Sustainability and Resiliency Committee - Regular Meeting

Well, we're going to call the meeting to order. Today is Monday, February 23rd, 10 o'clock. This is the meeting of the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee. Madam Clerk, if you could please call the roll.

Outstanding. So everybody received the agenda package. Any changes, any additions, deletions? No. We haven't seen none. Vice Mayor, if you want to provide a liaison report. I know you don't have your notes with you, but there were some exciting activities at the last meeting.

I mean, the rain dollar workshop is very easy. The county provides those services. All we need to do is provide the venue.

We can talk tactics, but again, that comes back to the role of a Chief Resilience Officer that really coordinates all of these activities. I know the Vice Mayor knows this, but several years ago, when this committee was abolished, the story was, well, it cuts across every function of the town, both committees, boards, and the administration, so we don't need a specific committee. But obviously there's value in having a committee and having a dedicated person that can be the coordinator for all of it. So that becomes the free line. But we'll talk about that later. Anything else from... No, no.

Speaking of that, Noah, if you want to give an order, just introduce yourself.

There are no members of the public that... We're going to forego that, and we can have a motion to approve the meeting minutes.

Well done. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, very fast. All right, so our first discussion item, we have raised this at past meetings, and I'm so excited that we have the brain trust of the Reef Line, the volunteer, to come and share their story and identify ways that SORS have the potential to partner with them. So without further ado, and if you want to join us at the table, whatever, it's pretty informal, but I just wanted to make sure that we had enough seats for the members.

Just the arrows one way or the other. And if you would, introduce yourselves, and then the floor is yours.

So from my perspective, it checks a lot of boxes. So you probably didn't see the agenda, but we've identified our priorities as a committee in two important ones. One is intra-governmental cooperation, so looking for ways that we can partner with other units of government as well as nonprofits. and also building resiliency, coastal resiliency, because while we benefit from beach renourishment, as I mentioned yesterday, we were last renourished to a significant extent in 2020, and if you were to walk the beach today, you might question what work was done, because the erosion has been quite aggr

So this is the building that might have required an ocean house.

Thank you for sharing your story. You're welcome. So you're here because we first introduced what is going on in Miami Beach to the committee. The committee was interested in doing it. Like Miami Beach and like Bell Harbor, as I mentioned, Surfside is designated by the Florida legislature as a tourist-based economy, which has certain privileges and also certain responsibilities. And your project is... really hits the sweet spot of opportunity. So both in terms of a funding source, and I know that we use every bit of our tourist tax dollars. However, we have another project that we'll soon be c

I'm also thinking, we... are now part of the biophilic cities program. So there seems to be a nexus with that. I also thinking about access to the beach. Years ago Surfside was the first in the state to install diverter dunes. So in our dunes we have breaks for people to pass. But that's also dangerous with storm surge. So we partnered with the Youth Environmental Alliance to build diverter dunes at those cut throughs low mounds of sand with sea grass to knock down wave energy when the waves are coming in, but channels to allow the water to recede. Years ago, there was a group from an elementa

Well, I guess my thought is where we're at is Can we set an audacious goal and then figure out the steps that we need to do? And Tiffany, I broke your name in my earlier discussion because your fund rate is an acumen, right? And sometimes there's only so much public funding available, but we have an engaged citizenry that may be interested in supporting this as well. It's extensive and it's an all hands on deck. How do we make this happen? So first, I want to gauge the interest. I mentioned we have a municipal election in three weeks, and all five elected officials are on the ballot. So our wi

Typically they're on the other side because it's for the navigable waterway. So we've worked with them for seawall improvements. But my experience is that they're not dealing with the ocean side.

I haven't looked in a bit, but historically our fine commissioner is Spencer Crowley. He works with Neeson.

I'll take it as an action item to call Spencer and just confirm whether funding might be available on the ocean side.

Do you want just the presentation, or do you want the brain trust?

we were securing about $300,000 in funding through those two sources. Now we're over $5 million. Yeah. Wow. However, a lot of that, so we're able to use those dollars for operations that benefit tourists. So what I mentioned earlier, a lot of that money is being allocated to operating the community center and other... And the various beast of horses that we have and stuff like that.

But Tiffany, can I put you on the spot? Yeah. Because I shared the story of Ruth K. Broad. Yeah. So there was an interest in significant improvements to the recreational facilities at the school. School board didn't have the capacity or interest to fund it. So Tiffany.

so it seems like we have some action items which is good um so our ask of you is is the framework for the master plan i don't know if you could share that with our acting town manager if you could start to think about funding pathways so both publicly sourced or privately sourced dollars publicly sourced dollars tourist tax revenue and then a presentation to the tourist board But I'll look to your guidance whether we should try to address it sooner or wait until after the election. The problem is there's typically a delay with appointing new people. Sometimes, depending on the interpretation,

So just because there's also a nexus with our youth council as the champions for the biophilic cities and their interest in general, if this is added to the agenda, if they could be notified that there'll be a presentation, probably should have, well, they're all in school now, but at 6 o'clock they may be able to participate. Just let them know that there'll be a presentation on the Reef Line project at the tourist board.

It's more for their situational awareness and the courtesy of letting them know.

So I guess the conversation will continue. But in terms of the time frame for your next, I mean, you identified the deployments that are already in the queue. So are you thinking 2028, 2027, 2029? For Surfside? Yes.

Yeah. I prefer to set an audacious goal and then work deliberately towards it. Well, the difference is you actually implement your audacious goals.

Thank you very, very much for your time.

or the support, and I think that this really could be a transformational opportunity for us.

But then you're missing out on the public art. Exactly.

Not just Surfside, but you raised the concept of Indian Creek. We have one of the wealthiest art collectors that lives on Indian Creek. They have new residents that are coming in that may want a legacy. Their name attached to it, to a legacy. I think we need to... We can name it after them. I mean, my wife and I, we bought a star. We're so enthusiastic about what this project is in Miami Beach.

But it interropes with their story, right? Because it's part of the connection. We live in a heavily built-out environment, and cars are a part of our daily life, and we're leveraging that. Yeah, that's cool.

And so there is an incredible opportunity to get other units of government on board. I mean, Bell Harbor also levies their own tourist tax. So they have an annuity each year. So it seems, well, let's, I mean, if we can, let's put the framework together, have a conversation, so, you know, sort of tease the tourist board, but be ready to just... Not a self-launch, but just... present the concept so that we can start to build some excitement. Okay. The next item is yours, which is...

No, it was discussed here. No, it was during the meeting.

But I saw it as something, right? Okay. Two components. One is the legislative priorities, so I'll let you discuss that, unless it also gets into the initiatives that we identified. The vice mayor was kind enough to bring it to the commission. I think there was support for everything but the chief resilience officer. Pretty much. And I just, you know, we invited the acting town manager just to provide an update on the initiatives.

March 17th. Vote like your life depends on it.

We had an incredible one. And for a variety of reasons, the job requirements or the job expectations became misaligned with the chief resilience officer in the truest sense. Well, COVID happened. Yeah, so the focus shifted, which was necessary. I'm not casting aspersions, but that role has been unfulfilled ever since. And it is talked about at the commission how important these elements are But it's it's not enough to rely on volunteers that really needs to be in a yesterday function I don't disagree.

And these are the prioritized items. The list is much longer. Right.

Hold that thought just because we're at the end of the meeting. If we can have a motion to extend the meeting about more than 15 minutes.

I just asked for an update. So I'm going to have a conversation with Jason and Liz in 30 minutes. Yes, in 30 minutes. You did send the letter out to?

So... any update on getting Surfside's house in order in terms of training staff so that we can align this external funding source, the labeling, but also making sure that our staff understand They need to look inside the recycling cart before they dump it. If there is more than a de minimis amount of trash in the recycling cart, that photos are taken, tags are left, there's a knock on the door, right? Some way to, so that we can meet people where they are, provide timely and specific feedback on why they're not in compliance with our recycling program.

Just a suggestion. Now the waste management has opened their new recycling facility. Perhaps there could be a field trip of our solid waste staff to go to the facility so that they can understand, they can see what happens once they dump the load at the facility How it is processed and why certain materials are not beneficial.

Take everybody out there and take them out to dinner and make it into a team building event as well.

Our next meeting is March 19th. Mr. Manager, what does that mean for us? Should we plan to attend? It's a day after the swearing-in. Does this committee survive?

But it depends on a number of factors. Some committees sunset at the end of the term. Others continue and. The new commission needs to make appointments, but the tourist board, that survives. Plenty and zoning, that survives.

I work full time. I'm giving you a hard time. It's not easy because there's so many meetings. So long ago, we decided that Thursdays at 12 was the optimal time.

It's fine. Every day is a fucking nightmare.

Why are you... Because I've got meetings before and after, so I have to move the one after.

The problem is, we're at the end of our work day, but so isn't the town staff.

Nope. The 16th, what's the other one? Or the 23rd. 23rd actually works for me. Yeah.

All right. Well, thank you, everybody. I think this was a productive meeting. Welcome to your inaugural. Maybe you brought us good luck. If we could have a motion to adjourn.