Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sustainable Sebastian topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Natural Resource Board advances Sustainable Sebastian poll draft; discusses reviving champion tree program
Summary
Board reviewed a draft Sustainable Sebastian annual poll and discussed reviving a champion tree program, debating whether to include only native species or all notable trees and agreeing to research the original program resolution before a future vote.
Board members reviewed a draft of the Sustainable Sebastian annual poll and agreed to move the draft forward to staff for next steps, while flagging wording changes and follow-up research on a historic champion tree program.
The poll is intended as an annual measure to track public attitudes toward the city’s natural resources and to allow iterative question changes over time, a board member said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Board members said they want the poll to be usable and repeatedly available; one member suggested leaving the survey live on the city website to accept responses year-round and compile results periodically. The board reviewed suggested wording and recommended small edits — for example, changing phrasing to read "Sebastian's environment" rather than "the Sebastian natural..." to improve clarity.
Separately, the board discussed reviving a champion tree program. Staff said an earlier resolution established a more fully developed program in the past but that details will require review of the original resolution and code definitions. Staff noted the city code considers trees over 10 inches in diameter as specimen trees and that the original champion tree program likely included a minimum diameter threshold; staff said they will research and present the original resolution at the next meeting.
Board members debated whether the revived champion tree program should honor only native trees or include nonnative but notable specimens such as Bismarck palm; one member suggested prioritizing native species if the board aims to promote native landscaping. The board agreed to table the specific rule-making about species eligibility until the staff provides the original program materials and potential criteria.
No formal vote to change the poll or the champion tree program was held; staff and board members will continue drafting the survey and researching the prior champion tree resolution.
