Sustainability Advisory Board

Parking Department Conference Room

Agenda — 11 items

1. 1. STAFF: Matthew Anderson, Sustainability & Mobility Assistant Director Diego Cancel, Sustainability & Resiliency Supervisor Nicole Gautney, Sustainability Coordinator GUEST: Maya Riquezes CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 5:01 P.M.
2. 2. Roll Call
3. 3. New Member Introduction – Frank Hercksen
4. 3. Approval of January 14, 2026, Meeting Minutes Approved on Consent Agenda Pass
5. 4. Public Comment Maya Riquezes introduced herself as working with the Sustainability team to complete her Capstone project at the University of Florida.
6. 5. Keep Coral Gables Beautiful Program Updates i. Recent Events: 1. The KCGB program officially reached 301 events, over 37,000 participants and volunteers, and surpassed one million pounds of material collected since the program’s launch five years ago. 2. The city’s Christmas Tree Recycling program collected approximately 54,800 pounds (roughly 1,100 trees), which were turned into mulch for use in City parks and green spaces. 3. Final numbers for the Holiday Cardboard Recycling program are still pending from Waste Management and will be reported at a future meeting. ii. Upcoming Events: 1. Pinewood Cemetery Invasive Plant Removal – March 20 a. This event was moved up from April to coincide with Miami Climate Week, which will help promote the event. This will be the sixth such removal event. 2. Sustainability Village at Farmer’s Market – March 28 a. The last Farmer’s Market of the year will feature up to 12 local environmental organizations and a composting workshop in advance of the program launch planned for April. 3. Spring Downtown Community Cleanup – April 6 a. Participants meet at one location, disperse throughout the downtown, and reconvene at a city lot to weigh collected material. Post-event refreshments will be provided at a local business. The Mayor’s office will again sponsor cash rewards for the Most- Pounds-Collected competition. The Chamber and Economic Development distribute event information to local businesses, and several businesses and community groups such as the Lowes Hotel. 4. Earth Day Environmental Film & Earth Day Fair – April 22 a. The city is working with a local cinema to screen an environmental film on Earth Day. The Earth Day Fair will also feature a reverse vending machine for residents to recycle cans and bottles. Details to be finalized and communicated. 5. Recycling Drive-Thru – April 25 a. The bi-annual Recycling Drive-Thru will be on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to noon in the City Hall parking lot. Paper shredding, plastic film, household hazardous waste, old electronics, and clothing donations will be securely and properly recycled during this event. iii. WM Recycling South Florida Facility Tour & Video: 1. Waste Management recently opened a $90 million recycling facility in Pembroke Pines – one of the largest in North America, capable of processing up to 275,000 tons of recyclable material per year. Matt Anderson attended a VIP tour along with the Deputy and Assistant City Managers. 2. The Board discussed key recycling education points reinforced by the video: no bagging of recyclables, no food or liquid contamination, and no hazardous items such as batteries or propane tanks. Plastic bags continue to be problematic for the facility and should be brought to specialized recycling locations. Staff noted that the city’s recycling messaging has been intentionally simplified and aligned with Waste Management’s own educational materials over the years. 3. Staff will coordinate sharing the facility video link on the city’s website through the Communications Director. Members were reminded that all blue recycling bins include a QR code linking to the city’s recycling information page. A tour of the facility is being planned and will be announced when scheduling is confirmed. iv. Updates: 1. Potential Compost Program: a. The city is actively developing a pilot composting program to expand waste diversion and sustainability practices. The proposed compost drop-off location will be at the Coral Gables Library with a draft contract from Renewable for twice- weekly service at an annual cost of $6,000. The program includes two 45-gallon bins in an enclosed container and educational materials for users. Twice-weekly pickup is planned to prevent odors and maintain hygiene. b. The program will be city-sponsored and free to residents, differentiating it from fee-based memberships elsewhere, with initial interest high among residents using nearby compost drop-off programs. 2. Potential Bike-Sharing Program a. Exploratory talks on launching a bike share program in collaboration with City of Miami and Miami Beach are underway, leveraging the Deco Bike infrastructure with potential sponsorships to avoid city costs. The program would allow users to rent bikes in Miami or Miami Beach and return them in Coral Gables, enhancing regional transit connectivity. Locations under consideration include Venetian Pool, Coral Gables Museum, and city parking garages to maximize accessibility and support bike tours.
7. 6. Sustainability Related City Commission Items i. Commercial Beautification Awards Received by Local Businesses – January 27 & February 10 1. The Board voted for Misha’s Cupcakes and The Plaza to receive the Commercial Beautification Award in November, and they were awarded before the Commission at the January 27 & February 10 meetings. ii. Keep America Beautiful Declaration of Action for Greatest American Cleanup in honor of America’s 250th Anniversary – February 10 1. The City of Coral Gables declared its support for the Keep America Beautiful’s Greatest American Cleanup honoring America’s 250th birthday.
8. 7. Standing Agenda Items i. Vulnerability Assessment Update 1. Vulnerability assessment draft expected soon with submission to FDP by summer and plans for consultant presentation to the board for feedback. The assessment includes flooding scenarios to inform resilience strategies. ii. Block by Block – Girl Scout Gold Project 1. Diego gave an update on the project resident Isabella Prado, who is a high school student, is doing with our team in conjunction with Block By Block. She is doing recycling audits to see the amount of contamination she finds in order to help with educational materials to help the public recycle correctly. She conducted her audit with help from us and Gene from Block By Block and she will report her final results when she completes the project.
9. 8. Member Comments i. Jasper 1. Wanted an update on the Sustainability Management Plan, Matt gave the update that it is in progress with the Board’s involvement planned from draft to implementation. The SMP’s success will build on the strong results of the first edition, with further details to be reported. 2. Was interested in the Police Department's transition to pursuit-rated electric vehicles. Matt responded that PD was underway with initial orders placed now that such vehicles are available on the market. The delay was due to lack of available pursuit-rated EVs; new models meet contract requirements. Considerations include managing charging infrastructure for take-home vehicles to support officers’ needs. ii. Steven: 1. Asked about the Public Works bike share maps. Matt informed him that there is an existing map and that the representative of PW from the City that is presenting it on April 20th could give an update on this as well as traffic calming. iii. Teddy: 1. Interested in integrating the potential bike-sharing program at the University of Miami and having it connected with the City’s program.
10. 9. Adjournment – 6:28 p.m. Next Meeting – Monday, April 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Parking, Sustainability & Mobility Services Office For more information on the Sustainability Advisory Board please visit: CoralGables.com/SAB or Email Sustainability@coralgables.com
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