CAPTIONING
DECEMBER 9, 2009
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION WORKSHOP
FERTILIZER USE AND LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE


***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the 
***following meeting.  It should be used for informational 
***purposes only.  This document has not been edited; 
***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words 
***that did not translate.

>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  I HAD A QUORUM AND MY QUORUM HAS LEFT.
GOOD AFTERNOON.
WE HAD A QUORUM JUST A MOMENT AGO, AND WE'RE WAITING FOR 
COMMISSIONERS TO COME BACK IN THE ROOM.
I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THE WORKSHOP FOR THE FERTILIZER 
ORDINANCE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION, AND 
FOR THOSE OF YOU JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GOT THE 
RIGHT LOCATION, IF YOU'RE HERE FOR THE HUNTER SAFETY 
COURSE, THAT'S IN ANOTHER ROOM, BUT IF YOU'RE HERE FOR THE 
FERTILIZER ORDINANCE, YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT TIME AND 
LOCATION, SO WOULD YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE AND 
PRAYER.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
IT WAS ON THIS DAY IN 1775 THAT THE PATRIOTS, THOSE WHO 
LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES AND SACRIFICED THEIR FORTUNES, THEIR 
TIMES, AND THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL AS THEIR LIVES FOR US TO 
HAVE THE RIGHT TO GATHER AND ASSEMBLE HERE, AND IT WAS IN 
THE BATTLE OF GREAT BRIDGE IN VIRGINIA WHERE THEY REPELLED 
THE BRITISH AND THE LOYALISTS AND AGAIN TO GIVE US THE 
RIGHT AND OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND EXCHANGE IDEAS AND 
HAVE A DISCUSSION THAT'S OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE.
PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US TO 
PROVIDE US WITH THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE PRIVILEGE TO BE 
HERE AND ASSEMBLE AND TO EXCHANGE OPINIONS ON WAYS TO 
PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.
WE ASK THAT WE CONDUCT OURSELVES IN A MANNER WHICH IS 
HONORABLE AND RESPECTFUL AND HELP ME TO CONDUCT MYSELF IN 
ACCORDANCE TO YOUR TEACHINGS.
AMEN.
>> AMEN.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  AND IF WE COULD PAGE AGAIN BECAUSE 
WE'RE SHORT A -- WHEN I STARTED THE MEETING WE HAD OUR 
QUORUM IN HERE.
I WILL READ INTO THE MINUTES RIGHT NOW JIM NORMAN.
IT SAYS, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT I'LL BE UNABLE TO ATTEND 
TODAY'S WORKSHOP DUE TO BEING IN JACKSONVILLE PREPARING FOR 
MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL.
PLEASE READ THIS REASON INTO THE RECORD.
THANK YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM AT THIS POINT?
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  OKAY.
UPON GETTING OUR QUORUM BACK IN HERE, I WILL ASK THAT THE -
- THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME 
WE'LL ALLOW FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
TYPICALLY IT'S 45 MINUTES WITH THREE PEOPLE -- WITH THREE 
MINUTES PER PERSON.
WITH ANTICIPATING MORE SIGNING IN -- WE HAVE ABOUT 25 OR 30 
THAT HAVE SIGNED UP SO FAR.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT AND PROVIDE 
EVERYONE WITH THE GREATEST CHANCES TO SPEAK, AND WE'LL HAVE 
A BRIEF DISCUSSION AND THEN ASK FOR A MOTION ON HOW LONG 
WE'LL HAVE DEBATE THIS AFTERNOON.
WITH THAT I'M GOING TO ASK DR. GARRITY TO GO AHEAD AND 
START HIS PRESENTATION.
>>RICK GARRITY:  VERY GOOD, COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO THE BOARD.
WE'LL START WITH A STAFF PRESENTATION, AND ELAINE, LET'S 
GET THAT POWERPOINT FIRED UP.
THE PRESENTATION, OF COURSE, IS ABOUT THE ISSUE OF 
FERTILIZER REGULATION, AND COMMISSIONERS, A LOT HAS 
HAPPENED OVER THE PAST YEAR THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND LOCALLY 
IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA ON FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT IN AN URBAN 
SETTING, AND YOU'LL RECALL THAT ON OCTOBER 15th STAFF 
SUMMARIZED MUCH OF THE PAST -- IF YOU COULD GO TO THE 
PREVIOUS SLIDE, ELAINE.
STAFF SUMMARIZED MUCH OF THE PAST YEAR'S ACTIVITIES, 
INCLUDING THE NEW STATE LAW, SENATE BILL 494, WHICH IN 
ESSENCE SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE IMPAIRED WATERS THAT YOU 
SHOULD AT A MINIMUM ADOPT THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE BUT 
THAT YOU CAN ADOPT A MORE RESTRICTIVE OR MORE PROTECTIVE 
ORDINANCE FOR PROTECTION IF YOU HAVE -- IF YOU USE SCIENCE 
IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS IN COMING UP WITH THE LANGUAGE OF 
THAT ORDINANCE.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE ESTUARY PROGRAM, THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY 
PROGRAM MODEL ORDINANCE.
WE WENT OVER SOME OF THE IFAS COMMENTS, AND YOU'LL HEAR 
MORE INFORMATION FROM IFAS TODAY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE STATUS OF LOCAL IMPAIRED WATERS AND THE 
COSTS TO REPAIR THEM.
WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE ARE DOING 
AND ALSO WHERE THERE IS CONSENSUS AND WHERE THERE IS NOT 
CONSENSUS ON SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES THAT YOU'LL HEAR 
ABOUT TODAY.
THERE WERE MANY ISSUES RAISED BY THE COMMISSIONERS, 
INCLUDING HOW TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT PARTICIPATION BY THE 
PUBLIC AND BY RETAILERS, HOW TO STRUCTURE AN ENFORCEABLE 
RULE, HOW TO HAVE INCREASED EDUCATION, HOW TO MOVE UP THE -
- THE YEAR 2014 STATE DATE FOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, 
AND WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DOING THIS THROUGH AN 
EPC RULE OR A COUNTY ORDINANCE.
SO IN ESSENCE, TODAY THIS SLIDE JUST KIND OF SETS OUT THE 
MENU FOR THE WORKSHOP TODAY.
STAFF IS GOING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT WATER QUALITY 
ISSUES AND FERTILIZER AND HOW WE FEEL THE TWO ARE LINKED 
AND ALSO GO OVER AGAIN IN ESSENCE THE SENATE BILL 494, THE 
STATE LAW AND THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO SUMMARIZE FOR YOU OTHER LOCAL ORDINANCES AND 
THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON AND THE THINGS THAT 
THEY DON'T HAVE IN COMMON.
WE'RE GOING TO SUMMARIZE FOR YOU WHERE WE SEE CONSENSUS AND 
WHERE WE SEE ISSUES OF NONCONSENSUS.
WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER TRAINING AND EDUCATION BECAUSE THAT 
WAS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD, 
AND WE WERE ASKED TO BRING BACK MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO 
INCREASE EDUCATION.
AND THEN FINALLY WE HAVE FOUR OPTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.
AFTER THE STAFF GIVES THEIR PRESENTATION, WE HAVE INVITED 
SPEAKERS, AND I'LL INTRODUCE THEM AFTER THE STAFF FINISHES 
THEIR PRESENTATION, AND THEN PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN BOARD 
DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION.
SO FOCUSING ON LAWN FERTILIZER -- OH, I FORGOT TO SAY ONE 
OTHER THING, COMMISSIONERS, AND THAT IS THAT EPC AND COUNTY 
STAFF HAVE WORKED CLOSELY ON THE FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT 
ISSUE, AND HERE TODAY FOR THESE PRESENTATIONS, EITHER 
DELIVERING THE PRESENTATIONS OR AVAILABLE FOR Q & A ARE BOB 
STETLER -- IF YOU COULD JUST RAISE YOUR HAND SO THE 
COMMISSIONERS KNOW WHO YOU ARE -- RICK TSCHANTZ, OF COURSE, 
SITTING NEXT TO ME; RICHARD BOLER OF EPC AND RICK MURATTI 
OF EPC; DAVID GLICKSBERG OF THE COUNTY STORMWATER 
DEPARTMENT; ED HELVENSTON OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE; 
AND SCOTT EMERY AND HEIDI SWANSON, WATER RESOURCE 
CONSULTANTS TO THE COUNTY.
ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN RESEARCHING 
PERTINENT ISSUES AND/OR MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
SO THEN FOCUSING ON LAWN FERTILIZER.
MANY LAWN FERTILIZERS CONTAIN NITROGEN, AND NITROGEN CAN BE 
A SOURCE OF ALGAL BLOOMS AND OTHER NUTRIENT IMPACTS TO 
WATER BODIES.
LOCALLY, URBAN RUNOFF COMPRISES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE 
NITROGEN CARRIED IN STORMWATER TO THE BAY, AND BOB STETLER 
WILL SHOW YOU SOME STATISTICS ON THAT IN A MINUTE.
THIS INFORMATION IS FROM THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM.
THERE'S ALSO INFORMATION FROM DEP FROM THEIR WEKIVA RIVER 
STUDY IN THE ORLANDO AREA INDICATING THAT SIGNIFICANT 
NITROGEN INPUT COMES FROM RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZER.
IN OTHER STUDIES BY THE ESTUARY PROGRAM, THEIR FOCUS GROUPS 
FOUND THE FREQUENCY OF APPLYING FERTILIZER RANGED FROM 
EVERY OTHER WEEK TO EVERY FIVE OR SIX WEEKS TO SIX TIMES A 
YEAR, AND THAT SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT PEOPLE TEND TO 
OVERFERTILIZE, SO THE POTENTIAL IS HIGH FOR INAPPROPRIATE 
APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER, AND EDUCATION IS CERTAINLY AN 
IMPORTANT PART OF THE SOLUTION OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 
TODAY.
THE ISSUE, AS I MENTIONED, IN SENATE BILL 494 THAT SAYS IF 
YOU HAVE IMPAIRED WATER FOR NUTRIENTS THAT YOU SHOULD AT 
LEAST ADOPT THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE.
THE ISSUE IS KIND OF CLARIFIED IN THIS SLIDE WHERE YOU SEE 
IN RED THE -- THE WATER SEGMENTS THAT WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT 
THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS IMPAIRED FOR NUTRIENTS BY EITHER THE 
STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THERE MAY BE MORE THAT WILL BE ADDED TO THAT, BUT THESE ARE 
THE ONES WE KNOW ABOUT THUS FAR, AND THESE ARE IN THE 
WATERSHEDS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER, ALAFIA RIVER, AND 
LITTLE MANATEE RIVERS.
ALL RIGHT.
BOB STETLER'S GOING TO TAKE OVER FROM HERE AND TALK ABOUT 
SOME OF THESE ISSUES IN MORE DETAIL.
BOB STETLER'S THE DIRECTOR OF WATER -- WETLANDS AND 
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT FOR EPC.
>>BOB STETLER:  GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
GLAD TO BE HERE.
JUST LEAVING THIS SLIDE UP HERE FOR JUST A SECOND, THE -- 
THE AMOUNT OF AREAS IN RED THERE, AS DR. GARRITY SAID, IS 
NOT A FINISHED STORY, AND THERE IS MORE OF THESE WATERS 
THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE IMPAIRED, SO THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT 
ISSUE.
IT AFFECTS THE COUNTY AT LARGE AND EACH OF THE CITIES THAT 
WE -- WITHIN -- WITHIN OUR COUNTY.
TAMPA, TEMPLE TERRACE, AND PLANT CITY ALL ALREADY HAVE 
IMPAIRED WATERS AND ARE LIKELY TO HAVE MORE IMPAIRED 
WATERS.
SO WHAT I WANTED TO START WITH WAS A LITTLE BIT OF JUST 
THIS WHOLE IMPAIRMENT ISSUE AND WHERE SOME OF THIS REALLY 
SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM.
THE SLIDE HERE SHOWS YOU -- THE THING I WOULD LIKE YOU TO 
FOCUS ON IS THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF NITROGEN, AND 
NITROGEN IS OUR LIMITING NUTRIENT.
WHEN WE -- THOSE RED -- AREAS IN RED THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT 
ARE NUTRIENT-IMPAIRED WATERS, AND NITROGEN IS THE NUTRIENT 
OF INTEREST HERE.
IT'S THE NUTRIENT THAT CAUSE THE ALGAE BLOOMS, WATER 
CLARITY LOSSES, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
63% OF THAT NITROGEN COMES FROM STORMWATER, SO IT'S RUNOFF, 
AND IF YOU LOOK THERE AT THAT MAP, IT ALSO SHOWS YOU THAT 
WHEN YOU START BREAKING DOWN STORMWATER, THERE'S -- 20% OR 
SO OF THAT COMES FROM THE LAND USE, WHICH IS RESIDENTIAL.
AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, 
MINING, AND COMMERCIAL SOURCES.
SOMETHING THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT IN THAT MAP OR 
CHART IS THAT THIS MAP -- THIS CHART CHANGED OVER TIME 
SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE THE WASTEWATER -- WASTEWATER 
FACILITIES, INDUSTRIAL WASTE FACILITIES, AND AGRICULTURE 
HAVE ALL BEEN REGULATED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY'VE BEEN 
WORKING VERY HARD AND SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO REMOVE 
THEIR NITROGEN LOADS IN THESE AREAS.
AGRICULTURE THROUGH BMPs AND RESEARCH THROUGH IFAS AND 
OTHER LOCATIONS TO DEVELOP AN ABILITY TO REMOVE NITROGEN 
AND BE EFFICIENT ON IT.
ONE OF THE UNREGULATED AREAS THAT WE HAVE IS THIS RUNOFF 
FROM THESE RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND FERTILIZER IS A COMPONENT 
OF THAT WITH REGARD TO THE -- WHAT WE ALWAYS -- WHAT WE 
TALK TO YOU OFTEN ABOUT, THE TMDLs, THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY 
LOADS, THAT MANDATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WITH THE 
COUNTY AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT WILL RESULT IN ALL OF US 
HAVING TO COME UP WITH MEASURES IN ORDER TO REMOVE NITROGEN 
IN NUTRIENT-IMPAIRED WATERS AND THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE 
PART OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH AND -- AND 
PAY FOR.
AGAIN, WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB 
IN GETTING US ALONG THAT ROAD.
YOU DO NOT PICK UP A DOCUMENT THAT RELATES TO TMDLs OR 
THINGS ABOUT REMOVING NITROGEN FROM A WATER WITHOUT SEEING 
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS BEING THAT IT'S A LOT MORE COST-
EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT THE NITROGEN FROM GETTING IN THE WATER 
IN THE FIRST PLACE THAN IT IS TRYING TO REMOVE THE NITROGEN 
AFTER IT'S ALREADY IN THE WATER.
A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT COST.
NITROGEN REMEDIATION IN -- IN THE COUNTY, YOU COULD LOOK AT 
IT SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS THE COST PER TON OF REMOVING 
NITROGEN.
THERE'S A RANGE OF COSTS, AND THIS IS ESTIMATES FROM THE 
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
IT CAN BE REALLY COSTLY, AND BASED ON SOME OF THE PROPOSED 
PROJECTS THAT ARE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO TRY TO REMOVE 
NITROGEN QUANTITY ITS, WE CAN RUN INTO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS 
FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO TAKE PLACE.
THE IDEA HERE IS THAT SOME ESTIMATES HAVE BEEN MADE THAT 
WITH THE TAMPA BAY'S MODEL ORDINANCE FOR REMOVING 
FERTILIZER AS ONE OF THE SOURCES OF NITROGEN INTO 
WATERWAYS, IF IT WERE TO BE OBTAINED -- ATTAINED AT A 50% 
COMPLIANCE RATE, WE COULD REMOVE AN ESTIMATED 84 TONS OF 
NITROGEN TO THE BAY, 30 TONS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ALONE.
THAT IN ITSELF, IF YOU MULTIPLY IT OUT IN THE RANGE, WOULD 
BE $1.2- TO $6 MILLION WORTH OF EFFORT JUST THROUGH 
PREVENTION AND -- AND ORDINANCE THAT WOULD HELP US REACH 
THAT GOAL.
A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF FERTILIZER AND ITS 
CAUSE AND EFFECT ON WATER QUALITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF SCIENCE ON THE BAY, THERE'S A LOT OF 
SCIENCE ON TURF, AND A LOT OF SCIENCE IN BETWEEN.
THE PORTIONS THAT WE THINK THAT ARE VERY RELEVANT ARE THE 
EFFECTS THAT WE SEE IN TAMPA BAY.
THERE'S GOOD SCIENCE THERE, THERE'S GOOD MONITORING THERE, 
IT'S BEEN LONG-RANGE, OVER 30 YEARS.
WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING THAT NITROGEN TRULY IS THE KEY 
COMPONENT.
IT RELATES TO ALGAE BLOOMS, ET CETERA.
IT ALSO IS VERY SEASONALLY ENRICHED IN TERMS OF RUNOFF.
THE MORE RAIN WE HAVE, THE MORE RUNOFF WE HAVE, THE MORE 
NITROGEN WE GET, AND SO SEASONALLY, EITHER THE SUMMER 
MONTHS WHEN WE GET A LOT OF RAINS IT HAPPENS OR THOSE 
PERIODS OF YEARS WHERE WE HAVE LOTS OF EXCESS RAIN-OFF IN A 
SERIES OF YEARS YOU'LL SEE THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN, AND 
SOMETIMES THAT WILL BE LONG-LASTING, AND STORMWATER IS THAT 
MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR.
THE CAUSE -- WHEN I SAY "CAUSE," I MEAN THE SOURCE AS IT 
MAY RELATE TO FERTILIZER.
THIS HAS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL.
20%, IT IS -- THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT 20% OF THE 
NITROGEN RUNOFF IS COMING FROM RESIDENTIAL LAND USE AREAS.
NOW, THAT NITROGEN MAY BE FROM ANIMAL WASTE, IT COULD BE 
FROM SEPTIC TANKS, IT COULD BE FROM FERTILIZER, AND A 
VARIETY OF SOURCES SUCH AS THAT.
ONE VERY IMPORTANT STUDY THAT IS JUST BEING COMPLETED IS 
ONE THAT WAS CONDUCTED AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, AND 
IT'S A FOLLOW-UP TO A STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN 2004.
IT'S A VERY LARGE STUDY.
IT'S ALL ABOUT SEDIMENTS IN THE SAFETY HARBOR AREA, AND 
IT'S ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE -- WHAT HAS CAUSED THOSE 
SEDIMENTS TO BUILD UP AT THE RATES THEY'RE BUILDING UP AND 
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSTITUENTS IN THOSE SETTLEMENTS.
ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT STUDY IS BY VIRTUE 
OF VIRTUALLY A FINGERPRINT -- FINGERPRINTING SORT OF 
OPERATION, A ISOTOPE OF FERTILIZER -- OF NITROGEN THAT CAN 
BE DIRECTLY TIED TO FERTILIZER IS BEING FOUND IN THOSE 
SEDIMENTS IN TAMPA BAY.
IT LINKS THE FERTILIZER TO TAMPA BAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE OLD SEDIMENTS THAT ARE IN THAT STUDY IN 
THE SAFETY HARBOR AREA, THEY HAVE MUCH LESS OF THE 
FERTILIZER COMPONENT IN IT THAN DO THE NEWEST SEDIMENTS 
THAT ARE BEING LAID DOWN.
THE FERTILIZER COMPONENT IS GROWING AT A PRETTY LARGE RATE 
WHEN YOU COMPARE THOSE TWO PERIODS.
THERE'S OTHER SCIENCE THAT IS EITHER HELPFUL OR DOESN'T 
GIVE US CONCLUSIVE RESULTS.
IF FERTILIZER TRULY IS GETTING INTO THE BAY AS THE STUDY 
MAY SHOW US, IS IT GETTING THERE BECAUSE OF IMPROPER 
APPLICATION, OVERWATERING, LEACHING?
THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF EVIDENCE TO TELL US OR HELP US 
PIN DOWN WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM, HOW MUCH OF IT'S COMING 
FROM WHAT SOURCE AND WHAT ACTIONS.
WHAT WE DO KNOW, THOUGH, IS IFAS AND OTHERS HAVE STUDIED 
TURF, AND THEY SHOW THAT WITH PROPER APPLICATION OF 
FERTILIZER, PROPER IRRIGATION OF THE TURF, THE RUNOFF 
AND/OR LEACHATE IS VERY LOW, SO TURF IS NOT NECESSARILY A 
BAD ACTOR HERE, IT IS POTENTIALLY A PRODUCT THAT DOES A 
PRETTY GOOD JOB UNDER RIGHT -- THE RIGHT CONDITIONS OF 
ASSIMILATING THESE NUTRIENTS, SO THE TRICK IS IS IT DONE 
RIGHT AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
ANOTHER AREA OF INTEREST IS THE SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZERS, 
AND THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION ON THIS, AND IT'S 
I THINK BEST TO SAY -- AND YOU'LL HEAR SOME MORE ABOUT THIS 
FROM OTHER SPEAKERS -- IS THAT THE SCIENCE IS A LITTLE BIT 
EVOLVING ON THIS.
SOME SLOWLY RELEASED FERTILIZERS MAY NOT LAST LONG OR THEY 
MAY LEACH OUT FAST, BUT THE IDEA BEHIND THE SLOW RELEASE 
FERTILIZER, FOR INSTANCE, FOR SURE IF WE HAD A SUMMERTIME 
BAN AS WE'LL DISCUSS LATER, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THE 
SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER TO GET YOU THROUGH THE PERIOD WHERE 
YOU'RE NOT APPLYING NITROGEN AT A LATER DATE, SO WHETHER 
IT'S A MATTER OF LOOKING AT THE SCIENCE A LITTLE MORE 
CLOSELY OR IMPROVING THE PRODUCTS, THOSE ARE SOME KIND OF 
THE THOUGHTS THAT STILL NEED TO BE ANSWERED IN THAT AREA.
THIS IS A SLIDE THAT I SHOWED YOU AT OUR LAST EPC MEETING 
IN OCTOBER JUST TO KIND OF REMIND OURSELVES OF WHERE WE ARE 
IN THIS PROCESS.
THE DACS, THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DID A MAJOR 
REVISION OF THEIR -- THE WAY THEY PUT INFORMATION ON THE 
BAGS TALKING ABOUT APPLICATIONS OF FERTILIZER, STAYING AWAY 
FROM WATER, REDUCED PHOSPHOROUS IN THE FERTILIZERS, AND A 
LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT IN 2007.
IN '08, AFTER A SERIES OF A LOT OF WORK, THE ESTUARY 
PROGRAM ADOPTED A MODEL ORDINANCE FOR NONAGRICULTURAL 
FERTILIZER WITH A LOT OF HELP FROM THE -- FROM THE 
STAKEHOLDERS AND THE SUPPORTING AGENCIES THAT -- THAT WORK 
WITH THE ESTUARY PROGRAM.
DEP AND IFAS PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED THE FLORIDA-FRIENDLY 
LANDSCAPE GUIDE WITH MODELS FOR ORDINANCES AND COVENANTS 
AND RESTRICTIONS, A VERY USEFUL DOCUMENT.
AND THEN, AS DR. GARRITY SAID, THE THING THAT REALLY IS 
DRIVING US HERE TODAY IS THE SENATE BILL THAT FOR US 
MANDATES ACTION ON SOME SORT OF FERTILIZER CONSIDERATIONS 
GIVEN THAT WE DO HAVE THESE TMDL-IMPAIRED WATERS IN OUR 
COUNTY.
THE NEW LAW DOES REQUIRE US TO ENACT AT LEAST A DEP MODEL 
FERTILIZER ORDINANCE, AND BECAUSE OUR WATERS ARE IMPAIRED, 
AS WE SAID, THAT IS REQUIRED AT A MINIMUM.
ALL THREE OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTY AT LARGE 
HAVE THESE IMPAIRED WATERS.
THE -- WE CAN ACCEPT OR DEVELOP A MORE STRICT CRITERIA IN -
- IN -- THAN THE MODEL IF WE THINK IT'S BASED ON SCIENCE 
AND WE THINK THAT THAT IS ECONOMICALLY AND TECHNICALLY 
FEASIBLE TO DO SO.
AND THE LAW FURTHER REQUIRES CERTAIN TESTING AND 
CERTIFICATION PROCESSES, AND I HAVE JOE PERGOLA HERE, WHO'S 
PART OF THE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS, THAT WILL 
GIVE YOU JUST A QUICK RUNDOWN ON WHAT THEY DO, WHICH IS A 
VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS.
IN RESPONSE TO ALL OF THIS, THE EPC HELD A WORKSHOP TO TRY 
TO BRING THE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO CONSIDER WHERE WE 
WERE ON THIS, WHAT KIND OF CONSENSUS ISSUES WE MAY HAVE, 
AND WHAT SORT OF FRAMEWORK WE WANTED TO GO FORWARD WITH 
WITH REGULATION HERE IN THE COUNTY.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONSENSUS AT THE WORKSHOP ON SEVERAL 
ISSUE, INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL EXEMPTION AND THAT IMPROPER 
USE OF FERTILIZER PROBABLY IS CAUSING PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF 
EXCESS NUTRIENTS GETTING INTO THE WATERWAYS, AND THE 
PROPERTIES OF FERTILIZER IS IMPORTANT IN PROTECTING OUR 
WATERS, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, TRAINING, ET CETERA IS VERY 
IMPORTANT AND A KEY COMPONENT OF WHATEVER IF IS THAT WE DO.
SOME OF THE MAJOR AREAS OF NONCONSENSUS WERE WHETHER OR NOT 
WE SHOULD HAVE A RESTRICTION -- A RESTRICTION PERIOD FOR 
APPLYING FERTILIZER SUCH AS DURING THE SUMMER SEASON WHEN 
WE DO HAVE THOSE RAINS VIRTUALLY EVERY DAY.
ANOTHER ISSUE HAS BEEN A POTENTIAL RESTRICTION ON THE 
SELLING OF THAT NITROGEN FERTILIZER DURING THE SUMMER 
PERIOD TO COMPLEMENT THAT.
ANOTHER AREA OF CONSIDERATION AND SOME CONTENTION WAS 
WHETHER OR NOT A VARIANCE PROCEDURE NEEDED TO BE IN PLACE 
FOR SPECIAL SITUATIONS, AND IF SO, WHAT WOULD THAT CONTAIN.
AND ANOTHER MAJOR ISSUE IS IF WE ARE GOING TO GO FORWARD ON 
AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, WHERE'S THE FUNDING COME FROM FOR 
US TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AND HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING IT AND 
WHAT IS IT THAT WE'LL DO, INCLUDING WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE 
AN EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT ABILITY TO CARRY OUT A RULE.
THIS IS WHERE IT SORT OF STANDS WITH SOME OF THE MAJOR 
COUNTIES AND CITIES THAT WE -- THAT WE KNOW OF.
THERE'S ABOUT I THINK 19 OF THEM OR SO THAT HAVE DEVELOPED 
ORDINANCES.
THREE MAJOR ISSUES HERE ON THIS SLIDE JUST TELL YOU THAT 
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAVE ADOPTED AN AGRICULTURAL 
EXEMPTION.
MANY OF THEM HAVE ADOPTED A SUMMERTIME BAN IN THE 
APPLICATION OF THE FERTILIZER AND SOME OF THEM HAVE -- I 
SPECIALLY HERE IN -- CLOSE TO US ON TAMPA BAY, ST. 
PETERSBURG AND PINELLAS COUNTY HAVE OR ARE ABOUT TO ADOPT A 
SUMMERTIME SALES RESTRICTION.
ALL THE MODEL ORDINANCES INCLUDE A VARIETY OF THINGS LIKE 
TRAINING, LICENSING, PROHIBITIONS ON HAVING BUFFER ZONES 
AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
A LOT OF THIS IS IN THE MODEL ORDINANCE, AND THEY'RE ALL 
GOOD IDEAS, AND THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE CONTENTION 
THERE.
THIS IS A LITTLE CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT THE -- HOW WE ARE 
LOOKING IN SORT OF THE REGIONAL ORDINANCES THAT ARE BEING 
DEVELOPED THUS FAR.
ACROSS THE TOP YOU CAN SEE THE ESTUARY PROGRAM'S MODEL 
ORDINANCE, ST. PETERSBURG, AND THE PROPOSED PINELLAS 
ORDINANCE ALL HAVE THE SUMMERTIME SALES RESTRICTION AND THE 
SUMMER APPLICATION RESTRICTION.
SARASOTA HAS ONLY ADOPTED THE SUMMER APPLICATION 
RESTRICTION.
ORANGE COUNTY HAS ADOPTED A MODIFIED SUMMER APPLICATION 
RESTRICTION WHICH ALLOWS FOR PERSONS TO BE CERTIFIED 
PROFESSIONALS AND INDIVIDUALS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO APPLY 
DURING THE SUMMER.
AND THE BASIC 494 MODEL ORDINANCE ONLY REQUIRES APPLICATION 
TO BE NOT APPLIED IF -- IN THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN, AND IT 
DEFINES WHAT THAT IS.
THIS IS WHAT I'D LIKE JOE PERGOLA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE 
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, TO GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN OF WHAT 
THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE PART OF THE STATE'S RULE IS 
THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED AT THE VERY 
LEAST IF THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATORS FOR FERTILIZERS, 
SO JOE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
>> THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
JOE PERGOLA, DIRECTOR OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EXTENSION 
SERVICE.
I WAS ASKED TO GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF THE CURRENT 
EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS ALREADY IN THIS AREA.
THE EXTENSION SERVICE BASICALLY PROVIDES REQUIRED PESTICIDE 
MANAGEMENT TRAINING WHICH INCLUDES THE FERTILIZER BEST 
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, BMPs, TRAINING.
CURRENTLY SINCE THERE ARE NO REQUIRED FERTILIZER TRAINING 
OR CERTIFICATION -- AND THAT WON'T COME ABOUT UNTIL 2014 -- 
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ABOUT 6400 
LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS AND PESTICIDE APPLICATORS, AND WE 
HAVE -- SO FAR HAVE TRAINED 235 OF THOSE.
WE DO IT THROUGH TRAINING AVAILABLE AT OUR OFFICE.
I'VE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THAT THE UNIVERSITY WILL BE 
DEVELOPING -- IS DEVELOPING AN ON-LINE TRAINING COURSE AS 
WELL, SO WE -- WE LOOK TOWARDS 2014 TO BE A STIMULUS FOR 
PROFESSIONALS TO -- TO TAKE THIS TRAINING.
WE ALSO HAVE A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM IN WHICH WE USE THE 
FLORIDA YARDS AND NEIGHBORHOODS' NINE PRINCIPLES TO -- TO 
HELP HOMEOWNERS WITH BEST PRACTICES, SO THIS IS A PROGRAM 
THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE, AND WE HAVE A -- A RESIDENTIAL 
HORTICULTURE AGENT AND ALSO AN FYN AGENT TO REACH -- TO 
REACH HOMEOWNERS.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
>>BOB STETLER:  THANK YOU, JOE.
VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO THIS IS THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF 
EDUCATION.
ALMOST EVERYONE THAT WE'VE TALKED TO THINKS THAT EDUCATION 
WOULD BE A BIG, BIG PART OF WHAT WE COULD GET ACCOMPLISHED 
AND WHETHER WE'D BE SUCCESSFUL, AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF 
THE IDEAS OF WHAT WE'VE PUT -- PULLED TOGETHER.
SOME OF THESE THINGS ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN ALREADY DEVELOPED 
TO SOME DEGREE EITHER BY US OR THE ESTUARY PROGRAM AND 
OTHERS, BUT THINGS LIKE PSA -- VERY MUCH ALONG THE LINES OF 
WHAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER RESTRICTIONS, YOU 
KNOW, THE SAME KINDS OF THINGS, THE SAME KINDS OF OUTLETS.
YOU'D PROBABLY -- WE'D ADD TO THAT THE POINT-OF-SALE TYPES 
OF APPROACHES ALSO.
COMMISSIONER NORMAN HAS BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF THIS WHERE 
WE TRY TO GO INTO THE -- INTO THE STORES AND HAVE SOME 
EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS AND INFORMATION, AND MAYBE THOSE STORE 
EMPLOYEES ARE ACTUALLY THERE IN A BETTER POSITION TO 
EXPLAIN THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS, KIOSKS AND THOSE SORTS 
OF THINGS, SO THIS IS A BIG PART OF IT.
WE THINK THE FUNDING OF THAT IS IMPORTANT.
THE ESTUARY PROGRAM HAS GOT SOME MONEY TO GET THIS STARTED, 
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT 
WE TALK ABOUT.
AT THIS POINT I THINK IT SORT OF SLIDES OVER TO SOME LEGAL 
ISSUES, AND RICK TSCHANTZ IS GOING TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT 
THE EPC RULE VERSUS A COUNTY ORDINANCE APPROACH TO THINGS.
>>RICHARD TSCHANTZ:  THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.
WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE END OF OUR STAFF PRESENTATION.
I JUST HAVE THESE TWO SLIDES TO PRESENT.
ONE OF THE CLEAR DECISIONS THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE TODAY IS 
WHETHER OR NOT -- IT'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE 
AN EPC RULE OR A COUNTY ORDINANCE.
THE EPC ISN'T REQUIRED BY THE STATUTE TO ADOPT THE MODEL 
FERTILIZER ORDINANCE; HOWEVER, THE COUNTIES AND THE CITIES 
ARE, AND THERE'S NO LEGAL PROBLEM TO SHIFTING IT OVER TO 
EPC.
IN FACT, THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME ADVANTAGES IN DOING SO, 
AND ONE OF THOSE ADVANTAGES WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD 
AUTOMATICALLY APPLY CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE COUNTY INTO ALL 
THE MUNICIPALITIES IF IT WERE AN EPC RULE.
WE HAVE HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS.
THE CITIES HAVE HAD -- FROM STAFF TO STAFF HAVE BEEN 
INVOLVED IN OUR TASK FORCE MEETINGS AND OUR PUBLIC 
WORKSHOPS AND IN OUR WORK GROUPS, AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY 
MAJOR OBJECTION BY THE CITIES OF HAVING THIS AS AN EPC 
RULE; HOWEVER, UNDERSTANDABLY, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT 
DIRECTION THE BOARD'S GOING TO GO BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY SAY 
WHAT THEY WOULD WANT TO DO.
I'M SURE THEY'RE HERE WITH REPRESENTATIVES TODAY TRYING TO 
HEAR THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A 
CITY THAT HAS COME TO US OUT OF THE THREE CITIES AND SAID, 
NO, I WANT TO GO OUR OWN WAY ON THIS, AND WHAT YOU WOULD 
CONSIDER IN DOING THIS IS THAT IF THE COUNTY -- IF IT 
WERE -- THE BOCC WERE TO PASS A COUNTY ORDINANCE, THE 
CITIES COULD THEN PASS A MORE OR LESS STRINGENT ORDINANCE 
IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO.
THEN AGAIN, THEY COULD -- THEY COULD HAVE THE COUNTY 
ORDINANCE AND SAY WE LIKE IT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THAT 
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH ENFORCEMENT.
HOWEVER, THE EPC RULE, WHAT IT WOULD DO IF THE CITIES ARE 
AT THE TABLE WITH US AND HELP US DEVELOP AN EPC RULE AND 
HAVE BUY-IN, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE CONSISTENCY 
ACROSS THE COUNTY WITH ALL THE COUNTY AND ALL THE 
MUNICIPALITIES, AND DEPENDING WHAT THE RULE ENDS UP, WE MAY 
EVEN HAVE CONSISTENCY REGIONALLY ACROSS THE BAY.
SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE SOME DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD -- YOU 
DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT AS THE BOARD GETS INTO 
ITS DISCUSSION, ONE THING WE'D LIKE TO DO IS BE ABLE TO 
LEAVE HERE TODAY SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU WOULD LIKE 
THIS TO PROCEED AS AN EPC RULE OR NOT, SO WE WILL ASK THAT 
QUESTION OF YOU LATER TODAY.
THE NEXT SLIDE DEALS WITH THE ISSUE OF EDUCATION AND 
COMPLIANCE OR -- AND AS YOU JUST HEARD, WE WANT TO ASSURE 
THE -- THE PUBLIC AND THIS COMMISSION THAT EDUCATION IS 
GOING TO BE THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS EFFORT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS 
HERE.
THEN AGAIN, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 
COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE 
GOING TO PUT A RULE OR AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE LIKE THIS.
STAFF FROM THE COUNTY AND STAFF FROM EPC HAVE WORKED 
TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH AN EFFICIENT AND WE BELIEVE A 
PROCESS THAT WE COULD HAVE A STREAMLINED COMPLIANCE PROCESS 
FOR THIS; HOWEVER, WHAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD HAPPEN BEFORE WE 
EVER MOVE TO COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT, THAT WE SHOULD 
HAVE A GREAT PERIOD, AND IT SHOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT GRACE 
PERIOD, ENOUGH TO ALLOW AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BE FULLY 
PUT IN PLACE.
AND IF -- IF WE ARE OUT THERE TELLING HOMEOWNERS WHAT THE 
PROBLEM IS, HOW FERTILIZER IN THEIR OWN LAWNS ARE CONNECTED 
TO WATER QUALITY DOWNSTREAM, WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, WHAT LAW 
HAS BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT HERE, AND WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T 
DO UNDER THIS LAW, WE THINK WE'LL GET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT 
OF COMPLIANCE BEFORE WE EVER HAVE TO GET TO ANY ENFORCEMENT 
WHATSOEVER, AND WE WOULD PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF 
NITROGEN BEING REMOVED FROM WATERWAYS, EVEN DURING THE 
GRACE PERIOD.
THE KEY IS GETTING A RULE IN PLACE THAT CAN KICK IN THINGS 
TO START HAPPENING SUCH AS EDUCATION AND DIFFERENT PRODUCTS 
TO BE DEVELOPED TO PUT ON -- ON STORE SHELVES.
SO ONCE WE DETERMINE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A GRACE PERIOD, 
WE'LL DETERMINE HOW LONG THAT GRACE PERIOD SHOULD BE, WHAT 
IS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TIME, WHETHER IT'S SIX MONTHS, 
WHETHER IT'S UP TO A YEAR.
OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES HAVE DONE VARIOUS 
DIFFERENT TIME FRAMES.
BUT THAT WAY WE COULD USE THAT TIME FRAME TO GET THE 
EDUCATION GOING, AND THEN WE WOULD EASE IN TO COMPLIANCE 
AND ENFORCEMENT, AND AT THAT POINT YOU COULD DO PROGRESSIVE 
COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT.
YOU COULD BEGIN ON THE FIRST COMPLAINT BY SENDING 
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS OUT TO THE HOMEOWNER BEFORE YOU GET 
INTO THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT SUCH AS EITHER 
WARNING NOTICES OR ACTUAL FINES.
SO YOU COULD DO A PROGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT AFTER THE GRACE 
PERIOD.
AND WE WANT TO TELL YOU ALSO THAT IF WE HAVE AN APPLICATION 
PERIOD BLACKOUT TIME FRAME, IF THAT'S WHAT THIS RULE OR 
ORDINANCE COMES OUT TO BE, THERE WILL BE ISSUES WITH OUR 
STAFF ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND ENFORCE THAT.
WE WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
IT IS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE THE BLACKOUT 
PERIOD UNDER EXISTING STAFF.
THE -- THE OTHER OPTION OUT THERE IS THE SALES -- DURING 
THE SUMMER MONTHS HAVE THE SALES BLACKOUT PERIOD.
THAT IS SOMETHING WITH EXISTING STAFF WE COULD ENFORCE 
BECAUSE THERE ARE FEW CORPORATIONS AND STORES THAT WE WOULD 
BE ABLE TO HAVE CONTACT WITH AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE COULD 
BE IN PLACE.
SO THAT IS ANOTHER CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS FAR 
AS THE ISSUE OF ENFORCEMENT.
BUT IF WE DO A GOOD COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND 
COMPLIANCE, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE 
FORWARD AND HAVE SOME SUCCESS AT THIS.
I GUESS I'LL SHIFT BACK TO BOB NOW, AND WE CAN TALK MORE 
ABOUT THESE ISSUES AS THE BOARD DISCUSSION CONTINUES.
I THINK WE -- WE HAVE TO MOVE IT FORWARD PRETTY QUICKLY, 
GET INTO THE OTHER COMMENT.
>>RICK GARRITY:  RIGHT.
COMMISSIONER, I'M GOING TO SKIP THIS SLIDE AND GO STRAIGHT 
TO THE -- STRAIGHT TO THE FOUR OPTIONS THAT BOB PRESENTED 
IN CHART FORM A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT JUST SO YOU HAVE 
THESE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU CAN BE THINKING ABOUT THEM AS 
THE SPEAKERS COME UP.
ONE IS THE -- THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM ORDINANCE, 
WHICH ST. PETE AND PINELLAS ARE GOING IN THAT DIRECTION, 
THAT HAS THE APPLICATION RESTRICTION AND SUMMER SALES BAN.
THE SECOND IS THE SARASOTA MODEL ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS AN 
APPLICATION RESTRICTION ONLY.
THE THIRD IS ORANGE COUNTY, WHICH HAS AN APPLICATION 
RESTRICTION, BUT YOU CAN BECOME CERTIFIED TO APPLY.
AND THE FOURTH IS THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE.
AT THIS POINT WE'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR INVITED SPEAKERS.
AND THEY ARE TO START WITH PHIL -- I'LL JUST READ ALL OF 
YOUR NAMES RIGHT UP FRONT HERE.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  IF I COULD STEP IN HERE JUST A MINUTE.
>>RICK GARRITY:  YES, SIR.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  IF YOU'RE AT THE END OF YOUR 
PRESENTATION, I HAD MENTIONED EARLY IN THE MEETING THAT WE 
WERE GOING TO HAVE A QUICK BOARD DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW 34 PEOPLE WHO'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EVERYONE IN OVERFLOW, AND AS IS THE 
PRACTICE WITH THE COMMISSION MEETINGS AND OTHER MEETINGS 
THAT WE HAVE IS 45 MINUTES FOR PUBLIC INPUT WITH A THREE-
MINUTE MAX FOR THE -- EACH SPEAKER, AND I JUST WANTED SOME 
DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD TO ENABLE ALL THOSE WHO'VE -- 
WHO'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY, INCLUDING COUNCILWOMAN 
SAUL-SENA, AND WELCOME TODAY, COUNCILWOMAN.
GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE JUST BRIEF 
BOARD DISCUSSION AND ASK FOR A MOTION ON TIME OF DEBATE FOR 
PUBLIC INPUT AND WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD ON WHAT 
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE IN ALLOTTED TIME?
[INAUDIBLE]
COMMISSIONER WHITE.
>>KEVIN WHITE:  HOW MANY DID YOU SAY?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THERE'S 34 PRESENTLY, AND I THINK 
ANOTHER COUPLE CAME IN.
ONE.
SO WE'RE AT 35.
>>KEVIN WHITE:  AND WE'RE NORMALLY THREE MINUTES.
I'D MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO TWO MINUTES APIECE.
>> SECOND.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  OKAY.
THERE'S A MOTION FOR TWO MINUTES FOR EACH SPEAKER, AND 
WE'VE GOT A -- AN ALLOTMENT OF 45 MINUTES, BUT WE'LL GO 
OVER THAT TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE.
WE DO HAVE TIME CONSTRAINTS WITH A MEETING THAT FOLLOWS UP 
HERE THIS AFTERNOON AT 5:00, SO THERE IS A MOTION FOR TWO 
MINUTES PER SPEAKER.
COMMISSIONER.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  FOR EVERY -- THE CLARIFICATION ON THAT IS 
FOR EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  FOR EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  THAT'S FINE.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  ALL RIGHT.
SO WE'VE GOT THAT MOTION ON THE FLOOR WITH A SECOND.
PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTES.
>>RECORDING SECRETARY:  MOTION CARRIED 6-0.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
WE HAVE FOUR INVITED SPEAKERS TODAY WHO WILL BE HERE, AND 
THEY'VE BEEN -- HAD A TIME WHEN WE SET THE AGENDA.
THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN 15 MINUTES.
THE FIRST ONE WILL BE PHIL COMPTON FROM THE SIERRA CLUB -- 
WELCOME, MR. COMPTON -- THEN HOLLY GREENING FROM TAMPA BAY 
ESTUARY, DR. GEORGE HOCHMUTH AND TERRIL NELL FROM THE 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, AND ERICA SANTELLA FROM -- 
REPRESENTING THE LAWN AND ORNAMENTAL INDUSTRY.
SO WELCOME.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M PHIL COMPTON, AND I RESIDE AT 1430 PARK CIRCLE HERE IN 
TAMPA, AND I'M THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE SIERRA 
CLUB'S FLORIDA REGIONAL OFFICE, AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK 
YOU FOR TAKING UP THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT 
IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY, IMPROVING OUR LIFESTYLE AT A TIME 
AND A PLACE IN A WAY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY REDUCE OUR TAX 
BURDEN AS WELL.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE PROBLEM.
THIS IS LAST YEAR.
THIS IS AN UGLY SITE THAT WE HAD IN TAMPA BAY, FISH KILLS.
60 -- THE BEACHES ON COURTNEY CAMPBELL WERE CLOSED BECAUSE 
OF A HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM.
THIS YEAR WE HAD THE LARGEST ALGAE OUTBREAK ON RECORD IN 
TAMPA BAY BETWEEN SAFETY HARBOR AND WEEDON ISLAND.
NOT THE RED TIDE YOU HAVE OUT IN THE GULF, THE PYRODINIUM 
BAHAMENSE.
THIS HAD A DEVASTATING IMPACT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT SPREAD 
FROM FOUR MILES TO 14 MILES, FOUR AND A HALF TIMES THE 
AREA.
BLOOMS ARE TRIGGERED BY POLLUTANTS AND OTHER EXCESSIVE 
AMOUNTS OF NUTRIENTS, NOTABLY PHOSPHATES AND NITRATES, WHAT 
WE'RE TALKING HERE ABOUT TODAY, FOUND IN FERTILIZERS WHICH 
WASH INTO THE WATER.
DOWN NEAR WHERE I LIVE ON THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER, SULPHUR 
SPRINGS ILLUSTRATES THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN RUNOFF.
SINCE THE '70s THE SCIENTISTS HAVE DOCUMENTED INCREASING 
LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS IN SURFACE WATER.
WATER QUALITY HAS DECLINED IN MOST SPRINGS SINCE THE '70s. 
IN PARTICULAR, LEVELS OF NITRATE HAVE INCREASED.
FRESHWATER HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS ARE INCREASING IN 
FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND MAGNITUDE AND THEREFORE MAY BE A 
SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO SURFACE DRINKING WATER RESOURCES AND 
RECREATIONAL AREAS.
THIS IS THE SAME SULPHUR SPRING ALGAE BLOOM THAT HAPPENS 
EVERY SPRING.
ABUNDANT POPULATIONS OF BLUE-GREEN ALGAE, SOME OF THEM 
POTENTIALLY TOXIGENIC.
THEY HAVE BEEN FOUND STATEWIDE IN NUMEROUS LAKES AND 
RIVERS.
IN ADDITION, MEASURED CONCENTRATIONS OF CYANOTOXINS, FEW OF 
THEM ABOVE THE SUGGESTED GUIDELINE LEVELS, HAVE BEEN 
REPORTED IN FINISHED WATER FROM SOME DRINKING WATER 
FACILITIES, AND THOSE REMARKS ARE THE REMARKS OF THE 
SPECIAL STATE CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF DEP, DIVISION 
OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND RESTORATION BUREAU OF 
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT RELEASED LAST YEAR.
SO WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM AND WE KNOW IT.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
HOW DO WE DO THIS IN A COST-EFFECTIVE, SENSIBLE WAY?
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
WHY IS MORE NITROGEN RUNNING INTO WATERWAYS?
WHY HAS THIS INCREASED SINCE THE '70s?
USE ON RESIDENTIAL LAWNS HAS TRIPLED IN THE LAST DECADE.
AGRICULTURAL USE HAS GONE DOWN, BUT ON OUR LAWNS WE'RE 
PUTTING THREE TIMES MORE DOWN THAN WE WERE JUST TEN YEARS 
AGO.
AND AS STAFF TOLD YOU, SINCE 2007 13 STRONG -- WHAT WE 
CONSIDER TO BE STRONG COUNTY MUNICIPAL-LEVEL FERTILIZER 
MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES HAVE BEEN PASSED ALONG THE GULF 
COAST.
THAT'S WITH THE RAINY SEASON RESTRICTION ON APPLYING 
NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS.
ST. PETE, GULFPORT, LONGBOAT KEY, SARASOTA COUNTY, CITY OF 
SARASOTA, VENICE, NORTHPORT, LEE COUNTY, SANIBEL, FT. MYERS 
BEACH, FT. MYERS, BONITA SPRINGS, AND NAPLES, ALL UP AND 
DOWN THE GULF COAST.
AND THESE ORDINANCES INCLUDE THESE EXEMPTIONS.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I UNDERSTAND SOME FOLKS THINK THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH 
AGRICULTURE.
IT DOESN'T.
ALL BONA FIDE FARM OPERATIONS, INCLUDING NURSERIES, ARE 
COMPLETELY EXEMPT, AS ARE GOLF COURSES, YOUR SPORTS FIELDS, 
YOUR TURF MANAGERS, VEGETABLE GARDENS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTO COMMUNITY GARDENS THESE DAYS.
THAT'S EXEMPT.
TREE TRUNK INJECTION FERTILIZATION DONE BY A CERTIFIED 
ARBORIST, THAT COULD BE DONE SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
YOUR YARD WASTE COMPOST, YOUR MULCHES, OTHER MATERIALS THAT 
ARE ORGANIC, THEY'RE SLOW RELEASED 100% BY NATURE, THEY 
IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE SOIL, WHICH IS A VERY 
IMPORTANT THING WITH OUR SANITY SOIL TO TRY TO DO.
THAT'S EXEMPT.
AND YOUR RECLAIMED WATER.
THE ESTUARY PROGRAM DID STUDY ALL OF THE DIFFERENT 
RECLAIMED WATER SOURCES IN THE BAY AREA REGION, AND NOW WE 
ALL KNOW, AND THIS WILL BE PART OF THE EDUCATION THAT WE 
DO, IF YOU HAVE RECLAIMED WATER, WHAT'S THE NET AMOUNT OF 
FERTILIZER THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO USE ON YOUR PARTICULAR 
TYPE OF TURF WITH THE PARTICULAR WATER THAT YOU HAVE?
IT'S GOING TO VARY, EVEN WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT.
AND ST. PETE LED THE WAY IN TAMPA BAY.
THEY DID ENACT BACK IN MARCH A COMPLETE BAN ON APPLYING 
NITROGEN FERTILIZER IN THE RAINY SEASON.
WE GET ANYWHERE FROM AN INCH AND TWO-THIRDS TO TWO INCHES 
AND TWO THIRDS EIGHT MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.
FOUR MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR YOU GET 5.5 TO 7.5 INCHES.
THAT'S THE RAINY SEASON, JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
THIS ORDINANCE IS TO PROVIDE A GRADUAL NITROGEN RELEASE 
DURING THE RAINY SEASON.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, ALL YOUR FERTILIZER WILL CONTAIN HALF 
OF ITS NITROGEN CONTENT IN SLOW RELEASE FORM WITH AN ANNUAL 
LIMIT ON NITROGEN FERTILIZER OF FOUR POUNDS PER SQUARE FOOT
SO PEOPLE DON'T OVERAPPLY -- YOU GIVE THEM GUIDELINE THERE 
-- AND A SENSIBLE REQUIREMENT FOR DEFLECTOR SHIELDS ON 
BROADCAST SPREADERS TO KEEP THE FERTILIZER OFF SIDEWALKS 
AND DRIVEWAYS.
WE ALL AGREE ON THAT.
ELIMINATION OF PHOSPHOROUS FROM FERTILIZER EXCEPT WHEN A 
DEFICIENCY IS DOCUMENTED BY A SOIL TEST, WHICH IS GOING TO 
BE VERY RARE BECAUSE WE MINE THE STUFF HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY.
WE'RE BLESSED WITH A LOT OF PHOSPHOROUS IN OUR SOIL, SO 
IT'S [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] TO PUT IT ON THE GROUND AND LET IT 
WASH OFF INTO THE LAKES, FRESHWATER LAKES, THAT CAUSES THE 
PROBLEM.
AND ST. PETE HAD FLORIDA'S FIRST BAN -- YOU SAW THE GRAPH 
EARLIER.
THE FIRST BAN ON FERTILIZER SALE DURING THIS RAINY PERIOD 
WAS IN ST. PETERSBURG A FEW MONTHS AGO.
PINELLAS COUNTY, AS YOU HEARD, IS NOW POISED TO ADOPT THE 
SAME STRONG ORDINANCE STANDARDS COUNTYWIDE AT THEIR PUBLIC 
HEARING JANUARY 19th NEXT YEAR.
EACH OF THESE ORDINANCES INCLUDE A STRICT RAINY SEASON 
NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS APPLICATION BAN.
WHY?
BECAUSE IT'S THE SINGLE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO STOP NUTRIENT 
POLLUTION FROM MAKING ITS WAY FROM URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS TO 
OUR INLAND AND COASTAL WATER BODIES.
LIKE I SAID, I LIVE ON THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT CITY OF TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN 
KEEP ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS FROM POLLUTING IF WE CONTINUE TO 
APPLY NITROGEN IN THE SUMMERTIME.
IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP OUR TURF, IT'S NOT HELPING OUR TURF.
IF YOU PUT IT DOWN IN THE RAINY SEASON, IT'S NOT FEEDING 
YOUR TURF, BUT IT IS CAUSING ALGAE TO GROW IN THE 
WATERWAYS.
ANY APPLICATION OF NITROGEN OR PHOSPHOROUS DURING THE RAINY 
SEASON IS SUBJECT TO BEING WASHED AWAY BY AN AFTERNOON 
THUNDERSTORM.
IT'S A WASTE OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY AND IT'S A DIRECT 
THREAT TO WATER QUALITY.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?
THE 2009 DEP MODEL ORDINANCE LANGUAGE SAYS, A PROHIBITED 
APPLICATION PERIOD MEANS THE TIME PERIOD DURING WHICH A 
FLOOD WATCH OR WARNING OR TROPICAL STORM WATCH OR WARNING 
OR HURRICANE WATCH OR WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ANY PORTION 
OF THE CITY OR COUNTY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE OR IF HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY.
NOW, THE "IF HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY" STANDARD, THAT REALLY 
TELLS US ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE RAINY SEASON BAN BECAUSE 
HERE IN THIS PART OF THE STATE HEAVY RAIN CAN BE IMMINENT 
EVERY SUMMER AFTERNOON.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE LIVED HERE VERY LONG TO KNOW THAT; 
RIGHT?
A RAINY SEASON BAN DOESN'T PRECLUDE THE CONTINUED USE OF 
TURF IN OUR URBAN LANDSCAPES.
TURF QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY CAN GO HAND IN HAND.
IN FACT, THE EXPERIENCE IN SARASOTA WHERE THEY'VE HAD THIS 
IN EFFECT FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, THE TURF'S GOT 
HEALTHIER.
SURPRISE, THE TURF HAS GOT HEALTHIER.
THE REPLACEMENT COSTS FOR TURF HAVE GONE DOWN.
THERE'S ZERO SCIENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT TURF CANNOT THRIVE 
WITHOUT A NITROGEN APPLICATION FOR FOUR MONTHS.
IN FACT, LIKE I SAID, THE SARASOTA EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT IT 
CAN.
AT THE PALMER RANCH AREA, THEIR TURF REPLACEMENT COSTS WENT 
FROM $90,000 TO $6,000 A YEAR, A HAPPY UNINTENDED 
CONSEQUENCE.
THE IFAS RESEARCH BY JERRY SARTAIN A COUPLE YEARS AGO ON 
THE USE OF THE SIX-MONTH -- THIS IS THE KEY -- SIX-MONTH 
CONTROLLED RELEASE NITROGEN FERTILIZER -- THAT'S WHAT YOU 
GET WHEN YOU HAVE 50% SLOW RELEASE -- PRODUCED SIMILAR TURF 
QUALITY WITHOUT ANY RAINY SEASON APPLICATION, SO IT IS 
COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY TO TAKE THE RISK OF THE FERTILIZER 
WASHING OFF BY APPLYING IT IN THE RAINY SEASON.
TURF RECEIVES NITROGEN FROM RAINFALL AND GRASS CLIPPINGS 
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
2006 FLORIDA YARDS AND NEIGHBORHOOD HANDBOOK STATES THAT 
THE DECOMPOSED GRASS CLIPPINGS ARE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF 
NITROGEN, IT DOES REDUCE THE NEED FOR NITROGEN 
FERTILIZATION UP TO 50% WITHOUT A DECREASE IN TURFGRASS 
QUALITY.
SO HOW DO LAWNS GET NITROGEN IF NO FERTILIZER WITH NITROGEN 
IS APPLIED FOR FOUR MONTHS?
LIKE WE SAID, LAWN CLIPPINGS, BUT RAIN FROM ATMOSPHERIC 
DEPOSITION IN THE RAINY SEASON, RECLAIMED WATER, AS WE 
SAID, AND AGAIN THE 50% SLOW RELEASE NITROGEN FERTILIZER.
ADD ALL THAT TOGETHER, YOUR LAWN, YOUR TURF IS GOING TO BE 
FINE, AND IN FACT, THE SARASOTA EXPERIENCE SHOWS US EVEN 
HEALTHIER WITHOUT APPLYING THE NITROGEN THAT IS CAUSING THE 
PROBLEM THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING HERE TODAY.
NOW, IF WE DIDN'T DO THIS, WHAT WOULD IT COST TO CLEAN UP 
OUR WATER AND PREVENT OUR RIVER AND BAYS' HARMFUL ALGAE 
BLOOMS, THROUGH MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL MEANS THE WAY WE'VE 
TRIED TO DO IT; THE EXPENSIVE WAY, RAISING OUR TAXES, 
TRYING TO DO IT, TRYING FOR GOVERNMENT TO DO IT INSTEAD OF 
PEOPLE DOING THEIR PART, UP TO $1600 PER CAPITA ACCORDING 
TO THE FLORIDA STORMWATER ASSOCIATION.
IT'S, AS THE STAFF SAID, INFINITELY MORE EFFICIENT AND 
EFFECTIVE TO KEEP THE POLLUTION OUT OF THE WATER THAN TO 
TRY TO TAKE IT OUT LATER.
JUST MAKES COMMON SENSE, DOESN'T IT?
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
THIS IS HOW THEY'VE BEEN EDUCATING FOLKS THE LAST COUPLE OF 
YEARS DOWN IN SARASOTA.
THIS IS A -- ON THEIR CODE AND THIS IS A BROCHURE THAT THE 
COUNTY'S BEEN PUTTING OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC FOR THE LAST 
COUPLE OF YEARS.
THIS IS A BUMPER STICKER IN LEE COUNTY.
THEIRS STARTED THIS SUMMER.
FERTILIZE SMART, ZERO/ZERO NITROGEN, ZERO PHOSPHOROUS.
NOW, THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM -- AND MS. GREENING MAY 
BE TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS TODAY -- THEY HAVE 
BEEN DOING RESEARCH, THEY'VE BEEN DOING SOME WORK, 
PRELIMINARY WORK ON EDUCATION BECAUSE THIS IS ALL ABOUT 
EDUCATION.
FRANKLY I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS BUMPER STICKER 
HERE IN THE TAMPA BAY MEDIA MARKET.
WE'RE GOING TO DO A GOOD JOB.
SIERRA CLUB IS GOING TO HELP IN EVERY WAY WE CAN.
IT'S ALL ABOUT EDUCATION.
AGAIN, THOUGH, THE RAINY SEASON BAN, WANT TO KEEP YOUR 
FOCUS ON THAT.
THAT'S THE BACKBONE.
PROHIBITING NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS APPLICATION DURING THE 
RAINY SEASON IS THE ONLY PRAGMATIC WAY TO EFFECTIVELY 
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF URBAN FERTILIZERS IN TAMPA BAY 
STORMWATER, AND SIERRA CLUB AND THE 90 TAMPA BAY BUSINESSES 
AND ORGANIZATIONS WE REPRESENT TODAY, NEIGHBORHOOD 
ASSOCIATIONS, SMALL BUSINESSES, ALL SORTS OF NONPROFIT 
ORGANIZATIONS BUT A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES, URGE YOU TO 
MAKE YOUR ORDINANCE STRONG ENOUGH SO IT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE 
A DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF OUR WATER RESOURCES.
WE REALLY CAN HELP CLEAN UP ALL OUR WATERWAYS IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WITHOUT RAISING TAXES BECAUSE THIS IS A 
CASE WHERE GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO IT FOR THE PEOPLE, PEOPLE 
HAVE TO DO IT FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
PEOPLE HAVE TO DO THEIR PART.
GOVERNMENT'S JOB IS TO SPEND A TINY BIT OF MONEY TO EDUCATE 
THE PUBLIC IN THEIR ROLE.
WHO KNEW?
WHO KNEW THAT HOW I USE FERTILIZER, THE TYPE OF FERTILIZER 
I USE, AND WHEN I USE IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH OUR WATER 
QUALITY PROBLEMS.
WELL, HOPEFULLY A YEAR OR TWO FROM NOW EVERYONE WILL KNOW 
THAT.
THEY WILL THEN CHOOSE TO EXERCISE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
LET'S GIVE THEM A CHANCE.
LET'S SEE HOW WELL IT CAN WORK.
IN SARASOTA COUNTY, LEE COUNTY, IT'S WORKING.
WE CAN KEEP OUR TAXES LOW, WE CAN CLEAN UP OUR WATER AND 
REDUCE OUR LIABILITY.
AND MY FRIENDS THE MANATEES ASK YOU TO HELP KEEP OUR TAXES 
LOW, CLEAN UP OUR WATER, AND MAKE THE FISHING BETTER HERE 
IN TAMPA BAY REGION AS WELL BECAUSE HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS 
ARE THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF MANATEES DURING THE RAINY 
YEARS.
THEY'RE COUNTING ON YOU TO HELP.
WHILE I'VE GOT JUST ONE MORE MINUTE, I'LL TAKE JUST A 
SECOND TO READ A STATEMENT FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE SNOOK 
FOUNDATION.
RICK ROBERTS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SNOOK 
FOUNDATION SENT ME THIS.
HE'S DOWN -- HE'S OVER IN SANFORD, CAN'T BE HERE TODAY.
I'LL JUST TAKE A SECOND TO READ THIS.
PROTECTING JUVENILE AND ADULT HABITAT FOR SNOOK AND MYRIAD 
RELATED GAME AND FORAGE SPECIES OF FISH, INVERTEBRATES, 
PINK SHRIMP, BLUE CRABS, AND PLANTS IS ONE OF THE CHIEF 
AIMS OF THE SNOOK FOUNDATION, THE INSHORE FISHING ALLIANCE.
WE CONSIDER STOPPING FERTILIZER APPLICATION DURING THE 
RAINY SEASON TO BE THE BACKBONE TO MEANINGFUL, EFFECTIVE 
FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW STEPS THE COMMUNITY CAN CHOOSE TO 
TAKE THAT WILL IMPROVE ITS ECONOMIC POTENTIAL WITH A 
NEGATIVE INVESTMENT.
A NEGATIVE INVESTMENT.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET TO DO THAT?
HOMEOWNERS, PRIVATE BUSINESSES, AND PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS 
CAN ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY WHILE BENEFITING THE ENVIRONMENT 
WITH NO DOWNSIDE TO GROWTH.
THERE IS NOW CONSENSUS IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY THAT 
MAN-MADE NUTRIENT DISCHARGES CONTRIBUTE TO LONGER AND MORE 
INTENSIVE RED TIDE, RED DRIFT, AND BLUE-GREEN ALGAE 
OUTBREAKS.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF WATER QUALITY EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES 
STATEWIDE SUPPORT ORDINANCES THAT CONTAIN THE BAN ON 
NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUS FERTILIZER APPLICATION FROM JUNE 
1st THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30th THAT DIRECTLY COINCIDES WITH THE 
GULF COAST REGION'S FOURTH-MONTH RAINY SEASON.
THAT'S WHY ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS.
IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS THAT GET WASHED 
OFF INTO TAMPA'S LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES AND END UP IN OUR 
INLAND AND COASTAL WATERS, THE SNOOK FOUNDATION SUPPORTS A 
STRONG FERTILIZER ORDINANCE.
I'LL SHARE THIS WITH YOU.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO CREATE A VERY COST-
EFFECTIVE AND SENSIBLE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU, MR. COMPTON.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HOLLY GREENING -- WELCOME, MS. GREENING 
-- FROM THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY.
COME FORWARD.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M HOLLY GREENING.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY 
PROGRAM.
YOU'VE HEARD QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE -- THE ESTUARY PROGRAM'S 
NONAGRICULTURAL REGIONAL FERTILIZER APPLICATION, SO I WON'T 
GO OVER THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING 
FORWARD SOME RELATIVELY NEW TECHNICAL FINDINGS AND ALSO 
SOME ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.
FIRST I WANTED TO THANK HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR YOUR 
LEADERSHIP IN WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS.
IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WAS THE FIRST 
COUNTY TO SIGN A DECLARATION ADOPTING LONG-TERM AGREEMENTS 
TO LIMITS ON NITROGEN LOADS TO TAMPA BAY.
THIS WAS A -- 32 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS PARTICIPATED 
IN THIS REGIONAL COLLABORATION, AND IT WILL -- IT WILL BE 
VERY -- VERY BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG-TERM FOR MAINTAINING 
THE QUALITY THAT WE'VE SEEN IN TAMPA BAY.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SEAGRASS COVERAGE HAS INCREASED ABOUT 
6,000 ACRES SINCE THE 1980s.
WE'RE NOW MEETING WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS IN ALL THREE 
OF THE MAJOR BAY SEGMENTS, AND AGAIN, THE COUNTY'S APPROVAL 
OF THE CONSORTIUM ACTION WILL ENSURE CONTINUED COMPLIANCE 
WITH REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND ALSO PROGRESS TOWARD OUR 
LONG-TERM SEAGRASS RESTORATION AND WATER QUALITY GOALS.
HOWEVER, NITROGEN-FUELED ISSUES STILL OCCUR.
WE KNOW THAT THE LARGE ALGAE BLOOM IN WESTERN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY OCCURRED JUST THIS SUMMER.
WE ALSO HEARD FROM BOB STETLER EARLIER ABOUT THE REGULATORY 
REQUIREMENT THAT NUTRIENT-IMPAIRED WATERS WILL REQUIRE -- 
EXCUSE ME -- REQUIRE NUTRIENT LOAD REDUCTIONS FROM SOURCES 
WITHIN THE WATERSHED WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE CHALLENGE AHEAD IS THAT MEETING THESE REGULATORY 
REQUIREMENTS WILL REQUIRE NEW OR EXPANDED NITROGEN 
SOURCES -- SOURCES TO SHOW OFFSETS FOR TAMPA BAY AND SHOW 
REDUCTIONS FOR THOSE WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENTS THAT ARE UP 
IN THE WATERSHED; HOWEVER, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS CERTAINLY 
NOT THE ONLY COUNTY OR CITY FACING THIS.
ALL OF THE CITIES AND COUNTIES IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA HAVE 
SIMILAR IMPAIRMENTS AND CHALLENGES.
RECOGNIZING THIS, THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM'S POLICY 
BOARD, WHICH ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THE THREE COUNTIES 
AROUND TAMPA BAY, THE THREE MAJOR CITIES, AND EPA, DEP, AND 
THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT INSTRUCTED THE -- THE STAFF 
TO FACILITATE WORKSHOPS, STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS IN 2008 ON 
SPECIFICALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL NONAGRICULTURAL 
FEDERAL -- FERTILIZER APPLICATION MODELS.
OUR WORKSHOPS INVOLVED 42 PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR, 
INCLUDING ALL OF THE -- THE SPEAKERS TODAY AND LAWN CARE, 
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, IFAS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND WATER 
QUALITY SCIENTISTS.
WE ATTEMPTED TO USE A CONSENSUS-BASED APPROACH IN THIS 
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP PROCESS.
THE ISSUES ADDRESSED, AGAIN, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THESE 
SEVERAL TIMES TODAY ALREADY, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM 
PREVIOUSLY.
THE ONLY ISSUE FOR WHICH CONSENSUS WAS NOT REACHED IN THE 
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS WAS THE TIMING, THE RESTRICTED 
PERIOD.
THE POLICY BOARD WHEN THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE 
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS ALSO ADDED 
POINT-OF-SALE RESTRICTIONS WHICH WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BY -- 
NOT CONSIDERED BY THE STAKEHOLDERS BUT WAS CONSIDERED BY 
OUR POLICY BOARD MEMBERS AS BEING A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY OF 
IMPLEMENTING AND ENFORCEMENT.
SOME OF NEWER KEY TECHNICAL FINDINGS THAT I WANTED TO BRING 
FORWARD TODAY, CERTAINLY WE KNOW THAT RAINFALL PATTERNS 
VARY AROUND FLORIDA.
IN A RECENT DEP-SPONSORED STUDY OF STORMWATER RUNOFF, THE -
- THE FINDINGS WERE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RUNOFF 
VOLUMES, THE AMOUNT OF WATER COMING OFF LANDS FOR RAIN 
EVENTS WHEN SOILS ARE SATURATED OCCURRED EVEN FROM 
VEGETATED LANDSCAPES.
THE FREQUENCY OF SIGNIFICANT RUNOFF EVENTS IS SUBSTANTIALLY 
HIGHER IN THE SUMMER RAINY SEASON AS COMPARED TO OTHER 
SEASONS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.
THIS IS A GRAPHIC FROM -- FROM AN IFAS PUBLICATION THAT 
SHOWS VERY CLEARLY THAT RAINFALL PATTERNS DIFFER ACROSS THE 
STATE.
WESTERN, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RAINFALL PATTERNS 
SHOW THAT HIGH RAINFALL AMOUNT IN THE -- IN THE SUMMER -- 
SUMMER PERIOD.
THE -- THE DEP REPORT ON CURRENT STORMWATER DESIGN CRITERIA 
NOTED THAT THE SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION AT THE TIME OF 
RAINFALL EVENT CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE AMOUNT 
OF WATER COMING OFF AND WHATEVER IS INCLUDED IN THAT WATER.
THEY -- THEY RANKED DIFFERENT SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS, AND 
A SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION OF THREE WAS WHEN RAINFALL 
GREATER THAN 2.1 INCHES IN WARM MONTHS OR GREATER THAN 1.1 
INCHES IN OTHER MONTHS INDICATED THAT SOILS ARE SATURATED 
AND THAT YOU HAVE A HIGHER POTENTIAL FOR RUNOFF, AND THAT 
RUNOFF IS LIKELY EVEN FROM VEGETATED AREAS.
THIS IS A GRAPHIC SHOWING THE -- THE PERIOD OF RECORD FOR 
PLANT CITY RAINFALL FROM 1901 THROUGH CURRENT, AND AS YOU 
CAN SEE, THE PROPOSED RAINY SEASON PERIOD HAS A MEAN 
PERCENT OF THE DAYS WHICH -- IN WHICH THIS HIGH RUNOFF 
CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE OF AT LEAST 20% AND MANY DAYS AS 
HIGH AS A THIRD, SO A THIRD OF OUR DAYS IN THE RAINY SEASON 
WE ARE LIKELY TO HAVE HIGH RUNOFF CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO 
THE DEP STUDY.
COOLER TEMPERATURES AND LOWER RAINFALLS.
OUR AVERAGE WAS AROUND 9%.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME KEY TECHNICAL FINDINGS RECENTLY FROM THE 
SAFETY HARBOR SEDIMENT STUDY, AND BOB STETLER TALKED A 
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS EARLIER.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE AND 
HISTORY OF THE FINE GRAIN ORGANIC SEDIMENTS OR MUCK IN 
SAFETY HARBOR.
SAFETY HARBOR DOES INCLUDE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DRAINAGE, SO 
IT IS -- IT IS IMPORTANT NOT JUST FOR PINELLAS COUNTY BUT 
FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ALSO.
THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THAT THERE IS AN INCREASED ORGANIC 
SEDIMENT OR MUCK DEVELOPMENT AND ACCUMULATION IN THE SAFETY 
HARBOR AREA, UP TO ABOUT A FOOT AND A HALF, AND THAT THAT 
ACCUMULATION RATE IS ACTUALLY INCREASING.
MULTIPLE LINES OF EVIDENCE WERE USED IN THE SAFETY HARBOR 
STUDY TO TRACK CHANGES THROUGH TIMES.
WE -- THE -- THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA RESEARCHERS 
USED ESSENTIALLY A CARBON AND NITROGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS TO 
FINGERPRINT NITROGEN SOURCES, AND THE RESULT SHOWED CHANGES 
IN NITROGEN SOURCES IN ACCUMULATED ORGANIC SEDIMENTS 
THROUGH TIME.
THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS OVER ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE IN THE 
1900s, THE NITROGEN SOURCES WERE -- SIGNATURES WERE 
CONSISTENT WITH NATURAL SOURCES AND EXCHANGED WITH THE GULF 
OF MEXICO.
IN ABOUT THE 1940s WE SAW A CHANGE TO THE NITROGEN SOURCES 
TO THIS MUCK THAT IS ACCUMULATING IN SAFETY HARBOR.
THOSE SOURCES IN THE 1940s WERE CONSISTENT WITH LIVESTOCK 
WASTE OR SEWAGE.
IN MORE RECENT YEARS, HOWEVER, THE NITROGEN SOURCES ARE 
DOMINATED BY A SIGNATURE CONSISTENT WITH INORGANIC 
RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZERS, SO WE HAVE SEEN A CHANGE IN THE 
SOURCES OF NITROGEN TO SEDIMENTS THROUGH TIME IN SAFETY 
HARBOR.
WE ALL KNOW THAT EDUCATION IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT, AND 
CERTAINLY THAT IS A VERY STRONG EMPHASIS OF THE TAMPA BAY 
ESTUARY PROGRAM'S POLICY BOARD.
THEY HAVE ALLOCATED $75,000 IN LICENSE TAG FUNDS TO A 
REGIONAL FERTILIZER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN FOR ALL THREE 
COUNTIES.
WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED MATCHING FUNDS FOR THOSE TO DOUBLE 
THAT -- DOUBLE THOSE FUNDS, SO WE DO HAVE FUNDS TO MOVE 
FORWARD WITH AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ONCE THE THREE CITIES 
AND THE THREE COUNTIES MOVE FORWARD WITH -- WITH THEIR 
VARIOUS ORDINANCES.
ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS A 
HOMEOWNER -- HOMEOWNER FOCUS GROUPS TO WORK ON MESSAGES 
MOST LIKELY TO REACH AND IMPACT RESIDENTIAL USE OF 
FERTILIZER AND ALSO ASSESSING CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT 
FERTILIZER AND ATTITUDES ABOUT LAWN CARE.
SOME OF THOSE FOCUS GROUP PERCEPTIONS, THEY'VE BEEN ONGOING 
NOW FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS, IS THAT LUSH LAWNS REQUIRE 
FREQUENT FERTILIZING, AND THEY RANGE FROM EVERY -- EVERY 
TWO WEEKS IN -- FROM SOME -- SOME RESIDENTS TO MORE THAN 
SIX TIMES PER YEAR.
ANOTHER PERCEPTION IS THAT -- THAT YOU MUST FERTILIZE MORE 
FREQUENTLY IN THE RAINY SEASON BECAUSE IT RUNS OFF TOO 
QUICKLY.
INFORMATION ON FERTILIZING COMES FROM THE BAG, NEIGHBORS, 
OR LAWN CARE COMPANY.
A FEW OF THE RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF LAWN -- OF LAWN RUNOFF 
AND WHERE IT GOES.
AND AGAIN, FROM THE FOCUS GROUP PERCEPTIONS, THEY PREFER 
MESSAGES THAT PROVIDE A CLEAR, SIMPLE INSTRUCTION.
IN SUMMARY, NITROGEN REDUCTIONS WILL BE NECESSARY TO MEET 
REGULATORY WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS.
THE TAMPA BAY SUMMER RAINFALL PATTERNS SHOW A HIGH 
LIKELIHOOD FOR RUNOFF, INCLUDING FROM VEGETATED LANDS, AND 
SOMETHING WE'VE HEARD VERY FREQUENTLY, NITROGEN REMOVAL 
ONCE IN SURFACE WATER CANNING VERY COSTLY.
A RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZER SUMMER RESTRICTED PERIOD APPEARS 
TO BE A COST-EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR CONSIDERATION.
ENFORCEMENT MAY BE SIMPLIFIED BY INCLUDING A POINT-OF-SALE 
RESTRICTION, AND REGIONAL CONSISTENCY WILL ENHANCE BOTH 
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION.
THE -- THE POLICY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE -- HAVE BROUGHT 
FORWARD A NUMBER OF SORT OF SUMMARY POINTS FROM THE 
BENEFITS OF SUMMER APPLICATION AND RESALE -- RESALE -- 
RETAIL SALES BAN.
AGAIN, IT'S A SPRINGBOARD FOR SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION AND 
ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S A COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR IMPROVING COMPLIANCE WITH 
-- BUILT-IN COMPLIANCE WITH RETAIL SALE RESTRICTION.
REGIONAL CONSISTENCY IS IMPORTANT FOR LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 
AND WE HEARD THIS FROM THE STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS, THAT 
BECAUSE THE LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MOVES ACROSS MUNICIPAL AND 
COUNTY BOUNDARIES, THAT REGIONAL CONSISTENCY IS VERY 
IMPORTANT TO THEM.
A SIMPLE, CLEAR MESSAGE FOR -- IS ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE 
EDUCATION.
AND MANAGING -- FINALLY AGAIN, MANAGING NITROGEN FROM THE 
SOURCE IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE THAN REMOVAL OF WATERWAYS 
ONCE IT'S THERE.
AND THAT'S MY PRESENTATION, AND I KNOW AS WE GO FORWARD 
I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU, DR. GREENING.
AND OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DR. HOCHMUTH.
[APPLAUSE]
WELCOME, DR. HOCHMUTH.
AND WITH HIM DR. TERRIL NELL, AND WHEN WE PUT THIS AGENDA 
TOGETHER, THESE SPEAKERS WERE SELECTED BY ALPHABETICAL 
ORDER.
>> I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT HAVE Ws AND Zs AS THEIR 
LAST NAME, AND THEY ALWAYS GO LAST, SO I'M GLAD TO HAVE 
THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE EARLY IN THE PROGRAM.
I'M ALSO GLAD TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF THE 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND SPECIFICALLY IFAS AND ALL MY 
SCIENTIFIC COLLEAGUES, INCLUDING DR. TERRIL NELL HERE, WHO 
HAS BEEN WORKING -- WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON PUTTING 
TOGETHER THESE PROGRAMS.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND TALK TO YOU 
ABOUT THE RESEARCH AND THE SCIENCE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, 
NOT ONLY IN THIS STATE, BUT TODAY I'M GOING TO PRESENT SOME 
INFORMATION FROM OTHER STATES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THESE 
SAME ISSUES, EXACT SAME ISSUES, AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO 
SEE HOW THAT CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON HELPING US SORT 
THROUGH SOME OF THESE -- THESE ISSUES.
IN FACT, THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HAS BEEN WORKING ON 
WATER QUALITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.
IT WAS ALREADY ALLUDED TO FOR THE AGRICULTURE AREA, BUT 
WE'VE ALSO BEEN DOING IT FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES WITH 
URBAN FERTILIZATION AND TRYING TO -- TO GET AHEAD OF 
SOLVING WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS.
I HAVE ABOUT 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A SOIL AND WATER 
SCIENCE AND A HORTICULTURIST IN THIS AREA.
WE ALL KNOW THAT LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES ARE IMPORTANT TO US, 
TO SOCIETY, TO PEOPLE IN THIS STATE.
THEY DO PROVIDE AESTHETIC AND RECREATIONAL VALUE AND 
BENEFITS.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES IN URBAN 
ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE SCIENCE THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU 
SHOWS HOW SCIENTISTS AROUND THIS STATE AND AROUND THE 
COUNTRY HAVE PUT THE SCIENCE TO WORK TO SOLVE THESE -- 
THESE PROBLEMS AND TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IN -- IN THE 
FORM OF DEVELOPING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES SO THAT WE CAN 
ACTUALLY ACHIEVE BOTH, HAVE OUR LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES AND 
ALSO HAVE THEM WORK FOR US.
THAT WAS ALREADY MENTIONED EARLIER BY ONE OF THE SPEAKERS.
WE CAN HAVE BOTH.
AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN SPENDING QUITE A BIT OF TIME WITH THE 
MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES OVER THE LAST YEAR, YEAR 
AND A HALF TALKING ABOUT THE RESEARCH, AND TO BE HONEST 
WITH YOU, IT HAS SPURRED US ON EVEN MORE AT THE UNIVERSITY 
TO LOOK FOR FUNDING, TO PUT ON THE GROUND MORE STUDIES TO 
ADDRESS SOME OF THE GAPS IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HAVE BEEN 
IDENTIFIED BY DISCUSSIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH COMMISSIONS 
AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION FOLKS, MANAGEMENT FOLKS IN 
COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE DO RECOGNIZE, HAVE RECOGNIZED FOR MANY 
DECADES THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER QUALITY IN THIS STATE, 
PARTICULARLY IN THIS STATE, MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN -- THAN 
OTHER STATES, BUT WE HAVE RECOGNIZED IT AND HAVE BEEN DOING 
A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH WITH WATER QUALITY.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZED -- HAVE RECOGNIZED IN ALL OF OUR 
PRESENTATIONS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE.
THERE ARE NITROGEN -- THERE IS NITROGEN IN OUR WATER.
IT'S NOT DOING US GOOD, AND WE NEED TO CLEAN IT UP, WE NEED 
TO DEAL WITH NITROGEN, FERTILIZER, ANY KIND OF SOURCES AT -
- AT THE SOURCE, AND THAT GETS -- BRINGS US BACK TO TAKING 
A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DEAL WITH THIS.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO CLEAN UP?
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THESE NITROGEN MOLECULES THAT 
ARE GETTING LOOSE IN THE ENVIRONMENT?
IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION, I DON'T THINK, IN MANY PEOPLE'S 
MINDS THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM OR DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, IT 
COMES DOWN TO HOW DO WE SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE SCIENCE, ROLE OF SCIENCE IN 
MY MIND REALLY SORT OF SERVES IN TWO SORT OF VARYING 
DEGREES.
WE CAN SET UP EXPERIMENTS TO QUICKLY ANSWER -- CONDUCT A 
RESEARCH STUDY AND QUICKLY ANSWER A QUESTION, FIND THE 
ANSWER.
SCIENCE IS ALSO A PROCESS.
WE START OUT WITH AN EXPERIMENT.
THAT EXPERIMENT, THE RESULTS OF FROM THAT EXPERIMENT LEAD 
TO OTHER EXPERIMENTS BECAUSE OF WHAT WE FIND FROM THE FIRST 
ONE.
MORE PARTICULAR TO OUR SITUATION HERE IN TRYING TO SOLVE 
ISSUES IS WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE TELL US ABOUT THE RIGHT 
PATH TO TAKE?
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME SCIENCE THAT WE'VE DONE HERE AND 
SCIENCE THAT'S BEEN DONE BY OTHER SCIENTISTS AROUND THE 
COUNTRY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AND HONESTLY IT'S ALREADY 
BEEN BROUGHT UP TODAY SEVERAL TIMES, THE MID -- THE SUMMER 
BLACKOUT AS -- AS AN UNATTENDED NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE 
POTENTIALLY ON WATER QUALITY DUE TO -- DUE TO OUR ACTIONS.
WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE INDICATE TO US MIGHT BE THOSE 
NEGATIVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES?
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE.
WE PUBLISHED ON THIS AS A WAY TO PRESENT SOME QUESTIONS AND 
START ASKING QUESTIONS.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE SCIENCE.
WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS THAT WE MIGHT 
CHOOSE?
FOUR OF THEM WERE PUT ON THE BOARD JUST A MINUTE AGO AS -- 
AS OPTIONS.
THESE PUBLICATIONS, THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, THE 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, AND THE FLORIDA-FRIENDLY 
LANDSCAPE INFORMATION HAS BEEN ALLUDED TO ALSO EARLIER, HAD 
BEEN MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE WORKSHOPS AND THROUGH OUR 
INTERACTIONS WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOLKS IN MANY COUNTIES 
AND MUNICIPALITIES.
THE RESEARCH THAT'S BEEN DONE IN FLORIDA THAT WE HAVE 
PRESENTED IS CLEARLY SUPPORTED BY PUBLICATIONS IN THE 
NATIONAL PEER REVIEW JOURNAL, NOT ONLY FROM OUR SCIENTISTS 
BUT FROM OTHER SCIENTISTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
PEER REVIEWED HAS TAKEN ON SOME -- SOME FUZZINESS OUT HERE.
A PEER REVIEW IS SIMPLY HAVING YOUR SCIENCE AND YOUR 
REPORTS, YOUR PUBLICATIONS THAT YOU WRITE UP BASED ON THAT 
REVIEWED BY NOT YOUR PEERS, YOUR FRIENDS IN -- IN YOUR 
CLOSE PROXIMITY BUT YOUR COLLEAGUES AND PEERS OUT IN THE 
COUNTRY WHO MAY, LIKELY ARE NOT, DIRECT COLLEAGUES AND 
PARTNERS IN RESEARCH PROJECTS.
IT'S AN INDEPENDENT PEER-REVIEWED PROCESS.
THAT IS DONE IN SCIENCE, IT'S DONE IN LAND GRANT 
INSTITUTIONS IN PARTICULAR SO THAT THOSE REPORTS WHEN THEY 
FINALLY GET PUBLISHED AND PRINTED HAVE GONE THROUGH A 
RIGOROUS REVIEW PROCESS, SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS OR 
PROBLEMS, THEY CAN COME BACK TO THAT INVESTIGATOR TO DEAL 
WITH.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU MAINTAIN QUALITY CONTROL IN -- IN 
SCIENCE.
MUCH OF THE SCIENCE THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS 
PUBLISHED IN -- IN -- NOT ONLY IN PEER REVIEW JOURNALS, BUT 
THERE'S ALSO NEW BOOKS THAT COME OUT.
THIS BOOK IS ENTITLED "THE FATE OF NUTRIENTS AND PESTICIDES 
IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT."
THIS BOOK HERE IS SIMPLY ENTITLED "WATER QUALITY AND 
QUANTITY ISSUES FOR TURFGRASSES IN URBAN LANDSCAPES."
BOOKS LIKE THIS AND THE PEER REVIEW JOURNALS SUMMARIZE THE 
VAST AMOUNT OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH THAT'S BEEN DONE AROUND 
THIS COUNTRY AND IN THE WORLD TO ADDRESS WATER QUALITY 
QUESTIONS AND ISSUES REGARDING FERTILIZER AND WATER 
MANAGEMENT IN OUR URBAN ENVIRONMENTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT PEER REVIEW SCIENCE IS ALL ABOUT, AND I WILL 
ADD IN HERE THAT THE -- THE UNIVERSITIES IMPOSE UPON 
THEMSELVES THIS NEED FOR PEER REVIEW SCIENCE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, HUMBLY SUGGEST, TO THE COMMISSION 
THAT AS THEY REVIEW REPORTS, RESEARCH REPORTS, THAT YOU 
ASK, HAS THIS RESEARCH REPORT BEEN PEER REVIEWED?
WHETHER IT'S A PRIVATE CONSULTANT STUDY, WEKIVA STUDY IN 
PARTICULAR, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE HELD 
TO THE SAME LEVEL OF STANDARDS IN TERMS OF CONDUCTING THE 
RESEARCH, GETTING IT EVALUATED AND PUBLISHED.
I WANT TO START OFF WITH JUST THIS LITTLE DIAGRAM HERE JUST 
TO BRING US ALL TO A STARTING POINT.
THIS IS THE NITROGEN CYCLE.
NITROGEN IS A NUTRIENT THAT IS SO DYNAMIC AND CHANGEABLE IN 
OUR ENVIRONMENT.
THE YELLOW INDICATES TO YOU THE DIFFERENT SOURCES THAT 
NITROGEN CAN TAKE.
WE KNOW WE GET NITROGEN FROM THE AIR, MOST OF OUR 
ATMOSPHERE IS MADE UP OF NITROGEN.
WE ALSO HAVE NITROGEN IN ORGANIC MATTER.
WE ARE COMPOSED OF A LARGE AMOUNT OF NITROGEN AND AMINO 
ACIDS AND PROTEINS.
THAT NITROGEN ENDS UP WHEN WE DIE, WHEN PLANTS DIE IN THE 
GROUND, AND THAT'S THE NITROGEN IN THE ORGANIC MATTER.
NITROGEN ALSO EXISTS IN SEVERAL IONIC SPECIES IN THE SOIL.
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE THEY COME IN 
FERTILIZER ARE AMMONIUM, WHICH IS A POSITIVELY CHARGED ION, 
AND NITRATE, WHICH IS A NEGATIVELY CHARGED ION.
SO WE HAVE THESE TYPES OF NITROGEN MOLECULES AND IONS OUT 
THERE.
THE BLUE INDICATES TO YOU THE GENERALLY LARGE AREAS OF 
SOURCES OR INPUTS OF NITROGEN TO OUR ENVIRONMENT.
THE ONE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON TODAY HAPPENS TO BE THE 
FERTILIZER, BUT WE ALSO GET NITROGEN FROM ANIMAL WASTE, 
SEPTICS, OUR PLANT RESIDUES, THE CLIPPINGS FROM OUR -- FROM 
OUR LAWNS.
SO THESE ARE SOURCES THAT ARE INPUT IN.
THEY END UP IN THE SOIL, THEY END UP IN ORGANIC MATTER.
THE RED ARE THE EXPORTS, THE LOSSES OF NITROGEN MOLECULES 
FROM OUR SYSTEM.
THEY CAN OCCUR IN MANY, MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
DENITRIFICATION AND VOLATILIZATION ARE TWO WAYS THAT THESE 
NITROGEN IONS ARE CONVERTED BACK TO GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE.
THOSE MAY BE CONSIDERED TO BE OKAY BECAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE 
IS ALREADY LARGE -- IS A LARGE COMPONENT OF NITROGEN, BUT 
WE ALSO HAVE NITRATES AND AMMONIUM IONS THAT ARE TAKEN UP 
BY PLANTS.
THOSE ARE LOST FROM THE SOIL FROM THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE 
THEY'RE NOW IN THE PLANT.
WE ALSO HAVE TWO NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF LOSSES, RUNOFF AND 
LEACHING.
I CAN'T OVER -- OVEREMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE AS WE CONSIDER 
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO MANAGE FERTILIZERS IN AN URBAN 
ENVIRONMENT, UNDERSTANDING THE CONVERSIONS AND 
INTERCONVERSIONS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO NITROGEN IN OUR 
ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S CRITICAL BECAUSE EVERY LOCATION -- SARASOTA MIGHT BE 
DIFFERENT THAN TAMPA.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENCES OUT THERE THAT WE HAVE TO 
UNDERSTAND THIS.
IT IS THIS UNDERSTANDING AND THE RESEARCH THAT SCIENTISTS 
AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN FLORIDA HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE 
FOUR OR FIVE DECADES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE 
WITH -- SORRY -- WITH THE GOAL OF PROTECTING THE -- THE 
WATER QUALITY.
SO WHAT HAVE THEY DONE?
NATIONAL STUDIES -- THESE STUDIES ARE ADDRESSING SIMILAR 
WATER QUALITY ISSUES TO OURS IN FLORIDA.
SOMEONE MIGHT ARGUE, WELL, WHAT DOES WATER QUALITY RESEARCH 
IN PENNSYLVANIA OR CANADA HAVE TO DO WITH FLORIDA?
IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH US BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIMILAR WATER 
QUALITY ISSUES.
THEY'RE GRAPPLING WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT 
YOU ARE TODAY.
THEY'RE STUDYING THE SAME UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL AND 
PHYSICAL SCIENCE PRINCIPLES.
THEY'RE STUDYING THE SAME NITROGEN CYCLE.
THEY'RE STUDYING THE SAME PHYSICAL PROBLEMS OF LEACHING AND 
RUNOFF, AND ALL OF THE SCIENCE IS AIMED AT DEVELOPING 
SOLUTIONS IN THE FORM OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
THESE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ARE THEN PUT THROUGH THIS 
EDUCATION PROCESS TO HOPEFULLY GET FOLKS TO ADOPT.
IN OKLAHOMA, STUDIES IN OKLAHOMA, THEY FOUND -- THE 
RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT TURF INHIBITS RUNOFF BETTER THAN ANY 
OTHER SURFACE.
THEY LOOKED AT DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANT SURFACES, 
IMPERMEABLE SURFACES.
THEY FOUND THAT TURF ACTUALLY WAS THE BEST AT INHIBITING 
RUNOFF.
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CAN THEN BE DESIGNED ONCE YOU KNOW 
THAT.
WHAT IS THE BEST TURF, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GROW THAT 
TURF TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS ENVIRONMENTAL POSSIBILITIES?
PROBLEMS OCCURRED WHEN THESE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES WERE 
NOT FOLLOWED, SO IT'S A MANAGEMENT ASPECT.
IN WISCONSIN THE FACTORS OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO NUTRIENT 
LOSSES FROM LAWNS WERE TWO THINGS, DEPTH OF RUNOFF -- 
THAT'S BASICALLY THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S RUNNING OFF, 
THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S FAIRLY INTUITIVE AND MAKES SENSE.
BUT THEY ALSO FOUND SECOND MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT TO -- THAT 
IMPACTED NUTRIENT LOSSES FROM LAWNS WAS THE FAILURE TO 
FERTILIZE PROPERLY BEFORE THEY MADE THOSE MEASUREMENTS.
SO THAT MEANS THAT HAVING HEALTHY, FUNCTIONAL TURF SHOULD 
BE THE GOAL IF WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET AT REDUCING 
NUTRIENT LOSSES DUE TO RUNOFF.
FACTORS OF LESSER IMPORTANCE IN THE WISCONSIN STUDIES WERE 
DECOMPACTING THE SOIL TO MAKE IT MORE PERMEABLE OR THE TYPE 
OF FERTILIZER THAT THEY USED.
THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THESE WERE NOT IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE GOOD PARTS OF BMPs, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR STUDY 
THEY GOT MORE LOSSES OF NUTRIENTS WHEN THEY WERE DEALING 
WITH LAWNS THAT HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY FERTILIZED DUE TO THE 
FAILURE TO FERTILIZE.
THIS ILLUSTRATES THE PICTURES OF THE TWO SITUATIONS.
THIS HAPPENS TO BE A PICTURE FROM FLORIDA, BUT THIS IS 
EXACTLY WHAT THE WISCONSIN FOLKS WERE DOING.
HERE'S UNFERTILIZED OR POORLY FERTILIZED TURF WHERE YOU SEE 
THESE OPEN AREAS STARTING TO FORM.
THIS IS -- THIS IS JUST AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF NO FERTILIZER 
IS WHAT -- THIS IS ST. AUGUSTINE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THIS IS A SLIDE NEXT DOOR TO IT.
THIS IS THE YELLOW -- THIS SLIDE CAME FROM THIS AREA, THIS 
SLIDE PICTURE CAME FROM OVER HERE.
THESE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU NOW HAVE DIRECT OPEN AREAS OF 
SOIL WHERE YOU CAN ENHANCE LEACHING.
THERE ARE ALSO OPEN AREAS.
IF THIS WAS ON A SLOPE, I WOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S 
GOING TO HAPPEN TO EROSION, AND THEN THE MOVEMENT OF SOIL 
OFF-SITE WITH THE CONCOMITANT ASSOCIATION WITH MOVEMENT OF 
NUTRIENTS OFF-SITE, SO POORLY FERTILIZED, POORLY MANAGED 
TURF LED TO MORE NUTRIENTS IN THE RUNOFF.
IN MICHIGAN THEY USED LABELED N-15 UREA NITROGEN.
THEY FOUND THAT IN THE -- IN THE LEACHATE THEY WERE ONLY 
ABLE TO FIND LESS THAN 1% OF THE TOTAL APPLIED NITROGEN.
THIS IS -- THESE ARE -- THIS IS A HEALTHY, FUNCTIONAL, 
GOOD-COVERAGE TURF.
OVER TWO YEARS THE LEACHATE ONLY CONTAINED LESS THAN 1% OF 
THE TOTAL APPLIED "N."
80% OF THE "N" WAS, HOWEVER, RECOVERED IN THE SOIL, IN THE 
THATCH OF THE TURF, AND IN CLIPPINGS, AND SO THAT SUGGESTED 
THAT THERE ARE SOME LOSSES.
REMEMBER BACK TO THE NITROGEN CYCLE.
THERE ARE VOLATILE LOSSES THAT CAN HAPPEN.
THESE WERE NOT UNFORTUNATELY CALCULATED, BUT THE POINT WAS 
THAT IN WELL-MAINTAINED, WELL-MANAGED TURF THEY GOT LESS 
THAN 1% LEACHING.
GUELPH, ONTARIO, DID SOME OF THE SIMILAR KINDS OF STUDIES, 
TAKING A LOOK AT NITROGEN UPTAKE BY GRASS -- HMM?
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> OKAY.
THEY TOLD ME -- I WARNED THEM THAT IT WAS A MINUTE OR TWO 
OVER.
ANOTHER STUDY IN GUELPH, ONTARIO, THERE WAS A POSITIVE 
RELATIONSHIP, HEALTHIER PLANTS TOOK UP MORE NITROGEN, AND 
WHEN YOU HAD MORE NITROGEN UPTAKE BY HEALTHY TURF, YOU GOT 
LESS NITROGEN LOSSES.
IN NORTH CAROLINA, AGAIN, THE GREATEST UPTAKE WAS IN THE 
ACTIVE GROWING PERIOD, WHICH FOR US IN THIS CASE IS GOING 
TO BE THE SUMMERTIME.
ROOT MASS, YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, AND IT 
LEAVES ONE WITH THE DEFINITE IMPRESSION THAT THERE ARE --
>> >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  I'M GOING HAVE TO ASK THAT WE 
RESPECT THE TIME RULE THAT I'M DOING WITH EVERYONE ELSE, 
DR. NELL, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> OKAY.
[APPLAUSE]
ERICA SANTELLA.
>> IS MY TIME STARTING?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  YES.
>> OKAY.
I'M ERICA SANTELLA.
I'M REPRESENTING THE LAWN AND ORNAMENTAL SERVICE INDUSTRY 
AND VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS.
I LIKE TO JOIN THINGS.
I'M WITH THE FLORIDA NURSERY GROWERS AND LANDSCAPERS 
ASSOCIATION, THE FLORIDA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION, THE FLORIDA 
PEST MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, AND I ALSO HAVE A JOB WITH 
TRUGREEN AS THEIR TECHNICAL MANAGER.
I COVER OUR CLOSE TO 20-SOME BRANCHES AROUND THE STATE AND 
DEVELOP THEIR HORTICULTURAL AND AGRONOMIC PROGRAMS HERE IN 
FLORIDA AND HAVE DONE IT IN THE PAST, HATE TO ADMIT IT, 25 
YEARS.
I AM CERTIFIED TO DO THE EDUCATION THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE 
SPOKE ON EARLIER AND IS SOMETHING THAT THE INDUSTRY WANTS 
TO BE A VERY BIG PART OF.
I KNOW WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE OTHER CERTIFIED TRAINER IN THE 
ROOM, BARRY TROUTMAN.
THOSE 6500 PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO NEED TRAINING HAVE TO 
COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
I'M NOT SURE THE EXTENSION SERVICE WILL BE ABLE TO TRAIN 
ALL THOSE PEOPLE, SO THE INDUSTRY WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY.
I'VE DONE SOME SESSIONS, AS HAS DR. TROUTMAN IN THE BACK OF 
THE ROOM.
THE AG INSPECTORS WHO WILL BE HELPING YOU FOLKS -- WHATEVER 
YOU PASS ON YOUR ORDINANCE, THEY WILL BE HELPING ENFORCE 
SOME OF THIS.
THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BECOME CERTIFIED IN THE BEST MANAGEMENT 
PRACTICES IN EARLY OCTOBER.
THANK GOODNESS THEY ALL PASSED BECAUSE I WAS THEIR TRAINER.
AS EVERYONE HAS SAID, WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.
ANOTHER EARLIER SPEAKER HAD SAID, WHO KNEW THAT WHAT YOU 
APPLIED OR WHEN YOU APPLIED IT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON 
WATER AND WHERE IT GOES.
WELL, THE LAWN AND ORNAMENTAL SERVICE INDUSTRY SINCE THE 
MID- TO LATE '90s HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE BEST 
MANAGEMENT PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SEVERAL -- SEVERAL, SEVERAL 
STAKEHOLDERS, DEP AND -- I'M SORRY, DACS, AND THE 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND ALL SORTS OF STAKEHOLDERS, SO WE 
HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS FOR OVER A DECADE AND 
USING UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU FOLKS GET CREDIT FOR PASSING SOME 
TYPE OF WATER QUALITY ORDINANCE.
WELL WHAT WE ASK IS THAT FOLLOW SOUND SCIENCE, THAT THAT IS 
ENFORCEABLE, AND WE WANT TO BE A PARTNER IN THAT WATER 
QUALITY EFFORT.
OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS INDUSTRY ARE BASICALLY OUTDOOR 
PEOPLE, AND DURING THE DAY THEY'RE OUT WORKING, SERVICING 
LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES AROUND VERY SENSITIVE WATER BODIES 
HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
IN THEIR FREE TIME -- WE DO GIVE THEM FREE TIME -- A LOT OF 
THEM ARE OUT FISHING.
SOME OF THEM BELONG TO THE SNOOK ASSOCIATION.
SOME OF THEM, THEY SURF, THEY SWIM, AND SO THEY UNDERSTAND 
THAT WHERE THEY'RE WORKING DURING THE DAY HAS AN EFFECT ON 
HOW THEY SPEND THEIR FREE TIME.
THESE ASSOCIATIONS DO SPEAK AS ONE VOICE.
I'M SITTING NEXT TO ONE OF MY MAJOR COMPETITORS, DR. 
TROUTMAN.
I'VE GOT JOE WELCH WITH MIDDLETON & MASSEY ON MY RIGHT, AND 
YET WE SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS SO 
IMPORTANT TO US.
OUTSIDE THIS ROOM WE MAY COMPETE FOR CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS, 
BUT INSIDE THIS ROOM WE HAVE WORKED HARD -- IN FACT, JOE 
AND I WERE COCHAIRS ON THIS MANUAL WITH DEP WHEN THIS WAS 
FIRST DEVELOPED BACK IN THE LATE '90s.
WE SUPPORT CERTIFICATION.
DR. HOCHMUTH MENTIONED ABOUT HOW SOMETIMES A STORY ABOUT 
TURF IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
I SAY THAT TURF IS SORT OF LIKE THE RODNEY DANGERFIELD OF 
THE PLANT WORLD.
AT SOME POINT IT GOT THIS BAD NAME ASSOCIATED WITH IT, AND 
IT'S NEVER BEEN THE SAME EVER SINCE, BUT THE STORY ABOUT 
TURF THAT DR. NELL AND DR. HOCHMUTH PRESENT SAYING IT IS 
NATURE'S BEST WATER FILTER.
IT HAS A JOB TO DO IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT, IT HAS A 
PLACE, AND WE SUPPORT THE NEW STATE LAW, THE SENATE BILL 
494 MODEL ORDINANCE, THAT WAS PASSED THIS SUMMER.
THE VALUES, OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE TOUCHED ON THESE, SO I'LL 
LEAVE TIME FOR SOME OF THE SPEAKERS THAT WANT TO TALK, BUT 
LIFESTYLE.
PEOPLE COME TO FLORIDA -- OKAY.
IT'S SNOWING UP NORTH.
I CALLED MY MOM IN CHICAGO, AND IT'S VERY, VERY COLD UP 
THERE.
WHEN PEOPLE COME TO FLORIDA, THEY EXPECT TO SEE A TROPICAL 
LANDSCAPE, AND IN THIS MANUAL ONE OF THE FIRST CHAPTERS -- 
FIRST CHAPTER'S NOT FERTILIZER BY THE WAY.
THE FIRST CHAPTER IS DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF LANDSCAPES, 
AND SO THE FIRST CHAPTER IN THIS MANUAL, THE CORNERSTONE OF 
THE BMPs IS THE EXTENSION SERVICES.
I LOVE THEIR MANTRA, RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT PLACE.
IT ALL GOES FROM THAT.
SO GOING WITH A WATER QUALITY ORDINANCE AND STARTING WITH 
FERTILIZER REALLY IS SORT OF STARTING IN THE MIDDLE.
YOU NEED TO START WITH LANDSCAPE DESIGN.
JOBS, OBVIOUSLY OUR INDUSTRY SUPPLIES A LOT OF JOBS, 
WHETHER IT'S FOR MOWING, WHETHER IT'S INSTALLATION, 
APPLICATIONS, AND PEOPLE DO EXPECT TO SEE FLORIDA AS THE 
SUNSHINE STATE.
REAL ESTATE VALUES -- AND THERE ARE SOME TRUE ENVIRONMENTAL 
BENEFITS.
DR. HOCHMUTH WENT THROUGH SOME OF THESE STUDIES, BUT THE 
POINT OF ALL THIS IS IS THERE IS A BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE THAT 
BUILDS UPON EACH OTHER, THAT EVERY STUDY THAT'S DONE, 
WHETHER IT'S IN FORT LAUDERDALE, GAINESVILLE, IN JAY, THE 
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE PANHANDLE, OR UP IN MINNESOTA, IT 
ALL SAYS THE SAME THING.
PROPERLY APPLIED FERTILIZER TO TURFGRASS DOES NOT RUN OFF, 
IT DOES NOT LEACH, AND IT ACTUALLY TAKES IN OTHER NUTRIENTS 
THAT MAY BE ON THERE, SO TURF DOES ACT AS A WATER FILTER.
YES, WE GET A LOT OF RAIN HERE IN FLORIDA, AND THAT'S A 
QUESTION ON THE BEST MANAGEMENT TEST THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE.
THERE IS A PRETEST AND A POST-TEST THAT YOU MUST PASS TO 
BECOME CERTIFIED.
ANYTIME ANYONE WANTS TO HOLD A CLASS, I KNOW EITHER BARRY 
AND I WOULD LOVE TO DO IT FOR YOU ALONG WITH THE EXTENSION 
SERVICE.
BUT THE RAIN FALLS DOWN, 50-SOME INCHES A YEAR, AND WHERE 
DOES IT GO?
WELL, HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE SOME TYPE OF GREENSPACE, SOME TYPE 
OF GREEN VEGETATION TO CAPTURE THAT.
TURFGRASS IS LIKE A SPONGE, AND IT DOES CAPTURE THAT.
THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS MOTIVES.
YEAH, WE'RE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY.
LOSS IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD.
WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS TO LOSE MONEY.
FERTILIZER IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST EXPENSES, AND SOMETIMES 
THEY'LL COME TO MEETINGS AND SAY -- PEOPLE SAY, OH, HERE'S 
THE FERTILIZER PEOPLE.
OKAY.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO ALL THE MANUFACTURERS, IF WE COULD 
GET BY WITHOUT FERTILIZER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
OUR BUSINESS IS GROWING HEALTHY LAWNS AND LANDSCAPES THAT 
PEOPLE CAN BE PROUD OF.
THAT DOES REQUIRE NITROGEN.
PHOSPHOROUS IS IN MANY OF THE ORDINANCES, AND THAT IS TRULY 
A NONISSUE FOR OUR INDUSTRY.
WE REMOVED PHOSPHOROUS YEARS AGO.
SEVERAL SPEAKERS MENTIONED THAT FOR THE MOST PART WE HAVE 
SUFFICIENT PHOSPHOROUS.
SOMETIMES WE NEED TO PUT IT DOWN WHEN THE SOIL TEST 
INDICATES A NEED, BUT WHY WOULD WE INCLUDE SOMETHING IN A 
MIXTURE THAT WE DON'T NEED?
SO THE POINT IS IS THAT WE APPLY FERTILIZER AT A RATE -- 
THE TYPES OF PRODUCTS -- THAT MAKE SENSE FROM A BUSINESS 
STANDPOINT ALSO.
COSTS HAVE DOUBLED.
AS THE PRICE OF FUEL WENT UP, NITROGEN WENT UP.
DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO GO DOWN IN THE SAME PROPORTION.
SORRY, GUYS.
POTASSIUM IS ANOTHER NUTRIENT [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] THAT ALSO 
HAS INCREASED IN PRICE.
THIS IS THE CORNERSTONE THAT EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT OF EVERY 
ORDINANCE IS THIS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE MANUAL.
THIS IS NOT A NEW DOCUMENT, IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 2000, 
AND THERE IS PRECEDENT.
WHEN DEP ASKED OUR INDUSTRY TO HELP DEVELOP THIS MANUAL, 
THEY GAVE US THE COW/CALF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE MANUAL, 
WHICH, BY THE WAY, SAYS AROUND A FARM POND PUT A GRASS 
FILTER STRIP TO HELP MANURE -- TO STOP MANURE FROM GETTING 
IN YOUR PONDS.
THEY GAVE US THE SILVICULTURE BMPs, THEY GAVE US THE 
NURSERY PRODUCTION BMPs, AND WE WORKED AND DEVELOPED THIS 
OFF OF ALL THOSE AGRICULTURE BMPs THAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED 
EARLIER.
NOW, THE ORIGINAL MANUAL DID NOT HAVE A BLACKOUT, DID NOT 
REQUIRE CERTAIN TYPES OF FERTILIZERS, AND HAD A THREE-FOOT 
BUFFER ZONE.
THAT MANUAL WENT THROUGH A REVIEW LAST YEAR, AND THOSE WERE 
DISCUSSED, AND DEP AND DACS AND IFAS, ALL THREE DECIDED 
THERE WAS NOT THE SCIENCE TO INCLUDE THEM IN THAT MANUAL.
THE MODEL ORDINANCE.
THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE WAS WITH -- WITH PEOPLE 
THAT WERE APPOINTED.
YOU DIDN'T REALLY JUST SHOW UP AND SAY, HEY, I BELIEVE 
THIS, THIS IS WHAT I WANT IT TO DO.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WERE APPOINTED TO THIS COMMITTEE, AND 
THERE WAS SOMEONE FROM DEP, SOMEONE FROM DACS, SOMEONE FROM 
IFAS, WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, LEAGUE OF CITIES, 
ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, AND AT 
THE HIGHEST LEVEL THE MODEL -- THE STATE LAW MODEL 
ORDINANCE WAS -- WAS PASSED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF 
CONSENT.
SO ANY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE COULD HAVE SAID, WELL, ON A 
SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE, I'LL GIVE THIS A FOUR.
EVERY MEMBER GAVE THIS -- GAVE THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE A 
FIVE.
IT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE 2008 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, DIDN'T 
PASS.
INTRODUCED IN 2009 AND IT DID AND BECAME LAW.
THE MODEL ORDINANCE, WE REALLY FEEL THAT IT DOES WEIGH 
HEAVILY ON SCIENCE AND NOT ON -- REALLY NOT ON EMOTION, AND 
IF WE LOOK AT THE INFORMATION THAT PINELLAS COUNTY IS 
GETTING ON THEIR ORDINANCE, ON THEIR DRAFT ORDINANCE FROM 
DEP, DACS, AND IFAS, IF YOU WEIGH THE INFORMATION THAT 
THOSE THREE AGENCIES ARE PROVIDING, THEY'RE SAYING, WE DO 
NOT SUPPORT A BLACKOUT, WE DO NOT SUPPORT REQUIRING SLOW 
RELEASE, WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE INCREASED BUFFER ZONE.
WE DO SUPPORT EDUCATION, WE DO SUPPORT THE THREE-FOOT 
SETBACK, AND SO THE -- THE -- THE THREE AGENCIES THAT ARE 
REQUIRED TO PROVIDE INPUT, WHICH THEY'LL PROVIDE INPUT ON 
YOUR ORDINANCE ALSO, ARE SAYING THE STATE MODEL IS -- IS 
THE WAY TO GO.
AND THERE IS A FAIL-SAFE MECHANISM THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE 
MENTIONED THAT IF YOU PASS THE MODEL, THE STATE LAW, AND 
YOU FEEL IT'S NOT WORKING, THEN YOU CAN DO SOMETHING 
DIFFERENT.
SO ASKING PEOPLE WHERE IS YOUR CARD?
I HAVE TRAINED 30-SOME PEOPLE IN OUR LOCAL OLDSMAR FACILITY 
THIS PAST MAY, AND THIS -- THIS JANUARY I'M GOING TO DO 
MANY MORE SESSIONS, THOUGH 6500 PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY SEEMS LIKE A DAUNTING TASK.
THE NON-SB 494 ORDINANCES, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT 
BASING THINGS ON THE PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE, AND THAT'S 
WHERE WE'RE GOING.
SARASOTA ORDINANCE.
[INCOMPREHENSIBLE] ARE LIVING THAT, AND WE DECIDED TO DO A 
LITTLE TEST.
DISCLAIMER, NOT A PEER-REVIEWED STUDY, BUT WE WENT AND TOOK 
CLIPPINGS FROM LAWNS THAT HAD GONE THROUGH THE FOUR-MONTH 
BLACKOUT AND CLIPPINGS FROM LAWNS THAT ARE UNDER PROGRAMS 
THAT THOSE OF US IN THE ROOM ARE TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS THAT 
WE'VE DEVELOPED OVER DECADES, LITERALLY DECADES OF BEING IN 
THIS INDUSTRY, AND THE BARS SHOW THE -- I WON'T EVEN TRY 
THAT.
BUT THE HIGHER THE BAR, THE MORE DEFICIENT THE TURF WAS IN 
NITROGEN, AND WHAT WE WERE TOLD IN SARASOTA WAS THAT, OH, 
RAINFALL WILL SUPPLY SUFFICIENT NITROGEN, CLIPPING RETURN 
WILL SUPPLY SUFFICIENT NITROGEN, AND -- I FORGOT -- I THINK 
JUST RAINFALL, LIGHTNING, AND CLIPPINGS.
WELL, IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T SHOW TO BE THE CASE IN THIS WORK 
THAT WE DID.
WE SENT THIS OFF TO AN INDEPENDENT LAB BECAUSE WE DON'T 
HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THIS TYPE OF ACTUAL TESTING, BUT 
THE CLAIMS THAT -- THAT YOU COULD GET BY THAT SUMMER REALLY 
DIDN'T -- DIDN'T SHOW TO BE THE CASE.
IN ORDINANCES THAT ARE IN PLACE IN OTHER LOCATIONS THIS IS 
WHAT WE'RE FINDING.
WE'RE NOT SEEING THE EDUCATIONAL STOPS TO MAKE SURE IT'S 
BEING COMPLIED WITH.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS THEIR FOLKS IN THE FIELD FOR 
PEOPLE THAT PRACTICE PEST CONTROL, AND THEY STOP OUR 
VEHICLES AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S YOUR GLOVES, WHERE'S 
YOUR SPILL KIT, WHERE'S YOUR I.D. CARD, AND WE'RE NOT 
SEEING THAT IN THESE COUNTIES FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT 
ALL THEY'D HAVE TO SAY IS, WHERE'S YOUR CARD, WHERE'S YOUR 
GREEN INDUSTRY BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CARD?
WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT.
SOMEBODY ALLUDED TO EARLIER HOW WOULD YOU TEST A BLACKOUT 
PERIOD, HOW COULD YOU DO THAT, HOW COULD YOU ENFORCE THAT?
THERE'S VERY LITTLE ENFORCEMENT, WELL, ACTUALLY NONE, AND 
WHEN WE'VE CALLED TO SAY, HEY, SOMEONE'S NOT FOLLOWING 
THIS, THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO.
SO THE INDUSTRY -- THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE INDUSTRY SUPPORTS 
AN ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE SUPPORTED AN ORDINANCE FROM THE START.
ORANGE COUNTY HAS PASSED AN ORDINANCE WITH AN EDUCATIONAL 
EXEMPTION SAYING IF YOU FOLLOW THE BEST MANAGEMENT 
PRACTICES AND TAKE THE CERTIFICATION -- THERE IS A PRETEST, 
THERE IS A POST-TEST.
IT'S ABOUT A 5.5-HOUR CLASS, AND YOU GO THROUGH THIS CLASS 
EVERY FOUR YEARS -- THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW THE BEST MANAGEMENT 
PRACTICES.
AGAIN, THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN GOLF, THIS IS NO DIFFERENT 
THAN THE NURSERY INDUSTRY.
THEY ALL HAVE THEIR BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, AND WHAT WE 
DO FIND PERPLEXING IS THAT SO MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE 
DECIDING, WELL, OTHER INDUSTRIES' BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 
DEVELOPED BY STATE AGENCIES, THEY'RE GOOD, BUT THE GREEN 
INDUSTRIES, WE NEED TO TWEAK THEM, AND THEY'RE TWEAKING 
THEM WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL 
PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND UNIVERSITY OF 
FLORIDA.
SO AGAIN, WEIGHING THE SCIENCE WHERE THIS IS WHAT WE FEEL 
WORKS AND WEIGHING THE SCIENCE OF IFAS, DEP, AND DACS.
THAT'S -- I'M DONE.
SO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
THEY MIGHT COME LATER I SUPPOSE.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TO SPEAK.
>> YES.
[APPLAUSE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THE FIRST THREE SPEAKERS WILL BE HUGH 
GRAMLING, GUS MUENCH, AND STEPHANIE SHATILA.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU BEGIN, AND AGAIN, THAT WILL 
BE GUS MUENCH, AND STEPHANIE SHATILA.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS HUGH GRAMLING.
I'M HERE ON TWO LEVELS.
FIRST I'M HERE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE AG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
COUNCIL, AND THE AG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REQUESTS 
RESPECTFULLY THAT YOU ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT LIMITS THE 
ABILITY OR THE APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER THAT IS 
INAPPROPRIATE UNLESS IT'S BASED UPON SCIENCE.
AND AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TAMPA BAY WHOLESALE 
GROWERS, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT IN MY OPINION, THE TWO 
OPTIONS THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD BE CONSIDERING ARE -- ONE IS 
TO ADOPT THE MODEL ORDINANCE, OR NUMBER TWO IS ADOPT WHAT 
IS CALLED THE ORLANDO MODEL.
I SENT EACH OF YOU AN E-MAIL ABOUT THAT WITH SOME 
PROVISIONS IN THERE, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IF YOU ADOPT THE 
ESTUARY PROGRAM'S MODEL ORDINANCE, I THINK YOU'LL BE 
VIOLATING THE LAW.
THERE'S BEEN NO SCIENCE PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY THAT 
SUPPORTS ANY KIND OF BLACKOUT PERIOD, NOT ONE PIECE OF 
SCIENCE, AND CLEARLY 494 REQUIRES YOU TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE 
IF YOU DO A MORE STRICT ORDINANCE.
AND THE SECOND LAW THAT YOU'D BE VIOLATING IS SENATE BILL 
2080, WHICH REQUIRES YOU TO NOT MAKE AN ORDINANCE THAT IS 
IN CONTRAST TO THE FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING PROPOSALS.
AND PROPER NUTRITION IS A PORTION OF THAT LAW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
PLEASE COME FORWARD.
GUS.
THERE YOU GO.
AND THEN STEPHANIE.
AFTER THAT [INAUDIBLE]
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS GUS MUENCH.
I LIVE AT 3031 MANATEE AVENUE IN RUSKIN.
I'VE BEEN A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN FOR 33 YEARS.
I WAS BORN HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
I'VE FISHED ALL MY LIFE.
I REPRESENT THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY, AGENCY ON BAY 
MANAGEMENT, ALSO I'M ON THE BLUE CRAB ADVISORY BOARD FOR 
THE STATE.
SHRIMP, FISH, AND CRABS HAVE BEEN DISAPPEARING IN TAMPA 
BAY.
WHY, I DON'T KNOW.
OKAY.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE PROBLEMS HERE.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS -- YOU MIGHT SAY WE HAVE TWO HANDS.
YOU'VE GOT ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT, AND 
WE'VE GOT SOMETHING WE CAN'T DO.
WE'VE GOT POWER PLANTS OUT THERE THAT ARE JUST KILLING 
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF BITS OF LIFE EVERY MINUTE, OKAY, 
AND THEN ON THE OTHER HAND WE'VE GOT WATER FOR PEOPLE.
PEOPLE COME FIRST, SO WE'RE TAKING WATER OUT OF THE RIVERS.
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
IT SEEMS LIKE WE TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD AND TWO STEPS BACK, 
AND SO EVERY TIME WE GOT A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE 
FOR THE BAY, WE NEED TO TAKE THAT CHANCE, OKAY, BECAUSE IF 
WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN 
TOMORROW IF IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU 
CAN'T FIND BLUE CRABS.
IF YOU LOOK OUT ON TAMPA BAY AND YOU DON'T SEE ANY FLOATS, 
IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S NO CRABS THERE.
IT USED TO BE YOU'D GO OUT AN TAMPA BAY AND CATCH ALL THE 
BLUE CRABS YOU WANTED TO, AND -- BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED, 
AND SO I LOOK AT IT AND I SAY, WE'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW -- 
EVERY TIME SOMEBODY -- A BIOLOGIST SAYS, HEY, YOU GOT A 
PROBLEM, YOU GOT A NITROGEN PROBLEM -- JUST LAST WEEK I WAS 
ON THE LITTLE MANATEE RIVER, AND THE ALGAE -- THE RIVER WAS 
GREEN, AND I ASKED MYSELF, WHERE'D THAT COME FROM, AND IT'S 
NOT AN URBAN AREA BUT IT'S AGRICULTURAL.
BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  YES.
COME FORWARD, MA'AM.
YES, MA'AM.
AND THE NEXT THREE WILL BE TRAVIS COUNCIL, LINDSEY PICKEL, 
AND CRIS COSTELLO.
>> HELLO.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE SHATILA, AND I WORK FOR A PEST CONTROL 
COMPANY IN FLORIDA, AND I JUST WANTED TO TALK -- I DO 
TRAINING AT THE COMPANY I WORK FOR IN EDUCATION, SO I 
FEEL THAT YOUR FOCUS SHOULD BE MORE ON EDUCATION THAN JUST 
A BLACKOUT PER SE BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHY THEY'RE 
DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT IMPACT THEY'RE GOING TO 
MAKE.
AND AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHEN TO APPLY THE PRODUCT, THEY 
NEED TO KNOW WHETHER IT'S GOING TO RAIN REGARDLESS OF THOSE 
FEW MONTHS.
WHAT IF IT'S OCTOBER AND WE HAVE LATE HURRICANES?
THEY NEED TO KNOW NOT TO APPLY FERTILIZER THEN EITHER.
ALSO, THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO APPLY IT USING A DEFLECTOR 
SHIELD SO IT DOESN'T GET INTO A WATER BODY.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO APPLY IT.
THEY DON'T NEED TO APPLY IT TO THEIR DRIVEWAY.
SO I THINK EDUCATION REALLY NEEDS TO BE IMPORTANT AND BE 
THE FOCUS OF THIS WHOLE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE 
A BLACKOUT IS ALMOST LIKE A CRASH DIET WHERE WE REALLY 
DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WHAT THE RESULTS ARE 
GOING TO BE IN YEARS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW SARASOTA'S ONLY HAD 
THAT GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS OR SO AND MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T 
SEEN BIG NEGATIVE RESULTS, BUT WHO'S TO SAY TWO YEARS FROM 
THEN OR TWO YEARS AFTER THEN IF WE SEE TURF STEADILY 
DECLINING -- I'M SURE THOSE HOMEOWNERS WON'T BE HAPPY TO 
SEE THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE INVESTED THIS IN THEIR PROPERTY, 
THEIR PRIDE.
THEY MADE THE CHOICE THEY WANT TURF AND THEY WANT IT TO 
LOOK NICE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS 
THE CHOICES THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE MAKING THAT THEY WANT 
THE TURF, THEY WANT IT THERE, AND TO SEE IT DEGRADE AND NOT 
BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF IT, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK THAT 
WOULD -- THAT WOULD AFFECT ME AS A HOMEOWNER.
IT SEEMS LIKE A RIGHT WAS BEING TAKEN FROM ME ALMOST, YOU 
KNOW.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
APPRECIATE IT.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  LAST CALL FOR TRAVIS COUNCIL, LINDSEY 
PICKEL, AND CRIS COSTELLO.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
BEAR WITH ME.
I'M NOT A PUBLIC SPEAKER.
MY NAME IS TRAVIS COUNCIL.
I LIVE AT 3935 24th STREET, RUSKIN.
I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND A SMALL 
BUSINESS OWNER WITHIN THE COUNTY.
I'M HERE TODAY IN REGARD TO THE PROPOSED FERTILIZER 
ORDINANCE.
I WILL BE ONE OF A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WILL WRITE OR 
SPEAK TO YOU REGARDING NOT COMPLETELY BANNING NITROGEN 
FERTILIZER APPLICATION DURING THE RAINY MONTHS.
I'M SURE THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE FOLKS THAT SPEAK TO THE 
CONTRARY.
THE POINTS I WISH TO MAKE ARE SIMPLE.
I'M NOT A SCIENTIST, I'M NOT GOING TO QUOTE STATS, AND I 
DON'T CLAIM TO BE ONE.
I'M A PRACTICAL AND REASONABLE BUSINESS PERSON.
THE RESEARCH YOU HAVE BEEN PRESENTED FROM IFAS IS GOOD, 
SOUND SCIENCE.
I BELIEVE THAT THE COUNTY HAS FUNDED RESEARCH FROM THE 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AS HAVE MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT 
AGENCIES.
THIS IS A WELL-RESPECTED, PEER-REVIEWED INSTITUTION IN OUR 
STATE WITH A GREAT REPUTATION.
WHATEVER PROPOSAL YOU CRAFT, PLEASE CONSIDER THIS UNBIASED 
RESEARCH.
SECOND, I'M SURE EVERY BIT OF REGULATION THAT YOU CONSIDER 
IN THIS ECONOMIC DOWNTURN YOU MUST FACTOR IN THE JOBS THAT 
WILL BE AFFECTED.
THIS COUNTY CAN'T LOSE A SINGLE JOB OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
FINALLY, I REALIZE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PASS AN ORDINANCE 
OF SOME SORT.
AS I STATED EARLIER, I AM BUT ONE PERSON OF PROBABLY A FEW 
THAT WILL ACTUALLY VOICE THEIR OPINION.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE THAT THE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY 
IS SUPPORTING.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HI, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME'S LINDSEY PICKEL.
I LIVE AT 205 SOUTH MATANZAS AVENUE IN TAMPA, AND I'M HERE 
ON BEHALF OF THE FLORIDA COASTAL AND OCEAN COALITION.
WE ARE A COALITION OF EIGHT NATIONAL AND STATEWIDE 
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TOGETHER ON COASTAL 
AND OCEAN ISSUES IN FLORIDA.
WE ASK THAT YOU IMPLEMENT A STRONG FERTILIZER ORDINANCE TO 
PROTECT HILLSBOROUGH'S RIVERS, LAKES, AND ESTUARIES AND 
THOSE SPECIES THAT DEPEND ON HEALTHY, CLEAN WATERS.
THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LINK BETWEEN HEALTHY WATERS, HEALTHY 
ESTUARIES, AND HEALTHY SEAGRASSES, AND THOSE SEAGRASSES ARE 
THE NURSERY GROUNDS FOR ALL OF OUR GAME FISH, RECREATIONAL, 
AND COMMERCIAL FISHERIES.
IF WE KEEP THOSE WATERS CLEAN, WE KEEP OUR SEAGRASSES 
HEALTHY, WE'LL INCREASE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF OUR 
RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE LONG RUN.
PASSING A STRONG FERTILIZER ORDINANCE IS A MAJOR STEP 
TOWARDS NOT ONLY PROTECTING OUR WATERS BUT ALSO THE 
RESOURCES, BUSINESSES, AND INDUSTRIES THAT RELY ON THEM.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR 
ENVIRONMENT.
ON BEHALF OF THE FLORIDA COASTAL AND OCEAN COALITION, I ASK 
THAT YOU PASS A STRONG FERTILIZER ORDINANCE THAT MIRRORS 
THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM'S GUIDELINES.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
AND THE NEXT SPEAKERS WILL BE MICHAEL HOLSINGER, CHRISTIAN 
WELLS, AND RICH BROWN.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS CRIS COSTELLO.
I'M THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SIERRA CLUB AND THE 
COORDINATOR FOR THE RED TIDE CAMPAIGN.
I E-MAILED YOU YESTERDAY WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF SCIENCE 
THAT SUPPORTS THE STRONGER MEASURES THAT THE SIERRA CLUB IS 
ADVOCATING, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING ELSE 
TODAY.
I DID BRING HARD COPIES OF THOSE THINGS THAT I E-MAILED 
YESTERDAY.
THIS IS THE FLORIDA YARDS AND NEIGHBORHOODS HANDBOOK.
IT'S PUT OUT BY IFAS AND FDEP, AND IN THE SHORT TWO 
MINUTES, I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE SECTION FROM THIS 
PUBLICATION THAT DEALS WITH PREVENTING POLLUTION.
I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THIS, BUT IT -- IT GOES OVER REALLY 
EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING IN AN ORDINANCE.
NEVER FERTILIZE WITHIN TEN FEET OF ANY WATER BODY, DON'T 
FERTILIZER BEFORE A HEAVY RAIN, KNOW YOUR WATER SOURCE 
REGARDING RECLAIMED WATER, APPLY FERTILIZER WHEN GRASS IS 
ACTIVELY GROWING.
GRASS IS ACTIVELY GROWING IN APRIL, MAY, AND OCTOBER, 
OUTSIDE OF THAT RAINY SEASON PERIOD.
USE A BROADCAST -- BROADCAST SPREADER, AVOID USING WEED AND 
FEED PRODUCTS, AND AT THE BOTTOM HERE -- HOPEFULLY YOU CAN 
READ IT -- APPLY AN IRON SOURCE INSTEAD OF A NITROGEN 
FERTILIZER.
TO GREEN THE LAWN WITHOUT INCREASING GROWTH IN THE SUMMER, 
USE CHELATED IRON OR IRON SULFATE.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS WITHIN 
IFAS AND FDEP THAT ENCOURAGE THE KIND OF STRONG ORDINANCE 
THAT WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
MICHAEL HOLSINGER, CHRISTIAN WELLS, RICH BROWN.
WELCOME.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M MICHAEL HOLSINGER.
I'M A HORTICULTURE CONSULTANT, RETIRED UNIVERSITY OF 
FLORIDA, SARASOTA COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR FROM 1990 TO 
2004, AND I WAS THE PRINCIPAL TECHNICAL CONSULTANT FOR 
SARASOTA COUNTY FOR THEIR FERTILIZER ORDINANCE.
THE KEY TO CREATING MEANINGFUL RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZER 
MANAGEMENT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE 
THAT REFLECTS BOTH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TAMPA BAY 
ESTUARY PROGRAM AND THE STANDARDS FOUND IN THE OTHER STRONG 
RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZER ORDINANCES ADOPTED ALONG THE GULF 
COAST.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR ORDINANCE WILL DEPEND ON THE TWO 
MOST IMPORTANT STANDARDS FOUND IN DEP MODEL, THE BAN ON THE 
SALE AND THE BAN OF APPLICATION OF NITROGEN TO LANDSCAPES 
DURING THE RAINY SEASON.
THE RAINY SEASON IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN MOST RAINFALL 
OCCURS AND CONSEQUENTLY PRESENTS THE MOST POTENTIAL FOR 
POLLUTION.
THERE'S NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS APPLICATION OF 
NITROGEN DURING THE RAINY SEASON AS BEING BENEFICIAL TO 
WATER QUALITY.
THERE IS, HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE THAT NITROGEN AND 
PHOSPHOROUS POLLUTION AND RESULTING ALGAL BLOOMS INCREASE 
DURING THE RAINY SEASON.
EXAMPLES ARE THE 2009 SUMMERTIME BLOOMS IN TAMPA BAY AND 
HILLSBOROUGH BAY.
TWO OF THE LARGEST LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE FIRMS IN SARASOTA 
COUNTY PROVIDED INFORMATION INDICATING THERE IS LITTLE OR 
NO NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THEIR OPERATIONS WORKING 
WITH THE SARASOTA ORDINANCE.
FURTHERMORE, THEY REPORT THAT THE TURFGRASS THEY MAINTAIN 
IS HEALTHY AND, IN FACT, HAS EXHIBITED REDUCED PEST 
PROBLEMS COMPARED TO WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED, AND I HAVE ALSO 
GIVEN YOU A LETTER FROM A -- ANOTHER LANDSCAPE OPERATION 
THAT SHOWS DRAMATIC COST REDUCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS OF 
TURF REPLACEMENT, VERY DRAMATIC IN THAT LETTER THAT I'VE 
ATTACHED.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
CHRISTIAN WELLS, RICH BROWN.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS DR. CHRISTIAN WELLS.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND AN 
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA.
AS YOU KNOW, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA ENROLLS OVER 
47,000 STUDENTS AND HAS A REGIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $3.5 
BILLION.
IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE NATION, AND I'M 
HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS CARE 
VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
I'M HERE TODAY AT THE REQUEST OF USF PROVOST RALPH WILCOX 
TO PROVIDE A STATEMENT REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE OF 
EUTROPHICATION OR THE INCREASE IN THE CONCENTRATION OF 
CHEMICAL NUTRIENTS IN AN ECOSYSTEM.
USF FACULTY AND STUDENT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT NONPOINT 
POLLUTION, INCLUDING THE RESIDENTIAL OVERUSE OF NITRATE-
CONTAINING FERTILIZERS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT SOURCE OF 
NUTRIENTS TO MANAGE.
THE THING THAT WE CANNOT IGNORE IS THAT POLICIES REGULATING 
THE APPLICATION AND DISCHARGE OF TURF FERTILIZERS IN 
RESIDENTIAL SETTINGS HAVE LED TO DRAMATIC REDUCTIONS TO 
SURROUNDING ECOSYSTEMS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND THE UNITED 
STATES.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPROVE THIS RULE OR ORDINANCE 
PROPOSED BY THE ESTUARY PROGRAM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
RICH BROWN, COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA, JOHN MILLER.
>> HI.
I'M DR. RICH BROWN, 1214 PARK CIRCLE.
MY PH.D. IS IN PSYCHOLOGY, BUT IT'S HARD-SCIENCE 
PSYCHOLOGY, NOT TOUCHY-FEELY.
I'LL TELL YOU, YOU CAN HAVE A PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE AND 
THERE CAN BE TREMENDOUS DISAGREEMENTS IN PUBLISHED 
LITERATURE.
PEER REVIEW MINIMIZES BIAS, IT DOESN'T ELIMINATE IT.
IF YOU WANT SOME OBJECTIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, THINK BACK 
TO THE SLIDE OF THE RED WATERWAYS IMPAIRED IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY, HOW MUCH RED THERE WAS.
THINK BACK TO THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ALGAE BLOOM IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
AS A PSYCHOLOGIST, I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE 
NITROGEN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THE BLACKOUT.
WITHOUT THAT YOU CAN'T STOP THE AVERAGE CITIZEN FROM 
PUTTING STUFF DOWN, AND THAT'S MUCH MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN 
THE LAWN CHEMICAL APPLICATION COMPANIES.
I'VE HAD THE SAME LAWN CHEMICAL APPLICATION COMPANY FOR 12 
YEARS.
I LIKE THEM, BUT IT'S NOT THEM THAT'S THE MAJOR PROBLEM.
IF YOU DON'T DO THE BLACKOUT, THE ESTUARY PROBLEM, YOU'LL 
NEVER GET A HANDLE ON THE PROBLEM.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
WELCOME COUNCILWOMAN.
JOHN MILLER AND ARMANDO CAMPOS.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  GOOD AFTERNOON.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
I'M LINDA SAUL-SENA FROM TAMPA CITY COUNCIL.
I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A MEMBER OF THE ESTUARY BOARD AND 
CHAIR OF OUR RIVER BOARD TO URGE YOU TO ADOPT THE ESTUARY 
PROGRAM MODEL.
THE SCIENCE HAS CLEARLY EXPLAINED THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP 
BETWEEN NITROGEN AND ALGAE BLOOMS.
WE NEED TO TRANSLATE THAT SCIENCE INTO SOUND PUBLIC POLICY.
I AM HERE NOT AGAINST TURF, I AM HERE PRO WATER QUALITY.
AS A FELLOW ELECTED OFFICIAL, I ASK YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR 
STAFF'S PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND SELECT THE MOST COST-
EFFECTIVE, ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE CHOICE, THE ESTUARY 
PROGRAM MODEL.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
JOHN MILLER, ARMANDO CAMPOS.
[APPLAUSE]
WELCOME, MR. MILLER.
>> MY NAME IS JOHN MILLER.
I'M A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST IN THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA.
I LIVE AT 802 CONGRESS COURT IN TAMPA, AND I'VE BEEN A 
RESIDENT HERE SINCE 1975, AND I'VE WORKED ON MANY SUPERFUND 
SITES, INCLUDING TAYLOR ROAD LANDFILL, SYDNEY MINE, A LOT 
OF THE LEAD SITES, AND ALSO I'VE WORKED A LOT WITH LAND 
APPLICATION OF WASTEWATER, AND DUE TO THAT, I HAD TO 
DEVELOP AN INTENSE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOILS IN THE AREA.
WHAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL, 
THE SOILS BECOME EXTREMELY SATURATED WITH WATER, AND ANY 
APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS DURING THOSE PERIOD, WHETHER 
THEY BE LIQUID OR HIGH RELEASE FERTILIZERS, WOULD BE A 
PROBLEM.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
ARMANDO CAMPOS, PETE SNYDER, CHRIS WIBLE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS ARMANDO CAMPOS.
I AM AN AGRONOMIST AND A HORTICULTURIST AND A STAKEHOLDER 
IN THE WATER QUALITY AND THE TURFGRASS OF OUR STATE AND OF 
THIS COUNTY, AND WHAT I'M HERE TO SAY TODAY IS PLEASE DO 
CONSIDER THE PEER REVIEW VALIDITY OF SCIENCE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS IN PSYCHOLOGY AND OTHER FIELDS, 
BUT IN AGRONOMICS AND AGRONOMY AND PLANT NUTRITION, THE 
SYSTEM OF PEER REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE IS VERY WELL 
TAKEN CARE OF.
THERE'S ASSOCIATIONS, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRONOMY, THERE'S 
AMERICAN HORTICULTURE SOCIETY.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF GROUPS THAT PUBLISH JOURNALS THAT ARE 
VALID ALL OVER THE WORLD BECAUSE OF THEIR PEER REVIEW, SO 
AS YOU CONSIDER THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS BEFORE YOU, I WOULD 
ALSO SUBMIT THAT THE NEED FOR A BLACKOUT PERIOD IS NOT 
THERE, HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN, NOT WITH SCIENCE -- PEER-
REVIEWED SCIENCE, AND THAT IF YOU PASS A MODEL ORDINANCE, 
YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE RECOURSE OF COMING BACK IF THAT IS NOT 
WORKING.
IF IT'S NOT YIELDING THE RESULTS THAT YOU LOOK, YOU CAN 
ALWAYS COME BACK AND RECONSIDER THE DECISION.
DON'T OVERSHOOT THE TARGET.
GO FOR SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE, SOMETHING THAT IS 
PRACTICAL, THAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY STAKEHOLDERS AND -- ON 
BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL, BY 
APPOINTMENT, AND PEOPLE THAT ARE WELL VERSED, THAT ARE 
ACTUALLY SUPPORTING WHAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE.
GRASS DOES ACTIVELY GROW IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
IT IS ACTIVELY GROWING IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
THAT IS WHEN IT'S CAPABLE -- MOST CAPABLE OF TAKING UP 
NUTRIENTS, OF TAKING THEM OUT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, OF 
PUTTING THEM INTO CLIPPINGS.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  PETE SNYDER, CHRIS WIBLE, BARRY 
TROUTMAN.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS PETE SNYDER.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FLORIDA TURFGRASS 
ASSOCIATION.
I COME TO THIS POSITION RATHER RECENTLY WITH A VERY STRONG 
BACKGROUND FROM THE MIDWEST IN AGRONOMY, AND DR. HOCHMUTH 
ACTUALLY STOLE A LOT OF MY THUNDER BY TELLING YOU WHAT'S 
GOING ON IN THE MIDWEST AT THE LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES, BUT 
I'LL EXPAND ON THAT BY SAYING THE FIELDS ARE GETTING 
SMALLER.
THE DAYS WHEN I LITERALLY WROTE FOR THEN SECRETARY OF 
AGRICULTURE EARL BUTZ WHERE WE WOULD PLANT FROM ALLEY TO 
ALLEY -- I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ONE MILE, TURN AROUND AND 
COME BACK A MILE -- ARE OVER.
THE PLOTS ARE GETTING SMALLER, AND THE AGRONOMISTS ARE NOW 
SAYING PUT TURF, HEALTHY MANAGED TURF BETWEEN PLOTS, PUT 
TURF, HEALTHY, MANAGED TURF IN SWALES, OVERFLOWS, RETENTION 
AREAS, AND ALONG RIPARIAN RIGHT-OF-WAYS.
HEALTHY, MANAGED TURF HAS PROVEN BY THE LAND GRANT 
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TO MINIMIZE LEACHING AND RUNOFF.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU, SIR.
CHRIS WIBLE, BARRY TROUTMAN, MARY HARTNEY.
>> HELLO.
I'M CHRIS WIBLE, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP WITH 
SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO COMPANY.
WE ALL HAVE THE SAME INTEREST AND SAME GOAL, AND THAT'S A 
HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND CLEAN WATER.
WE DO OUR BEST WORK WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AND POOL OUR 
RESOURCES.
THAT'S WHAT WAS DONE WITH THE STATE TURF RULE, WITH DACS, 
DEP, AND OTHER WATER QUALITY STAKEHOLDERS.
THE -- EVERY SINGLE LAWN FERTILIZER PRODUCT ON THE MARKET 
TODAY HAS CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE URBAN TURF RULE.
IT'S ANTICIPATED BY DACS THAT WE'LL SEE OVER 70% REDUCTION 
IN PHOSPHOROUS AND OVER A 30% REDUCTION IN NITROGEN, AND 
THAT WAS JUST IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR IN JUNE.
THE SAME WAS DONE WITH THE URBAN TURF RULE WHICH HAD 
UNANIMOUS CONSENT FROM ALL THE WATER QUALITY STAKEHOLDERS, 
INCLUDING THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
WE NEED TO RELY ON THAT GOOD INFORMATION.
THIS IS A STRONG ORDINANCE, AND WE NEED TO PASS THAT.
THE -- WHEN WE USE GOOD INFORMATION THAT'S HOW WE MAKE GOOD 
DECISIONS.
THE HOMEOWNERS DON'T APPLY MORE -- SIX TIMES MORE THAN A 
FARMER.
FOR A HOMEOWNER TO DO THAT, THEY'D HAVE TO APPLY 21 TIMES 
PER YEAR.
THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER APPLIES LESS THAN TWO APPLICATIONS 
PER YEAR.
WE HAVE THAT SALES DATA.
WE'RE WILLING TO SHARE THAT.
WE CAN SHARE IT AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE CAN SHARE IT AT THE 
COUNTY LEVEL.
WE NEED TO BRING THIS INFORMATION OUT AND MAKE IT KNOWN, 
AND WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GOOD THINGS.
THE OTHER FACT OF FERTILIZER USE INCREASING 300% IN THE 
STATE IS ALSO INCORRECT.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CORRECTED THAT LAST YEAR IN A 
MEETING.
THAT'S ACCOUNTING FOR LAWN SOIL OR POTTING SOILS.
LAWN FERTILIZER SALES VOLUMES HAVE REMAINED FLAT FOR THE 
LAST FIVE YEARS AND HAVE ACTUALLY DECREASED A LITTLE BIT, 
AND WITH THE TURF FERTILIZER RULE IMPLEMENTED BY DACS, 
WE'RE GOING TO SEE REDUCTIONS IN THOSE -- IN NITROGEN AND 
IN PHOSPHOROUS.
WE NEED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND IMPLEMENT THE MODEL TURF -- 
THE MODEL ORDINANCE, AND WE'LL HAVE VERY GOOD, PROACTIVE 
MEASURES.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
BARRY TROUTMAN, MARY HARTNEY, BETSY SCHERZER.
>> I'M BARRY TROUTMAN.
I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNICAL SERVICES FOR VALLEYCREST 
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE.
I SUPPORT THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE.
I THINK THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THIS ISSUE HAS 
BEEN DONE BY THE STATE TASK FORCE THAT CREATED THAT MODEL 
ORDINANCE.
VIRTUALLY EVERY COMMUNITY THAT HAS PASSED AN ORDINANCE TO 
PROTECT WATER HAS INCLUDED IN THAT ORDINANCE THE BMPs AS 
THE METHOD OF TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS.
THAT IS NOT A BASIC MANUAL, THAT'S A VERY COMPREHENSIVE 
MANUAL.
THERE ARE IMPORTANT STEPS IN THAT MANUAL THAT WE REALLY 
HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT HERE.
AS YOU WALK OUT TONIGHT, LOOK AT ALL THE TREES AROUND YOU.
EVERY ONE OF THOSE TREES HAS LEAVES ON IT, SHEDS POLLEN, 
SHEDS LEAF -- SHEDS FLOWER PARTS IN THE SPRING IN THE AIR 
THAT CONTAINED BETWEEN 1% AND 3% NITROGEN.
THERE ARE NO ABSORPTIVE SURFACES EXCEPT THOSE LITTLE TREE 
RINGS FOR THAT TO BE FILTERED.
THAT'S NOT FILTERED BY RUNNING ACROSS CONCRETE, IT'S NOT 
FILTERED BY RUNNING ACROSS BARE GROUND.
WHAT FILTERS IT IS WHEN IT RUNS THROUGH ACTIVE ROOT 
SYSTEMS.
DR. HOCHMUTH POINTED OUT THAT TURFGRASS IN MANY STUDIES HAS 
BEEN SHOWN THE BEST VEGETATION TO FILTER NUTRIENTS.
OKAY?
DR. HOCHMUTH ALSO HAS POINTED OUT THAT THIS PEER-REVIEWED 
SCIENCE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT HERE IN FLORIDA IS CONSISTENT 
WITH PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE, NOT ONLY THROUGHOUT FLORIDA BUT 
AS FAR AWAY AS GUELPH AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS NOT A MATTER THAT THERE'S A DISCUSSION THERE 
ANYMORE FROM SCIENTISTS.
THEY AGREE THAT THESE ARE FILTERING SURFACES.
I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THE MODEL ORDINANCE AND AVOID -- AVOID 
MAKING THE MISTAKE OF INSTITUTING A BLACKOUT.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
MARY HARTNEY, BETSY SCHERZER, DAVID JOHNSON.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU.
I'M MARY HARTNEY.
I WORK FOR THE FLORIDA FERTILIZER AND AGROCHEMICAL 
ASSOCIATION.
I GREW UP IN TAMPA, A TC GRADUATE OVER HERE, AND I HAVE A 
SISTER WHO STILL LIVES OVER AT CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE .
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE.
I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD AN AWFUL LOT TODAY.
AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FERTILIZER MANUFACTURERS, THE 
ONE KEY POINT THAT I WANT TO STRESS TO YOU IS AS OF JULY 
1st, THIS SUMMER, THE STORE SHELVES WERE CLEARED.
THEY WERE REPLACED WITH FLORIDA-FRIENDLY FERTILIZERS.
BY STATE REGULATION, THESE FERTILIZERS ARE EITHER LOW OR NO 
PHOSPHOROUS.
THEY HAVE REDUCED NITROGEN.
WE HAVE TAKEN THE PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TO HOMEOWNERS AND 
REFORMULATED THEM TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS ABOUT THE 
POTENTIAL FOR A MISAPPLICATION OF RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZER TO 
BECOME A WATER QUALITY PROBLEM.
IT IS DISINGENUOUS TO SUGGEST THAT ALL OF THOSE GRAPHICS 
AND ALL OF THE RED TIDE OR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS ARE A 
DIRECT RESULT OF RESIDENTIAL FERTILIZER USE.
THE AIR WE BREATHE IS 72% NITROGEN.
NITROGEN SOURCES ARE ALL AROUND US, AND I DEARLY WOULD LOVE 
TO KNOW FROM PHIL COMPTON HOW AS THE POPULATIONS OF MANATEE 
GROW WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO REGISTER WHAT 
THAT NITROGEN OUTPUT IS, BUT WE'RE HERE.
WE'RE DOING OUR PART.
WE THINK YOU DO HAVE A STRONG MODEL ORDINANCE THERE 
OUTLINED IN SENATE BILL 494 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE URBAN 
TURF RULE 5E-1.003.
WE THINK WE'VE GOT THIS PROBLEM HANDLED.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE IT WORK.
SO BEFORE YOU GO EXTREME, SEE IF THIS COMMONSENSE AND 
CONSENSUS-DRIVEN APPROACH WILL WORK.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
BETSY, DAVE JOHNSON, CATHY HARRELSON.
>> HELLO.
MY NAME IS BETSY SCHERZER, AND I AM A LIFELONG TAMPA 
RESIDENT AND VOTER.
I'M ALSO KIND OF SHORT.
I HAVE STUDIED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AS A STUDENT AND NOW 
GRADUATE AT YALE, OXFORD, AND CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITIES.
I'VE COME TODAY TO SUPPORT THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM'S 
MODEL ORDINANCE FOR HUMAN, MARINE, AND ECONOMIC HEALTH 
REASONS.
IT'S A PROVEN FACT THAT EXCESS NITROGEN FERTILIZER USAGE 
EXACERBATES WATER POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND OZONE 
DEPLETION.
MOREOVER, EXCESS NITROGEN FERTILIZER RUNOFF'S HUMAN AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL HARM COMES AT A STEEP ECONOMIC COST.
NITROGEN CLEANUP REQUIRES ADDITIONAL EXPENSIVE STORMWATER 
TREATMENT PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS, AND CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES 
OF THE NITROGEN BAN ORDINANCE ACCOUNT FOR BETWEEN $1- TO $6 
MILLION IN SAVINGS.
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 
ADMINISTRATION SCIENTIST HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS LIKE RED TIDE 
COST ABOUT $82 MILLION A YEAR IN SEAFOOD, RESTAURANT, AND 
TOURISM INDUSTRY COSTS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT IF PEOPLE COME TO FLORIDA FOR 
THE TROPICAL CLIMATE, I'M PRETTY SURE THEY DON'T COME FOR 
THE RED TIDE.
NOT ONLY WILL THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL 
AND ECONOMIC COSTS, BUT IT COULD KICKSTART NEW INNOVATIONS 
IN LAWN CARE.
MORE NATIVE, NATURAL, AND ORGANIC LANDSCAPING THROUGHOUT 
TAMPA CAN REDUCE FERTILIZER, PESTICIDE, AND WATER USAGE ALL 
AT THE SAME TIME WHILE PROMOTING NEW BUSINESS MODELS.
MEANWHILE, CONSUMERS STILL REQUIRING THEIR NITROGEN FIX 
WILL BOOST SALES OF SLOW RELEASE NITROGEN FERTILIZER.
BETTER RESIDENTIAL NITROGEN FERTILIZER CONTROL AND 
EDUCATION IS A MODEST START FOR TAMPA.
MANY COUNTIES ACROSS FLORIDA HAVE ALREADY ENACTED SIMILAR 
REGULATIONS, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY FOR 
US TO START TO JOIN THE CROWD.
I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR THE ESTUARY MODEL TO MAKE TAMPA A 
MORE SUSTAINABLE PLACE FOR BOTH MY GENERATION AND FUTURE 
ONES.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
DAVE JOHNSON, CATHY HARRELSON, AND JOE WELCH.
>> MY NAME IS DAVE JOHNSON.
I'M A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENT.
ALSO BEEN IN THE GREEN INDUSTRY FOR OVER 15 YEARS, EMPLOY 
QUITE A FEW HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENTS IN THAT INDUSTRY.
WE ALL ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE STATE MODEL 494.
DON'T SEE ANY SUPPORT FOR THE BLACKOUT PERIOD IN ANY WAY, 
SHAPE, OR FORM.
WE'RE ALL VERY INTERESTED IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, 
VERY INTERESTED IN WATER QUALITY.
AS HAS BEEN STATED BEFORE, WE'RE KIND OF OUTDOOR PEOPLE.
WE ALL ENJOY OUR WATERWAYS, FISHING, ALL THAT KIND OF 
STUFF.
ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE WE DO 
THE BEST THING BY THE CUSTOMER AND FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND 
WE DO THAT BY EDUCATION.
WE UTILIZE OUR BMPs THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE.
WE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND TAKE THE TIME TO TALK TO THE 
CUSTOMER ABOUT GRASS CLIPPINGS THAT ARE GOING INTO THE 
STORM SEWERS, PIECES OF THEIR TREES AND SHRUBS THAT THEY'RE 
TOSSING IN THEIR LAKE OR WHATEVER WE'RE DOING, WHY WE'RE 
NOT FERTILIZING NEXT TO THAT BODY OF WATER, WHY WE'RE DOING 
THESE THINGS TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT AND STILL HELP THEIR 
PROPERTY.
TO HAVE TO SIT THERE AND TALK TO A CUSTOMER IN THE MIDDLE 
OF THE SUMMER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR TURFGRASS IS 
GOING TO CONTINUALLY DECLINE, IT'S GOING TO PROBABLY CAUSE 
SOME EROSION, MAYBE HAVE AN INITIAL IMPACT OF WEEDS SIMPLY 
BECAUSE I CAN'T APPLY NITROGEN IN JULY, I HAVE TO WAIT 
UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER, DOESN'T MAKE GOOD SCIENTIFIC 
SENSE.
BEYOND THAT, JUST THINKING ABOUT THE COST OF REPLACING THAT 
TURF IF IT DOES FAIL OVER THE SUMMER.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WATER MORE, THEY'RE GOING HAVE TO 
FERTILIZE MORE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THEIR 
ENTIRE LAWN.
THAT IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OR OUR QUALITY.
AGAIN, WE ALL SUPPORT THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE AND HOPE 
YOU DO TOO.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
CATHY HARRELSON, JOE WELCH, AND MARK BARKHURST.
>> HI.
I'M CATHY HARRELSON.
I'M FROM PINELLAS COUNTY.
OVER THERE I SERVE ON THE PINELLAS COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL 
SCIENCE FORUM, ON THE PINELLAS COUNTY LOCAL PLANNING 
AUTHORITY, AND I'M ALSO SERVING ON THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY 
PROGRAM EDUCATION COMMITTEE FOR FERTILIZER.
WE NEED YOUR HELP.
WE'RE NOT JUST NEIGHBORS, WE'RE PARTNERS IN ECONOMICS AND 
IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU LOOK AT THE TAMPA 
BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM MODEL, THE PINELLAS COUNTY ORDINANCE 
MODEL BECAUSE WE HERE DEPEND ON WATER.
ERICA HAD MENTIONED THAT CUSTOMERS DON'T PAY BASED ON HOW 
MANY BAGS OF FERTILIZER WE USE, THEY PAY TO KEEP THEIR 
LAWNS AND PLANTS HEALTHY.
WELL, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS BECAUSE THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE 
TO BE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS FERTILIZER RESTRICTION IN 
THE SUMMERTIME, BUT WHAT WE DO HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT 
IS TOURISTS.
TOURISTS DON'T PAY IF WE'VE GOT BAD WATER QUALITY.
TOURISTS RIGHT NOW DO PAY FOR OUR WATER QUALITY TO THE TUNE 
OF $65 BILLION A YEAR.
THOSE KIND OF NUMBERS ARE NOT EMOTIONAL, THEY ARE ACTUAL 
DOLLARS IN THE POCKETS OF PINELLAS, HILLSBOROUGH, AND ALL 
THE MUNICIPALITIES, AND NOT TO MENTION THE CITIZENS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO LIST OFF A COUPLE OF BUSINESSES THAT 
BENEFIT FROM WATER QUALITY.
FLORIDA IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST COMMERCIAL FISHERY, SO 
THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT TO OUR ECONOMY, RESTAURANTS, 
HOTELS, SPORTING GOODS STORES, KAYAK AND CANOE RENTALS, 
SCUBA SHOPS, RECREATIONAL BOATING SUPPLIERS, AND ALL THE 
BUSINESSES AND CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT BEING HELPED BY THE 
MONEY THAT WE'RE HAVING TO SPEND TO CLEAN UP NITROGEN ONCE 
IT GOES INTO THE WATER.
WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO KEEP NITROGEN FROM GETTING 
IN THE WATER IN THE FIRST PLACE.
YOU'VE GOT THAT OPPORTUNITY HERE, JUST AS WE DO IN 
PINELLAS, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE IT A STRONG 
ORDINANCE WATERSHEDWIDE.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
JOE WELCH, MARK BARKHURST, DARREN BOOTH.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS JOE WELCH.
I'M SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR MIDDLETON LAWN AND PEST CONTROL.
I SUPPORT A STRONG ORDINANCE AGAINST IMPROPER FERTILIZATION 
AND FOR WATER QUALITY.
I SUPPORT THE MODEL ORDINANCE RECOMMENDED BY THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE A BLACKOUT PERIOD.
I THINK THE BLACKOUT PERIOD IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO GO.
I THINK THE TURF DOES SUFFER DURING THE BLACKOUT PERIOD.
THERE IS NO -- NO SUBSTITUTE FOR NITROGEN.
NO MORE THAN IF YOUR BODY WAS IN NEED OF IRON COULD YOU 
SUPPLY IT CALCIUM AND MAKE YOU BETTER.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR NITROGEN.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO THINK THAT YOU CAN APPLY 
SOMETHING ELSE AND FIX A NITROGEN DEFICIENCY.
SUMMERTIME IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE CAN APPLY THE LEAST 
AMOUNT OF NITROGEN AND STILL GET A GOOD EFFECT.
WE APPLY ONE-THIRD LESS PER APPLICATION IN THE SUMMERTIME 
THAN WE DO AT ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR.
AND ALL WE WANT TO DO IS TRY TO KEEP THAT TURF HEALTHY 
THROUGH THAT FOUR-MONTH PERIOD.
HEALTHY TURF ABSORBS THE NUTRIENTS THAT ARE APPLIED.
HEALTHY TURF IS A GOOD THING.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS CITED THAT I ALWAYS 
GET A KICK OUT OF BECAUSE I MENTALLY PICTURE THIS, BUT 84 
TONS OF NITROGEN THEY SAY CAN BE REMOVED OR SAVED FROM 
GOING INTO THE BAY BY ELIMINATING OR BY ENACTING THIS -- 
THIS FERTILIZER ORDINANCE WITH A BLACKOUT PERIOD.
84 TONS OF NITROGEN.
I WANT YOU TO PICTURE THAT, OKAY.
A TYPICAL BAG OF FERTILIZER THAT WE APPLY IS 20% NITROGEN, 
OKAY.
20% NITROGEN, THAT MEANS 840,000 POUNDS OF FERTILIZER WOULD 
NEED TO BE IN THAT 84 TONS.
THAT IS 17,000 50 POUND BAGS OF FERTILIZER THAT THEY SAY IS 
GOING INTO THE BAY.
IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
IT WON'T BE STOPPED BY ENACTING YOUR ORDINANCE WITH A 
BLACKOUT PERIOD.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
MARK BARKHURST, DARREN BOOTH, MARIELLA SMITH.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, GENTLEMEN.
MY NAME IS MARK BARKHURST.
FIRST OF ALL, I'LL START OUT WITH MY EXPERIENCE.
I SPENT SIX YEARS IN NITROGEN RESEARCH, TURFGRASS NITROGEN 
RESEARCH WITH A MAJOR LAWN CARE COMPANY, WHICH ONE OF THE 
REPRESENTATIVES WERE HERE TODAY, AND I SPENT THE REST OF MY 
CAREER IN FERTILIZER, PESTICIDE REGULATORY AFFAIRS, 
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY.
I'M HERE TO SAY THAT I DO SUPPORT THE ESTUARY PLAN, AND I 
DO FEEL THAT WITH PROPER MANAGEMENT, TURFGRASS CAN VERY 
EASILY GET THROUGH THE RAINY PERIOD SEASON OF THE YEAR.
IT DOES MEAN PERHAPS USING SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER DURING 
THE SPRING, WHICH IS, QUITE HONESTLY, MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE, 
WHICH I THINK IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY THE TURFGRASS 
INDUSTRY IS AGAINST IT.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S PLENTY OF FERTILIZER THAT COMES 
FROM THE ATMOSPHERE, FROM LEAF CLIPPINGS, RECYCLING, 
ESPECIALLY FROM THE RAINFALL AND LIGHTNING THAT SUPPORTS 
TURFGRASS.
I KNOW.
THAT'S THE WAY I MANAGE MY OWN LAWN.
I HAVE SEEN ABUSES WHEN I DIDN'T.
I HAD A GENTLEMAN COME OUT AND DO MY LAWN UNDER A TROPICAL 
STORM WHEN IT WAS GOING ON, THREE TO SIX INCHES, SO I KNOW 
THAT HAPPENS.
I ALSO KNOW IT HAPPENS BECAUSE LAWN CARE COMPANIES ARE 
UNDER SCHEDULES.
THEY HAVE TO DO SO MANY COMPANIES PER DAY, SO MANY 
COMPANIES -- OR SO MANY LAWNS PER ROUND THEY CALL IT, SO 
THEY'RE PRESSURED TO GET SO MUCH DONE PER DAY.
WHEN YOU PUT IN A RAINFALL PERIOD THAT THEY CAN'T DO -- DO 
IT DURING THE RAINFALL, ELIMINATE AND MAKE THEIR SCHEDULE 
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, WHICH, OF COURSE, CUTS INTO THE 
PROFIT, AND THAT'S THE REAL REASON THEY'RE HERE.
AGAIN, I WILL WRAP UP AND SAY THAT I'M FOR IT.
I SEE IT VERY -- IT CAN VERY LIKELY -- OR IT CAN VERY WELL 
OCCUR AND BE MANAGED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT'S -- IT CAN BE 
USED THAT WAY, BUT IT'S GOING TO COST EVERYBODY MORE MONEY, 
BUT I THINK THE LONG RESULT OR THE END RESULTS WILL BE MUCH 
BETTER IN THE END.
SO THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
DARREN BOOTH, MARIELLA SMITH, JOE MURPHY.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M DARREN BOOTH.
I LIVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR FOUR YEARS.
WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE -- I'M FROM UP NORTH -- AND I 
BOUGHT A BAG OF FERTILIZER, I FERTILIZED IN THE SUMMER.
I DIDN'T KNOW BETTER.
I'M SORRY.
[LAUGHTER]
I -- I'M ALSO THE DEVELOPER IN MY DAY JOB OF THE HEIGHTS 
PROJECT, AND IT'S -- WE'RE GETTING READY TO SPEND A BILLION 
DOLLARS ON THE NORTHERN END OF THE RIVERWALK HERE ON THE 
HILLSBOROUGH RIVER, AND I AM CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 
BEAUTIFUL GREEN GRASS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL 
FLOWERS, AND I CAN DO IT WITH A SUMMER BAN, SO PLEASE, HELP 
THE NORTHERNERS THAT ARE ARRIVING LIKE ME IN THE YEARS TO 
COME GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST YEAR BY JUST BANNING IT DURING 
THE SUMMER.
THANKS.
[APPLAUSE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  MARIELLA SMITH, JOE MURPHY, ED ROSS.
MARIELLA SMITH, JOE --
>> RIGHT HERE.
MARIELLA SMITH.
I'M PASSING OUT NINE SETS OF PETITIONS, ONE FOR EACH OF YOU 
AND ONE FOR THE CLERK AND ONE FOR THE AGENCY WITH A COUPLE 
OF HUNDRED SIGNATURES OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING A STRONG 
FERTILIZER ORDINANCE, INCLUDING A SALES BAN AND A BAN ON 
APPLICATION FROM JUNE 1st TO SEPTEMBER 30th.
THE SUMMER SALES BAN IS THE KEY TO ENFORCEMENT AND 
EDUCATION.
IT'S THE EASIEST THING TO ENFORCE AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE 
EDUCATIONAL TOOL.
DR. -- MR. TSCHANTZ JUST TOLD YOU THAT ENFORCEMENT CAN BE 
DONE WITH EXISTING EPC STAFF IF YOU HAVE A SUMMER SALES BAN 
BECAUSE THEY'LL BE DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE INDUSTRY, NOT 
WITH EVERY SINGLE HOMEOWNER, SO IT'S -- IT'S EFFECTIVE, 
IT'S EFFICIENT, IT'S COST-EFFECTIVE TO ENFORCE, AND IT'S 
THE -- IT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL TOOL.
WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE STORE, HOME DEPOT OR THEIR 
NEIGHBORHOOD STORE, LOOKING FOR FERTILIZER, IN THE SUMMER 
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FIND THEIR USUAL NITROGEN FERTILIZER, 
AND THEY'LL LEARN WHY RIGHT THEN AND THEY'LL LEARN WHY IT 
MATTERS, AND THEY'LL LEARN WITH WHEN IT BECOME AVAILABLE.
THEY'LL LEARN THEY CAN COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND 
GET THAT FERTILIZER AND HOPEFULLY GET SLOW RELEASE 
FERTILIZER AND APPLY THAT TWICE A YEAR, BUT THEY'LL ALSO BE 
PRESENTED WITH OPTIONS.
THEY CAN -- THEY CAN IN THE SHORT-TERM APPLY IRON AND 
MAGNESIUM AND GET THAT GREENING EFFECT AND HOLD OVER THEIR 
LAWN UNTIL -- FOR ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS UNTIL THE NITROGEN 
BECOMES AVAILABLE.
YOU'LL BE REACHING PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE BUYING AND 
APPLYING FERTILIZER IN THE RAINY SEASON.
YOU'LL BE REACHING PEOPLE WHO YOU MIGHT NOT REACH WITH AN 
OCCASIONAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLE OR -- OR OTHER CAMPAIGN.
IT'LL BE A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO REACH THOSE PEOPLE.
YOU-ALL KNOW WHAT A CAMPAIGN COSTS, WHAT DIRECT MAIL COSTS.
THIS IS A LOT CHEAPER TO STOP THEM FROM BUYING THE 
FERTILIZER IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT'LL DO MORE --
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
JOE MURPHY.
>> OH, IS THAT THREE?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  YEAH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  ED ROSS, TROY SPRINGER.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE ESTUARY PROGRAM FOR 
ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE ON THIS ISSUE.
MY NAME'S JOE MURPHY.
I'M THE FLORIDA DIRECTOR OF THE GULF RESTORATION NETWORK.
WE'RE A GULFWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS IN 
ALL FIVE GULF COASTAL STRAITS ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO TO 
PROTECT WATER QUALITY, TO PROTECT OUR RIVERS AND SEAGRASS 
BEDS AND OUR ESTUARIES AND TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE HEALTHY 
FISHERIES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY'S PROGRAM MODEL 
ORDINANCE.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT RESEARCH AND PROJECTS IN OTHER STATES, 
BUT I DO KNOW RIGHT HERE IN TAMPA BAY WE HAVE LOCAL EXPERTS 
IN THE ESTUARY PROGRAM WHO KNOW THIS REGION INSIDE AND OUT, 
WHO HAVE ON-THE-GROUND KNOWLEDGE OF TAMPA BAY AND THE TAMPA 
BAY ESTUARY, AND THEY'VE PUT IN FRONT OF YOU IN CONJUNCTION 
IN WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AN 
EXCELLENT MODEL ORDINANCE, SO WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO FOLKS 
FROM OTHER STATES, GAINESVILLE, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY 
BE, I THINK YOU HAVE TO GO WITH THE LOCAL FOLKS HERE AND 
TRUST FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE TAMPA BAY REGION, PARTICULARLY 
WITH THE ESTUARY PROGRAM WHO HAVE COME FORWARD WITH A VERY 
SOUND, THOUGHTFUL, AND REASONABLE APPROACH.
POLLUTED WATER HURTS OUR ECONOMY, BUT IT ALSO NEGATIVELY 
IMPACTS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE BOATING INDUSTRY, THE 
FISHING INDUSTRY, AND THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
OUR NETWORK IS A NETWORK OF GROUPS ALL ACROSS THE GULF OF 
MEXICO, INCLUDING RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN, 
FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, COASTAL BUSINESSES AND 
CONSERVATION GROUPS, AND THE ONE THING WE ALL HAVE IN 
COMMON IS THAT WHEN WE HAVE POOR WATER QUALITY, WHEN WE 
HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND TO OUR 
ENVIRONMENT, IT HURTS OUR ECONOMY AND IT HURTS OUR LOCAL 
COMMUNITIES.
EDUCATION IS GOOD, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE.
WE ARE IN AN IMPAIRED WATER CRISIS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, 
AND WE CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER, SO EDUCATION'S A CRITICAL 
COMPONENT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.
WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE TOOLS IN PLACE LIKE THE 
RAINY SEASON APPLICATION AND THE SALES BAN THAT ARE 
ENFORCEABLE AND CAN REALLY DEMAND COMPLIANCE.
WE CAN'T WAIT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, AND I WANT TO SAY 
AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE ESTUARY PROGRAM.
TRUST THE LOCAL EXPERTS.
GO WITH THE ESTUARY PROGRAM'S MODEL AND MAKE SURE WE 
PROTECT WATER QUALITY IN TAMPA BAY.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  ED ROSS, TROY SPRINGER, INGRID JACOBA 
SMITH.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS ED ROSS, AND I ACTUALLY LIVE ON THE RIVER.
I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAD MOVED HERE TO GO TO SCHOOL 
STUDYING MARINE ZOOLOGY.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA, TAMPA BAY, AND OUR BEACHES AND -- IN 1968 AND MADE 
A COMMITMENT THAT I WOULD STAY HERE IN TAMPA BECAUSE OF 
THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.
I RAN THE FIRST CANOE AND KAYAK SHOP ON THE WEST COAST OF 
FLORIDA.
I'VE TAKEN PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ON OUR WATERS, 
BOTH IN THE BAY, ALONG THE SHORES, AND ALSO IN THE 
HILLSBOROUGH RIVER.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST MAGICAL PLACES IN THE WORLD, AND I 
HAVE BEEN IN TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS, AND I CAN TELL YOU WE 
BEAT THEM.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
I ALSO HAVE A SON.
I'VE LIVED ALONG THE RIVER.
I FEEL LIKE THIS WATER IS MY BLOOD.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT SCIENCE, IT IS IN MY BLOOD, AND I 
APPRECIATE SCIENCE AND I AGREE WITH IT AND I AGREE WITH THE 
ESTUARY'S PROGRAM -- PROPOSAL.
BUT I HAVE A SON THAT I WOULD LIKE HIM TO SHARE AND 
UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS.
FROM MY HISTORY SINCE I HAVE LIVED HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY, WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH NITROGEN BEFORE, AND WE 
WORKED HARD AND WE DID THAT, AND WE INCREASED AND HELPED 
THE BAY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS -- THAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO 
-- I MEAN, SIMPLE TRANSLATION, RED TIDE, ALGAE BLOOM, DEAD 
ZONE.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS, PERIOD.
THERE IS A RECENT THING IN SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN IN WHICH 
THEY LOOKED AT THE CAUSE OF DEAD ZONES AROUND THE WORLD, 
AND WHAT THEY FOUND OUT, IT WAS FERTILIZER RUNOFF AND STUFF 
LIKE THAT.
WHEN IT IS INCREASED, AS IT HAS BEEN, YOU'LL FIND THAT THE 
DEAD ZONES INCREASE, AND IT HAS GROWN.
WE HAVE MANY ALONG THE COAST OF FLORIDA.
WE HAVE A LARGER ONE ALONG -- DOWN BELOW THE MISSISSIPPI, 
AND IT IS SPREADING AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THE LAST THING THAT I REMEMBER HEARING THEM SAY WAS 
ABOUT MUCK.
MUCK IS CALLED EUTROPHICATION.
IT'S CALLED THE KILLING OF LAKES AND WATER BODIES, AND WHAT 
IT IS IS THAT NITROGEN AND STUFF GETS IN THERE AND IT 
BEGINS TO DEVELOP MORE AND MORE PRODUCTS THAT COME DOWN, 
AND IT BUILDS DEEPER AND DEEPER MILK -- MUCK --
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
TROY SPRINGER.
>> -- MUCK UNTIL THERE'S NO MORE WATER LEFT.
[APPLAUSE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  TROY SPRINGER.
I DON'T SEE HIM HERE OR HE'S NOT RESPONDING.
INGRID JACOBA SMITH, ROB BROWN.
ROB BROWN?
OH, TROY, YOU ARE HERE?
YEAH, YOU WERE NEXT.
COME ON UP, SIR.
>> HOW ARE YOU?
MY NAME IS TROY SPRINGER.
I'M A LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR.
I PROVIDE LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE.
I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS -- THAT'S THE ONLY JOB I'VE EVER 
HAD, AND I'M TELL YOU THAT I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE ESTUARY 
PROGRAM MODEL.
THE CHARACTER OF FLORIDA IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND A LOT -- 
THE BIGGEST PART OF THE CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF FLORIDA 
IS THE LANDSCAPE PRACTICES.
THE PROBLEM IS TURF AND NONNATIVE PLANTS ARE USED ALL OVER 
THE WORLD, AND IT'S MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES FACELESS, AND WE 
THINK THAT CHANGING OUR PRACTICES, LANDSCAPE PRACTICES, 
WILL PRESERVE THE CHARACTER AND UNIQUENESS OF OUR STATE, SO 
THAT IS THE REASON WHY I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
INGRID JACOBA SMITH, ROB BROWN, GIOVANNA CHAO, AND YOU IF 
YOU COULD KIND COME ON UP FOR US AND GET SET.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE EVERYONE HERE ALLOWED TIME TO 
SPEAK.
WELCOME, MA'AM.
>> MY NAME IS INGRID JACOBA SMITH.
I RESIDE AT 5605 NORTH SUWANNEE AVENUE IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.
I'M A RESIDENT OF SEMINOLE HEIGHTS.
WE ARE BOUNDRIED BY THE RIVER ON TWO SIDES, AND WE HAVE 
SOME LAKES AND A LONG SUFFERING LAKE ROBERTA RIGHT IN THE 
HEART OF SEMINOLE HEIGHTS.
I SUPPORT THE ESTUARY PROGRAM.
I'M ONE OF THOSE RESIDENTS WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF 
BEING IN -- OF BEING FROM UP NORTH AND THEREFORE HAVING THE 
EXCUSE OF, YOU KNOW, BEING NEW TO THE AREA, BUT IF YOU TELL 
A CHILD NO COOKIES BEFORE DINNER AND YOU LEAVE THEM OUT ON 
THE COUNTER, GUESS WHAT'S GOING TO GET EATEN BEFORE DINNER.
YOU NEED TO PUT IT OFF THE SHELF, PUT IT OUT OF REACH 
BECAUSE COME SUMMER -- ON MY BLOCK ONLY ONE PERSON USES A 
LAWN SERVICE.
THE REST OF US, WE'RE HGTV ADDICTS, AND WE GO TO HOME 
DEPOT, BUY A BAG.
THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE RIP IT OPEN, DUMP IT IN THE BROADCAST 
SPREADER.
THE LITTLE LEVER, THAT'S ON/OFF.
WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN IS A WHOLE 'NOTHER STORY, BUT AS FAR 
AS SPREADING IT OUT RESPONSIBLY, WELL, IT'S MORE LIKE 
PEPPERING YOUR GRITS.
WHATEVER LOOKS RIGHT.
[LAUGHTER]
AND THAT'S THE TRUTH OF IT.
YOU NEED TO PUT IT OUT OF OUR REACH.
BAN IT DURING THE SUMMER BECAUSE THAT'S MOST OF MY 
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY BORROW MY BROADCAST SPREADER.
WHEN IT COMES BACK, THE SETTING REALLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE 
ACCORDING TO WHAT'S ON THE BAG.
IT JUST -- WHATEVER LOOKS GOOD AND COVERED THE YARD.
AND THAT'S THE TRUTH OF IT.
KEEP IT OUT OF OUR REACH BECAUSE IF 20% OF THE NITROGEN IS 
COMING FROM THE RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND ON MY STREET ONLY ONE 
OF US IS USING A LAWN SERVICE, GUESS WHAT THE OTHER 90% ARE 
DOING.
KEEP THE COOKIES OUT OF REACH.
WE CAN USE THE TIME RELEASE IN MAY AND THEN AGAIN IN THE 
FALL, AND I'M SURE HOME DEPOT WILL HAVE AN APRIL SALE THAT 
SAYS TIME RELEASE NOW.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
ROB BROWN.
[APPLAUSE]
GIOVANNA CHAO, MELISSA LARSON WALKER.
IF YOU'D COME UP ON IN THE QUEUE, THAT WILL HELP US.
THANK YOU.
>> HI.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE.
MY NAME IS GIOVANNA CHAO.
I'M 23 YEARS OLD.
I WAS RAISED IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.
I'VE LIVED IN FLORIDA MOST ALL OF MY LIFE, AND I'M HERE -- 
I'M NOT A SCIENTIST, I'M GOING TO SPEAK FROM MY HEART, AND 
REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY, I THINK MY EMOTIONS 
ARE IMPORTANT, AND SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF MY 
RHETORIC.
I GREW UP WITH THE BEACHES, FISHING WITH MY GRANDFATHER, 
DOING ALL THE AMAZING THINGS THAT FLORIDA HAS TO OFFER, AND 
TO PUT IT PLAINLY, I'VE SEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATMOSPHERE 
OF THIS STATE AND THE QUALITY OF THE WATER AROUND HERE GO 
TO HELL, AND THAT'S AS PLAIN AS I'M GOING TO SAY IT, AND I 
THINK THAT BY SUPPORTING AND PUTTING IN ACTION THE ESTUARY 
PROGRAM ORDINANCE WOULD DO WONDERS FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT.
THIS SUMMER HERE'S A LITTLE SCIENTIFIC FACT, WE HAD THE 
WORST TOXIC ALGAL BLOOM EVER RECORDED RIGHT HERE IN THE 
TAMPA BAY, AND THIS IS WHERE MY FRIENDS SWIM, THIS IS WHERE 
MY LITTLE SISTERS SWIM, AND IF THE CLEAN WATER ACT IS IN 
PLACE, THE FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT, THEN THESE BODIES OF 
WATER SHOULD BE SWIMMABLE, DRINKABLE, AND FISHABLE, AND I 
CAN'T DO THAT SOMETIMES HERE, AND THAT SUCKS, AND THAT'S AS 
PLAIN AS I CAN PUT IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST REALLY -- IT'S SAD TO ME, AND 
THESE ARE MY EMOTIONS, AND MY EMOTIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
I DO CARE ABOUT FLORIDA.
I DO CARE ABOUT OUR BODY OF WATER, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN 
PEOPLE COME HERE AS TOURISTS, ALL DUE RESPECT, THEY'RE 
COMING HERE TO SEE THE AMAZING WILDLIFE THAT YOU CANNOT 
FIND AND THE AMAZING LANDSCAPE YOU CANNOT FIND IN ANY OTHER 
PLACE IN THE WORLD.
THIS AREA HAS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE -- THIS IS A 
SCIENTIFIC FACT -- ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE ECOLOGICAL AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL TREASURES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, AND TO 
SACRIFICE THAT FOR PEOPLE'S LAWNS IS RIDICULOUS.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD.
PEOPLE DON'T COME HERE TO SEE THE LAWNS --
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
ROB BROWN.
>> -- THEY COME HERE TO SEE THE BEACH.
[APPLAUSE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  MELISSA LARSON WALKER, BEV GRIFFITHS, 
ROB BROWN.
ROB BROWN, MELISSA LARSON WALKER, BEV GRIFFITHS.
MS. WALKER.
BEV GRIFFITHS.
ROBIN BALDWIN, JOHN HENDERSHOT.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
BEV GRIFFITHS, CHAIR OF TAMPA BAY SIERRA CLUB, REPRESENTING 
OUR APPROXIMATELY 1700 MEMBERS.
JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD SAYING THAT TAMPA BAY SIERRA CLUB 
SUPPORTS THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY MODEL, AND WE SUPPORT THE 
SUMMERTIME BAN ON SALE AND USE BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S THE 
EASIEST WAY TO ENFORCE THE REGULATION.
I'M NOT AGAINST TURF, BUT I HAVE A NATURAL YARD.
I DON'T USE FERTILIZER, AND I HAVE A VERY DIVERSE YARD WITH 
NATIVE FLOWERS AND NATIVE PLANTS AND A LOT OF WILDLIFE, AND 
IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE.
TURF IS A MONOCULTURE, AND IT REALLY DOESN'T SUPPORT VERY 
MUCH DIVERSITY.
AND I -- I HOPE THAT YOU WON'T ALLOW THIS FOOT DRAGGING TO 
GO ON BY THE FERTILIZER INDUSTRY.
THEY NEED TO GET ONBOARD WITH US, AND I THINK THEY WILL 
ADAPT.
AND YOUR JOB AS THE -- SITTING AS THE BOARD OF THE 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY IS TO PROTECT OUR 
ENVIRONMENT, AND I ALSO WANT TO JUST MENTION THAT FLORIDA 
IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM MICHIGAN.
THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  ROBIN BALDWIN, JOHN HENDERSHOT, TOM 
KRUMREICH.
ROBIN.
THANK YOU
>> HI.
MY NAME IS ROBIN BALDWIN.
I LIVE AT 2800 COVE KAY DRIVE IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA.
MY FAMILY HAS OWNED PROPERTY ON TAMPA BAY -- I MEAN, WE'RE 
IN A GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY, IT'S JUST A CONDOMINIUM BUT 
IT'S LOCATED RIGHT ON TAMPA BAY -- SINCE THE EARLY 1970s.
WE REGULARLY HAVE MANATEES THERE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING. 
THEY'RE ROUTINELY SEEN.
SPOONBILLS, LOTS OF RARE BIRDS, OTTERS, AND I THINK THAT IF 
THE RED TIDE IS ALLOWED TO SPREAD, IT WILL DIMINISH 
PROPERTY VALUES, HARM TOURISM, AND OTHER WATER-BASED 
BUSINESSES AND JUST THE GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL -- IT'S JUST 
GOING TO DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY I'M TROUBLED BY REPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL 
INDUSTRY FUNDING, EVEN IF IT'S INDIRECT, OF UNIVERSITY 
SCIENCE REPORTS ON WHICH THE LOBBYISTS SEEM TO RELY, AND 
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
AND I SUPPORT THE -- OBVIOUSLY I SUPPORT THE VIEW OF THE 
SIERRA CLUB AND THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
JOHN HENDERSHOT, TOM KRUMREICH AND JANET DOHERTY.
>> I'M JOHN HENDERSHOT.
I LIVE AT 8210 LA SERENA DRIVE.
I AM ALSO A SIERRA CLUB MEMBER.
A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS WALKING ALONG THE PINELLAS COUNTY 
BEACH DURING THE RED TIDE EPISODE, AND I SAW THOUSANDS, 
PERHAPS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MARINE ANIMALS DEAD ALONG THE 
SHORE.
I SMELLED THE AWFUL SMELL, MY EYES WATERED, AND IT DID NOT 
OCCUR TO ME THAT SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT WOULD OCCUR IN 
MY OWN BACKYARD WHERE PICO POND IS.
APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AGO IN MY BACKYARD THERE WAS A 
FISH KILL IN PICO POND.
NOW, THERE WERE HUNDREDS, PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF DEAD FISH 
THAT FLOATED UP ONTO OUR SHORES THERE, AND THERE WERE 75 
VULTURES ACCORDING TO ONE PERSON'S COUNT THAT FED ON THOSE 
DEAD FISH.
LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WATERSHED OF 
PICO POND.
IT CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY 50 HOMES.
I DID A CAREFUL VISUAL SCIENTIFIC SURVEY, AND THERE ARE NO 
FARMS IN THE LAGO VISTA SUBDIVISION.
IT IS LAWNS AND IT IS HOUSES AND IT IS A FEW STREETS.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT AT THE END OF THE SUMMER THAT WHAT 
CAUSED OUR FISH KILL WAS, FIRST OF ALL, THE ALGAE BLOOM, 
SECONDLY TREATING THE ALGAE, THIRDLY THE ALGAE DYING AND 
ABSORBING THE OXYGEN, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT WHERE THAT WATER 
IS GOING AFTER IT LEAVES PICO POND.
IT EVENTUALLY ENDS UP IN TAMPA BAY AND IT GOES OUT INTO THE 
GULF AND IT CAUSES MORE ALGAE BLOOMS.
BASED ON THIS, I'M ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT THE --
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU, SIR.
ALL RIGHT.
[APPLAUSE]
TOM.
>> HI.
MY NAME IS TOM KRUMREICH.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING MYSELF AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN WHO HAS 
LIVED ON THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER, BEEN A RIVER ACTIVIST IN 
VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, AND AS A VOLUNTARY REPRESENTATIVE OF 
F-CAN, FLORIDA CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK, THE STATE'S LARGEST 
AND OLDEST STATE-BASED CONSUMER ENVIRONMENTAL GRASS-ROOTS 
ORGANIZATION, CURRENTLY CELEBRATING OUR 25th ANNIVERSARY.
WE DRAW OUR SUPPORT, WE MEANING F-CAN, FROM -- PRIMARILY 
FROM ORDINARY ACCIDENTS.
ABOUT 80% OF OUR INCOME COMES FROM THE GRASS-ROOTS, AND WE 
BELIEVE BASED ON OUR DAILY CONTACT WITH HUNDREDS IF NOT 
THOUSANDS OF OUR MEMBERS THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA THAT MANY OF 
OUR MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, PROPERLY INFORMED WOULD, AS WE DO, 
STRONGLY SUPPORT A STRONG FERTILIZER CONTROL ORDINANCE SUCH 
AS THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY MODEL FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND 
WE CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE MOST CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE MODEL IS, IN OUR 
OPINION, THE SUMMER RAINY SEASON BAN, AND WE HAVE SUPPORTED 
THIS BAN AS ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF ST. PETE AND OTHER WEST 
COAST COMMUNITIES, SO PLEASE SHOW WISDOM AND HAVE THE 
POLITICAL COURAGE TO ADOPT A STRONG MODEL ORDINANCE TO 
CONTROL THE APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER.
THE FUTURE OF TAMPA BAY IS IN YOUR HANDS, AND PLEASE DO THE 
RIGHT THING AND ADOPT A STRONG FERTILIZER CONTROL ORDINANCE 
WITH A SUMMER BAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU.
AND OUR LAST, JANET, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
[APPLAUSE]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JANET DOHERTY, AND I'M HERE TO 
SPEAK ON THE FERTILIZER ORDINANCE.
FOR BACKGROUND I HAVE BEEN ON THE SWFWMD GOVERNING BOARD, 
THE TAMPA ESTUARY PROGRAM POLICY BOARD, AND I CURRENTLY 
SERVE AS PRESIDENT FOR THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION FOR WATER 
QUALITY CONTROL.
I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS THAT HELPED 
DEVELOP THIS ORDINANCE AS WELL.
I LIVE ON THE ALAFIA RIVER, AND I'VE HAD THAT FLORIDA LAWN 
THAT YOU NEVER FERTILIZE.
I'M NOT DEED RESTRICTED.
WHAT GROWS GROWS.
I HAVE PALMETTOS AND GRASS, AND IN THE WINTERTIME IT'S A 
LITTLE ROUGH, YOU KNOW, BUT I STILL LOVE IT.
I GREW UP WITH THAT YARD.
MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE I'VE LIVED IN FLORIDA.
I ALSO WORKED FOR PHOSPHATE FOR SEVEN YEARS, AND I THINK 
THE BEST THING IS TO HAVE A FERTILIZER ORDINANCE BASED ON 
SCIENCE.
YOU DEFINITELY NEED EDUCATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY YOU 
NEED ENFORCEMENT.
WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT, THE RULE'S GOING TO MEAN NOTHING.
I ALSO WANT TO TELL YOU I PROMOTE THE USE OF COMPOST, WHICH 
IS EASILY AND READILY AVAILABLE FOR THE UPTAKE OF PLANTS.
PERHAPS DURING THIS BAN-OUT SESSION YOU CAN UTILIZE 
COMPOST.
THERE'S A LOT OF THOSE PRODUCTS AROUND.
IT'S NATURAL, IT'S ORGANIC, AND BY 2010 A RULE WILL BE IN 
PLACE WHERE ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE TO COMPOST 5% OF 
THEIR MUNICIPAL WASTE STREAM.
FINALLY, BY 2010 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE TMDLs PUT INTO 
PLACE, AND ON JANUARY 14th YOU WILL HAVE THE NUMERIC -- 
2010, YOU WILL HAVE THE NUMERICAL CRITERIA BY EPA SET.
THOSE RULES ARE GOING TO BE ON YOU MUNICIPALITIES TO COMPLY 
WITH, AND YOU COULD FACE UP TO $10,000 A DAY DAILY FINES.
I SUPPORT THE ESTUARY PROGRAM'S FERTILIZER ORDINANCE.
I THINK IT HAD A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS IN IT, STAKEHOLDERS 
THAT YOU'VE SEEN HERE TODAY, AND WITH THAT, I WANT TO TELL 
YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
[APPLAUSE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRESENTERS AND THE 
FOLKS WHO CAME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I KNOW I'VE MOVED US RIGHT ALONG, AND WITH SOME BOARD 
DISCUSSION AND SETTING AN OUTLINE, IT'S WORKED, AND WE'VE 
GOTTEN EVERYBODY IN HERE, SO THANK YOU AGAIN, AND I KNOW 
THAT AGAIN I WAS WHIPPING US THROUGH, BUT WE GOT I THINK 
GOOD INPUT, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS HAS BEEN ABOUT.
I KNOW I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
WE'RE SCHEDULED THROUGH 5:00 TODAY, SO WE HAVE A LITTLE 
LESS THAN 30 MINUTES FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD, AND THE 
FIRST ONE WHO HAS SOME COMMENTS HERE OR QUESTIONS IS 
COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I FIRST WANT TO SAY TO STAFF AND TO THE 
SPEAKERS AND TO YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A 
SUPERB MEETING.
IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY EDUCATIONAL.
I THINK ONE OF THE BETTER MEETINGS, PUBLIC HEARINGS, 
WORKSHOPS, WHATEVER WE'RE SITTING THROUGH HERE, WE'VE HAD 
IN QUITE A WHILE, AND I WOULD AGAIN SAY TO EACH OF THE 
SPEAKERS, EACH OF THE PRESENTERS, THE -- THE FOUR THAT WENT 
FOR 15 MINUTES EACH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU I THINK -- 
YOU WERE VERY EDUCATIONAL AND VERY HELPFUL, AND THEN ALSO 
TO THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES -- AND I REALLY MEAN THIS 
AGAIN -- I THINK IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND VERY HELPFUL.
I DO HAVE A FEW BASIC QUESTIONS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF SOME 
OF THIS WE'RE EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO RESOLVE BEFORE WE -- 
WE HAVE TO COME TO A VOTE.
THE SCIENCE ISSUE, YOU KNOW, I'VE STRUGGLED WITH THAT AS 
WELL.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION BUT THAT NITROGEN -- AND 
IF SOMEONE THINKS I'M WRONG, THEN THEY CAN STEP UP AND -- 
AND CORRECT ME, BUT THAT NITROGEN DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO 
ALGAE BLOOMS AND/OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEGRADATION OF OUR 
WATER, THE NITROGEN THAT'S IN THE FERTILIZER.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>MARK SHARPE:  THAT IT IS A -- THAT IT CAN BE A DETRIMENT 
TO OUR WATER.
>>BOB STETLER:  DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT IT DOES NOT 
CONTRIBUTE?
>>MARK SHARPE:  THAT IT DOES, IT IS.
>>BOB STETLER:  IT DOES.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I SAW YOU JUMP UP PANICKING ON ME.
I SAT THROUGH THREE HOURS.
I THINK I GOT THAT PART.
[LAUGHTER]
NITROGEN, TOO MUCH OF IT BAD.
OKAY.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  REPEAT THE QUESTION.
THAT WAS NITROGEN --
>>MARK SHARPE:  WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND BACK 
AND FORTH, AND I THINK THAT FOR ME -- AGAIN -- ONE OF THE 
LADIES THAT SPOKE NEAR THE END I THOUGHT DID A SUPERB JOB 
OF TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT, THE FACT THAT 
WE'VE HAD AN INCREASING NUMBER OF THESE -- OF THESE -- 
WHETHER YOU TALK ABOUT DEAD ZONES, ALGAE BLOOMS WHICH HAVE 
CREATED A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT BOTH TO WILDLIFE BUT ALSO I 
THINK TO OUR TOURISM, SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THE -- THAT THE 
NITROGEN AND -- HAS HAD ON OUR WATERWAYS, AND I -- AND I 
RECOGNIZE -- AND I'VE HAD GOOD TALKS WITH MR. GRAMLING AND 
OTHERS AT LENGTH ABOUT WHAT THE CAUSE IS, AND I THINK ALL 
OF YOU HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THERE ARE MANY CAUSES TO 
THIS, MANY, MANY CAUSES, BUT I DO -- AND I TAKE 
RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL.
I THINK ONE CAUSE IS MYSELF AND OTHERS LIKE MYSELF WHO WERE 
NOT WELL EDUCATED AND WELL VERSED IN LAWN CARE MAINTENANCE, 
AND WHEN WE SEE OUR LAWNS GETTING A LITTLE BROWN IN THE 
SUMMER BEGIN TO MAKE THE DUMP.
WE JUST DUMP -- LIKE THE LADY SAID, WE RUN, WE GO TO HOME 
DEPOT, WE BUY WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN ON THE BAG.
I JUST GET IT, I APPLY IT, AND I WANT IT TO WORK.
I ACTUALLY THINK -- AND THERE'S A GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE WHO 
DID A REALLY GOOD JOB, A YOUNG MAN WHO GOT UP AND TALKED 
ABOUT HE WAS WITH A LAWN CARE SERVICE WHO WAS SUPPORTING 
THE MORE RESTRICTIVE ORDINANCE OR RULE, WHICHEVER WAY WE'RE 
GOING TO GO, AND I TEND TO THINK THAT THE MARKET IS GOING 
TO FIND A WAY TO THRIVE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT TO BE ABLE TO 
"A," GO TO CITIZENS SUCH AS MYSELF AND EDUCATE US AS TO HOW 
WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB YEAR-ROUND OF PROTECTING OUR YARDS, 
"B," HOW WE CAN LEARN TO FERTILIZE BUT FERTILIZE 
RESPONSIBLY SO THAT WE WILL NOT ADD TOO MUCH OF WHAT WE 
DON'T NEED IN OUR YARD AT THE WRONG TIMES LIKE DURING THE 
RAINY SEASON.
I ALSO HAVE TO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW -- WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH 
LEAD IN PAINT.
WE TOOK THE LEAD OUT.
WE DIDN'T KILL THE PAINT INDUSTRY.
LEAD IN GAS, WE TOOK THE LEAD OUT.
WE DIDN'T KILL THE GAS INDUSTRY.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND NITROGEN IN FERTILIZER IS IMPORTANT, AND 
THE GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE VERY CLEARLY STATED THERE'S A 
REASON WHY THERE'S NITROGEN IN FERTILIZER AND IN OUR BODIES 
AND THERE'S A PURPOSE BEHIND IT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I 
JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HAVE -- WE CAN HAVE A 
SUMMER-FRIENDLY FERTILIZER OF SOME SORT THAT WILL COME ON 
THE MARKET THAT MIGHT FOCUS ON -- WHETHER IT'S IRON, 
MAGNESIUM, AND/OR SOME OTHER COMPONENT THAT WE CAN PUT 
INTO -- SO WE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE TAKING 
CARE OF OUR YARD, WE'RE PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE LAWN THAT 
DOESN'T HAVE THE NITROGEN AND -- WHICH IS CAUSING THE 
DAMAGE.
THE GENTLEMAN, THOUGH, THAT SPOKE ABOUT IF WE -- IF WE 
ALLOW -- IF WE TAKE THE NITROGEN OUT -- AND HE WAS 
INDICATING -- TALKING ABOUT SARASOTA.
IF SOMEONE CAN SPEAK TO THIS.
-- THAT WOULD HAVE MORE -- WE'D HAVE DEGRADATION OF OUR 
LAWNS WHICH THEN MIGHT ACTUALLY PROMOTE THE UNINTENDED 
CONSEQUENCES.
ARE WE NOT -- AND LET ME ASK BOB.
ARE WE NOT RISKING PUTTING MORE NITROGEN INTO OUR WATERWAYS 
UNINTENTIONALLY IF WE DON'T FERTILIZE, WE HAVE DEGRADATION 
OF OUR LAWNS, AND THEN WHEN WE DO FERTILIZE, THE YARDS ARE 
MORE POROUS, SO IT RUNS OUT QUICKER.
>>BOB STETLER:  I DON'T THINK WE DOUBT THAT THAT COULD BE A 
FACTOR, THAT COULD BE A FACTOR.
THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF -- OF MAKING A LAWN 
UNHEALTHY, THE DATA DOES SEEM TO SHOW THAT THE UNHEALTHY 
LAWNS MAY NOT DO AS GOOD A JOB OF RETAINING THE NITROGEN.
>>MARK SHARPE:  WOULD THIS BAN, THEN, THE SUMMER BAN MAKE 
OUR -- IF WE WERE TO BAN IT -- BECAUSE EVERYONE'S AGREEING 
WE NEED TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR USE OF FERTILIZER, 
TRY TO USE THE SLOW RELEASE, TRY TO EDUCATE -- I'M ALL FOR 
EDUCATION, AND I WANT TO SEE US -- I THINK FOR THIS TO 
WORK -- I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE ENFORCEMENT POLICE RUNNING 
AROUND TRYING TO GIVE SOMEONE A TICKET NECESSARILY BECAUSE 
THEY WERE USING FERTILIZER BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF US, 
WE'RE JUST -- WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT, SO IT'S A 
MATTER OF DOING A BETTER JOB OF EDUCATING AND WORKING WITH 
THE PRIVATE COMPANIES.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE REDOUBLING OR TRIPLING OUR EFFORTS 
OF WORKING WITH ALL THESE LAWN CARE SERVICES THAT I DON'T 
USE BUT NOW I MIGHT START TO USE BECAUSE RATHER THAN ME 
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY YARD AND NOT 
OVERAPPLY, I WILL TURN TO THEM, BUT BOB, ARE WE -- BACK TO 
THIS -- THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
DO WE RUN A RISK IF WE HAVE A SUMMERTIME BAN OF ACTUALLY 
INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF NITROGEN THAT FINDS ITS WAY INTO 
THE WATER BECAUSE WE'RE EITHER OVERAPPLYING BEFORE THE BAN, 
OVERAPPLYING AFTER THE BAN, OR WHEN WE DO APPLY LEGALLY, 
IT'S SEEPING INTO THE WATERWAYS?
>>BOB STETLER:  AGAIN, I'D SAY THAT I THINK THAT IS ONE 
FACTOR.
I GUESS MY CONCERN WOULD BE THAT THERE ARE WAYS OF DEALING 
WITH THAT.
ONE OF THEM IS -- THE VERDICT IS A LITTLE BIT OUT -- ON THE 
SLOW RELEASE ISSUE.
DOES SLOW RELEASE EITHER IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION AND 
PRODUCT THAT'S AVAILABLE OR SOMETHING THAT COULD BE 
IMPROVED BE THE BRIDGE THAT WOULD TAKE YOU FROM MAY TO 
OCTOBER?
THE DATA SEEMS TO SHOW FROM IFAS AND OTHERS THAT YOU GET 
TOWARDS THE END OF THE -- THE -- SAY THE BAN PERIOD IN 
SARASOTA AND YOU START TO GET THE NITROGEN DEFICIENCIES AND 
YOU START PERHAPS TO GET SOME OF THAT EFFECT.
TO ME, THOUGH, MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE 
OF THE SMALL SUBSETS OF CAUSE AND EFFECTS; WHEREAS, THE 
MISUSE OF FERTILIZER AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT MAY 
STILL GO ON IS PROBABLY BY FAR AND AWAY THE BIGGEST SOURCE 
OF WHERE THE NITROGEN IS COMING FROM BECAUSE I THINK THE 
SCIENCE -- AS WE TALK ABOUT THE SCIENCE, THERE DOESN'T SEEM 
TO BE MUCH DOUBT IN THE SCIENCE THAT WE HAVE THE IMPAIRED 
WATERS, THERE'S NO DOUBT IN THE SCIENCE THAT WE HAVE MORE 
NITROGEN IN THE SUMMERTIMES, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT WE HAVE 
FERTILIZER GETTING TO THE BAY, SO THOSE FACTORS ADD UP TO 
THE PROBLEMS.
>>MARK SHARPE:  A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF -- IT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN, ANYBODY -- I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE.
YOU LOOK AT THE FLOODS WE HAVE, THE FLOOD ZONES DURING THE 
SUMMER RAINY SEASONS.
I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT MYSELF.
I'VE RUSHED OUT TO APPLY FERTILIZER.
TWO DAYS, THREE DAYS LATER IT JUST -- I'M BOMBARDED WITH 
RAIN AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS UNDERWATER, AND I'VE GOT TO 
BELIEVE IT'S FLOATING OFF, AND SO TO SUGGEST THAT, YOU 
KNOW, THE APPLICATION DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN IT'S 
HEAVY RAINY SEASON DOESN'T IN SOME WAY CONTRIBUTE TO 
NITROGEN INTO THE WATER TO ME LACKS A -- YOU KNOW, MAYBE 
NOT SCIENCE, BUT THERE'S REASONING AND LOGIC THAT SEEMS TO 
BE LEFT BEHIND.
>>BOB STETLER:  RIGHT.
>>MARK SHARPE:  SO IF -- BUT THE CHALLENGE, THOUGH, IS I 
WISH THERE WAS A WAY THAT WE COULD GET TO THIS POINT, AND 
I'M GOING TO SUPPORT A RESTRICTIVE ENFORCEMENT.
I'M GOING TO -- YOU KNOW, I LEAN HEAVILY TOWARDS THE 
ESTUARY'S RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT MY CONCERN, THOUGH, IS THAT 
WE FIND A WAY OF DOING THIS WITH OUR PRIVATE BUSINESS 
PARTNERS AND -- THROUGH AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT WHERE WE 
REALLY ARE TALKING TO PEOPLE YEAR-ROUND ABOUT THE BEST WAY 
TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR YARDS.
THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT AS WE'VE GROWN AS A 
POPULATION IN FLORIDA AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE COME IN HERE AND 
MORE PEOPLE HAVE YARDS, WE'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM, 
NO QUESTION.
SO FOR ME IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW WE DO IT WHILE AT THE 
SAME TIME NOT -- YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO INJURE YARDS, 
BUT I DO AGREE AS OTHERS HAVE SAID, IF IT'S A MATTER OF 
YARDS OR WILDLIFE, FISH, WE OUGHT TO FAVOR ON THE SIDE OF 
THE WATER, THE WILDLIFE, AND THE FISH, SO -- LET'S SEE 
HERE.
CAN WE -- CAN WE -- JUST ON THE QUESTION OF A -- IS THERE -
- IS THERE ANY PRACTICAL -- IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE CAN 
BE A MARKET-BASED SOLUTION WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A REPLACEMENT 
TO A NITROGEN-BASED FERTILIZER IN THE SUMMER?
I MEAN, IS THAT REASONABLE TO EXPECT?
I SEE A HAND POP UP.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN GO TO THE CITIZENS.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>RICK GARRITY:  THERE IS A PRODUCT THAT HOLLY ACTUALLY -- 
HOLLY GREENING BROUGHT A BAG OF THIS PRODUCT TO THE LAST 
ESTUARY PROGRAM MEETING PUT OUT BY SUNNILAND, AND IT'S 
CALLED A SUMMER-SAFE FERTILIZER.
>>MARK SHARPE:  SUMMER-SAFE FERTILIZER?
>>RICK GARRITY:  YES.
THAT'S ONE PRODUCT.
>>MARK SHARPE:  LET ME JUST TALK TO THE BUSINESS BRIEFLY, 
TWO SECONDS.
MY SENSE IS THAT THE BUSINESS INDUSTRY THAT IS CONCERNED 
ABOUT THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO OVER TIME BENEFIT AS WE 
TALK ABOUT MORE EDUCATION -- WHO AM I GOING TO GO TO TO 
HELP ME LEARN MORE ABOUT MY YARD, YOU, THE GOVERNMENT?
UH-UH.
I'M GOING TO GO TO THE LAWN CARE GUYS, THE GREEN CHEM GUYS, 
AND ASK THEM WHAT DO I DO, AND IF SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT 
THERE'S SOMETHING I CAN BUY DURING THE SUMMER -- BECAUSE I 
KNOW WHAT MY BUYING HABITS ARE.
I BUY ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR MAYBE ANYWAY.
WHEN DO I BUY IT?
AND IF I COULD -- BUT I'LL TELL YOU I WILL BUY -- IF 
SOMEONE TELLS ME NOW THERE'S A SUMMER PRODUCT OUT THAT I'VE 
GOT TO GET, I'LL RUN OUT AND BUY IT PROBABLY OR TWO BAGS OF 
IT AND IT WILL SIT IN MY GARAGE FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT I WILL 
GO OUT AND BUY THAT SUMMER PRODUCT.
I MEAN, I MIGHT ACTUALLY START BUYING MORE.
I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO HURT THE INDUSTRY, AND I'M VERY 
CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, BUT -- YOU KNOW, LET'S START SELLING 
THAT SUMMERTIME STUFF.
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  COMMISSIONER WHITE.
>>KEVIN WHITE:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS I GUESS TO -- TO STAFF.
IF -- IF WE GO WITH THE ESTUARY PROGRAM OR ANY OTHER TYPE 
OF BAN PROGRAM FOR THE SUMMER FERTILIZING, THAT WILL BE FOR 
THE HOMEOWNERS, BUT IS THAT ALSO FOR THE FERTILIZER 
INDUSTRY, THE PROFESSIONALS AND/OR THE OTHER QUESTION WAS 
IS THERE ANOTHER ACTIVE PRODUCT THAT'S ON THE MARKET NOW 
THAT THE INDUSTRY COULD USE DURING THAT BAN TIME TO 
SUBSTITUTE?
THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
>>RICK GARRITY:  THE ESTUARY PROGRAM ORDINANCE AS IT IS 
WRITTEN WOULD APPLY TO THE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATORS AS WELL 
AS TO THE HOMEOWNERS, AND OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE 
IS AT LEAST ONE PRODUCT IN SARASOTA THAT IS AVAILABLE ON 
THE SHELVES AND ALSO THIS OTHER PRODUCT THAT I JUST 
MENTIONED PUT OUT BY SUNNILAND CORPORATION OUT OF SANFORD, 
SO --
>>KEVIN WHITE:  AND IT IS WORKING?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THERE'S NO PROOF [INAUDIBLE]
>>RICK GARRITY:  YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ANSWER THAT 
BECAUSE I'M AN AGRICULTURAL EXPERT.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>KEVIN WHITE:  OKAY.
ANYWAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO ME 
WHEN STAFF MADE THEIR PRESENTATION TO ME WAS THE -- THE 84 
TONS OF NITROGEN THAT WE'RE RELEASING OUT INTO THE BAY AND 
OUR WATERWAYS THAT ARE OCCURRING EACH AND EVERY DAY, AND AS 
A INDEPENDENT HOMEOWNER, I KNOW WHEN I FERTILIZE MY YARDS -
- WHEN I GO TO HOME DEPOT, I JUST TELL THE ATTENDANT WHAT 
TYPE OF GRASS I HAVE, WHETHER IT'S BAHIA, WHETHER IT'S ST. 
AUGUSTINE, WHICH TYPE OF FERTILIZER IS BEST FOR THAT.
THEY SELL YOU THAT, AND THE YOUNG LADY THAT WAS HERE TALKED 
ABOUT THE LAWN SPREADER, I JUST HAVE TO FEEL THAT PROBABLY 
80% OF AMERICANS ARE KIND OF LIKE I AM.
IF HALF A BAG IS GOOD, THE WHOLE BAG IS BETTER.
[LAUGHTER]
AND -- BECAUSE AFTER YOU OPEN IT, YOU DON'T WANT TO STORE 
IT.
YOU JUST GO BACK AND AFTER YOU MAKE THE WHOLE ROUND, IF 
YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT LEFT, YOU JUST MAKE THE ROUND AGAIN 
UNTIL IT'S ALL GONE, AND YOU DON'T KNOW THE IMPLICATIONS OR 
THE RAMIFICATIONS THAT YOU'RE DOING TO THE ENVIRONMENT OR 
ANYTHING ELSE.
ALL WE WANT IS HEALTHY, GREEN LAWNS, AND THAT'S -- WE WANT 
THE PICTURE ON THE BAG, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO 
EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO GET THAT.
ENFORCEMENT IS A BIG ISSUE FOR THIS -- FOR ME, BUT THE 
OVERWEIGHING ODD OVER THE ENFORCEMENT ISSUE OF IT IS THE 
PROTECTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT MAKES FLORIDA, 
ESPECIALLY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES, 
ESPECIALLY PINELLAS WITH OUR BEACHES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, A 
THRIVING COMMUNITY FOR OUR TOURISTS, OUR ECOTOURISTS, AND 
AS WELL AS THOSE OF US WHO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY HERE.
WITHOUT WATER AND OUR WATER QUALITY WE DON'T SUSTAIN -- WE 
DON'T HAVE SUSTAINABILITY ANYMORE.
WATER'S OUR LIFE BLOOD OF OUR SYSTEM, AND I TOO -- I THINK 
WE ALL NEED A LITTLE MORE EDUCATION.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE INDUSTRY.
THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF THE -- THE SUNNILAND 
PRODUCT OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING OUT 
THERE THAT THE INDUSTRY CAN WORK WITH DURING THE SUMMER BAN 
MONTHS, I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL DO SO, AND I'M ALSO SURE IF 
THERE'S NOT, I'M SURE THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE WILL COME UP 
WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN USE DURING THE -- DURING THE 
SUMMER MONTHS, BUT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON 
FOR FAR TOO LONG, AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US AS WELL AS 
THE COUNTY TO -- TO STEP UP AND MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS, 
AND WITH THAT, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE MOVE THE TAMPA 
BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM THAT IS --
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  WE'RE JUST HAVING DISCUSSION TODAY.
>>KEVIN WHITE:  OH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY MOTION -- 
WE'RE TAKING ANY ACTION ON IT?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  NO.
>>KEVIN WHITE:  OKAY.
WELL, THAT'S FINE.
I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT SO WILL MAKE A MOTION LATER 
WHENEVER IT'S APPROPRIATE, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF THAT WITH 
EVERYBODY THAT HAS DURING THESE THREE-HOUR DISCUSSIONS -- 
THAT GIVES THE INDUSTRY NOTICE THAT THEY CAN COME BACK AND 
SPEAK WITH US AND SPEAK WITH DR. GARRITY AND HIS STAFF AND 
WITH THEIR INTENSIONS AND CARES AND CONCERNS AND WE CAN -- 
WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND HOPEFULLY DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN 
FOR OUR COUNTY AND OUR ESTUARY.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  GOOD.
COMMISSIONER FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
AGAIN, TO THE AUDIENCE, THANK YOU FOR TAKING SO MUCH TIME 
AND SPENDING IT WITH US TODAY TO GIVE US DIFFERENT 
ATTITUDES AND YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT THIS.
BEFORE I LOOK AT THE ACTUAL OPTIONS AND STUFF AND WEIGH IN 
ON IT -- I DON'T KNOW WHY -- AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE KIND 
OF TONGUE IN CHEEK.
SOMETIMES I FEEL THAT PEOPLE FEEL THERE'S A LINE OF 
DEMARCATION RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE HERE AND YOU EITHER HAVE TO 
BE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE OR YOU HAVE TO BE SOMEBODY 
THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THE -- WITH THE BUSINESS INDUSTRY OF 
THAT PARTICULAR PRODUCT, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
I THINK WE CAN ABSOLUTELY BE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE 
FOR US AND FOR THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOW US AND AT THE 
SAME TIME MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T KILL ANY INDUSTRY.
WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THAT, AND THERE'S NO REASON 
TO DO THAT.
I THINK SOME OF THE COMMENTS OF OUR -- MY COLLEAGUES ARE -- 
ARE ON POINT IN TERMS OF WE ARE USED TO DOING THINGS 
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
WELL, UNTIL WE'RE FORCED TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT'S 
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO, WE CONTINUE 
IN THAT ROUTE AND WE DO WHATEVER WE THINK.
SOME OF IT'S RIGHT, SOME OF IT'S CONSERVATIVE, SOME OF IT'S 
NOT, SOME IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE DO 
WHATEVER WE THINK WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO DOING, SO WHEN WE 
LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT -- THAT FACE US NOW 
BECAUSE OF -- BECAUSE OF THE TIME AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND 
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO DO, 
WE JUST HAVE TO DO SOME CONDITIONING.
WE HAVE TO DO -- I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT I'VE HEARD 
TODAY -- AND I LISTENED TO BOTH SIDES AND I APPRECIATE THE 
INPUT OF EVERYONE -- IS EDUCATION.
IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO IMPROVE WHERE WE 
WANT TO BE IN TERMS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO TO BE A 
WORKED PARTNER WITH THE INDUSTRY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET 
THERE.
WE'VE NOT TALKED BEFORE ABOUT SLOW RELEASE NITROGEN 
FERTILIZER, AND I'M NOT MAKING A COMPARISON, BUT WE ALL 
REFER BACK TO WHAT WE KNOW.
AS A PHARMACIST, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY -- MANY 
MEDICATIONS -- EXCUSE ME -- THAT ARE REGULAR MEDICATIONS.
SOME OF THEM ARE TAKEN THREE TO FOUR TIMES A DAY, SOME OF 
THEM ARE SLOW RELEASE OR EXTENDED RELEASE, AND CERTAINLY 
FDA COMES UP WITH BIOAVAILABILITY THAT MAKES SURE THAT BOTH 
OF THOSE PRODUCTS ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN 
TERMS OF DIABETES, IN TERMS OF CARDIAC, IN TERMS OF 
HYPERTENSION.
SO I DON'T WANT TO GET TECHNICAL, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS I 
THINK WE'RE AT A POINT IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 
TO LOOK AT SLOW RELEASE, TIME RELEASE, EXTENDED RELEASE.
THAT WILL WORK.
WE'RE JUST NOT USED TO DOING THAT.
AND BETWEEN JUNE 1 AND SEPTEMBER 30th, I THINK WE CAN 
MATURE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS THAT WILL DO EXACTLY THAT.
WE TALK ABOUT SUMMER-SAFE FERTILIZERS.
I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THAT EITHER, BUT THESE ARE THINGS 
THAT WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT OUR -- OUR POPULATION WANTS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE'RE GIVEN 
HERE, THE NUMBER ONE OPTION, THE ESTUARY PROGRAM 
RECOMMENDATION, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED TO BE 
FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
IT IS THE MOST RIGOROUS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ASSUME 
RESPONSIBILITY.
WE HAVE CREATED SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.
THEY JUST DIDN'T COME ALONG, AND WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE 
TO TURN IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT THE RARE THING IS 
THAT ALTHOUGH IT IS THE MOST RIGOROUS, IT IS THE EASIEST TO 
ENFORCE.
EPC JUST WENT THROUGH HARD TIMES JUST LIKE THE REST OF OUR 
GOVERNMENT DID, JUST LIKE COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA'S 
GOVERNMENT DID ON THE CITY SIDE CUTTING DOWN ON OUR BUDGET.
IF WE DO THINGS THAT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO ENFORCE 
IT -- LINDA, YOU AND I USED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
LET'S CONTINUE TO CREATE MORE ORDINANCES AND MORE 
ORDINANCES AND MORE ORDINANCES.
SO WHAT.
IF YOU DON'T ENFORCE IT, SO WHAT.
I THINK WHEN I WAS THERE WITH YOU THAT WE ORIGINALLY 
CREATED THE ORDINANCE THAT DID NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO BLOW 
THEIR GRASS CUTTINGS DOWN THE SEWER.
THEY DID IT ANYWAY BECAUSE -- AND THEY'RE STILL DOING IT.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON IF YOU'RE SMART AND YOU HAVE THE GUY 
THAT'S MOWING YOUR YARD DO IT ON FRIDAY INSTEAD OF THE GUY 
ON MONDAY BECAUSE THEN HE CAN BLOW IT BACK AND YOU CAN BLOW 
IT BACK.
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS FUNNY, BUT IT'S TRUE.
SO WE NEED TO PICK SOMETHING THAT'S COMMONSENSICAL, THAT 
TAKES CARE OF THE INDUSTRY, THAT TAKES CARE OF OUR 
ENVIRONMENT, THAT IS EASY TO ENFORCE, AND WHAT WE NEED TO 
DO IS, IN MY OPINION, OPTION ONE.
I THINK THAT THE -- THE TRIBUNE ON DECEMBER 8th HAD A VERY, 
VERY GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IT TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE JUST MENTIONED 
AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE REFERENCED, AND BEGINNING, 
THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT ROUGH, BUT WE WILL GET 
INTO IT, WE WILL BE EDUCATED AND ADAPT TO WHAT WE NEED TO 
BE.
AGAIN -- AND IT ALSO MAKES NO SENSE IF OUR PARTNERS -- AND 
I'M SO HAPPY THAT PINELLAS IS DOING THAT -- IF OUR PARTNERS 
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAY -- AND WE TALK ABOUT 
PARTNERSHIP AND WE TALK ABOUT REGIONAL.
WE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT'S SUPPOSED 
TO DO TO WORK TOGETHER.
IF THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE NUMBER ONE HERE -- AND I 
KNOW THAT THEY ARE -- AND WE DON'T, THAT CONTINUITY IS 
LOST, SO THIS -- THIS IS ALL FOR NAUGHT, AND ANOTHER THING 
I WANT TO MENTION TOO IS THAT -- GOSH BLESS IT, WHAT WAS I 
GOING TO -- OH, I KNOW.
ALSO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DISCUSS -- AND I 
THINK DR. GARRITY AND MR. TSCHANTZ HAD ASKED US -- WHAT'S 
OUR PREFERENCE.
THIS IS NOT THE FINAL RENDITION OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND 
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE HEARING FROM YOU.
YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE HEARING BACK FROM US IN 
TERMS OF OUR RESPONSES TO YOUR OPINION, BUT IF WE MAKE THIS 
A BOCC ORDINANCE INSTEAD OF AN EPC RULE, THEN WHAT WOULD 
HAPPEN IS TEMPLE TERRACE, PLANT CITY -- I HAVE EVERY, EVERY 
CONFIDENCE THAT COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA WHO WILL BE LEADING 
THE CHARGE AT THE CITY WOULD NOT TRY TO DO SOMETHING 
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT IF WE LEAVE IT A BOCC 
ORDINANCE, IT IS SUBJECT TO THAT, SO IN TERMS OF MY 
OPINION, MR. TSCHANTZ, DR. GARRITY, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK 
AT IT IN TERMS OF AN EPC RULE.
I THINK I'VE WEIGHED IN ON EVERYTHING I NEED TO, AND AGAIN, 
WE NEED TO DO THIS GRADUALLY SO IT WORKS, NO KNEE-JERK 
REACTION, BUT WE HAVE TO FACE WHAT WE NEED TO RESOLVE, AND 
I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT REASONABLE GRACE PERIODS, YOU 
HAVE TO LOOK AT THE EDUCATION PROCESS AND HOW MUCH THAT CAN 
HELP, AND THEN AGAIN WHAT OUR REGULATIONS WILL BE IN TERMS 
OF ENFORCEMENT.
AND I -- I WOULD EXPECT THAT YOU WON'T HAVE THIS FINALIZED 
IN JANUARY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE WHATEVER PRODUCT 
YOU'RE GOING TO FORMULATE BASED ON OUR INPUT AND THEN TAKE 
IT AND MARKET IT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET THEIR -- THEIR 
OPINIONS AGAIN.
SO MY QUESTION IS IF WE GIVE YOU THAT DIRECTION -- AND 
OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGES IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE 
AND PARTICULARS.
GIVE ME A TIMELINE SO THAT I HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHEN 
WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS.
I WANT IT TO BE THOUGHTFUL, I WANT -- I DON'T WANT IT TO BE 
KNEE-JERK, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 
JUNE, SO GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE, AND I THANK YOU 
FOR ALL THE HELP YOU-ALL HAVE GIVEN US.
>>RICK GARRITY:  COMMISSIONER, I THINK IF THE BOARD GIVES 
THE EPC THE DIRECTION TO GO FORWARD WITH A RULE, HAVING ALL 
OF THE GROUNDWORK AND FOUNDATION THAT'S BEEN BUILT OVER THE 
PAST YEAR AND HAVING THE ESTUARY PROGRAM ORDINANCE OUT 
THERE AND THE PINELLAS ORDINANCE, WE CAN -- WE WOULD NEED 
TO HAVE WORKSHOPS TO GET INPUT FROM EVERYBODY, BUT EVEN 
DOING THAT, WE COULD PROBABLY BRING SOMETHING BACK IN THE 
FEBRUARY OR MARCH TIME RANGE.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  SO YOU'RE GOOD ON TIME?
>>ROSE FERLITA:  YEAH.
I JUST DON'T WANT -- I THINK -- I WANT YOU TO HAVE ENOUGH 
TIME -- EPC TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING 
THAT'S GOOD.
>>RICK GARRITY:  YES.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO LINGER TOO LONG.
>>RICK GARRITY:  YES.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SO I THINK THAT THAT TIME FRAME PROBABLY 
WORKS.
AND JUST ONE LAST COMMENT.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY ON BOTH SIDES, AND YOU HELP 
US MAKE OUR FINAL DECISIONS BY CONTINUING TO GIVE US YOUR 
INPUT, SO THIS IS NOT OVER IN TERMS OF OUR -- OUR DIALOGUE.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE TO GIVE US YOUR INPUT.
AS WE GO ALONG AND PEOPLE DO MORE RESEARCH, SOMEBODY MIGHT 
HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT TODAY.
LIKE I SAID, THE SUMMER-SAFE FERTILIZER, I WASN'T FAMILIAR 
WITH THAT, IN TERMS OF THE SLOW RELEASE PROCESS.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU GUYS FIND -- AND A LOT OF YOU ARE 
MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN I AM, FOR SURE -- PLEASE MAKE 
US THE BENEFICIARY OF THAT AND CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE WITH 
OUR OFFICES, AND I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR INPUT.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER BECKNER'S NEXT, AND I THINK 
YOU HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, AND I'LL HAVE SOME IN 
CONCLUSION.
I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS AND THINGS THAT HAVE ARISEN THAT 
ARE A CONCERN TO ME, ONE IN PARTICULAR A GREAT CONCERN, SO 
THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER BECKNER.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE 
THAT CAME OUT HERE TODAY.
I THINK THIS IS -- WE'VE REACHED PART OF OUR GOAL TO HAVE 
HEALTHY DIALOGUE AND CONVERSATION BUSINESS THIS IMPORTANT 
ISSUE ON BOTH SIDES, DEPENDING -- NO MATTER WHAT YOU 
SUPPORT, AND I DID HAVE A QUESTION FIRST FOR DR. GARRITY OR 
ONE OF THE STAFF BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS CLEAR BUT I WANT 
TO MAKE SURE I CLARIFY THIS.
WITH THE ESTUARY PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, WOULD THAT -- IF THAT 
WERE IMPLEMENTED HERE, WOULD THAT APPLY TO THE AGRICULTURAL 
INDUSTRY?
>>RICK GARRITY:  NO, IT WOULD NOT.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY.
I WAS JUST -- I THOUGHT -- COMMISSIONER WHITE THERE WAS AN 
ANSWER IN THE AFFIRMATIVE TO THE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATION, 
AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY NECESSARILY THAT WOULD NOT 
APPLY TO THE AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY.
>>RICK GARRITY:  AGRICULTURE AS AN INDUSTRY WOULD BE EXEMPT 
AS ARE GOLF COURSES.
WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WOULD THE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATORS 
SPRAYING YOUR BACKYARD OR MY BACKYARD.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY.
SO THE PROFESSIONALS ON THE RESIDENTIAL LAWNS?
>>RICK GARRITY:  YES.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CASE.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
THAT'S A CONCERN BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HILLSBOROUGH WE'RE A 
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE AGRICULTURAL 
COMMUNITY AND WOULD NOT WANT TO ENACT ANYTHING THAT WOULD 
BE A DETRIMENT TO THEM.
I THINK THAT THERE'S REALLY ON BOTH SIDES FROM WHAT I'VE 
HEARD TODAY -- I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT ALL OF US ARE 
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR WATERWAYS AND THE QUALITY OF OUR 
WATER AND THEN ALSO THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY QUESTION, AND I ALSO -- FROM 
WHAT I'VE HEARD AND FROM WHAT I BELIEVE, THERE'S NO 
QUESTION THAT THE PRESENCE OF EXCESSIVE NITROGEN WITHINSIDE 
OUR WATERS ALSO PROVIDES A DETRIMENT TO OUR ENVIRONMENT.
IT CAUSES A GREATER ECONOMIC IMPACT WITH CLEANUP COSTS, AND 
SO WHATEVER THE CAUSE OF THAT MAY BE, SO I DON'T THINK THAT 
THOSE TWO ARE REALLY AT QUESTIONS.
WE CAN PROBABLY DEBATE BACK AND FORTH ON HOW NITROGEN GETS 
INSIDE THE WATER, IS IT COMING REALLY FROM THE LAWNS, IS IT 
COMING FROM OTHER THINGS?
THAT CAN BE DEBATED.
I ALSO DEEPLY RESPECT SCIENCE.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY RESPECT THE CONCLUSIONS THAT THEY COME 
TO AND THE SCIENTISTS THAT WORK ON THIS, AND I THINK, 
THOUGH, SCIENCE ALSO CAN CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME.
I'M MAKING AN ANALOGY OF SMOKING, YOU KNOW.
WE SMOKED FOR MANY YEARS, AND SCIENTISTS STARTED TO STUDY 
ABOUT THE DETRIMENTS OF SMOKING TO OUR HEALTH, AND THAT HAS 
CHANGED AND FLUCTUATED, BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT STILL 
REMAINS CLEAR THAT -- IF SOMEBODY SMOKES THAT THAT HAS A 
GREATER CAUSE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM OR HER TO DEVELOP 
CANCER.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IF YOU ARE A SMOKER THAT YOU 
DEFINITELY WILL GET CANCER OR IF YOU DON'T SMOKE THEN YOU 
WON'T GET CANCER, BUT JUST THAT ELEMENT THAT IS THERE 
CAUSES YOUR PROBABILITY TO GET CANCER TO INCREASE.
I LOOK AT THE SAME AS NITROGEN IN THE WATER.
IF WE CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE -- AND DO BUSINESS AS USUAL AND 
ALLOW THE APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER AS WE HAVE BEEN, THAT 
EXTRA PRESENCE OF NITROGEN INCREASES THE PROBABILITY THAT 
WE WILL CONTINUE TO POLLUTE OUR WATERWAYS WITH EXCESS 
NITROGEN, SO I THINK, IN MY MIND, IT REALLY JUST MAKES 
SENSE THAT IF WE WANT TO REDUCE THAT PROBABILITY THAT WE 
ACTUALLY REMOVE THAT ELEMENT OF HAVING THAT EXCESS NITROGEN 
THERE, AND I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO WORK WITH THE 
INDUSTRIES.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM WHAT STAFF HAS -- HAS PRESENTED 
IS THAT THIS -- THIS BLACKOUT PERIOD WOULD NOT NECESSARILY 
BAN THE APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER, IT'S JUST THE NITROGEN-
BASED FERTILIZER; IS THAT CORRECT?
>>RICK GARRITY:  THAT'S CORRECT, COMMISSIONER.
YES.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  SO THEN IT'S REALLY JUST COMING UP WITH 
AN ALTERNATIVE FERTILIZER OR A SOURCE THAT WE CAN APPLY TO 
OUR LAWNS TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM HEALTHY.
SO AGAIN, AS -- AS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED, 
IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME ADJUSTING AND GETTING USED TO, BUT 
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE INDUSTRY WILL WORK OUT.
I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT AS FAR AS BUSINESS AND PROFITS GO 
THAT WITH THIS ALTERNATIVE THAT WE'VE COME UP TO, THERE 
WILL BE MARKET EQUITIES AND THAT BUSINESS SHOULD BE LITTLE 
IMPACTED AS POSSIBLE AS FAR AS SALES GO.
REGIONALLY, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT REGIONAL THINGS WHEN WE'VE 
BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND THE IMPORTANCE TO 
LOOK AT OUR -- THE TAMPA BAY AS A REGION, AND I ALSO LOOK 
AT THAT THE SAME AS OUR WATERWAYS.
IF WE ONLY LOOK AT HILLSBOROUGH OR PINELLAS ONLY LOOKS AT 
PINELLAS AND WE DON'T LOOK AT OURSELVES AS A REGION AND 
WE'RE DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, I THINK WE'RE REALLY 
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOOK -- IF WE'RE 
ALL DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE 
APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER AND NITROGEN, I THINK EVENTUALLY, 
YOU KNOW, THOSE SAME CONTAMINANTS CONTINUE TO GET INTO THE 
WATERWAYS, SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE A UNIFIED 
POLICY WHERE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
I THINK THAT ALSO MAKES IT -- MAKES IT EQUITABLE FOR 
BUSINESSES AS WELL BECAUSE IF PINELLAS IS BANNING 
FERTILIZER AND WE'RE NOT BANNING FERTILIZER, I THINK THAT 
REALLY CAUSES AN INEQUITY IN BUSINESS.
PEOPLE ARE JUST GOING TO COME OVER HERE TO PURCHASE 
FERTILIZER, AND AGAIN WE'VE REALLY ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING AS 
FAR AS PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT.
SO WITH THAT, EDUCATION ALSO IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON HOW WE APPLY 
FERTILIZER, SO ALL THOSE COMPONENTS I THINK WORK WELL 
TOGETHER.
I AM LEANING TOWARDS THE -- A MORE UNIFIED POLICY THAT THE 
ESTUARY PROGRAM HAS IN PLACE, AND I THINK THAT MAKES -- AT 
THIS TIME MAKES THE BEST SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND 
CERTAINLY AS SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY 
MENTIONED, I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE THAT AS A 
RULE AND NOT AS A HILLSBOROUGH ORDINANCE.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  COMMISSIONER SHARPE AND COMMISSIONER 
FERLITA.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I AGREE WITH YOUR LAST SEVERAL STATEMENTS 
AND WANT TO ELABORATE, BUT I THINK THAT YOU POINT YOU MADE 
IN PARTICULAR TO REDUCING THE PROBABILITY, REMOVING THE 
ELEMENT, AND LEANING MORE TOWARDS THE ESTUARY -- THE LAST 
SPEAKER THAT SPOKE, I THINK SHE'S STILL HERE.
I WANTED TO ASK -- SHE REPRESENTED THE -- IS IT JANET?
IS SHE HERE?
JANET, IF YOU COULD JUST --
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  JANET, SHE JUST LEFT.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I THINK I SEE HER STILL SITTING BACK THERE.
YES.
NO, NO, NO, THE LAST OF THE FOUR WHO REPRESENTS THE LAWN 
CARE INDUSTRY.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  THAT'S HER.
>>MARK SHARPE:  YES.
IF SHE COULD COME FORWARD.
JUST BRIEFLY -- AND I PROBABLY WILL BE ASKING YOU 
QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, WELL AFTER THIS MEETING, BUT THE -- IF 
I WERE TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE -- THE BAN'S 
IN PLACE AND NOW I NEED HELP BECAUSE I WANT MY YARD TO LOOK 
GOOD -- AND ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE FOUND IS THE BUYING 
HABITS OF LIKE MY NEIGHBORS HAS CHANGED.
WE WERE ALL ST. AUGUSTINE USERS.
NOW I WOULD SAY WE'RE 50/50 WITH ZOYSIA.
I MEAN, OTHER NEIGHBORS WENT TO ZOYSIA, I WENT TO ZOYSIA, 
AND SUDDENLY EVERYONE'S BUYING ZOYSIA.
USES LESS WATER.
I DON'T KNOW THE GRASS INDUSTRY WHAT THEY THINK, BUT IT'S 
AMAZING TO WATCH PEOPLE SHIFT.
IF I WAS TO SAY TO YOU, THOUGH, OKAY, WHAT DO I DO, CAN I -
- HOW DO I KEEP MY -- MY LAWN GREEN AND HEALTHY DURING THE 
SUMMER MONTHS, WE'VE GOT THE BAN?
>> WELL, WE'RE LIVING THAT IN SARASOTA AND LEE COUNTY FOR 
THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND WHAT I'VE DONE AS AN 
AGRONOMIST -- I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN AGRONOMY.
I'M A CERTIFIED OPERATOR AND ALL THOSE GOOD DETAILS.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT IS 
AGRONOMICALLY INFERIOR, AND PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT 
SOMETHING TO REPLACE NITROGEN, SUMMER-SAFE FERTILIZER, 
SOMETHING TO USE INSTEAD OF THE IRON, THE MANGANESE, 
MAGNESIUM.
NOTHING REPLACES AN ELEMENT.
IF A PLANT NEEDS NITROGEN, IT NEEDS NITROGEN, SO WHAT WE 
HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN AGRONOMICALLY INFERIOR 
PROGRAM.
WE HAVE LET OUR CUSTOMERS KNOW THAT.
SOME OF THEM DON'T APPRECIATE IT AND THEY WILL EITHER HIRE 
A COMPANY THAT WILL DO WHAT THEY WANT -- AND I WILL TELL 
YOU THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM HERE TODAY, IF 
YOU TELL US TO WALK BACKWARDS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO 
DO, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SAY THAT THE SCIENCE DOES NOT 
SUPPORT THE BLACKOUT, THE SCIENCE DOES NOT SUPPORT THE SLOW 
RELEASE, AND THERE ARE NOT PRODUCTS THAT CAN EITHER BE 
USED -- SOME OF THESE SLOW RELEASE -- IF THOSE PRODUCTS 
EXISTED, WE WOULD BE USING THEM IN SARASOTA COUNTY, WE'D BE 
USING THEM IN SANIBEL, WE'D BE USING THEM IN LEE COUNTY AND 
THE 20-SOME OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE THESE ORDINANCES ON THE 
BOOK.
WE WOULD NOT BE HERE.
THOSE PRODUCTS DO NOT EXIST.
>>MARK SHARPE:  LET ME ASK YOU -- WELL, AND SOME OF THOSE 
PRODUCTS MIGHT NOT EXIST NOW BECAUSE THERE'S NOT BEEN THE 
DEMAND FOR THEM.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS -- AND YOU'RE A SCIENTIST AND I'M 
NOT, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT.
IS IT NOT POSSIBLE AS WE PROGRESS AND PEOPLE BEGIN TO LOOK 
AT THIS AND RECOGNIZE THAT MAYBE FLORIDA'S NOW TAKING A NEW 
POSITION -- THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT IF YOU DUMP 
A TON OF NITROGEN ON YOUR YARD, IT PROBABLY WILL DO VERY 
WELL.
NOW I HAVE TO -- NOW IT'S -- NOW I'M TRYING TO WEIGH THE 
COST TO -- OF HAVING JUST A FREE USE AT ANY TIME AND WHEN 
IT RAINS AND POURS AND I'VE GOT A SENSE THAT IT'S BEEN 
WASHED OFF, I'LL JUST APPLY AGAIN AND APPLY AGAIN.
I MEAN, I'M WARNED ON THE BAG DON'T OVERAPPLY, THE 
OVERAPPLICATION, BUT, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT WE'VE GOT TO DO 
SOMETHING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
>> AND I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE THE CITY OF 
JACKSONVILLE, DUVAL COUNTY, HAS PASSED ESSENTIALLY THE 
MODEL ORDINANCE, AND IT HAS A RESTRICTIVE PERIOD, IT HAS A 
PROHIBITION PERIOD IN THERE WHERE IF THERE IS A FLOOD 
WARNING, IF THERE IS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THAT 
SAY YOU CANNOT FERTILIZE, YOU CAN'T APPLY NITROGEN.
THIS PAST -- I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHEN THE STORM WAS 
BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE A NAME, IT WAS PRIOR TO THE 
HURRICANE SEASON, BUT WHEN THAT STORM CAME, WE PARKED OUR 
TRUCKS FOR THREE DAYS TO THE TUNE OF $100,000 WORTH OF 
REVENUE, SO THESE ORDINANCES ARE NOT WITHOUT PAIN.
AND WE'RE A ROUTE-BASED BUSINESS.
WE CAN CATCH THAT REVENUE BACK UP THROUGH -- THROUGH TIME, 
BUT THE POINT IS IS THAT THE -- THE STATE MODEL ORDINANCE 
IS THE LAW, AND I -- I REALLY THINK YOU FOLKS NEED TO 
CONSIDER THE VOLUME OF DATA FROM THE STATE AGENCIES, AND, 
YOU KNOW, THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM STAKEHOLDER GROUPS 
ARE KIND OF HELD IN THE SAME TIME FRAME AS THE STATE MODEL 
ORDINANCES BEING DEVELOPED, SO THEY'RE SORT OF ON A 
DIFFERENT PLANE, AND I GUESS YOU PROBABLY WANT ME TO SIT 
DOWN.
>>MARK SHARPE:  NO, THAT WAS FANTASTIC.
I'LL PROBABLY BE ASKING YOU MORE QUESTIONS.
I'LL GET YOUR INFORMATION AND CONTACT YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  COMMISSIONER FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK I'VE HAD MY TIME, 
AND I APPRECIATE IT.
JUST TWO QUICK THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO ADD TO MY 
COMMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, WITH THE LADY THAT JUST CAME UP, I AGREE WITH 
YOU IN THE SENSE THAT THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A GREAT SLOW 
RELEASE PRODUCT NOW, BUT WITH DIFFERENT NEEDS COME NEW AND 
IMPROVED PRODUCTS, AND I'M VERY COMFORTABLE THAT SOMETHING 
WILL COME UP THAT WILL BE VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE.
DR. GARRITY, IN TERMS OF DIRECTION FOR US, I MEAN, I DON'T 
EXPECT YOU TO COME UP WITH A MIRACLE OR YOUR STAFF COME UP 
WITH MIRACLES, BUT ABSENT USE OF THE REGULAR NITROGEN 
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS IN TERMS OF FERTILIZER -- KEEP 
THIS KIND OF IN YOUR RADAR IN TERMS OF RESEARCH.
I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AND I 
THINK THE POROSITY ISSUE IS IMPORTANT, BUT PERHAPS THERE'S 
SOME WAY TO AFFECT THAT POROSITY IF, IN FACT, WE GO TO THIS 
BANNING FOR THOSE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT'S 
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT TALK ABOUT AND IF 
THAT'S GOING TO ENCOURAGE RUNOFF, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE A 
PROBLEM, BUT PERHAPS MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO ADDRESS THE 
POROSITY ISSUE, SO --
>>RICK GARRITY:  WE CAN --
>>ROSE FERLITA:  -- AS YOU-ALL COME BACK -- YOU'VE GOT VERY 
CAPABLE SCIENTISTS ON YOUR STAFF, AND I'M SURE THAT PERHAPS 
MAYBE THEY CAN LOOK AT THAT.
>>RICK GARRITY:  WE'LL INCLUDE THAT.
IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WE WILL INCLUDE THAT SUBJECT.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  GREAT.
>>RICK GARRITY:  CERTAINLY.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  GREAT.
THANK YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  GOOD.
AND I JUST -- I'VE WAITED -- I'VE HELD TO LET THE OTHER 
COMMISSIONERS SPEAK, AND I'LL BE BRIEF, AND AGAIN I WANT TO 
COMPLIMENT THE PUBLIC AND THE PARTICIPANTS ON THE WONDERFUL 
WAY THIS MEETING HAS GONE.
IT'S BEEN SO HELPFUL.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL QUESTIONS I HAD.
AND IT RAISES MANY QUESTIONS TODAY AS WELL, ONE OF THEM 
THAT COMMISSIONER SHARPE RAISED, YOU WERE DRAWING A BEELINE 
TOWARDS THE ORANGE COUNTY ORDINANCE AND THE EDUCATION, AND 
WHATEVER STEP WE TAKE NEXT WE NEED TO STUDY THAT CLOSER AND 
MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THAT -- THE EDUCATION.
THE PUBLIC -- YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPARENCY THAT WE'VE HAD 
THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT THE EDUCATION HAS GOT TO BE AN 
INTEGRAL PART OF THE STEPS THAT WE GO TO NEXT.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ALWAYS CONCERNS ME IS, YOU KNOW, 
A PERSON WHO'S ON THE WATER, NOT AS MUCH AS I USED TO BE 
BEFORE I TOOK THIS JOB, BUT IS THE RED TIDE, AND I DON'T 
KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER IT TODAY.
IF YOU CAN, GREAT; AND IF NOT, I WANT TO COME BACK WITH AN 
ANSWER, BUT ON RED TIDE ARE THERE ANY PEER-REVIEWED 
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS TO SUPPORT OR REFUTE THE CLAIM 
THAT -- THAT THIS NITROGEN FROM THE LAWNS OR THE TURF IS 
CAUSING THIS RED TIDE OUTBREAK?
IS THERE ANY -- DR. GARRITY.
>>RICK GARRITY:  COMMISSIONER, I JUST ASKED HOLLY GREENING 
THAT QUESTION JUST BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, AND I THINK 
THE ANSWER IS THAT -- THAT NITROGEN FROM FERTILIZERS 
CERTAINLY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS AND BLOOMS 
IN TAMPA BAY.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  DO WE HAVE ANY PEER -- DO WE HAVE ANY 
PEER-REVIEWED REPORTS RIGHT NOW THAT WE CAN BRING IN THE 
NEXT -- NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS OR MONTHS?
>>RICK GARRITY:  LET US RESEARCH THAT FOR YOU.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  OKAY.
THE OTHER THING -- I KNOW IT WAS REPRESENTED IN MY BRIEFING 
YESTERDAY AND THEN I HEARD IT AGAIN TODAY THAT THE CITIES 
HAVE -- ARE ALL IN SUPPORT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEY'RE 
ONBOARD WITH US, AND IN FACT, BY CHANCE I RAN INTO THE 
MAYOR OF PLANT CITY, AND I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THAT, AND 
THEY SPECIFICALLY SAID THEY'RE NOT PUTTING THIS ON AGENDA, 
SO WE NEED TO GET -- WHEN WE'RE COMING BACK FOR BRIEFINGS 
IN THE NEXT ROUND, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT 
THOSE FACTS RIGHT, AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH OUR NEXT ROUND 
HERE THAT WE'VE -- WE'VE GOT THE -- SOME TYPE OF COMMON 
GROUND.
IT'S NOT THE SAME PEW AT THIS POINT.
AT LEAST LET'S GET EVERYBODY IN THE SAME CHURCH AS WE MOVE 
FORWARD, AND I KNOW SOMEONE MENTIONED -- A COUPLE PEOPLE I 
THINK MENTIONED TAXES.
THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY DISCUSSION THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE 
ANY RAISING OF TAXES TO COVER THIS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE IN CASE THE PUBLIC PICKED THAT UP OR 
THE MEDIA, THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT HERE.
ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, AS WE LOOK AT WHATEVER THAT STEP 
IS, WE TALK ABOUT PUNISHING THE USER, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE 
SUPPLIER?
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED, YOU KNOW, THE 
SUPPLIER SIDE.
I WANT TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND THEN LAST, IF WE GO -- AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF THE 
COMMISSIONERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND THEN I'LL -- I'LL 
CONCLUDE WITH THIS, BUT IN CHAPTER 494, PARAGRAPH 2-A, AND 
IT STARTS AT LINE 247 -- AND I'M GOING TO READ STRAIGHT 
FROM THE -- FROM THE STATE LAW.
IT SAYS, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAY ADOPT ADDITIONAL OR MORE 
STRINGENT STANDARDS THAN THE MODEL ORDINANCE IF THE 
FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE MET.
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS DEMONSTRATED AS PART OF ITS 
COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO ADDRESS NONPOINT SOURCES OF 
NUTRIENT POLLUTION WHICH IS SCIENCE BASED AND ECONOMICALLY 
AND TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE, THAT ADDITIONAL AND MORE 
STRINGENT STANDARDS OF THE MODEL ORDINANCE ARE NECESSARY IN 
ORDER TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS URBAN FERTILIZER CONTRIBUTIONS 
TO NONPOINT SOURCE NUTRIENT LOADING TO THE WATER BODY.
AND I'M JUST NOT COMING UP WITH THIS TODAY.
THIS IS -- THIS IS THE LAW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND THEN THE LAST PART, WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH, WHETHER 
IT'S "A," "B," OR "C," OR IF THERE'S A COMBINATION OF AN 
"A" AND A SUBSET "B" OR "C," BUT THE OTHER THING IS THE 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT THAT HAS CONSIDERED ALL RELEVANT 
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION, INCLUDING INPUT FROM THE 
DEPARTMENT, THE INSTITUTE, THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
CONSUMER SERVICES, THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF 
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES HAVE PROVIDED ON THE NEED 
FOR ADDITIONAL OR MORE STRINGENT PROVISIONS TO ADDRESS 
FERTILIZER USE AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO WATER QUALITY 
DEGRADATION.
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD BEFORE 
ADOPTION OF THE ADDITIONAL OR MORE STRINGENT CRITERIA.
I KNOW WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH ANYTHING -- AND WE TALKED 
ABOUT IT EARLIER, BUT AS I READ THE STATUTE 494, IT CLEARLY 
STATES THAT WE'VE GOT TO RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE TO THESE 
REGULATING AUTHORITIES BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, AND SO -- I 
DON'T -- I DON'T WANT US TO TAKE AN ACTION AND PUT 
SOMETHING IN EFFECT THAT THEN, IN FACT, IS INAPPROPRIATE, 
AND MAYBE THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO PASSED THEIR ORDINANCES HAVE 
DONE THAT.
IF THEY PASSED IT BEFORE THERE'S A DATE -- I BELIEVE IT WAS  
18 -- 12 MONTHS, 18 MONTHS AGO, BUT THESE ARE AREAS THAT WE 
NEED TO TAKE A DEEP AND HARD LOOK AT.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE GONE 15 MINUTES OVER MEETING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT AND YOUR HELP FROM THE 
PUBLIC.
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.


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