Environmental Advisory Board Special Meeting – November 12, 2025

The Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) held a special meeting on November 12, 2025, at 4:00 PM in the Clearwater Main Library Council Chambers. The primary agenda item was a detailed presentation on the city's Vulnerability Assessment, followed by a Director's Report and discussion of upcoming board consolidation. The meeting included citizen comments and board member remarks.

Consent Calendar

• The board unanimously approved the minutes of the July 16, 2025 EAB meeting. Motion carried without dissent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Brian Beckman (spelled B-E-C-K-M-A-N) spoke in support of a new solar dashboard created by the Sierra Club for Pinellas County, highlighting cumulative benefits across five cities including Clearwater. He reported that as of mid-2025, there were about 10,000 solar permits across those cities, saving approximately $27 million annually on energy bills and avoiding nearly 13 million gallons of gasoline consumption per year. He praised the city's energy efficiency efforts and encouraged board members to explore the dashboard.
• William Jones (2694 Redford Court) expressed confusion and concern about the Vulnerability Assessment findings. He questioned how cost avoidance ROI was calculated, whether the city plans to fund private property mitigation (e.g., elevating homes on North Beach), and whether taxpayers in higher areas should subsidize risky coastal development. He also noted difficulty understanding technical terms such as "100-year rainfall depth." Staff committed to providing clearer explanations at a future council presentation.

Discussion Items

Vulnerability Assessment Presentation

Sustainability Specialist Melody Yin and Sustainability Manager Cassie Hardova presented the findings of the city's Vulnerability Assessment, funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Resilient Florida program. The study began in 2022 and concluded in early 2025. It used a geospatial resilience modeling tool (Simulator) to create a digital twin of Clearwater, simulating conditions from 2020 to 2100. The assessment covered tidal flooding, riverine flooding, pluvial flooding, storm surge, and heat stress.

Key Findings:

• By 2100, under NOAA's intermediate-high sea level rise projection, over 3,000 parcels (nearly 10% of the city) may experience tidal flooding, especially on barrier islands and downtown.
• 100-year rainfall event depth projected to increase from 13.75 feet (2040) to 14.34 feet (2100); 500-year event from 15.32 feet to 20.38 feet.
• Maximum storm surge depth increases from 17.1 feet (2040) to 22.7 feet (2100).
• Days above 90°F increase from 1–25 days (2040) to 176–200 days (2100) in many areas; correlation with low tree canopy. (Board members questioned the baseline, suggesting current 90°+ days are higher; staff agreed to clarify the data.)
• 17,000 study locations face heightened heat exposure by 2100.

Adaptation Scenarios (10 initial, 5 refined):

• Stevenson Creek (Scenario 1): $200M on 79 projects (road elevations, building acquisitions) yields $297M avoided damages, ROI 1.485.
• Citywide Tree Canopy (Scenario 2): $3.62M on 7,200 planting locations avoids $5.1M in damages, ROI 1.41. Board members strongly supported this as cost-effective with multiple co-benefits.
• Seawall Elevation (Scenario 3): Moderate ROI; most seawalls are private. City is separately studying 48 city-owned seawalls (33 need maintenance, 10 need rehab/replacement). A living seawall pilot project is in exploration.
• Coastal Zone 3 – Bayshore/Belcher (Scenario 4): $70M on 14 road elevations avoids $213M, ROI 3.74.
• Barrier Islands Elevation (Scenario 5): $88M on 602 projects avoids $240M, ROI 2.73. ROI higher for commercial structures due to replacement cost.
• Citywide Acquisition (Scenario 6): $1.5B for 1,282 acquisitions avoids $2.45B, ROI 1.63.
• Hercules/US 19 Corridor (Scenario 7): $26.35M for 8 acquisitions avoids $43.17M, ROI 1.64.
• Downtown/North Greenwood Mixed-Use (Scenario 8): High potential return with acquisitions and tree planting.
• Drew Street/SR 60 (Scenario 9): Modeling limitations; not selected for refinement.
• Citywide Elevation (Scenario 10): $141.1M for 837 elevations avoids $389.3M, ROI 2.76.

Refined Scenarios:

• Stevenson Creek with bridge upgrades (3 bridges identified: Bellevue Boulevard, Bell Air Road, Douglas Avenue).
• North Greenwood: $76M for 43 building acquisitions and 1,000 tree planting locations.
• Downtown Clearwater: 919 tree planting locations and 33 acquisitions.
• Mainland West Coast: Tree planting priority index based on demographics.

Technical Advisory Committee Recommendations: Include integration with St. Petersburg tidal station data, surface water and groundwater modeling, public education on rain gardens and permeable pavements, land acquisition for stormwater retention, and pursuing grants for visualization and outreach.

Next Steps: Prioritize high-ROI projects, expand tree canopy in vulnerable areas, enhance data collection, engage community in resiliency planning, and pursue grant funding (already applied for $79M in grants).

Director's Report

Cassie Hardova provided updates:

• Congressional Directed Spending Award ($949,500 federal match) approved for solar installations on new city hall, Long Center, North Greenwood Rec Center, and Countryside Library – bringing total to nine city solar facilities.
• Final EV from a prior grant expected next month; grant will close.
• Applied for an urban forestry grant for a canopy assessment and management plan.
• Pre-filed for 2025 elective pay projects (IRS clean energy cash back); estimated over $500,000 return for four major solar installations.
• Received a stormwater education grant for the Adopt-a-Drain program (launch in January 2025).
• Ongoing outreach campaigns: Pollinator Power (current), Beat the Heat (summer), Climate Friendly Commuting. Upcoming: Resilient Clearwater… water campaign for stormwater education.
• Board Consolidation: City Council passed first reading to consolidate EAB with Parks & Rec and Library Advisory Boards into the Community Resiliency and Leisure Services Advisory Board (7 members, meets bi-monthly). Second reading on November 20th. Current EAB members will have first priority to apply. Three of seven seats have a preference for environmental background/education. The board's objectives include environmental stewardship, grant application review, and community outreach.

Board members expressed support for this consolidation and requested work sessions prior to meetings to allow more in-depth discussion under Sunshine Law constraints.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved unanimously.
• Vulnerability Assessment findings and adaptation scenarios were presented and discussed. No formal motion was made, but board members voiced strong support for tree canopy expansion and community education.
• Director's Report noted with appreciation. Board members thanked staff for their work.
• Board consolidation proceeding – members to apply if interested; final decision after November 20 council vote.
• Adjournment – The meeting adjourned after board member remarks.