The Indian River Lagoon Coalition welcomed the Indian River Lagoon Council’s new Executive Director Duane DeFreese to its Oct. 26 meeting in the Sebastian City Council Chambers, and to the brand new Lagoon Council offices in the Historic Old Sebastian School.
If the names of the Lagoon groups seems confusing, here is a quick primer: The Indian River Lagoon Coalition is an alliance of three cities – Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere – that banded together to pay $50,000 and occupy a seat on the Indian River Lagoon Council when Indian River County commissioners, led by Commissioner Bob Solari, refused to join the Council and work to save the Lagoon.
All other Lagoon counties – Martin, St. Lucie, Brevard and Volusia – joined as counties, but IRC is represented by city officials in the IRL Coalition. The Council will make decisions about how federal, state and local money is spent to protect and repair the Lagoon, decisions the IRC Board of Commissioners declined to participate in.
Coalition Chairman (and Sebastian Mayor) Richard Gillmor and the other two Coalition representatives, Vero Beach Mayor Richard Winger and Fellsmere Vice Mayor Joel Tyson presented their respective city’s highest priority lagoon-related projects for DeFreese to bring before the Lagoon Council on Nov. 13.
Gillmor, Tyson and Winger ranked their projects in order of urgency: First is Vero Beach: Winger stated that, without a stormwater utility, Vero Beach is facing significant problems, and is seeking help in its efforts to establish a voluntary septic step system. Second is Sebastian: repairing/replacing the 30-inch drainage pipe between Oyster Point Condominiums and Cpt. Hiram’s on Indian River Drive, feeding into the lagoon, is a critical need. Ranked third is Fellsmere’s project: City Manager Jason Nunemaker said his City’s top priority is providing stormwater containment for a 40-acre tract, which can be broken down into phases. Fellsmere, he said, “is flexible.” He stated he’d like to see a “running priority list, similar to an MPO, which could give a project “more traction.”
DeFreese and Grants Coordinator Amy Adams have tallied in excess of $380 million in projects sought sought by the Lagoon Council’s five member counties. He explained that not all will be funded, and that the Legislature plans to split the chosen projects between education and water issues.
He confirmed that the IRL Council won’t request any appropriations in the next legislative session, and said three other funding sources are “mission critical” for the IRL Council: $250,000 from the FDEP; $500,000 each from the St. Johns River Water Management and the South Florida Water Management District. DeFreese will work in Tallahassee to gather support for the Council and its multiple lagoon projects.
He explained how the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, a major conduit for federal funding, is being transferred from its current “host,” SJRWMD, to the Indian River Lagoon Council, following criteria outlined in the EPA’s Clean Water Act. As soon as the EPA signs off on the transfer, the two water management districts will transfer Estuary Program assets – boats, trucks, paperwork, etc. – to the Lagoon Council.
DeFreese hopes to use private-sector funds to accomplish an ecosystem health assessment; an economic assessment; and a community value assessment, using the information to determine how best to move forward.
He suggested that the Coalition build a project list during the next year that can be presented during the 2017 Legislative Session, providing a clear picture of both regional and smaller-scale projects.
A scope of work for a long-term five-county stormwater capture and treatment project development and feasibility study was discussed. Sebastian City Engineer Frank Watanabe said the draft was comprehensive, covering all the issues in the five counties. DeFreese said although some feedback indicated it didn’t “do everything for everybody,” it represents multi-year projects and would not preclude any areas that might have been overlooked. DeFreese will bring it to the Nov. 13 Lagoon Council meeting.