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Minutes of Regular Meeting
             VANDERBURGH COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
(SWCD) Office, Evansville, Indiana
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 21, 2005

Present:                                                                                                                             SWCD Personnel:
Dave Ellison, Chairman (Absent)                                                                                         Norma Duckworth (Absent)
Les Nunn, Vice-Chairman                                                                                                   Bonnie Bittner
Wayne Fehd, Member
Holly McCutchan, Member                                                                                                  NRCS Personnel:
Lauren Preske, Member                                                                                                       Darrell Rice

Les Nunn asked for a motion to approve the minutes mailed to supervisors with the draft agenda last week.

A motion was made by Wayne Fehd to approve the minutes of the November,
2005 meeting, seconded by Holly McCutchan, and carried.

Les Nunn asked the board to refer to the November financial report, which showed the previous balance on 11-1-05, $27,955.67, Receipts, $2,448.75, Debits $3,622.97 and balance as of 11-30-05 $26,781.45.

                    A motion was made by Wayne Fehd to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded
                    by Lauren Preske, and carried.

NOVEMBER CLAIMS
The following claims for November were submitted for supervisor approval:
W4198 Oaks Printing, Inc. (October Newsletter sent to County/Insufficient funds)                                 $1,063.21
W4197 Old National Bank/Petty Cash (Replenish Petty Cash)                                                                   $41.24
W4202 NACD (Membership Quota 2006)                                                                                          $1,000.00
W4199 IASWCD (Annual Conference Registrations (2 Staff/3Supervisors)                                          $1,130.00
W4200 IDEA (Boot Camp Registration/Supervisor)                                                                                    $5.00
W4203 NACD (Soil Stewardship Materials)                                                                                           $383.52
Note: The Auditor paid the following claims:
Norma Duckworth (Gas)                                                                                                                          $10.00
Verizon Wireless (Cell Phone)                                                                                                                   $19.16
South Western Communications, Inc. (Static on the Line)                                                                         $139.50
Smith & Butterfield (5 Boxes Copy Paper)                                                                                               $134.50
 

Finance Chairman, Holly McCutchan reviewed the claims.

Wayne Fehd made a motion to approve the claims, seconded by Lauren Preske, and carried.

OLD BUSINESS:
Soil & Water Resource Committee – David Ellison/Todd Thomas – Co-Chairperson
Darrell explained the Clean Water District Grants Program for the benefit of the supervisors not in attendance at the November board meeting when Ken Eck gave his presentation. It was decided to apply for the Supervisor Training Incentive grant and under the Unique Partnership Program there was a discussion on partnering with Posey and Gibson to monitor sites in Big Creek. Supervisors and staff discussed contacting Mesker Park Zoo, Howell Wetland, Burdette Park, Wesselman Woods and the Greenway for possibilities.

BUSINESS PLAN:
ACTIONS FOR 2006
Continue developer’s workshop to highlight urban control practices and legislation (partnering with other agencies)
Determine SWCD level of involvement with local MS4’
Educate public on maintenance of septic related issues by SWCD & Partners with newsletter, flyers, fair booth (Ongoing)
Locate and promote programs that provide incentives to adopt conservation practices (Newsletter/ongoing)
Develop a video for youth on impact of farmland conversion by July 2006 (Susan Fowler & Lauren Preske)
Partner with City/County parks department to preserve/create parks & related areas (Ongoing)
Develop information resource on farmland conversion for public officials & general public (Ongoing)
Develop "Farm Day" to promote conservation & related practices by December 2006 (Norma & Committee)
Develop related workshops to promote available programs for natural area preservation by February 2006
Explore role of SWCD by SWCD & Committee (Ongoing)

Action items on the business plan were discussed. One action item in particular, the video for youth on impact of farmland conversion. Holly McCutchan has a contact that she will talk to about his group possibly doing the video as a project.

Preservation/Creation Natural Areas Committee – Lauren Preske, Chairperson
Holly McCutchan reported the Scott Twp Park board is promoting River & Poetry in the schools in Scott Township. The Scott Township Park is promoting the contest by passing out information and flyers to all schools located within the township. She is working with the English department at Bosse High School and Tim (her husband) is going to work with the cub scouts on submitting entries.

Farmland Preservation – Wayne Fehd-Chairperson
Darrell reported we have Posey County on board for the Smart Growth & Natural Resource Protector Workshop in March. They will be sending out their letters. After some discussion it was decided to contact some key supervisors in each of the partnering counties.

Brown Field and Urban Land Use Committee – Les Nunn, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Legislative Committee – John Hahn, Chairperson
Bonnie asked Les Nunn to sign the legal notice that will be sent to the newspaper for the upcoming Annual Meeting.

Bonnie asked members to refer to copies in their packets of her report on the IASWCD Board Meeting & Legislative Committee Meeting she attended in Indianapolis on December 8th. She also reported she spent the night of December 8th in a hotel in Plainfield due to road conditions (snow).

Finance Committee – Holly McCutchan - Chairperson
No Business This Month

District Operations Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Bonnie asked members to refer to their packets for a copy of her report on the Region meeting she and Wayne Fehd attended on December 15th at Sugar Ridge in Winslow, IN. She passed copies of the final revisions proposed by the IASWCD board for district law.

County Commissioners meeting report was tabled.

NEW BUSINESS:
Soil & Water Resource Committee – David Ellison/Todd Thomas – Co-Chairperson
Les asked members to refer to copies in their packets for an e-mail sent to the district by Dean Farr, IASWCD Executive Director, on "Federal Farm Bill Related Article"

Preservation/Creation Natural Areas Committee – Lauren Preske, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Farmland Preservation – Wayne Fehd-Chairperson
No Business This Month

Brown Field and Urban Land Use Committee – Les Nunn, Chairperson
Bonnie reported for Norma that she will be attending the 2006 Annual Erosion Control Seminar on Tuesday, January 10th at Casino Aztar in Evansville. There is no cost involved for government officials.

Legislative Committee – John Hahn, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Finance Committee – Holly McCutchan - Chairperson
Holly McCutchan checked the petty cash and reported it is in order. She asked members to initial the report.

Bonnie explained the background on her request to have the district sign outside the front door cleaned. She asked for an okay to get a quote to clean it up.

The Howell Wetland and Mesker Park Zoo Signs were also discussed. Bonnie has been in contact with the director of the Zoo and Howell Wetland. She passed a copy of her e-mails on the signs. Staff will be working on the wording after the holidays.

District Operations Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Les Nunn asked members to refer to copies in their packets for the announcement of the Partnership Reception at Annual Conference.

Les reported Dave Elgin, RC&D director asked for another volunteer from Vanderburgh County supervisors to be on his board. Lauren Preske volunteered.

                Wayne Fehd made a motion for Lauren Preske to be on the RC&D Council
                 board, seconded by Holly McCutchan and carried.

Les asked members to refer to the Water Quality Specialist’s report in their packets. He commented he really liked the way Norma did her report. He also asked members to refer to the logs included in their packets.

Darrell reported he had two Sod Buster Plans, Steven Luigs T-379 and Gary Ludwig T-1666 that needed to be signed by a supervisor. Les Nunn signed the plans for Darrell. Darrell also reported he had 6 EQIP applications and the sign up ends on January 16, 2006.

Bonnie passed her time sheet for review and signatures.

Les Nunn set the next board meeting for January 25, 2006. Bonnie reminded everyone to put February 28, 2006 on their calendars for the Annual Meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture will be our speaker.

Holly reported she will be making a presentation at the Neighborhood Association meeting in January on the Rain Garden program.

Darrell passed aerial maps of the tornado path showing where they had a loss of trees. He is getting Steve Marling down to look at them and Lauren suggested contacting the restoration ecologist at Sugar Ridge. He will report back to the board with a plan.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

                                                                                                                                            Respectfully Submitted

                                                                                                                                            Bonnie Bittner
                                                                                                                                            Executive Assistant

Minutes approved on January 25, 20056

David R Ellison _________________________________

Les Nunn ______________________________________

Wayne Fehd _______________________________________

Holly McCutchan ___________________________________

Lauren Preske ______________________________________                   Top of Page              Home