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Home My WebLink About09-12-2025 Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes AGENDA ~ MONTHLY MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 / 3-4 PM, FAIRHOPE PUBLIC LIBRARY ~ UPSTAIRS BOARD ROOM ATTENDEES COF Officials: Christina LeJeune, Nicole Love FEAB Board Members: Amy Paulson, Ben Frater, Gary Gover, Nigel Temple, Jennifer Foutch, Anna Miller FEAB Members Absent: Carl Couret, Steven Scyphers, Jim Horner Oﬃcial Quorum Count: 6/9 FEAB Active Participants: Sarah Bogdanovich, Jeanine Normand, Sarah Chandler, Nancy Harrison, Cassidy Redding Honored Guests Susan Hammack and Sandy Tormoen - Baldwin County Trailblazers; Don Joﬀe - Baldwin County EAC; Gustavo Dovaihi – resident/Geologist; Sully VanSise, Braeden Mason, Benjamin Ford - Fairhope High School (FHS) Future Farmers of America (FFA) Minutes Author: Nigel Temple Commencement: Amy called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. SUMMARY OF SALIENT DECISIONS, DISCUSSION, AND ACTIONS ● RESOLUTIONS: ○ Reappointment for Amy Paulson and Jennifer Foutch. ○ Request for oﬃcial Board meeting cadence to adjust to every-other-month starting January 2026. Interim months will focus on special workgroups or subcommittee eﬀorts. This change enables all volunteers to continue to function as publicly accessible and available City asset while providing time for subgroups to focus on detailed planning and actioning of priority issues. ● Working Groups: Greenspace WG continues to network across City, including engaging other City (Bike & Ped) and County (BC Trailblazers) groups. SWaMP subcommittee is currently on hiatus. ● Fairhope High School Future Farmers of America engaged FEAB to assist their student-led leadership project to increase ecological beneﬁcial use and potential catch-and-release ﬁshing recreation opportunity at a pond on BC School property. DETAILED MINUTES 1. Housekeeping a. Introduction of Guests b. RESOLUTION: Board unanimously approved July Meeting Minutes c. Membership Details i. Amy, Gary, and Jennifer appointments expired 1. Gary Gover declined reappointment and requested to be reclassiﬁed as Active Participant. 2. FEAB now has 1 open space. Next-in-line Active Participant will have ﬁrst right of refusal. Amy will discuss with Participants and will bring motion for appointment to October meeting. ii. RESOLUTION: FEAB unanimously approved re-appointment for Amy Paulson and Jennifer Foutch. 1. ACTION: Nicole to facilitate oﬃcial Council vote in October, after September FEAB Meeting Minutes are approved. d. Meeting frequency/cadence i. RESOLUTION: Beginning 1/2026, Regular FEAB meetings to meet bimonthly, sub-committee meetings in oﬀ-months. Motion passed unanimously. 1. ACTION: Nicole to facilitate with Lisa Hanks/Council vote in October, after September FEAB Meeting Minutes are approved. ii. Rationale: This change enables all volunteers to continue to function as publicly accessible and available City asset while providing space/time for subgroups to focus on detailed planning and actioning priority issues. iii. If City oﬃcials, public citizens, or FEAB Board members or Participants ﬁnd after implementation that this change hinders our success and accessibility, we commit to holding special meetings or adjusting the schedule back to 12 meetings per year if needed. 2. Priority Issues & Subcommittee Reports a. Sustainable Waste Management (SWaMP) – Sarah B/Sarah C/Jennifer/Gary i. Leadership and Focus – Sarah B needs help. She will continue to lead in new bimonthly meeting format but may need to transition to support role. ii. 2025 focused on worms and compost. 2026 can continue this as well but may broaden to include additional focus as identiﬁed. iii. ACTION: Sarah B to organize next meeting. b. FHS Future Farmers of America (FFA) i. Student-led project as part of leadership/mentorship program to explore careers in Agricultural Extension. They would like to target the stormwater pond at Fairhope Middle School / behind City of Fairhope Water Treatment Plant to increase ecological beneﬁcial use and potential catch-and-release ﬁshing recreation opportunity. 1. Cost for any recommended work comes from FHS, FFA, or Baldwin County Schools (BCS) (i.e., they are not asking for funds from COF or FEAB). 2. Michelle Melton identiﬁed that the pond belongs to BCS as part of the campus stormwater infrastructure (not COF). ii. Students seek advisory assistance from FEAB expertise as they pursue an ecologically friendly approach to restoration, including assistance with water quality assessment and native species planting and stocking. 1. Nigel oﬀered that USA would be absolutely willing to assist with water quality monitoring and other elements as identiﬁed. 2. FEAB is overwhelmingly supportive of this idea and available to assist as needed. Several members are interested in forming a subcommittee that would fully dedicate to supporting FHS FFA in this eﬀort. iii. ACTIONS: 1. Amy to connect everyone over email so students can plan next steps. 2. Nicole to ﬁnd ownership and a POC to identify any use or constraint information for the selected location. c. Greenspace Assessment Working Group – Ben i. Ben met with Katie from COF Bike and Ped Committee re: next steps for Greenspace eﬀort. 1. BC Trailblazers interested in collaborating. 2. ACTION: Ben to organize next meeting with expanded participant list. d. Wildlife and Butterﬂies - Nancy i. Nancy requested that anyone with available milkweed reach out to her – she’s got a bunch of caterpillars that need to eat and they ate all her plants. ii. The National Fish and Wildlife Federation (NFWF) has a back yard as habitat certiﬁcation program. Qualifying yard attributes are fairly easy to attain. Nancy recommends more properties in Fairhope should get certiﬁed, starting with FEAB people. She is available to help assess your yard and complete the paperwork. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 4 p.m. NEXT MEETING: October 10, 2025: 3-4, Fairhope Public Library Upstairs Boardroom. NOTE: Amy will not be present. Kathy Barnette to attend November meeting. FEAB CONTACT INFORMATION: Chairperson: Amy Paulson amy.paulson@yahoo.com (251) 654-7401 Board Members: Carl Couret ccouretjr@yahoo.com TBD Jennifer Foutch Foutch.jennifer@gmail.com (618) 318-0354 Ben Frater ben.frater@gmail.com (404) 314-8815 Gary Gover govers@bellsouth.net (251) 990-8662 Jim Horner none (251) 928-9722 Anna Miller anna@keenliving.pro (251) 279-0395 Steven Scyphers sscyphers@southalabama.edu (334) 701-8864 Nigel Temple 757nigel@gmail.com (757) 803-3589 Active Participants Sarah Bogdanovich smbogdanovich@gmail.com (727) 421-7321 Sarah Chandler sarahchandler504@gmail.com (504) 239-6651 Lance Slater lanceslater@gmail.com Jamie Crawford 7jamiecrawford7@gmail.com TBD Cynthia Rush crush300@gmail.com (251) 223-3880 Cassidy Redding credding@southalabamalandtrust.org TBD Jean Normand DrJNormand@aol.com TBD Nancy Harrison twicethroughdunloe@gmail.com (251) 923-9453 Carole Tebay cftebay@gmail.com (850) 466-6592 CITY CONTACTS: Nicole Love, COF Grants Coordinator nicole.love@fairhopeal.gov Justin Hammers, COF Urban Forrester justin.hammers@fairhopeal.gov Christina LeJeune, COF Planning and Zoning Department christina.lejeune@fairhopeal.gov MEETING REFERENCES FEAB Vision: to serve as a trusted, scientific resource providing a local environmental perspective to policy decisions to ensure environmental matters are given full consideration in the City’s decision-making processes. We strive to positively affect the quality of life for all residents, their connection to our local ecosystems, and the resilience and sustainment of Fairhope as a small, yet world-class, city. FEAB Role: the FEAB is dedicated to increasing awareness of environmental issues, offering recommendations to City administrators, and providing state-of-the-science consultation in the implementation of sustainable solutions. MEETING READ-AHEADS Land Use Plan - Environmental Issues. See FEAB NOTES and 2024 FEAB LUP SUPPORT LETTER TO CITY. The following list identifies specific sections of the LUP that are relevant to the FEAB’s mission, speak to member professional expertise, or have been identified as Board priorities. We offer our utility to the City as you identify opportunities and track progress across the LUP and particularly for the following Tasks: Ongoing ● Task C-2: Preserve natural areas and wetlands for recreational use ● Task C-3: Enforce green space requirements within new developments ● Task C-6: Encourage pest control and landscaping companies to implement best practices when applying pesticide and fertilizer ● Task C-7: Promote living shorelines ● Task C-8: Preserve and maintain gullies for recreational areas ● Task C-11: Implement Low Impact Development through the use of green infrastructure ● Task C-12: Construct Low Impact Development pilot projects in public right-of way and green space ● Task G-1: Design more parks for passive recreation Year 1: ● Task C-9: Develop and/or update City codes to protect the environment ● Task C-10: Identify development incentives for environmentally-friendly project components Year 2-3 ● Task C-4: Develop and implement green space maintenance plans for areas that are not covered by existing maintenance agreements ● Task E-20: Develop a citywide Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Masterplan Year 3-5 ● Task G-2: Develop new parks in the eastern and southern portions of Fairhope