Broad River Watershed Association Board Meeting

July 8, 2009

Present at Meeting: Sam Linhart, Jean Smith, Michael Moody, Victor Johnson, Pat Kelly, Mary Freeman, Paul Webb, Dudley Hartel, Debbie Lester, Bud Freeman, Tom Reynolds

Mary brought up the article about the conflict between land owners and river users on the Broad River in the Flagpole. Does the BRWA have a role in mediating between the parties in the conflict? Sam said he had often gotten calls asking BRWA to do something about problems in the watershed. Dudley said BRWA was started as a land trust and to provide education about the watershed. Mediation between groups in conflict was not envisioned as a role for BRWA. Mary agreed.

Minutes of the May and June Board meeting were reviewed. Dudley moved to approve the minutes from May 13. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Victor moved to approve the minutes from the June 10 meeting. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Victor explained the June financial statement. After some discussion Victor said he thought it would be a good idea to apply for a grant or have a fund raiser next year to raise approx. $10,000. Dudley moved to approve the June statement. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Jean had emailed to the board, the latest draft of a letter to prospective new members that live along the N. Fork of the Broad River in Stephens County. Mary said it was great. Dudley said the pictures were fine as well as the length. Mary suggested that Jean add the website email address i.e. info@brwa.org. Jean said she would look into printing. It would cost $65 to buy color cartridges for her printer, so she will see how much it will cost at a local printer. She was given the go ahead to get the letters printed and mailed.

The money to print and mail will come out of the Stephens County funds but will show in the budget as a membership expense.

Robbie is on vacation. Victor handed out books on Preserving Family Lands, updated edition. He has several left over for Robbie to hand out to folks interested in putting their land in conservation easements.

Sam will see how many people would be interested in sampling below the water treatment plants in the watershed in the fall. Mary suggested that the annual meeting would be a good opportunity to ask members to participate in the sampling project. Dudley has met a person that lives in the BRWA watershed whose son is an eagle scout. Dudley asked if he would be interested in organizing it as a project for this scout. The parent was interested but Dudley has not heard from the scout.

Dudley is thinking about a project to increase the number of CoCoRaHS rain fall reporters in the watershed. He is interested in concentrating enough gauges in the watershed to pull data watershed wide. It could become associated with the BRWA and he wanted to make sure it would be okay with the board for him to pursue the project. Mary and others agreed it was a good project to be associated with.

Jeff sent an email saying that he has been working very productively with Eric on the website.

Mary asked Victor what were the changes to the bylaws that were being considered. Victor said that we could change the total number of board members. Another change could be to strike the words “before reelection” to allow a member to run for a board seat the next year. Dudley suggested that we limit the number of members from 9 to 13 and strike the two words “before reelection”.

Victor also said we could change the number on the nominating committee. One from general membership, one from the board of directors, the past chair and the current board chair on the committee would be a good idea. Dudley suggested two from the general membership. Victor made a motion to amend article 4.1 of the bylaws to change the number of directors from 9-13 and to delete the words “before reelection” and to amend article 5.2a so that the nominating committee has two members from the general membership, one from the board of directors, plus the past nominating chair, and the current directors chair. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Victor will send Jean the official wording for the above changes, so she can send the changes out to the general membership with the mailing about the annual meeting.

Mary Gazaway has sent a letter summarizing the results of the ecoli and fecal coliform sampling. We aren’t sure exactly what the letter means. Pat will contact Mary Gazaway to get the results clarified before the annual meeting report.

Jean said she had contacted Claire Hudson, who had said she was interested in arranging for the food at the annual meeting. She is still interested and agreed to arrange it for the upcoming meeting in September.

Mary suggested that we get someone from the GA Water Council or Joe Cook from Paddle Fest Georgia to speak at the annual meeting. After discussion it was suggested that Frank Carl, the Savannah Riverkeeper could talk to us about the GA Water Council as it has developed and where it is now. Mary will contact him. She will also contact the Ga Conservancy as a back up.

Pat said she has a potential board member, Rebecca Haynie. She is an environmental toxicologist researching and teaching in the UGA Forestry School.

Victor motioned to adjourn the meeting. It was seconded and approved unanimously.