HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-10-2025 Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board Meeting AgendaMEETING MINUTES -ANNUAL CITY STRATEGY SESSION
JANUARY 10, 2025 / 3 • 4 P M , FAIRHOPE PUBLIC LIBRARY~ 2ND FLOOR MEETING ROOM
ATTENDEES
COF Officials: Christina LeJeune, Nicole Love, Justin Hammers
FEAB Board Members: Amy Paulson, Ben Frater, Gary Gover, Jim Horner, Carl Couret, Nigel Temple, Steven
Scyphers, Jennifer Foutch
FEAB Members Absent: Anna Miller
Official Quorum Count: 8/9
FEAB Active Participants: Sarah Bogdanovich, Sarah Chandler, Jeanine Normand
Honored Guests NA
Minutes Author: Nigel Temple
Commencement: Amy called the meeting to order at 3 :00 p.m.
DETAILED MINUTES
1. Housekeeping
a. Previous month's minutes approved -unanimously
2. 2024 In Review
a. Successes: What Accomplishments are we most proud of in 2024?
1. Facilitated broad partnerships/collaborations -FEAB has become a great network of
environmental professionals that has helped create connections and successes for the City
and beyond (i.e . USA students, Eagle Scouts).
2. Greenspace Assessment-initiated a comprehensive accounting of greenspaces supporting
CoF Land Use Plan (Ben!)
3. Provided Letters of Support to CoF grant proposals (e .g., Fly Creek bridge)
4. Supported City requests for feedback for LUP, Flying Creek Nature Park, Winn Dixie Pond,
water conservation. Our advisory support strengthened these initiatives.
5. Created, executed, implemented many SWaMP / compost subcommittee projects . Engaged
~5 community organizations, which will allow us to launch composting activities at their sites
in 2025 (Sarah B!)
6. Supported CoF stormwater infrastructure inventory (Jim!). The impact will be to water
quality and better subdivision requirements .
7. Butterfly Garden : assisted project success (Mayor engaged FEAB, grant money acquired ;
FEAB properly advised CoF) (Carol!)
8. Secured Pier signage funding (Steven!)
a. Lessons Learned :
1. Critical to understand and invest in relationships with various City personnel/ functions.
2 . It was ok to stop attending Council meetings and focus our time on our listed priorities .
Because we have spent years building our trusted advisor position, we got the env ironmental
items we needed funneled to us in other forums.
b. Priorities:
1. Deprecated
a. Attendance at City Council Meetings (outcome not worth the effort -we have
established a successful process for the City to engage our assistance as needed that
does not require us attending all meetings . Member effort/ precious available time can
be focused on projects/ subcommittees instead .)
b. Focus on water conservation will be embedded into other priorities, (i.e., water quality
as part of stormwater infrastructure/adaptive strategies ; wetland , subdivision (turf
management), or gully regulations ; greenspace management) or in response to City
requests.
c. Moved Commun ity Resilience Index ball as far as we could ; dropping unless re-engaged
by CoF.
2. Enduring/ Expanded
a. Expand Greenspace -continue to develop priorities in concert with Land Use Plan
i. Action item -Connect Ben with Michelle Melton around repet itive flood loss
areas
b. Expand composting outreach, including MRF marketing
3. Brainstormed New Ideas for projects in 2025 (discussion only -these were not necessarily
approved for action at this time)
a. What role should we have in the stormwater infrastructure project (recently awarded to
Thompson)
b. Eagle Reefs
c. Safe Streets for All (green space?)
d . Review pier signage
4. Wrap Up
a. Involvement & Education Opportunities
i. Green Drinks : 1/22 Mobile Baykeeper -Monkey Bar, 5-7
c. Future Agenda Items
i. Feb : Greenspace Working Group -Presentation & 2025 Roadmap
ii. Mar: Greener By the Yard, Guest : Johanna
111 . April/May : annual meeting with CoF
d. Future : Rhydonna Mosely, FEEF -Pelican's Nest
ADJOURNMENT : The meeting was adjourned at 4 :15 p .m .
NEXT MEETING : standard
..
FEAB CONTACT INFORMATION:
Chairperson :
Amy Paulson
Board Members :
Carl Couret
Jennifer Foutch
Ben Frater
Gary Gover
Jim Horner
Anna Miller
Steven Scyphers
Nigel Temple
Active Participants
Lance Slater
Sarah Bogdanovich
Sarah Chandler
Jamie Crawford
Cynth ia Rush
Carole Tebay
CITY CONTACTS:
amy.paulsoo@vaboo com
ccouretj r @yahoo.com
Foutch.jennifer@gmajl.com
ben frater@gmail com
1:overs@bellsouth net
none
anna@keenl iving .pro
sscyphers@southalabama .edu
zszoigel@gmail com
lances later@gmail .com
smbogdanovitch@gmajl.com
sarahchandlerS04@gmail com
7jamiecrawfo r d7@gmail .com
crush300@gmail.com
cftebay@gmail.com
(251) 654-7401
TBD
(618) 318-0354
(404) 314 -8815
(251) 990-8662
(251) 928 -9722
(251) 279-0395
(334) 701 -8864
(757) 803-3589
(727) 421-7321
(504) 239 -6651
TBD
(251) 223 -3880
(850) 466-6592
Corey Martin, COF City Council
Nicole Love, COF Grants Coordinator
co rey.martin@fairhopeal.gov
nicole .love@fairhopeal .gov
ch r istina .leieune@fairhopeal .gov
justin,hammers@fairhopeal .gov
Christina LeJeune,COF Planning and Zoning Department
Justin Hammers, COF Urban Forrester