[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6489686,"mediaKeyId","5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305","parentId",5754412,"title","Votes at a glance: board approves agenda, minutes, appointments, contracts, budgets, habitat plan and legislative priorities","audioSeconds",4213,"startMs",2468000,"endMs",6681000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305&start=2468&end=6681","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305/thumbnail_2468000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6489686/Sebastian/Indian-River-County/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-board-approves-agenda-minutes-appointments-contracts-budgets-habitat-plan-and-legislative-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6489686-d9061b4a936bd27b513bca6d691b3f13/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447810&Signature=VxRmtk7Tb-sihR1jzRj9jej6z5q9DtXze7sCqi4DRwO-IEtrE7~utPwDhRPluoulOG0Ihq-td5Rq~n1sPHS62mkDnSHUkXl-FCloS~sZFs3m~H0UjxMh~hrKgfvJzwPFJEhWkG8XHmUzr0vJ0cHKzSp-wrVT-muB7e6dAAUmrjxnqPFEsrVIJaLVZmEpE-8dIGl93Q0trlkmPj9FRf8MmMIpP9nKFhfH-Ri8jNqPJjH1TBkK4JABJOwArnjlqYtahbhEUQti6dvsxMY3drPAuu78wrTvSREl1jAoWKPDLY8FX5nuwDQpbW1eMwUosXjcOPE9dn3js9HoGz0CuZL89w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Of Sebastian","date","2025-08-23T03:38:19Z","article","At its Aug. 22 meeting in Sebastian, the Indian River Lagoon Council Board of Directors took the following formal actions (all motions passed unanimously unless otherwise noted):

- Approve meeting agenda as written. Motion by Commissioner Hertz; second by Cole Oliver; outcome: approved.

- Approve minutes of the May 9, 2025 Board of Directors meeting. Motion by Commissioner Hertz; second by Cole Oliver; outcome: approved.

- Approve Board appointments to the management conference and citizen advisory committees (Jeffrey Collins to management board; Josh Mills to management board; Julie Strickland to Volusia County CAC; Jenny Tomes to St. Lucie County CAC). Motion made and seconded on the record; outcome: approved.

- Authorize staff to negotiate service contracts with two engineering firms (Tetra Tech and Dredging & Marine Consultants) to fulfill NOAA grant deliverables and related professional engineering services. Motion by Cole Oliver; second by Commissioner Hurd; outcome: approved.

- Adopt fiscal year 2025 final budget amendment (Resolution 2025‑03) to carry forward prior‑year project balances into the FY2025 budget. Motion by Commissioner Atkinson; second by Cole Oliver; outcome: approved.

- Adopt fiscal year 2026 final budget amendment (Resolution 2025‑04) reflecting reserve moves and minor line‑item adjustments (salaries, lease for vessel storage, insurance). Motion by Commissioner Hurd; second by Cole Oliver; outcome: approved.

- Authorize staff to develop and release FY2027 RFPs with conservative funding allocations and management‑conference review and ranking. Motion by Mr. Hurd; second by Commissioner Atkinson; outcome: approved.

- Approve and authorize staff to submit the 36‑page Habitat Restoration Plan to EPA Region 4 for concurrence. Motion by Mr. Oliver; second by Commissioner Hurd; outcome: approved.

- Adopt the council’s 2026 legislative priorities and authorize the executive director to represent the council in policy discussions and appropriations consistent with the adopted priorities. Motion by Commissioner Hurd; second by Mr. Oliver; outcome: approved.

Each vote was taken by voice vote and recorded as unanimous where indicated in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 22, 2025 - Indian River Lagoon Council Board of Directors Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Indian River Lagoon Council Board unanimously approved routine agenda items and a series of substantive motions on Aug. 22, including contracting with two engineering firms for NOAA work, two budget amendments, release of FY2027 RFPs, adoption of the Habitat Restoration Plan submission to EPA and approval of legislative priorities for 2026.","taxTitle","Sebastian , Indian River County, Florida","taxId",52013,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6489693,"Council approves budget amendments, adopts conservative FY2027 RFP approach and reports project completions",164,2809000,2973000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305&start=2809&end=2973","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305/thumbnail_2809000.jpg","/articles/6489693/Sebastian/Indian-River-County/Florida/Council-approves-budget-amendments-adopts-conservative-FY2027-RFP-approach-and-reports-project-completions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6489693-830c668c8725fecb3ebc18ea7a8c84b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447810&Signature=Erv3~ykIGzKTptzlfKaryTOB~Z9ieUPIQtRd4j7zZ7bjPp4CgPQf0vnsn2N3IkzBNpIDJJJygNOKt87kQbmjNFf~wUcp84jC0R5L3r5MRcPmD2huww8NAhaF5zX7EAUTN~6IrgbrsWGRUztXiH1B9EEcHI6vJ~TWFVqZ7SU7SGYltDNTtKu2cOrGkNGpGhWe9uIpogwPuJQ6mQq2PZBvEoDmboVd~Dya13c6eB4HXyIH93He9qcjuhQ1FIAd5BvOf1TwHAum0T3XsBkDHixoWN556odHtzljN~E7nKX9omvhFajSTqziCC-ifXKLVyN6-VyW5A0hjobBq8iPvBomtg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Indian River Lagoon Council Board approved final budget amendments for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, authorized staff fiscal actions and endorsed a cautious approach to the fiscal‑year 2027 request‑for‑proposals (RFP) owing to federal funding uncertainty.

Daniel Clodney presented budget reconciliations and amendments. For FY2025 he said $1.6 million in prior‑year projects and activities were carried forward into the current budget; if all budgeted amounts are expended, the council would still reserve roughly $775,000 into FY2026. For FY2026 adjustments, staff moved unencumbered revenue into reserves and noted small line‑item increases: salaries and benefits ($1,388), a storage lease for the council’s new vessel ($2,000) and insurance ($2,000). With those adjustments the council would carry approximately $883,789 into FY2027 if all budgeted expenditures occur.

On RFPs for FY2027, staff proposed reducing proposed funding across four major categories by $50,000 each while keeping small grants unchanged so the council can remain conservative while preserving the option to fully fund categories if federal/state clarity improves. The board approved releasing the FY2027 RFPs and asked staff to proceed with management‑conference review and ranking of proposals.

Dan also reported several project updates: the council received and put into service a new vessel; the first restoration use was a July 11 seagrass planting at Preacher’s Hole in partnership with Indian River County. He summarized completed small grants and outreach projects: Brevard Zoo’s Lagoon Quest (3,000 students; more than 100 trips), Marine Discovery Center’s Project Plankton (27 institutions, 38 field trips) and a UCF atmospheric‑deposition study that collected 1,221 rain/air jars and documented nearly 17,000 microplastic particles.

The board approved the FY2025 and FY2026 final amendments and the FY2027 RFP release unanimously.

Staff noted continuing federal audit activity with the EPA Office of Inspector General and urged local applicants for state programs (for example, Brevard County Save Our Indian River Lagoon grants and a recent DEP competitive portal opening) to consult agency contacts before applying due to short submission windows.","The board approved fiscal-year 2025 and 2026 budget amendments, directed a conservative structure for the FY2027 RFP to protect reserves amid federal funding uncertainty, and heard project updates including a new council vessel and completed small‑grant activities.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6489705,"Council adopts concise habitat restoration plan and will submit draft to EPA for concurrence",96,2992000,3088000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305&start=2992&end=3088","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305/thumbnail_2992000.jpg","/articles/6489705/Sebastian/Indian-River-County/Florida/Council-adopts-concise-habitat-restoration-plan-and-will-submit-draft-to-EPA-for-concurrence","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6489705-d12abdc83d34ef8b78cab39398f9f45b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447810&Signature=Avc3KGcSlmRXX2p6fcLx0oNGCbfqlNl~tlmIFAh-LteN-pmNItoi4ouBHZtlnh8otilkrcjEO-G-G3w0kxVVzmhfzotFMzhJ6dn3uVRqA6GbhrCLAnEHxpIE8QiwqGP-4gfmsWsJvJgQvPvjskzXhg1K-QPBUShFJahpWw6tVgaG4MySDp8KJCV-widtGfdeuMUXq9sVapz8vqV3GN2bC0dpJKpn4oyq1gIvK10dsOhMYFWpqFBW9uX-PE2dxXbd5ULQ6yU9ZsiubDkP1uOLc9WgtoM3EBumBpaN2hb5cCtJ~aSrZ65AYUodQhsFNAJFE4LLa3VacmRW0UdbbxHEow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Indian River Lagoon Council Board approved a condensed Habitat Restoration Plan on Aug. 22 and authorized staff to submit the document to EPA Region 4 for concurrence.

Kathy Hill, deputy director and the presenter for the item, said the council had contracted Tetra Tech for a comprehensive technical plan that produced a lengthy 112‑page document. Hill and staff then combined that technical work with community-of-practice guidance to produce a 36‑page, more actionable summary aimed at meeting EPA’s concurrence needs. “We’re gonna send 36 pages of our, habitat restoration summary document up to EPA for their concurrence,” Hill said.

Executive Director Dwayne DeFries clarified the plan will remain a living document. If EPA provides edits, staff will return significant changes to council and management conference; the plan will be placed on the council website for continuing public review and updates. The management board and STEM advisory committee had recommended the plan move forward to the council prior to the vote.

The Board voted unanimously to approve the plan and authorize staff to submit it to EPA Region 4.

Staff said the 36‑page document is intended to be concise and actionable for on‑the‑ground restoration planning while the larger technical background document will remain available as a companion reference.","The board approved a 36‑page, actionable Habitat Restoration Plan assembled from a larger technical report and community-of-practice guidance and authorized staff to submit it to EPA Region 4 for review; the plan will remain an evolving draft available for public input.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6489718,"Council awards service contracts to two engineering firms to meet NOAA grant deliverables",180,2670000,2850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305&start=2670&end=2850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305/thumbnail_2670000.jpg","/articles/6489718/Sebastian/Indian-River-County/Florida/Council-awards-service-contracts-to-two-engineering-firms-to-meet-NOAA-grant-deliverables","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6489718-768d32ac1ba46c7eaf7194eca3084ce1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447810&Signature=GPiyqxu~G5JFYbTRaS8bCnj74v4sTu5l3oXaaDcETtrfrx9usxa2D7TFWsOEpFXSGW23EkBpE9FKOQmDBpnwehSLnS9S5R1r5hAacNCkhqZqbyW21b796KI32Li-mJUwjIvIoarYUDjrNxpUInacJUP0yTU2venpVxGawi~vaqyf9oNYD47MmSLVH5Gs6ljTHWqPpao~15USV79eKShSOzDCck-CbI4Bv5viaQ28Mj5Pjp-kzmatgpBLGmDKerkSsBIUO2kC1BFtsntgeWV57PLgYagphQB05ydYgwzly151jwKo9c~VDq3QY~ARDtl41-2ZJ-auhHOtlVllQq48rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council staff presented a request-for-qualifications for professional engineering services tied to a NOAA habitat-restoration grant and recommended contracting with two firms following management and committee review.

Daniel Clodney, identified in the meeting as the council’s chief operating officer, said NOAA requires as‑built or construction drawings for 15 restoration sites that the council had not originally budgeted. Clodney explained the council sought one firm to produce uniform deliverables across the sites, but legal review determined the work required a competitive solicitation under consultant procurement rules. Four firms responded; Tetra Tech was ranked highest and Dredging & Marine Consultants qualified as an additional services contractor.

Clodney summarized staff and management board reasoning: having two prequalified firms permits the council and member agencies to “piggyback” on the solicitation for related work and provides capacity should workload exceed a single contractor. “We’re recommending that both firms be under a service contract,” Clodney said. He added there is no financial risk to the council from having two contractors under contract but no guarantee of work for the second firm.

Commissioner Cole Oliver (St. Johns River Water Management District) and others said using two firms is common practice on large programs to meet demand. The Board of Directors approved the staff recommendation to negotiate and contract with both selected firms; the motion passed unanimously.

The RFQ outcome allows the council to proceed with NOAA grant deliverables (as‑built drawings) and to offer the solicitation as a vehicle other management members can use if the scope fits their needs.","The council authorized contracts with Tetra Tech and Dredging & Marine Consultants after an RFQ for NOAA-funded as-built/engineering services; the firms will be available for NOAA site drawings and potential member agency piggybacking.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6489741,"Water temperatures and algal blooms strain lagoon; seagrass recovery mixed, mapping due in 2026",840,2510000,3350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305&start=2510&end=3350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5754412-466a67cb2bfac85707368173686eb305/thumbnail_2510000.jpg","/articles/6489741/Sebastian/Indian-River-County/Florida/Water-temperatures-and-algal-blooms-strain-lagoon-seagrass-recovery-mixed-mapping-due-in-2026","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6489741-3413584c3e9219c40b2d396dc9f04b69/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447810&Signature=cWvX9VqEFqoAC8a4Nrb4DB6RcoayBg1FPCBCkn5yzxCcgEKcn81diO7lUlzSqjviqn8Y9U3lJNwm2dFfihHJMjNWDjDmeVQDNScJcabJX~Afq~4cb6mgKF~gsCFCKP~RgLfkmmqC6Y6uZ59xBc~ImNCNWKYXUTd4XALDSvWcfmekQqWXRz6CPPQ4H9ANdwOsAQWoAN-d7kPXSud3-71iBS7aqrpa7KpkYcfQ2Qqwme~E-1OPmcxVH332v0t6jjJRRDDMU029Beh~KRX276CLjt6ocUdSK~PoOYWu1SJNpV-VJnQlHJ-Jro1Ivgop7h23k9dO92ptut1ptbAAXPi2Gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Indian River Lagoon Council Board meeting on Aug. 22 in Sebastian, St. Johns River Water Management District scientist Lauren Hall and South Florida Water Management District scientist Melanie Parker presented lagoon-wide monitoring results showing elevated water temperatures, site-specific algal blooms and a mixed pattern of seagrass recovery.

Lauren Hall, presenting Northern and Central Lagoon data for the St. Johns River Water Management District, said rainfall during the May–July period was highly variable across the watershed and that freshwater pulses have driven localized phytoplankton blooms. Hall said dissolved oxygen has dropped at times below the hypoxia threshold and that recent low-DO events have produced local mortality. “Over the last week, we’ve actually seen some more of that, and that is when we start to see the animals being impacted and we start seeing some fish kills in localized areas,” Hall said.

Hall reported salinities above 20 parts per thousand at most sites but noted greater variability at sites influenced by tributaries; Banana River stations recorded repeated dissolved-oxygen dips below 2 milligrams per liter. She described ongoing, widespread phytoplankton blooms — including brown‑tide and Pyrodinium bahamense blooms reported in parts of Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River — that have reduced Secchi depths in some northern areas to less than 0.5 meters.

Melanie Parker of the South Florida Water Management District presented Southern Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary monitoring. She said inflows to the St. Lucie Estuary have been low since lake releases ended in late March and that estuarine salinities at continuous monitors have generally risen into the range considered optimal for adult oysters. “The optimal range is 10 to 25, and the good news is most of those sites are in the optimal range right now,” Parker said, while noting short surface dips after rain events.

Both presenters gave preliminary seagrass updates. Hall described site-level seagrass patterns: northern and southern Mosquito Lagoon sites that showed notable recovery in 2023–24 experienced small declines in 2025 but remain substantially improved versus pre-2016 conditions; some central Indian River Lagoon sites showed little or no recovery. Hall also reported the summer expansion of Caulerpa (reported in the field as “calerpa”), now present across the northern lagoon and parts of southern Mosquito Lagoon; staff are sampling nutrients and working with FAU Harbor Branch to study possible effects.

Council staff reported that aerial photography, ground-truthing and photo interpretation for a lagoon‑wide seagrass map are complete; draft maps are expected in January 2026 and final maps by late spring 2026. Hall also reported extension of a DEP-funded seagrass seed-distribution study for an additional year to include the southern lagoon; the study found large differences in seed presence between species and areas (Ruppia seeds were widespread; Halodule seeds were concentrated in northern hot spots and largely absent from the middle section).

Council members and staff flagged monitoring implications: higher temperatures reduce oxygen solubility and exacerbate DO fluctuations; shallow embayments (for example, Mosquito Lagoon) show large turbidity swings; and tributary-proximate sites show greater variability in salinity and colored dissolved organic matter.

The presentations were followed by questions from county commissioners and district representatives about the site-specific nature of rainfall effects and the role of local stormwater runoff in fueling blooms. Presenters and staff stressed that many findings are preliminary and that seagrass mapping and QA/QC of field data remain in progress.

Looking ahead, staff said they will continue laboratory and field work on the expanding Caulerpa patches and on seed-distribution sampling and will circulate draft seagrass maps when available.","St. Johns River and South Florida water districts reported higher water temperatures, localized hypoxia, widespread phytoplankton blooms and mixed seagrass recovery across the Indian River Lagoon at the Aug. 22 council meeting; draft aerial seagrass maps are expected January 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: board approves agenda, minutes, appointments, contracts, budgets, habitat plan and legislative priorities

Council approves budget amendments, adopts conservative FY2027 RFP approach and reports project completions

Council adopts concise habitat restoration plan and will submit draft to EPA for concurrence

Council awards service contracts to two engineering firms to meet NOAA grant deliverables

Water temperatures and algal blooms strain lagoon; seagrass recovery mixed, mapping due in 2026