Suncoast Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation
Chapter Meeting Minutes
4.14.09
Mulligan’s Sunset Grille
9524 Blind Pass Rd
St Pete Beach, Fl
Call to order 8pm by Julie Pappas, chapter Secretary. Recorded by Julie.
Thank you everyone for coming!
Rob Young in attendance, coastal geologist the chapter hired to help work on Upham Beach Issue.
First order of business:
Chapter Elections.
Ballots and pens placed around the table, however we have 1 person running for Chapter Chair, and 2 people running for Vice Chair so elections can be held by show of hands. The chapter agreed show of hands would be sufficient. After asking the members present if Don Williams, candidate for Vice Chair, it was determined that the candidate was not present at call to order.
Jessica Respondek was given the floor as the one candidate for Chapter Chair.
She advised its time to pull together, really get to work on organizing the chapter. We’re really out there, people are beginning to recognize the chapter and the Surfrider name in this area. The chapter is really making headway on the Upham issue. And she’d like to see other programs, like the LocalS campaign, Rise Above Plastics and Blue Water Task Force get up and running. Jessica advised she would work closely with the board in delegating jobs needing to be done. Jessica is 5months pregnant and working on her MBA at UF.
Julie took the floor and by a show of hands the majority of members present voted Jessica Respondek as the Chapter Chair for the next 2 years.
Julie then asked the members if the other candidate for Vice Chair Don Williams was present. When there was no response, Scott Orsini was given the floor as the one candidate present for Vice Chair.
At the time Scott was the Volunteer Coordinator for the Chapter. He explained to the members present that he is an attorney and that he feels he would be good in the Vice Chair position as well as a legal adviser to the chapter. He advised he feels he would work well with the sitting board members on chapter issues and organization.
Julie took the floor and by a show of hands members present unanimously voted Scott Orsini into the Vice Chair position for the next year. This transition left the volunteer coordinator position open. No one stepped up to fill that position immediately.
Julie Pappas agreed to sit on the board as Chapter Secretary for another year and Jason Morey agreed to stay on as Chapter Treasurer.
Board member at large Jake Respondek was present and agreed to stay on for another year in that position.
Julie took the floor to earnestly thank Mike Meehan (not present) for being the founding Chapter Chair. He got up in the first meeting in front of fifty strangers to say I’ll lead this group. Mike and his family were always present at clean ups and other active events throughout his two years being chair.
Julie carried a message on from Mike to the chapter saying he would step up for board member at large if one of the positions came up during the elections. A discussion ensued throughout the chapter members present as Jessica informed the chapter we couldn’t just do that, that we had to vacate a position of the person hold it before electing another person. She referred us all back to the chapter guidelines set by national.
The conversation about board positions ebbed and the topic changed before Julie was able to thank John Pappas for being the Vice Chair for the past two years.
Then the floor went to Rob Young from Western Carolina University. He began by posing the following question to the members present: What do we want to save? The wave or the beach.
Roger spoke first, by stating the permanent structures are very bad. He said without permanent structures we would save the beach and the wave. He suggested to fill the beach every 3 years (with sand).
Jason asked wouldn’t restoring the beach restore the wave?
Lenny said he’s watched that beach for 35 years.
Rob Young then asked would we be willing to lose the south jetty?
Lenny advised as not a direct answer to the question, restoring the beach is a permanent solution.
Ron agreed that we should put the beach back to its natural state.
Rob Young asked if we realized the cost of sand these days?
Jessica, whom researched the cost relations to each action we propose, advised when the sand went in (over the groins) it extended the beach out further with more sand than any other time in the history of developed Upham. On the subject of taking the sand from the (Blind) pass, Jessica said that Dr Elko told the county that it would work every 4 years.
Rob Young offered alternatives and one option mentioned came up in the 1992 Inlet Plan, close the pass. However research is needed to study the tidal flushing further up the pass and how much water moves. Closing the pass might make the water stagnant further up the pass.
Roger asked about sand bypass as a viable solution.
Rob Young said there are different ways to do sand bypass.
Rob Young advised the groins in place now won’t stop a heavy swell. The seawall (in front of the primary area) is clearly being undermined right now with today’s storm. Rushing to add rocks there has no scientific justification, he said.
Rob advised 3 times in the past there was a proposal to put in groins, and DEP said no to a permit for groins and then they changed their minds. He suggested we find out why they changed their minds.
Rob agreed to make a write up on his findings based on the 1992 Inlet Management report and information Upham committee members found as well as his own observations and get back with the chapter.
When the floor opened up for other business, the other candidate for Vice Chair, Don Williams from Tampa and student of USF spoke up asking about elections. We informed him apologetically that we held the elections as the first order of business and offered him the position of Volunteer Coordinator and gave him the floor to introduce himself. He apologized for being late, he came from Tampa to make the meeting out on the beach. He advised he’s currently a student at USF and was wanting to get the surf club and other Tampa residents more involved in Surfrider.
Julie took the floor, welcomed Don, and by a show of hands from a majority of members present, Don Williams was elected into the Volunteer Coordinator position for Suncoast Chapter.
Other business:
Jessica advised the chapter was working with Sierra Club on the Fertilizer ordinance that was making its way up the west coast of Florida. The city of St Petersburg is on board with the ordinance and the chapter is working on getting Hillsborough, Manatee, and Pinellas counties on board as well.. She suggested the website include a friend’s page where other organizations events are highlighted so that everyone who visits the website will be aware of things going on with other local organizations as well as Suncoast Chapter.
Julie advised several events coming up. Beach clean up Bradenton Beach on April 18th. Clean the Chapters Adopted beach. Want to see volunteers down there and it’s a good chance for south of the bridge volunteers to have something to do in their area.
We’d been invited to Green Fest with Crunchy Mama in May. Organizers of the event, Christy Ward and Coti School are charging $25.00 to have a table there this year. The chapter agreed that $25.00 wasn’t a bad price to pay, that it was a good event last year and worth it.
On April 25th the chapter is invited Eco Fest for the 2nd year in a row in Largo. Also a good tabling event and a lot of fun. Julie advised watch your emails and the website for updates and chances to volunteer.
Anything else?
Brandy DeMarzo advised that she was working on getting together a beach cleaning and dune planting for May because she noticed that we May 16th slated for a beach clean up. She suggested incorporating the Boy Scouts of America in this clean up & dune planting event and was beginning to talk to the city of Maderia beach about coordinating the event. She would keep the board posted.
Lee then volunteered to help out with the plants in some way because that’s what he does for a living. The chapters thanked Lee and Brandy and Andre for stepping up and taking on this event.
Anything else?
Meeting closed.