HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-09-2021 Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board Meeting MinutesFEAB MEETING MINUTES
April 9 th , 2021
3:00 p.m.
Fairhope Civic Center Delchamps Room, Fairhope, AL
Member Attendees: Gary Gover, Jim Horner, Mike Shelton, Nigel Temple, Michelle
Melton, Jennifer Foutch , Ben Frater
Members not in attendance: Jeanine Normand (warranted absence); Amy Paulson
(warranted absence)
City of Fairhope: Kim Burmeister, Christina LeJeune -P lanning and Zoning Department;
City Council : None
Honored Guests : None
Minutes taken by Kim Burmeister
Gary called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m .
Summary of meeting:
• Approval of minutes
• Ethics certification
• Resiliency Index
• Environmental Studies from NOAA
• Upcoming meeting with the Mayor I City Leader Engagement I Triangle Property
• City of Fairhope Stormwater Management Plan
FEAB Minutes:
Jim made a motion to approve the March 2021 FEAB minutes, as written . Minutes were
approved unanimously.
Ethics Certifications:
Gary gave out Ethics Certificates of Completion to all in attendance, except Jim.
Resiliency Index:
Mike said the official instrument for thi s is a booklet that is finished but not available in
print as of yet. He will acquire once available.
Jim referenced a recent resiliency article in the Fairhope Courier which cites the City's
application for $2 million in Hazard Mitigation grant money, which will include funding
for water pumps and new generators at lift stations as well as safe room s for City
FEAB March 2021
employees . Mike said he thinks seven sewer diversion tanks have or will be installed to
help with sanitary sewer overflow :
Figu re 1 Fa irh op e Co urier, 417/2 1
Environmental Studies from NOAA:
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Zoning
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the Plan-
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:-rovlc:te ~u.p pcnt1'81:' "to llft. r bt1.l\o'LS at.
atat\ona that cowd provent __ _.,__durlnlll
t'Ut:urw-. cl.ty -
said.
The cl.ty ta --1:WO Hazard Mltla,atlon Grants a.\\ be stat.-
tor a total or abnoat -2 mil-.
lion.~ Wallulr. conunu-£-Plan~g
n.11:Y deVelopmen.t director. , "Planruns
said Nlonday. March 22. mty Con,-
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could increase as more
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Hurricane Sally are pro-
ceesed.
The grants require
that the clU-recei.vln&
the-,.-115_..cent
of'theooat&.
Gary said a recent GOMA newsletter presented recent studies from NOAA on climate
change and other environmenta l issues . He said there seems to be a disconnect on
having the community leaders nationwide receive this information. Nigel said scientists
are not known for being outstanding communicators . He said FEAB is a perfect conduit
for disseminating this information to municipal leaders . Gary said Fairhope also could
benefit from better communication of scientific studies to our municipal leaders .
Michelle encouraged everyone to watch the "Kis s the Ground" documentary.
htt ps://kiss thegroun d .com/?gclid =EAlalQobChM lv lWOgY357wlVXTi zAB31HQ KnE AAYASAA
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Michelle suggested FEAB present some empirical data to the Mayor when she attends an
upcoming FEAB meeting .
Page 12
FEAB March 2021
FEAB Meeting with Mayor/ Engagement with City Leaders/ Triangle property
discussions :
Gary presented a draft letter from FEAB (drafted by Amy) inviting the Mayor to the May
14th meeting. Jennifer said FEAB should draft an agenda for the meeting.
Michelle said agenda should be se nt beforehand . Memo needs to be shortened; it is
daunting . Michelle need s to get with Hunter to finalize park designation language for the
FEAB motion. She is st ill not su re if it would be the entire Tr iangle property include d in
the resolution or not .
Jennifer : Send bias ahead of time to Mayor so she will have time to review .
Nigel : FEAB should check with the Mayor beforehand to see which time and dates might
be best for her (if not the May meeting). Make sure we ask Mayor how we can be utilized
in the community and with community outreach. He su~geste d the draft invitation to
Mayor be se nt to the group to review and revise . Reword the Memo using bullet points .
Jim : Triangle property dedication as park land should be the number one priority and we
need to mention this to the Mayor when the meeting happens .
M i ke : FEAB should ask Mayor first off what her priorities are and how FEAB can help her
achieve her priorities . Triangle bike path project has already been decided on (pe nding
ADECA grant funding), so FEAB should move on to other suggestions. FEAB should
concentrate on the pre servatio n of the Triangle property. Ask Mayor if she wants Kim to
send the FEAB minutes monthly. Mike sugge sted Jennifer be nominated to be the
unofficial spoke sperson for communication with the Mayor.
Ben : FEAB should formulate a plan to pave a path to engage better communications with
Counci l, Mayor and City leaders. Present to mayor.
Jim: land use is a top discussion item for FEAB so engageme nt with Hunter Simmons,
Planning and Zo ning Director, sh ould be a priority.
Mike: land use is a priority, but Mayor is over the directors, including Planning and
Zoning, so ultimate ly, she calls the shots. FEAB should focus on one item for the Mayor,
do not overwhelm her.
Gary: Recent article in Coastal Connections (newsletter put out by the MBNEP ) discusses
resiliency effort by the City including sto rmwater studies of Tatumville Gulley and the
South Fairhope Community Action Group. He asked Kim if this is still an active group.
There is a need for more community engagement like this . He is afraid there is an
intentiona l disconnect between municipal leaders and the community to get things
accomplished fa ster. The former utilities superintendent wa s active in FEAB participation .
He will send Nigel the draft of the inv itation so he can revise . He asked Kim to inc lude
Page 13
FEAB March 2021
"Summary" information at beginning of the minutes and se nd this to Mayor with link to
entire minutes, once approved. He asked Kim if there are still mail boxes for council at
City Hall. Kim thinks bo xes are still there, see Gayle (Secretary).
Kim did not know if South Fairhope Community Action Group is st ill meeting but will find
out . She said some of the Twin Beech area is not in the City limits. Our stormwate r
authority does not extend to County properties .
City of Fairhope Stormwater Management Program Plan:
Kim previously sent FEAB link to the current SWMPP (April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022).
SWMP P is a component and requirement of the City MS4 stormwater permit, which is
signed off on by the Mayor. MS4 SWMPP and Annual Report are compiled by Planning
and Zoning . Measurable Goals are re spo nsibility of the Director of department.
Gary asked when public review is for SWMPP .
Kim : December 2021 @ Planning Commission meeting. Most recent review was January
4, 202 1. Public comments are welcome any time, but the Mea surab le Goals state d within
the document are not wish list item s. Measure Goals must be complete yearly and are
tracked through the MS4 Annual Report. Changes sugges ted for measurable goals should
be addressed to director of department that would be responsible for that goal.
SWMPP and Annual Report are available online for public review, as req uired by ADEM:
Fairhope Planning Publications and Forms I City of Fairhope, AL
Page \ 4
FEAB March 20 21
Honorable Mayor ullivan,.
On behalf of th air hope nviromnental Ad i o Board (F AB), e would
like to formally inviLe you to attend our regular monthly Board meeting on
May 14, 2021 , at 3 -4pm in the Dekhamps Room. If this time doe not fit
ou r s hedul , plea e ugg tan alt rnative and wear h pp to convene a
separate meeting at your convenience.
The mission of the FEAB is to provide policy advice to the City Coun ii,
ayor, and CiLy Departments regarding environmental matters Lhal concern
the .. it y of Fairhope. Our v i io n i to serve as a Lrusted, scientific resource
providing a local environmental perspective to poli y de i ions to ensure
environme ntal ma tt ers are given full consideration in th ity's decision
making processes .. We strive to positively affect the quality of life for all
re . idents , their onne tion to our lo al osy terns, an d the resilience and
sustainability of Fa irh ope as a s mall , world -class, city.
We would like co introduce ourse lves to you. inclu ding th d iv erse
profe s ion I e p rti amo ng our m rnbers Lhat is availab le to the City. We
, ould like co learn about your v ision and have an open di ussion about the
various environmental prior it ie , initiatives, and issues that face our it . We
hope the out om o this meet in g in clude paving a process to engage EAB
involvement Jnd defining how w an best se rve the ity in the coming
years. Your FEAB members are volunte er airhope itiz ns, and are
passionate! and personally connected to the success of our town.
We look fo rw ard to meeting you and working with you!
Sincere ly,
Gary Gover, Chaiman, F B
Figure 2 Draft invitation to May or
Page I 5
FEAB March 2021
he Ci y of Fairho
t o Impro v e Sto
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tr cture
BrDa. Flue,~ ,. . .,,.,ca, .111 1Jllll'n-d1 •• «.01.1 '_, G11.n,Ca., OIITIL'.11
C oastal mmmuniti s are
at risk to natu,aL emnomic ,
and technolog ical disast rs . To
address individ community
ne ds nd vulnerab ilities,
GuH of Mexico AIJianu nd the
Mis sissi pp i-A
Consortium ts
forcommun ·
R ional
While ruficant funding may be
:iwtl:iblc ro rommunirirs after a di
there arc nor man cxi n fu...!1
oppormnttir r · ommuruacs t:lw ":ll1[
10 ti1i,, pro tl\'c measure< ro ba:omc
more, re lltcm bcfott the next mwm. Tht.s
sm:1U gronr progmm filled a =l n.eul · r
c,ghr rommunuic,,, JS well :is pro\"idod ;i
scncsof"demonmanon pro· "at the
loc:tl b-d wr c:u, k:im from anJ !ih:u-r
with commun around thr Cul(
In A hb:i.=, the 11:y of F.iimope
=cd funding ro addre s smrmwatcr
net,(li Ill " rn:uguulrud COlllJrolM) JR
Tarumvtllc Cul~ \\';,n, ed. T he it} f
Fauhapc, tru.md on the c cm shore
of~1obtlc B1 m IWdwJn nn , m
soutlm.i,sr bham:,,. Eurhopc' ~mfall
,cr..gcs more, than 69 chcs ~r yco.r.
usnm:t.blc dc,,-dopmcm conrmu to Ix, a
pnomy in prcsemng Fwhopc' natural
resource<. Faimopc · frequent. :tffu:rcd
by""""" storms, flooding, hum cs,
:md rorn:idoes.. AU ha,.., :i b1 p bah1 liry
of oc mng. and the tty 1w been
ign1fic:tntly tmp,acd by numerous
ti:dcralh• dcduo.l dis Trl'S.
Tu 20 12 Yater '. Ann<U!
l\lS4 torm , r lm"'" ry, :ind w
City"• ommunt') Re, t!1cna, Index
.cs men eaclt idrnrtf u,d rbc T a.rumvillc
Gully \ V-=lu,d a< a pa mcubrly
\'\l.lncrablc o.rc:,,. l1ie Gull ·1 apmcnc:u,g
m:111 truc:lt inclumng C flood,
inv:a,i,.., pee:' , andmanyoldcrhomcson
l01 lying parcels. In addllion rr 1B locmd
in a h. buck nmunirv, which has
thc tugbest conttlltl'.mon · · 1llCOfflC
and \'Ill ncnblc rcsiden m thc ity.
The . .. llTlplO\-uJg ,nw,u.,,-
marugrmcnr mfra. cruaurc by usmg lo.
impoct cnginc=ng that pnxo:ts, mbana,s.,
and imprm1's the naru,JJ al n:sou=s
while iocrcasmg Jlli m.iBlbility, rc licocc,
and prcpcucdncn. Fauhopc: ured the
scn'l<XS of l\lorr M on:ild Engineer:,
Ill locatc and pl:acc the tonm;.,-;ucr
infr,15cruaurc fort~ \ Va~hc:d tnto rbc
ir,-'5 G I S rz:m, w,rb m-a.tion and SIZC dara, and gm=tc h ..!rolog,
hwir:ruhc modck nc · ID a'UUtr ~ prnd,a sronnw:ara I IOIWS/la~:IS
usu,g rum,nt oondiuom 2 inc.
:t.n05 run thc h)dmlogic:
mJ h)tlr:mhc mxlds to dercmunr if
CC<t1JJl n::cornmcnd:WOlll would~
i or de smnnw:arc,-flow. l1ie
, Stannwmr rudy made ro:ocnmcndmom
t li>r officaing mnrnwtadi h:ugr< by
Figure 3 Article from "Coastal Con nections" Spring 202 1
Page 16
, tn =sing pipr . IU and msu!hng ~
pond. ro JlfO'idc grc:irrr c m lumc
and moddcd low areas . blc
dercnaon r u ue:im ponds.
Concurrent wtth t ~ rormw:w,· ndy,
the C,t)· oroucmd the: th Fairhope
ommun • non Plan w11h the
mna, oi• the lul f oos.r nmunm·
Dc<lgn ndn The _•!us begun work m
llllJX"I"' the Young So= Community Plfk ""'° i=<1 the nerd elderly cim:cru
tn rbc area 1dcnnfu,d in rbc Plan. Tht
Plan also :iddrcs housing rondit111m
and r mends r. IC> fur malung
retmft more =siblc and .tfardabk
fur those wtth bmm:d rc:sourcc . There = a rcoommcndaoom for 1dcnrifymg
key t:om1, trr holc:Ln ucas pba, inro
conscn°.1tion and a call to in-ic:w cum,m
po li cy an.d c,nfi rcrmcnt mccharusms of
tormwarcr managci=nt ta ~
impacts f fururc clc.'Clopmtnt .
Other =Lt gr.in t a> :ardecs tlCk.lcd
projects :ar the loal 'CflUllCnl lc\1'1, Rach
115 dr\-clopi busit COClROOlt)' pbns.
n:ducing erosion to protect cuhurally
ificanr :uttfaco, enba ng habim, and
mcrc:astng c:tp:U:11)' to =pond future
hn.u-ds. Coll=nc~. t:hcse munity
small gru,r pnicc Ju,,,, crught u dut
new 1DOO arc nor w~, nc · 10 build
re ilicncc, mo.lier :11,.;.,unts of fundmg
·:an fi ll -;i rc:al nttd, and ncru arking
of commu nit' and practition er. to
ool lccm-cly learn from one another bu.Us
=lien« at rbr bcal bcl For a mplcn,
b.snng of resources and ddn-tt.bks, pie-....:
VISit: hnp ://gulfofma.icoalliancc.arg/
rcgiotul tcnee/.
cur-Nnt connac:tion 4J)
FEAB March 2021
ACTION ITEMS:
1. Nigel will revise letter to Mayor inviting her to upcoming meeting
2. Kim will find out more information on the South Fairhope Community Action Group
3. Kim will include sum mary of FEAB meeting and email to Mayor with lin k to entire FEAB
minutes, once minutes are approved (beginning with Apri l minutes, to be approved
tentatively in May).
4 . Michelle will work towards draft completion of Parks Designation language for FEAB
motion
Meeting adjourned at 4 :00 p.m.
Next meet ing is Friday, May 14th @ 3 p .m. Fairhope Delchamps Room (*subject to
change*)
FEAB CONTACT INFORMATION :
Chairman:
Gary Gover
Members :
Jeanine Normand
Ben Frater
Mike Shelton
Jim Horner
Amy Paulson
Nigel Temple
Michelle Melton
Jennifer Foutch
CITY CONTACTS :
govers@bellsouth .net
drjnormand@aol.com
ben.frater@gmail .com
yaupon3@gmail.com
none
amy.paulson@yahoo .com
757nigel@gmail.com
michelleleemeltonlee@gmail .com
Foutch.jennifer@gmail .com
(251) 990-8662
(251) 928-2284
(404) 314 -8815
(251) 270-9042
(251) 928 -9722
(251) 654-7401
(757) 803-3589
(423) 504-8253
(618) 318 -0354
Corey Martin, City Council corey .martin@fairhopeal.gov
Kim Burmeister, Planning and Zoning Department kim.burmeister@fairhopeal.gov
Christina LeJeune, Planning and Zoning Department christina .lejeune@fairhopeal.gov
Page \ 7