Loading...
2014.12.09_BSAB_Minutes_Regular :. �16N1A TOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH i ° :•�° _, ; _� MINUTES OF THE *•., . : # s BEACHES & SHORES ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, December 09, 2014 9:30 AM Members Present: Chair Rosalind Svenstrup; Member Jim Jiovanazzo; Member Elyse Riesa; Member Elizabeth Andrews; Member Linda Albertson and Member Rhoda Zelniker. Members Absent: Vice Chair Ira Oaklander (excused). Also Attending: Town Manager Kathleen Weiser, Vice Mayor Brown; Commissioner Stern, Administrative Assistant Rosalie DeMartino and members of the public. 1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair SvengnM 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 Svenstrup called for additions, deletions or acceptance of agenda. By consensus the Board accepted the agenda as presented. Chair Svenstrup announced that she has completed her six -year term as a member and Chair for the Beaches & Shores Advisory Board. This will be her last meeting and wished to thank everyone for their support during her tenure. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND REOUESTS: None. 4. PRESENTATIONS • Sea Turtle Liaison Susan Hiles' Report on Turtle Season 2014 Susan Hiles stated that she has been a Sea Turtle Volunteer for ten (10) years and is Captain of Zone 1. There are five (5) turtle zones in Highland Beach. The turtle season starts March 1S and goes thru October 31S Sergeant Richard Carl works very closely with the Turtle Volunteer Program making sure the residents and condominium associations adhere to the lighting regulations during the turtle season. During the 2014 turtle season, there were eight Leatherbacks nested. The majority of the nesting here in Highland Beach is done by the Loggerhead species. Of the 1,724 Loggerhead exits from the ocean, only 948 nested. The other 776 returned to the sea without nesting. This could have been caused by them encountering beach furniture, Beaches & Shores Advisory Board Regular Meeting Minutes December 09, 2014 Page 2 of 4 lights confusing them, or fox and raccoons irritating them. One of the problems that has been an issue over the years is human distraction, interference and harassment and the public needs to be educated regarding interfering with the nesting process. There were 91 Green Turtle nests out of 139 exits. During the season break, we will be attending Florida Fish and Wildlife training workshops and preparing our turtle stakes that you see on the beach. Member Riesa feels we need to reclaim our beaches and protect them because it does have an impact on the turtle nesting. Member Zelniker thought we could suggest to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center that they prepare a welcome packet for those new residents in Highland Beach, educating them on how to protect our beaches and the turtles. Member Jiovanazzo hoped to have a Turtle Talk and Walk Day this year. An article could be placed in the Highlander informing the residents of the date and time. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: • September 10, 2014- Regular Meeting MOTION: Member Andrews moved to approve the September 10, 2014 Regular Meeting Minutes; seconded by Member Zelniker Motion passed with all in favor. 6. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business. 7. NEW BUSINESS A) Election of Officers: Chair: Chair Svenstrup called for a nomination for the Office of Chair. Member Zelniker nominated Elyse Riesa as Chair of the Board. MOTION: Member Zelniker moved to elect Elyse Riesa as Chair. Motion was seconded by Member Andrews ROLL CALL: Member Zelniker - Yes Member Andrews - Yes Member Albertson - Yes Member Jiovanazzo - Yes Member Riesa - Yes Chair Svenstrup - Yes Beaches & Shores Advisory Board Regular Meeting Minutes December 09, 2014 Paze 3 of 4 Motion carries 6 to 0. Vice Chair: Chair Svenstrup called for a nomination for the Office of Vice Chair. Member Zelniker nominated Ira Oaklander as Vice Chair. MOTION: Member Zelniker moved to re -elect Ira Oakl ander as Vice Chair. Motion was seconded by Member Riesa ROLL CALL: Member Zelniker - Yes Member Riesa - Yes Member Albertson - Yes Member Andrews - Yes Member Jiovanazzo - Yes Chair Svenstrup - Yes Motion carries 6 to 0. B) Review and approve the 2015 Meeting Schedule: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Tuesday, September 9, 2015 Tuesday, June 9, 2015 Tuesday, December 9, 2015 All meetings are scheduled for 9 :30 a.m. in the Town Commission Chambers. Chair Svenstrun announced that March 10, 2015 is the Municipal Election. The regularly scheduled meeting for that date is moved to March 17, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. MOTION: Member Zelniker moved to approve the 2015 Meeting Schedule as amended. Motion was seconded by Member Jiovanazzo Motion passed with all in favor. MISCELLANEOUS NEW BUSINESS Chair SvengW spoke about the prototype of the plastic bags that were placed in Zone 3. People have been using them for beach cleanup and hopes there will be more placed in the other zones on the beach. She thanked all the members for serving on the Beaches & Shores Advisory Board with her and wished Member Reisa, as the new Chair, and everyone continued success on the Board. A special thanks was given to Town Manager Weiser and the Commission for all their help and support. Member Andrews thanked Chair Svenstrup for her continuous service, constant efforts and extremely good spirits which kept everyone encouraged. Beaches & Shores Advisory Board Regular Meeting Minutes December 09, 2014 Page 4 of 4 Member Zelniker thanked Chair Svenstrup and the Board for sending the letter to the Board of Adjustments & Appeals disapproving of the granting of the variance for the Golden City sixteen (16) story condominium project. Our letter and suggestions were very valuable and the mangroves have been saved for the time being. I hope that, at some point in the future, the Beaches & Shores Advisory Board could work with the town to protect and preserve some of the mangroves that are left. She also thanked Chair Svenstrup for her work on the Board. Member Reisa expressed her appreciation to Chair Svenstrup for all of her efforts in making this community a better one. The Beaches & Shores Advisory Board is one of the most important committees that we possibly have to beautify our town and thanked her for being in the heart of that. 8. ADJOURNMENT Chair SvengnW called for a motion to adjourn at 9:58 a.m. MOTION: Member Reesa moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:58 a.m. Member Andrews seconded the motion. Motion passed with all in favor. APPROVED: Rosalind Svenstru , Chair Excused Absence Ira Oaklander, Vice Chair iS Lima Al Elizabeth Andrews oda iZelniker, Member '4� � e I � c �Im es To , Member _ ATTEST: lyse esa, ,ember Rosalie DeMartino Administrative Assistant Date: Suzie Hiles- Sea Turtle Nesting Update - Liaison for Dec 9 Beaches & Shores Advisory Board meeting The Sea Turtle Nesting Season here in Highland Beach, and the majority of south Florida runs from March 1St through October 31St. During March and April we generally have the giant Leatherback sea turtles nesting here. It was a quiet year for them - we had 8 leatherbacks that successfully nested. Here in Highland Beach, the majority of the nesting is done by the Loggerhead species. This year we had 1,724 exits from the ocean by Loggerheads, and of those 948 nested. The other 776 returned to the sea without nesting. We try to scope out their tracks and figure out why those have not nested. Whether they encountered beach furniture, lights confused them, fox or raccoons may have irritated them. One of the problems that has been an issue over the years is HUMAN distraction, interference and harassment. In the morning when we check the 3 miles of beachfront, we can see evidence of animal footprints and we can see human footprints in and around the area that the turtles may have come on shore or further up all the way to the dunes. They are timid out of the sea and we have tried educating the public. We have made headway, but unfortunately, there are always a few that go out to "check out the turtles" as entertainment. This is really detrimental to their nesting needs. Finally the Green Sea Turtle took a big break this year and exited the ocean a total of 139 times and of those exits, they completed 91 nests. Last season, up and down the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Miami, the Green Sea Turtles exceeded and previous year since records have been kept. Here in Highland Beach alone, they exited 758 times and nested 530 times, with 228 false crawls. A massive increase, and the marine biologists have been scratching their heads about the 2013 influx of Green Sea Turtles. We are on our Season Break and before we go back to walking the oceanfront every morning for 8 months, we will be attending Florida Fish and Wildlife training Workshops and preparing our turtle stakes that you see on the beach for next March.