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Home My WebLink About01-09-2026 Fairhope Environmental Advisory Board Meeting Minutes MEETING MINUTES ~ STANDARD MONTHLY MEETING JANUARY 9, 2026 / 3-4 PM, FAIRHOPE PUBLIC LIBRARY ~ UPSTAIRS BOARD ROOM ATTENDEES COF Officials: Nicole Love, Justin Hammers, Evelyn Kilcrease FEAB Board Members: Ben Frater, Nigel Temple, Jennifer Foutch, Anna Keane, Jim Horner, Carl Couret, Steven Scyphers, Sarah Bogdanovich, Amy Paulson FEAB Members Absent: N/A Oﬃcial Quorum Count: 9/9 FEAB Active Participants: Gary Gover, Jeanine Normand, Sarah Chandler, Jamie Crawford, Nancy Harrison, Gustavo Douaihi Honored Guests Kelsi Furman, Rachel Ball Minutes Author: Nigel Temple Commencement: Amy called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. SUMMARY OF SALIENT DECISIONS, DISCUSSION, AND ACTIONS ● RESOLUTIONS: ○ Nigel Temple has been re-appointed as a full Board member - will go to the Council next month. ○ Gustavo Douaihi has been appointed as an Active Participant. DETAILED MINUTES 1. Housekeeping a. RESOLUTION: Oct Meeting Minutes approved b. Membership i. Reappointment of Amy and Jennifer to Board approved by Council ii. Vote on Nigel (Board) passed, Gustavo Douaihi (Active Participant) passed c. Amy calls for February special meeting; FEAB approved 2. Introductions a. Councilman Gammon introduced himself b. FEAB group introductions c. Amy outlines group structure, logistics for meetings (e.g., frequency, special meetings, etc.) 3. Priority Initiatives and Subcommittee Reports a. Greenspace & Native Habitat i. Greenspace Assessment Working Group - Ben/Steven i. Ben and Steven give overview of program a. Identifying greenspace/open-space b. Needed full assessment of available qualifying property/parcels c. FEAB-University of South Alabama (USA) partnership to map qualifying property/parcels ii. Action Items a. Mayor requests that FEAB present at City Council Meeting (Q2 ‘26?) – more information needed about what is desired (overview, status update, etc.) b. Hunter requests meeting with FEAB - FEB or WG(?); Ben and Steven to follow up with Hunter to schedule i. Tool updates/evolution and recommendations/use ii. Partners (Planning Dept, Bike and Ped, Trailblazers, Daphne, Parks & Rec; Baldwin County) iii. Action item following meeting: Ben and Steven to deliver workplan ii. Greenspace Management – Justin i. Bug problem at Nature Center; requests help with solutions ii. Baldwin County Master Gardeners to deploy bluebird boxes in nature center. a. COF MUST ensure boxes are appropriately observed and managed/monitored. Unmonitored boxes can do more harm than good for the species. See North American Bluebird Society Fact Sheets iii. SALT engagement i. Carl to engage SALT board about property easement utilization rules and ﬂexibility to allow citizen use and/or incorporation in greenspace. b. Sustainable Waste Management (SWaMP)- Sarah B/Sarah C/Jennifer/Gary i. Background: a. Began as majority composting eﬀort; has evolved to also focus on recycling ii. Plans to engage community on composting a. Composting at home iii. Yard waste issue awareness a. Currently collected and disposed of in landﬁll: crushing and clay capping takes up valuable landﬁll space, creates excessive methane emissions, and provides no useable product (e.g., mulch) 4. New Items a. FHS Future Farmers of America (FFA) / Update i. FHS will come to update at next meeting ii. Still looking for a site for pond. b. Auburn Extension Homeowner LID and Habitat Workshop for Homeowners i. Native plants, storm water, etc. ii. Designed to equip homeowners with knowledge on LID and habitats iii. ACTION: Working group to be established; nicole send Auburn POC info to Amy c. Draft Safety Action Plan – Nicole; council presentation on Mon, 12 Jan 2026 5. Wrap up a. Involvement & Education Opportunities i. Clean Marina Designation Ceremony: January 14th at 10am b. Future Agenda Items c. Amy suggests a rotational Minutes/note-taker i. Group agrees ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 4:23 p.m. NEXT MEETING: February 13, 2026: 3-4, Fairhope Public Library Upstairs Boardroom. FEAB CONTACT INFORMATION: Chairperson: Amy Paulson amy.paulson@yahoo.com (251) 654-7401 Board Members: Sarah Bogdanovich smbogdanovich@gmail.com (727) 421-7321 Carl Couret ccouretjr@yahoo.com (251) 518-6376 Jennifer Foutch Foutch.jennifer@gmail.com (618) 318-0354 Ben Frater ben.frater@gmail.com (404) 314-8815 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 Chandler sarahchandler504@gmail.com (504) 239-6651 Lance Slater lanceslater@gmail.com (251) 599-5259 Jamie Crawford 7jamiecrawford7@gmail.com TBD Cynthia Rush crush300@gmail.com (251) 223-3880 Cassidy Redding credding@southalabamalandtrust.org (971) 724-8130 Jean Normand DrJNormand@aol.com (251) 278-4866 Nancy Harrison twicethroughdunloe@gmail.com (251) 923-9453 Carole Tebay cftebay@gmail.com (850) 466-6592 Gustavo Douaihi gdouaihi@gmail.com (225) 772-0258 Gary Gover govers@bellsouth.net (251) 990-8662 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