Sustainability & Resiliency Advisory Board

SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCY ADVISORY BOARD COUNCIL CHAMBERS 400 NW 73RD AVE. PLANTATION, FL 33317 MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2024 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chair Dr. Julie Long at 6:31 p.m. Roll call was conducted by the clerk. A quorum was present. Present: Chair Dr. Julie Long, Ronald R. Eyma (at 6:34 p.m.), Maria Oliva, Dr. Kate Peach, Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas, Dr. Mary Hope Schwoebel (at 6:40 p.m.), and Joseph Winn Also Present: Assistant City Administrator Carole Morris APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES 081224 SRAB Meeting Minutes.pdf Joseph Winn moved to approve the August 12th, 2024 meeting minutes as presented; seconded by Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas. Motion passed: 5-0. NEW BUSINESS None OLD BUSINESS 1. Partner with schools on environmental projects Green_Schools_Campaign_presentation.pdf Dr. Long informed the board that the students were asking for SRAB support in presenting the Green Schools Campaign initiative to the City Council. The group had presented the plan to the city’s Education Advisory Board the previous week. Students were also circulating a support

petition to present to the Broward County School Board. The plan called for schools to convert to 100% renewable energy, which other school districts in the country had done. Ronald Eyma Arrived at 6:34 p.m. Joseph Winn asked how the plan had been developed and whether it was possible in Plantation. He spoke about the campaign having aspirational goals versus achievable, progressive goals. Dr. Long asked the board to review the PowerPoint and to express their support. Ronald Eyma stated his concerns about unrealistic expectations and thought tempering expectations would result in more buy-in. Dr. Schwoebel arrived at 6:40 p.m. Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas asked what would be expected of the board if they supported the plan and if they could make suggestions. Dr. Long did not believe there were other expectations beyond the board stating its support. She informed Kate Peach that there was a mechanism for the project to transition after the students supporting it now graduated. Joseph Winn said Broward County was in the process of purchasing electric school buses. Dr. Long stated Broward County School Board member Deborah Hixon had already agreed to work with the students. Dr. Schwoebel expressed her support. Dr. Schwoebel moved to state that the SRAB supports the Green Schools Campaign and to ask the City Council to support it; seconded by Ronald Eyma. Motion passed 7-0. 2. Earth Day survey results with respect to future educational activities Sustainability Survey Results.docx Dr. Long stated they could look at the survey results and consider incorporating some of those suggestions into their goals. She recalled Dr. Peach suggesting educational community events. Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas talked about the Sierra Club event last year that included speakers and said she favored the educational events. Dr. Long suggested art or writing contests on environmental topics that the board could judge. Dr. Peach asked about the recognition of the city’s Green businesses and suggested a contest using reusable materials to make themed sculptures similar to the Snowman competition for the holidays. Joseph Winn supported using art to get residents and students involved. Dr. Long asked if the city would provide funds for the art contest prizes and Carole Morris said they could ask, and reminded the board not to schedule an event that would compete with another city event. Dr. Schwoebel suggested including Green businesses in the competition. Students could investigate and report on what the Green businesses were doing and then the most environmentally friendly business and student reporting on it could be awarded. Dr. Long asked everyone to consider the idea and they would expand on it at their next meeting. Carole Morris suggested they consider who would be training students about the Green Business Program and what they should be looking for when assessing the businesses. A board member suggested this would be a great senior project for South Plantation High School. Dr. Long stated students could visit a business they frequented, ask them about Green initiatives,

and write an essay; they could also make recommendations for more ways to be energy efficient. A board member suggested getting parents involved as well. Another recommended involving the Chamber of Commerce but Dr. Long said she had tried to reach out to them but there had been no response. Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas moved to consider holding a contest where parents and students promote the success of Green businesses and create a presentation on how a specific business is Green; seconded by Ronald Eyma. Dr. Long amended the motion to indicate the contest would be for high school students who either resided in or went to school in Plantation and they would select a Plantation business to review. Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas volunteered to draft an explanation of the contest within two weeks for board members to review at the next meeting so they could launch as soon as possible. 3. Consideration of Green Business Application - Marumi Sushi Marumi Sushi.pdf Dr. Long discussed Marumi Sushi and her correspondence with the business on their incomplete application. She was hoping that they would resubmit their application to be reviewed again. Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas mentioned that she would be meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and agreed to present the Green Business Application to them. Carol Morris said a board member could make a presentation to the Chamber of Commerce provided the entire board was not present. 4. Discussion of NASA Climate Adaptation Plan nasa-2024-cap.pdf No discussion. 5. Review of draft sections of comprehensive plan June_10_2024_SRAB_-Comp_Plan.pdf Section_06__Conservation_Element.pdf Section_07__Recreation_and_Open_Space_Elem ent.pdf Dr. Long distributed the summary of all the departments that had presented to the SRAB and noted she had added recommendations, which she asked board members to review. She anticipated presenting it to the City Council at the end of the year. The board agreed that the directors from each department should review the final draft before presenting it to the City Council. A board member noted the Comprehensive Plan was a high-level policy document used to enforce development requirements. Dr. Long said she had added her comments

according to the board’s plans to create a 5-Year Sustainability Plan with the information they received from the presentations. Board members noted they could include benchmarks to determine whether the departments were accomplishing the suggested goals. Dr. Long agreed to provide all draft documents again to Ms. Morris to distribute to board members and said they could send them out to department directors to request input. 6. Broward Sustainability Coalition Update - Dr. Schwoebel SAC COALTION MEETING MINUTES 7.25.24 MHS edits.docx Broward SAC List.xlsx Dr. Schwoebel had attended two of these meetings and Dr. Long attended that last one and asked if anyone else was available to attend. 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. 6. OTHER BUSINESS/DISCUSSIONS Mr. Winn suggested the board could advise and guide the city regarding transportation demand management efforts. This entailed analyzing low-cost, resource-efficient modes of moving people around the city. He agreed to present this at the board’s December meeting. Dr. Schwoebel also suggested that he use his research from this presentation to add to the existing sustainability comprehensive action plan. 7. ADJOURNMENT: 8:14 p.m. Motion to Adjourn by Ronald Eyma, seconded by Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas.