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12-12-1995 ........ ~ '" CITY OF EDGEWATER BEAUTIFICATION , TREE COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 12, 1995 7:00 P.M. CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM MINUTES CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: Chairman Ver Way called the Regular Meeting of the Beautification & Tree Committee to order at 7:15 p.m. in the city Hall Conference Room. Members present were: Chairman Felicia Ver Way, Linda Sullivan, Mike visconti. Dan Lewis was absent. Also present was Recording Secretary, Lisa Kruckmeyer. APPROVAL OF MINUTES There were no minutes to be approved. NEW BUSINESS There was no new business to be approved. OLD BUSINESS Fountain Report Mr. visconti presented an update of the fountain plans. He showed the Committee pictures he drew of what the fountain will look like. He explained the fountain will be self contained and will keep pumping the same water. Ms. Sullivan stated they should get a picture of the sketch in the newspaper then the city and residents will realize the Committee is serious. Mr. visconti asked Ms. Sullivan if there are any art teachers that would draw a picture of what the fountain will look like at the intersection of U.S. #1 and Indian River Blvd. There was a discussion regarding having a contest with the middle and high schools to draw a picture of what the intersection will look like. The Committee discussed the details of the proposed contest. Chairman Ver Way suggested maybe the City could give a savings bond to the winners. Ms. Sullivan stated she thought Mr. visconti wanted someone at the college to do it. Why have a contest if she can get someone to do it. Ms. Sullivan suggested advertising the contest in the newspaper and have the adults of the City involved as well. Chairman Ver Way stated the winners would be recognized at the Arbor Day Celebration. Mr. visconti suggested displaying the rendering of what the fountain will look like and then people will see the Committee is really working hard toward beautification. He feels they aren't getting any cooperation from anyone else. There was further discussion regarding the size of the fountain. Chairman Ver Way feels this fountain will be the talk of the town and people will come from allover to look at the fountain. There was a discussion regarding whether or not they need a permit and who they need to speak to. '-" ...." Chairman Ver Way questioned if they should get the permit before this is approved. The secretary informed her she would probably have to wait until the project is approved. There was a discussion regarding what information is needed as far as obtaining a permit. Mr. visconti questioned if City Manager McMahon had answered back regarding their concerns expressed to him at the last meeting. The secretary informed her she had not received anything. Mr. visconti informed the Committee Progressive Homes would do the concrete work for $800. He informed them he would place their sign by the fountain while it is being constructed. Chairman Ver Way stated anyone who works on this will get the recognition. Ms. Sullivan questioned what happens if the City wants to go out for bid on this. Mr. Visconti expressed his feelings regarding this matter. Ms. Sullivan spoke about not being involved in any of the projects of beautification such as the Riverwalk, the medians on u.S. #1 or the Christmas trees on Indian River Blvd. Mr. Visconti questioned what the Committee is here for. Chairman Ver Way informed him to apply for grants. Ms. Sullivan stated they have to have a Beautification & Tree Committee to be a Tree City U.S.A. and for some grants. There was a brief discussion as to who the Committee works for. Mr. Visconti stated he was down at Indian River Blvd. the day of the Arbor Day Celebration with buckets of water waiting for the trees to be planted. Mr. Visconti commented on the fire hydrant that is located on the median strip where they wanted to plant the trees. There was a discussion regarding why the Arbor Day Celebration location was changed. Mr. Visconti feels they need to go ahead with the fountain and find out what they have to do first to get this accomplished. Chairman Ver Way stated Mayor Hayman is supposed to be at the January meeting and wants all of the facts, pictures and figures given to him. Chairman Ver Way asked the secretary to remind the Mayor about the meeting a week before. Mr. Visconti asked what they are doing about the video. Ms. Sullivan feels Mr. Lewis should do the narrating of the video. Mr. Visconti stated next week he was going to start the video. He is going to ride from New Smyrna on Ridgewood Ave all the way up to South Daytona and come back and take all of Edgewater coming in from SR 442. They will make a presentation to Council showing what Edgewater looks like compared to Port Orange and South Daytona. Chairman Ver Way feels they need to speak to Mayor Hood of Ormond Beach who has money dedicated for beautification of Ormond Beach. She feels their beautification is gorgeous. Page -2- Beautification & Tree Committee December 12, 1995 '-' ,.",.", Chairman Ver Way stated she spoke to Tom Haxby of Tallahassee who is going to send a grant application to her at the end of April where they give out $300,000 towards trees and flowers. Only 20% of the grant is limited to tree planting. Hopefully, we can get some money from there which she would hope could get the trees in the medians. There was a discussion regarding the widening of U.S. #1. Chairman Ver Way informed the Committee that Cathy Lowenstein is no longer the Forester. Adriana Lupis is the new Volusia County Forester. Chairman Ver Way spoke about the Winn Dixie shopping center being repainted. The Committee spoke about how well they have been maintaining the shopping center. Chairman Ver Way informed Mr. Visconti of the problems down at the shopping center before it got cleaned up. The Committee discussed when they get the fountain, it will be the first visual thing the Committee has done in five years. The Committee briefly discussed a relocation project for trees. Mr. Visconti stated the City has the manpower and the sources to do it. It is just that they don't want to do it. Chairman Ver Way spoke about her conversation with Mr. Williams. Ms. Sullivan stated instead of the firemen sitting at the station watching TV they could be taking care of the trees for an hour a day. She stated it wouldn't be the firemen's responsibility but you could make it their responsibility by getting them involved. Making that a community service project and giving them the opportunity for publicity. You have to make them feel like they are contributing. Mr. Visconti stated First Union Bank was very cooperative and said the City could use as much water as they needed to water the trees that were supposed to be planted on that median strip. Mr. Visconti feels they need to go to Scotty's and Home Depot to see how many trees they could donate to the city. Chairman Ver Way spoke about the salt tolerance being a problem. Ms. Sullivan stated they need to figure out what kind of trees they want to plant around the fountain and let these businesses know it is part of the fountain project and it will be placed around the fountain as part of the dedication ceremony. The Committee briefly discussed the kind of trees they would like to see around the fountain. Mr. Visconti suggested Crepe Myrtles. Ms. Sullivan suggested Oleanders. The Committee discussed the problems certain bugs cause to Oleanders. Mr. Visconti stated he uses oil soap and water to protect the trees from the bugs. Ms. Sullivan feels that is cheap enough for the City to do. Chairman Ver Way stated if they are taken care of. Ms. Sullivan stated Orlando takes care of their things, Edgewater fights because it means more work. Mr. visconti suggested going to one of the Council meetings to bring this up. He feels they need to find out why they aren't getting any cooperation. We had City Manager McMahon here and we haven't even heard back from him yet. Chairman Ver Way commented on getting no response back from the Council regarding the article in the newspaper concerning beautification and Edgewater not being listed in this article even after a second attempt. Page -3- Beautification & Tree Committee December 12, 1995 '-" ....., Ms. Sullivan stated the problem is people aren't going to take the initiative to take pride to do something. She feels they could get the fire and police auxiliaries involved. Mr. Visconti questioned if anyone heard back from City Attorney Storey regarding the $1 referendum. Chairman Ver Way stated she hasn't heard anything yet. She spoke to Mayor HaYman and he also informed her the $1 referendum would not be a good idea. Ms. Sullivan feels they should set up canisters for the beautification of the fountain. The Committee discussed only having the banks involved with the fountain. Chairman Ver Way stated she wanted to speak to the Mayor about putting fitness trails and benches around the ponds. She asked each member to come up with a project to speak to the Mayor about. Ms. Sullivan stated Mr. Visconti has the fountain project, Chairman Ver Way has the lakes project and she would do the Bloom Up Edgewater project. Chairman Ver Way asked to have their information to present to the Mayor at the next meeting. Chairman Ver Way asked when the sign is going to be put back. Ms. Sullivan stated we want the lights and flowers just like Oak Hill and New Smyrna has. Chairman Ver Way stated the Chamber was supposed to do that project. Mr. Visconti asked if they have handed out any beautification awards. Chairman Ver Way informed him they would be doing that soon. Chairman Ver Way asked the secretary to find out who they would have to speak to about getting new award signs made up. We need to get a new sign made up for the renovation beautification award. The secretary agreed to look into this for her. Chairman Ver Way feels these businesses need to be recognized. The Committee spoke about a few of the businesses who deserve this award. Chairman Ver Way spoke about getting the spring clean up on TV and all of the people on each block clean up their block. Chairman Ver Way asked the secretary to send a memo to Mayor HaYman asking him to speak to the architect to attend one of the meetings to discuss their plans for beautifying the city. Chairman Ver Way asked the secretary to give Mayor HaYman a copy of the concerns of the Committee and let him know that is what will be discussed at the next meeting. Ms. Sullivan commented on the debris not being picked up from the overpass repair out by 1-95. The Committee discussed the bad appearance coming into Edgewater out by 1-95. Ms. Sullivan suggested sending a letter to Russell Smith, DOT, asking to get the construction debris cleaned up out by 1-95. Chairman Ver Way asked to also include in the letter to please plant more palm trees, when they have extras that are pulled from somewhere else, and plant them out by the Edgewater exit on 1-95. The Committee again discussed planting trees on the median strip from U.S. #1 to the river on Indian River Blvd. Ms. Sullivan feels the police and fire auxiliaries could help adopt some of these projects. Chairman Ver Way explained they probably don't even know the Committee has any projects in mind. Page -4- Beautification & Tree Committee December 12, 1995 . - '-' .."" Ms. Sullivan feels they need to go to their meetings and ask for their help for the manpower aspect of it. Chairman Ver Way suggested the Garden Clubs helping out too. The Chamber should also do something for the city. Chairman Ver Way commented on the meeting a few years ago with the Council, Edgewater Area Council and the Beautification & Tree Committee. Mr. visconti finds it hard to believe the Council doesn't notice the difference between Edgewater and all the other cities. Chairman Ver Way informed Mr. visconti of the comment made by a gentleman from DOT who said Edgewater had the most beautiful medians. The Committee finds it hard to believe the gentleman said that. Chairman Ver Way spoke to the Mayor about the residents not being held responsible to pay for shrubs to beautify the detention ponds. The Committee spoke about the trees next to the holly trees that were planted for the Arbor Day Celebration and how they are dieing. There was a brief discussion regarding who is taking care of watering the trees at Rotary Park. Ms. Sullivan asked Mr. Visconti to decide before the next meeting what kind of trees and shrubs he would like to see around the fountain. There was a brief discussion regarding different trees and flowers the Committee would be interested in seeing planted around the fountain. The Committee discussed once the fountain is in place, around Christmas time they could put a tree next to the fountain since the electric will already be there to run the fountain. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, Ms. Sullivan made a motion to adjourn, second by Mr. Visconti. The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Lisa Kruckmeyer Page -5- Beautification & Tree Committee December 12, 1995