Environmental Advisory Board - Regular Meeting

I think I'm sitting too high. Testing. I'm too high. No, it's too high. It's higher.

How do I put it down? Push. Sit and then pull that lever. No, that's how it works. Sit on it. Yeah, you can sit on it. And then pull that lever and go down.

So that is one of the tests to see if you should be on the board and you can function in the chair. All right.

It is Monday, August 3rd, 2026. We're going to do a roll call for the board. Megan, if you'd like to start.

Megan Taylor, member. Dorian German, member.

Tim Drum, president. Robin San Vicente, member. Casey McGowan, member. Richard Vance, member.

Anne Lane, member.

Stephon Caleb, board liaison. Very good.

Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right.

Public comments? All right, moving on to approval of minutes. Item 26-0939, approval for July 6, 2026 Environmental Advisory Board minutes. Do we have any comments or revisions of the minutes?

No, so I'll make a motion to approve the July 6th, 2026 EAB board minutes. Second.

All in favor? Aye. All right, passes. Going on. Number five, updates. 26-1003, updates from the Natural Resource Division. Step on.

All right. Good afternoon, all.

I have a couple questions. Quick updates regarding a few ongoing efforts that we have throughout the city. Environmental scorecard, we initiated that internally, so hopefully we'll have something ready by the end of August.

Then the tree canopy assessments, which is every other year, we're working on that as well.

a lot of your feedback

trees in some of our green spaces and also just throwing that out there that may be a potential topic for you to discuss of any areas that you may consider needing more trees so that's something that I'm just mentioning I don't have too much more to add at this point but I do hope that at the next meeting I will have more things that I cannot share right now but hopefully for next month I will be able to give you more details. I just have a quick question you talked about an urban forester is that person on staff? Thank you. Yes, ma'am.

The invasives at the Boca Chica Park, the co-congress, has that been dealt with yet?

No.

And at this point, I don't have any updates on that either.

But it's something that is on our list. We do have some funding.

Now, from parks, there may be an update, but as far as natural resources.

Yes, sir.

Go ahead.

I don't want to interrupt you for a minute. It's okay.

Keep them coming.

You mentioned parks and rec, because a lot of times I'm thinking that we overlap each other. There are certain issues that are relevant to this board and to Parks and Rec. So I don't know what the best way for us to get on the same page so we can address certain situations like this invasive cogon grass for one and then other invasives. So if it's Parks and Rec that's going to be dealing with that, we make the recommendation to parks and rec do we need a joint meeting like put it maybe together an agenda item so we can have a joint meeting together and discuss maybe some of the overlapping topics yeah absolutely i think that's a great

But that's always an option if you would like to consider that. There's always overlap. Just wanted to explain that generally, natural resource features that are onto their property, which would be property managed by the Parks and Recreation Department, they are in charge of these projects. the property um so we are under the natural resources is under the umbrella of development services so we look at other things but in many cases when we overlap we want to help each other but projects all parks and recreations lanes usually are managed by them i'm just trying to make sure that it doesn't fall to the wayside No.

Okay, so I'm going to put that as a future agenda item for us to maybe discuss.

Thank you for saying that. That would be a fantastic conversation.

Okay. I'm done.

Yes, sir? There was a recommendation last time about including economic impact on the scorecard. Just curious what the status of that is.

Yes, sir. So chain of command, and these economic parameters will be included. So that's already something that we will make sure is included on the environmental scorecard, but the memo is still going to go up the chain and will be seen by everyone.

That's good. I think that's important, mainly not only because of the topic itself, but Over my course of three years, there's been different times where I've heard the board say, well, we really don't have the cloud or the visibility that maybe we ought to. And being able to get things in front of the commission, that sort of thing, that helps it. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Thank you, sir.

Any other questions? All right. Moving on. Unfinished business. 26-0893. Reoccurring agenda item for discussion and possible action regarding development review committee's projects of environmental concern.

Okay. I have a concern a question because there's a lot of stuff that gets through the DRC that we don't know about it unless we actually look and go into the file share and see all the files. Can we recommend that the DRC meetings are videotaped? I know we can't make a public comment. Public cannot make a public comment. However, can we request that they are videotaped so that the general public can be up to date with what is going on during a review?

I would say, Robin, It's really with these things, in my opinion, the devil's in the details. So it's really important how it is formulated. Are you, you know, how you word it? It probably would matter, but in general with DRC meetings, they're non-disclosure.

Here's the thing. If you're allowed to go there as a citizen and sit there and listen, you can't make a public comment, what is the difference? If a citizen can show up, then why not be able to broadcast it under the same guidelines? If there's an NDA development in place, then that can always be cut. Audio can be cut. But it's the same thing. People are showing up. They can listen to it.

That would be an excellent question.

OK. Yeah, we have to do a future agenda item.

OK. For that item, it would be beyond the scope of natural resources. Right. So that's all I can provide.

OK. The only thing was the Winchester Ranch that was up on the DRC. I don't know if everybody knows about the Winchester Ranch. Maybe we need to... I don't have the big files.

Is that the one on River Road?

Can you pull up the Winchester Ranch?

So I'm going to pull up an aerial map.

Should I have stated that at the prior meeting so you'd be more prepared?

Okay. OK. All right.

So I'll forego it for now because it's too involved. And I'll get with you for maybe the next meeting to just kind of look at that and discuss it. And I think everybody's going to need some information on that project anyway to properly look at it. Oh, yeah.

Okay. Yeah. Okay. If you would like to share any details before the meeting, you can send it to me and then I can disseminate.

Okay. Sounds good. I'm done then.

All right. Any others? Comments on this topic? All right. Moving on. Item B 26-0894. Discussion and possible action regarding future utilization of the Environmental Protection Fund. I believe this topic is still just on the item, but we're still getting information on the budget to future talk. I don't know if there's any additional comments.

We've got a couple more budget meetings in September, so I think it's best if we wait until it's finalized and approved when it goes through, and then we can look at it, and then really decipher it.

Are you guys familiar with this topic from

Yes, the proposal is that 100% of the funds go to planting new trees and buying parcels of land. Was there a discussion, though, on a list of other options? Or were those the only two proposed ideas?

This is just to start with, but we wanted to get an idea of the budget, how things work. There's more of an accountability for the funds that are raised to make sure that they're going towards what they state. Just some accountability.

Right now, are they by percentage the way it is right now? Because I noticed I read there was maybe some desire to have more open so you can spend the funds or, you know, advise to spend the funds on different things other than hammering a specific percentage?

Yeah, as far as I'm aware, there's no real structure for this at this time. Any other questions regarding this topic at this time? All right. Moving on. New business. Item A, 26-1004. Discussion of possible action regarding Environmental Advisory Board future agenda items. We have an attachment for this.

discussion and possible action regarding data collection for environmental items and recommendations. so again just a reminder to the members that's our new system where all items proposed will be tracked this way nothing falls through the cracks and nothing disappears so perfect thanks any discussion great

All right, moving on, item B, 26-1005, discussion on possible action regarding establishment of a conservation area for the wetland at parcel ID 0979002000.

Okay, I guess I can take the lead on this one. Can you pull up the aerial of that particular parcel? Sure. Does everybody know where the Circle of Honor is located? Yeah, okay. So this is where we're talking about this particular parcel, which is wetland. It's the only remaining parcel on the city's property that has nothing on it. Currently, Rodent Drainage have ownership of that particular parcel.

I guess let's wait till it comes up.

OK, so is that triangle right there the circle of honor? Can you see that kind of misshapen triangle? That's the current circle of honor, OK? So that whole parcel there is undisturbed wetland. At one time, it really was a wetland. But it's not really a wetland anymore. There's some parts of it that are. is being proposed is that that wetland parcel have a conservation easement placed on it and then incorporated with the circle of honor so that the two would kind of be joined together.

Here's a pointer for you, ma'am. Just press here. Oh, boy.

Oh, now you're in trouble. I might just play with this one. What am I pressing, the box or the?

The lowest bottom there. Oh. Let's go with the chair. What did you do, Robbie?

What?

So right here, under the arrow. Oh, there.

Okay. So here's your circle of honor.

No. No? To the left. Yeah, right there.

Oh, there we go. OK, circle of honor. This is the parcel that we're talking about to have a conservation easement placed on it. Like I said, Road and Drainage owns it. It's the last open space on city property in this whole area that we're occupying now as part of it. And then incorporate it like another phase to go with the circle of honor and maybe look at future incorporation of maybe some trails for more like of a meditative experience where people can go to the Circle of Honor and then kind of stroll through that area there through nature trails kind of similar I guess to Boca Chica if anybody's ever been there to look at those natural trails but really to preserve it and get it into conservation so nothing can be developed and another huge building go on it since it is the last piece of unspoiled property in this whole city area. So that was brought to us by Chuck English at the last meeting through his public comment. It went before the Parks and Rec at their meeting on July 16th, and they had made a motion to approve it. So I kind of wanted to have a discussion about it and see how everybody feels about it. And if you have any questions, hopefully I can answer them. If not, I'm sure Stefan can answer them too.

I think we should leave it as native as possible so we can get more birds and stuff there. Not necessarily have a lot of paths in it, maybe around it. So the birds can...

Right now our main focus is putting it into conservation so nothing can get built.

Yes. So on the main and the city commission meetings I've done, One or two of the commissioners are going to ask, all right, what's this cost us? What are our maintaining and that sort of thing? I'm not saying that that's bad. I think we have to be ready for that, and maybe we incorporate that into any recommendation that we make so we can just get ahead of it.

Right. As soon as we're done discussing it, I think maybe we can have Chuck English come up and he can answer any additional questions because he's the one who presented it to us and really has been working on it.

I just was noticing like one of the first things that our board is supposed to be doing as far as the duties are to advise on promoting clean water quality and preserving the land so I think that we should know the costs and everything associated with it, but our advice should still always be to maintain the preservation of it. And is putting an easement on it, is that a permanent preservation?

This would be a permanent conservation easement that is being proposed.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right. So it might be helpful to understand what a conservation easement is. How many of you know what one is? Actually written out and that sort of thing.

Yes, so that might be helpful for us to know exactly what it is. Concept is pretty easy, right? We don't want to build anything there.

But there's probably nuances in that thing that we want to know as we make recommendations.

Well, I think If we're going to propose a conservation easement be placed on this particular parcel, it would probably be very similar to the War Mineral Springs conservation that's going to be going over there. Nothing's been done on that parcel. Nobody's really maintaining it. It's kind of being left alone, which is good, to be left alone. You know, as far as a phase two, maybe incorporating some trails or some benches or something, that's for a future discussion. The most important thing is to get a conservation easement, which is going to protect that particular parcel from any kind of development in perpetuity. So that particular conservation easement would run with the land. So even in the future, 99 years from now, if it was to be sold, whatever, it would still be... protected no matter who owns it because it would run with the land, basically.

And I think part of what we talked about before as far as economic impact of how much land is there and what good that will do as far as how much water gets cleaned because of how much land there is, I think seeing those numbers and that data helps to make an impact. So if maybe somebody could do research based upon the land square footage and how much water goes over that land during wetland times.

Well, where is the water going now?

Yeah, so I'm going to guess it goes right, is that north?

That joins with the canal.

The canal. That's what I, it's going into the canal. So as it moves, right, so as it moves from there, how much of it is, you know, that's a benefit. That's something good. That's something that should be encouraged to know how much is being cleaned, how much water is being cleaned. How many gallons are being dumped into there?

I don't know if we can even come up with that kind of a figure.

Yeah, you can. My students can do it. We can do it. OK. Megan can do it.

OK. Because I don't know if that's ever been done. Do you know, Stefan, if that's ever even been thought of?

Yeah, there's a square footage.

So there are some means to estimate some remind the board that the more you back up your proposal with data, the better you make the case.

If you want to have your students take a crack at it, I'll take a crack at it. Okay.

Compare our data. Also, wildlife. Do we have access to any wildlife cameras that we could put out there and then be able to identify, you know, the...

There's actually been people that have walked that recently.

Okay.

And there are active gopher tortoise burros. And I'm sure there's other wetland type of species that are inhabiting that. particular parcel as well. Can we have Mr. English come up and answer some questions at this time? Is that possible?

So the way that the item is set up right now would not allow for that. However, you can propose a future agenda item that I can expedite, which could perhaps involve some type of a presentation from Mr. English. made clear that currently this parcel is owned by the city public works road and drainage manages it so any walking around this area would technically ask for some type of an approval from the owner especially the wetland part don't worry yeah it can be precarious

I thought we paid for that land.

No one gets hurt. But yeah, we know a lot about this area. And you're spot on. There's no intent for it to be developed. But things change over time. Exactly.

There you go.

In theory, that could be another mechanism of protecting it. Currently, that's a wetland. That's a well-functioning wetland approved by SWFMA. So any impacts to wetlands, even second So the city has no intent to develop it. So there are many layers that are already, but that would be an additional means that the board can discuss.

Any more discussion on the board?

How large is that parcel? And being a wetland, I mean, could someone develop that? I mean, being a wetland, isn't it protected? I mean, I agree with the conservation easement, but I mean, at some point, could that be developed?

Wetlands are protected. If they're able to get the approval, they will pay mitigation, which means either save a wetland somewhere else or create a wetland somewhere else.

But it is possible. It's challenging. And there are many factors that need to be considered. So if a wetland needs to be impacted, it affects the stormwater.

And that's why people don't even want to get involved with that in the first place.

I guess in a perfect world, you would think that that would not be able to be developed, being a wetland.

Well, wetlands are being developed all over our state.

We've got a 10-foot wall around it, and what we'd like to do is make it about 30 foot.

From a regulatory standpoint. There's a Florida statute that basically allows for property to be developed but there may be many hurdles and many challenges so but the states cannot really say no you can never develop this parcel and the state preempts us for that.

Any other discussion?

I mean is the board ready to make a motion and vote on this or do we need additional information?

You're going to have a recommendation, I think.

Well, I'm willing to make a motion now.

I mean, you're going to write something up. If you're going to make a recommendation to the commission, which is, I think, that's basically what's in our charter.

Yeah, if we make a motion right now to place a conservation easement over that parcel, then our next would then have to write up a recommendation based on A, B, C, and D to the commission. Absolutely, yeah.

And just to explain, if I may, normally how this would work out, someone will send you, a member will be drafting that recommendation.

They'll send it to me. And then normally, the board can go over

the recommendation language to see if they have any final notes to be made. And then we send it to the commission.

OK. Just like we did with the .. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

OK, is there any public comment before we decide what we're going to do?

So if we go on to public comment, we can't come back to it afterwards, right?

I'd rather speak now.

At the very least, we could say we want to talk about it next meeting.

My understanding is once we go past the item discussion, we can't come back to it afterwards.

Without a consensus of the board.

I'd like to recommend then that we provide the data, that you draft it, and that we have that draft ready for our next meeting so it can be done. approved the draft approved and then sent sent on with is that at least we have a time frame and we have goals in place for that does that sound okay yeah I think I would have to get with Stefan to get some of the specifics that you guys already have on this particular parcel

Would that be better? I just wanted to make another point.

If any member of the public would like to make a comment, they can always make a comment at the beginning of the meeting. This way, when the item comes for discussion,

All right, any more discussion before we turn it over to public comment? All right, public comment.

OK, I'll get it where you all can see me. I've been working on this issue.

I've had meetings with staff related to this project. I have not received one negative comment from staff, public works, natural resources, and parks and recreation. Park creation has already sent a memo to commission supporting this project. It's very simple. It's owned by the city.

public works and natural resources. And whatever type of enhancement could fall under general maintenance. Nothing special, nothing out of the way, just a matter of inter-departmental cooperation until the logistics attorney

Who makes the final decision on this?

The commissioners. Okay.

Okay. Good. Just wanted to make sure. Okay.

I was asking Stefan that. And the commission is aware of the process.

Good. There was some questions on the cost.

at this time, just the average daily maintenance, if they would do it anyway. Once you get into the logistics, then it's a whole other thing. Parks has already recommended putting a trail, running a trail down through past the fitness line, right?

And putting an overlook at the end there.

The other thing is the tax collectors are already looking for a place to put a building on their campus.

All right. So we're moving on.

Item C. Do we want to make a motion to?

I don't think we can.

Yeah, you can. Do we need a motion for you to bring back additional information for the board to look at?

I'll get some additional information for you.

For the next meeting? You can write up a memo.

Yeah.

All right, so moving on. You can hold on to that. Item C, 26-1006, discussion and possible action regarding recycling procedures in Northport High School and other properties.

So I was looking into some of the recycling stops school in the area but it stops once you get to middle school neither Woodland Middle School or Heron Creek had recycling stops from what I saw and then obviously Northport High School we haven't had recycling for a bit so it seems almost like they're implementing it for education purposes in elementary schools but then abandoning it and deciding that it's not important enough for middle and high schools, but I just think that's a huge issue because we have a school of upwards of 3,000 kids and staff and there's so much paper, plastic, just so much stuff that could be recycled that's just tossed away and I feel like it's really wasteful. So I don't really know what the process is for implementing recycling somewhere where it's not currently, but I know that Northport High School had recycling in the past, so I don't know if that makes it any easier.

Wouldn't that be done by the county?

the school board so i i wanted to mention that school related decisions would be made by the school board however you as an entity you are all part of the environmental advisory board of northport you you all have a voice that cumulatively in my opinion it weighs more than individually so that's something that you know you can all recommendations made and directly to the school board from the Department of Advisory Board.

Could we make the recommendation to the commission to make a recommendation to the county?

That could be, so that could be one possible channel and you can make the recommendation to the they may decide to, they may or may not decide to follow through on that. But that could be an option. It's an environmentally related subject.

You said there was, I'm sorry. You said there was, there used to be? Do you know why it was stopped?

The environmental club advisor at our school, he told me that we used to have recycling, but around COVID, it stopped. I'm not sure why, but that's the information that he gave me.

So is it only currently now in the elementary schools, you said?

From what I saw, I was just looking into where the recycling trucks are making their stops, and it seemed like practically every elementary school had them.

So it seems like. As a board, we can make the recommendation to recommend that the commissioners recommend that the school board adds it back.

Yeah, because to me, it's very disgraceful to not have that. I mean, especially when we're teaching our younger population. And then what are you teaching them later? It doesn't really matter. Recycling, just chuck it.

Basically, I think we should find out why that it was stopped Maybe there's a cost involved and I don't know who's paying for it but at Northport High School there is what's called the shared decision-making team and it's a team of teachers and students, parents, whoever shows up. Everybody can show up. And then the people on the board, on the shared decision-making team, SDMT, they then present it to the principal who then takes it to the, so it like goes here, then here, then here, like the process. It takes a little bit of time. But since I'm on the shared decision making team, and actually I'm in charge of it, so I'm the chair, so I can put it on the agenda and speak directly with the principal and get it moving much more quickly.

Okay, perfect, that's great. I actually, I emailed the principal He's obviously busy because of the summer.

He's extremely busy right now. There's so much change that's happening right now. But we need to get it put on the agenda and decisions made and recommendations made. But I don't think that that stops this team from recommending so that they're going to hear it from the school level. They're going to hear it from the... you know the students and the parents and the teachers they're going to hear it from north port's environmental board you know and and i think that all of that is going to help support um but we do need to find out why it stopped do you need a letter from the eab to that particular and and maybe make it uh and presenting the concern to directly to that board I think that that, and say, you know, as part of the Environmental Advisory Board, I can bring other members here, but I'm here, you know, I think that Megan can represent the board at the meeting, which will be Wednesday at 2.45. Yeah, I need to check which Wednesday. So I think it's the third Wednesday of the month, if I recall correctly. So the third Wednesday of the month at 2.45. Put that on your calendar.

But do you need a letter from the EAB to take to that meeting?

I'm the chair, so I'm just going to be sitting there saying, introducing everything, so I won't really be part of that. But if Megan comes and presents that as part of it, I think that that would hold even more weight.

Okay.

Especially something in writing. I think that would be good.

That's what I was thinking. Is that in our purview to legally do?

for visiting there and having this discussion with that other entity. I don't see an issue with that. But official letter to the DMV may not be .

OK, makes sense. And more members could go too, couldn't we, to that meeting?

Oh, yes, anybody. Anybody in the, yes, anybody is allowed to go to the meeting. It's an open meeting, just like this would be. Anybody can go.

Any more discussion at this time? All right, moving on. Item D, 26-1007, discussion and possible action regarding wildlife species and wildlife surveying in North Port.

I think I brought that up as far as impacting. What is the, and how can we track the impact to the wildlife species because of the development. I think you were going to see what kind of software or what we could do to start tracking that.

Getting part.

Through maybe permitting and to get some idea with how many permits are being issued, how many relocations we're having to do, and so forth.

So it's something that we to sit down internally

Yeah, because right now we don't even know anything. There has to be some starting point for us.

I would love to offer the services of high school students who might be interested in collecting that kind of data. They did, not last year but the year before, they did a study on bats in the area. and they put, do you remember this? They put the cameras all around and they sat there day after day after day and counted the number of bats that went in and counted the number of bats that went out. And so we have students who enjoy or would be willing or would be forced to because their teacher told them it was part of an assignment as far as doing data collection, but it would have to be offered to them. I would need that information. If there's something that's stopping you from counting something or measuring something as far as you're limited on time, we have some extra hands that might be available.

Does that require some kind of expertise, though? I mean, as far as to get an accurate, I mean, you can count them, but would there be a process by which you could?

There is a process, and that would have to be outlined by whoever is asking for the data.

I mean, maybe we can pick an area at a time. We don't have to do a citywide. Just like when we did that scrub jay, it was a specific area.

Mm-hmm.

But right now we have no information whatsoever what's being impacted. Right, except for what's going into the scorecard, right? Yeah.

Yeah, so I don't know what's going into the scorecard right now.

I don't think anything for wildlife monitoring is going in that scorecard.

So there's some limited data, but the challenge with wildlife monitoring is that it needs to be more or less scientific. accurate it needs to be done right and that's not as easy as it sounds so there's some we have some wildlife sightings that's easily accessible data that we will be using for our environmental scorecard but again when you get to population of species in a large area well I think what I'm for me what I'm looking for

We already tracked the gopher tortoise, and we already tracked the scrub jay. We know how many permits are issued for gopher tortoise on-site or off-site relocations, correct?

That's going to be in the environmental scorecard, because we tracked that, and that's fairly easy to obtain.

And it would be the same thing for the scrub jay because of the permitting process and so forth. So even if we start with those two species, it's a starting point. That we can look at.

That's going to be included. OK. But when you get to how many tortoises we have impacted in this part of the city altogether, we don't know.

No, but if we do section by section, we know there was this amount of gopher tortoise permits issued, and this is the development that's happened in this location.

We're tracking the permits, but we cannot tell you how many gopher tortoises there are in North Point.

No. I'm looking at tracking it statistically through the permitting process, right?

And we are doing that, and that data is going to be included in the environmental report.

OK, great.

So whatever we already tracked, we'll make sure to include. But if there's some other more large-scale findings about surveying of wildlife, We are not doing any of this work as of right now, and this item talks about wildlife species and wildlife surveying in North Port. So we are tracking dolphin tortoise permits, scrub jade impacts, and some other, here and there, we have some other sporadic data. There's the habitat sightings tool as well, which we're using. These are just instances where these are documented. It's not a real survey.

Yeah, but like you said, anything is a story. It's going to be a living document. Yeah.

OK. As a new board member, could you just explain a little bit what the environmental scorecard is? I'm not familiar with that. Just some.

Absolutely. document the environmental impacts and the environmental resources of North Port. And some of these resources include air, water, tree canopy, listed species, and activities done by the Natural Resources Division. And so the idea It involves some research. It involves gathering the data, analyzing it, putting it together, and presenting it to the public. So that's something that we do on an annual basis now.

Great. Thank you.

Thank you. It's on the website too.

OK.

If you go on Google and type in North Fork Environmental Scorecard, you'll get to that.

Based on what you and I saw, nobody else all over the US.

Yeah, yeah. I could not find any similar scorecard.

And certainly not in the area.

We promoted it last year, and we'll promote it again once this year, once it's recognized.

Good. Any other discussion on this topic? All right, moving on. Adam E. 26-1008, discussion and possible action regarding ideas to enhance the city's natural resources and improve North Port's attractiveness to residents and visitors.

And this was Jessica's.

If I remember correctly. Former member Ike's item.

Well, doesn't the future agenda item of the wild and the pollinator kind of fit in with this in order to enhance the attractiveness to residents?

I think it does.

Right? I think it does. I think that's more wrong. Right? So I don't see a real effort on the city's part to have pollinator gardens throughout the city. And what I'm specifically looking at is like pilot-type projects. Coming off of Sumter and you see Welcome to North Port, that disgraceful-looking fountain where there's nothing there, really. It's pretty disgraceful. I would love to see maybe a pilot project do right there. Maybe, you know, it doesn't cost anything to throw some seeds in the ground and have them come up on a regular basis or buy a couple of butterfly bushes and plant them on maybe both sides, it would be less than $100. That can come right out of the environmental fund. If we chose specific locations throughout the city, that is like, welcome to Northport. Look at our fountain. It looks like crap.

How do you feel about it?

I don't have a better name for it.

I don't like it.

I don't have a better name for it. I'm sorry. It's just the reality. I don't think anybody could say, oh, what a beautiful welcome to Northport thing that is. It would help if it was cleaned up and if we put some pollinator gardens.

I have a suggestion for a pollinator garden, and I would like it in Boca Chica because it's a brand new park and it doesn't have anything in it. And I have a $500 grant available for applications. from the Sarasota County Butterfly Club. And my husband and I live one mile from Boca Chica Park. We have turned our yard into a pollinator butterfly garden. My husband did research for Kodak. And he has researched our zip code. And in it, he has all the butterflies that are available to live in our area. And every butterfly needs a host and a nectar plant. So two plants for each species. This is all the different species just for my zip code, which is Boca Chica. Now, he's listed on here the host plant and the nectar plant for each one. So if you guys want to recommend the city, go, it's the $500 grant from the club. Here's the application. And they require that you have somebody do the work. I would be the lazy Ellen between the clubs. And I would be more than welcome because I'm a mile away to come over and share the information of what plants you need to buy for what butterflies you want to get there. And you can come see my garden any time. I'm one mile from the park. And it's $500. All you got to do is apply for it as a city.

I'm not just talking butterflies, too, though. Oh, yeah. It is a pollinator garden for bees and everything. It should be combined.

Yeah, you should see the birds and the bees and the bunnies and the tortoises on my quarter acre.

Well, my recommendation is that fountain.

I really want to be welcomed to the city of Northport.

You know, I really do. I mean, I look at other areas, and it's like, welcome, and they got the flowers, and they got the fountain going, and the walls are all clean. And it's like, come on, guys. We got to do something. So I would recommend that area, since it's going to be a big area up and coming. You know, maybe if we did it now or next month or October, whenever we can do it, I'm talking $100, you can beautify that area.

Is Public Works in charge of that area?

So I was waiting for everyone to finish. OK. and I am planting is planting the vegetation and then maintaining it you know it's competing with graffito grass and other weeds so it needs to be maintained and again I'm not saying that it's not something that natural resources would do as far as maintenance it's something that the public works department would have to take care of

And it relates to the environment.

And you all have the ability to make these recommendations.

Because this has been going on for years now. This same discussion about pollinator gardens has been going on for years now. And I've yet to really see even a pilot project take place on specific pollinator gardens. This has been going through the EAB for years now. recommended by the Conservancy. This has been recommended in everything for years now, and nothing's getting done. So I'd love to see something really get recommended and then followed through with whatever we got to do as a board to get the ball rolling.

If I may just offer you making the case of why this is something that's important and why would it take taxpayers funding towards investing into something like this. So you mentioned earlier the Environmental Protection Fund. So if the board wills to move forward with such recommendation, my recommendation would be to strengthen that in as many ways as possible.

So this rate does not go to commission and doesn't get ruled to be recommended.

So yeah, it would be your decision. I recommend it.

I love your idea, but your idea is being focused at Boca Chica. So that's parks and rec.

And that's parks and rec. That's totally different.

But that might be that pilot part. where we do it there. Exactly. Using the $500 grant, we take pictures of it, we say what has been done, Only through, we would all have to go through Parks and Rec to be able to do that. Now, are you requiring Parks and Rec to write the grant, or can somebody else write the grant?

Anybody can write the grant. It's a fine you fill out and submit. But I don't want to see it at Boca Chica. I wanted that fountain. No, I wanted theirs. It's a brand new park.

So we might have to sacrifice the fountain to get it off the ground. No, Boca Chica is beautiful already.

No, the entrance is a mess.

But it's beautifully laid out with trails and it's beautiful. Look at that fountain. I'm sorry, I can't get off that fountain. That is not a welcome. That's not like, welcome to Northport. Look, piece of crap fountain we got.

Does it have to be used at Boca Chia? No, you can use it any place you want.

You have to apply for it and have a plan.

Does the city have to apply for the grant?

No, your club, the high school can do it.

So I'd like to recommend that somebody applies for the grant.

It has to be a club.

It has to be a club.

Yes, it can't be you for your yard.

The environmental club at Northport High School applies for the grant in order to beautify the city of Northport that we get that, but then even after we get that, we still then have to then put that into a recommendation for the commission to then say, but then we have... You know, we've already received this grant. We've got a team of people on staff ready to help plant and maintain it for this amount of time.

Yeah, just like you adopt a park, you can adopt that.

There you go, like that kind of. Yeah. And then that puts all the players in, and then we do the recommendation to the city. Does that sound like a plan?

Yeah, now there's other organizations you can submit. I think we missed. The one with the Florida has a statewide and some of the nonprofits, major nonprofits have statewide butterfly pollinator type grants that they issue out once a year also. So we can look at that too. If we want to bypass the environmental fund, which is only going to cost a hundred or $200, you know,

Yeah, but we would have to put in, like was mentioned earlier, how much it would cost and the maintenance are the two main things for the city to approve.

Right now we have the Conservancy that would, on a pilot project, and I'm only looking at a pilot project to see the success of it. The Conservancy is willing to take care of a pilot project if we put forth, recommend an area, and it gets approved, they're willing to maintain it. There's really nothing major to maintain a pollinator garden. That might be, I'm talking maybe five to eight feet. You know?

Yeah. With that maintenance, I mean, I know the city, they're going to want like a list of, okay, this person is going to do it this month. This person is going to do it this month. You would adopt the park type thing. That way they can see, okay, we've already got 50 people lined up and ready to be a part of this to help take care of it. Or 20 or 10 or whatever it is.

But if we do it the same way like you adopt a park.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

We still have to get the city's approval.

Yeah, I'm just trying to put ideas out there to build into the recommendation.

Yes.

That's what I'm putting forth.

Yes. Yeah.

Just from experience, these are complex recommendations, and it probably requires some research and continuous discussion.

But as I said, the more you- What kind of research and continuous discussion? I'm serious. about a pollinator. I'll go out there and buy the seeds myself and plant it.

They want to know what seeds. They want to make sure that they're not. There's a list of rules. I know that there is. I know there is. There's a list of rules.

I know there is. I know. I know. With the city, which is basically if anyone is performing some type of work on the city's property, if they don't get heard, they can sue the city. Oh, I know. Yes. Unfortunately, on city-owned properties, the owner or the entity that maintains need to be aligned as well.

But you can always propose it.

And all I'm saying is that the more ways you justify it, the more likely it will pass.

Take a picture of that fountain. I say, is this really welcoming you to North Pole?

I think a public comment is needed at the next commissioner's meeting. Good luck with that one.

So, okay. So, do you want to write that up, Ann?

Oh.

Well, because you were... mentioning the club and all this.

Yeah, well, I'm just, I was just throwing out ideas that if you put all of those things into the recommendation, you know, that here's how we have it lined up. I don't know what factors would stop the city from, I didn't think about risk and city-owned property and kids on a highway, you know, jump, you know, I don't know, I don't think that way. So I think all my students are wonderful.

So we have to get in touch with, would it be Public Works?

You can always do that if you would like.

I don't think that's a bad idea. Could you check on the proper procedures for us and let us know to make it easier for us when we're making a recommendation so we're not stalling this for another year or two?

I can always find out more about the process. But I wouldn't be the subject matter expert. So I can give you an overview. But let's say what risk he's dealing with or public works he's dealing with, I can ask some questions and find out more, but I won't be able to understand it on such depth.

But if it goes to the commission and they say, this is great, then they tell staff, make it so.

Then they relate to the city manager and then the city manager relates to the appropriate departments Take action.

So then I think maybe that's the way to go. Just make the direct recommendation to the commission and then let them say, go ahead, staff. Make the fountain beautiful. What do you think? Comments? Questions? Yes? No?

I love the idea of pollinator gardens. I think it's great.

If you think you're going to do it. I have a quarter of an acre.

I have four acres, and I know what it costs, too. And I'm telling you, I can get the proper seeds, because I raised monarchs. So I know what it costs to really implement that. And when I say $100, $200, I know it, because I've spent it and done it. And I've done it on one of my neighbor's properties, planted her a whole front yard. It's beautiful. So it can be done. So I just would love to see something really get done, because this is now years going down the road. So do we want to make this a future agenda item to really seriously discuss what needs to be put into this letter to the commission? Or are we ready to do it now? I don't think we're ready to do it now. We need a little bit Yeah, I think we need a little bit more information.

Can you bring pictures and costs? I'll take a picture of the fountain beautiful of your neighbor's pollinator garden of your neck and of the of that and then Doreen are you able to like give us a copy of the grant so we can see? What all is needed for that? Yeah, and that way we can put it into that. Okay.

So can we have this put on next month's agenda? So once in a while.

We'll keep it on the agenda ongoing. Okay. All right.

Okay. I think we're good to move on to item 8, future agenda items. There's additional items. Casey?

I actually have a handout for So I know this is only about future agenda items, so I won't go through the presentation. This is for your reading between now and when it's on the thing. But essentially, I'd like to see an annual environmental town hall where city and board go through with the public. That's what the scorecard's all about, right? It was a great start to The leadership is getting the scorecard going. Now let's follow that up with direct accountability to the citizenry. You talk about outreach, people getting excited about the floor and the environment. This could be a really good tool. So, yeah, I'd like to see that on a future agenda.

Okay.

Okay.

Whoever?

Any other future agenda items? All right. Moving on. Public comment.

Once you have developed your recommendation, it goes to the commission. That's the initial contact. The commission will facilitate the getting of data to make their decision. of the EAB. That's in a nutshell. And as far as your pollinator project,

All right, any other public comment? All right, meeting is adjourned. Thank you.