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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNHSWCD_4-16-12_approved minutes-signed-signed New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District Board Meeting held at Wilmington, NC. Meeting Number 11_ Date: _April 16, 2012 Supervisors Present: Others Present: Dave Thomas, Chair Dru Harrison, Director Donna Moffitt, Secretary/Treasurer Amy Long, Education Coordinator Steve Skavroneck Sue Hayes, citizen interested in running for board Bill Hart, Vice-Chair Nancy Pritchett Was this meeting held during a meal: No _ Thomas called the meeting to order at 2:06pm. Agenda Review: Hart moved to accept the agenda as presented. Skavroneck seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. MINUTES: March 19, 2012 meeting #10, regular monthly board meeting. Skavroneck moved to approve the minutes as amended. Moffitt seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. FINANCIAL REPORT: Harrison presented the report. A. MONTHLY RECONCILIATION rd Appropriations and reimbursements: The 3 quarter reimbursement request for the City nd Stormwater Services contract has been submitted. The 2 quarter reimbursement from the Division of Soil and Water (NCSWCD) has been misplaced by the State so it has been resent rd along with the 3 quarter reimbursement request. These reimbursements ($20,000 total) should be received this month. Expenses. Nothing is out of the ordinary. Payroll is the main expense. Expenditures of note include the print cost for the NHSWCD fact sheet flyer that went out to local officials and an event tent was purchased. The tent was approved and budgeted for in the capital outlay line item. Rain Barrel update: Long explained the new layout of the rain barrel report. Incentive checks will be issued monthly starting after the April rain barrel sale. Hart moved to accept financial reports for the record. Skavroneck seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. SUPERVISOR & STAFF REPORTS: A. Annual Update to County Commissioners: Harrison reported Commission. At agenda review, outside agency funding was not included in the budget talks. A budget work session was held after the agenda review. Attending that meeting, Harrison learned that the Board of Commissioners is looking to cut two million dollars from the rd upcoming fiscal 2012/13 budget. Several important dates to be aware of are: May 3 is the th session, at 4pm. May 7 is the next Commissioner stth monthly board meeting, at 6pm. May 21 the county budget will be released. June 18 will be the vote for adoption of the FY12/13 budget. 1 support Thomas and her while they presented the annual report to the Commissioners. Moffitt wanted to know if the NHSWCD fact flyer went to the Commissioners prior to the agenda review. Harrison replied that it did. Moffitt commended Harrison on emphasizing the unique services NHSWCD has to offer the county that no other organization can. Moffitt requested staff to post the flyer on the web site. Supervisors were pleased Commissioners and noted Ted Chairman comment on Harrison providing an presentation. B. Quarterly education report: Long reported on events of past quarter and upcoming events. Pine th Valley E.S. 4 grader won District and Area poster contest. Hoggard H.S. has two teams moving on to state Envirothon competition. Pine Valley E.S. is interested in large scale BMP demonstration project (Alderman sized project) bioretention area. We need to find money to fund a project of this size. Two summer camp programs are already on the schedule (YWCA and Wrightsville Beach Surf camp). Program revision and development continues with the state-wide curriculum changes. th C. Stewardship report: Harrison - annual retreat on May 9 at Wilmington Regional Associations of Realtors Office. Survey feedback was good (50% of total attendees responded); 92% said they would come back. Work session retreat will address continued growing pains of Coalition. Green Builders Alliance has a voting member now, but they lost their staff member, so board members will be attending. D. Area VI Spring Meeting Report: Harrison reported. Skavroneck, Moffitt, Hart, Harrison and Long th attended in Goldsboro. 4 grade poster contestant from New Hanover District won first place and has gone on to State competition. This is the first New Hanover winner we have had. Supervisor attendance was 20-25% for the meeting. Partner Reports A. Division Report. report was distributed via email. She was not available today because of her meeting and travel schedule. B. NRCS Report. Jane Wood was not present to and her report was received via email during the meeting not in time to distribute. Harrison reported that Wood does have an EQUIP contract in New Hanover County; roughly 100+ acres of long-leaf pine in Castle Hayne. Old Business A. Bradley Creek Hewletts Creek Watershed Plan: Harrison wanted to clarify information of the plan. It is not a funded plan. The 319 money that was received was only to write the plan. The intent is to hire a Watershed Coordinator. City Council has not approved the pursuit of funds for this at this time. Hart reported to the Board that he let Councilwoman Haynes know about the email request asking City Stormwater Services to explain to the District Board, our proposed involvement that was alluded to by Stormwater and Coastal Federation without Board or staff knowledge and consent. He informed Councilwoman Hayes that the request was met unsatisfactorily. Staff recommendation is for the Board to talk with Dave Mayes and explain the position and concerns of the District --- are they using our salaries for match on a 319 grant? What are the expectations for us to implement or develop the plan? Board decided that Harrison will contact Lauren Kolodij at Coastal Federation and ask her these same questions, then Chairman Thomas will talk to Mayes and Mike Giles or Tracy Grable Skrabal of Coastal Federation (if Harriso-up). 2 B. Strategic Plan update Skavroneck requested the notes pages be sent out to the Board, which Harrison did. She has not heard back from anyone. Skavroneck has not had a chance to look at it and will get comments to Harrison. C. Conservation in Action Day: Harrison handed out invitations and explained who was invited: County Commissioners, Mayor and City Council, City and County managers and upper- Jim McDaniels, rd Avril Pinder, and candidates who filed for the local May elections. Event is April 23, 3-4pm. Wave transit bus will pick everyone up at Government Center at West entrance. She will send an email to NHSWCD potential board members as well. She requested everyone to call these people you are friendly with to encourage them to attend. She will bring flyer and talk from it on the way to the sites. We will provide snacks and water; event is rain or shine. D. Candidates for SWCD Board of Supervisors. Letter of thanks and fact-sheet were sent out to everyone Harrison had on her file who have expressed interest in running for the District Board of Supervisors. Sue Hayes (former president of Cape Fear Riverwatch and two terms on County Planning Board) . . New Business Cost Share Programs A. Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) application: CCAP application 2012-4: request is for pervious pavement on a condo association parking lot. Score was 110/190 which is in the medium range. Pervious pavement would help reduce flooding on-site. Condo is near Greenfield Lake. Water table is very high. Soils are according to soil survey for this area; a percolation test will need to be done and an engineer will need to examine flow. There are currently no funds available, but Board could approve the application and put it on hold if the contract is approved. Pervious pavement is the most expensive BMP funded by the CCAP program. Harrison has warned the applicant that this project is very unlikely to be funded due to soils and cost and because the program is for water quality issues, not flood control. There is not a large enough land area to address flooding in other manners. Moffitt motioned to accept the application. Hart seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. B. Agricultural Cost Share Program (ACSP) applications: ACSP application 2012-2: 150/475 (really out of 300). BMP practices have not been precisely identified to address drainage and ditch issues; a site visit is needed to determine what all can be done. A litter storage facility to compost manure is the most likely practice applicable. The site is in the Myrtle Grove area and is a couple of acres. Thomas moved to accept the application. Skavroneck seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. ACSP application 2012-3: request is for crop residue management practice. There are several hundred acres potentially involved. 125/475 (really out of 300). We have $17,000 left in ACSP to allocate this year. Hart moved to accept the application. Moffitt seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation Districts grant: Long reported This grant opportunity came as a direct result of attending the new Supervisor and Staff training at the Annual Meeting in January. The grant is to fund outdoor educational learning centers (OELC). Cape Fear Center for Inquiry (CCFI) wanted desires an outdoor education facility and stormdrain stabilization of a stormdrain, but could not apply to for CCAP funding because of age requirement 3 of the building is less than three years old. Foundation grant is a perfect fit for CCFI. Grant request is for $2310 to stabilize stormdrain and build an outdoor education facility; in-kind donations are over $4400. Long is requesting requested Board approval and signature on of the grant application. Board unanimously agreed to support the proposal. UPCOMING EVENTS: April 17: City Council annual report, 6:30pm, Thalian Hall Fundraiser night at Mellow Mushroom for Earth Day Festival April 21: Earth Day Festival at Hugh McCrae Park, 12-6, need help staffing information booth April 23: Conservation in Action Day tour, 3-4pm, departs Government Center. RSVP by 4/19. April 28: Coastal Land Trust Flytrap Frolic, 8:30 -12:30pm, Alderman Nature Preserve May 5: Greenfield Lake Day, 10-2 May 12: Battleship Splash, 10-3. Dog dock-diving. : May 21, 2pm Set next meeting date Thomas moved to adjourn the meeting. Pritchett seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 3:40pm. Amy E.K.Long Recorded By: _________________________________________________(Amy Long) Dave Thomas Approved By: _________________________________________________(Dave Thomas, Chair) April Tick List: Put flyer on web site Dru Send thank you to Commissioners and include a link to the flyer Dru Dru Dave Invite potential NHSWCD candidates to Conservation in Action Day Dru Add Sue Hayes contact info to potential NHSWCD candidates list 4