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o`�••' ...µ• ° �� TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH
•"� MINUTES OF THE
%� ,�••, , ,.• ? BEACHES & SHORES ADVISORY BOARD
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REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday June 12, 2012 9.30 AM
Members Present: Chair Rosalind Svenstrup; Vice Chair Ira Oaklander; Member Linda
Albertson; Member Elizabeth Andrews; Member Susan Hiles; Member Jim Jiovanazzo
and Member Elyse Riesa. Also Attending: Town Manager Kathleen Weiser, Vice
Mayor Ron Brown; Administrative Assistant Rosalie DeMartino and members of the
public.
1. CALL TO ORDER:
Chair SvenstM called the Regular Meeting to order at 9:30 AM. Roll Call was taken
by Rosalie DeMartino, Administrative Assistant, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. ADDITIONS, DELETIONS OR ACCEPTANCE OF AGENDA:
Chair Svenstrun called for any additions, deletions or acceptance of the agenda
Chair Svenstrun added that Susan Hiles will read a report from Barbara James, Turtle
Permit Holder, regarding the Leatherback Turtle named "Kate" who came ashore on
May 31, 2012.
Member Riesa would like to discuss under New Business having trash grabbers the
next time there is a beach clean-up day to prevent people from having to bend down to
pick up the debris under New Business.
By consensus the Board accepted the agenda as amended.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND REOUESTS:
No Public Comments.
4. PRESENTATIONS:
There were no presentations.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
• April 19, 2012 — Regular Meeting
MOTION: Member Hiles moved to approve the April 19, 2012 Regular Meeting
Minutes; seconded by Member Andrews. Motion passed with all in favor.
Beaches & Shores Advisory Board
June 12, 2012 Pate 2 of 5
6. OLD BUSINESS:
No old business.
7. NEW BUSINESS:
A. Discussion to Set a Date for the Turtle Talk and Walk Day:
Chair SvensInM stated that there were two dates available for the Turtle Talk and Walk
Day; July 21 st and August 11 th. The decision was to have it on July 21St with a rain
date of August 11th and will confirm the dates with Barbara James, Turtle Permit
Holder. The event would start at 7:00 a.m. and the participants would assemble at St.
Lucy's Church parking lot or Seagate's parking lot; whichever is available for that day.
Flyers will be made and distributed to the Condo and Homeowner's Associations, the
Town Library and posted on the Town Bulletin Board. Last year's Turtle Talk and
Walk Day which was a great success with many residents and Town Commissioners
participating in the event.
B. Review of the Town -Wide Beach Clean -Up Day:
Chair Svenstrup thought that Member Riesa's suggestion to have trash grabbers was an
excellent idea since most people did complain about having to bend over many times
to pick up the debris. Additionally, the garbage bags supplied were too large and
hoped to be able to have stronger yet smaller bags that would be easier to handle.
Vice Chair Oaklander stated that, in his opinion, the beach clean-up was very
successful. He had a thought as to whether or not individuals could be hired to clean
the beach since the Beach Rakers miss a lot of the debris. Chair Svenstrun stated that
they are not hired by the Town but by the Condo Associations and individual
homeowners. There are times that a tremendous amount of seaweed comes ashore and
brings a lot of small debris along with it and the Beach Rakers bury the seaweed
leaving the small debris on the beaches.
Member Albertson referred to the Highlander and thought it might be a good idea if an
article be put in the paper to make people aware of putting their bottle caps, bottles and
other small debris in the trash to help keep our beaches cleaner.
Member Hiles referred to Vice Chair Oaklander's statement regarding hiring
individuals to clean our beach and stated that if there was this manpower they would
work five days a week and since there are five zones they could do one zone each day
and not be doing the three miles of beach each day. Chair Svenstrun asked who would
pay for this. Member Hiles thought since the original plan to hire a company to clean
our beaches was not approved, the Town could hire someone to do this and it would
cost a lot less.
Beaches & Shores Advisory Board
June 12, 2012 Page 3 of 5
Member Riesa commended Member Hiles and the Turtle Volunteer Program in
helping keep our beaches clean and suggested we have some type of volunteer
program for beach cleaning to be done on a monthly basis. Perhaps the Town could
give the volunteers certain supplies such as gloves, trash grabbers, light weight netted
satchels to place the debris and a tee shirt with a logo on it that says "Highland Beach
Volunteer". The trash grabbers and satchels can be found on line, are quite
inexpensive and could be an incentive to the volunteers, costing the Town a minimal
amount of money, and the beaches would be clean.
Member Jiovanazzo stated that he supports Member Riesa's suggestion and noted that
he also found a tremendous amount of small debris along the beach.
Chair Svenstrun asked Town Manager Weiser if she could address the subject of the
Town funding some of these items for a volunteer program. Town Manager Weiser
stated that what the Board is talking about is not a very large expense and could
probably be found in the Supplies Account which she could approve. The Board needs
to do their homework; how many are needed and the cost of each item such as the trash
grabbers and the netted light weight satchels and put together a report indicating what
kind of expense they are looking at. The garbage bags are kept in the Public Works
Dept. and it would be no problem getting smaller bags. There would still be a need to
get quotes depending on how many and how much the items would cost. The Town
Commission should be in favor of this since the expense will be minimal.
Chair SvensMM thought it might be a better idea if the Town has a clean-up day every
two or three months indicating that the volunteers who were there for the April 23rd
beach clean-up day were glad they participated and suggested they contact these
individuals to see if they would be willing to do it again. Member Riesa feels that
better equipment is needed to make it easier on the people.
Member Andrews stated that she is also in favor of a volunteer program but feels that it
would be good to get the idea out a bit more widely than just the volunteers that came
to the clean-up day, even though that would be a great start. In talking to some of the
residents, there was a positive reaction to helping clean the beach. A suggestion was
made that, if and when there is another town beach clean-up day, each of the
volunteers be given a smaller area to clean in order to do a proper job in collecting all
the small debris on the beach and having more volunteers per zone would also help.
Town Manager Weiser added that since the "Town Wide Beach Clean -Up Day", she
has had two people approach her asking if there is anything they could do to help clean
the beaches. The Board needs to get more information out to the residents, perhaps
through the Managers of the Condo Associations, to let them know what we are doing
in terms of cleaning our beaches. Chair Svenstrun stated that perhaps we should have
more organized beach cleaning days.
Beaches & Shores Advisory Board
June 12, 2012 Patie 4 of 5
Member Hiles stated that at this particular time she and the other turtle volunteers in
her zone do pick up whatever debris is lying around on the beach. There are
approximately 500 nests marked in Highland Beach and once they start hatching they
will not have the extra time to pick up the debris.
Member Andrews and Member Jiovanazzo both felt that having a "volunteer tee shirt"
would help identify the volunteers and let the residents know they are on the beach for
a purpose and not invading their privacy.
Member Riesa again reiterated the importance of having the trash grabbers to help the
volunteers in picking up the debris. Chair Svenstrup asked Member Riesa to look into
the cost and availability of this product.
Chair Svenstrup asked for a volunteer to find out about the cost of the tee shirts since
she also feels this would be a good way to promote a volunteer beach cleaning
program.
Vice Chair Oaklander stated that they should first decide how many volunteers would
be needed and an article be put in the Highlander that the Board is seeking volunteers.
Town Manager Weiser referred to an article written in the Highlander by Carol Stern,
Chair of the Planning Board and wife of Commissioner Louis Stern indicating that she
is taking on a project to produce a 2013 Town Calendar which will have pictures of
Highland Beach and one of the things discussed was that any money raised could go
towards beach clean-up. Carol Stern is looking for photographs and if the Board could
help make this project successful there would be more funds available for the beach
clean-up.
Vice Chair Oaklander mentioned that in some other towns local businesses donated
supplies, tee shirts, etc. for the beach cleaning and even though Highland Beach does
not have many businesses the Town does have the Holiday Inn. Vice Chair Oaklander
suggested the Board ask the Holiday Inn if they would make a donation to the Town,
especially the tee shirts, to help keep our beaches clean. Chair Svenstrup asked Vice
Chair Oaklander if he would look into this. Member Riesa feels 50 volunteers would
be a good number to go with and will look into the pricing of the trash grabbers and the
netted satchels.
Member Hiles read the report from Barbara James, Turtle Permit Holder regarding the
turtle named "Kate" who came on shore on May 31St at Boca Highland and needed
assistance in preparing a nest to lay her eggs. (Exhibit "A" attached). "Kate" was
assisted by some volunteers from the Highland Beach Sea Turtle Volunteer Program
and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.
Beaches & Shores Advisory Board
June 12, 2012 Page 5 of 5
S. ADJOURNMENT:
Chair Svenstrup called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 a.m.
MOTION: Member Jivanazzo moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:30a.m. Member
Reisa seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
AT TED:
Rosalie DeMartino
Administrative Assistant
Date: hZG-'_ - / / cv26 / oZ
APPROVED:
ZIOaklander, Vice Chair
LinAlbertson, Member
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Elizab th Andrews, INdember