Surfrider Foundation Sebastian Inlet Chapter
6/19/16
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Vice Chair- Alek Buchness
o Capital Improvements: Order in process for new banner, $36, table
cover $104, flag and pole, $177 = $318.75 total plus shipping
o Requested new school brochures (100)
o Regular joes theme (pros to joes) Bill is working on getting CJ to come
be honored
o Phillip Waters is in, will ask CJ
o Expression session for former pros
o Consider some of the proceeds going to TWLOHA
o Will figure out a percentage breakout before voting on it
Erik (Treasurers Report)
o Beginning balance.
$ 10,238.38
Coasters - after meeting beer
Deposit - Alec cash.
Surfrider - new members.
Square - new member.
The Green Marketplace.
Simply Organic Law.
Sod Depot - gravel.
Sands on the Beach - RJ meeting.
Square - new member.
The Home Depot.
Ending balance.
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55.00
163.00
245.00
23.97
83.00
402.00
124.00
29.00
24.31
176.00
$ 9335.66
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Chair Report
o July 2016What an active month! The county threw us a curve ball with the $551M
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‘’beach project’’ vote, while we were already in the middle of planning a wonderful
‘’restore the shore’’ IRL project and heavy involvement (Bo and Josh) in the Brevard
Indian River Lagoon Coalition (BIRLC). As well as a plastic bag reduction program
coming up in Satellite Beach, several educational presentations, and Regular Joe
planning. ORB Fest planning is underway too! We have a real team now, the best in
Florida (as we proved at the Surfrider Challenge surf contest). To say that I’m proud
of what all of you have done so far this year would be a gross understatement.
Big news for our meeting Tuesday night is that state lead and new mom Holly
Parker will be our guest! Let’s all give Holly a big welcome and let her fill us in on
some of the latest news. From national policy on climate down to IRL issues, she’ll
have updates on many things. And don’t forget state conference is coming up
November 4-6th, this year in St. Pete hosted by the really cool people at Suncoast
Chapter https://www.facebook.com/events/998884996875682/
And we have news for her as well. Josh’s work on bag reduction in Satellite Beach
has a couple of angles that could have statewide implications.
For the first time in months, we don’t any huge events going on in the next 30
days – actually it’s about 60 days until Regular Joe. But with the rollout on more
BIRLC activities imminent, school club registration, the Satellite Beach bag
campaign, Regular Joe, Space Coast Saunter, and ORB planning all going; we’ll still
be busy.
At least two more IRL shoreline planting projects are available opportunities, and
there’s news on the sea oat front as well. All three of these can be scheduled for
when it gets a little cooler. Yesterday at Ryckman Park was enough hot work for
one year.
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“Phase Two’’ on Ryckman Park will be the area just north of phase one project.
The property belongs to the dentist’s office across the street; it looks like part of
the park. We have permission to plant there and full cooperation of the
property owner.
Florida State Parks would like to do a project with us (date tbd) to do native
plant restoration in the Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park. IRLP is the
newly acquired conservation land
Sea oats in Indian River County next spring! In addition to our ‘’normal’’
plantings in Brevard, we wanted to do a project for our new IRC members who
signed up at Capt. Hiram’s; now it’s officially in the works! I’ve spoken to IRC
beaches engineer James Gray, who will supply plants and all we have to do is
organize and get volunteers out to do the work. Probable site is Monster Hole
area, just south of Inlet. James and I were able to speak to Sebastian inlet State
Park admins, and Sebastian Inlet Tax District head Marty Smithson – so we have
all concerned parties on board.
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Regular Joe is fast approaching! John and the team should have a report for us
and it’s time to start promoting.
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This week I’ll be finishing up the work with the City of Satellite Beach on the ‘’surf
spot signs’’ for the City’s beach accesses.
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School registrations are coming up in a few weeks and we will need to organize
tabling efforts for our school clubs at schools where we are permitted to do so.
I wish we had a school club coordinator to help oversee these multiple efforts!
Maybe something to work on for next year?
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Chapter EC elections are coming in November. We should have a slate of candidates
at least 60 days in advance. So it’s time to really think about your roles – and of
course we need to fulfill by-law requirements of publicly posting offices and
candidates so that our active members have opportunity to participate. Turnover and,
at the least, rotation of offices is encouraged/required by chapter by-laws. For your
convenience, here are the applicable by-laws:
ARTICLE II, SECTION 2 2.2.1 Method of Nomination: Two (2) months before any
chapter election, the election process and scheduled date decided upon by the
chapter should be explained and discussed as a regularly scheduled agenda item at
the chapter's general meeting, posted on the chapters website, Facebook page or
similar public forum so that all members are familiar with it and those that want to
participate may do so. A date for the election shall be set. One (1) month before the
upcoming election, nominations for the Executive Committee shall be taken from the
floor of the general meeting. Chapters may also receive nominations by mail or
alternate methods, so long as they are explained to the chapter membership at the
general meeting two (2) months prior to the election. All nominations must be
seconded by any member in good standing. 2.2.2 Method of Election: The election
of a chapter's Executive Committee members shall take place bi-annually consistent
with the terms of office on a date decided by the executive committee. Written ballots
must be used for this election. Absentee ballots may be permitted at the discretion of
the Executive Committee. All chapter members in good standing may vote (a chapter
member in good standing is defined as any member of the Surfrider Foundation who
has attended at least three (3) chapter meetings or three (3) chapter events in the
twelve (12) months preceding the election.). 2.2.3 Counting the Ballots: Two (2)
members of the chapter's Executive Committee who are not up for reelection to the
chapter's Executive Committee must be designated to count the ballots and must
complete their task within one (1) week of the election. If this is not possible based on
the level of commitment of prior Executive Committee members the Director of
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Chapters will oversee the results. The results shall be made available to the
membership as soon as the ballots have been counted and reported at the next
chapter membership meeting. Election disputes may be appealed to the Surfrider
Foundation's Director of Chapters, whose determination shall be final.
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o School club registration is coming up on the 8th or 9th
o Have opportunity to do a planting with State Park system, at Indian
River Lagoon Preserve.
o Got enough new members at Hirams event to start sub group in
Indian River County, needed a project to work on, will do a sea oat
planting at beach near monster hole
o Meeting was well attended: more speakers opposed then for it, but
still passed 4 to one.
o County bundled all projects together in order to help it pass
o Will commit 551 mill over 50 years to dredging on those beaches
o Will continue to fight it because there are special conditions because
of the reef, looking to mitigate, but it will fail, project must be halted.
o If it’s buried, it will be an obvious failure, we will need to monitor
whoever is monitoring the mitigation to show that there is a failure.
o We’ve held this thing off for 10 years.
o Will continue to juxtapose that commitment against the IRL
commitment want them to match in funding for lagoon
o Elections are coming up in November, executive committee members
and other members should read bi-laws, by next meeting, have idea of
who should run for different offices
o Must announce elections 30 days in advance so people can vote
Indian River Lagoon Coalition Report: Bo Platt
o County commission meeting August 9th, proposal brought before
county commission to do a ad valorem property tax, 1.5 mill that
would add 44 dollars to average property taxes per year. Time will be
assigned, looking for as many people as possible to show up wearing
blue, opposition will be wearing green
o Lisa will be organizing the shirts, will vote on putting logo on shirts
o Will be marketing through social media, putting info out on WFIT,
reaching out to SCPA and MRC
o Consider doing an op ed
o Next meeting is Thursday at Josh’s house
RAP report: Josh Pause
o Has a donor looking to put in $5,000 toward more bags
o Plans for rolling out kiosk system to distribute
o Working on videos, will probably be some edits to the script, working
with Holly to make sure it can be usable on the state level
o November, satellite beach founders day parade, could be the kickoff
for the program
o Ocean Reef Beach is December 3
o Have asked Publix if they would track difference in plastic bags, but
they have been very opposed to it
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Holly
o Illegal to ban or tax bags
o Passing resolutions supporting home rule to show will of constituency
o Annual Florida Chapter conference: First weekend in November, St.
Pete Beach, Hilton Bayfront, people from headquarters coming out:
CEO, new climate change person coming out, head of chapters
o Working with smart fin to track SLR climate change implications
o Three-days Nov 4th-6th
o Forum on ocean policy is the day beforehand
o Chapter gets one hotel room paid for by headquarters
o Legislative priorities: plastic bag bill, beach access bill, lobbying for
water quality monitoring appropriations to get state to start chipping
back in, Federal Government hasn’t been including it, had to fight each
time to get it put back in. Bill on SLR mandating plan for SLR and
climate change adaptation and publish
o March: lobby day up in Tallahassee, lobbying training session, visit
legislators ORB festival poster hangs in senators office today.
o [email protected]
o Treasure coast been in reorganization for four years now, will be
holding elections in September
o Posted on coastal blog on national website about algal blooms
advocating for buying land in EAA, fully funding Florida Forever,
cleaning up septic tanks, cleaning up your lawn
o New program called Surfrider University, online courses on chapter
function related issues and each of the Executive Council positions
Allison:
o Lagoon Friendly lawns release info
o Litter Quitter group purchase discounts
o Get info to Holly on Lagoon Friendly Lawns program and she will
present to Cocoa Beach Chapter
o Need to get chapter specific logo
Jon
o Space Coast Saunter, Alek got Billy Chapman signed on to do the
entertainment, will vote later on whether to pay him = Mike motion to
pay him $200 to play on Oct 8th at Spacecoast Saunter kickoff party
passed unanimously (six EC members present voted)
o Going to reach out to invite guys from Michigan who work with
cerebral palsy, brother who is a wrestler has been carrying him to
state capital every year to bring awareness to cerebral palsy, have him
do a day of the walk with his brother on his shoulders
o Regular Joe: all the paperwork is ready for the state park
o Marketing is starting soon
o Dale Sorenson is back in again, former presenting sponsor
o Alek has been talking to sweetwater brewing, Holly will touch base
with them to see if they can get them to sponsor
o Jon has contacted about 10 former sponsors
o Entertainment: shred neck, quarter bones, my remedy, Willy Q
comedian hosting the party
o Looking to plan a registration party, possibly at monkey bar
o Holly will send flyer out to other chapters