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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Watershore And Beach Advisory Committee - 06/10/2009 Pi PC WATERSHORE AND BEACH ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETIN P . Regular Called Meeting,Wednesday, June 10,2009, 5:30 p.m Staff Conference Room, City Hall AUG 7 q 1201 Leopard Street, Corpus Christi, TX 2069 Members Present Member Absent Staff Present CIN SECRE ARY'S OFFICE Kyle Garrison, Chair Guy Davis Michele Thomas JoAnn Gilbertson Jake Herring Tara Mireles Neil McQueen Jim Needham Kimberly Lemley Richard Thompson, Joanna Mott Tourist District Robert Thomas Superintendent I. CALL TO ORDER Chair, Mr. Kyle Garrison called the meeting to order at 5:36 p.m. II. ROLL CALL The recording secretary called roll and announced that a quorum was present. III. ADOPTION OF MINUTES Regular called meeting May 7, 2009 • Mrs. JoAnn Gilbertson expressed concerns regarding the minutes from the previously scheduled meeting, She stated she did not make a motion to name the area Corpus Christi Beachwalk-Bay trail, but to change the destination of the walk. The tape will be reviewed and the minutes corrected accordingly. Dr. Joanna Mott made a motion to adopt the minutes and was seconded by Ms. Kimberley Lemley. The minutes were adopted without opposition. IV. HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC—Cliff Schlabach of the Surfrider Foundation, 122 Whiteley Dr.,would like the committee to adopt Mr. Neil McQueen's sargassum removal proposal. Hal Suter of the Beach Access Coalition, 1002 Chamberlain, expressed his concerns in regards to the FY09-FY10 Beach Maintenance and Safety budget, which was lower than prior budgets. V. BUSINESS FOR DISCUSSION/ACTION New Business Updates on Kiteboarding Issues Mr. Garrison stated he has spoken with various officers who regularly patrol the Island. There have not been any recurrences since the previous incident. Mr. Neil McQueen recently sent a letter to those in the Kiteboarding community alerting them to what has been observed on the beaches lately. The community has become aware of the issues, and the committee hopes this will prevent any future occurrences. Mrs. Thomas added that the City Council has raised the issue of swimmers, surfers, kiteboarders, etc. being too close to the jetties at Packery Channel. Several coastal-cities have implemented "No Swim" zones within 50 to 100 feet of jetties. This has proved beneficial for those cities. The topic will be added to the next agenda. Maintenance at CC Beach Mr. Richard Thompson, Superintendent of the Tourist District, explained to the committee that they see a lot of potential along Corpus Christi Beach. The new bond will bring sidewalks, curb and gutters, and lighting. He stated along a section of the promenade, soon to be renamed "The Beachwalk", they have seen some sand build-up, and would like to see a structure built along that stretch of the walk to collect the sand, keeping it off of the sidewalk. The restrooms are maintained by a different division of Parks and Recreation, Park Maintenance, which presents a challenge. The Tourist District division used to collect trash twice a week, Friday and Monday. This was changed to collecting trash on a daily basis. A crew will be located at Corpus Christi Beach picking up trash and sweeping off sand. After the intense effort, they plan to move the crew over to the wetland areas to collect trash. There is a new bathhouse that is part of the 2008 bond that will be built near the south parking lot near Coastal and Surfside Blvd. It will have 2 male stalls and 2 female stalls with a showerhead on the SCANNED outside. In regards to the other two restroom facilities, he stated they have not been well maintained. The doors will be replaced with full lockable stainless steel doors for safety reasons. Mr. Garrison asked Mrs. Thomas whether the Gulf Beach had similar issues with trash collecting. She stated that because vehicles are allowed on the Gulf Beaches, it is easier for the crews to pick up the trash along the beach. Mr. Thompson stated that they will begin using utility vehicles along Corpus Christi Beach. Additionally, he would like to move away from raking the beach, as it has not proven completely effective. He stated they will continue to rake before large-scale crowds are expected and before special events. Mrs. Gilbertson would like to see another color on the north restroom facility. The current color is white, but she would like to see a more beach-friendly color. There was a discussion regarding the safety of the full stainless steel door. Dr. Joanna Mott asked Mr. Thompson if he will be handling the Texas Beach Watch signs. He stated he will be handling the dropping of the signs along the bayfront. She asked Mr. Thompson to clarify how the draining of the showers will work. He stated the water will not contain soap or any other chemicals. The showers are simply to rinse sand off of the visitors. Dr. Mott asked Mrs. Thomas about a recent sewage spill, and would like to know who receives the reports of accidental spills. Mrs. Thomas will provide a point of contact for Dr. Mott. Mrs. Thomas clarified what was agreed upon regarding the Corpus Christi Beachwalk. The motion made in the previous meeting was to name the area where the Beachwalk and Bay Trail meet, the Corpus Christi Beachwalk-Bay Trail. Mrs. Gilbertson did not agree with the wording and does not want the Corpus Christi Beachwalk affiliated with the Bay Trail. Mrs. Gilbertson stated the purpose of the motion was to change the destination not the name. The tape will be reviewed and, if necessary, another motion will be made at the next scheduled meeting. Surfrider's Stand on Limiting Plastic Use Neil McQueen delivered a presentation on limiting the use of plastics to keep our area beaches free from trash.An active member of the Surfrider Foundation, Mr. McQueen stated they have developed a national program called "Rise Above Plastics". They are trying to partner with local business to get the word out about the program. He presented the committee with a PowerPoint presentation showing the impact plastic trash has on the environment. Plastics count for 10% of the debris that washes up on our coastline. Marine life often mistake plastic bags for food and sustain injuries as a result. In America, we go through 45 million water bottles per day. Mr. McQueen recommended several ways to prevent the use of plastic bottles and bags. He suggested taking reusable bags, water canteens, plastic coffee mugs, and other reusable products to the beach. In addition, he would like to see more recycling bins made available to the public. Businesses can educate their customers, encouraging them to bring their own reusable bags. Mr. McQueen asked that the committee join the"Skip the Plastic" Program. He would like the public to be aware that the Watershore and Beach Advisory Committee are supporters. Mr. Rob Thomas made a motion to join the program and was seconded by Ms. Kimberley Lemley. Old Business Pickery Channel Amenities Update Mrs. Thomas had no new information to report. The City is behind on its timeline. The project for the restrooms at Windward Parking Lot was originally planned to be completed by August, but the timeframe has been pushed back. Sargassum Maintenance The City recently brought in a sargassum machine to perform a demonstration on a stretch of the beach. The machine picks up seaweed and trash and sifts the sand out. If purchased, it will allow the City to front stack, top stack, or mid stack without the use of another piece of equipment. The goal is to use the machine around the condominiums and seawall area. A meeting was recently held involving Mrs. Thomas, Cliff Schlabach of the Surfrider Foundation, Hal Suter of the Beach Access Coalition, Councilman Brent Chesney, and Sally Gavlik of Parks and Recreation to discuss maintenance methods. Mrs. Thomas stated at the moment the City is unable to stop front stacking and is unable to back stack. They are trying to see which methods work best for the beach at this time. Mrs. Thomas asked that a side committee be formed to develop a better beach maintenance plan. Mr. McQueen made a motion to form a sub-committee. Mr. Thomas seconded. Mr. Garrison asked for volunteers. Mr. McQueen, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Garrison volunteered to be on the sub-committee along with Mr. Schlabach and Mr. Suter. Dr. Mott asked on the progress of the NOAA Grant. Mrs. Thomas stated she has not heard about the status. Because there were so many applicants it is taking longer than expected. Updates on Water Quality Dr. Mott reported that her Lab Manager will be leaving, but she has already found a replacement for her. She will send Mrs. Thomas her contact information. GLO was meeting with TCEQ's advisory group to discuss the use of the Beachwatch data. The Beach Act is still going through and they are supposed to be receiving additional funding, but it has not yet gone through. Questions were asked about the characterization of the bay. Dr. Mott stated they have a proposal to perform research with the help of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP). A discussion was held regarding the funding for the work to be performed. The committee will submit a letter to the CBBEP to show its support for the studies. Mr. McQueen made a motion to submit the letter and was seconded by Mr. Thomas who will be responsible for writing the letter. Staff Liaison Report Mrs. Thomas announced that there will be a committee appreciation banquet held on July 2 at the Oveal Williams Senior Center. The WBAC meeting, which is usually held on the first Thursday of every month, will need to be rescheduled. Mrs. Thomas will email the committee regarding the new meeting date. Additionally, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has replaced Mr. Garret Dorsey as PRAC Liaison with Ms. Carrie Robertson. She was unable to attend, but plans to attend the next scheduled meeting. On Memorial Day Weekend, there were over 2,000 beach parking permits sold. There were very little problems, with the exception of the burning of part of a lifeguard stand. The repairs were made and the stand is still in use. Mrs. Thomas urged everyone to attend the Ziegenbock Music Festival which will be taking place on Corpus Christi Beach on June 13. Lastly, Michele announced the drop in the Parks and Recreation budget. This involves the freezing of several positions. She stated they are requesting $100,000.00 in capital improvements. The department is working on getting a Building and Grounds position available to help with the maintenance of the beaches. VI. Committee Concerns, Request for Information,Agenda Items Identify Items to be placed on next agenda The following items will be placed on the next agenda: Paint for CC Beach, CC Beachwalk, Update on Hurricane preps for Gulf Beach, Park Police, and Updates on Water Quality (Recurring). Mrs. Gilbertson asked if there was a number available to contact the lifeguards in case of an emergency. The committee was informed to contact 911 in case of emergency, and they will dispatch the appropriate emergency response team. VII. ADJOURNMENT As there was no further business, Mr. Thomas made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. McQueen seconded. Mr. Garrison adjourned the meeting at 6:59 pm. Michele Thomas, Superintendent Parks and Recreation Department