HomeMy Public PortalAbout20110120BTFMinutes.docxMembers Present: Berta Adams, Amy Lanier, Lou Off, Joe Richardson, Freda Rutherford, Wick Searcy, William Sprague, John Wylly, Helen Downing, Mary McCracken, Harry Spirides
Members Absent: Jimmy Burke, Cecil DeLorme, Henry Levy, Mark Smith, Greg Stoeffler
Visitors / Ex-Officios Present: Paul Wolff, Bill Garbett, Shirley Sessions, Sonny Emmert, DRN, Diane Schleicher
TO ORDER (Agenda Item 1):
Amy Lanier called the meeting to order.
ATTENDANCE AND GUESTS (Agenda Item 2):
Mary Landers, Savannah Morning News
APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Agenda Item 3):
Lou Off made motion to accept minutes, motion carried.
Nominating Committee –Harvey Farrell, Chair of Nominating Committee.
He will be taking nominations for Chair and Vice Chair.
Harbor Deepening Sediment:
Draft document did not discuss several questions.
Amy sent the following documents to each of the BTF members:
Mayor’s questions and response
Memo Bill Farmer
Erik wrote response to Bill Farmer
Lou’s Notes for SEG – Amy read highlights
Reviewed the chart from Erik Olsen re: Savannah Harbor Expansion Project – Advantages and disadvantages
Lou Off:
No model has been presented as to what our beach would look like after deepening
Not beach quality material – “take it or leave it”
Weigh – in time clay balls will move out and sand will settle but not sure where it will settle
Will we get a beach re-nourishment? Feels our odds are low for beach re-nourishment in the future
Should we give up material at this point? Our river does not have good sand.
Is it worth getting mat in our near shore that may or may not come on the beach but it will also absorb wave energy/and/or decrease energy? The biggest risk is that we may not get any
benefit from 6-8 mil cf of sand.
Getting material over 6 mile area. Look at all locations, i.e. ERDC, Site 2 mound i.e., those site will have less effect on Tybee Beach but more effect on our borrow site.
Erik said we need to model the site for disposal of “material”
Paul Wolff asked Sonny Emmert – DNR – Has the COE given them a date when the work will commence? Will not happen when the turtles are nesting.
MWL 500 – dredge tube – will dump sand/material and the waves will move it.
Berta Adams indicated that we would not have to move sand as the wave movement would settle it for us. She hopes that it will extend the beach. This is a chance to recapture sand.
Concerns about currents, clays balls, can these problems be mitigated?
Lou Off is concerned if we turn it down – what would it be doing to do to Tybee? Hope is that the sand/material disposal will have a positive impact rather than negative.
Joe Richardson - skeptical that the sand will move to shore. Concerns about long shore rip currents.
Paul Wolff
Public safety
Tourism
Repercussions – we want to minimize risks. If we deny this “beach nourishment” then we may not get a re-nourishment in the future. Accept what we can and focus on the ERDC and MLW
sites. Placement needs to be Oct 1 – Jan 31 due to tourism and impact on Tybee. We could wait a year and do due diligence.
Bill Sprague –
Concerns what the COE is going to do. If material is not suitable we could ruin our beach. We need a model.
Mary McCracken
Asked of Paul - Are you replying on Erik to give them his thoughts? How does he feel bottom line? Can we do this in phases? Paul doesn’t know but doesn’t think so.
Lou Off
MOTION
Recommend to City to narrow the risk as much as possible but accept the material with the following conditions:
Conditions
Modeling all dump sites
Show disposition of sand, time frame and public safety issues.
Model should show state of dredge materials after 6 months
Optimum location of the berm
All work done prior to Jan 31st
Allow Tybee some leeway in manipulating unsuitable material formations
Favor – 8 Against – 3
Motion carried
Meeting adjourned