DRAFT NOT YET VOTED ON

 

Hammock Community Conservation Corporation
Minutes of the April 1, 2008, Meeting

 

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by President Thad Crowe.  The pledge of allegiance was given and a moment of silence was observed for those serving to protect our country.
 

Program:  Force Main Sewer Planned for SR A1A

 Speaker: Dr. Oel Wingo, Asst. City Mgr. of Palm Coast introduced the program.  Dr. Wingo told about her history in FL and wanting to make a difference in this area.  She is the "Point of Contact" for the entire project.
 Speaker: MILISSA Holland, member of the Board Of County Commissioners, spoke on her two issues:  Environment and public safety.  City and county are participating on a united front to improve the quality of life on the barrier island. Package plants are not the answer. 

Speaker: JON Netts, Mayor of  Palm Coast,  agreed with Ms. Holland - "this is an environmental issue" and "your environment is our environment". 
    A central collection system is necessary because, without one, the only choice is new package plants...which are small, unmanned,have  large maintenance problems and shorter life spans. Some of those can be replaced by the force main.  Current package plants do not have expansion capabilities.
100% of the waste water that goes thru the Palm Coast system is recycled. The system is award-winning. All water will meet "Public Access Reuse Standards"
     Force main: pump pressure moves the waste water along.  You can't just hook in; there must be a pump. System not really designed for individual homeowners to hook up. 
      Will run from Marineland south to Hammock Dunes Bridge on the west side of A1A and from Island Estates north to the bridge; then under the ICW to connect with the Palm Coast plant. A1A has a "margin" where pipes can be laid.  Where trenching is not possible, a directional bore will be done so an not to disturb trees.  Pipe is "reasonably flexible".  A master pump station will be needed at the bridge...on a small piece of  county-owned property. (The old access road to the old Sheraton.) The station will be of Spanish architecture.
       Project cost: $ 6 million. Will not be funded by taxes.  Federal dollars are available.  Federal criteria is that it be public/private.  Commercial entities along A1A are the private part. 
      Why does Palm Coast want to do this?  To reuse water.   Palm Coast is part of an area group looking for "long-term sustainable water sources".  Conservation is of optimum importance. 
      We're here to get out the facts. He will meet with any group that wants to hear him.  Next: meet with developers and large parcel owners.  Then:  Meet with Congressman Mica, who is in favor of the project but has many others vying for dollars.  As the project begins, lots of publicity and progress reports will be done.

     Timeline:  2 months to put out bids; 2 months to select bids; 14 months to do project.  But it won't happen till the money is in place and it isn't now.  If the money is not there, this project will not be built.
     A1A will never be shut down but RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREETS might be.
     Annexation is "a dead issue!"  City will not require annexation on the barrier island.  They will return all previously signed annexation agreements.

     Speaker: WILEY Deck, Rep. John Mica's district representative, said he is here to help.  Call his office in Palm Coast if you have questions.  Stated that this is one of the Congressman's top projects.

Questions/Comments from the public:
 Public:  There are lots of septic systems here.  There is flooding.  Why not plan for a gravity system where it will work? 

 Netts:  Taking some of the effluent off island will give the septic systems' effluent a better chance to be absorbed.  It's the backbone of the system.  There are funding problems with combining systems.
 Public:  Higher density will be allowed for with this system. 

 Netts:  Removing a package plant gives greater flexibility for planning and saving trees.  Holland: BOCC is rewriting the comp plan.  Growth mgmt issues are being put in place to prohibit higher densities. But,no GUARANTEE THAT future BOCC will adhere to this.           
Public: we can't depend on the BOCC.  It changes.  We must have density control.  Many years ago the county ruled that this was not a barrier island in order for ITT to be able to build.  Higher density will come.  We're in favor of the sewer but there must be density controls. 

Public:  How will private package plants like Matanzas Shores be affected?      

 Netts: If you want to get involved, you can. Nobody will force you to hook UP.           
 Wingo: Marineland system is falling apart and needs the force main.  Four more large developments, already approved by the BOCC, will have to go to package plants if we don't do the force main.  If we keep letting this go, it won't be beautiful here anymore.          

Public: At Marineland Acres THE COUNTY FLOATED A PROPOSAL THAT DRAINAGE COULD BE PIPED DOWN A1A.  PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN PLANNING SEWER IMPROVEMENTS.  
 Public: Will anyone be required to hook up to the system?

Netts:  No. Only those who want to.  We can't force residents to hook up. It is for commercial establishments and developments yet to be built. 
Public:  Will we have to pay extra for sewer/
Netts:  Costs to those on the barrier island will be an extra 25% like water because we non-residents haven't paid, in taxes, for the plant itself like Palm Coast residents have.           
Public: Can the plant handle future growth of Palm Coast and us too?
Richard Adams: Palm Coast Director of Utilities:  Plant is expandable as it is needed.  WWTP #2 is already in the planning stage, to be on line by 2011.
Public: Density can be controlled by increasing amt. of ground cover needed.  Will the BOCC go along with this?  We need to have the BOCC limit density.  We need a development code that says trees will remain where the package plant was to have been built.
Holland: Will promise continued communications.

Public (business owner):  We haven't been asked if we want to participate.
Netts:  You won't have to hook up if you don't want to.

 Alma Nemrava then brought up the Hammock's  Position Paper saying that a central sewer would be a good thing.  She asked when will homeowners be able to hook up?
Adams: It would not be practical to connect to the force main.  Residential would be a sizeable project. But the capacity would be there if more dollars can be gotten to serve the neighborhoods. 
Public: Could you do a street at a time, FOR EXAMPLE ATLANTIC DR. IN MARINELAND ACRES IF ALL THE RESIDENTS GOT TOGETHER TO PARTICIPATE?

 Adams: YES, PROBABLY. Retrofitting costs much money. A development, such as Maritime Estates, could hook on if all agreed. Current package systems WILL fail eventually.  INTERNAL COLLECTION SYSTEMS WILL DEVELOP LEAKS, AND FIXING ONE OF THOSE WILL COST $50,000 to 100,000, WHICH WILL QUICKLY DEPLETE PRIVATE FUNDS.  THE ECONOMY OF SCALE OF A LARGE SYSTEM LIKE PALM COAST'S CAN ABSORB THOSE COSTS. 
PUBLIC:  DOES THAT MEAN THAT PALM COAST WILL TAKE ON RESPONSIBLITY OF EXISTING INTERNAL NEIGHBORHOOD  COLLECTION SYSTEMS?
ADAMS:  YES, PROBABLY.   

President Crowe announced the end of questions.

 Announcements:
Alma Nemrava announced  May 3  as the next  A1A Clean-up and asked that people please sign up.

Treasurer's Report:

 

 Carole McCleery announced that the ending balance in the regular checking account is $282.85.   Special Fund ending balance: $1709.41.  Carole asked that people pay their dues.

 The meeting ended at 8: 53.
 
 Respectfully submitted,

 Bonnie Simms