Virginia Water Monitoring Council Steering Committee Meeting
April 10, 2001
USGS Office, Richmond, VA
Minutes by Jane Walker
Organizations with representatives that attended:
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Stacey Moulds
Citizens for Water Quality Bill Shanabruch
Clean Virginia Waterways (CVW) Kate Register
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA--Region III) Chuck Kanetsky
United States Geological Survey (USGS--Virginia Office) Ward Staubitz
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Matt Bley
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Ron Gregory,
Don Smith
Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) Sam Austin
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) John Kauffman
Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Michele Monti
Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) Steve Klevickis
Virginia Water Resources Research Center (VWRRC) Jane Walker
Organizations with representatives who were unable attend:
American Water Works Association (AWWA--Virginia Section)
Virginia Agribusiness Council (VAC)
Virginia Association of Municipal Wastewater Agencies (VAMWA)
Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD)
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)
Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA)
Virginia Water Well Association (VWWA)
Water Quality Academic Advisory Committee (WQAAC)
The Virginia Water Monitoring Council Steering Committee met April 10, 2001 (9:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.) at the U.S. Geological Survey office in Richmond, Virginia. Sam Austin of the Virginia Department of Forestry, Chair of the VWMC Steering Committee, led the meeting. Twelve organizations were represented. The minutes from the March 6, 2001, VWMC Steering Committee meeting were reviewed, edited, and accepted.
Jane Walker, VWMC Administrative Assistant, provided a financial report showing a balance of $239. Sam Austin reported that he is working to obtain $1,000 from the Department of Forestry, and Ron Gregory reported on his efforts to obtain $5,000 from the Department of Environmental Quality. The financial report initiated a discussion on the possibility of talking to the State Water Commission.
Committee Reports
Operations Committee:
Ron Gregory of the DEQ and Committee Chair reported that the Operations Committee has not met since the March Steering Committee meeting. Jane Walker offered to set up a meeting with the current committee members. Finding a new committee chair will be one of the first decisions to be made. Don Smith, who will be representing DEQ upon Ron’s retirement, offered to be a member of the Operations Committee but requested that he not Chair the committee. David Frackelton was suggested as a possible Chair for the committee.
A strategy for the Membership Recruitment Work Group was discussed. It was decided that the VWMC should increase its exposure, provide educational materials, and set up and promote various activities. The water monitoring data inventory and needs assessment survey could be the first project that would increase people’s awareness about the VWMC. From the results of the needs assessment survey, focus groups can be identified and then a strategy to reach these groups can be planned. The first educational product could be a report on the results of survey. The VWMC could follow-up this initial educational report by sponsoring activities that meet the identified needs.
It was suggested that a brochure about the VWMC could be sent with the inventory and needs assessment surveys. An annual report (that could be submitted to the General Assembly) and articles in newspapers across the state and in newsletters by the various member groups could help promote the VWMC. When possible, the VWMC should seek the support and assistance from the public relations and educational personnel of the various agencies and member organizations in distributing information about the VWMC and its activities.
Currently the VWMC has focused on water data collectors, but in the future, it will also need to reach out to water users. VWMC sponsored activities such as seminars (e.g., a presentation on drinking water for citizens) would make the organization more visible to water users.
Communications Committee:
Jane Walker of the VWRRC and Committee Chair reported that she has not organized a meeting with the members of this committee but planned to do so in the near future.
Inventory Committee:
Michele Monti of the Virginia Department of Health and Committee Chair reported that her committee has been working with the Needs Assessment Committee to combine the surveys and create a mailing list. Michele is working on a cover letter to accompany the survey. A draft of the survey is expected to be complete by the end of April. Michele reported that DEQ offered to print, stuff, and mail the surveys as well as receive and enter the results. It is also planned to have an electronic survey form available from the VWMC web site, and the survey will be distributed at water-related conferences.
Roger Stewart with DEQ provided an initial mailing list of over 650 water monitors from across the state. Stacey Moulds with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Joyce Brooks at DEQ have improved the list by adding citizen monitors and removing contacts listed twice. Fran Geissler has been reviewing the listed Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Michele intends to contact other members of the committee and ask that they specifically review the monitors represented by their groups. The updated mailing list will also be sent to the Steering Committee members for their review and input (Additions submitted as an Excel file that follows the organizational layout already developed are preferred).
Needs Assessment Committee:
Bill Shanabruch with Citizens for Water Quality reported that the Needs Assessment Committee has been helping the Inventory Committee. Kate Register with Clean Virginia Waterways is working with Roger Stewart in editing the survey forms. Bill urged all the Steering Committee members to help add names to the mailing list.
Other Councils
Chuck Kanetsky with Region III EPA talked with Chuck Spooner of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council to learn about other councils. He distributed information on the state and regional councils thus far formed. A list of the goals, work groups or committees, and contact information for the other councils was provided. Chuck Spooner expressed a willingness to attend a VWMC Steering Committee meeting or annual meeting to describe the other councils and answer questions. A question concerning how other councils receive funding was raised, and it was learned that most councils are in the early development stage and do not have secure funding. The councils that are more established, e.g., Colorado and Maryland, receive funding from government sources, federal or state. Chuck Kanetsky offered that the EPA cannot provide long-term funding for the VWMC administration but can provide funds for specific VWMC projects and activities.
2001 Conference
Matt Bley with DCR reported on the Virginia Watershed Management Conference planning meeting held on March 22. The date and location for the conference have not been set but should be set at its next meeting, April 24th.
There was a discussion on how to integrate the VWMC conference into the Watershed Management Conference. It was suggested that someone could describe the VWMC during the opening session or during a luncheon session to entice people to attend the VWMC sponsored part of the meeting. The VWMC could host a session and hold its business meeting at the conclusion of the session. Alternatively, the VWMC could have its conference before or after the Watershed Management Conference. It was suggested that having the VWMC conference at the conclusion of the Watershed Management Conference would more likely attract other conference participants. It was decided that if the Watershed Management Conference planners are willing, it would be better to have a forum sponsored by the VWMC that is embedded within the Watershed Management Conference.
The question of how to separate the registration for the two events was raised. A one-day registration fee was suggested as a possibility. Matt said he would have a better idea of the participant registration fees at the May Steering Committee meeting.
It was suggested that the results of the needs assessment survey could be presented, and the inventory could be unveiled on the web site during the conference. Kay Slaughter from the Southern Environmental Law Center was suggested as a keynote speaker to talk about the origins and applications of the public trust doctrine. The topic of DEQ’s new strategy for meeting its data needs was also suggested. It was recommended that different members of the VWMC could summarize how they see the VWMC helping their specific organization.
The need for a tabletop display for the VWMC was mentioned. It was suggested that a display be created in time for the conference.
A conference committee was developed which includes Sam Austin, Matt Bley, John Kauffman, Ward Staubitz, and Jane Walker.
Financial Planning
Jane Walker reported that she looked over the budget that was proposed at the January meeting and thought it was fairly realistic.
Staff (Based on 33% of Jane’s time, with benefits) $14, 600
Overhead (estimated at 30-50%) 6,000
Contractual Services 1,000
Conference self-sustaining
Committees agency support
Web Design < $10,000
Jane commented that the cost for the web design and maintenance needed more work. Stacey Moulds commented that the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay works with someone who does their “live” web page, and he is paid about $40/hour. Stacey also commented that Cosmos through the Richmond-Times Dispatch could develop a simple web page for free and advertise they are three to four times less expensive than other companies when developing more complicated web designs. It was suggested that we decide what we want our web page to contain before assigning a cost to it. Chuck Kanetsky reminded everyone that applications for the 604b monies for 2002 are due to EPA by July so that it is important to determine the cost fairly soon.
Michele commented that at an earlier meeting, VIMS offered to house the GIS portion of the inventory on the web and have it accessible through links from the VWMC web site. Sam Austin volunteered to contact Lyle Varnell at VIMS to discuss this possibility more fully and obtain other web development suggestions from Lyle. The first part of getting the inventory ready for web display is to produce a report, for which we will also need funding. Don Smith could talk with David Lazarus at DEQ to see if money is available for such a report. Ron Gregory reported that DEQ would not be able to fund an intern to follow-up the mail-in surveys with phone surveys.
There was further discussion about the VWMC giving a presentation to the State Water Commission. The first task is to learn when the commission meets. Ron Gregory offered to find out about the process from Marty Farber. It was advised that the non-agency members of the VWMC would need to take the lead with the discussions since agency personnel normally attend by invitation only. The Commission usually meets twice a year, and it was suggested that we might want to present the results of the inventory and needs assessment survey.
The group would need to develop a presentation that covers the objectives of the VWMC and its budget. The results of the needs assessment survey and the initial posting of the inventory returns could be presented.
Sam Austin provided information on the requirements for submitting a “Mayfly” license plate design. The plate would need legislation approval by the General Assembly and would need 350 prepaid applications before the Department of Motor Vehicles would issues the plates. The additional costs for special license plates are $10 per year for each plate and $25 per year for each revenue sharing plate.
Announcement
Kate Register commented that her husband teaches graphic arts and might be willing to design a VWMC logo or have his class develop possible logos. Several suggestions would be presented and the Steering Committee or the VWMC membership could vote on the logo. Her husband might also be willing to design letterhead for business letters and note pads. Everyone showed support for the idea, suggested Kate discuss it in more detail with her husband, and let us know what she learns.
Ward Staubitz announced that under the President’s current budget proposal, the USGS will be faced with funding cuts. The cuts will affect the amount of funding that the VWRRC receives and will cut funding for some of the USGS’s groundwater and other studies. Members expressed concern for the budget cuts and wondered if the Steering Committee should write a letter to the congressional representatives or if such a move would be too political for the VWMC. It was decided that no letter would be sent from the group as a whole for this particular issue or future issues of a similar nature. As an individual citizen, however, anyone can write a letter to his or her representative.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Steering Committee is slated for May 29, 2001 at the Department of Forestry building in Charlottesville. The meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m. and continue until 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. It was decided to continue discussing the 2001 conference and fund raising at the next meeting. With no other business, the meeting was adjourned.