HomeMy WebLinkAboutErosion District Agenda 9-1-15ST.
COUNTY
LUCIE
F
LORI
DA-440
EROSION DISTRICT
AGENDA
ST. LUCIE COUNTY
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
6:00 PM
St. Lucie County Commission Chambers
2300 Virginia Avenue
3rd Floor of Roger Poitras Building
Fort Pierce, FL 34982
BOARD MEMBERS
District No. 4, Chair
FRANNIE HUTCHINSON
District No. 2, Vice -Chair
TOD MOWERY
District No. 1
CHRIS DZADOVSKY
District No. 3
PAULA A. LEWIS
District No. 5
KIM JOHNSON
Mission Statement
To provide service, infrastructure and leadership necessary to advance a safe and sustainable community,
maintain a high quality of life, and protect the natural environment for all our citizens
Generated 9111201511:30 AM
Regular Meeting Tuesday, September 1, 2015 6:00 PM
WELCOME
All meetings are televised.
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Please turn off all cell phones and pagers prior to entering the commission chambers.
Please mute the volume on all laptops and PDAs while in use in the commission chambers.
GENERAL RULES AND PROCEDURES —Attached is the agenda, which will determine the order of business conducted at today's Board
meeting.
INVOCATION -PLEDGE — To bring order and decorum to its meeting, the Board begins its meetings with an invocation followed by the
Pledge of Allegiance. Participation is voluntary.
CONSENT AGENDA — These items are considered routine and are enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of
these items unless a Commissioner so requests.
REGULAR AGENDA — Proclamations, Presentations, Public Hearings, and Department requests are items, which the Commission will
discuss individually, usually in the order listed on the agenda.
PUBLIC HEARINGS — These items may be heard on the first Tuesday at 6:00 P.M. or as soon thereafter as possible and on a third
Tuesday at 9:00 A.M. or as soon thereafter as possible, these time designations are intended to indicate that an item will not be
addressed prior to the listed time. The Chairman will open each public hearing and asks anyone wishing to speak to come forward,
one at a time. Comments will be limited to five minutes.
As a general rule when issues are scheduled before the Commission under department request or public hearing, the order of
presentation is: (1) County staff presents the details of the Board item (2) Commissioners comment (3) if a public hearing, the
Chairman will ask for public comment, (4) further discussion and action by the board.
ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION — Please state your name and address, speaking clearly into the microphone. If you have backup
material, please have eight copies for distribution.
NON -AGENDA ITEMS — These items are presented by an individual Commissioner or staff as necessary at the conclusion of the
printed agenda.
PUBLIC COMMENT — Time is allocated at the beginning of each meeting for the general public comment. Please limit comments to
three minutes.
DECORUM — Please be respectful of others' opinions.
MEETINGS — All Board meetings are open to the public and are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month; the first Tuesday
at 6:00 P.M. and the third Tuesday at 9:00 A.M., unless otherwise advertised. Meetings are held in the County Commission
Chambers in the Roger Poitras Administration Annex at 2300 Virginia Ave., Ft. Pierce, FL 34982. The Board schedules additional
workshops throughout the year as necessary to accomplish their goals and commitments. Notice is provided of these workshops.
Assistive Listening Device is available to anyone with a hearing disability. Anyone with a disability requiring accommodation to
attend this meeting should contact the Safety & Risk Manager at (772) 462-1783 or TDD (772) 462-1428 at least forty-eight (48)
hours prior to the meeting.
21Page
Regular Meeting Tuesday, September 1, 2015 6:00 PM
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Erosion District minutes for the meeting of Tuesday, August 18, 2015
3. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
4. CONSENT AGENDA
There are no items scheduled.
S. REGULAR AGENDA
Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project —July 2015 Environmental
Assessment Amended
Staff recommends that the Board approve the draft letter and authorize the Chair to sign the
letter.
6. MOTION TO ADJOURN
3 1 P a g e
ST.
COUNTY
LUCIE
F L
O R
I D A
EROSION DISTRICT
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Regular Meeting
August 18, 2015 Convened: 9:31 AM
Adjourned: 9:36 AM
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 9:31 AM by District No. 1 Chris Dzadovsky
Attendee Name
Title
Status
Arrived
Frannie Hutchinson
District No. 4, Chair
Absent
Tod Mowery
District No. 2, Vice -Chair
Present J J
9:31 AM
Chris Dzadovsky
District No. 1
Present
� 9:31 AM
Paula A. Lewis
District No. 3
Present
9:31 AM
Kim Johnson
District No. 5
Present _
9:31 AM
Howard Tipton
County Administrator
Present
9:31 AM
Bob Adolphe
Deputy County Administrator
Present �I
9:31 AM
Mark Satterlee
Deputy County Administrator
Present 1
9:31 AM
Daniel S. McIntyre
County Attorney
Present
9:31 AM
Heather Young
Asst. County Attorney
Present _
9:31 AM
Katherine Barbieri
Asst. County Attorney
Present
9:31 AM
Edward Matthews
Parks, Recreation & Facilities Director
Present
9:31 AM
Laurie Waldie
Utility Director
_
Present—
9:31 AM
Beth Ryder
Community Services Director
Present
9:31 AM
Sherry Burroughs
Mosquito Control and Coastal Mgt. Serv. Director
��
Present
9:31 AM
Leslie Olson
Planning Manager
Present-
9:31 AM
Ceretha Leon
Human Resources Director
Present
9:31 AM
Ron Roberts
Solid Waste Director
Present
9:31 AM
Sue Korunow
Recording Secretary
Present ��
9:31 AM
Angela Riggins
Recording Secretary
Present
9:31 AM
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Generated 811912015 3:47 PM Packet Pg. 4
Regular Meeting Tuesday, August 18, 2015 9:00 AM
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
RESULT:
ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER:
Kim Johnson, District No. 5
SECONDER:
Paula A. Lewis, District No. 3
AYES:
Tod Mowery, Chris Dzadovsky, Paula A. Lewis, Kim Johnson
ABSENT:
Frannie Hutchinson
A. Erosion District minutes for the meeting of Tuesday, July 21, 2015
B. Erosion District minutes for the meeting of Tuesday, August 04, 2015
3. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
4. CONSENT AGENDA
RESULT:
ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER:
Kim Johnson, District No. 5
SECONDER:
Chris Dzadovsky, District No. 1
AYES:
Tod Mowery, Chris Dzadovsky, Paula A. Lewis, Kim Johnson
ABSENT:
Frannie Hutchinson
A. WARRANTS
Warrant Lists 44 - 45
B. MOSQUITO CONTROL & COASTAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Artificial Reef 1st Amendment to Work Authorization No. 2
5. MOTION TO ADJOURN
Commissioner Dzadovsky invited Coastal Resources Supervisor to update the Board on the status of the
volunteer projects/services and staff spoke on the many projects/services which have been
accomplished due to the efforts of the many hours of service provided by local volunteers.
There being no further business to be brought before the Board, the meeting was adjourned.
Please Note: Final minutes are recorded in the official minute books that are filed with the Clerk of the
Circuit Court and available for inspection upon request.
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2 1 P age Packet Pg. 5
ITEM NO. (ID # 3059)
DATE: 09/01/2015
AGENDA REQUEST *REGULAR AGENDA
TO: Erosion District
PRESENTED BY: Daniel S. McIntyre, County Attorney
SUBMITTED BY: County Attorney
SUBJECT: Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project —July
2015 Environmental Assessment
BACKGROUND:
Dade County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps") are considering the use of sand shoals in
federal waters offshore of St. Lucie County as a sand source to nourish Dade County beaches. To facilitate
this use of sand, the Corps has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment ("EA") and a draft Finding of
No Significant Impact ("FONSI"). The Corps has scheduled a series of public meetings in Dade County,
Martin County and St. Lucie County. The meeting in St. Lucie County is scheduled to be held in the County
Commission Chambers on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 beginning at 6:30 pm. Written comments can
also be submitted to the Corps outside of the meetings.
County staff believes that the size and long term nature of the project justify an environmental impact
statement ("EIS") / programmatic EIS rather than an EA. A copy of the staff comments submitted to the
Board at the August 24, 2015 informal meeting is attached. An EIS requires a more detailed and complete
analysis of alternatives and cumulative impacts than an EA. Staff believes that a complete alternatives
analysis is appropriate for this project considering the mix of sites from which sand will be impartment.
Staff also believes that cumulative impacts including impacts on Essential Fish Habitat have not been
adequately considered.
Also troubling to staff is the fact that no mitigation or monitoring is proposed at the St. Lucie site.
Attached is a copy of a draft letter to the Corps from the Erosion District Board Chair requesting that the
Corps undertake an EIS for the reasons stated.
PREVIOUS ACTION:
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Packet Pg. 6
Staff recommends that the Board approve the draft letter and authorize the Chair to sign the letter.
COMMISSION ACTION:
Coordination/Signatures
i
b d De •gun Administrator 8/28/2015
Updated: 9/1/2015 11:23 AM by Stephanie Bush Page 2
Packet Pg. 7
5.a
St. Lucie County Erosion District Board - Special Informal Meeting
August 24, 2015
July 2015 Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA)
Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project
Identification of Alternative Sand Sources for the Remaining Period of Federal Participation
Background:
Dade County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are considering use of sand shoals in federal
waters offshore of St. Lucie County as a sand source to nourish Dade County beaches. Dade County's need
for sand from outside Dade County extends to at least to 1986 when the Water Resources Development Act
of 1986 allowed for the use of non -domestic sand sources with stipulations ... "if such materials are not
available from domestic sources for environmental or economic reasons." In 2005, the St. Lucie Shoal -
located in Federal waters offshore of the border between St. Lucie and Martin Counties - was considered for
use in Miami -Dade County, approximately 110 miles from the Miami -Dade County project site; however, in
2006, use of this shoal met nearly 100% opposition outside of Miami -Dade County. In a USACE Limited Re -
Evaluation Report (LRR) developed in concert with the subject DEA, the USACE reports "Less opposition to
sharing' ... largely due to coordination efforts in the SAND Study stakeholder group" (See Chronology on
page 2 — excerpted from the LRR). On July 21, 2015, the Miami Herald reported that Miami -Dade Mayor
Carlos Gimenez is considering "buying white Bahamian sand to make Miami Beach as attractive as possible".
A Public Meeting on the DEA is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. in the St.
Lucie County Commission Chambers. The public comment period closes October 2, 2015.
Issues:
St. Lucie County staff are considering the following questions and comments in response to the DEA:
(1) Should the DEA be elevated to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)?
• St. Lucie County's South County beach project required an EIS for 485Kt cubic yards of sand from
offshore borrow area; Miami -Dade project proposes 3.6Mt cubic yards.
• A need exists for a Programmatic EIS that reflects the SAND Study and cumulative effects of regional
use of federal and all other sand sources beyond that reflected in the DEA.
• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has recommended "alternatives and/or design
measures" and the need to address "Potential impacts to demersal and pelagic fish" — specifically
related to the "cumulative effects ... and relevant cumulative actions" reflected in the SAND Study
— appropriately addressed in a "Programmatic EIS".
• Dr. Grant Gilmore's studies for St. Lucie County point to the importance of these shoals for fisheries;
the cumulative effects associated with use of these shoals— reflected in the SAND Study - dictate
that the DEA should be elevated to a Programmatic EIS.
(2) What additional studies and/or mitigation — are needed to effectively evaluate and offset long term
impacts to offshore sand resources associated with the proposed dredging?
A Programmatic EIS is warranted to address the cumulative long-term use of these shoals - particularly
in light of the SAND Study identification of currently diminished sand sources in Dade and Broward
counties and eventual diminishment of sand sources in Palm Beach County.
The Programmatic EIS should include:
• a regional SE Florida comprehensive sand resource study — reflecting:
o long term plans for sand management and use of all known sand sources — including
aragonite sand from the Bahamas, as a potential locally preferred plan
o the sequence and timing of any proposed dredging of these offshore shoals, including
priority areas, use of refuge patches and other appropriate measures
• studies specific to these shoal complexes to assess claims and measures so that dredging impacts
are avoided, minimized, or not significant — relative to
o physical and biological recovery of the shoals
o infaunal communities and fish that feed upon them
o adjacent hardbottom communities
Packet Pg. 8
5.a
St. Lucie County Erosion District Board - Special Informal Meeting August 24, 2015
Page No. 2
Excerpts from USACE Limited Re -Evaluation Report (LRR) dated July 2015:
Chronology of Sand Search The following chronological information relates to Miami -Dade County's efforts
to locate an alternative sand source.
1986: Language in the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 allowed for the use of non -domestic
sand sources with stipulations ..."ifsuchmaterials are notavailablefrom domesticsourcesforenvironmental
or economic reasons."
1999:... Congressional Record H8842-02, H8849 ... stated: The conferees direct that none of the funds
provided for the Dade County, Florida project shall be used for the acquisition of foreign source materials
for the project unless the Secretary of the Army provides written certification to the Committees on
Appropriations that domestic sources of material are not available."
2005: As a result of a solicitation ... to locate a potential sand source, a source within the St. Lucie Shoal
was submitted for use in Miami -Dade County. The site was located in Federal waters offshore of the border
between St. Lucie and Martin Counties, approximately 110 miles from the Miami -Dade County project site.
2006: Potential use of the sand source offshore of St. Lucie and Martin Counties met nearly 100%
opposition, outside of Miami -Dade County, expressed during the public scoping period from Federal, state
and local agencies and officials as well as the general public in St. Lucie and Martin counties.
The use of shoals within state waters offshore of Palm Beach County, approximately 45 miles from the
Miami -Dade County project site was explored. Palm Beach County and the Town of Palm Beach documented
the future need of this source for their own projects as well as potential sources further offshore.
2007: The Corps (Jacksonville District) completed a letter report to document a lack of economical or
environmentally viable domestic sand, per Section 935 of the WRDA of 1986, and need to pursue use of a
foreign source material. The ASA (CW) responded to the November 2007 letter report submission with a
three -tiered approach to resolve Miami -Dade County's immediate need for sand and to propose a longer -
term plan for future sand replenishment needs:
• Tier-1 requested placement of all 500,000 cubic yards from Miami-Dade's last large offshore sand
source, SGC-Ext-l-South, and any additional material from nearby smaller borrow sources offshore
of Miami -Dade County.
• Tier-2 directed an examination of the viability of non -domestic sand sources for intermediate and
longer -term renourishment needs. This examination would include all necessary National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) coordination and completion of an appropriate NEPA document.
• Tier-3 directed that, in addition to non -domestic sand sources, the remaining Florida coastal
domestic sand sources should be evaluated through a comprehensive regional management plan to
address the longer term renourishment needs along the Atlantic coast of Florida.
2009: The Southeast Atlantic Regional Sediment Management Plan for Florida (2009 RSM Plan) was
completed to meet the ASA (CW)'s Tier-2 (excluding completion of a NEPA document) and Tier-3 directives.
2012 - 2014: In accordance with Tier-1, all remaining material offshore of Miami -Dade County, including
the permittable sand volume remaining in SGC-EXT-1-South, were dredged and placed for a combined
placement volume of 582,934 cubic yards.
2014: The Sediment Assessment and Needs Determination (SAND) Study was completed to update the
2009 RSM Plan. NEPA scoping meetings were held in St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami -
Dade Counties. Less opposition to "sharing" sand across perceived county boundaries (all offshore sand
sources are in state or Federal waters) was met during these meetings as opposed to those held in 2006,
largely due to coordination efforts in the SAND Study stakeholder group.
Packet Pg. 9
5.b
ALTERNATIVE SAND SOURCES
DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA BEACH EROSION CONTROL
AND HURRICANE PROTECTION PROJECT
August 18, 2015
Presented by:
Jason Harrah, Project Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Jacksonville District
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5.b
TOPICS OF DISCUSSION
Introductions
Beach Renourishment Basics
History of the Federal Project
Future Needs of Miami -Dade County Beaches
W Recommended Plan
1970s Pre -Project
Packet Pg. 11
5.b
BEACH RENOURISHMENT BASICS
■ Beach Renourishment is the Preferred Method of Shore Protection
• Beach renourishment is the only shore protection method that adds sand to the
coastal system
• Renourished beaches keep the erosive power of strong waves from reaching
dunes and structures
Without renourished beaches the starting point of damage would be farther
onshore during significant storm events
■ How Beach Renourishment Works
• Find an acceptable borrow source (offshore or upland)
• Design beach width based on erosion rates, etc.
• Advertise, Award and Construct (typically 2-3 months)
"e ourtshrx�ent placesapproximately 150k-350k cubic yards of sand
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Packet Pg. 12
5.b
BEACH RENOURISHMENT BASICS
Healthy Beaches are Vital to .our Way of Life
• Florida's beaches contribute $15 billion annually to the state's economy
• U.S. coastal towns see 31600 new residents daily
• 1,500 new homes built along U.S. coasts daily
■ What Causes Beach Erosion
• Winds, Tides, Currents and Waves keeps sand moving and eroding
• Hurricanes and Coastal Storms move huge volumes of sand away from
shorelines significantly eroding beaches
• Beachfront developments interrupt natural movement of sand and
narrow beach widths
Packet Pg. 13
5.b
HISTORY OF FEDERAL I
Initial Authorization
• Originally authorized by Flood Contract Act
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• Covers 9.3 miles Government Cut to Bakers Haulover..,,: ,
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• Covers 1.2 miles of Haulover Beach Park
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• Initial Construction Completed 1975Uj
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o Subsequent Authorization
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• 2.5 miles of Sunny Isles Beach added with WRDA
1986 '„ �: .- - -�'°, �`•,
• Initial Construction Completed 1988
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CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS PLACED -19.8
CUBIC YARDS OF SAND ON MIAMI-DADE
BEAC
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SINCE 1975.
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5.b
SAND SEARCH HISTORY
1986 1987 1996-98 1999 2000 2001
2002
WRDA'86 Dade Design USACE Energy & Deep Water Dade
Solicitation
Section 935 Memorandum - Workshops Seek Appropriations Explorations of Evaluation
for Test Beach
Limiting Investigates Industry Input; Bill (H8842) Miami -Dade Report
Using Upland
acquisition Aragonite Proposed Test Limits County outlines all
Sources
of Non- Beach Using acquisition of potential
(cancelled—fundinc
Domestic Bahamian Sand Foreign Sources sources
constraints)
Sand Sources of Sand
2005 —2006 2007 2009 2011 2012
2013I
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Borrow Areas Draft Southeast Updated Cost Contract E:
Contract G:
Offshore of Letter Report Atlantic RSM Estimates Uses Last
300,000 cy
Other Recommending Identifies Small Indicate 300,000 cy
Sand From
Counties in the Non -Domestic Sand Domestic St. Lucie & Palm Sand Offshore
Baker's
Region for Miami -Dade Sand Surplus - Beach Counties and at
Haulover
Researched for County beaches; Recommends to be More Lummus Park
Ebb
Use in ASA* Recommends Non -Domestic Economical
Shoal
Miami -Dade 3-Tiered Sand Source Sources of Sand
County Approach Than Bahamas
Assistant Secretary of the Army
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Packet Pg. 15
5.h
WHY WE CAN'T USE
NON -DOMESTIC SAND SOURCES
Section 935 of WRDA '86: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
in any case in which the use of fill material for beach erosion and
beach nourishment is authorized as a purpose of an authorized water
resource project, the Secretary is authorized to acquire by purchase,
exchange, or otherwise from non -domestic sources and utilize such
material for such purposes if such materials are not available from
domestic sources for environmental or economic reasons."
Conferee Report on the FY 99 Enera_y and Water Appropriations Bill
H8842 : "The conferees direct that none of the funds provided for the
Dade County, Florida project be used for acquisition of foreign source
materials for the project unless the Secretary of the Army provides
written certification to the Committees on Appropriations that
domestic sources of material are not available."
2
Packet Pg. 16
5.b
SEDIMENT ASSESSMENT AND NEEDS DETERMINATION
(SAND) STUDY
■ Initiated: December 2011 Completed: June 2013
Extensive coordination/collaboration between
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
(FDEP), the five southeast Florida counties, the
Corps, & the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM)
■ Each county determined their own 50-year
sand need for federal & non-federal projects
■ All needs assessments were peer reviewed &
contingencies applied
■ Geological investigations identified sand sources
meeting FDEP criteria; contingencies were
applied to reach a final volume available
® FDEP funded an independent technical review
of the volume reports
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5.b
SCOPING MEETING FOR ALTERNATIVE SAND SOURCES
SAND STUDY
RESULTS
Southeast region of
Florida has excess
sand of 100,000,000
cubic yards beyond its'.
50-year need
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Packet Pg. 18