Regular City Council - July 26, 2022 at 5:30 PM

City Council 

Regular Meeting

July 26, 2022

The City of Titusville City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at Titusville City Hall, second floor, Council Chamber, 555 South Washington Avenue, Titusville, Florida 32796. Mayor Diesel called the City Council meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. 

Those present in the Council Chamber included Mayor Daniel E. Diesel, Vice-Mayor Robert L. Jordan, Jr., City Council Members Jo Lynn Nelson, Joe C. Robinson, and Dr. Sarah Stoeckel. City Manager Scott Larese, City Attorney Richard Broome, and City Clerk Wanda Wells were also present. Assistant City Clerk Jolynn Donhoff completed the minutes of the meeting. 

Mayor Diesel requested a moment of silence. He then led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. City Clerk Wanda Wells read the procedures for public comment and participation. 

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SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & PRESENTATIONS 

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Employee of the Month for June 2022 – No action was required. Building Department Director Steven Adams recognized Senior Development Specialist Patricia “Tish” Hood as the Employee of the Month for June 2022. He highlighted her nomination and presented her with a plaque and a gift.

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Construction of the Osprey Nutrient Removal Upgrade Project - No action was required. Senator Tom Wright read from a prepared statement. He gave a presentation that reviewed the purpose for a State of Florida Budget appropriation to the City of Titusville in the amount of $500,000 for the construction of the Osprey Nutrient Removal Upgrade Project. The Senator then presented a ceremonial check of $500,000 to the Mayor. 

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Per-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - No action was required. Water Resources Department Director Sean Stauffer distributed information. He gave a presentation on Per-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), per the Council’s request at the regular City Council meeting of July 12, 2022. The presentation reviewed the following information:

• PFAS were a group of man-made chemicals that included Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanoic Sulfonate (PFOS)
• Sources of Per-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)---food packaging, foods grown in contaminated soil or water, certain fabrics and clothing, non-stick cookware, paper and packaging materials, manufacturing facilities, firefighting foams, military and airport facilities, contaminated water supplies typically localized or associated with a specific facility, etc. 
• Most people had been exposed and largest source being consumer products and food
• PFAS did not break down and it accumulated in the environment and the human body
• There were thousands of PFAS chemicals
• Visualizing measurements 
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Health Advisory Level(s) or HAL were non-enforceable and non-regulatory federal standards that were subject to change

• The standards provided a margin of protection from adverse health effects from a lifetime exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water
• 2016 EPA PFOA and PFOS health advisory level standard (0.07 µg /L or 70 parts per trillion (ppt)
• June 2022 EPA PFAS interim health advisory level standard reductions by chemical (the standards/amounts were captured in the presentation). The indication was the EPA was still researching these matters
• Monitoring in Titusville and all PFAS results in 2014 – All PFAS non-detected
• Transparency through the Water Resources Consumer Confidence Report and provided on the City website, etc. 
• About analytical methods

• An outside report (for Sand Point Park) with other testing method---the L402 Test, which was not an approved EPA test method. The sample method used by individuals for the outside test was also unknown
• State PFAS Drinking Water Regulations as of March 2022 (captured in presentation)
• States with Regulations and level for notification, guidance, or maximum containment level (MCL) or treatment technique. The City’s PFAS results would be in compliance with 17 of 18 states---the 18^th state was California, which staff reviewed California’s standards against the City’s PFAS results. Florida did not have standards yet. 
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had a strategic roadmap. The agency was undergoing overall research and attempts to proactively prevent PFAS from entering the environment to offset impact to human health. The agency was also broadening and accelerating the cleanup of PFAS

1. Unregulated Containment Monitoring Program – data collection
2. Unregulated Containment Monitoring Rule (UCMR) – every 5 years, the EPA listed up to 30 unregulated contaminants to be monitored in public water systems
3. UCMR5 released December 2021---30 chemical containments to be sampled 2023 through 2025, which 29 were contaminants were PFAS substances

1. Granular activated carbon (GAC)
2. Ion exchange
3. Reverse osmosis (RO)

Council discussed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, additional testing, developing local standards, costs, etc. 

Council and staff also discussed that legislation had been introduced in the State for Florida to have these standards for Florida, the City’s sampling location was the point of entry (where water left the plant and entered the distribution system), other types of testing performed by the Water Resources Department was completed on an hourly basis, reverse osmosis systems, the source of water and its quality varied based on its source, water cleaning or treatment for safe consumption, residences with well water, consumer education, staying informed, health risks imposed by the various products that contained PFAS, tests for a small percentage of compounds like PFAS had to be tested by certified labs (the City’s current vendor for PFAS testing was located in New Smyrna Beach, FL), PFAS testing could not be completed by City staff during its hourly testing procedures, etc.

Water Resources Director Sean Stauffer advised that he would come back to a future City Council meeting with additional information, such as when new information was released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), testing costs, sampling schedule options and prices, etc. 

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Letters of Appreciation - No action was required. City Manager Larese read the employees’ names that recently received letters of appreciation, as followed:

Solid Waste Division of Public Works – Jonathan Borrero, Equipment Operator

Community Development – Tim Ford, Redevelopment Planner 

Fire and Emergency Services Department

          Jerry Ford, Battalion Chief

Joshua Farmer, Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician 

Johnathan Gore, Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician

Shawn Holbrook, Driver/Operator/Paramedic

Jeff Trafton, Firefighter/Paramedic

Police Department

          Nicolas W. Eaton, Police Officer

William T. Mick, Police Officer’

Carly A. Rosas, Police Officer

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PETITIONS AND REQUESTS FROM THE PUBLIC PRESENT

Stan Johnston, a professional engineer, advised that sanitary engineering was part of his formal education. He expressed concern on the information provided on Per-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), specifically the measurements on the parts per trillion (ppt) to those cited in a news article (The Guardian) that he read. Mr. Johnston also expressed concern on the number of water sources used for municipal drinking water and that one source alone could contaminate the municipal drinking water. He further requested the City test for PFAS as soon as possible and use the granulated activated carbon technique to remove PFAS from the water. 

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Elizabeth Baker asked Water Resources Director Stauffer if he filtered his home’s drinking water, to which he replied no---he drank it straight from the tap. 

Second, Ms. Baker was interested in where in the system the City would test for PFAS, to which Water Resources Director Stauffer advised was the point of entry (POE) or where City water left the plant and entered the distribution system. Water Resources Director Stauffer added that the City was responsible for the water leading up to the meter of a dwelling or building. The infrastructure beyond the water meter that led into a dwelling was private equipment. 

Ms. Baker concluded that the City should not wait on the EPA to test City water for PFAS.

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Nathan Slusher commended the staff presentation. He felt the City should test for PFAS now and share the results, rather than waiting on the EPA to set forth minimum standards for Florida. 

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Council discussion ensued on whether to test for PFAS now versus waiting on target measurements anticipated to be published in Fall 2022. Mayor Diesel believed no one would want to wait every five years to perform PFAS testing. 

Member Nelson supported testing for PFAS now and having this data available. She and staff discussed the City would use the best quality testing available. 

Member Robinson supported the City conducting tests for PFAS as soon as possible; however, he also desired taking time to evaluate these matters comprehensively and to avoid causing any unintended consequences (doing more harm than good). He gave the example that if the City took immediate action to eradicate Per-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from water. Doing so could unintentionally remove other compounds or minerals in water that were important for human health. To this, he felt it was important to not get ahead of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) current research on Per-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). 

Vice-Mayor Jordan wanted to do things right and not rush into plans that did not ultimately benefit the community. He also supported waiting for more info on PFAS that was estimated to be published in Fall of 2022. Vice-Mayor Jordan advised that more knowledge was needed on these matters. Additionally, he cited from staff’s presentation that noted that the City’s last PFAS measurement(s) were in compliance with 17 of 18 states in the United States. 

Member Nelson commented on providing citizens carbon filters for their drinking water and whether it would be appropriate. 

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Stel Bailey cited information from a news article (The Guardian) on PFAS. She advised that her organization (Fight for Zero) intended to collect data on Titusville water (residents) using the EPA 537 Test. Ms. Bailey advised that her organization had received funding to complete these objectives, too. Her organization would also use Pace Laboratories (New Smyrna Beach, FL). 

Next, Ms. Bailey advised that her organization was the entity referenced in staff’s presentation for providing an outside report on PFAS and the water tested in the report came from a drinking water fountain that was next to a recreational splash pad at Sand Point Park. 

In addition, Ms. Bailey encouraged the City to repeat the same test at Sand Point Park that was completed by her organization. She also advised that her organization desired working with the City on these matters.  

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Kate Perez expressed concern for cancer clusters in other geographical areas and that were published in Fight for Zero literature. She requested the City to pay the costs to test for PFAS now and share the results with the public. 

Mayor Diesel advocated and supported working with the community on these matters and testing for PFAS more often than every five years.

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Bill Klein read from a prepared statement. He requested building a gateway entrance on north U.S. Highway 1, in the west area of Sand Point Park, for the purpose of welcoming travelers and making the ponds at Sand Point Park area more attractive. This included removing certain invasive tree species, installing native shade trees and flowering plants, etc. Mr. Klein also requested discontinuing the use of herbicides, installing educational signs, building shade structures, etc. 

Mayor Diesel commented on working together. He and City Manager Larese briefly discussed gateway signage that was already planned.   Mayor Diesel encouraged Mr. Klein to email the Public Works Director on these matters or with his requests.  

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Kay St. Onge read from a prepared statement that reviewed her desires for the City’s Gateway enhancement plans and the plans for the north gateway entrance. She echoed Mr. Klein’s concerns and requested cleaning-up the appearance of the ponds by U.S Highway 1 at Sand Point Park. Ms. Onge made further suggestions on plants and materials at this location. 

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With no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m.