HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-10-2020 Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes..
FEAB January 2020
FEAB MEETING MINUTES
January 10, 2020
3:00 p.m.
Fairhope Public Library Board Room, Fairhope, AL
Member Attendees: Gary Gover, Ben Frater, Jim Horner, Jeanine Normand, Amy
Paulson
City Council: None
City of Fairhope: Kim Burmeister, Planning and Zoning Department
Honored Guests: Lee Faulk; Mike Nance
Minutes taken by : Kim Burmeister
FEAB MINUTES:
December minutes were approved . Motion: Jim; Second; Ben
DISCUSSION OF ITEMS:
Membership:
Gary discussed membership and by-laws status. Currently FEAB has 9 members . There is
one vacancy. Lee Faulk may be interested in becoming a member. She is considering
applying. In September 2019, FEAB approved a motion to revise the language of the by-
laws:
From Sept. 2019 FEAB minutes: Gary s uggested an am endment to the FEAB ordinance
1435, code of ordinance . This will address non-attending members. H e suggested this
amendment as a motion to amend: (b) The board will co ns ist of six to ten active
members. Members may be nominated by the mayor, city council or other members.
Members w ill be appointed by c ity council. An appointed mem ber with unwarranted
absences from three (3) consecutive meetings in a twelve -month period shall have
resigned th e ir appointment. Jim made the motion to accept the motion: Mike seconded.
This passed unanimously. FEA B September 2019 *MOTION* Add A n appointed m ember
with unwarranted absences fro m three (3) consecutive meetings in a twelve-month period
shall have resigned th eir appo intment to ordinance I 435 Section 2-82 "Membership "
Gary has not moved this motion forward to Council because he is still in discussion with
Lisa Hanks, City Clerk, for clarification on quorums and membership. There is some
discrepancy on what constitutes a quorum . Gary mentioned the Educational Committee
by-laws as being a good guidance tool for the FEAB by-laws if changes are made . Gary
will follow up with Lisa on clarification of quorum rules and possible by-law changes .
FE AB January 2020
Coastal Management Living Shoreline Tool
Amy recently attended a Living Shoreline workshop at Five Rivers. Weeks Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Program and other partners presented a
free guidance tool (still being developed) for regulatory employees, property owners,
contractors and developers. According to the workshop brochure : "The Living Shoreline
Sustainability Model {LSSM} identifies locations where living shorelines are suitable
based on a suite of shoreline conditions . The workshop demonstrated data layers
necessary to run the model and provide examples of selected sites along the Coastal
Alabama region ." Permit guidance is also offered . This tool targets shoreline
management alternatives to bulk heads. Amy suggests the City promote this tool for
community use and possibly as an inclusion item in the Comprehensive Plan and on the
City website. Gary said this would be a good example of a positive input item and
suggested Amy present this to Planning Commission on February 4t h . It was unclear as
to whether Amy will present this on behalf of FEAB or as a citizen . Jim felt like FEAB
needed more discussion on this before presenting as a FEAB item . Amy will check with
M i ke Shelton on this, since he is the expert on the living shoreline guidance tool.
https :// cm ap2 . v ims . edu/Li vings horelin e/D ec is ionS upportToo 1/index.htm 1
Jeanine mentioned the need to encourage more sea grass growth along ou r shorelines
at the shoreline and also just off-shore . Ben said the "working waterfront" program
might fit with this as well. Kim suggested including Richard Johnson, Public Works
Director and City engineer, in on these discussions. He is in charge of park shoreline
projects and might have experience with this tool and with living shoreline projects in
Fairhope . Jeanine said the City needs to offer better direction to the public on wetlands
and shoreline improvement project alternative s. Citizens are not sure who to call. Kim
also mentioned gulley protection as an important line item relative to shore li ne
protection .
Triangle Conservancy
Ben has invited the Triangle Conservancy group to the February FEAB meeting . This
group is advocating environment options for the triangle property. Richard Johnson
should be invited to the next meeting. Kim will include him on the email invite, as well
as Jessica Walker, Community Development. https ://triangleconservancy .org/
N atural Resource Inventory
Ji m w ould like to kno w th e statu s of th e C ity p erforming an en viro nmental audit on th e
Trian g le prop erty , as was p asse d on a motion by FEAB in 2 01 9. Ge na To di a , Wetl and
R esources , has prov id ed a qu o te. Kim said it mi gh t be p ertin ent fo r th e C ity to update th e
existin g Natural R es ource Invento ry from 2 00 3 , whic h was a city-w id e environmenta l
reso ur ce audit. It is avai labl e on-line but n eed s to be updat ed .
2003 Fairh ope NR Inventory
FEAB January 2 02 0
Climate Change
Amy said she and Mike are working on climate change action plans which may be
considered for implementation by the City . This will be available before Earth Day for
ratification consideration.
Meeting adjourned at 4 :00 p .m .
Next meeting is Febru ary 14th: Fairhop e Lib rary B oard Room
FEAB CONTACT INFORMATION:
Chairman : Gary Gover govers@bellsouth .ne t (251) 990 -8662
Members :
Shawn Graham ShawnDG12@aol.com (251) 928 -5120
Jeanine Normand drjnormand@aol.com (251) 928 -2284
Tony Pritchett aQritchettassoc@gma i l.com (251) 990 -5185
Nicole Love nicolemrobinson@hot mail .com (407) 312 -1362
Ben Frater ben.frater@gmail .com (404) 314-8815
Mike Shelton yauQon3@gmail.com (251) 990 -2995
Jim Horner none (251) 928 -9722
Amy Paulson amy .Qaulson@yahoo .c om
CITY CONTACTS:
Jimmy Conyers, City Council ji mmy.conyers@fairhoQeal.gov
Kim Burmeister, Planning and Zoning Department kim.burmeister@ fairhopeal.gov