HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Workshop_Tab 08_04/29/2019Lori McWilliams
From: Abby Brennan
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2019 10:28 AM
To: Lori McWilliams
Cc: James Weinand; Thomas Bradford
Subject: Backup Workshop Agenda
Outline fur the
Creation of a ...
Lori,
At my request, Tom Bradford forwarded an outline of what our Environmental Working Group might
attempt to address as we move forward. As indicated in his narrative, this would be a multi-yeasr, multi-
faceted approach to what the Village of Tequesta could introduce and implement. The attached is a
summary of Mr. Bradford's submission to me and is being presented simply to begin Council's discussion
on the topic at Monday's Council workshop.
Please forward to Council.
Abby Brennan
Mayor
Village of Tequesta
345 Tequesta Drive
Tequesta, FL 33469
www.teauesta.ora
abrennan(@tea uesta.orLy
Office: (561) 768-0460
Cell: (561) 339-0740
Draft Outline for Proposed Village of Tequesta Sustainability Master Plan
April 22, 2019
By: Thomas G. Bradford
The Village of Tequesta does not have a Sustainability Master Plan (SMP). Most local
governments in the United States probably do not have an SMP, so there is currently no
need to be alarmed. However, many smart, proactive localities do have such plans as they
realize that this generation has an obligation to leave a cleaner, safer, healthier
environment for the next generation to inherit. This is the very essence of the concept of
good stewardship for each successive generation to abide by. Having keen environmental
impact awareness is the next step in the evolution of mankind's socioeconomic reality as
we move beyond the original benefits of the Industrial Revolution and the unparalleled
economic growth and prosperity realized post WWII in the victorious United States of
America. Having smart, clean industries and development, along with implementation of
best practices in the maintenance of our local physical environment, including clean, safe
potable water, and storm drainage maintenance plans to control runoff pollution with
effective flood control, is a natural progression of thinking and living in a more holistic
WIRWOMM
It is suspected that Tequesta residents are very much aware of and, therefore, are open to
the idea of planning for and creating a healthier environment in which to live, work, and
play. For example, recent Solid Waste Authority data indicates that Tequesta has the
highest rate of recycling participation in all of Palm Beach County, thereby reducing
landfill demand, the potentially harmful burning of waste and reduction of environmental
damage caused by mining for metals, plastic production, and forest reduction for paper
production worldwide.' In addition, Tequesta. was one of the first communities in this
region to create a storm water utility to provide the resources and manpower necessary
for not just flood control, but also for reducing runoff of harmful fertilizers, pesticides,
and other toxins into the waters surrounding the three peninsulas that constitute the
landmass of Tequesta proper.
A SMP is a municipality's road map to creation of a sustainable community. It sets forth
goals and long term targets (objectives) that will guide the Village and community
toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a greener path of doing
business and living in the highly desirable Village of Tequesta. In order to be responsive
to concerns expressed by a number of residents about taking steps to create a greener
community by addressing such things as fertilizer runoff into the Loxahatchee River,
controlling use of Monsanto's Roundup, which contains the carcinogenic ingredient
Glyphosate, and other environmental concerns, creation of a sustainability plan and a first
year implementation plan would be an ideal way to focus the efforts of the recently
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proposed Tequesta Environmental Advisory Committee. In fact, these types of
envirom-nental concerns are, as a matter of routine, addressed in community sustainability
plans.
I See Email from Willie Puz, Director, Public Affairs and Recycling, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach
County to Thomas G. Bradford of April 18, 2018. Copy available upon request to Thomas G. Bradford.
2 See Action Item 4, Material Resources, in this regard.
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Draft Outline for Proposed Village of Tequesta Sustainability Master Plan
April 22, 2019
Typically, a municipality starts the process with the governing body by setting forth the
key areas of focus based upon their knowledge of the community and the knowledge of
its staff. Establishment of Focus Areas can also be delegated to a board or committee, if
preferred. The following Focus Areas are suggestions only and are submitted for the
purpose of stimulating thought and discussion. Once the Focus Areas are established, it
will be timely to turn the subject matter over to the advisory board for them to employ
their knowledge and skill sets to bring forth multi -year objectives for the Village Council
to consider for formal adoption of the Village Sustainability Master Plan, including a
multi -year list of objectives by Focus Area, subject to annual budget considerations and
other constraints that may arise over the course of time. A draft of focus areas and
suggested objectives follows below.
Draft Sustainability Plan Focus Areas and Suggested Objectives
Focus Area 1. Energy Conservation
Goals: To significantly reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy and the use
of fossil fuels, to improve the availability of locally and regionally produced renewable
energy, to replace or renovate obsolete energy or resource inefficient infrastructure
(buildings, facilities, systems, etc.), and to encourage and recruit green technology
companies to locate in the Village.
Focus Area 2. Climate Protection
Goals: To address the suspected causes of sea level rise and global warming trends for
Village operations, the community of Tequesta, and the Southeastern Florida region by
working with community and regional partners.3 Also, to develop sea level rise
adaptation plans for the Village by working with community and regional partners.
Focus Area 3. Air Quality
Goals: Continue to partner with regional and State agencies to provide assistance in
meeting and maintaining air quality standards and to encourage Village employees to
drive less and engage in clean air practices.
Focus Area 4. Material Resources
Goals: To reduce consumption of materials, to encourage the reuse and local recycling
of materials, and to reduce the use of pesticides and other toxic materials.
Focus Area 5. Public Health and Nutrition
Goals: To improve the health of residents through access to a diverse mix of wellness
activities and locally produced food, to promote "greening" and gardening within the
Village, and to create "healthy urban environments" through Restorative Redevelopment
3 Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Sea Level Rise Work Group (Compact). October
2015. Unified Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida. A document prepared for the Southeast
Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Steering Committee.
K
Draft Outline for Proposed Village of Tequesta Sustainability Master Plan
April 22, 2019
where applicable.
Focus Area 6. Urban Design, Land Use, Green Building, and
Transportation
Goals: To establish and continuously improve "green" building standards for both
residential and commercial development — new and remodeled, to reduce dependence on
the private automobile by working with community partners to provide efficient and
accessible public transit and transit supportive land uses, and to reduce long commutes by
providing a wide array of transportation and housing choices near jobs for a balanced,
healthy Village.
Focus Area 7. Parks, Open Space, and Habitat Conservation
Goals: To increase the amount of publicly accessible and protected green space and
riparian corridors, to expand the urban forest, to preserve habitat resources, and to expand
"green" design and maintenance practices in the Village's system of parks, open space
and golf courses.
Focus Area 8 — Water Resources and Flood Protection
Goals: To conserve the use and protect the sources of drinking water and to work to
provide exceptional flood protection.
Focus Area 9. Public Involvement and Personal Responsibility
Goals: To adopt an action plan to support a regional vision that fosters a collaboration
of citizens, businesses, and green -initiative groups to become engaged and contribute to a
sustainable future, to promote innovative programs to educate and capture the public's
imagination of global change, to commit to leading by example and foster behavioral
change throughout the Village, and to promote an ethic of conservation and stewardship.
Other Considerations:
In my research in writing this draft plan I saw a number of other "Focus Areas" titles
used by communities that may be of interest to the Village Council for incorporation into
the draft outline to be given to the Tequesta Environmental Advisory Committee. A
listing of alternative Focus Areas appears below.
➢ Community
➢ Human -Made Systems
➢ Climate & Resilience
➢ Nature in the City
➢ Economy
➢ Leadership By Example
➢ Resiliency (Climate Action Plan)
➢ Built Environment
➢ Environmental Quality
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Draft Outline for Proposed Village of Tequesta Sustainability Master Plan
April 22, 2019
Resource Stewardship
Mobility
Community Engagement