Beautification Advisory Committee

City of Marco Island Florida 51 Bald Eagle Drive Marco Island, Florida cityofmarcoisland.com Meeting Minutes - Final Wednesday, July 3, 2024 3:00 PM Community Room Beautification Advisory Committee Chair: Shelli Connelly Vice-Chair: TBD Members: Michael Cory, Julie McDonald, Sharon Watts, Fiona Winter City Staff: Justin Martin, Jim Kornas, Tara Kosieracki Beautification Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final July 3, 2024 (1) CALL TO ORDER Chair Connelly called the meeting to order at 3:00 P.M. (2) ROLL CALL Present: 4- Member Cory, Member McDonald, Member Winter and Chair Connelly Absent: 1- Member Watts Also Present Ms. Zurima Luff, Stormwater Engineer Mr. Martin Luna, Audio/Visual Technician Mr. Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist (3) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Led by Chair Connelly. (4) APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION by Member McDonald, seconded by Member Winter, that the Agenda be Approved. MOTION CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT. Yes: 4- Member Cory, Member McDonald, Member Winter and Chair Connelly (5) APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES ID 24-3696 Beautification Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of June 5, 2024 MOTION by Chair Connelly, seconded by Member Cory, that the Beautification Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of June 5, 2024 be Approved. MOTION CARRIED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT. Yes: 4- Member Cory, Member McDonald, Member Winter and Chair Connelly (6) OLD BUSINESS A. ID 24-3697 Ten Thousand Trees in Ten Years Pilot Program Update (M. Cory) Member Michael Cory briefed the Committee on his initial meeting with former Committee Chair and "Ten Thousand Trees in Ten Years" Pilot Program Champion David Leaser, and he reported that Mr. Leaser provided him with excellent background and well-organized files on the history, contacts, and accomplishments of the program to date. The site plan for the planting of the recently-donated 100 trees around Mackle Park Lake has yet to be completed** (see below), and Chair Connelly volunteered to reach out to Mr. Al Benarroch of Affordable Landscaping Service & Design, LLC, the City's landscape contractor, to encourage his action to ensure that the identification, procurement, and planting of the desired tree species can be completed during the current "rainy season". **[Editorial Note: see Agenda Item 7C (ID 24-3646) from the Minutes of the Committee's June 5, 2024 meeting for additional background on this topic] City of Marco Island Florida Page 1 Beautification Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final July 3, 2024 Chair Connelly also advised the Committee that the donor couple that is funding the 100 tree gift has asked to receive the approved site plan prior to releasing the donation. Ms. Connelly also volunteered to accompany Member Cory in his initial meeting with Mr. Benarroch of Affordable Landscaping Service & Design, LLC. B. ID 24-3698 “Chamber After Five” Presentation Date and Plan (J. McDonald) Committee Member Julie McDonald shared the results of her discussion with the leadership of the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce, and she reported that a presentation by the Beautification Advisory Committee to the Chamber's membership at a "Chamber After Five" event in October, 2024 would be an ideal time to target.** **[Editorial Note: see Agenda Item 7E (ID 24-3634) from the Minutes of the Committee's June 5, 2024 meeting for additional background on this topic] Chair Connelly endorsed the plan proposed by Member McDonald, and she indicated that the timing of this presentation will fit nicely with the Committee's plan to engage and collaborate with the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee on the Beautification Advisory Committee's desire to solicit donations to beautify and enhance the property parcel on the southeast corner of San Marco Road and South Heathwood Drive (aka "First Responders Park"), as well as on the southeast corner of Collier Boulevard and Barfield Drive (Founders Park). The planned date for engaging and collaborating with the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, September 17, 2024 beginning at 3:30 P.M. C. ID 24-3703 Historical Marker Landscape Completion Update (S. Connelly) Chair Shelli Connelly reported that the landscape enhancement work for the thirteen historical marker sites will be conducted in two phases, with the first six locations to be addressed beginning on July 10, 2024. This first phase of the project is expected to be completed within two weeks. The second phase, with the preparation and planting around the remaining seven historical sites, will follow soon thereafter. Committee Member Michael Cory volunteered to assist Chair Connelly in monitoring and enhancing the watering-in of the plantings during their first several weeks in the ground to ensure that the new Marco Island/Florida-friendly vegetation has an opportunity to permanently establish itself. D. ID 24-3704 Founder Memorial Park Design Proposal and Budget Estimate (S. Connelly) Chair Connelly advised the Committee of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee's interest in collaborating with the Beautification Advisory Committee in any proposed beautification enhancement to Founders' Memorial Park. She also noted that, in light of still-forthcoming invoices from the Committee's Historical Marker landscape enhancement project, further planning and commitments regarding Founders' Memorial Park will be addressed by the Committee at a later date. E. ID 24-3705 S. Heathwood Dr. Median Design Proposal & Budget Estimate (S. Connelly) Chair Shelli Connelly reported to the Committee on her progress in soliciting and receiving an initial design concept from Landert Landscape Design for the 5' wide x 200' long landscape median on South Heathwood Avenue, immediately south of its intersection with Winterberry Drive. While retaining the existing palm trees planted in that median, the Landert design concept proposes the planting of approximately seventy (70) three-gallon plants which would include a mixture of Fakahatchee City of Marco Island Florida Page 2 Beautification Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final July 3, 2024 Grass, Muhly Grass, Petra Croton, and Necklace Pod plantings which are drought tolerant and efficient relative to their water usage. [Editorial Note: a rendering of the proposed landscape concept for this median may be found on the City's website at www.cityofmarcoisland.com under Our Government > Agendas and Minutes > Beautification Advisory Committee 7/3/2024 > Meeting Details] Chair Connelly pledged to coordinate the procurement and planting of the proposed plants with Landert Landscape Design and Affordable Landscaping and Design LLC, the City's landscape contractor. F. ID 24-3708 Tree City USA Update (F. Winter) Committee Member Fiona Winter contacted Mr. Todd Little, the Arbor Day Foundation representative that Chair Connelly had proposed at the Committee's June 5, 2024 meeting. Reviewing the requirements to qualify for the Foundation's annual Tree City USA designation, Member Winter confirmed that the Foundation requires a minimum of $2.00 per capita spending annually on "urban forestry" by a municipality that is seeking or wishes to retain its Tree City USA designation. Member Winter will investigate further and confirm what municipal expenditures may be included under the Foundation's definition of "urban forestry", and she will provide a report to the Committee prior to the Committee's next meeting. (7) NEW BUSINESS A. ID 24-3706 “Adopt A Median” Committee Workshop (All) The Committee elected to defer consideration of an "Adopt A Median" program Workshop for Marco Island to a later date pending the outcome of the City's 2025 Fiscal Year budget process. (8) STAFF COMMUNICATIONS ID 24-3707 2024 Fiscal Year Committee Budget Allocations & Expenditure Status (Z. Luff) City Stormwater Engineer Zurima Luff shared a detailed overview of the Committee's: 1) 2024 Fiscal Year budget allocations; 2) voluntary community donations received to date, and; 3) expenditure outlays through June 30, 2024. Ms. Luff committed to send an electronic copy of her report to all members of the Committee. (9) CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION ID 23-3296 “City Council Communication” Agenda Topic No communication or direction to the Committee from the Marco Island City Council was presented or discussed at this meeting. (10) PUBLIC COMMENT No members of the public came forward to offer comment. (11) NEXT MEETING: CONFIRMATION & ATTENDANCE ID 23-3293 Next Meeting: Confirmation & Attendance City of Marco Island Florida Page 3 Beautification Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final July 3, 2024 The Committee could not confirm that a quorum could be seated to conduct business at its next scheduled meeting on August 7, 2024. As a result, this meeting will be cancelled from the City's meeting and event calendar. The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4, 2024 beginning at 3:00 P.M. (12) PROPOSED AGENDA TOPICS FOR NEXT MEETING The following agenda topics were proposed for the Committee's next meeting: 1) Plaques & Stands for the 2024 Arbor Day Tree Plantings (S. Watts) 2) Ten Thousand Trees: Mackle Park Lake Site Plan, Approval & Implementation Update (M. Cory) 3) Historical Markers: Landscape Completion Update (S. Connelly) 4) S. Heathwood Dr. / Winterberry Dr. Landscape Median Implementation Update (S. Connelly) 5) Preparation / Plan for the 9/17/24 Meeting with the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (S. Connelly) 6) Preparation for the Committee's October "Chamber After Five" Presentation (S. Connelly) 7) Initial 2025 Fiscal Year Budget Outlook and Allocations (S. Connelly) 8) Welcome of New Members (All) (13) OTHER COMMITTEE COMMUNICATIONS Chair Connelly sensitized the Committee to the need to consider the replacement/updating of the decorative traffic intersection utility box artwork that was successfully solicited and completed under the Committee's leadership several years ago. Noting the impressive response that was generated under the "Call To Artists" initiative in support of the first traffic intersection utility box artwork program, Chair Connelly noted that the ability to fund an award program for the artists who create and submit "winning" designs will be a key to a successful next evolution of this program. Member Fiona Winter requested and received endorsement from the Committee to attend the City Council's July 22, 2024 Operating Budget Workshop to support Public Works Director Justin Martin's 2025 Fiscal Year request for budget to support the Committee's Tree City USA application and other Committee budget requests. (14) ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Committee, Chair Connelly adjourned the meeting at 3:39 P.M. ______________________________________ Jim Kornas Recording Specialist City of Marco Island Florida Page 4