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Agenda | Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2000
TIME:
9:30 am to Noon
Thursday, May 11, 2000
PLACE:
Washington County Public Agency Center
333 East Washington Avenue
West Bend, WI
Host: Steve Seyfert
AGENDA:
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Welcome and Introduction
-
Approval of Minutes
-
Updates from Partners on Upcoming
Issues
-
Election of new Partnership Chairs
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Partnership Agreement and Goals and Partnership
Direction
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Milwaukee County Grounds Stormwater Detention
Basins
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Grant Applications: Results and
Opportunities
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Public Comments and New Business
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Final Comments
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Adjourn
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May 11, 2000
Attendance:
Karen Boren - Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources
Bob Boucher - Friends of the
Menomonee River
Mary Beth Driscoll - Citizens
for a Better Environment
David Fowler - Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District
Sharon Gayan - Wis. Department
of Natural Resources
Paul Hathaway - Ozaukee Co.
Land Conservation Department
Andy Holschbach - Ozaukee Co.
Land Conservation Department
Allen Hron - West Bend Chamber
of Commerce<
Tom Isaac - Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources
Jim Lubner - U.W. Sea Grant
Institute
Dave Schlling - Southeast Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commission
Steve Seyfert - Ozaukee - Washington
Land Trust
Steve Skavroneck - CBE/Independent
Consultant
Don Voith - Mayor, City of Glendale
Absent:
Kenneth Albinger - Ozaukee County
Farm Bureau
Gary Buntrock - Wisconsin Wastewater
Operators Association
Buffy Cheek - Schlitz Audubon
Center
Kevin Dittmar - Wisconsin Board
of Realtors & Milwaukee Builders Assoc.
Bill Hanbury - Greater Milwaukee
Convention & Visitor Bureau
Jim Hess - Wisconsin Woodlands
Owners Association
Marlene Johnson - City of Milwaukee
Alderperson - District 6
Ted Lind - Milwaukee County Conservation
Alliance
Dan Lynch - NRCS District Conservationist
Peter McAvoy - 16th Street Community Health Center
Gretchen Messer- U.W.-Extension,
Basin Educator
Sheldon Myerchin - U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service
Dick Osantowski - NRCS District
Conservationist
Dan Stoffel - Washington County
Land Conservation Committee/Farmer
Angie Tornes - National Park
Service
Frank
Trcka - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Claire Vanderslice - Wisconsin
Conservation Congress
Guests:
Kevin Shafer - Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District
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Welcome and Introduction
The May 11, 2000 meeting of the Milwaukee River Basin Land &
Water Partners was held at the Washington County Public Agency
Center in West Bend. Steve Seyfert, Ozaukee Washington Land
Trust, serving as host, opened the meeting at 9:30 a.m. Karen
Boren was introduced as the new Partnership Program Analyst.
Karen will be working with the Partners through the summer.
Guests were introduced.
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Approval of Minutes
A movement was made approve the minutes of the February 23,
2000 meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved with no
changes.
-
Updates from Partners on Upcoming Issues
The Milwaukee Riverworks' River Restoration Celebration will
take place in downtown Milwaukee on June 24, 2000. It will be
an all-day event that will include boat rides, helicopter rides
to view the watershed areas, and folk music. It will take place
in the downtown riverfront area and will center at Washington
Avenue.
The EPA Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) update
is now available on their website: www.epa.gov/lakmich. The
Plan can also be requested from Rita Garner, U.S. EPA, at 312-886-2440.
Additional information about LaMP and other Lake Michigan issues
at the Lake Michigan Forum's web site at www.lkmichiganforum.org.
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust website is now up and running
and can be found at the following address: www.owlt.org.
Tom Isaac discussed the Zone T 2000 Deer Management Units.
Tom described the various measures for deer herd control discussed
during the public informational meetings held by the Department
of Natural Resources in February, including the following:
-
Four-day October antlerless-only firearm hunt (October
26-29)
-
One-day youth deer hunt to be held during the four-day
October antlerless hunt
-
December 2-3 either-sex hunt, and other December firearm
opportunities
-
Free antlerless tags given to hunters at a rate of three
per license
-
Either-sex nine-day and muzzleloader sessions
-
Archery season extension (four days in early season, and
12 days in late season)
Tom went on to point out the Deer 2000 Public Review Locations,
for meetings which will be held from June 15-29. A schedule
is enclosed.
-
Election of new Milwaukee River Basin
Land & Water Partners Chairs
David Fowler expressed his desire to be considered for the position
of co-chair along with Angie Tornes, who was not in attendance
but who also expressed via e-mail her willingess to co-chair.
Bob Boucher indicated his willingness to take on the chair position
had there not been two other candidates, but as there were,
he supported them.
A vote was taken, and David Fowler and Angie Tornes were unanimously
elected as the new chairs. They will take up the positions immediately.
All members present thanked Sharon Gayan, Frank Trcka, and Steven
Seyfert for their service the last two years.
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Partnership Agreement and Goals and
Partnership Direction
Steve Seyfert announced that agenda items five and seven would
be discussed in tandem, beginning with the direction the partnership
should take in the next year. Steve kicked off the discussion
by highlighting points made during a meeting in March, in which
he, Kevin Dittmar, Frank Trcka, Dave Fowler, and Sharon Gayan
discussed the future of the Milwaukee River Basin Land & Water
Partners. He noted that there appeared to be frustration among
the members because of the Partnership's lack of focus. Those
at the March meeting attributed this lack of focus to the many
issues about which the membership at large feels passionately,
but which sometimes prove to spread the Partnership's attention
too thinly. That these issues are sometimes divisive also keeps
the Partners from accomplishing tangible goals.
Sharon Gayan then distributed a report of this meeting, which
echoed Steve's points, and summarized the group's discussion
and recommendations in more detail. Paramount among the recommendations
was the creation of an executive committee to provide focus
and direction for the Partnership. Additionally, the group noted
that there are many issues and projects which all of the Partners
can agree on, and that it would thus serve the Partnership's
interests better to find areas of assent rather than dissent.
The group felt identifying a single-issue project, which everyone
can agree is both worthy and currently under served, then focusing
the majority of the Partnership's energy for the next year toward
the completion of this project, would provide not only clear
direction for the Partners, but would also allow the Partners
to become cohesive and to see tangible results from their efforts.
This lack of focus was echoed by the majority of the members
in attendance. Having given these same issues thought, Angie
Tornes provided a handout, distributed by Sharon, summarizing
her recommendations for Partnership direction, including focusing
on proactive work rather than reactive work; strengthening educational
efforts; participating in on-the-grounds projects; and broadening
the Partnership.
As the discussion continued, Mary Beth Driscoll said she considered
one project to be somewhat too limiting. Further, she believes
the role of education is more aptly described as the Partners
educating the public rather than Partners educating themselves
or each other (as expressed in the report handed out by Sharon).
Numerous members agreed the veg. buffer along the streams is
an appropriate project on which to focus. [???]
Bob Boucher suggested that the Partners find a way to become
a more active advocates for helping to set various governmental
policies. Other members disagreed, indicating that other environmental
groups are already involved in advocacy, and moving further
in this direction would not only fragment the Partnership, but
would also risk the Partnership being subsumed by the larger
environmental advocacy groups and thus losing its autonomy.
The discussion was rounded up with the members agreeing that
the new chairs will meet in the next few weeks and propose the
structure and duties appropriate for the executive committee.
The executive committee will then direct the Partners in deciding
on which single-issue project(s) the Partners will focus.
The members' attention then turned to the revised Partnership
Goals and the Partnership Agreement letter. Donald Voith reported
that the Agreement Letter was enthusiastically signed by the
City of Glendale's common council. Steve Seyfert will now approach
Saukville's common council to sign the Agreement Letter.
Sharon Gayan distributed the revised Partnership Goals, and
all changes were approved. The term "urban sprawl" in point
two of the Goals was thought by some members to be too relative
to have any real meaning. After discussion, it was agreed the
wording will be changed from "change existing zoning laws and
policies to control urban sprawl" to "change existing zoning
laws and policies to promote sound local and county land use
development."
Finally, Bob Boucher suggested the Partnership have a presentation
at an upcoming meeting, which will clarify what is meant by
the term "smart growth."
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Milwaukee County Grounds Stormwater
Detention Basins
Bob Boucher, Friends of the Milwaukee Rivers, gave an informational
presentation in which he stated the Friends' opposition to the
proposed stormwater detention pond to be located on county grounds.
Bob highlighted major concerns about the use of County grounds
for flood control purposes.
-
Result of Grant Applications
Mary Beth Driscoll reported that the Partnership was awarded
neither the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program grant nor the
Great Lakes Basin Commission grant. She noted that while the
Partners came close on one grant, they ultimately did not get
it because it was dependent upon receiving the other grant.
She suggested that future applications be autonomous.
-
New Grant Opportunities
Information on the following grant opportunities was distributed:
-
The Natural Resources Conservation Services' Multi-Agency
Land and Water Education Grant Program (deadline June 5,
2000).
"This program offers financial and technical assistance
to help Wisconsin's natural resource professionals provide
innovative educational programs in their local communities.
Proposals are sought that helps [sic] farmers identify and
understand the environmental conditions and concerns they
encounter; or plan, implement and/or maintain conservation
practices."
-
The Department of Natural Resources' FY 2001 Watershed
and Clean Water Action Grants Program (deadline July 17,
2000)
The goal of this program is to "promote watershed health
and restoration through the establishment, restoration and
sound stewardship of trees and forests."
-
Public Comments and New Businesss
There were no comments from the public. Due to time constraints,
the meeting adjourned with no discussion of new business
-
Final Comments
Thanks were again enthusiastically expressed to Sharon Gayan,
Steve Seyfert, and Frank Trcka for their service and leadership
the past two years.
-
Upcoming Meeting
Tuesday, July 11, 2000
Harrington Beach State Park
531 Highway D
Belgium
Hosts: Frank Trcka, Sharon Gayan
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