Minutes

February 16, 2005
4:04 - 5:55 pm, Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland
www.islandcountymrc.org

PRESENT: Chair Phyllis Kind, Tom Campbell, Ian Jefferds, Don Meehan, Rolf Seitle, Ken Urstad, Exec. Director Gary Wood, Admin. Ass't. Dan Pedersen. ALTERNATES: Bredensteiner for El Sayed, Pedersen for Bronson. ABSENT: Hi Bronson, Sayed El-Sayed, Jeff Tate, Benye Weber.

VISITORS:
Matthew Swett, architect, Clinton Beach Park.
Kim Bredensteiner, Coupeville, Island County Public Works.
Nancy Waddell, Maxwelton Salmon Adventure.
Scott Pascoe, Watershed Coordinator, Maxwelton Salmon Adventure.
Jeanie McElwain, Beach Watchers, Maxwelton Salmon Adventure.
Bill White, Clinton, Beach Watchers.
Peg Urstad, Greenbank.
Dave Anderson, Clinton.

CALL TO ORDER: 4:04 pm, Kind called the meeting to order. QUORUM: Declared. AGENDA: Adopted with the addition of several items: consideration of a proposal by 4-H to cosponsor a project, discussion of participating as a sponsor of the Whidbey Institute Lyceum Series, discussion of regional projects for Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC) funds, a budget discussion by Meehan and the Getting to the Water's Edge project. MINUTES of 2-02-2005: Adopted. Motion by Meehan, second by Urstad, carried unanimously. CORRESPONDENCE: Kind read an e-mail received today from Bruce Wood, announcing that he must resign from the MRC because of business and family reasons.

Summary of Decisions

Whidbey Institute Lyceum Series. The MRC voted unanimously to cosponsor this spring's Whidbey Institute Lyceum Series, on critical areas.
4-H outreach project. The MRC voted unanimously to cosponsor a 4-H outreach program in the Whidbey Island school districts.
Regional project priorities. The MRC voted unanimously to recommend a data collection/access project to the Northwest Straits Commission as our top priority for a regional project.
Joe Hillers nomination. The MRC voted unanimously to nominate Joe Hillers to the Board of Island County Commissioners for appointment to the MRC.

Program: Clinton Beach Park Project
Matthew Swett, Architect

Wood introduced Matthew Swett, architect for the Port of South Whidbey's Clinton Beach Park project.
Swett explained that the impetus for the park came from the community, which generated a series of petitions that got the attention of government agencies. This carried weight when the community approached the state Inter Agency Committee (IAC) to seek funding.
One observation made during the initial survey of available public-access points was the lack of public beach access on the east side of Whidbey Island between Possession Point and Langley. Clinton Beach Park will help fill this void. Swett commented that the Clinton site currently is occupied in part by the Kenmir Building, which will be removed to help create the new park. The plan calls for a minimal parking on site - just five spaces - since a great deal of public parking exists nearby. The park site is constrained by the need to maintain vehicular access for several private residences to the north that are used seasonally, for the most part.

The area closest to the highway will include not only parking but a pedestrian plaza with a bulletin board for community use and a covered sitting area. Behind this will be a central tree island. The back corner of the park is to be a grassy picnic area. The front area will integrate beach ecology into the park, using logs and sand to create a play area for children that is inland from the beach. An observation deck overlooking the beach will be retained from the existing Kenmir Building. Swett said site plan review with the county will begin in March and ground-breaking next fall.

A long causeway connects the park to the fishing floats adjacent to the ferry pier. This causeway presents an opportunity for the MRC or Beach Watchers to furnish interpretive signage about the marine environment. Information about eelgrass habitat protection seems especially desirable since the Department of Transportation took pains to protect the eelgrass on this site when constructing the new ferry pier. Swett said it should be relatively straightforward to bolt signage onto the pier's railing. The MRC would need to furnish and install the signage. The Port would provide the structure to which to attach it.

NEW BUSINESS

Whidbey Institute lyceum series. Campbell asked whether the MRC would be willing again this year to co-sponsor, at no cost to us, the Whidbey Institute Lyceum Series. The series consists of six programs on six Tuesdays, April 5 through May 10, given mainly by University of Washington professors. This year's series focuses on critical areas and will be held in the Front Room at Bayview Cash Store. The MRC will have an opportunity to put up a display at one of the programs. Motion by Campbell, second by Urstad, carried unanimously, that the MRC co-sponsor the lyceum series.

4-H outreach project. Kind reported that Judy Feldman has asked whether the MRC would be willing to co-sponsor, at no cost to us, a 4-H outreach program in the three Whidbey Island school districts. A series of speakers will give presentations in the schools, tied to marine science and environmental issues. The students will then choose topics, research them, and give presentations to other students. The outside experts will be present during these presentations to make sure the information is accurate. Motion by Campbell, second by Seitle, carried unanimously, that the MRC co-sponsor the 4-H outreach project.

OLD BUSINESS

Regional projects. Kind said the MRC needs to decide what it wants to recommend to the Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC) as regional projects for the two available pots of money -- $70,000 and $86,000. The science committee has identified data coordination as a top priority - collecting data from
all the counties and putting it in GIS format. The committee also felt expansion of Shore Stewards to other counties was a priority. Following a long discussion of the data-coordination subject, the committee chose data as its recommendation. Motion by Seitle, second by Urstad, to recommend data collection to the NWSC as a regional project. Seitle said he feels it is an urgent issue because the information is perishable and needs to be usable. Kind suggested the members think about other projects they might want to recommend to the NWSC, and we will continue the discussion at the next meeting.

COUNTY LEAD'S REPORT -- MEEHAN

Budget discussion. Meehan shared a handout he prepared after a recent executive committee meeting showing how the MRC is allocating its current administrative and project grant funds. He reported that the project to republish Getting to the Water's Edge is in good shape. Several potential project partners have shown interest, including Island County Public Works, County Parks, Health and others. Meehan said he guesses the new book will be about three times the size of the current edition.

Joe Hillers. Meehan said he has visited with Joe Hillers, who would like to replace Roger Sherman as the representative of agriculture on our committee. Motion by Meehan, seconded by Urstad, carried unanimously, to recommend the Board of Island County Commissioners (BICC) appoint Hillers to the MRC.

Beach Watchers and NOAA. Meehan said the Beach Watchers have completed their first day of beach seining with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration at Harrington Lagoon.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT -- WOOD

Wood reported he is sending out letters of intent in pursuit of several grants, including Aquatic Lands (ALEA), Northwest Fund for the Environment, Direct Implementation Fund and National Integrated Water Quality.

CHAIR'S REPORT - KIND

Benchmark committees. Kind said she'd like to establish subcommittees dedicated to each of the NWSC's five benchmarks. A Science Committee already exists. Kind said she heard from Pedersen that he is willing to chair or serve on an Education/Outreach committee. Bredensteiner said some of the Salmon TAG members would like to participate on MRC subcommittees to facilitate communication.

PUBLIC INPUT

Salmon Adventure watershed coordinator. Nancy Waddell introduced Scott Pascoe, newly hired watershed coordinator for Maxwelton Salmon Adventure. He will attend MRC meetings. Pascoe has been a landscape architect and has worked on watershed issues in Seattle, on Hood Canal and now on Whidbey Island.

OTHER BUSINESS

Georgia Basin Research Conference. Wood reported he will be attending the Georgia Basin Research Conference and giving a presentation on Shore Stewards to the education and outreach panel. Our MRC chose Wood to represent us, with the registration cost sponsored by Puget Sound Action Team.

ADJOURNMENT