Full Council Meeting

Cloverdale Veterans Memorial 9-11AM

Thanks to Zeno Swijtink for facilitating the meeting and moderating the workshop! At 9:30AM lacking a quorum, the meeting began with announcements.

ANNOUNCEMENTS-Kerry Williams announced the availability of 2500 copies of the House and Garden Audit developed by Sotoyome RCD. Kerry distributed several copies and encouraged those who were still interested to come by the Sotyome RCD at 970 Piner Rd., Santa Rosa and pick up a copy.

Karen Rippey announced the RRWaMP committee continues to meet. Members have developed a purpose statement and continue to work on finalizing the scope of work for the technical panel review in September. Next meetings are July 22, August 7, August 18, and August 25 4:30-7:30PM at the Healdsburg library for all meetings.

Derek Acomb reviewed the Ross Taylor culvert assessment files that have been posted on the RRWC website, www.rrwc.net. Fish passage concerns have been prioritized with funding and projects already started. Derek will provide more detail about where work is already underway so that efforts are not duplicated and people can find out to help their local creek

Bob Clemens reported that the 2003 Russian River Cleanup in Sonoma County will be on September 20. Volunteers are needed and welcome! Visit their website at www.russianrivercleanup.org or call Bob at 707-887-2303. Tires continue to be a problem. Special cleanup at Penny Island is also scheduled.

Brock Dolman announced a $29K grant for the development of a West County Fire Safe group with their first meeting scheduled for July 23, at 7PM at St. Philip's in downtown Occidental.

Chuck Williams announced the 6th annual Coho Confab by the Salmon Restoration Federation at Jughandle Farm on the Mendocino Coast near Caspar from August 22-24. For more information contact the Trees foundation at 707-923-4377 or visit website www.calsalmon.org.

Peggy Maddock asked for the public caucus and public outreach and education members to meet at the break to discuss meeting dates for the near future.

David Berman announced the Russian River watershed map under development will be distributed to 600 classrooms this fall. Please take a look at the posted map and name any unmarked tributaries that you know. David is also looking for photos of local plants and animals and prefers digital files if you have them. David can be reached at 707-874-1504 or david@monitor.net.

Zeno Swijtink announced that another Blue Circle meeting for local watershed groups is tentatively being scheduled for August 19. The place in Dry Creek is yet to be finalized but the timing will be like last time in the late afternoon-early evening. The theme of the meeting will be on groundwater and summer flows.

Linda Curry announced that she will not be available for the September 2003 meeting and is looking for a Council member or other suitable volunteer for the taking the notes and creating minutes for the 9/13/03 meeting. RRWC members from Mendocino County will meet with Roland Sanford, the new general manager of the Mendocino Water Agency, on Monday, July 14 at 3:30-5PM at 501 Low Gap Rd. Conference Room B, Ukiah.

AGENDA/MINUTES APPROVAL-By 9:50AM a quorum was present. The agenda, minutes and May meeting consent items were approved by verbal assent 24 ayes, 0 no.

DIRECTORY UPDATE-Kerry Williams from Sotoyome RCD presented the progress on updating a resource directory for the Russian River Watershed. Besides the previous directory from Sotoyome RCD, the current directory from Mendocino RCD and other references suggested by the Public Outreach and Education work group have been posted. Members were encouraged to review the listings and correct or add any other organizations that should be included. The intake form for each listing is electronic. Any other updates or other suggestions can be shared with Sotoyome RCD by sending an email to sotorcd@sonic.net or contact Kerry (707-569-1448)

OFFICER ELECTIONS-Members expressed concerns that two of the candidates proposed, Rusty Klassen and Fred Euphrat, were not in attendance. There was also some confusion about which candidate was President vs Vice President. Item was tabled awaiting arrival of candidates.

ATTENDANCE & QUORUM MOTION-Joan Kelley explained the Steering Committee's recommendation for a floating quorum in which all the existing voting seats outlined in the rules of operation would be retained but only those seats that are actively participating would be counted to determine the quorum. That is, after a voting member or their alternate had missed 3 meetings, their seat would be inactivated. The seat would reactivated by the member resuming attendance. Using 2003 attendance records (tally handout was provided) if the motion passed today:
1. the public caucus would have 18 qualified members,
2. the environmental caucus would have 9 qualified members
3. the economic caucus would have 6 qualified seats
4. the RCDs would have 2 qualified seats

Ongoing tallies would be kept at each meeting so that quorum could be determined. Suggestions included:
1. attendance should be 5 out of 6 meetings per year to retain seat.
2. do away with any caucus affiliation
3. if you miss 3, you don't get to start voting again until your 2nd attendance
4. each caucus should monitor their own membership, so that if a member hasn't attended for 2 meetings, the caucus notifies the individual to retain the seat as active.
5. attendance numbers should be available at every meeting
6. reduce the number for each caucus total to 12 or less

Members questioned the origins of the motion (rules work group 5/31/03 and Steering Committee 6/03). Respect for the participation of those members who regularly attend RRWC meetings and ability to keep business moving forward were cited as the main reasons for the motion. Concerns about losing representation were also expressed, however, most members felt that an effective organization would be more likely to draw in community participation.

An outreach working group could develop strategies for additional member recruitment. Neighboring with other watershed councils to learn how they are coping with these issues (quorum and stakeholder representation) should be helpful. Other items listed in the Voting Proposals document could be revisited at a later date if needed.

Motion was passed with 18 ayes, 2 no, and 4 abstain

WORK GROUP MOTION-Zeno outlined how the work groups would be aligned with the strategy areas from the Plan of Action. No particular alignments are required. Each strategy area would create separate task groups to address particular projects and make regular periodic reports to the RRWC. Anyone would be able to participate in the task groups. Each task group would have a project manager to oversee the operations of the group and administer whatever budget was needed for the project. Concerns were expressed about changing our organization structure "just to change" as being unnecessary, while others expressed hope that the alignment could help get projects and funding started on the critical issues already identified.

Motion passed with 22 ayes, 2 no, 1 abstain. Members requested that as minutes are posted for meetings on the website within a week of each meeting that an email notice be sent out to the RRWC.

OFFICER ELECTION-Rusty and Fred were still not present at 10:30AM. A motion to vote only on those candidates who were actually present failed with 11 ayes, 6 no, 3 abstain. Officers are charged with providing continuity between the Community Foundation and the RRWC. Ballots for individuals should be private written ballots rather than our traditional voting. Members expressed confidence that Rusty and Fred would be able to sort out which office should be held by whom.
Original motion for slate as: President-Rusty Klassen, Vice-Presidentn-Fred Euphrat, Secretary-Kay McCabe and Treasurer-Joan Kelley was passed with 16 ayes, 5 no and 4 abstain

SEPTEMBER AGENDA-Technical panel for scope of work review. Our meeting is the opening day of the Celebration of the Russian River 2003.