Natural Resources Board votes to participate in four community events this fall and schedules Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup support

The City of Sebastian Natural Resources Board voted on July 1 to participate in a series of community volunteer and outreach events this summer and fall and confirmed cleanup assignments for a late July waterway cleanup.

Board staff announced that the Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup will be held Saturday, July 26 (the full participation window runs July 19–27). The Natural Resources Board will host the Main Street Boat Ramp (Captain Robert Hardy Main Street Boat Ramp) site. Staff asked board volunteers to register at www.tcwaterwaycleanup.com, to arrive for setup (7–7:30 a.m.) if assisting early, and noted the event runs 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; staff will set aside supplies for virtual participants to pick up at City Hall the week before the event.

For fall events, the board voted to participate in the Parks and Recreation “Touch and Tour” family event on Saturday, Sept. 13 (members approved a motion to attend) and approved participation in the International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 20. For the International Coastal Cleanup the board agreed to host a site and selected Main Street Boat Ramp and Riverview Park as possible locations; the cleanup itself runs 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Coastal Connections is the county host for the International Coastal Cleanup in 2025.

The board also voted to participate in Sebastian Kids Fest on Saturday, Oct. 4 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Board members discussed the workload of volunteers and asked staff to publish an events calendar listing the board’s commitments across the year so volunteers can see timing and avoid burnout; one board member opposed Kids Fest attendance citing concerns about overextending volunteer commitments. Transcript capture shows the Kids Fest vote resulted in five yes votes and two no votes; the motion carried.

Procedural items earlier in the meeting: the board approved minutes for a previous meeting (motion passed) and accepted an announcement that Board member Paul Veil had tendered his resignation; Alton Frank Trinkle and Deborah Schellenberger were noted as voting in place of other members for the evening and Charles Stadelman attended via Zoom.

Staff said they will circulate a running calendar of board commitments and asked members to sign up for specific time slots at events so attendance can be spread across volunteers. Several events require online registration and paperwork for volunteer t‑shirts and liability forms; staff will provide instructions and physical supply pick‑ups before each event.