Waterways Advisory Committee

City of Marco Island Florida 51 Bald Eagle Drive Marco Island, Florida cityofmarcoisland.com Meeting Minutes - Final Thursday, March 16, 2023 9:00 AM Community Meeting Room Waterways Advisory Committee Chair: David Crain Vice-Chair: Martin Winter Committee Members: Carlos Escarra, Steve Sokol, Philip Thompson, Michael Welty, Eugene Wordehoff City Staff: Justin Martin, Diedre Wint Waterways Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final March 16, 2023 (1) CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order at 9AM by Chair Crain. (2) ROLL CALL Present: 5- Member Escarra, Member Thompson, Member Welty, Vice-Chair Winter and Chair Crain Absent: 2- Member Sokol and Member Wordehoff Also present: Ira Warder, Code Enforcement Keith Richter, Code Enforcement Kathryn Grigsby, Growth Management Jeff Poteet, Water and Sewer Department Justin Martin, Public Works Department Diedre Wint, Public Works Department Martin Luna, IT Department (3) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Led by Chair Crain. (4) APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION by Chair Crain that the Agenda be Approved and ITEM 7 be moved to the next Meeting. MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOICE VOTE: Yes: 5- Member Escarra, Member Thompson, Member Welty, Vice-Chair Winter and Chair Crain (5) APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES ID 23-2794 Approval of the Waterways Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of February 17, 2023. Questions were raised regarding the description of the seawall written in the Minutes and will continue for discussion at the next Meeting. MOTION by Member Thompson, seconded by Member Escarra, that the Minutes of March 16, 2023 be Approved MOTION CARRIED BY THE FOLLOWING VOICE VOTE Yes: 5- Member Escarra, Member Thompson, Member Welty, Vice-Chair Winter and Chair Crain (6) OLD BUSINESS DISCUSSION ON FERTILIZER BAN ID 23-2756 Notice for Landscape Registration and Fertilizer Enforcement City of Marco Island Florida Page 1 Waterways Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final March 16, 2023 Staff from Growth Management and Code Enforcement discussed and took questions regarding the Notice for Landscape Registration and Fertilizer Enforcement issued by the City. There were 25 registered or exempt of the 136 landscaping businesses on the island. April 01, 2023 Notice of Violations would be sent to the Magistrate and the maximum fine is $500. The Ordinance was stated to have limitations, in that, it is specific to registered professional landscapers and not residents; however, notification and education are tools that can be used as deterrents. Information on complying landscapers are stored on an internal database with the City and homeowners are asked to contact the Growth Management Department (239 389 3949) if they require registration information on their landscaping company. Members of the Waterways Advisory Committee proposed to review the Fertilizer Ordinance further and include it as an Agenda Item at the next Meeting. (7) NEW BUSINESS ID 23-2800 Marco Waterways Oxygen Levels To be continued at the next Meeting. (8) CITY STAFF COMMUNICATIONS Committee Members were informed that the Request for Information (RFI) for the technology on the improvement of water quality was due April 01, 2023 and will be represented to City Council in their second Meeting in April Further information was provided to the Committee that the City had applied for a legislative grant in the amount of $550K for an Aeration Pilot Study which was pending approval at the state level. In addition, the Aeration Pilot Study has been added to the City's Capital Improvement Plan. (9) PUBLIC COMMENT (TIME CERTAIN...) Members of the public presented concerns regarding the Ordinance being in coordination with commercially sold fertilizer spread directions as well as was the Ordinance posted in view at sources of procurement to further notify residents. Further concerns were raised by members of the public that notification and education would not be helpful as implementing a moratorium on fertilizer which will allow the Committee to gather empirical evidence on fertilizer. The banning of blowers and the continued use of reuse water were raised as concerns to improving water quality on the island. Other concerns raised were: Sprinkler heads at Veteran's Park found to be leaking or the fault of solenoids which will be followed up Time of day irrigation as contributing factors to increase usage of fertilizer Early morning irrigation instead of overnight to reduce weed growth and the increase need of pesticides (10) NEXT MEETING: CONFIRMATION & ATTENDANCE Committee Members agreed to the next Meeting date of April 20, 2023 at 9AM. (11) PROPOSED AGENDA TOPICS FOR NEXT MEETING The following topics were proposed by Committee Members for items on the next Meeting Agenda: Marco City of Marco Island Florida Page 2 Waterways Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - Final March 16, 2023 Waterways Oxygen Levels by Member Wordehoff, Revision of the Fertilizer Ordinance and the RFQ returns on Canals. (12) OTHER COMMITTEE COMMUNICATIONS Committee Member inquired about the factors that were impeding moving ahead with a moratorium on fertilizer. In response, the Committee Member was informed that a joint meeting was required with the Beautification Advisory Committee and the Waterways Advisory Committee which would be followed up at an early date. (13) PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA The effects of Sucralose (Saccharin) on water quality was presented and an appeal was made to Committee Members to review Collier County's Annual Report as a resource on the subject for further information. (14) ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Committee, Chair Crain adjourned the meeting at 10:39 A.M. __________________________________ Diedre Wint, Administrative Assistant City of Marco Island Florida Page 3