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Minutes of Regular Meeting
VANDERBURGH COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
(SWCD) Office, Evansville, Indiana
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Present:                                                                                                             SWCD Personnel:
Lauren Preske, Member                                                                                      Norma Duckworth
Holly McCutchan, Member                                                                                 Bonnie Bittner
Wayne Fehd, Member
Bill Jeffers, Associate                                                                                           NRCS Personnel:
Fred Padget, Associate                                                                                        Darrell Rice
Tom Niksch, Associate
Susan Fowler, Associate                                                                                      IDNR Personnel:
                                                                                                                           
Amy Steeples

Lauren Preske chaired the June board meeting. The minutes of the May meeting were mailed to each member prior to the meeting.

            A motion was made by Holly McCutchan to approve the minutes of the
            May, 2004 meeting, seconded by Wayne Fehd, and carried.

Lauren asked the Treasurer to read the May financial report, which showed a previous balance on 5-01-04 of $32,967.73, Receipts, $170.21, Debits $2,157.90 and balance as of 5-31-04 $30,954.11.

            A motion was made by Wayne Fehd, seconded by Holly McCutchan, and carried,
            to approve the treasurer’s report as presented.

The following claims were submitted for Supervisors’ approval:
W4060Indiana Department of Revenue (First Quarter Sales Tax)                                $48.06                        
NOTE: the Auditor paid the following claims
Verizon Wireless (Cell Phone)                                                                                     $29.67
IASWCD (2004 Dues)                                                                                         $ 2,000.00
Bonnie Bittner (Hotel/Word Class in Louisville)                                                            $78.63
SWCS (2004 Dues for Norma & Supervisor)                                                            $150.00
Farm Service Agency (Postage 12-28-01 to 5-20-04                                              $2,716.07

Finance Chairman, Holly McCutchan reviewed the claims stating she recommends the claims be approved.

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

OLD BUSINESS:
Natural Resource Committee – David Ellison & Todd Thomas, Co-Chairperson
Lauren reported she has a meeting set up next week with Brian Herr to discuss ideas for the Daylight Farm Supply, Inc. Cooperative Research Proposal. Darrell and Edwin will take part. The purpose of this research proposal is to study the pros and con’s of no till over a five year study.

Lauren reported Sustainable Evansville will hold their meeting at the 4-H Center August 3, 4 or 5th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. They will serve desert and drinks. Joe Tutterow, President, Land Resources Council is the speaker. They are putting together a panel of three or four from the community to answer questions. Everyone is invited; especially target anyone who has a steak in planning for our community. It was suggested when the date is decided, put it on our website and also e-mail Paul Farmer who is the president of United Neighborhoods.

Bonnie reported she mailed River Friendly forms and a letter to Roger & Kevin Rexing and Daniel Kercher. Danny brought his forms to the office and they were sent to IASWCD. Roger & Kevin Rexing declined.

Dwayne Caldwell will attend the July 27th board meeting to discuss how we can partner with the Health Department to address water quality concerns (i.e. septic) The board also wants to become more knowledgeable on septic system opportunities for example Jobe’s Lane. Fred Padget gave some background on the septic problems on Job’s Lane and informed the board they received a grant and the project should be done this summer. Westside soils are not conducive to septic systems, thus causing problems.

Preservation/Creation Natural Areas Committee – Lauren Preske, Chairperson
Bonnie reported the newsletter advertising the tree sale is at the printer and will come out the first of July. Fred Padget is advertising the tree sale in Westside Improvement’s newsletter; it will be in the Home Builders newsletter and on our website. Bonnie passed flyers for supervisors and staff to take if they had a place or knew of a place to post it. She will send each tree sale brochures in the letter stating the date of the July board meeting. The district now has a tree license; so everything seems to be on schedule.

Farmland Preservation – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Holly reported she is meeting with Diane Barber next week and is waiting to contact the museum after some dates for the zoo to utilize the exhibit is in place. Holly will call the zoo and have the graphics sent on CD. There were several ideas for using the exhibit from Casino Aztar to the police departments National Night Out.

Brownfield and Urban Land Use Committee – Phil Hoy, Chairperson
Darrell Rice, Norma Duckworth, Wayne Fehd and David Ellison attended the Planning for Rural and Urban Storm Water Runoff video conference at the Extension Office on June 3rd. Vanderburgh County probably had the best turnout in the state. Some people left when they had trouble getting the conference up and going. Once it was going it was very informative and something we will try to get a copy of to show county officials. It wasn’t advertised very well, Bonnie found out about it from the secretary in the district office in Posey County. She sent the information to County Commissioners and several offices in the civic center. John Ansbro from Area Plan attended the conference.

Legislative Committee – John Hahn, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Finance Committee – Holly McCutchan, Chairperson
No Business This Month

District Operations Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Norma asked members to review her County Commissioners’ meeting report in their packets. She reported she will be doing an inspection shortly with Lynn Miller on Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s previous superintendent is gone. They hired a new person in March to keep Wal-Mart’s all over the US in compliance. Norma has the "After the Storm" video with three more copies coming and she ordered more pamphlets; they sent 100.

Lauren reported Bonnie did some research, by e-mail, on Youth Boards across Indiana. The consensus seems to be they are not too effective. Participants on the Youth Boards must be under 19 and Lauren was interested in college age students. After some discussion it was decided to utilize college students as Earth Team Volunteers.

Bonnie asked members and staff to please get their registration forms for Summer Splash in to her next week. They are due in the state office before July 6th. Registration forms were in their packets.

NEW BUSINESS
Natural Resource Committee – David Ellison & Todd Thomas, Co-Chairperson
Fred Padget reported Carpentier Creek got a permit but not final approval from Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Darrell Rice reported Tim Mueller put in a Conservation Reserve Program Grassed Waterway. Kevin Adler put in two filter strips and Darrell Adler 1 ½ acres of filter strips in Barr Creek

Preservation/Creation Natural Areas Committee – Lauren Preske, Chairperson
Darrell passed pictures of the Clean Water Indiana Project in Howell Wetland. The project looks terrific, but the geese are wearing the grass out. We used fescue because of the slopes. Warm season grass wouldn’t have had a chance. Norma and Darrell attended a meeting with the Parks Department who said they are battling beaver. They wanted assistance from our office. Darrell pulled in Jeff Thompson, who suggested they clear cut the area and plant it in warm season prairie grasses ($300 per acre). They want the SWCD to help. This should move the beaver down stream.

Farmland Preservation – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Brownfield and Urban Land Use Committee – Phil Hoy, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Legislative Committee – John Hahn, Chairperson
One of the resolutions that passed in the 2003 Annual Conference business meeting was in regard to District representation on the Drainage board. Bill Jeffers explained in Vanderburgh County the Drainage Board is made up of the three County Commissioners. Bill, as surveyor, attends the meetings and advises the commissioners. Some counties have five citizens that make up the drainage board. The supervisors can set in on any of the meetings. Bill said the agenda is put on the County Surveyors website at noon on Thursday. After some discussion concerning commissioners versus a citizens drainage board it was unanimous the supervisors thought the drainage board should be the county commissioners. Bonnie reported the IASWCD legislative committee would like more supervisors to become involved.

Finance Committee – Holly McCutchan, Chairperson
Holly McCutchan asked members to refer to copies in their packets of an article that ran in the Evansville paper about Indiana Loses Farms/Aid Untapped.

Holly reported Petty Cash was in order and asked members to initial the report. Holly asked for a motion to replenish Petty Cash.

                Lauren Preske made a motion to replenish petty cash for $29.52, seconded by
                Wayne Fehd and carried.

Bonnie reported the SWCD lighted sign in the front of the building needs to be cleaned. She called Ad-Craft who installed the sign to see what they would charge and spoke to Andy Mazzer. Andy said they charge $65 and hour and he estimated it would take three possibly four hours. Wayne Fehd said he would bring his water truck and wash the sign down.

Bonnie reported Susan from Solid Waste called and wanted to know if we wanted to share a fair booth again. She faxed seventeen pages so we could see all the new rules and cost. Bonnie would like to advertise the Tree Sale and Norma wants to put up a display. Bonnie and Norma said they would work the booth during the day and asked for supervisors to work the evening hours. Holly, Wayne and Lauren volunteered and board members volunteered Dave Ellison.

               Holly McCutchan made a motion to split the cost of a fair booth with Solid Waste,
               seconded by Wayne Fehd and carried.

District Operations Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Bonnie reported there will be a teleconference on June 29th at 10:00 on the insurance IASWCD carried for districts. Wayne said he and Bonnie will attend. Bonnie passed a copy of the current Insurance policy for members to review.

Bonnie asked member to start considering who they would like to speak at the Annual meeting. After some discussion and possibilities, it was decided to do some checking on two names that board thought were possibilities. One was Indiana Land Resources Council. Joe Tutterrow, Executive Director and Mike Linderman, Site Manager, Angel Mounds.

Darrell passed a map of Indiana and chart showing which districts in Indiana have completed their business plan. Lauren Preske asked Bonnie to put the Business Plan on line and send her a copy by e-mail. She also said she would like to have business cards and thought we could do them in house. Bonnie agreed and offered to get the logo sent to her from the printer and she will purchase card stock.

Wayne presented Holly with her card from the state designating her, an elected district supervisor in Vanderburgh County.

Amy Steeples asked members to refer to copies in their packets of her report. She reported the district received a bill from V3 Associates for the first portion of testing in Barr Creek. Bonnie will send them a check and she will submit a form to DNR for the district to be reimbursed. The Kudzu project was postponed until fall. Tom Niksch gave Amy a site to check.

Norma asked members to refer to copies in their packets of her report. She also told the supervisors she has not made many commitments to education because she is too busy with erosion control. Lots of engineers have come in and she feels are more confident with developing the erosion control plans.

The Inspection Site Log was passed for review.

The mileage log for the SWCD Blazer was passed for review.

Darrell reported Edwin Almodovar started in the Vanderburgh office on June 1st and if any of the board sees him please thank him for serving in Iraq. He received a purple heart for injuries in a roadside bombing.

He also reported status reviews are completed. He presented 2004 EQIP applications for Tim Hall, Marcellus Baehl, and Ralph Rexing Farms. Applications were signed and approved.

Darrell reported will be conducting a No Till meeting for EQIP applicants August 26 & 27. They will meet as a group on the 26th and on farms the 27th. Barry Fisher who is a No Till expert will speak to the applicants. There will be a telephone conference to start setting up the meeting on June 29th at 9:00 a.m.

The first full week in July Darrell will again be a full time District Conservationist in Vanderburgh County. He explained the NRCS budget is at a $1.6 million deficit. Jane Hardisty is working with the undersecretary to try to give us more money.

Lauren reported Suzanne Crouch and Mayor Weinzapfel both declined the district offer to sponsor them on the Preservation Tour. She asked for suggestions who she should contact next, after some discussion it was decided Gail Riecken would be a good person for this tour.

The county employee time sheets were passed for review and board member signatures.

The July meeting was set for July 27, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in the Vanderburgh County SWCD conference room.

Fred Padget reminded members and staff of the Unification Public Meeting on June 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at the Centre. The public is invited and they want to hear the public’s opinions.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. with a motion from Lauren Preske, seconded
by Holly McCutchan and carried.

                                                                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                                                        Bonnie Bittner
                                                                                                                        Executive Assistant

Minutes approved on July 27, 2004 by

David R Ellison_______________________________

Phil Hoy ____________________________________

Wayne Fehd _________________________________

Holly McCutchan _____________________________

Lauren Preske ________________________________

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