Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District

The Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District met in regular public session on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 4:00 p.m., in the UF/IFAS Lecture Room, UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County, 3695 Lake Drive,
Cocoa, Florida.

The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Bud Crisafulli, at 4:00 p.m. COVID-19 personal and environmental protection procedures for public meetings in Brevard County buildings and areas were in effect at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

Board members present were: Bud Crisafulli; Henry Minneboo; Adam Perez; and James Sloan.

Staff members present: None

Guests present: None

Attached Documents

Passed by Motion & Vote –

* Treasurer’s Report for the Period of June 10, 2020 to July 7, 2020
* Rule 2020-1 Brevard Soil & Water District, Dated: July 8, 2020

Reported for Public Records –

* None

Approval of Minutes for the June 10, 2020 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Meeting minutes for June 10, 2020 were not available for Board of Supervisors review and approval.

Approval of Treasurer’s Report for the Period of June 10, 2020 to July 7, 2020.

Motion by Henry Minneboo, seconded by Jim Sloan, to approve treasurer’s report as presented by Adam Perez. The motion passed by unanimous vote of the supervisors.

Old Business

Jim Sloan presented the information on Governor DeSantis State Budget actions. DeSantis did  retain the $625 million for water improvements and Everglades restoration, the second-year installment on a four-year $2.5 billion effort the Governor outlined soon after being sworn in.  It is intended to ease the State’s many water woes, including red-tide and blue-green algae. Jim concluded that this meant next fiscal year’s budget would permit Florida Soil & Water Conservation Districts to facilitate future FL Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) cooperative support on cost-share BMP projects, as well as, contracts with FDACS on water quality remediation projects.

Jim Sloan gave notice of his scheduled meeting by telephone with Virginia Barker of the Brevard County Department of Natural Resources Management at 9:00 am on July 9th. There are several issues for discussion that concern plans by her department and/or the Brevard County Commissioners for continuation of the biosolid disposal moratorium and possible remediation actions if there is a reoccurrence of contamination in the Lake Washington water reservoir.   A memorandum for record will be prepared to document the discussion and distributed to Supervisors for review prior to the August board meeting.

Jim Sloan is preparing an update and status report from the Brevard District to Director Pettit, FDACS Agriculture Water Policy, on the upper St Johns river basin soil & water testing project at the biosolid permitted deposit areas upon agricultural property.   The report shall include Brevard County, St Johns Water Management District and UF/IUS Extension Agriculture Agency recommendations and policy on remediation for environmental impact of biosolid permitted deposits on agricultural land use areas. The format for the report will be as a PowerPoint presentation with Supervisors receiving draft slides in .pdf format for review prior to consideration as an agenda item during the August board meeting.

Adam Perez stated that, as per the January 8, 2020 meeting minutes, his term as Board Secretary and Board Treasurer was to expire at this meeting, whereby, Jim would automatically assume the role as Board Secretary and Board Treasurer for the remainder of the term. Due to the logistics of getting Jim on the District’s bank account, the Board proposed to simply retain Adam as the Board Treasurer until his term in office expires in early January. Motion by Adam Perez, seconded by Henry Minneboo, to have Jim immediately assume the responsibilities of Board Secretary for the remainder of the term and retain Adam as Board Treasurer until expiration of his term in office. The vote passed unanimously by voice vote.

New Business

Bud Crisafulli stated that our customary financial and planning support for the Cattlemen’s Association educational and legislative events would not be required in year 2020. The Cattlemen’s Association decided to suspend their events for this year due to the uncertainty of available venues and the continuation of local controls on event attendance, location, and size.

Bud Crisafulli proposed an agenda item for the August 2020 meeting that would authorize funds to purchase hand-out items, such as rain gauges, signage etc., with advertising to promote the Brevard Soil & Water Conservation District, as well as, our Best Management Plan assistance and Water Management Services for agricultural land-use clients. He will provide some suggested items and proposed funding for the items at the August board meeting.

There was a discussion of how-to handover accumulated past records and files between outgoing and incoming board secretaries during the August board meeting. Henry Minneboo believes there are archived records at the old Titusville courthouse, but did not know what rules govern retention periods and disposition of archival records. As the incoming secretary, Jim Sloan, took the task of determining the retention, review and disposition procedures used at the Titusville Courthouse and other State offices, then reporting back to the board during a later scheduled meeting.

Jim Sloan moved forth the attached rule for guidance and regulation of Supervisor communications; outside of a scheduled, public business meeting; that concern project updates, technical information, business proposals and dissemination of media reports; as a motion for debate, amendment and adoption by the Board. The draft rule was previously presented by email to the Board of Supervisors for review and discussion at this board meeting. The rule is established in compliance with the Statute Title XXXV, Chapter 582.20 (10) Powers of Districts and Supervisors as outlined “(10) To adopt rules to implement the provisions of this chapter; and”. The motion was accepted and seconded by Bud Crisafulli. It was passed by unanimous voice vote of the Brevard District Board of Supervisors on July 8, 2020. The secretary has assigned it a number as Brevard Soil & Water Conservation District Rule 2020-1.

Upon consensus of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 5:02 p.m.

Prepared for board review and approval by ,

Secretary, Board of Supervisors
James E. Sloan
7/23/2020