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ESC urges commissioners to delay or amend Chapter 23, presents three priorities at joint workshop
Summary
The Atlantic Beach Environmental Stewardship Committee asked commissioners at a joint workshop to delay or amend the Chapter 23 ordinance, improve ongoing communication with the committee, and adopt regular joint meetings; the committee agreed to hand the commission a concise one-slide summary listing those objectives.
The Environmental Stewardship Committee told the City Commission it wants changes to the tree-related ordinance and clearer lines of communication before the ordinance’s second reading. The committee’s chair told members the workshop was a conversational opportunity and urged a tight, one-slide presentation focused on objectives. The committee coalesced around three clear requests: delay or amend the current Chapter 23 changes, improve staff–committee–commission communication, and institute a recurring joint workshop or annual meeting to align priorities.
Members argued over presentation format but agreed the committee will provide commissioners with written background materials and a short slide. The chair said members should use the time to be candid and to “express what you want as a member of this community.” Several committee members urged that the presentation concentrate on the committee’s practical priorities — tree canopy, parks, beautification and stewardship — rather than long historical slides.
The mayor spoke during public comment and urged better communication between the ESC and the commission, noting previous successful liaison arrangements and recommending that subcommittees be formed with commission approval to manage staff time. The mayor said, “what’s really clear and what’s missing is, like, communication between the ESC and the commission.”
Committee members described the ordinance debate as the immediate operational issue: one member said the ESC supports retaining much of the status quo and making modest language improvements (for example, reinstating subcommittees and clarifying appeals and enforcement processes), rather than wholesale code changes. The committee agreed to prepare: a short list of the specific, previously discussed edits they want to see to Chapter 23; a one‑slide summary for the workshop; and a handout of priorities and background materials for commissioners to review.
Next steps: the ESC will finalize a single-slide presentation for testing by staff, hand commissioners a concise packet of background documentation at the workshop, and attempt to secure a commissioner to introduce the proposed amendments if the Commission requests formal language.
