Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District

Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors
Business Meeting Minutes

The Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District met in regular public session on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at 4:10 p.m., in the UF/IFAS auditorium, UF/IFAS Extension Brevard Co., 3695 Lake Drive, Cocoa, FL.

Co-Chairman, Adam Tritt, called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Video with audio of the entire meeting was provided for public viewing through the UF/IFAS Extension ZOOM web-based video conferencing and recording system, as well as on Facebook Live.

Board members present: Adam Tritt, Co-Chairman, Supervisor Group 1
Jim Sloan, Secretary, Supervisor Group 2
Jonathan Schuman, Treasurer, Supervisor Group 4
Chelsea Partridge, Supervisor Group 3

Staff members present: Joe Walter, Agriculture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Brevard
Brian Zielinski, USDA/NRCS Conservationist – Brevard & Seminole Co.

Visitors and Presenters: No presentations were made by visitors.

Presented Documents.

Documents as presented by the Staff, Presenters and Supervisors for review, approval and/or information of the Board:

? Email (12/6/2021) from Charlene Meeks Charlene.meeks@afcdfl.com to mike.engelgau@brevardsoilandwater.org. Subject: ZOOM link for the AFCD Workshop on Proposed Legislation (SB 1078) to abolish Soil & Water Conservation Districts and move the district assets and liabilities to local Water Management Districts.
? Email (10/10/2021) from Charlene Meeks Charlene.meeks@afcdfl.com to mike.engelgau@brevardsoilandwater.org. Subject: 2022 AFCD Membership and Request for District Info on training needs, donations for the Ellis Putnal Fund, 2022 AFCD Annual Meeting, Annual Membership Dues, and AFCD/AFCD/NACD 2022 Contests.
? Brevard Soil & Water Conservation District Letter to Commissioner Nikki Fried dated March 13, 2021, signed by Supervisor, Group 2, James E. Sloan. Subject: Proposal to schedule an annual budget funding level adequate to support all District Supervisor powers and operations authorized under Florida Statute Title 35 Chapter 582.
? Brevard Soil & Water Conservation District Letter to Commissioner Nikki Fried dated May 12, 2021, signed by Supervisor, Group 2, James E. Sloan. Subject: Proposal to establish a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services comparable to the MOA with the Florida office of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, which is currently in-effect with Florida soil and water conservation districts.
? Indian River Lagoon Day Event promotional materials, such as brochures, printing, banners, and handouts:
• USDA NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Information Sheet.
• USDA NRCS Backyard Conservation Tip Sheet on Water Conservation.
• USDA NRCS & National Association of Conservation Districts’ Backyard Conservation Tip Sheet on Wildlife Habitat.
? USDA NRCS – Cocoa Service Center, District Conservationist Report, Brevard SWCD Meeting December 8th, 2021. Natural Resources Conservation Service Updates.

Reported for Public Records.

There were no documents presented for the public record by the supervisors.

Guest Presentations.

There were no guest presentations.

Review and Approval of the Current Treasurer’s Report.

The board treasurer, Jonathan Schuman, provided the treasurer’s report for November 1st to November 30th, 2021, to the board, with a report format change that included the Bank of America checking account and CD account summary reports. He reported that the statement of CD account earned interest of $18.99 did arrive within the end of November 2021 summary.

The motion by Chelsea Partridge to approve the September 1 to September 30, 2021, Treasurer’s Report was seconded by James Sloan. The motion passed as amended by unanimous vote of the supervisors present.

Jonathan Schuman noted that the designated Brevard County public school officer could not accept the $2000.00 District grant check for deposit and disbursement to those teachers participating in the student science projects. The grant check must therefore be replaced and presented to a different Brevard public school department/officer for deposit and disbursement to the participating science teachers.

Supervisor Partridge presented the Treasurer with an invoice for payment of $108.93 billing of her order for Indian River Lagoon Day Event promotional materials, consisting of brochures, printing, banners, and handouts.

Review and Approval of Minutes for prior Board of Supervisors meeting.

The board secretary, James Sloan, presented the business meeting minutes, as prepared by supervisor Chelsea Partridge, for the previous public business meeting held on Wednesday, November 10th, 2021. There were typographical changes requested during the in-session review by the supervisors, so the minutes were offered with amendment to incorporate those corrections and changes.

The motion made by Supervisor Sloan, to approve the November 10th,2021 Board of Supervisors’ Business Meeting Minutes, was seconded by Jonathan Schuman. The motion passed with amendment by unanimous vote of the supervisors. An updated version of the approved minutes will be provided at the January 12th, 2022, District business meeting.

Old Meeting Business

USDA NRCS Cocoa Service Office District Conservationist Report
The Brian Zielinski of the USDA NRCS Cocoa Service Office provided the October 13, 2021, District Conservationist Report to this Brevard SWCD Meeting. He updated the NRCS/BSWCD partnership issues within his report categories of “Old Business & New Business.
* NRCS Old Business:
o BSWCD & SSWCD Field Trip:
* The date for the joint field trip by Brevard SWCD and Seminole SWCD is confirmed as Saturday January 22nd, 2022. The location and property to be viewed has not been confirmed.
o SSWCD Land Judging Contest:
* Seminole SWCD is holding a Land Judging Contest in late March 2022 and asked if the Brevard SWCD would like to participate in the contest. Three supervisors expressed interest in supporting and participating in the contest. They were Jim Sloan, Jonathan Schuman, and Chelsea Partridge. We are awaiting Seminole’s decision on the date and location of the contest.
o 2022 Wetlands Festival:
* This festival is to be held in Christmas FL on February 19th, 2022. The motion to have BSWCD setup a booth and provide support through displays and handouts to visitors was made by Chelsea Partridge and seconded by Jonathan Schuman. The motion passed by unanimous vote of the board and will be planned at a future meeting.
o Canaveral Marshes:
* The Brevard SWC District Interagency Agreement. The NRCS Cocoa Service Center District Conservationist, Brian Zielinski, and Brevard District representative, Chelsea Partridge, met with the St Johns Water Management District on November 18th. The interagency meetings will continue every 6 months for the term of the agreement. Discussion highlighted the Brevard SWC District’s Intergovernmental Agreement with the St Johns Water Management District to receive compensation from the grazing lease agreement on the Canaveral Marshes. An extension of the current five-year lease term with addition lease holders for the Canaveral Marshes will be completed during the upcoming lease revision cycle. Specific discussion items included:
* Management of the Canaveral Marshes land.
* Need for additional fencing.
* St Johns herbicide applications within the Canaveral Marshes lease area.
* Progress status on the lease update schedule and terms.
* The NRCS conservationist’s update of the Canaveral Marshes conservation plan.
* Need for an update to the Interagency Agreement.
* Supervisor Partridge reported that a road on Canaveral Marshes land that the Brevard District manages needs improvement. The estimated cost will be $2500 which may be offset by road work accomplished by the lease holder through deductions from the lease payment amount. The consensus of the board supervisors was, that we will support whatever project and funding plans are approved by the St Johns Water Management District.
* Brian Zielinski reported that the Canaveral Marshes conservation plan updates and FY reporting will be accomplished by the January 12th District Board meeting.

* NRCS New Business:
o NRCS State-Wide 2022 Resource Funding Pools Selected by the LWG:
* Grazing
* Water Conservation
* Brush and Herbicide Weed Control
o NRCS State-Wide 2022 Level of Investment for Selected Funding Pools:
* Cropland 13%
* Grazing 29%
* Forestry 7%
* Water Conservation 16%
* Seasonal High Tunnel 1%
* Brush and Herbicide Weed Control 17%
* Invasive Plants 15%
o FY 2022 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) -Local
* All application data has been submitted to FL Office NRCS
* Conservation Delivery Team (CDT) made Funding Pool Selection.
* Total Applications Received – 13 (12 for Brevard) (1 cancelled Brevard).
* Nov. 22nd is Deadline for Eligibility.
* EQIP Fast Track (Seasonal High Tunnel/CAPs)
o 1/21/22 – Obligation deadline
o 3 applications
* EQIP Classic
o 6/3/22 – Obligation deadline
o 9 applications
o FY 2022 Conservation Stewardship Program (Classic):
* Total CSP contracts for FY2022 may reach 4
* 1/28/22 – Deadline for participant to meet eligibility
* 3/28/22 – Deadline for Assessment/Ranking/Cost-Estimate
* 4/1/22 – State office to inform Field Office of pre-approvals
* 4/8/22 – Deadline to send Intent to Proceed Letters
* 6/3/22 – Obligation deadline

Report on grants to science teachers of Brevard public and private schools for classroom environmental projects.

Supervisor Schuman reported that he had completed the award of $2000, for ten grants of $200 each, with an additional $1000 reserved for associated project administrative expenses, to science teachers of Brevard public and private schools for their classroom environmental projects. His further coordination with Jennifer Cotton of Brevard Schools Secondary Programs and Kathy Whittle of Brevard Schools Secondary Leading and Learning Programs found that the award check for $2000 had to be withdrawn by the District Treasurer, so he could address it to a different office of the Brevard school system that would disburse the ten grants to the science teachers.

The board of supervisors reviewed the October meeting motion that authorized his project plan for awarding ten grants of $200 each, with an additional $1000 authorized for associated project administrative expenses. Supervisor Schuman also discussed the original outline of criteria for application, reporting and award of the ten grants of $200 to local school science teachers for use during their year 2022 classroom projects in the environmental areas of Brevard Ecological Impact. Two forms were provided to facilitate the qualification, reporting, and award of the ten grants. The attachments were:
1. Soil and Water Supervisors Brevard County – Ecological Impact Grant Fall 2021, Application.
2. Soil and Water Supervisors Brevard County – Ecological Impact Grant Fall 2021, Report Cover.

2022 AFCD Annual Membership Dues and AFCD/AFCD/NACD 2022 Contests

Supervisor Schuman put forth a motion to authorize the Treasurer to pay the $350 AFCD annual dues and contribute a donation of $150 for the AFCD/AFCD/NACD 2022 Contests. The motion was seconded by Chelsea Partridge. The motion passed by unanimous vote of the board members. The AFCD request for submission of District requirements on local service and training needs was noted, but no requirements were put forward by board members or staff for submission to AFCD.

New Meeting Business

Supervisor Partridge set up a Brevard District information tent and table with promotional materials, such as brochures, printing, banners, and handouts at the Indian River Lagoon Day Event hosted by Brevard County Natural Resources Management Dept. on Front Street Park, Melbourne FL. A prior board motion had authorized her a budget of up to $200 for expenses of obtaining the promotional materials, so she was reimbursed $108.93 for actual expenses at the Indian River Lagoon Day Event.

The AFCD Workshop on Proposed Legislation (SB 1078 and HB 783) in committee to abolish Soil & Water Conservation Districts and move the district assets and liabilities to local Water Management Districts was discussed and the draft AFCD Legislative Information Sheet was reviewed. Also noted was the Gadsden County Republican Executive Committee Resolution in Support of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The AFCD Workshop was set for January 4th, 2022, at 12:00 PM EST by ZOOM link ID 7314470913 so all SWC District Supervisors can join the workshop discussion.

With consensus of the Board, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 5:26 PM on 12/8/2021.

Prepared for board review and approval by,

James Sloan
Secretary
Supervisor, Group 2
January 7, 2022