City Council

City of Marco Island Florida 51 Bald Eagle Drive Marco Island, Florida cityofmarcoisland.com Meeting Minutes - Final Monday, May 23, 2022 5:30 PM Water Quality Workshop Community Meeting Room City Council Chair: Erik Brechnitz Vice-Chair: Jared Grifoni City Council: Claire Babrowski, Rich Blonna, Greg Folley, Becky Irwin, Joe Rola City Manager: Mike McNees Assistant City Manager: Casey Lucius City Attorney: Alan L. Gabriel City Clerk: Mike Sheffield City Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 23, 2022 1. Call to Order Chair Brechnitz called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. 2. Roll Call Present: 7- Councilor Babrowski, Councilor Blonna, Councilor Folley, Vice-Chair Grifoni, Councilor Irwin, Councilor Rola and Chair Brechnitz (Note: Councilor Folley participated in the meeting via Zoom teleconference connection) Also Present CITY STAFF: Michael McNees, City Manager Casey Lucius, Assistant City Manager Mike Sheffield, City Clerk Chris Byrne, Fire Chief Matt Gallup, Police Lieutenant Jeff Poteet, Water & Sewer General Manager Justin Martin, Water & Sewer Engineering & Operations Manager Martin Luna, Video/Broadcast Technician Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist WATERWAYS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: David Crain, Chair Steve Sokol, Member Phillip Thompson, Member Eugene Wordehoff, Member Martin Winter, Member OTHER PRESENTERS: (listed in order of appearance) Robert Roth, Former Waterways Advisory Committee Member & Co-Manager of Clean Marco Waters LLC Erik Jorgensen P.E., Senior Project Manager, Jacobs Engineering Group 3. Business a. ID 22-2281 Presentation - Waterways Advisory Committee Recommendations - David Crain, Chair Chair Brechnitz introduced David Crain, Chair of the Waterways Advisory Committee, who introduced the members of the Committee and set the stage for the Committee's recommendation under the seven focus areas assigned to it by City Manager Mike McNees. These seven areas of focus were informed by the recommendations offered by Dr. Harvey H. Harper and his organization in the 2020 - 2021 Environmental Research and Design, Inc. Marco Island Water Quality Study. The seven focus areas under which the Committee presented its recommendations were: 1) Stormwater Management; 2) Seepage Management; 3) Reuse Irrigation; 4) Fertilizer Ordinance; 5) Public Education; 6) Formation of a Stormwater Utility, and; 7) Ongoing Water Quality Management. Following a number of questions from members of the Council and related discussion with members of City of Marco Island Florida Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 23, 2022 the Waterways Advisory Committee, City Water & Sewer General Manager Jeff Poteet introduced Erik Jorgensen P.E. of Jacobs Engineering. b. ID 22-2276 Evaluation of Potential Reuse Nutrient Impacts and Nutrient Removal Strategies - Erik Jorgensen P.E. Mr. Jorgensen, on behalf of the engineering and environmental team at Jacobs Engineering Group, presented a detailed review of key assumptions and findings from the Environmental Research and Design, Inc. Water Quality Study and offered several alternative interpretations on the sources and impacts of nutrient loads that are affecting Marco Island's waterways. Finding both areas of agreement and disagreement with the conclusions drawn by Environmental Research and Design, Inc., Mr. Jorgensen offered several recommendations for City action going forward, including: 1) conducting regular soil sample testing to assess the Total Phosphorous level in public areas; 2) considering the existing nutrient level in City reuse water when establishing allowable fertilizer application amounts; 3) minimizizing the overspray of reuse water on roadways; 4) educating the public on fertilizer use and the importance and impact on the local watershed, and; 5) employing soil moisture sensors to minimize excessive watering. 4. Citizens' Comments Mr. Robert Roth (Barbarosa Ct.) raised concern with the expanded coverage of impervious surfaces (roads, driveways, rooftops, etc.) over the last several decades that has greatly increased the unfiltered runoff of stormwater into the Island's waterways. Mr. Douglas 'Rick' Woodworth (N. Barfield Dr.) observed the well-documented recognition of impairing nutrients in the waters, and the lack of decisive action to address the problem while it was still containable. He sees evidence of increasing algae blooms in Marco Island's waterways. Mr. Ed Issler (S. Joy Cir) noted the isotope consistency between the nitrogen in the waterways and the nitrogen in fertilizers. He sees a need to increase the City's budget to complete swale improvements more quickly, and he encouraged the Planning Board and the City Council to be mindful when approving increasingly large on-water structures and vessels that impede tidal flushing action in the Island's canals and waterways. Mr. Jim Scarpa (Edgewater Ct.) cited the poor enforcement of the Island's Fertilizer Ordinance and asked the Council to consider the impact of older, less-efficient waste and storm water management systems on and around Marco Island. Mr. George Wittman (Copperfield Ct.) noted his experience in the Northeast where effective fertilizer education and management led to improved water conditions. He also supported the proposal that new homes be required to have stormwater retention systems installed and maintained. Mr. David Rasmussen (Caxambas Ct.) asked the Council to imagine scenarios where Marco Island exhibits leadership in addressing its impaired waters and returning the water-borne flora and fauna to its healthy state. Ms. Teri Sommerfeld (San Marco Rd.) commended the efforts of the current and past members of the Waterways Advisory Committee in raising awareness and prompting action. She strongly supported greater oversight and enforcement of the City's Fertilizer Ordinance, and she urged the Council to act quickly to reverse the Island's declining water quality in its canals. Mr. Jason Bailey (Dogwood Dr.) thanked the Waterways Advisory Committee for its tenaciousness. He believes that new home stormwater management systems that require professional engineering resources to implement and install are too expensive and he encouraged the Council to look at practical, low-cost solutions to improve stormwater retention and percolation. He also added that impact fees for new permits could be an excellent source for new funding to implement additional water quality improvement initiatives. City of Marco Island Florida Page 2 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final May 23, 2022 Following the presentations and comments from members of the public, City Manager McNees summarized several actions that are currently being implemented in line with the recommendations contained in the Environmental Research and Design, Inc. study. He concurred with the need to revise, strengthen and more effectively enforce the City's Fertilizer Ordinance. The Council responded with several action items, including the development of a cost/benefit matrix to target on-going and future spending on water quality improvement project that bring the greatest, measurable benefit. With some of the new ideas that were brought forward during the workshop, the Council indicated a commitment to bring focus to a continuing discussion on this topic and 2023 fiscal year budget support to enact meaningful action as quickly as possible. 5. Adjournment There being no further business before the Council, Chair Brechnitz adjourned the Workshop at 8:30 P.M. ___________________________ Erik Brechnitz, Council Chair ATTEST: ____________________________________ Michael J. Sheffield, City Clerk PREPARED BY: ___________________________ Jim Kornas, Recording Specialist City of Marco Island Florida Page 3