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 January 2024
Welcome to the city of Clearwater’s sustainability and resiliency newsletter!
This quarterly newsletter aims to serve as a communication tool for progress made on Greenprint 2.0, the city’s Sustainability Action Plan and sustainability-related events, programs, volunteer opportunities and tips.
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 Big Cleanup Clearwater
 Thank you all for your support in making the 2023 Big Cleanup Clearwater a success! During Oct. 9–14, we had a total of 27 sites and 880 volunteers, who collected more than 6,492 pounds of trash.
This year, we recognized volunteers with three awards: the Bambino, the Golden Guardian and the Power Picker. The sustainably-made medals (thank you, library staff!) will be presented at the City Council meeting on Thursday, Jan.18, at 6 p.m., at the Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave.
A special thank you goes to our partner, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and other collaborators, including Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, Ocean Allies and Amplify Clearwater.
In 2024, we will continue to host the monthly series on the second Friday of the month (sign up here), and the week-long cleanup will be Nov. 8-16.
Clearwater Creates Compost
Bin Giveaway
The city of Clearwater gave out more than 100 compost bins as part of the Clearwater Creates Compost bin giveaway Nov. 18. Bins were given to residents who completed the online Clearwater Creates Compost course.
If you missed this opportunity, there are a limited number of bins remaining to those who complete the course and follow the instructions at the end.
Shoutout to our Solid Waste & Recycling Department for championing this program.
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Driving on Sunshine
The city of Clearwater held its Driving on Sunshine event on Dec. 1, unveiling six new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Coachman Park. Blink, the company that operates the chargers, demonstrated how to use them.
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy provided an opportunity for residents to test drive an EV. Thank you to Councilmember Beckman for her speech championing these chargers as part of the city’s sustainable action plan, as well as Vice Mayor Bunker, Councilmember Teixeira, City Manager Poirrier and Assistant City Manager Slaughter for their attendance and support.
We are grateful to the Parking Division for taking the lead on this project.
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Clearwater Junior Park Ranger
Parks & Recreation launched the Clearwater Junior Park Ranger program, which includes a wonderful activity book and journal to use while exploring the city’s parks.
The booklet highlights many sustainability topics, such as the importance of protecting wetlands and pollinators, promoting the principal of "leave no trace behind," recognizing litter, recycling properly, removing invasive species and more.
Children can pick up their booklet from Moccasin Lake Nature Park or print one at home. After visiting six parks and completing the designated number of activities for their age group, Junior park rangers can earn their official certificate and pin.
We love to see other departments lead programs with sustainability in mind!
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 Environmental Advisory Board
The city of Clearwater has an Environmental Advisory Board (EAB), with members appointed by the City Council.
The board’s objective is to provide citizen insight to the City Council and staff on environmental activities within and affecting Clearwater.
The board meets from 4-6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every other month, with this year’s meetings on Jan. 17, Mar. 20, May 15, July 17, Sept. 18 and Nov. 20, 2024. Meetings take place at the Main Library in City Council Chambers and are open to the public.
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Clear Air Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council is taking the lead in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater area to create the first regional climate action plan, called “Clean Air Tampa Bay.”
This plan will produce a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, GHG emissions projections, GHG reduction targets and an analysis of benefits for low-income and disadvantaged communities. This initiative will prioritize emission-reduction projects throughout the region, multi-jurisdictional collaborations and community engagement through public meetings.
City of Clearwater staff are proudly contributing to the development of this climate action plan, which will better equip the region to make informed decisions and progress toward a cleaner, more resilient future.
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Florida Arbor Day
While national Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday in April, many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year, based on best tree planting times in their area.
Florida’s Arbor Day is in January because many trees are dormant (not actively growing) and lose less water through transpiration (evaporation of water from leaves) this time of year, making them easier to transplant without too much stress.
Mayor Aungst will present the Florida Arbor Day Proclamation at the Clearwater Garden Club Arbor Day celebration on Jan. 19, at 11 a.m. at 405 Seminole St. The sustainability team will be there with a table, literature and giveaways. All are welcome to join as the club plants a magnolia tree.
Save the Date: Clearwater Tree Giveaway is Saturday, April 27, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Public Works Complex, 1650 N. Arcturas Ave.
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Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot Festival
 Did you know that Clearwater’s coastline is part of the Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot? Hope Spots are special places that are scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean, by the Mission Blue Alliance, founded by Dr. Sylvia Earle. Earle is an American marine biologist, oceanographer and a National Geographic Explorer at Large. She was the first female chief scientist of NOAA and was named the first Hero for the Planet by Time Magazine in 1998.
Out of the 157 global Hope Spots, our Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot is special, as its home city, Dunedin, is the town where Earle grew up and first fell in love with the ocean.
The annual Hope Spot Festival is on Sunday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Edgewater Park in Dunedin. This free event is ocean-friendly, with extra care being taken to make it zero waste.
We are happy to announce that Clearwater is hosting a satellite event at Coachman Park the same day. The Sustainability Division will have a tent at the free Clearwater Craft Festival Feb. 17 and will conduct sustainability tours of the park at noon and 3 p.m. We hope to see you there!
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Wag Into Spring
With the great success of our Wag into Fall event last September, we are planning a Wag into Spring on Thursday, March 14 from 2-6 p.m. at Enterprise Dog Park.
We invite you to bring your pups to meet city staff, learn ways to reduce stormwater pollution, and grab free sustainable and dog-themed giveaways.
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2024 Pinellas Solar Co-op
We are happy to announce the 2024 Pinellas Solar Co-op, organized by nonprofit Solar United Neighbors, will be launching Feb. 29.
Solar co-ops consist of homeowners, small business owners and nonprofit organizations who are bundling their buying power to secure a competitive price and high-quality offerings for solar panels for their respective properties.
Last year, 37 Clearwater residents were part of the co-op. There will be several information sessions, both in-person and online, from March to May. Click here to sign up for the waitlist. Stay tuned for more enrollment details.
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 Many people are aware of the problems plastic is causing to our oceans, wildlife and human health. Ocean-friendly events are those that abstain from using single-use plastics and instead use items that are reusable, compostable or recyclable.
 The city is actively taking steps in moving toward sustainable event planning and ensuring a healthy coastal environment in which Clearwater residents and visitors can thrive. Follow these tips to make your event more sustainable:
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Start Early. Appoint a sustainability ambassador and start planning your sustainable event early.
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Be Thorough. Research options for event sites, vendors, caterers and suppliers that are committed to sustainability and ocean-friendliness.
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No Plastic. Skip single-use plastic items, and encourage alternatives, such as refillable water stations, aluminum cans, reusable bottles, compostable plates and utensils.
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Say No to Balloons, Sky Lanterns, Confetti or Beads. These materials are difficult to collect for disposal and often end up in our waterways, choking coastal wildlife. Balloons and sky-lantern releases are banned in Florida.
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Recycle Right. Make recycling available on-site with educational visuals, and work closely with the city for proper waste management. Use this flyer to educate your guests about accepted recyclables in Clearwater. You can download, print and attach it to or place it near your recycling bins.
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Eat Locally. Prioritize food and beverage vendors that specialize in local and climate-friendly foods. When food is sourced locally, it is fresher and does not require as much transportation, lessening its impact on the environment.
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Reduce Waste. Reduce food waste and set-up compost stations, or donate the food you don't use to charities in your area.
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Alternative Transportation. Encourage visitors of your event to carpool, rideshare, bike or walk, all of which reduce carbon emissions relating to transportation.
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Community Outreach. Consider including education on community sustainability as a component of your event by incorporating things such as cleanups, coastal restoration and giving away native plants at the end of your event.
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Raise Awareness. Make known your intentions and commitments. Hopefully, it will inspire others to do the same.
Special thanks to our communications and multimedia team for their hard work on this project.
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 In our last newsletter, we reported on the energy savings from our first year of the municipal energy conservation program from April 2022 to March 2023. Moving into the second year, we’ve seen a reduction of 12 percent in electricity use and 39 percent in natural gas use for the first six months compared to the baseline year.*
 The unit cost of electricity (unfortunately) increased around September/October 2023, which translated to a higher electricity total spent for the city. This also means the energy saving measures we have been implementing are much more valuable than before.
Water and irrigation conservation measures were added to the program in December 2022, resulting in a reduction of 6 percent use compared to the baseline year.* The first 1.5 years of the program has resulted in a cumulative cost savings on electric, natural gas and water/irrigation of $1,153,460. Conserving energy also means benefits to the environment.
The energy saved over the first 1.5 years -- which is equivalent to 2,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide -- is environmentally equal to 41,338 tree seedlings grown for 10 years and saving emissions from 6.4 million miles driven by an average vehicle.
Our newly reorganized Strategic Services and Innovation Department will continue working with the dedicated energy specialist from Cenergistic to conduct regular energy audits, find and fix faults and identify opportunities for savings.
(*The baseline year is pre-pandemic, March 2019 through February 2020.)
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CONTACT THE SUSTAINABILITY TEAM
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If you have questions about the city's sustainability or resiliency programs, email our sustainability team: Sustainability Manager Cassie Cordova (right) or Sustainability Specialist Melody Yin (in front).
(The third person shown in the photo is Clearwater Recycling Specialist Savannah Bennett.)
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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 The Big Cleanup Clearwater
Jan. 12
Feb. 2
March 8
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 Hope Spot Festival
Saturday, Feb. 17
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 Wag Into Spring!
March 14, 2-6 p.m.
Enterprise Dog Park
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