 23 amendments, including provisions for tree relocation, Trees for All plantings in private rear yards, enhanced front yard tree requirements for wider lots, and other related measures, remain pending without commission action. Boren requested that this item remain as a standing entry on the agenda to keep it front of mind. Chair Andrews suggested that additional amendments could still be added, including requirements for multiple front yard trees on wider lots and restrictions on entirely inorganic front yards. City Arborist Delk was asked to undertake a systematic street -by -street survey to identify properties lacking the required front yard tree, with code enforcement staff potentially assisting in follow-up. The committee expressed unanimous support for this effort. C. Tree Data The committee reviewed tree permit data for 2025. Discussion focused on the year -over - year trend in arborist letters and the significance of the data relative to the forthcoming semi-annual report. No separate action was taken. 6. NEW BUSINESS A. Tree fund budget approval status The committee noted that no formal commission approval has been obtained for the tree fund budget line items proposed by the ESC, despite the items having been before the commission for an extended period. It was clarified that some expenditures - including the Trees for All giveaway - proceeded under a pre-existing approved departmental budget. Boren confirmed that larger proposed expenditures, such as the state -of -the - canopy report and centennial promotional activities, cannot proceed without formal commission approval. The committee agreed to use the July 13 commission presentation to press for a clear path forward on budget authorization. B. Free arborist day motion Boren reported that she and City Arborist Delk had met to review the previously passed motion recommending commission approval of up to $12,000 to fund free arborist consultation days for citizens with mature or potential heritage trees (20 inches DBH or greater). The purpose of the program is to provide citizens with a professional care and maintenance plan - a service distinct from City Arborist Delk's advisory site visits - and to connect the city with qualified ISA -certified arborists. The committee confirmed the motion remained appropriate and moved to reaffirm it. Em ironmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) June 24, 2026 MOTION. The Environmental Stewardship Committee recommends the Commission approve up to $12,000 to schedule free Arborist Days two to four times per year, ideally once per quarter, where citizens can sign up for a free slot to have their mature and/or potential heritage trees (prioritizing 20 inches DBH or higher) assessed and evaluated for health and longevity, and be provided a care and maintenance plan with the goal of having the trees thrive and live a much longer life. Motion: Sarah Boren Second. Anastasia Houston Anastasia Houston (Seconded By) For Sarah Boren (Moved By) For Bruce Andrews For Daniele Giovannucci For Amy Franqui For Motion passed 5 to 0. C. Tree plantings in required drainage swales City Arborist Delk indicated he has not yet had the opportunity to fully research this matter but expressed general support for the concept, noting his experience with bioswale tree plantings in his prior position. Boren summarized that the city has historically avoided swale plantings due to uncertainty about tree survivability under periodic inundation and because stormwater capacity calculations were not developed with tree uptake factored in. She noted that the City Engineer had expressed reservations and that further scientific review is needed. City Arborist Delk committed to researching the matter and reporting back. D. Tree losses from arborist letters The committee reviewed the arborist letter presentation and discussed the pattern of a small number of ISA -certified arborists associated with tree -cutting companies accounting for a disproportionate volume of removal letters. A committee member noted a conversation with the City Attorney indicating that where fraud in an arborist report is suspected, standard state statute protections may not shield the application from challenge, and that documentation of patterns of questionable letters could support referrals to the ISA for professional accountability. City Arborist Delk confirmed he intends to use this data in his outreach to the ISA. E. Landmark tree protection draft for first reading at June 22, 2026 Commission Meeting The committee reviewed the draft language of Ordinance No. 95-26-128, which establishes landmark tree protections focused on maritime species trees at or above 20 inches DBH. Discussion centered on several unresolved concerns arising from the first reading, including: the removal of a "statement of infeasibility" provision; the question Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) June 24, 2026 of whether requiring commission approval for landmark tree removals creates an undue procedural burden; the relationship between the buildable footprint and tree protection applicability; and whether an independent third -party arborist requirement is legally permissible given the city now employs a staff arborist. The committee discussed a possible process path in which applications to remove a landmark tree would first come before the ESC and then proceed to the Community Development Board (CDB), rather than to the full Commission, thereby addressing concerns raised by commissioners about the workload while retaining meaningful friction in the process. It was also noted that the ordinance language contains redundancy and lacks clarity in several areas, and that the Commission had requested simplified, specific language for the second reading scheduled for July 13. Committee members agreed to submit suggested language revisions and a summary of key outstanding issues - including incentives, friction mechanisms, buildable footprint treatment, and the process flow - to the staff/City Manager ahead of the July 13 meeting. 7. MEMBERS CLOSING REMARKS Franqui announced that "The Nature of Oaks" presentation is scheduled for Thursday, July 9 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Jody, current president of the Ixia Florida Native Plant Society, will participate in a live Q&A following the video presentation. Copies of the book The Nature of Oaks will be available for raffle for in-person attendees. The event will be promoted through the City's Facebook page, the recreation newsletter, and the Florida Native Plant Society mailing list. Boren highlighted the significance of a forthcoming MOU between the City and the St. Johns River Water Management District related to restoration work at Tides View, noting it is one of only two such agreements in the state. She also proposed a recurring "Chat with the City Arborist" segment to take place at 5:30 p.m. before each ESC meeting, in which City Arborist Delk would answer frequently asked questions on camera, potentially in front of a tree, as a public outreach effort. The committee expressed support for the idea. 8. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:22 p.m. Attest: / �, n /) X " . J// /)/Z/ z "r 9 F 9 919 F I rz V 9 / X�� Amanda Askew, Director of Neighborhoods Bruce Andrews, ES Tree Chair Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) June 24, 2026