Weather Modification Advisory Committee

Meeting of August 20, 2015

North Campus Building – 1st Floor Public Meeting Room

1106 Clayton Lane, Austin, Texas

Summary of Minutes

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item B, Roll Call and Certification of Quorum. Committee members Frank Reilly, James Pat Nance, Gary Foster, and Alan Zeman were present. Don Parish was absent.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item C, Approval of Minutes – Meeting of April 30, 2015. Committee member, Gary Foster, seconded by James Nance, moved to approve the minutes as presented. The minutes were approved by a unanimous vote.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item D, Public Comment. The Committee heard public comment Christina Green Martinez regarding Rain Enhancement monitoring and long term effects on the weather.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item E, Staff Reports. Bill Kuntz, Executive Director, provided a legislative update and reported on additional programs from health services, TEA and DPS, future interim studies; George Bomar, Program Specialist, reported to the Committee on funding for project infrastructure upgrades; reinstatement of the cloud-seeding operations in new target areas; and notice of a publication on “Guidelines for Operational Hail Suppression Programs”.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item F, Field meteorologists’ report on status of ongoing weather modification activities in 2015. George Bomar reports that Jonathan Jennings, West Texas Weather Modification Association and Craig Funke, West Texas Weather Modification, Texas Weather Modification and South Texas Weather Modification, were unable to attend due to possible cloud seeding operations. Trans Pecos Group has obtained two permits, one expires in February 2016 and the other expires March 2018. Permits have not been used in the last year but the rules prevent the operation from continuing in future years. Define what it means to continue to operate, to prevent organizations from being in violation. The Board suggested a discussion item for a future agenda to review rules and statutes.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item G, Consideration and possible recommendation on applications for renewal of weather modification permit: George Bomar reports that the Panhandle Water Conservation District permit expires in February, 2016 and has maintained a rain enhancement permit since 2000. It has renewed its permit on three different occasions. All paperwork is in order and only publication of the notice of intention is pending for three consecutive weeks as required by law, in a newspaper of general circulation. Staff has reviewed the application for renewal and everything is in order, the District has paid the permit fee and they have provided a detailed operations plan. Board member, Gary Foster, seconded by Alan Zeman, moved to recommend approval of the renewal of the permit for the Panhandle Water Conservation District. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item H, Consideration and possible recommendation on applications for renewal of weather modification licenses for 2016: George Bomar reports that there are currently 8 active licenses and only 7 are requesting renewal, West Texas Weather Modification Association, South Texas Weather Modification Association, Belding Farms, SOAR, Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, Southwest Texas Rain Enhancement Association and Trans Pecos Weather Modification Association and they all have an expiration date of August 31, 2015. The City of Wichita Falls permit also expires on August 31, 2015 and they have decided not to renew it at this time. He says that once a permitted weather modification program is suspended or terminated – and the license is not renewed for the next fiscal year – the permit becomes invalid and the holder will need to go through the process of getting a new license and permit. The 7 that are requesting license renewal have no changes to their applications and payment has been received for these licensees. Board member, James P. Nance, seconded by Gary Foster, moved to recommend approval of the renewal of the permits for the West Texas Weather Modification Association, South Texas Weather Modification Association, Belding Farms, SOAR, Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, Southwest Texas Rain Enhancement Association and Trans Pecos Weather Modification Association. The motion passed by a unanimous vote.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item I, Recommendations for agenda items for the next meeting: Discussion and possible action on the review of the rules and statutes pertaining to the issue of preventing the businesses from continuing to operate in future years if the permit has not been used within the year.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item J, Discussion of date, time, and location of the next Committee meeting. The next Committee meeting date was tentatively set for January 28, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.

Presiding Officer Frank Reilly moved to agenda item J, Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 10:47 a.m.

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Frank Reilly, Presiding Officer

Weather Modification Advisory Committee