Umatilla County Critical Groundwater Taskforce
Minutes of August 3, 2006 Meeting
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1. CALLED TO ORDER: The
August 3, 2006
meeting of the Umatilla County Critical Groundwater Taskforce (Taskforce) was
called to order by Chairman Kent
Madison at 2:05 p.m. in the Board Room at Umatilla
Electric Co-Op in Hermiston,
Oregon.
2. INTRODUCTIONS: Chairman Madison requested that the Taskforce members and public
participants introduce themselves and sign-in.
There were approximately 15 Taskforce members, two staff members and
approximately 6 public participants. (The
sign-in sheet is attached to the original minutes and included by this
reference.)
3. MINUTES: There were two
name changes suggested in the July 2006 minutes. Charles Miller moved to accept the minutes as
amended. Ray Kopacz
seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
4. SALMON WALK: JR Cook
mentioned that Betty
Klepper suggested that the
Taskforce have a booth at the Salmon Walk.
It would be good exposure for the Taskforce since what we do is related
to water. The Salmon walk is being held August 19, 2006 in front of
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. There is
no charge to have a booth at the Salmon Walk.
The Salmon Walk is a fund raising event to raise money for the Salmon
Expedition. The proceeds pay for busing
for the students on the Salmon Expedition.
Ms. Klepper is unable to man the booth due to
her other obligations. Gary Reed
and Mr. Cook offered to help with and man the
booth.
Ms. Klepper moved to have a booth at the Salmon Walk. Dr. Reed seconded the motion and it carried
unanimously.
5. GRANT
WRITING & PROJECT REVENUE COMMITTEE: Mr.
Cook reported that the Board of
Commissioners approved the Internal Governmental Agreement with IWW/OSU for the
outreach project. The Taskforce’s
financial portion is $15,000 from the uncommitted funds in the Taskforce
account. There is no need for fundraising
at this time. However, there may be
occasion for fundraising after the Plan is approved.
6. NEW PROJECTS COMMITTEE: Chairman Madison reported that the New Projects Committee has not
met.
7. WALLA
WALLA BASIN
REPORT: There was no report for the Walla Walla Basin
this month.
8. CTUIR REPORT: Bill Quaempts
gave a report on a project that he and Mr. Cook had toured and a grant that the
Tribes were using on a project that they felt could be used again in other
basins.
9. COUNTY STAFF
REPORT: Mr. Cook reported that the Data Synthesis
Report is currently going through the technical review process. Kate Ely
with CTUIR, Carl
Wozniak with OWRD and members of
the Taskforce are reviewing the document.
Mr. Cook is hoping to get more data and
prepare an appendix.
There were some questions and comments about the
complexity of the contour maps. Members
of the Taskforce found the maps hard to read and are concerned about the
public’s ability to understand the information.
Mr. Cook explained that Todd Jarvis
has included a 3-D map in his scope of work.
Pat Hayzlett with OWRD has been working on reports that she will
present to the Taskforce, that identify water rights of record within Umatilla County
in Umatilla Basin.
This was a difficult task due to water rights with multiple uses. This information can be used in the Data
Synthesis Report.
Doug Woodcock with OWRD cautioned the Taskforce about quoting
information in the Data Synthesis Report because they have found substantial
errors in their review of the current document.
OWRD will be done with their review of the Data Synthesis Report in the
second week of August. Then there will
be a meeting amongst the reviewers of the Data Synthesis Report.
Discussions then lead off into mining, projects and
AR/ASR discussion. Dr. Reed
mentioned that there are many good ideas and information being discussed by the
Taskforce, but the information needs to be in written form. Dr.
Reed said that this group has
influenced the next legislative session by getting some considerations related
to money for local groups to work with for water issues.
Mr. Cook handed-out the draft 2050 Plan Projects
Chapter that he has started and suggested having a Projects Committee meeting
to continue working on the document. Dr. Reed
believes that the document needs to be prepared by November. We have support with our current
representatives and it would be helpful to have this document for this
legislative session.
Kim Puzey reminded the Taskforce that the Simplot plant has the
piping to do recharge with potable water.
Kent Madison offered to have a meeting at his
conference room on August
15, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. He would be willing to show the Taskforce
members his recharge project and then they could have a Project Committee
meeting.
Rick Colgan spoke about the Umatilla Sub-Basin
2050 Water Management Plan Table of Contents.
There were 10 sections of the Table.
Mr. Colgan said that most of the information for the Plan will come from
the Data Synthesis Report. Chairman
Madison said that the Projects Committee would work on Section 9, put it in a
similar format to the rest of the document, and return it to Mr. Cook and Mr.
Colgan. This document will take the
collaboration of the entire Taskforce and will hopefully be in a final draft
form by November.
Betty Klepper suggested condensing the document into
an executive summary, adding that legislators will not read a 30 page
document. They will only be interested
in reading a document like a Draft Executive Summary.
10. RARE STUDENT INTERVIEW: There are 3
candidates that have selected this potential project. SWCD is administering the grant for the RARE
participant. 80% of the grant was to be
used for Taskforce activities, with the other 20% being used by SWCD.
SWCD personnel have requested Mr. Cook’s assistance in
the interview process. Mr. Cook would
like to have members of the Taskforce help him to draft questions for the
interview. The Taskforce can choose not
to hire any of the candidates if they do not fit, but the SWCD may hire the
participant regardless of the Taskforce’s decision.
Ms. Clarke informed the Taskforce that if SWCD chooses
not to take on the RARE participant, then the $17,000 could go towards a
consultant to do outreach work. However,
if SWCD does take on the RARE participant and the Taskforce decides not to be
involved with that student then the SWCD would still keep the $17,000.
Interviews with RARE participants will be held on
August 10th and 11th at the SWCD office.
11. UMATILLA
COUNTY FAIR OUTREACH
BOOTH: Mr. Cook announced the 4-hour
time slots, who was working at the booth at each given time and what vacancies
where still available. Members informed
Mr. Cook of the times that they would work at the booth.
Desert Springs is donating 10 cases of bottled
water. Chairman Madison thinks that we
should at least match the donation from Desert Springs. Dr. Reed moved to allow Mr. Cook to purchase
up to 50 cases of bottled water. Jim
Klukkert seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
Mr. Cook mentioned to the Taskforce the idea of having
a 4-question questionnaire on the table at the booth. Each person would get a bottle of water for
filling out the questionnaire. Mr. Cook
and Ms. Clarke will work on the questionnaires.
Mr. Cook has submitted a print request for Taskforce
brochures for the fair booth. Ms.
Klepper requested that he also order an additional 50 brochures for the booth
at the Salmon Walk.
12. OSU INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT: Mr. Cook and
Ms. Clarke created a statement of work and a timeline for IWW/OSU. A copy of this document was e-mailed and handed
out. At a previous meeting the Taskforce
authorized up to $25,000 to be used for a consultant. The Statement of Work included the general
deliverables and time specific deliverables.
The group took a break to read through the document. Bill Quaempts moved to approve the
Intergovernmental Agreement with OSU. After
some discussion, Ray Kopacz seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
13. PUBLIC
COMMENT/OPEN DISCUSSION: There were
no public comments.
14. LETTER TO GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI: Chairman
Madison read aloud a letter prepared by staff supporting the Oregon Water
Supply and Conservation Initiatives for OWRD.
Mr. Colgan suggested making the letter more specific to our area. Accepting Mr. Colgan suggestion, staff will
revise the letter and Chairman Madison and Vice-Chairman Springer will sign the
revised letter of support.
15. COUNTY
DIRECTORS MEETING: Tamra Mabbott
reported that she and Todd Jarvis gave a presentation at the most recent County Directors’
meeting. They spoke of water and land
use issues. The Association of Oregon
Counties and the League of Cities are closely involved with the
legislature. They also mention the
Taskforce’s support of the OWRD initiative and encouraged their support. As a whole, the group was supportive of local
control and was impressed with the Taskforce’s efforts.
16. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business the meeting was
adjourned by Chairman Madison at 4:20
p.m.
Signed for the Umatilla County
Critical Groundwater Taskforce by:
_______________________________ _______________________________
JR Cook Annette Rambel
Taskforce County
Staff Member Taskforce Recording
Secretary
Hand-Outs
1. July 2006
Meeting Minutes
2. 2050 Plan
Projects Chapter (Plan Structure and Format)
3. Draft of the
Umatilla Sub-Basin 2050 Water Management Plan Table
of Contents
4. IWW/OSU
Draft Statement of Work w/Timeline