Monroe Landing Fire Station

Oak Harbor, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Present: MRC Members: Hi Bronson, Don Meehan, Mike Gallion, Jeff Tate, Tom Roehl, Dick Toft, Matt Klope, Chair--Tom Campbell, Gary Wood; MRC technical advisor Julie Buktenica; MRC recording secretary Kate Poss; Visitors: Frank Robert, Bob Bennett residents of Lagoon Pt.; Bill Attwater--, member of Island County Water Resources Advisory Committee; and Michael Kyte Golder and Associates;  MRC members Tom Shaughnessy, El Sayed-Sayed, Roger Sherman and Marty Behr were excused

 

A quorum was established Chair Tom Campbell called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m.

 

Adoption of  meeting agenda and 3/21/01 meeting minutes with amendment @ 4:13 p.m.

·        Tom Roehl moved and Dick Toft seconded approval of the meeting minutes with an amendment to clarify verbiage on a handout from Rich Johnson regarding salmon hatcheries. Motion carried. Revised copy of the 3/21 minutes attached.

·        Don Meehan moved and Hi Bronson seconded approval of the agenda with the following additions. Motion carried.

·        Additions to agenda

1.      Getting better coverage in the media

2.      Benchmark update

 

Northwest Straits Commission report on March 30 meeting Gary Wood & Hi Bronson @ 4:18 p.m.

 

Executive Director position update @4:43 p.m. by Don Meehan

·        Don said four documents were sent to the BOCC amending our charter from the existing requirement that a MRC member will be Island County representative to the NWSC; to the NWSC representative being approved by the MRC without the MRC membership requirement.

·        The job description review is moving forward with the Island Co. Prosecuting. Attorney.  Next step is an RFP (hopefully in 10 days) for the position goes for BOCC approval then back to the Pros. Attorney for final approval.  Don is hopeful the decision is made soon. Don said an interview team will review the candidate applications; make a short list of who is best qualified; let the rest of the MRC know who the leading candidates are via email and get the MRC input. 

·        Mike Gallion wanted to be sure the entire MRC has input into the process; It was decided that MRC members would be told via email who the top list of qualified candidates are and who the final candidate would be.

·        Tom Campbell formally appointed Don, Tom Roehl and himself as the interviewing team.

 

Grants update @ 5 p.m. by Gary Wood

·        Gary attended a grant writing workshop today and has stacks of potential grant resources; we now have $173,000 and are waiting to get remaining contracts for further grants awarded.  Gary met with the Salmon Recovery Funding Board on April 5 as the sole candidate for coordinating the SRFB grants among Clallam, Jefferson, San Juan and Island counties. SRFB likes Island County’s protocol and wants the other 3 counties to use the same forage fish data collection that Island Co. does

 

Benchmarks @ 5:05 p.m. by Tom Campbell

·        Dick Toft handed in notes on how Island Co. is progressing on Bottom Fish;

·        Don Meehan handed out El Sayed-Sayed’s research on outreach/education.

 

Good Feeder bluffs/bad feeder bluffs Tom Roehl’s idea for more grant $$$ @ 5:15 p.m.

·        Tom Roehl suggested another project to seek grant funding for is inventory of Island County’s bluffs; getting the actual science of a bulkhead’s health; what is good design criteria, etc. He envisions a map showing where weeping bluffs are; where there are candidates for drop-off; where there’s lots of clay. He thought this work could dovetail with MRC’s upcoming bulkhead study.

·        Gary said even though the economy’s in a slump; there’s a surplus of funding for grants and a shortage of legitimate proposals.  He asked those with ideas for grants to email him.

·        Mike Gallion suggested studying the population, quality and mapping of crab, clams and shrimp. 

·        Julie Buktenica said monitoring could be another consideration for grants.

 

Unfinished/New Business @ 5:45 p.m.

·        Don said he doesn’t see evidence of MRC meeting notices in the media;

·        Don handed out the 2001 MRC work plan.

·        Jeff Tate said that early next week the DOE guidelines and the Endangered Species Act will be discussed in Coupeville

·        Jeff brought DNR’s Nearshore Data Inventory Map of Island County; a CD is available in GPS format; the maps can be printed for different inventory needs.  Don Meehan suggested we share our eelgrass data with DNR.

·        Gary said the quote of $350 for the NWSC to meet at the Whidbey Institute was too high for its budget.  NWSC will meet in Island County 4/27.

·        Mike Kyte of Golder Associates said with the grants MRC is getting, it is important to figure the cost of monitoring into the budgets.  Mike said one should assess data every 2 to 5 years.

·        Tom Campbell said a salmon restoration talk is planned at the Whidbey Institute on April 10.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

The next meeting is planned for April 18 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland; from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.