HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Watershore and Beach Advisory Committee - 09/01/2022 w 1201 Leopard Street
City of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi,TX 78401
cctexas.com
Meeting Minutes - Final
Watershore and Beach Advisory Committee
Thursday,September 1,2022 5:30 PM Staff Conference Room 1st Floor,City Hall.
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A. Call To Order
B. Roll Call
Present: 7- Chair Terry A. Palmer,Jyoti Patel, Larisa A. Ford,Vice Chair Meredith Darden, Philippe
Tissot, Ruben Macias,and Scott Lawson
Excused: 1 - Harrison A. McNeil
C. Public Comment
Sean Majors was in attendance but did not care to speak.
D. Approval of Minutes and Action on Absences
1. 22-1493 Approval of Minutes
The minutes from the August 4, 2022 meeting were distributed for review. Philippe wants
to change the last 2 sentences in G-6 (Plans for Gulf Beach and Packery Channel
monitoring/beach management by City staff). He wants it to read "Philippe wanted to
point out that WBAC may want to make a recommendation to the City regarding this after
reading and discussing the technical note from Mott McDonald about the Packery
Channel Monitoring Program Review. Philippe has questions about how the seasonal
changes are taken into account and depending on the report thinks it could be important
to share the committee's view with the City but it will depend on the report." With this
change Philippe made a motion to accept the minutes, Jyoti seconded, unanimously
approved.
After much discussion regarding the absences, Philippe made a motion to excuse the 2
absent members in August, Meredith second, unanimously approved.
E. Committee Reports
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2. 22-1494 PRAC Report - Howard Schauer
Howard was not in attendance, there was no discussion.
3. 22-1495 ISAC Report
There was not an ISAC meeting since this committee last met.
4. 22-1497 BMAC Report - Cliff Schlabach
Cliff was not in attendance when this item came up. Deidre was in attendance and a
member of BMAC and she reported that they did not have their meeting last month.
F. Staff Reports
5. 22-1498 Staff Liaison Report
Darren reported that the beach will be ready for Labor Day weekend traffic thanks to all
the rain that's happening. This is the last weekend for lifeguards being in the stands, the
stands will be put away on Tuesday. Everything is going well, all the numbers are up.
Because of the rain, beach operations has been doing some major cleaning out of some
areas in the yard, which was long overdue.
G. Unfinished Business
6. 22-0780 Plans for Gulf Beach and Packery Channel monitoring/beach management by
City staff
Philippe spoke of 2 documents that were supporting monitoring once a year. These
documents were the technical notes from Mott McDonald. The recommendations were
outlined for the first 5 years and the Packery Channel was built in 2005. There were also
rules regarding what kind surveys should be done, when they would be done and what
inspections were to be completed. Philippe is surprised that there is not more dealing
with dredging. Darren believes that when they discuss shoaling, they are also speaking of
dredging.
Meredith wanted to remind the group that WBAC is an advisory committee and is
appointed by Council because of our areas of expertise; it's our job to recommend best
practices to the City when we feel its warranted.
Philippe wanted to stress how important the surveys are, for so many reasons!
The Packery Channel and the beach, including the seawall, need to be studied as a
system to make the right decisions, and for the safety of it and for optimal use of the
taxpayers money. The seasonal viability is important and the surveying should be done
twice a year; once at late summer and one in early fall. One of these surveys could be
abbreviated.
Terry suggest that there be a subcommittee to take our motion and bring back to the
committee the finalize resolution to be voted on, provided the motion passes tonight.
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Committee
The motion is "Packery Channel and the beach need to be studied as a system and as a
consequence we need to conduct hydrographic surveys of Packery Channel twice a year,
once in early spring and one in late summer or early fall. One of these surveys should be
a full hydrographic survey of the whole Packery Channel while the other one should only
concern reach 1, which is from the Highway 361 bridge to the mouth of Packery
Channel." Philippe made a motion to accept the motion as presented, Ruben seconded,
unanimously accepted.
7. 22®1002 Bay Beaches Erosion Planning
Kevin Johnson wanted the committee to know that he noticed the beach erosion issue in
January 2021. Dimmitt pier's erosion problem as been fixed. The next area to be done is
South Cole Park. Deidre presented a presentation on this erosions issue.
Deidre and Kevin have been talking/working on a plan for the eroding beaches at the
Ocean Drive parks for a long time and there has been action in the last 6 months. Kevin
is working on the funding while Deidre was talking to TGLO and now they are working
together. The presentation gave us the steps that had been taken and what the plan was
for going forward. Kevin did want the group to know that today, he went to a Coastal
Resiliency group meeting, another funding opportunity and this is an update to the
presentation.
Terry wanted to know if at some point the public was going to be able to weight in on it;
Kevin believes so but he want to make sure this plan will work and needs to have the
experts input first. PRAC would be the next to hear about the erosion plan. Darren noted
that when the permitting stage comes, the public will be involved. Darren suggested that
WBAC could submit a letter of recommendation for this project when the time comes.
H. New Business for Discussion and Possible Action
8. 22®1508 Using heavy equipment in the seawater
Terry reported that before it started raining, there was a loader driving into the Gulf, filling
it's bucket with water and bringing it back to the beach. This seemed crazy to him and
other members of the public. Darren explained what happened. Because of the drought,
Beach Operations was told not to use the water truck to dampen the sand, so the plan
was to have the loaders sit on the edge of the surf and scoop up the water when the
waves came in. This way the machine is not in the water. This day the driver when way
too far into the water. Beach Operations stopped the operations as soon as they were
aware of the situation. The loader involved with this incident is being scrapped next
month.
9. 22®0781 A Presentation: Using Artificial Intelligence for Predicting Environmental
Changes by Philippe Tissot
Philippe will present next month.
I. Future Agenda Items
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Committee
Philippe's Presentation
Packery Monitoring Resolution
Flour Bluff Citizens Council Survey Results
WBAC By-laws
J. Adjournment
As there was no further business the meeting was adjourned at 7:23 p.m.
This meeting may be held via videoconference call pursuant to Texas
Government Code § 551.127. If this meeting is held via videoconference call or
other remote method of meeting, then a member of this governmental body
presiding over this meeting will be physically present at the location of this
meeting unless this meeting is held pursuant to Texas Government Code §
551.125 due to an emergency or other public necessity pursuant to Texas
Government Code § 551.045.
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