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Minutes of Regular Meeting
VANDERBURGH COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
(SWCD) Office, Evansville, Indiana
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 22, 2006

Members Present:                                                                                                 SWCD Personnel:
Dave Ellison, Chairman                                                                                             Norma Duckworth
Holly McCutchan, Member                                                                                       Bonnie Bittner
Wayne Fehd, Member
                                                                                                                                 NRCS:
                                                                                                                                
Darrell Rice

The minutes of the February meeting were mailed to each member prior to the meeting.

A motion was made by Wayne Fehd to approve the minutes of the February,
2006 meeting, seconded by Holly McCutchan, and carried.

Dave Ellison asked the board to refer to the February financial report. The previous balance 02-01-06 $25,514.04.31 Receipts, $812.31, Debits $342.04 and balance as of 02-28-06 $25,984.31

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

FEBRUARY CLAIMS
W4211 Southwest IN Crop Seminar (Sponsorship)                                                         $65.00
W4215 Four Rivers RC&D (2006 Dues)                                                                       $300.00
W4210 Pearl Arts & Crafts (6 Tabletop Easels)                                                               $53.04
W4214 CPESC, Inc. (Two Years Renewal Fee + Late Fee)                                          $170.00
W4212 IN Envirothon (Two Teams Central High School)                                               $100.00
W4213 Old National Bank Cash Change (Annual Meeting)                                             $100.00
W4218 Ann Farney (Annual Meeting Caterer)                                                              $1,120.00
Note: Auditor paid the following claims
Muensterman’s Car Service Center (Battery)                                                                     $69.95
Cingular Wireless (Cell Phone)                                                                                           $19.16
Tri-State Trophies (5 Award Plaques Annual Meeting)                                                     $245.94
Bonnie Bittner (Mileage/Tri-State Trophies)                                                                        $13.20
Oaks Printing, Inc. (Annual Report)                                                                                  $614.74
Vanderburgh 4-H Center (Table Covering 37@ $.75)                                                        $27.75

                Holly McCutchan made a motion to approve the February claims, seconded by
                Wayne Fehd, and carried.

After some discussion by the supervisors present it was decided that David R Ellison should remain Chairman and Les Nunn, Vice Chairman of the Vanderburgh County SWCD for the year 2006. The nominations were closed by acclamation.

                    Holly McCutchan made a motion for David R Ellison to be chairman and
                    Les Nunn, Vice-Chairman for the Vanderburgh County SWCD for the
                    year 2006, seconded by Wayne Fehd and carried.

OLD BUSINESS:

Natural Resource Committee: David Ellison, Chairpersons
Bonnie read an e-mail stating the State Soil Conservation Board (SSCB) met earlier in the week to review Clean Water Indiana Grant Applications. The SSCB and the Division of Soil Conservation were excited to receive so many well thought out proposals designed to showcase the new Indiana Conservation Partnership strategic vision to leverage state, federal and local resources to get more conservation on the land. The SSCB made their initial selections and have allocated over $400.00 dollars of the Clean Water Indiana (CWI) funds. The projected date for the official announcement of the awards is early April.

Different action items on the Business Plan were discussed. Holly gave Norma the name of a lady in Louisville who might be good for a fall workshop.

Supervisors asked Bonnie to contact Bob McCormick about a Farmland Preservation Video.

Supervisors asked staff to discuss some possible tours and workshops that will meet the business plan and get back with them.

Preservation/Creation Natural Areas Committee – Tom Niksch, Chairperson
The Scott Twp Park addition was tabled.

Farmland Preservation Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
The Smart Growth and Natural Resources Protection Workshop held at the 4-H Center earlier today was discussed. Staff and supervisors felt it was extremely successful and agreed with Bob McCormick (Presenter) that it was an excellent mix of quality people. Bob McCormick remarked several times it was one of the best he has given. The Vanderburgh County group decided to meet in four weeks to set some goals. Bonnie was asked to contact Central Library and set up a brown bag lunch meeting and let everyone know the date and time.

Brownfields & Urban Land Use Committee – Les Nunn, Chairperson
The 2006 Section 319 Grant Highland Pigeon Watershed Plan Implementation meeting was cancelled due to weather up north. Bonny Elfritz rescheduled the meeting on April 4, 2006 at 12:00 noon Evansville time.

Legislative Committee – John Hahn, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Finance Committee, Holly McCutchan, Chairperson
Bonnie reported AdCraft Sign Company personnel cleaned and re-lamped the outdoor SWCD sign. They had not planned to clean the letter tracks; but did so after some discussion. The sign looks much better.

District Operation Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Wayne Fehd reported he attended the Supervisor Workshop at the Southwest Purdue Ag Center. He reported it was a good meeting and he found the discussion on the IDEM payments for Rule 5 plans reviewed interesting. Holly said she was unable to attend.

Norma reported she received an e-mail from the commissioners’ office that she no longer needed to attend the Commissioners’ department head meeting. Bonnie does not need to send in a weekly report any longer and she should send her weekly report to John Stoll, reporting her education outreach that will qualify for the MS4 report to IDEM.

The staff and supervisors thought Annual Meeting went well and would let Bonnie know if they thought of any changes they might want for next year.

After some discussion on the district visits program it was decided that Bonnie should contact the IASWCD Region Director for the South Southwest Area to attend a board meeting to give a presentation on the program and its benefits.

NEW BUSINESS:

Natural Resource Committee – David Ellison/Todd Thomas, Co-Chairpersons
Dave asked members to refer to a copy in their packets of the letter Senator Lugar’s Southwest Indiana Regional Director, Larry Ordner sent to Lauren Preske, SWCD Supervisor. Mr. Ordner read in the Vanderburgh County SWCD minutes that Lauren reported she attended a session at Annual Conference on Biofuels and Conservation/Making the Connection. Mr. Ordner sent a packet of all the articles where Senator Lugar talked about Biofuels. Holly McCutchan asked Bonnie to make her a copy of the packet for her class at Bosse High School.

Norma reported, Kenny Eck, District Support Specialist Southwest Region for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), sent her an e-mail with the number of NOIs turned in for 2002-2003 (31), 2003-2004 (49), 2004-2005 (69) to IDEM. They want to know if those numbers match her records. She has no record for the number of plans reviewed in 2002-2003 before she took over. Her number for 2003-2004 was 59 and for 2004-2005 was 100. Ken Eck said if there was a substantial difference in the numbers he sent and the district numbers ISDA would check into it.

Norma asked members to refer to copies in their packets of the letter John Stoll sent to IDEM regarding the transfer of the MS4s to his office on April 3, 2006. She will talk with John Stoll concerning the transfer next week.

Dave asked members to refer to a copy in their packets of the letter from Bill Wilson, President of the National Association of Conservation Districts on Renewable Energy Issues. Bonnie passed the brochure that accompanied the letter.

Preservation/Creation Natural Areas Committee – Tom Niksch, Chairperson
No Business This Month

Farmland Preservation Committee – 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
Dave passed a copy of the district law changes that went to the governor for signature.

Dave asked members to read a copy of the letter sent by Four Rivers RC&D asking supervisors to send a letter to Senator Lugar and Representative John Hostettler. Bonnie had letters ready for the supervisors to sign. Wayne Fehd said he would fax the letters for each of the members from his office.

Finance Committee – Holly McCutchan, Chairperson
Holly reviewed the petty cash and asked members to initial the report.

Holly passed a copy of the 2005 Financial Report for members to review saying Dave Ellison and Wayne Fehd audited the 2005 book and found them to be in order. Bonnie mailed the signed report to the Division of Soil Conservation.

Holly asked members to refer to copies in their packets of the Indiana SWCD Foundation Annual Report for 2005.

Holly reported the 2006 dues for Indiana District Employees Association (IDEA) is due for Norma and Bonnie.

            Holly made a motion to pay the $20.00 for the 2006 I.D.E.A. dues for Norma
            and Bonnie, seconded by Wayne Fehd and carried.

District Operations Committee – Wayne Fehd, Chairperson
Dave reported the Division of Soil Conservation, ISDA is offering an SWCD Basic Training for Southwest Indiana on March 30,2006 7:00-9:00 p.m (CST) at the USDA Field Office in Boonville for new supervisors & associates, new SWCD & Partnership staff or anyone wishing to update their knowledge of Districts. Dave asked Bonnie to let Heidi Doss and Paul Bouseman know about the training and tell them the district would pay their mileage.

Dave asked members to refer to copies in their packets of Norma’s activity report. Norma reported she and Susan Fowler has a Project WET workshop this month and she would be doing another one in August. She has Zoo Days this weekend and will set up with Canoe Evansville. She will be attending the River Watch train the trainer advanced training. She also reported the Envirothon went very well, Central High School had two teams; Posey County won this year.

Darrell asked for signatures on the Conservation Plans for
James R Schmitt – Tract 8829
Marx Bros – Tract 700, 8922, 8923
Gary Ludwig – Tract 8847
John Rollett – Tract 1564
Clero Schmitt – Tract 1695
Timothy Mueller – Tract 1155

County employee time sheets were passed for review and signature.

The April meeting was set for April 26, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. in the Vanderburgh County SWCD conference room.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

                                                                                                    Respectfully Submitted

                                                                                                    Bonnie Bittner
                                                                                                    Executive Assistant

Minutes approved on 4-26-06

David Ellison _________________________

Les Nunn _____________________________

Wayne Fehd _________________________

Holly McCutchan _________________________

Lauren Preske _________________________

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