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Clam Bay Water Quality, Mixing & Runoff Subcommittee Minutes 03/30/2009 March 30, 2009 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COLLIER COUNTY CLAM BAY WATER QUALITY MIXING AND RUNOFF, MAINTENANCE DREDGING AND SAND BYPASSING SUBCOMMITTEE Naples, Florida, March 30, 2009 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Clam Bay Water Quality Mixing and Runoff, Maintenance Dredging and Sand Bypassing Subcommittee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 2:00 P.M., at the Office of Coastal Zone Management, 3300 Santa Barbara Blvd., Naples, Florida, with the following members present: CHAIRMAN: Kathy Worley David Roellig John Arceri Ronald Glah David Farmer (Excused) ALSO PRESENT: Gary McAlpin, Director, Coastal Zone Management Gail Hambright, Accountant, Coastal Zone Management Pamela Keyes, Environmental Specialist Collier County Government Communication & Customer Relations Department 3301 East Tamiami Trail Naples, FL 34112 March 23, 2009 (239) 252-8848 www.colliergov.net FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CLAM BAY WATER QUALITY MIXING AND RUNOFF, MAINTENANCE DREDGING AND SAND BYPASSING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA MONDAY, MARCH 30,2009 2 P.M. till 4 P.M. The Clam Bay Water Quality Mixing and Runoff, Maintenance Dredging and Sand Bypassing Subcommittee as a subcommittee of the Clam Bay Advisory Board will meet Monday, 3(jh at 2 p.m. in the Coastal Zone Management conference room, located at 3300 Santa Barbara Boulevard, Naples. Please enter at the back entrance of the building. Two or more members of the coastal advisory committee may be present and may participate at the meeting. The subject matter of this meeting may be a future item for discussion and action at a Coastal Advisory Committee meeting. Two or more members of the Pelican Bay Services Division Board may be present and may participate at the meeting. The subject matter of this meeting may be a future item for discussion and action at a Pelican Bay Services Division Board meeting. This meeting is open to the public. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Collier County Facilities Management Department located at 3301 E. Tamiami Trail, Naples, FL 34112, (239) 252-8380 at least two days prior to the meeting. Assisted listening devices for the hearing impaired are available in the Board of County Commissioners Office. For more information, call Gail Hambright in the Coastal Zone Management office at 252- 2966. -End- March 30, 2009 I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 2:00 PM II. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. III. Roll Call Roll Call was taken and a quorum was established. [t was noted Dave Tamasko. Jeff Tabar, Allan Willis, and Todd Demunda of PBS&J and Tim Hall of Turrell, Hall and Assoc. were present. IV. Appointment of Chairman and Vice-Chairman Mr. Roellig nominated Ms. Worley as Chairman of the Clam Bay Water Quality Mixing and Runoff, Mailltenance Dredging and Sand Bypassing Subcommittee. Nominations were closed and Ms. Worley was declared Chairman. Ms. Worley nominated Mr. Roellig as Vice Chairman of the Clam Bay Water Quality Mixing and Runoff, Maintenance Dredging and Sand Bypassing Subcommittee. Nominations were closed and Mr. Roellig was declared Vice Chairman. V. Changes and Approval of the Agenda Mr. Roellig move to approve the agenda. Second by Mr. Arceri. Carried unanimously 4-0. VI. Approval of minutes 1. March 9, 2009 Clam Bay Water Quality Mixing and Runoff Subcommittee Mr. Arceri moved to approve the minutes of the March 9, 2009 Clam Bay Water Quality Mixing and Runoff Subcommittee subject to the following changes: . Page 4, Paragraph 2, line #2 from "Storette" to "STORET" . Page 4, Paragraph 2, line #3 from "because the dissolved oxygen levels were below the State Standards" to "because the data collection was not done according to State QA and QE standards" . Page 4, paragraph 4, line I - from "Dave Finley" to "Doug Finlay" . Page 5, paragraph 5, - elimination of bullet point 3 -"Single Systems can become impaired during droughts" . Page 6, paragraph 4, line #1- "Pelican Bay Foundation" to "Pelican Bay Services Division" Second by Mr. Glah. Carried unanimously 4-0. 2. March 9, 2009 Clam Bay Maintenance Dredging and Sand Bypassing Subcommittee Ms. Worley moved to approve the minutes of the March 9, 2009 Clam Bay Maintenance Dredging and Sand Bypassing Subcommittee subject to the following changes: 2 March 30, 2009 . Page 3, paragraph 2, addition of wording to Mr. Roellig's comments: "He believed the CPE study was deficient as it did not deal with the structures to the South and previous beach re-nourishments in the region" . Page 4, paragraph 5, Line bullet point 4 from "the undesirable impact to adjacent shorelines, and whether or not to allow natural by-passing to continue" to "the undesirable impact to adjacent shorelines." . Page 5, paragraph 3, bullet point 3 - from "PBS&J will review the wave information obtained from the Wiggins Pass model and data obtained from the US Coast Guard" to "PBS&J will review the wave information obtained from the Wiggins Pass model and data" . Page 6, paragraph I, line 4 from "responsibility of the Coastal Advisory Committee" to "responsibility of the Clam Bay Advisory Committee." Second by Mr. Arceri. Carried unanimously 4-0. VII. Staff Reports None VIII. New Business 1. PBS&J Proposal Dave Tamasko introduced a draft document "Clam Bay - Water Quality Monitoring, Data Collection, Circulation/Sediment Model and Natural Resource Characterization" for review by the Subcommittee. The proposal is divided into 4 tasks for PBS&J to conduct a circulation and water quality study for the areas that affect the Clam Bay System. In addition, it would also include a modeling study for Water Circulation and Sediment and Bypassing and Transport. Before addressing the proposal, he provided an overview of a Seagrass Study previously prepared by PBS&J (2007) and noted: . Earlier studies mis-interpreted the diminishing quantity of the Seagrass within the system. . The mis-interpretation was due to utilization of aerial photos in which the existing Seagrass was difficult to identify in the photos. . In conducting the 2007 study, ground-truthing was done to determine the types and conditions of the Seagrass. . Ground-truthing is a more accurate inventory of the Seagrass and assisted in leading to the conclusions in the study. Dave Tomasko reviewed the proposal as follows: Task I - Development of a Water Qualitv Monitoring Program It was noted Clam Bay System should have system specific data collection parameters, data analysis and monitoring plan as State Water Quality Standards are somewhat generic and do not apply equally to the health of all systems. There is previous work completed (by the County, etc.) that will be incorporated into the Task. 3 March 30, 2009 Task 2 - Sediment and Biological Health Characterization It was noted Turrell, Hall and Assoc. will be a sub-contractor of PBS&J for some of the items required. The sediment sampling will only be conducted in the "Clam Bay System" (not Moorings Bay, etc.) Task 3 - Phvsical Data Collection Jeff Tabar provided an overview. The Subcommittee recommended the following: . On Page 5, the project area defined in the Task in lines 2-3 should be revised to state "the project area will include Clam Pass (including the ebb shoal complex), Inner, Upper and Outer Clam Bay, Moorings Bay and Doctors Pass. " . On Page 6, under "Current Water Levels", the location ofthe various instruments utilized to collect data should be identified on a map. Task 4a - Development of a Circulation Model for Clam Bav Estuarv Jeff Tabar noted the software utilized in developing the model is "MIKE" or "DELFT3D" and will evaluate existing and proposed modified conditions due to alternatives in tidal flushing, modification of culverts, etc. Task 4b - Sediment Bypassing and Transport Modeling Jeff Tabor provided a brief overview noting the modeling will analyze changes in wave currents, sediment transports, etc. and evaluate different channel configurations in the Pass and their effects on the morphology of the system. Gary McAlpin asked from a budgeting standpoint, does 4b need to be completed in conjunction with 4a. Jeff Tabar stated they need to be completed in conjunction with each other. Gary McAlpin noted upon completion of the Study, the County will seek "peer review" to ensure the science and conclusions are valid. It will be undertaken through the Clam Bay Advisory Group, possibly with tiered review as the process progresses. The "peer reviewers" recommended at this point are Humiston & Moore, Turrell Hall and Assoc. and Tackney & Assoc. Dave Tomasko noted a "peer review" is acceptable to PBS&J and is standard procedure for most of the work they complete. In closing, it was noted the work proposed needs be completed to provide the most environmentally sound and cost efficient management of the System. As the work progresses, the Subcommittee and/or main Committee will be advised on its progress. Gary McAlpin noted: . The funding for the Study will require "staged" funding from different sources possibly including Tourist Tax Revenues 4 March 30, 2009 . The contract will be completed on a "per task" basis. . PBS&J employs State and Nationally recognized experts in the field and the firm is qualified by the County to complete the work. . He will provide a funding proposal to the Subcommittee at the next meeting. In addition to the above recommendations, the Subcommittee suggested the following: Chairman Worley recommended the definition of the "System" be clearly identified and wants to ensure the calibrations of the modeling are "robust." Mr. Arceri requested the guidelines proposed in the Study for the recommended dredging is clearly identified for the publics understanding. Speakers Marcia Cravens, Mangrove Action Group noted the following: . The Clam Bay Seagrass Assessment was never submitted to the Board of County Commissioners or officially recognized by them. . The sampling of Seagrasses was "randomized" with only 43 percent having Seagrasses. South of the Boardwalk it was found at 50 percent. . She requested clarification on the difference of a similar proposal submitted to the previous Subcommittee in 2008 (which was disbanded) and how the new proposal differs. . The 2008 proposal has different information than today's proposal. . Today's proposal does not consider a "hurricane event." It was noted the 2008 proposal is no longer applicable to the Water Quality Mixing and Runoff, Maintenance Dredging & Sand Bypassing Subcommittee The purpose of the modeling is to indicate the morphology "every day seasonal occurrences" within the System. Modeling a hurricane event is an "extreme condition" with difficult predictions and would require a different task (not identified in the proposed request by the County). Steven Gregerson, Pelican Bay, expressed concern that a dredging contractor was selected to complete a study that will ultimately provide recommendations on dredging activities. Jeff Tabar of PBS&J stated PBS&J is a licensed Engineering Consulting/Construction Management firm and are not a dredging contractor or own dredging equipment. It was noted the Study will face extensive "peer review." Rick Dykman, Seagate Resident, approves of the proposal and recommended the station intervals for the data collection associated with the depth of water in the System be revised to 50-75 foot intervals as opposed to 200 foot intervals. 5 March 30, 2009 Jeff Tabar noted the maximum station distance will be 200 feet. There may be specific areas where the distance between data collection intervals may need to be decreased to ensure accuracy in the findings. Mr. Arceri moved to direct Staff to proceed to obtain approval of the contract with the suggested changes made, as well as proceeding to (obtain approval to) fully fund the project and tile approval be contingent upon a vigorous "peer review"(ofthe Study) by Humiston & Moore, Turrell Hall and Assoc. and Tackney & Assoc. Second by Mr. Roellig. Motion carried unanimously 4-0. Gary McAlpin noted the draft document will be revised for submittal to the Coastal Advisory Committee and the Board of County Commissioners for funding recommendation. The Subcommittee noted it should be relayed to various parties, the proposed study is the "core" of tile work needed to complete the Task assigned by the Board of County Commissioners. IX. Old Business 1. PBS&J letters dated August 25, 2006 and April 16,2007 Gary McAlpin submitted two letters for consideration on past issues raised regarding PBS&J: 1. Letter from Todd Kenner, President ofPBS&J to Mr. James V. Mudd, County Manager dated August 25, 2006 regarding an internal embezzlement issue. 2. Letter from Todd Kenner, President ofPBS&J to Mr. James V. Mudd, County Manager dated April 16, 2007 regarding the results of the embezzlement investigation which determined no refunds were due to Collier County from any PBS&J awarded Contracts. Mr. Arceri provided a Report from www.wdbo.com dated March 18,2009 which indicated the Expressway Authority may look at severing ties with PBS&J due to misleading information in a report PBS&J provided regarding the proposed lease of a building. Gary McAlpin requested Jeff Tabar contact the President ofPBS&J to address, in writing, to the County, this, and any other outstanding issues associated with the firm (that may have relevance in County issues). X. Public Comments Marcia Cravens, Mangrove Action Group noted: . Requested the Subcommittee members read the Seagrass Report. . PBS&J was awarded a Contract last year to prepare the sand bypassing permit which they quoted $25,000 as approved by Coastal Advisory Committee, however the TDC budget indicates the work is costing $75,000. She expressed concern the estimated costs for the proposed study may be increased by PBS&J. 6 March 30, 2009 . She expressed concern over wetland impacts that may occur as the result ofremoving the ebb shoal or modifying bottom elevation and that the Subcommittee has not been provided all information required to make an informed decision. . She submitted a letter from the Mangrove Action Group, dated March 30, 2009 regarding environmental concerns within the system and a related petition drive. Gary McAlpin noted the allegation of a funding impropriety is incorrect and all Contracts are entered into on a "time and material, not to exceed basis," are in conformance with Purchasing Department policies and approved by required Boards. He re-iterated the Study proposed is not for the purposes of changing the bottom elevations in the area and any dredging required will be for purposes of "tidal flushing." Xl. Announcements None XII. Committee Member Discussion None XIII. Next Meeting Date/Location TBD ***** There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order ofthe Chair at 4:15 PM. COLLIER COUNTY WATER QUALITY MIXING AND RUNOFF, MAINTENANCE DREDGING AND SAND BYPASSING SUBCOMMITTEE Chairman, Kathy Worley These Minutes were approved by the Board/Chairman on . as presented , or as amended 7