Sustainability & Resiliency Advisory Board

SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCY ADVISORY BOARD COUNCIL CHAMBERS 400 NW 73RD AVE. PLANTATION, FL 33317 MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chair Dr. Julie Long at 6:30 p.m. Roll call was conducted by the clerk. A quorum was present. Present: Chair Dr. Julie Long, Ronald R. Eyma, Maria Oliva (at 6:31 p.m.), Dr. Kate Peach, Guithele Ruiz-Nicholas, Dr. Mary Hope Schwoebel (at 6:33 p.m.), and Joseph Winn (at 6:31 p.m.) Also Present: Assistant City Administrator Carole Morris, PZED Assistant Director Michael Alpert, Police Chief Howard Harrison, Fire Chief Don Todd, Mayor Timothy Fadgen, and Council member Louis Reinstein APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES April 8th, 2024 Meeting Minutes Guithele Ruiz-Nicholas moved to approve the April 8, 2024 meeting minutes as presented; seconded by Dr. Julie Long. Motion passed: 4-0. NEW BUSINESS Presentation from Police and Fire Departments regarding environmental and sustainability initiatives Police Chief Howard Harrison highlighted sustainability initiatives in the Police Department. He advised 13 hybrid vehicles had been purchased in July 2022, and though there was not a maintenance difference apparent yet, improvements to fuel consumption have been realized. He discussed a reduction in vehicles idling while unoccupied, green features of the gun range, digitized records, signs as a reminder to turn off lights, recycling, fountains for reuseable water containers, and other efforts.

Chair Long asked when the changes were started, noting it takes a while for an organization to change its culture. Police Chief Harrison advised it had been a long time, though hybrid vehicles are a new addition. He commented that little things add up. Ms. Ruiz-Nicholas stated she was happy to hear the Police Department was headed in the right direction. She asked if there were plans to change to LED lights with automatic switches. Police Chief Harrison noted staff is cognizant of turning lights off when leaving a room. Dr. Schwoebel expressed concern with unnecessarily bright lights in the name of security. She asserted that in consideration of a dark sky, there were areas that could be changed. Police Chief Harrison stated safety is priority, but the balance of concerns is considered. Mr. Eyma agreed with the assertion that small things add up, and acknowledged the Police Department was doing a number of common-sense things. He stated the focus should be on vehicle usage, as that is where most of the energy is expended. Discussion ensued regarding the use of hybrid vehicles and the comparison to gas vehicles over time. Mr. Winn stated he appreciated the culture shift that had occurred, noting the value of building habits and automation to allow people to start looking for other ways to improve. He asked for insight as to the largest environmental impact aside from vehicles. Police Chief Harrison commented on electricity use when operating 24/7. Mr. Winn asked if there was any part of staff which could go hybrid or remote to reduce their consumption and impact. Police Chief Harrison noted challenges due to the nature of the business and stated they are always looking for opportunities. Discussion continued. Fire Chief Don Todd shared that LED lighting had been installed in all of the fire stations, including the administrative station. He highlighted sustainable initiatives, including transition to battery-operated rather than gas tools, Fire Station 1 is a smart building, 95 percent of operations are paperless, and smoke reduction on engines. Mr. Eyma asked about water consumption. Fire Chief Todd stated that in an emergency there is no reduction that can be done, but they protect water usage where possible. He noted hydrant testing is a function of the Utilities Department. Ms. Ruiz-Nicholas commented on the volunteer nature of the Fire Department and asked about sleeping quarters. Fire Chief Todd explained there was a combination of volunteers with pagers and emergency staff that is in the station 24 hours a day. Discussion continued regarding single- use cups and plates and reclaimed building materials when constructing new fire stations. Chair Long asked about chemicals in fire-retardant clothing and gear, and whether there are safer products for chemical fires. Fire Chief Todd stated there has been a big issue in Fire Departments with cancer and noted improvements to foam used for firefighting. Mr. Winn asked if there were options for smaller vehicles to respond to certain emergencies and reduce overall energy use and cost. Fire Chief Todd discussed commented on options available and those previously used and noted it takes years to get new vehicles.

Green Business Certification Program - Application Review Chair Long commented on the Green Business Certification Program brochures, noting she had issues with the QR code. She stated she had a positive experience handing the brochures out. Dr. Peach asked about coordinating efforts to avoid duplication of business visits. Assistant City Administrator Morris stated a spreadsheet was an option, and pointed out it sometimes takes several contacts. She advised that a process had not been developed for review of the applications, and noted applications could be reviewed individually or could be held to be reviewed in groups. The Board reviewed the first application received, Bee Lady Kim, LLC. They discussed the Green Business Certification Program and its standards, including points available and received in each section, asking additional questions, honor system, staff limitations, and the logistics of the review process. Assistant City Administrator Morris commented that the data gathered from the applications could be used to guide education to the business community. Chair Long noted the difficulty of grading businesses where some sections of the application apply and others do not. Assistant City Administrator Morris advised that she could construct a rubric and score sheet to be used for review of applications. Chair Long asked that applications be attached to the agenda to allow for review and scoring in advance of the meetings. Assistant City Administrator Morris noted that if individual score sheets were utilized, they would need to be read into the public record. Discussion continued. Mr. Eyma suggested an effort toward sustainability in a portion of the categories should be considered. He pointed out they are trying to encourage businesses to apply and participate. Dr. Schwoebel stated she liked the questionnaire, because its purpose was to make people think about sustainable practices and what they could do. Assistant City Administrator Morris stated she would make changes based on the discussion and bring the item back. Chair Long asked if the application should be approved or held until the June meeting. Ms. Ruiz- Nicholas suggested they hold it so all applications can go through the same process. Mr. Winn shared his experience in working with businesses to become green certified. He stated any business has a range of impacts, and the points system allows for points to be loaded in areas that are applicable. He pointed out they are not judging the morality of a business or their business operations, as that would not be equitable, but acknowledging improvements. Dr. Peach suggested the Board discuss quarterly or semi-annual reviews of applications. Dr. Kate Peach moved to table the application to the June meeting; seconded by Ronald R. Eyma. Motion passed: 7-0.

OLD BUSINESS Discussion of Earth Day 2024 - Lessons learned, Plans for 2025 Chair Long thanked everyone for their participation in the Earth Day event and stated it was very interactive. She noted the need for a trash bin and recycle bin in front of the table next year. She stated the best part was Dr. Peach’s daughter’s table, because it gave an opportunity to talk to parents while their children were occupied. Dr. Peach suggested having more communication and collaboration with the event coordinators. Assistant City Administrator Morris pointed out people pay to participate, so there may be some limit in what can be changed. She stated there had been a change in staffing for the event, and she would invite them to speak to the SRAB. She noted the need to plan early. Ms. Ruiz-Nicholas stated the regional coordinator for sustainability with DHL had visited the Board’s table and expressed interest in learning more about what the Board and working together. She advised that she would follow up with contact information. Dr. Peach noted the tree giveaway and shared that she was disappointed there were not many options for smaller yards, as well as with the lack of focus on “Right Tree Right Place” during the event. Continued Discussion - Sustainability Plan Chair Long asked for a volunteer to write the Police and Fire sections of the plan. She stated she would write a draft for review and discussion along with sections previously shared. Dr. Peach asked that Word documents of the drafts be shared and noted it would help if the sections were formatted the same way. Assistant City Administrator Morris suggested establishing a format for everyone to use. Discussion continued. Mr. Eyma commented on the department feedback he had sought in creating his section of the draft and asked about the continuation of that process. Dr. Schwoebel suggested gathering initial input and then sharing the full Sustainability Plan once it is complete. OTHER BUSINESS/DISCUSSIONS Mr. Eyma stated the address included on the Green Business Certification application discussed earlier in the meeting was a residential address. Assistant City Administrator Morris advised that homebased businesses had not been ruled out. Consensus was that a Business Tax ID should be a requirement. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None. ADJOURNMENT: 7:56 p.m.