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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-05-12; Beach Preservation Committee; Minutes M I N U T E S MEETING OF: BEACH PRESERVATION COMMITTEE DATE OF MEETING: May 12, 2015 TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: Parks and Recreation Administration 799 Pine Avenue, Suite 200 CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 4:04 pm. ROLL CALL: Present Members: Linda Petrucci, Bret Barger, Fred Briggs, and Shelly Sander, Darryl Hatheway, Norelynn Pion-Goureau Absent Members: Amy Ahrendt Guests: Matt Huff, Robin Greene, Sheila Henika Staff: Kasia Trojanowska, Liz Ketabian, Kyle Lancaster, John Maashoff, Sergeant Jeffrey Smith APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of the minutes for the meeting of March 10, 2015 were deferred to the next scheduled committee meeting, due to the lack of a quorum of members who were in attendance. 1. BEACH FEST UPDATE: Mat Huff, President of California Beach Foundation, provided an update on the planning efforts for the 2015 Carlsbad Beach Fest scheduled for June 13, 2015. Mr. Huff is in the process of securing the necessary permits for the event. Mr. Huff is proposing to hold the event on a privately owned section of the north beach, and is working to also include educational booths at the Ocean Street Sculpture Park. The various city exhibits may include Walk+ Bike Carlsbad, Barrio Master Plan; Water Conservation, Cultural Arts, Parks & Recreation - including the Trail Volunteer Program, as well as the Beach Preservation Committee. Other organizations that will participate in the Beach Fest include Surfrider Foundation, lagoon foundations and Cal State San Marcos. Individual members of the committee expressed support of the event, and committed to volunteer with its coordination/execution. 2. AGUA HEDIONDA LAGOON MAINTENANCE DREDGING: Sheila Henika, Encina Power Station, provided a brief summary on the maintenance dredging of the western basin of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, which ended on April 15, 2015. A total of approximately 300,000 cubic yards of sand was dredged from the lagoon. The final step in the project involved depositing sand on the beach to the north of the cold water jetty. Sheila stated that the Encina Power Station went through 30 dredging cycles since 1954, when the power plan started its operation. The dredging of the sand out of the lagoon is a part of the cooling tower standard maintenance operation. 3. BATIQUITOS LAGOON MAINTENANCE DREDGING: Upcoming dredging is scheduled for September/ October 2015 and will last until February/ March 2016. The maximum amount of sand which could be removed as a result of the dredging project is about 118,000 cubic yards, but based on the information provided by the California Fish and Wildlife, a more realistic amount of removed sand will be about 50,000 -60,000 cubic yards. High priority will be given to removing the sand that is currently restricting the tidal flow of the channel in the western and middle basins. The dredged material will be deposited onto South Ponto State Beach within the City of Carlsbad, and onto the adjacent state beach within the City of Encinitas. BEACH PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Minutes of March 10, 2015 Page 2 4. COMMITTEE MEMBER DISCUSSION:  State Parks Report – Seals at the beach: Warm water currents have recently brought baby seals to the shore who have been unable to stay at sea and nurse from their mothers, for the typical time needed. SeaWorld is caring for about 300 cubs this season, where typically the number of rescued seals ranges from 25 to 50 at this time of the year. According to Robin Greene, the best course of action for the washed out baby seals is leaving them alone and calling the SeaWorld hot line. The committee proposed to include information on the city’s website with the link to Sea World and possibly the National Marine Fisheries, describing what to do if you encounter a seal cub at the shore.  State Parks Report – Graffiti on the Carlsbad Seawall: Fred Briggs expressed a concern over an increasing amount of charcoal graffiti on the seawall. John Maashoff explained that the City of Carlsbad has a contract with the Urban Corps for 2 staff working 5 days a week on graffiti removal citywide. The cost of the contract is about $90,000/year, plus materials. It weekly observation of the seawall condition north of Tamarack Ave. Observation of the seawall south of Tamarack Ave occurs as time allows. Typically, graffiti is eradicated within 48 hours of notification that an area has been vandalized. Robin Greene confirmed that charcoal graffiti is more common than spray- paint graffiti at the beach. It is an unattractive nuisance, often done by kids and local teenagers. Graffiti is a type of vandalism, which can be penalized by citation and a fine of $1,000 or more. Sergeant Smith stated that the Carlsbad Police Department will provide extra patrols at the beach, especially in the areas where graffiti activity has reportedly increased. Fred previously reached out to the local high school students asking how to prevent beach vandalism from happening. In response, students proposed an “anti-graffiti social media campaign”. Sergeant Smith will relay this idea to Jodee Sasway, Community Relations Manager at the Police Department. The committee mentioned that they would like also to approach the Surfrider Foundation to participate in the campaign.  State Parks Report – Squirrels at the beach bluff – Fred reported increased amount of squirrels at the beach bluff. According to Robin Greene they are naturally occurring and part of the bluff ecosystem. Fred proposed trapping squirrels as a measure to control population, but according to Robin Greene, this method meets with a negative response from the public. Educational signage, flap-closing trash bins and appropriate plant material on the bluff - as a better means of controlling the squirrel population - was discussed. The recently removed ice plant, replaced with native plants, was one of the other means discussed to regulate wildlife of the bluff. City staff reported that “Do not feed the squirrels” signs, and interpretative habitat and wildlife panels, will be installed shortly as part of the public outreach associated with the Tamarack/Frazee Coastal Bluff Restoration Project. 5. PUBLIC COMMENT: None ADJOURNMENT/NEXT MEETING By proper motion, the meeting was adjourned at 5:36 pm. The next meeting of the Beach Preservation Committee will be Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. in the City of Carlsbad Parks and Recreation Administration Building, 799 Pine Avenue, Suite 200, Carlsbad, 92008. KASIA TROJANOWSKA Parks Planner