HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Watershore And Beach Advisory Committee - 03/02/2017 WATERSHORE AND BEACH ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
Regular Called Meeting, Thursday, March 2, 2017 5:30 p.m.
Staff Conference Room, City Hall
1201 Leopard Street, Corpus Christi, TX
Members Present Members Absent Staff Present
Jay Gardner Cameron Perry Russell Armstrong
Cliff Schlabach Paulette Kluge Josh Wentworth
Jyoti Patel Martha Lawhon
Carrie Robertson Meyer
Terry Palmer
Mukesh Subedee
Jennifer Pollack
I. CALL TO ORDER
Meeting called to order at 5:30 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
The roll was called and a quorum was present.
I. ADOPTION OF MINUTES
Minutes from the February 2, 2017 meeting were distributed for review and approval. Carrie made a
motion to accept the minutes as presented, Cliff seconded, unanimously approved. Motion passed.
IV. HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC—There was 1 person and they had nothing to share.
V. BUSINESS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION
1 New Business
a. Graduate student presentation on herbicides
Kaitlyn Schroeder-Spain (a PHD student from TAMUCC)gave the committee a presentation (and
handout)on "Potential effects of common pesticides on Gulf aquatic organisms". For today's
presentation, the focus was on pesticides. The main path of herbicides/pesticides getting into our water
is through run offs and wind-borne drifts. 500 million pounds of herbicides and 100 million pounds of
insecticides are used annually. 90% of the streams tested contained pesticides, many of these streams
contained multiple pesticides. The EPA is responsible for monitoring about 75,000 industrial chemicals
but may not monitor all of them in every body of water. The EPA focus is on lethal effects but non-lethal
effects are just as important as they may alter growth, reproduction or behavior in organisms. The
example Kaitlyn relayed was the use of DDT in the Great Lakes that had a major effect on Cormorants,
Peregrine Falcons and other birds. The DDT presence caused reproductive failure; fragile shells. One of
her key studies was with tadpoles; "what doesn't kill you makes you sluggish". With the exposure to
insecticides tadpoles reduced activity and therefore more susceptible to predators. Kaitlyn's work with
blue crabs showed that with exposure to insecticide the adult crabs were less able to catch prey and the
juveniles were more susceptible to predation. One other study that she shared dealt with multiple
stressors (double dose): pesticides may interact with other chemicals and cause non-lethal
concentrations to become lethal. Glyphosate is the most common ingredient found in Roundup which
prohibits plant growth. Glyphosate when mixed with other stressors can increase lethality. The EPA
warns that"treatment of aquatic weeds can result in oxygen loss from decomposition for dead plants.
This loss can cause fish kills". Non-lethal effects, caused by sub-lethal exposures, are just as important
as lethal effects.
b. CVB Report
Tabled until next month.
c. Duck Hunting on the Island
Tabled until October
2 Old Business
2
a. Update: ISAC
• There were about 50 people in attendance that wanted to comment on approving duck hunting
on the island. Current Texas State Law and Corpus Christi's ordinance is that you must be
1000' away from the nearest house. ISAC, on a split vote, decided not to have a subcommittee
look into this for now.
• Many wanted to talk about the new bollards on the State beach. Scott Taylor spoke that the
State park was expanding their boundaries. He also spoke about maybe putting in a boat ramp
at Fish Pass and shutting down the western portion of the park to vehicular traffic.
b. Update: Packery Channel "Six Pack"
Cliff spoke on the TIRZ2 project. He relayed that even though the Island Moon paper was represented
at the meeting, what they reported in the paper was wrong. The Packery Channel monitoring contract
update got moved to the end of the agenda and never did get discussed. There was opposition to the
$4 million being moved out of the Six Pack to the Bridge 22 project. A motion was made to move the $4
million to the Bridge project and it passed. Next the amenities of the Six Pack; restrooms, showers &
Mobi mats were discussed and it was decided that$440,000 would be set aside for these. Cliff was
disappointed in ISAC representation for the Six Pack. There will be a special called meeting of TIRZ to
discuss the Packery Channel monitoring. Russ reported that he is getting estimates for the restrooms.
Carrie asked how the temporary toilets are working and Cliff reported that the servicing of them is very
bad. The City is working on the new contract for the temporary toilets and Skid-O-Kan won the contract.
The City included a provision regarding the servicing that so that if Skid-O-Kan doesn't perform
according to the contract, it could be canceled.
c. Update: Access Road 3A
The contractor is working on this, they have cut into the dunes and the project is moving along. The
work will stop during Spring Break but hopefully will be finished by the end of the month.
VI. STAFF LIASON REPORT
• Spring Break—Access Road 3 is open to 4 X 4 vehicles only. Between Access Road 3 and Newport
Pass the State has put up bollards (on the south end of their property) but you can still drive through
them. CCPD didn't want Newport Pass and Zahn Road to both be 2 way traffic so Newport Pass will be
one way onto the beach and Zahn will be the exit road. Zahn will be 2 way if the beach is not busy,
CCPD will make that call. The beaches are ready and the temporary toilets will be cleaned daily.
• Russ showed the committee some pictures of floating wheelchairs that Beach Operations purchased for
disabled visitors. The chairs will be available for use this summer. The lifeguards will have the chairs (1
on South Packery, 1 on North Packery and 1 at McGee) at their stands while they are on duty. Oso Bay
also purchased an all-terrain wheel chair for Preserve. This presentation was also given to the
committee People with Disabilities and the members loved the plan, they even want to know if they
could donate money for more wheel chairs. The Mobi mats are designed for wheel chairs not vehicles.
Russ is looking into mats for vehicles.
• Josh reported that he is working on an extended schedule for North Beach during Spring Break. The
signs for North Beach are being rebidded. Josh is also working with HR to get additional people.
VII. IDENTIFY ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON NEXT AGENDA
1. CVB Report
2. ADA parking & access on North Beach
3. Update: ISAC
4. Update: State Hot Funds
5. Update: Access Road 3A
6. Update: TIRZ2 Project
7. Update: Skid-O-Kan
8. Update: Spring Break
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
As there was no further business the meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
Martha Lawhon, Management Assistant
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