Minutes
Approved minutes of Sept. 5, 2001 meeting of Island County MRC
Monroe Landing Firehall, Oak Harbor
4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

MRC Members present: Acting Chair Don Meehan, Hi Bronson, Dick Toft, Roger Sherman, Mike Gallion, Phyllis Kind, Jeff Tate; Executive Director Gary Wood; Technical Advisor July Buktenica; MRC Recording Secretary Kate Poss. Excused members: Chair Tom Campbell, Vice Chair Tom Roehl (Pt. Commissioner Jim Hawley will fill in for Roehl during high school football season; Roehl is a football coach), Marty Behr, Sayed El-Sayed, Matt Klope

Visitors: Phil Cohen, Island County Surface Water Manager, Lagoon Point resident Frank Roberts, Michael Kyte representing Golder Assoc., Mike Sato director of People for Puget Sound.

The meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m. A quorum was established

Phyllis Kind was introduced. It is her first meeting since being appointed by the Island County Board of Commissioners last month to fill the post vacated by Gary Wood, MRCs executive director. Kind's post runs to Dec. 31, 2003. Kind is a retired professor of genetics, microbiology and immunology at George Washington University in D.C. A Whidbey Island resident for the past 2 years, Kind is a trained Beach Watcher and vice president of the South Island Audubon Society.

Guest Speaker Phil Cohen, surface water manager with Island County Public Works at 4:10 p.m.

· Cohen handed out a presentation (on file) detailing his departments' scope of work, which includes aquifer protection; its role as the lead entity for salmon protection and recovery programs, its role in engineering and construction; and more.
· Some concerns facing the county:
o Normal safeguards to protect adjacent property and the watershed from drain off are not in place.
o There is a challenge in Island County with existing building and health codes in using collected rainwater for anything but landscape irrigation
· A Utility Advisory vote is proposed for Feb. 2002 -would place normal safeguards for drainage in place that are not there now.
· Cohen was asked to speak about derelict pier and beach debris; he replied that we need to know where outfalls are. It was suggested that our MRC note where the outfalls and derelict piers are during our shoreline hardening survey.
· Cohen was also asked if Island County building permits are processed at their face value rather than with a consideration of the whole picture and how that might change; Cohen replied that our laws need to encourage prevention rather than dealing with a problem after it occurs.

Approval of 8-1-01 MRC meeting minutes a 4:40 pm
· Hi Bronson moved to accept the minutes as written; Roger Sherman seconded the motion. The motion was carried.

Eelgrass Survey, Phase II, consideration of 3 bids at 4:55 p.m.
· Golder & Associates has bid the RFP at $35,000 for 6-8 days
· Marine Resources Consultants (which we used for Phase I project) bid $46,000 for 14 days
· Wilson Engineering did not specifically address our requirements-not a consideration
· Golder uses a sonograph; Marine Resource Consultants uses underwater videography; there is debate on the benefits of each of the technologies
· Michael Kyte was asked to leave while the MRC discussed the qualities of each of the contenders.
· The MRC agreed to send in the proposals from Golder and Marine Resources Consultants for review to Battele in Bellingham and to the DNR. Our MRC wants the projects to comply with our existing data and with DNR protocol. The results will be emailed to the MRC. A vote on awarding the contract is planned for the October 2001 MRC meeting.

Tracking 2001-2002 grants-who will track what at 5:40 p.m.
1. MRC Tom Campbell is assigned to the NWSC Action grant (2002), which will include a new "estuary assessments" component, and other projects, subject to the recent work in this area by Sheldon Associates. (Letter of Intent due 9/30; full proposal 10/31.)

2. MRC Jeff Tate is our designated UC DAVIS MEHP liaison (2002 due 9/14), and will track these forage fish grants and their potential expansion into adjoining counties. He will also track the companion National Fish & Wildlife Foundation grant if & when it is awarded on the same topic.

3. MRCs Tom Roehl and Sayed El Sayed will act as the Salmon Recovery Funding Board 2002(SRFB) designates, including a new feeder bluffs/drift cells assessment and other projects to be submitted in this round (presentation 9/13; due October 12.).

4. MRC Phyllis Kind is to track the PIE Student Volunteers project if & when it is approved. (submitted, October awards)

5. MRC Dick Toft has undertaken to shepherd The NOAA Derelict Gear project and our MRC's role in it. (award pending). This will include several matching grants currently under submission.

6. MRCs Don Meehan and Marty Behr will coordinate the Big Mind Media website component of the MRC's projects, administratively assigned by your E.D. nunc pro tunc.

7. Matt Klope will track the "Outreach & Education" component of the Nearshore - SRFB project, already funded and starting up soon.

· The additional topics discussed today will be explored as potential MRC grant proposals. These include estuary assessments; a second forage fish biologist; expanded use of MRC project website support; bluff and drift cell investigation; shoreline property "Homeowners Beach Certifications" - outreach; and Oak Harbor beach replenishment. Your additional ideas or reactions are invited. These topics will be updated to the assigned MRCs and the whole committee in future meetings.
· One member said we need more funding for website development
· Another suggestion-working with Betsy Peabody, a dynamo with Puget Sound Restoration and using glacial till--.5 million tons-to restore Oak Harbor beaches
· Another project for 2002 Outreach: Create a program, similar to the Nat'l Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Certification Sanctuary program, and modify it to use a Best Management Practice outreach to help shoreline owners enhance their property.
· Big Mind Media is working with Gary to create "work rooms" that will be open to other MRCs using the same protocol as we are to map forage fish; It is hoped when all is said and done, there will be a map of the Northwest Straits that a permit applicant can access to get a photo, field report, lab report of the area and perhaps save on having to hire a biologist to get the data.
· Maxwelton Salmon Adventure received SRFB (Salmon Recovery Funding Board) grants t study its estuary. The group will work with landowners in the area; an RFP is out now.

Individual relationships with MRC at 6:30 pm
· An MRC member contacted the prosecuting attorney for answers on a previous RFP Meehan said the individual noted he had not specifically made the request of the MRC. He had not made the request of the MRC. He was asked to ask the MRC members in charge for the info. in the future.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

The next meeting will be held at the Oak Harbor Marina at 4 p.m. on Sept. 19. Harbormaster Dave Williams will lead the tour. At 5 p.m. the MRC will meet at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club to hear presentations from the Coupeville and So.Whidbey Port officials.