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WETLANDS MITIGATION The Board reviewed a Memorandum of November 7, 1994: TO: Board of County Commissioners c FROM: Charles P. Vitunac, County Attorney DATE: November 7, 1994 RE: Wetland Mitigation - DEP - Orlando Meeting At a recent Board meeting the Commission voiced its strong objection to a letter from the Department of Environmental Protection which suggested that the County needed to mitigate 24.6 -acres of relit;: wetland's which are to be surrounded by the County's 130 plus acres of man-made wetlands as part of the wastewater treatment process. As a result of the Board's opposition a meeting was held Friday, November 4 in Orlando at DEP regional headquarters. Attending were Bill Bostwick, DEP; Tammy Weingarden, DEP; Richard Lott, DEP; Lance Hart, St. Johns River Water Management District; Chip Swindel, Environmental Consultant; Earl Masteller, Masteller & Moler Engineering; Belinda Burns, Masteller & Moler; Terry Pinto, Utilities Department; Robert Wisemen, Utilities Department; and I. The meeting lasted for approximately 90 minutes and included much discussion of the County's plans and specifications for the wetland and emphasized the County Commissioners' position that the man-made wetlands should be a model for environmentally sound treatment of effluent. County staff also indicated that the wetlands should include appropriate Cypress trees and other wetland species to emulate a natural wetland. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Bostwick indicated that DEP would recommend issuance of a permit once certain notations were made on the construction plans and after a field trip was made Monday, November 7 by Mr. Swindel and Ms. Weingarden. -Mr. Pinto emphasized to the group that this wetland was not required of the County Commission but that it was voluntary, and that there were other cost-effective methods of disposal of waste, although not as environmentally sound, that the County could propose if necessary. He felt that the state agencies should be cooperating with the County to ensure that the wetlands could be built, without unnecessary studies, plans, or other restrictions which could kill the project. Attorney Vitunac gave a brief overview of the meeting and Commissioner Bird inquired if the two main items, the 2 small wetland areas that we were being asked to mitigate more than just incorporating them into the overall wetlands and the mitigation credit for the whole piece, were accomplished. 39 November 8, 1994 , BOOK ;J f'AU'L �A� 1