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03-13-18 ESC Tree Subcommittee Meeting Minutes.17 MINUTES OF CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE: TREE CODE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING March 13, 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWAIHIP COMMITTEE: TREE CODE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Chip Drysdale Linda Chipperfield Myron Blankerbaker, via phone STAFF: Kevin Hogencamp, Deputy City Manager Shane Corbin, Director of Planning and Community Development Brian Broedell, Planner 1. Call to order. The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. in the North Conference room. 2. Approval of minutes. There were no minutes to approve. 3. Courtesy of the floor. No one addressed the committee. 4. New Business. C. Drysdale began the meeting by suggesting all Tree Subcommittee meetings be no longer than one hour. C. Drysdale then expressed the need for the Tree Subcommittee to establish a regular meeting schedule. He stated that the previous meetings had conflicted with the regularly scheduled Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) meetings and suggested that the Tree Subcommittee meetings take place at least one day prior to the ESC meetings. He then suggested the second Tuesday of each month. L. Chipperfield stated that the meetings should be held after 5:00pm. K. Hogencamp discussed a possible conflict with the Code Enforcement Board meetings that are held the second Tuesday of every other month at 6:00pm. He stated if the Tree Subcommittee meetings were to be regularly scheduled for the second Tuesday of every month at 5:00pm, the meetings would need to end by 6:00pm. It was agreed that the meetings would be scheduled for 5:00pm on the second Tuesday of every month and that the meetings would end by 6:00pm. C. Drysdale stated that it is the job of the Tree Subcommittee to systematically review tree removal permits for compliance with Chapter 23 of the City's Code of Ordinances, per Ordinance 5-17-64. He expressed the need to set a schedule for each Subcommittee member to review the permits. He also suggested Subcommittee members begin accompanying City Staff on their site visits for tree permits as this experience would help them better understand the permitting process. M. Blankerbaker agreed that a rotating schedule should be set for each Subcommittee member to review tree permits. He also stated that Subcommittee members should be notified of each tree permit and that he would rather not have to check the City's website for any new tree permits. He suggested that each permit be emailed to all Subcommittee members by City Staff. S. Corbin confirmed that this can be done from now on and suggested that each Subcommittee member review some tree permits with Staff so that they can gain a better understanding of the permitting process. C. Drysdale suggested that each Subcommittee member choose a week of the month to review tree permits. M. Blankerbaker stated that he would review tree permits the first week of the month. L. Chipperfield volunteered to take the fourth week of the month while C. Drysdale agreed to take the second week of the month. S. Dark was given the third week of the month. It was agreed that the Tree Subcommittee will manage their permit review schedules internally. C. Drysdale explained that Ordinance 5-17-64 requires Staff to notify each Subcommittee member every time a tree permit is posted for "Notice of Issuance." He asked Staff if this was being done. B. Broedell explained that tree permits were being posted on the City's website five business days prior to issuance for Subcommittee members to review. C. Drysdale stated that he does not believe this meets the requirements of Ordinance 5-17-64 and that each Subcommittee member needs to be directly notified via email when a tree permit is posted for "Notice of Issuance." It was decided that each Subcommittee member will be emailed tree permits once they are deemed substantially complete and again when they are posted for "Notice of Issuance." S. Corbin introduced a report completed by Staff that reviewed all tree removal permits that had been issued since November, 2017. The report included the number of trees planted and removed; the number of inches planted and removed; and the number of legacy trees planted and removed. B. Broedell stated that a noticeable takeaway from the report is the high rate of applicants utilizing the incentive of double mitigation credit when replacing non -legacy trees with legacy species. He stated that he believes this is a popular approach among applicants that are redeveloping on smaller lots within the City. He also stated that the report indicates that the 50% replacement rate intended by Code is being met while the number of legacy species is increasing. C. Drysdale volunteered to create a summary of this meeting to present at the next ESC meeting. S. Corbin stated that he and B. Broedell will be attending all Tree Subcommittee meetings moving forward and that B. Broedell will be recording the minutes. -2- 5. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 5:02 p.m. ATTEST Shane Corbin Director Planning and Community Development -3- Dawn Scott Secretary Sc4 rtâ–ºed F---/4/ ik