City of Coconut Creek Environmental Advisory Board Minutes Meeting No. 2004-03
	Date:  September 14 , 2004 Time: 4:00 p.m.
	4800 West Copans Road, Coconut Creek, Florida, 33063

1.         The meeting was called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m.

2.         Present on roll call:

                        Morris Chase

                        Herb Lund

                        Chairman Walter Johnston

                        Absent:             Washington Collado

                                                Mikkie Belvedere

                                                Alternate Walter Uhlig

Also present were Assistant City Attorney Nancy Cousins, Development Services Director Sheila Rose, Director of Utilities and Engineering Raj Verma, Engineer Todd DeJesus, Permit Technician Valencia Massey, and City Clerk Barbara Price.

7.                  National Wildlife Federation – Community Wildlife Habitat Registration

Chairman Johnston advised that this item was being moved forward as Ms. Rose had an outside meeting to attend.  Ms. Rose noted that the National Wildlife Federation has issued completely new guidelines for registration and recalled the process recently completely by the City.  The new process sets a point system to be met for certification and is far less subjective.  The City will need 450 points.  Chairman Johnston noted that the Neighborhood Yards and Residences organization had contacted Tamarind Villages for the residents' addresses and there would be 178 certified yards declared in Tamarind Village.  Ms. Rose asked that the Board review the application; staff would complete and submit the registration for the City.  At the next Board meeting, a one-year work program will be drafted for the Board’s consideration. 

To illustrate programs that have been instituted over the past year, Ms. Rose related, pertaining to two new developments that have gone through the site plan process, that a condition of approval has been placed; i.e., a requirement to go through the certification process.  One of these developments is Regency Commons, a commercial development.  Two residential developments, one the redevelopment of Coral Lake Mobile Home Park to a townhouse community, and the residential development located on the former O’Donnell Farms property, will be going through the certification process.   Another program offered by the City, the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Program, which was expanded with the offering of butterfly plants, was very successful and will be continued next year.  The City will participate in the Coconut Creek Women’s Club Handicraft Fair in November with butterfly gardening and wildlife certification available.  She noted that staff member Sharon Vollmer has been certified as a Habitat Steward and will be available to assist residents in the planting of gardens.  The Board members indicated their support of this course of action.

Herbert Lund asked if the number of trees in the City was known.  Ms. Rose stated that a survey had been completed in conjunction with the Tree City award and that a grant had been obtained for equipment to conduct the survey.  As to Mr. Lund’s question as to the amount of trees lost as a result of the hurricanes, Ms. Rose suggested that City Forester Steve Nash could be asked to report on the current status at the next meeting.  Brief discussion ensued. 

6.                  New Code Amendment Pertaining to Regulation of Waterways within City

Mr. Verma recalled that earlier this year he had given a report to the Board on stormwater issues in the City and the situation regarding the canal system in the South Creek area.  He noted that there was interest by the residents, who felt that the canals were not being property maintained.  He showed graphics that had been submitted by a resident and presented at the City Manager’s Town Hall Budget Meeting earlier this year. Noting the lack of enforceability in the current Code, Mr. Verma advised that an ordinance has been proposed to clarify maintenance issues and to provide enforcement mechanisms. The ordinance has passed first reading and is scheduled for second reading next week. He briefly spoke on the education of the public relating to the new regulations.  Additionally, work is being done with Cocomar to determine what can be done to assist the residents and minimize the impact. 

Mr. Lund asked if there would be penalties for non-compliance.  Mr. Verma noted that initially residents would be given 60 days to comply, except in the case of sea walls.  Ms. Cousins added that persons living on the water have a responsibility to maintain structures such as sea walls and docks.  It was clarified that the City’s existing Code Enforcement Division would be handling this with assistance from Cocomar.  Chairman noted the amount of erosion in the canal banks in the Tamarind Village area and he asked what could be done.   Mr. Verma noted that this maintenance issue was the Village’s responsibility but indicated that the City could work with the Village regarding expediting of permits, etc.

5.                  Hurricane Frances Environmental Impact Report

There was brief discussion of the Landfill as a result of some of the Board members’ attendance at the recent City Commission Workshop at which there was an update on Landfill issues.

Deputy City Manager Dave Rivera advised that approximately 1,200 to 1,500 cubic yards of debris per day, most of which is vegetative debris, was being picked up and stored on a City-owned site that will be used as a staging site before the material is sent to a Delta G site on Powerline Road in Pompano Beach.  The material will be chipped before it is transported.  He estimated that debris removal would take another 10 days.  He noted that some private communities had debris removed already.  Also, Mr. Rivera commented on the controversy relating to FEMA’s policy to pay for debris removal from private communities.  Yesterday FEMA approved funding for removal from materials in private non-gated communities and in public areas.  FEMA had not approved paying for removal of debris in gated communities.  State Representative Ron Greenstein has been active in pursing this issue for the private gated communities.    He noted that, as permitted in the Code, there is a temporary suspension of the tree preservation code relating to tree removal permits.   Replacement issues will be addressed during the next two weeks.

3.         Approval of Minutes:            Meeting No. 2004-02 – May 18, 2004

            MOTION:      Lund/Chase - To approve the Minutes of Meeting No. 2004-02 – May 18, 2004.       

                                                The motion passed on a 3-0 roll call vote.

4.         Election of Chair and Vice Chair  (Tabled from May 18th Meeting)

MOTION:       Chase/Lund – To defer the election of Chair and Vice Chair until the next   meeting.

                                     The motion passed on a 3-0 vote.

The next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, October 27^th, at 4:00 p.m.

8.         ADJOURNMENT -

            The meeting was adjourned at 4:44 p.m.

Barbara S. Price, CMC

City Clerk