The meeting was called to order at 11:05 A.M.

Motion was made by Bob Burdge, seconded by Shirley Walker to approve the Minutes of the Decemmber 16th, 2025, Keep Fort Pierce Beautiful Advisory Board Meeting.

AYE:

Bob Burdge, Charlene Adair, David BuShea, Debbie Edmond, Shirley Walker

Other:

Levi Lovell (ABSENT), Renella Mitchell (ABSENT)

Passed

None

Ms. Marsha Commond, Special Projects Coordinator gave an update on the ongoing anti-littering campaign. She stated that the  continues to gain momentum through community engagement, education, and visibility. Recent accomplishments include a successful presentation and demonstration at the Percy Peak Teen Center with the Boys & Girls Club, engaging middle- to high-school students. The youth showed strong interest, participated in discussions and quizzes, and the Boys & Girls Club expressed appreciation for the partnership.

The Boys & Girls Club is also using a grant to conduct cleanups along Morse Creek. City staff will support these efforts by collecting trash bags and highlighting their work through the anti-littering campaign, newsletter, and social media.

Campaign visibility has increased with anti-littering decals placed on a solid waste truck currently circulating in the community. Additional decals will be added once new trucks are purchased. Branded cigarette butt’s disposal units have now been installed at designated locations. The Solid Waste team will monitor usage and maintenance.

Future efforts may include pursuing grants for portable pocket ashtrays to further reduce cigarette litter through convenient disposal and public awareness.

Education and enforcement will be emphasized next, with plans to release a promotional video in January focused on local and state littering laws and penalties.

The final community cleanup of the year was held recently, attracting over 50 volunteers despite the holiday season. Several youth groups participated, and volunteer certificates were issued for community service hours. Cleanup activities were shared on social media and submitted photos and reports will continue to be highlighted through city communications to encourage broader participation.

Overall, the campaign is showing positive results through partnerships, increased awareness, and community involvement.
 

Charlene Adair explained the origin and success of the Blue Tubes program. She noted that the Blue Tubes were developed by a 501(c)(3) organization based in Vero Beach and sold them through sponsorships. The city initially purchased approximately five units to launch the program, after which volunteers actively sought additional sponsorship by contacting local businesses and residents.The tubes themselves are simple PVC fence posts, cut to size, capped at the top and bottom, and wrapped with signage. Volunteers maintain the tubes by keeping them stocked with clean, reused plastic bags. Currently, there are approximately 23 tubes in South Beach, including those maintained independently by Ocean Village. Additional tubes are located along Morris Creek, with volunteers maintaining those as well.

Charlene emphasized that the program has had a significant impact on litter reduction. While there is no formal statistical data, she observed a dramatic decrease in trash at South Causeway Park, noting that she can now walk the entire park and only find a few cans at most. Based on this success, she advocated for expanding the program citywide, suggesting that placing even one tube in each park could encourage volunteer adoption and maintenance, potentially serving as a gateway to broader volunteer engagement in parks and neighborhoods.

Charlene also explained that volunteers are willing to assist with assembling new tubes, including cutting, gluing caps, wrapping, and ongoing repairs. She personally maintains many of the existing tubes, however, many of the current tubes are aging and in need of replacement, and she expressed interest in seeing the city take a larger role in replacing and expanding the system.

Marsha Commond shared that she had spoken with the Facilities team about producing the tubes in-house. Key next steps include identifying how many existing tubes need replacement and determining how many new units should be installed at additional locations. A preliminary estimate of 50 total units—both replacements and new installations—was discussed as a reasonable starting point.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of creating a structured program that would help track maintenance responsibilities and ensure consistency.
Several additional ideas were discussed, including:

• Integrating the tubes into an expanded “Adopt-a-Park” or similar volunteer program
• Exploring placement in downtown areas, supported by sponsorships
• Allowing sponsors to display business logos alongside City branding
• Possibly adding glove dispensers to the tube design
• Developing a new name and design for the tubes, since “Blue Tube” is likely a trademarked term

City staff agreed to explore alternative names, colors, and branding consistent with the City’s logo and identity. Sponsorship opportunities, production costs, and wrap printing (which could be done in-house) were identified as action items.

Marsha concluded by stating she would develop a formal plan incorporating these elements and present it to the group for further consideration.
 

Marsha Commond reminded the group that the Great American Cleanup will take place on March 14, with planning underway for approximately 500 volunteers. She is working on securing supplies and is seeking ideas for project locations and minor improvement projects, particularly in public spaces. Past efforts have included landscaping, planting, and painting at parks, beach accesses, and schools.

Marsha Commond will also consult division managers to identify feasible projects and asked members to share ideas soon so planning and promotion can begin by mid-January.

The group discussed potential sites, including the Fort Pierce Post Office, though past attempts to beautify the property faced resistance. Downtown Fort Pierce was highlighted as a strong opportunity due to the St. Patrick’s Day Block Party occurring the same weekend. David Bushea proposed leveraging the street closure to host cleanup teams downtown, potentially reviving a past trash-weighing competition and setting up an outreach booth to promote cleanup efforts and City initiatives.

Marsha Commond also invited ideas for Arbor Day, which typically includes a tree-planting ceremony. She noted the City’s continued Tree City USA status and expressed interest in another meaningful planting or dedication.
 

The meeting was adjourned at 11:58 A.M.