UPDATE: The City Council voted unanimously to create a Sustainability Board. However, the other related items on the Agenda will be brought back to the Council by the Sustainability Board at a later date. SATELLITE BEACH, Florida — On the agenda for the Satellite Beach City Council meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 7 p.m. is a proposal for the City to elevate a ‘Green Committee’ environmental group into a “Sustainability Board” so that the tiny beach town can do its part to battle the controversial scientific theory of climate change.
The Sustainability Board would create and implement a “Sustainability Plan” which recommends, among other things, that:
1. The City spend $15,000 for a “Sustainability Assessment.”
2. The City implement a “Lose the Lawn” campaign wherein residents would be encouraged to give up their grass laws for xeriscaped lawns. Under the plan, all residents’ lawns would be subject to an initial survey followed by periodic monitoring by the environmental group to assess the amount of St. Augustine grass on their properties.
3. The City budget for a “Green Fair” where electric vehicles, solar panel presentations, and other green-themed organizations would be on display.
4. The installation of a ‘green culture’ throughout the City’s operations.
Satellite Beach has a history of spending money on green studies. In 2013, the City Council voted 4-1 for a matching grant of $10,000 cash plus $5,000 in-kind services for a climate literacy project to help warn its residents about the potential dangers of rising sea levels.
Originally published September 16, 2015 