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Commission declines to advertise Clam Bay advisory-committee ordinance, directs county and city to pursue stakeholder meetings
Summary
After testimony from Pelican Bay Services Division, Pelican Bay residents, Seagate and Naples Caye, the Board voted not to advertise an ordinance creating a Clam Bay advisory committee and instead directed Commissioner Kowal and staff to convene stakeholders and work with the City of Naples and PBSD on a stakeholder meeting/engagement process.
The Collier County Board of County Commissioners on July 8 decided not to advertise an ordinance to establish a Clam Bay advisory committee, instead directing staff and Commissioner Kowal to coordinate meetings among the City of Naples, Pelican Bay Services Division (PBSD) and neighborhood stakeholders to address estuary concerns.
The item was introduced as a proposal to advertise an ordinance to create an advisory committee that would provide the board recommendations "on matters affecting the entire Clam Bay Estuary system." Several stakeholders urged creation of a committee with technical expertise. Kathy Whirley of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida recommended the board include technical advisors (mangrove ecologists, hydrologists, water-quality scientists and sea-level-rise experts) on any advisory body. Naples Cay and Seagate residents urged a formal role and regular meetings; they cited long-term declines in seagrass and concerns about mangrove health and flushing.
Michael Fogg, chairman of the Pelican Bay Services Division, described PBSD's longstanding stewardship role and regular monitoring activities; PBSD staff reported monthly water-quality testing by county pollution control, tide-flow monitoring and hand-dug channels and said the estuary was being actively managed. PBSD opposed creation of an unfunded, unstaffed oversight committee and said PBSD already operates a Clam Bay committee and public meetings; PBSD offered to meet directly with city and neighborhood stakeholders. PBSD said dredging follows a US Army Corps permit and that the division had recommended a fall dredge as a precaution.
Commissioners were split about whether to create a new advisory board. Commissioner Hall said he did not favor another county advisory committee and noted the county already had many boards and committees; Commissioner Kowal, whose district includes neighborhoods bordering the estuary, argued that residents in the city part of his district deserved representation and recommended at least two annual stakeholder meetings and that minutes be reported to the board.
After public comment and discussion, the board voted unanimously not to advertise the ordinance creating a new Clam Bay advisory committee and instead directed Commissioner Kowal to work with the City of Naples and PBSD to convene stakeholders, explore options (including the possibility of an MSBU or funding sources) and return minutes or recommendations to the board. Commissioners also suggested the possibility of adding technical advisers to meetings and pursuing dredging timing and funding discussions with state and federal partners if needed.
