CCLAAC Minutes 01/19/2017January 9, 2017
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CONSERVATION COLLIER
LAND ACQUISITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Naples, Florida, January 9, 2017
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory
Committee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this
date at 9:00 A.M. in REGULAR SESSION at Administrative Building "F", 3 r
Floor, Collier County Government Complex Naples, Florida with the following
members present:
CHAIRMAN:
VICE CHAIRMAN:
Bill Poteet
Michael Seef
Tracey Dewrell
Susan Calkins
Pat Sherry
John Psaras (Excused)
Jacob Winge
ALSO PRESENT: Alexandra Sulecki, Conservation Collier Coordinator, Program Manager
Jennifer Belpedio, Assistant County Attorney
Christal Segura, Sr. Environmental Specialist
Kris Van Lengen, Community Planning Manager
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January 9, 2017
I. Roll Call
Chairman Poteet called the meeting to order at 9:OOAM. Roll call was taken and a quorum was
established.
II. Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Chairman
Ms. Calkins nominated William Poteet as Chairman of the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition
Advisory Committee.
Ms. Sherry moved to close nominations. Second by Mr. Seef. Carried unanimously 6 — 0.
Mr. Poteet was remained as Chair.
Vice Chairman
Mr. Seef nominated Patricia Sherry as Vice Chairman of the Conservation Collier Land
Acquisition Advisory Committee.
Ms. Calkins nominated Michael Seef as Vice Chairman of the Conservation Collier Land
Acquisition Advisory Committee.
Ms. Sherry moved to close nominations. Second by Ms. Calkins. Carried unanimously 6 — 0.
Chairman Poteet polled the Committee and Ms. Sherry was declared Vice Chairman.
III. Approval of Agenda
Mr. Seef moved to approve the Agenda. Second by Mr. Dewrell. Carried unanimously 6 — 0.
IV. Approval of October 10, 2016 minutes
Mr. Seef moved to approve the minutes of the October 10, 2016 meeting as presented. Second by
Mr. Winge. Carried unanimously 5 — 0. Ms. Sherry abstained as she was not present at the
October meeting.
V. Old Business
None
VI. New Business
A. Logan Woods Preserve — boundary pines — neighbor request
Ms. Sulecki reported:
• An adjacent landowner on the west side of Logan Woods Preserve notified Staff a dead
pine tree on Conservation Collier lands was dropping debris on their property and
requested it be removed.
• Staff reviewed the situation and agreed to remove the tree which had been struck by
lightning.
• Other neighbors north of the adjacent landowner contacted Staff and expressed concern the
live pines on the Conservation Collier property are dropping debris on their property
causing issues such as clogged gutters, damage to a lanai cage structures, etc.
• The neighbors requested they be allowed to remove the trees at their expense and replace
them with a suitable species.
• Staff contacted tree experts and was apprised an adjacent landowner is allowed to trim
trees up to their property line as long as the tree's health in not permanently compromised.
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January 9, 2017
Speakers
Douglas Campbell, adjacent landowner reported the tree on the Conservation Collier property is
a "nuisance tree" and drops debris on his property. He would cover the costs to remove the tree
and replace it with a suitable species.
Jeff Margolis, adjacent landowner reported the pine tree adjacent to his property lost limbs
during a storm and damaged his pool cage and wants to trim or replace the tree.
The Committee noted:
• A policy should be developed as the request may be a reoccurring issue in other preserves
as time goes by.
• The main concern is establishing a precedent if the request is immediately granted without
certain parameters in place.
• It would be advantageous for a Subcommittee to review the issue and provide a
recommendation to the full Committee.
The Committee appointed Chairman Poteet, Mr. Winge and Ms. Sherry to the Subcommittee
requesting they bring a Resolution forth for consideration by the full Committee.
B. Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program — A Primer — Kris Van Lengen
Mr. Van Lengen presented the PowerPoint "TDR Rural Fringe and Golden Gate Estates
Possibilities " dated January 9, 2017.
• The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) directed Staff to undertake restudy of 4 areas
of the Growth Management Plan.
• The reviews are being overseen by a Committee (Growth Management Oversight
Committee) with extensive public outreach conducted with the end goal of developing
recommendations for the BCC to consider.
• One area of restudy is the RFMUD which includes a TDR program where lands are
designated as sending lands (those environmentally sensitive lands to be protected) and
receiving lands (those intended for development).
• The program is voluntary for the owners of the lands with specific geographic boundaries
for the two categories of lands where the TDR activity is required to take place.
• The owners of sending lands receive credits if they sever their development rights and sell
the credits to willing buyers in the receiving areas.
• There are 4 credits available for the sending land owners: base, early entry, restoration and
conveyance.
• Staff prepared a "White Paper" which contains recommendations for the Program.
• There are two areas of the restudy that are of interest to the CCLAAC:
1. Should other areas in Golden Gate Estates such as the multi parcel projects assigned to
Conservation Collier (i.e. Winchester Head and Red Maple Swamp) be qualified as
sending lands and;
2. Given there is not entity available in the North Golden Gate Estates Natural Resource
Protection Area for conveyance of a sending land restricting the owner's probability of
garnering the 3rd and 4th credit, should the County steward a mitigation program
through a Regional Offsite Mitigation Bank (ROMA).
January 9, 2017
• One advantage of a County ROMA would be the availability of mitigation credits (i.e.
Panther, wetland, etc.) for the County to purchase from "themselves," reducing the costs of
capital projects.
• Other benefits include improving the hydrology in the areas, the County "retaining" their
funds used for mitigation instead of the monies being transferred to entities outside the
County.
• Staff continues to identify any other Agencies or Conservation groups that may have an
interest in holding the lands.
• Phase I of the concept has been completed with the further analysis necessary under Phase
II (economic studies, etc) ongoing with the findings due to be submitted to the BCC in
April.
The Committee requested Staff to provide them with a copy of the "White Paper" developed for
the BCC.
C. Conservation Collier Reauthorization
Ms. Sulecki noted:
• Commissioner Saunders requested the BCC consider investigating the feasibility of
reauthorizing funding for Conservation Collier and Staff was directed to return to the BCC
with a report in January or February of 2017 on the item.
• The initial concept would be to address the issue in Fiscal Year 2018 however various
Conservation groups support instituting a public poll to determine public opinion and
would participate in the endeavor. They expressed concern in delaying the item until 2018.
• An Executive Summary will be prepared for presentation to the BCC at their 1/24/17
meeting.
• She provided a Memorandum dated December 20, 2016 — "Subject: Conservation Collier
Program Status " prepared for the Committee for information purposes.
• The Memo addresses the current status of the program, provides a list of pending
properties suitable for acquisitions and identifies planned and pending improvements for
the preserves.
The following was noted during Committee discussion:
• Reinstituting the program may generate more interested sellers given acquisition has been
dormant for several years.
• Acquisition of certain properties would be beneficial to the community given there has
always been public support for the program.
• No referendum would be required to reinstitute the funding if a bond is not required to
fund the program.
• It would be beneficial to conduct a poll to determine public opinion and the activity should
not be delayed until 2018 given land values generally continue to rise over time.
• The proposed amenities for the CDC parcel should be added.
Ms. Sherry moved for the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee to
support reinstating funding for the program as proposed by Commissioner Saunders. The level
of funding to be at the same millage rate as previously approved by the County with the funding
to be renewed annually through the budgeting process. The monies to be utilized for
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January 9, 2017
acquisition, management and capital improvements. Second by Mr. Seef. Carried unanimously
6-0.
D. CCLAAC Applications — Poteet and Seef
Ms. Sherry assumed the Chair for the item.
Ms. Sulecki reported Michael Seef and William Poteet have applied for reappointment to the
Committee for a term of three years.
Mr. Dewrell moved to recommend the Board of County Commissioners appoint Michael Seef
and William Poteet to the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee. Second
by Ms. Calkins. Carried unanimously 6 — 0.
E. Gordon River Greenway and Pepper Ranch Preserve Draft Brochures
Ms. Sulecki provided copies of the Brochures for the Gordon River Greenway and Pepper Ranch
noting the design was approved by the Subcommittee.
The Committee noted the text in the brochures should either be white or black to ensure ease of
readability, especially for online users.
Staff reported they would make the text changes where applicable.
Mr. Winge moved to approve the Gordon River Greenway and Pepper Ranch Brochures subject
to Staff making the necessary changes to the color of the text Second by Mr. Sherry. Carried
unanimously 6 — 0.
F. Owner Interest to Sell in Multi -parcel Projects
Ms. Sulecki reported:
• Two landowners (Romak — Red Maple Swamp and Wallace — Winchester He
have
expressed interest in selling their 1.14 acre parcels in the multi project areas.
• The cost for both parcels is $15,000 and there is currently $23,000 of acquisition funds
available.
• She queried the Committee if they are interested in recommending the parcels be acquired.
The Committee noted the parcels are in the multi parcel project areas and it has always been the
intent to acquire parcels as they become available. The lots are internal to the project area and
adjacent to parcels already owned under the Program.
Mr. Seef moved to recommend the Board of County Commissioners acquire the two parcels
(Romak and Wallace). Second by Ms. Sherry. Carried unanimously 6 - 0.
G. General Land Management Update
Staff presented the "Land Management Report for Preserves Prepared for the Conservation
Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee January 9, 2017" for information purposes. The
following was noted during discussions:
General
Staff is placing 4 visitation counters at various high usage preserves (i.e Gordon River Greenway,
Freedom Park, Caracara Prairie Preserve, etc.) to measure attendance. The cost is $3,500 in total
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January 9, 2017
and they will be used as a test program to determine if they should be placed in any other
preserves.
Logan Woods
The understory is becoming increasingly dense and users have requested the area be thinned for
personal safety purposes.
The Committee noted the property is a preserve intended to be left in a natural state and clearing
and/or thinning of the underbrush should only occur if it is deemed a fire hazard or the Collier
County Sheriff's Office declares it a security threat to users.
Ms. Calkins left at 11: IOam
VII. Coordinator Communications
A. BCC Items
10/25/16 — A land donation to Red Maple Swamp was approved.
11/15/16 — 2 monetary donations (Chatham Woods and Richmond Park) were considered and
continued to future meetings.
12/13/16 — Reauthorization of Conservation Collier was discussed; Re -applications for hydrologic
grant applications for Pepper Ranch were approved; Chatham Woods land donation
was approved.
1/10/16— Applicants for the Richmond Park land donation will be requesting a continuance.
1/24/16 — An Executive Summary regarding re -authorization of Conservation Collier funding
will be presented.
B. Misc Items
Staff noted:
• Volunteers completed 639 hours service to the Program since October 2016 — a volunteer
appreciation event will be held in April of 2017.
• Zoe Potter interned with Staff for a week and she addressed the Committee expressing her
appreciation for the opportunity.
• Staff is considering adding the internship program to the education syllabus.
• Staff participated in Picayune State Forest fire burns for training purposes.
• Florida Gulf Coast University has completed draft mock ups for the educational panels for
the Gordon River Greenway.
• Staff has been attending meetings held by the Comprehensive Watershed Improvement
Committee.
• The proposed land use amendments developed by the Development Services Advisory
Committee and the Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee regarding
land management endowments and monetary donations is being forwarded to the Collier
County Planning Commission in March of 2017 for review.
• Completion of the requirements for the Panther Habitat Units for Pepper Ranch is near.
• Staff is seeking a residential officer for the Pepper Ranch cottage.
VIII. Subcommittee Reports
A. LDC donation Endowments — Chairman: Tracey Dewrell
None
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January 9, 2017
B. Trails — Chairman: Michael Seef
The Committee met in December to review the "rack cards" and the next meeting is scheduled for
1/11/17.
C. Education — Chairwoman: Susan Calkins
None
IX. Chair Committee Member Comments
None
X. Public General Comments
None
XI. Staff Comments
None
There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by
order of the chair at 11:42A.M.
Conservation Collier Land Acquisition Advisory Committee
Bill Poteet, Chairma
These minutes approved by the Board/Committee on '/— /0 — 17 as presente or
as amended
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