A/GVWC Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, December 6, 2008

AGV Watershed Council

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Minutes of December 6, 2008

A meeting of the board of directors of the Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed Council was held on December 6, 2008, at 345 Montgomery Drive in Sebastopol, beginning at 10:20AM. Directors Jean Redus, John Roberts, Zeno Swijtink, Stephen Fuller- Rowell and Bob Burke were present. Watershed resident Bruce Gibbs was present for part of the meeting, and member Jo Bentz was also present.
Financial Report. John reported that the Council has a total of $728.09 in its general account. Bob proposed the expenditure of $50 for a holiday gift for Barbara Chasteen in appreciation for, among other forms of support, hosting board meetings at her home, which was unanimously approved. Zeno proposed that the Council purchase and donate to the Sebastopol library a copy of Joe Honton's book about the 2005 Laguna flood, which was also unanimously approved.

Condition of the Atascadero. A. Watershed resident Bruce Gibbs explained to the board the history of a disagreement between certain property owners in the Atascadero subwatershed over the treatment of manure and dust problems arising from horses kept on a parcel off Burnside Road. Mr. Gibbs, a horseman himself, stressed that the dispute was not over horses per se but, rather, over the question of proper treatment of the environment and consideration of concerns neighbors. He named the various agencies the concerned neighbors have contacted, including the RWQCB, the Department of Fish and Game, PRMD, and the Air Quality Management District, as well as the Sonoma County Horse Council, but with no resolution of their concerns. Zeno asked if the concerned neighbors had considered offering to purchase the manure from the owners of the horses. Bob proposed that the board contact the owners and invite them to explain their position. The board agreed that would be the appropriate next step, and asked Bob to draft a letter for consideration by the board.

Condition of the Atascadero. B. Member Jo Bentz informed the board that the owner of the property on the Atascadero off Occidental Road, where unauthorized trenching of Walker Creek took place in June, has submitted a short term mitigation plan to the RWQCB, and has obtained three permits from the PRMD to implement that plan, namely, a grading permit, a zoning permit and a roiling permit. The grading permit relates to the part of the property that is outside the Biologic Resources zone, and the zoning permit relates to the part of the property inside the BR zone, even though no change of zoning is involved. Information on roiling permits can be found at <http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/docs/handouts/drn-003.pdf>http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/docs/handouts/drn-003.pdf . C. Jo also reported that the owner of the property on Mill Station Road that has the approximately 20-acre lake used for waterskiing has applied for a 401 Certification from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and a 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the pond. The usage of the lake was the subject of hearings before the County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors a few years ago. Next Board Meeting and Report on Projects. Because of the holiday season, the board will hold its January meeting on the second Saturday of the month, January 10, 2009. At that meeting each director will be expected to report on the status of his or her projects, including an action plan and timeline.

Invitation to Supervisor-Elect Carrillo. The board agreed to invite Supervisor-Elect Efren Carrillo to meet with the board at the February meeting, or as soon thereafter as his schedule permits. Jean will send a letter of invitation.

Russian River Biological Opinion. Zeno encouraged each of the directors to become familiar with the Biological Opinion recently issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service relating to the Endangered Species Act as it applies to the water supply and flood control work done by the Corps of Engineers, the Sonoma County Water Agency and other agencies in the Russian River. The Biological Opinion, which can be accessed at http://www.sonomacountywater.org/projects/ , addresses the impact of such work on coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Russian River system. Some directors are already very familiar with the Opinion, but Zeno urged each director to read at least the executive summary of the Opinion.

Gold Ridge RCD Green Valley Creek Watershed Assessment. Bob reported on his conversation with Brittany Heck, the Gold Ridge RCD staff member heading up the RCD's assessment of the upper Green Valley Watershed. Brittany and her colleagues have begun water quality monitoring at 6 or 8 sites along Green Valley Creek, which they will do monthly for a year or two. They have also begun an erosion survey with the cooperation of 12 to 15 landowners in the watershed. The RCD plans to retain a geomorphologist to study how the creek has changed in recent years. One or more public meetings will be scheduled sometime in the new year.

Russian River Watershed Council. Zeno reported on the history and the current status of the Russian River Watershed Council, which at one time had an active membership of over 100 people or organizations, and now has only a handful. The future of the organization is unclear, and there is an opportunity for interested parties to rejuvenate it. Stephen asked Zeno to write up and circulate to the directors a summary of the history and Zeno's recommendations for possible action by the Council, which Zeno agreed to do.

Schedule of Events for 2009. Zeno will be asking the other directors and the members for input as he continues working on a calendar of Council events for the upcoming year.

The meeting adjourned at 12:25

Respectfully submitted,

Bob Burke
Secretary

AGV Watershed Council	Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Minutes of December 6, 2008


A meeting of the board of directors of the Atascadero / Green Valley Watershed Council was held on December 6, 2008, at 345 Montgomery Drive in Sebastopol, beginning at 10:20AM. Directors Jean Redus, John Roberts, Zeno Swijtink, Stephen Fuller- Rowell and Bob Burke were present. Watershed resident Bruce Gibbs was present for part of the meeting, and member Jo Bentz was also present. Financial Report. John reported that the Council has a total of $728.09 in its general account. Bob proposed the expenditure of $50 for a holiday gift for Barbara Chasteen in appreciation for, among other forms of support, hosting board meetings at her home, which was unanimously approved. Zeno proposed that the Council purchase and donate to the Sebastopol library a copy of Joe Honton's book about the 2005 Laguna flood, which was also unanimously approved. Condition of the Atascadero. A. Watershed resident Bruce Gibbs explained to the board the history of a disagreement between certain property owners in the Atascadero subwatershed over the treatment of manure and dust problems arising from horses kept on a parcel off Burnside Road. Mr. Gibbs, a horseman himself, stressed that the dispute was not over horses per se but, rather, over the question of proper treatment of the environment and consideration of concerns neighbors. He named the various agencies the concerned neighbors have contacted, including the RWQCB, the Department of Fish and Game, PRMD, and the Air Quality Management District, as well as the Sonoma County Horse Council, but with no resolution of their concerns. Zeno asked if the concerned neighbors had considered offering to purchase the manure from the owners of the horses. Bob proposed that the board contact the owners and invite them to explain their position. The board agreed that would be the appropriate next step, and asked Bob to draft a letter for consideration by the board. Condition of the Atascadero. B. Member Jo Bentz informed the board that the owner of the property on the Atascadero off Occidental Road, where unauthorized trenching of Walker Creek took place in June, has submitted a short term mitigation plan to the RWQCB, and has obtained three permits from the PRMD to implement that plan, namely, a grading permit, a zoning permit and a roiling permit. The grading permit relates to the part of the property that is outside the Biologic Resources zone, and the zoning permit relates to the part of the property inside the BR zone, even though no change of zoning is involved. Information on roiling permits can be found at <http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/docs/handouts/drn-003.pdf>http://www.sonoma-county.org/prmd/docs/handouts/drn-003.pdf . C. Jo also reported that the owner of the property on Mill Station Road that has the approximately 20-acre lake used for waterskiing has applied for a 401 Certification from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and a 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the pond. The usage of the lake was the subject of hearings before the County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors a few years ago. Next Board Meeting and Report on Projects. Because of the holiday season, the board will hold its January meeting on the second Saturday of the month, January 10, 2009. At that meeting each director will be expected to report on the status of his or her projects, including an action plan and timeline. Invitation to Supervisor-Elect Carrillo. The board agreed to invite Supervisor-Elect Efren Carrillo to meet with the board at the February meeting, or as soon thereafter as his schedule permits. Jean will send a letter of invitation. Russian River Biological Opinion. Zeno encouraged each of the directors to become familiar with the Biological Opinion recently issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service relating to the Endangered Species Act as it applies to the water supply and flood control work done by the Corps of Engineers, the Sonoma County Water Agency and other agencies in the Russian River. The Biological Opinion, which can be accessed at http://www.sonomacountywater.org/projects/ , addresses the impact of such work on coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Russian River system. Some directors are already very familiar with the Opinion, but Zeno urged each director to read at least the executive summary of the Opinion. Gold Ridge RCD Green Valley Creek Watershed Assessment. Bob reported on his conversation with Brittany Heck, the Gold Ridge RCD staff member heading up the RCD's assessment of the upper Green Valley Watershed. Brittany and her colleagues have begun water quality monitoring at 6 or 8 sites along Green Valley Creek, which they will do monthly for a year or two. They have also begun an erosion survey with the cooperation of 12 to 15 landowners in the watershed. The RCD plans to retain a geomorphologist to study how the creek has changed in recent years. One or more public meetings will be scheduled sometime in the new year. Russian River Watershed Council. Zeno reported on the history and the current status of the Russian River Watershed Council, which at one time had an active membership of over 100 people or organizations, and now has only a handful. The future of the organization is unclear, and there is an opportunity for interested parties to rejuvenate it. Stephen asked Zeno to write up and circulate to the directors a summary of the history and Zeno's recommendations for possible action by the Council, which Zeno agreed to do. Schedule of Events for 2009. Zeno will be asking the other directors and the members for input as he continues working on a calendar of Council events for the upcoming year. The meeting adjourned at 12:25 Respectfully submitted, Bob Burke Secretary