HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes B&E 020602! . 1°
Beautification and Environmental Committee
Summary Notes
Wednesday, February 6, 2002
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The February 6, 200, regular meeting of the PBG B &E Committee has called
to order by Donna Wisneski at 5:40 P.M. in the Growth Management
Department meeting room of the Municipal Complex located at 10500 North
Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The following members were in
attendance: Connie Premuroso, Jeff Renault, Betty Marks, Richard Mulligan,
Richard Beladino and Donna Wisneski. City Council Liaison David Clark and
Staff Liaison Mark Hendrickson were present.
Approval of the minutes:
The January 9, 2002 meeting minutes were approved.
Items by the City Council Liaison and Staff Liaison
Mark passed around pictures and news articles about the Arbor Day
celebration. He thought everything went well. Donna thanked the B &E
members that attended.
Old Business
a) Environmental Code Text Amendment: Donna states that the members
have had the proposed amendment for the past month for review and
opened the discussion up. Mark states that he believes the amendments
follows the B &E Committee original letter of March 31, 2000 on the subject.
Donna states that the City is hearing that small acreage purchase is
unlikely. So the options are fewer. Donna asked if staff could require
preservation on site period. The term "Browardization" was used to
describe the City without preserves. Richard Beladino agrees with Donna
and believes that once a project has a preserve approved by the City
Council is should remain a preserve. [Mark gives David Clark a copy of a
Post "letter to the editor" that Mark wrote.] The Committee agrees that
there should be the ability to mitigate, but once the City Council approves a
preserve on or off site it is forever.
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Jeff makes the motion to recommend to ,City Council approval of the proposed
amendments to the environmental code with one change, and that is that
preserves should stay preserves once approved by City Council. Richard asked
Mark if he thinks the code is strong enough. Mark states that he believes the
developers will object to some of the language and it will probably be modified.
The motion is approved 6 -0. David thanks the Committee for their
recommendation.
New Business
a) Development Impact to Animal Habitat: Donna explains that she
requested this item be put on the agenda. [David Clark has to leave to
speak at another meeting, but states he is glad that the Committee is
discussing this issue.] Discussions by Committee members centered
around what is occurring when they see dead animals on the road or
hearing about the nuisances causes by animals passing through
neighborhoods. Mark questioned the Committee about what animals
are they referring too, and explained what a developer was required to
submit prior to clearing woodland. The environmental assessment
would describe what listed (protected) plant and animal life is on a tract.
Unprotected animals have to basically fen for themselves.
The tape ends. The following is based on what Mark Hendrickson
remembers: The Committee advises Mark to draft a letter to the City
Council through the City Manager. The letter should acquaint them with
the non - protected wildlife problems /issues /concerns and recommend that
City staff amend the existing codes or draft new codes to address how
developers handle and protect non - protected wildlife prior to land clearing.
The next meeting will be March 6, 2002.