Chautauqua Lake & Watershed Management Alliance (Alliance)

2017 Goals – Year End Executive Summary

Overarching organizational goals:

• Procure state and federal money on behalf of members and their projects via grant writing and grant administration.
  • Procured over $482k in state grant dollars for 2017 for two separate municipal member projects (involving four municipal partners). Alliance has continued its partnership with the Village of Celoron for their final capital project at the Lucille Ball Memorial Park, a new amenities building, which will complete the envisioned improvements for public lake access identified in their Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. This project represents $383k in state funding via DOS Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Grant. Alliance has also partnered with the Village of Mayville and Town of Chautauqua for a comprehensive stormwater study. This project represents $100k in state funding via DEC/EFC Engineering Planning Grant. These grant dollars support $645k in total project costs. Implementation 2018 & 2019.
  • The first year the Alliance was in operation was 2015. Between 2015, 2016 and 2017 efforts, the Alliance has assisted in procuring a total of $2.06 million in awarded state grant funding and is assisting in project management and implementation for approximately $3.14 million (total project budgets) in water quality projects specific to Chautauqua Lake. This does not include projects the Alliance has been involved with that only utilize local funding (see final note on page 5).
• Implementation of the recommendations identified in the 2010 Chautauqua Lake Watershed Management Plan, the in-lake Macrophyte Management Strategy (MMS), the Chautauqua Lake Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), and other sources.
  • Alliance is currently involved in the following project types, all of which are identified as recommended actions in the above guidance documents: stream bank stabilizations, invasive species management, public lake access improvements, and urban stormwater management.
• Open communication is to be a priority. Ensure that anyone who wants a voice in how our watershed and lake is managed has a voice and is truly heard by the Alliance Board, Alliance staff and Alliance members.
  • Alliance initiated efforts to create a 5 Year Implementation Strategy which aims to create a neutral way to bring everyone together and gather all relevant stakeholder perspectives, in order to document a strategic way to implement current guidance documents.   The identified scope of work is to integrate existing guidance documents (Watershed Management Plan, Total Maximum Daily Load for Phosphorus, and Macrophyte Management Strategy, etc.) into a cohesive and useable Strategy that allows evaluation, prioritization, and proportional funding allocations among both in-lake management techniques and watershed-based management categories.
• Transparency is also to be a priority.   For example: published goals, published board meeting minutes, etc.
  • Member Fee structure public via Membership Request Letters & Board Meeting Minutes.
  • Board Meeting minutes disseminated to all Members and interested citizens via email as well as published on the Alliance website once draft minutes are approved at the subsequent meeting.
  • Board meetings open to Members and open to the general public.
• Fiscally self-sustaining.
  • Alliance continued to be fiscally self-sustaining in 2017 (as it has been since inception) via three revenue streams: County 2% Agency Allocation for Technical Services, Membership Dues, & grant administration/project management fees. Operations have been conducted within and below budget year on year since inception.
• Focused on not competing with our members or fellow nonprofits for local donors to cover operational costs.
  • No known net impact to fellow nonprofit local operational funding or contributions.
  • There has been no requests made to local funding sources to cover Alliance operations since its inception and seed money was awarded in 2014.
• Act as point of contact for community, state and federal entities.
  • Providing contracted project administration and coordination services on behalf of three (3) Members (plus multiple other Member partners also linked via partnerships/subcontracts, etc.) implementing about $3.14 million in NYS grant and locally matched projects, including serving in a lead role as facilitator and key point of contact with NYS grantor representatives (i.e., NYSDEC, NYSDOS, and NYSEFC).
  • Attendance at multiple Member meetings and/or events (see additional details below) to provide project-specific services (i.e., local resolutions, procurement-related support, project updates) or general updates on Alliance-led or Alliance-partnered initiatives.

• Meet in-person with Members and the general public, network, & most importantly listen.

*Considers approximately 235 working days (less vacation/holidays) in 2017.

**Includes 2017 County 2% reserve funding project meetings.

Annual goals (by the end of the calendar year):

• Identify and develop 10-15 watershed and lake related projects, keeping recommendations made in pertinent guidance documents in mind. Identify and confirm project owner, participants, physical and financial feasibility and probable grant opportunities for each.
  • Ongoing.
• Write and submit a minimum of 10 grant applications in 2017, maximizing local partnerships wherever possible.
  • Five grants submitted during 2017, missing goal. However, it should be noted that Executive Director concerned about current operational and staff capacity, and purposefully limited number of new projects developed and submitted.
• Facilitate implementation and successfully administrate the six Round 12 New York State (NYS) Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) grant awards with the County from 2015 for seven stream bank stabilization construction projects.
  • Provided project and grant administration services to County including subcontractor coordination, procurement assistance, reporting and record-keeping, coordination with NYSDEC project staff, and budget, design, and workplan coordination.
  • Construction completed for Bemus Creek WQIP, which included two separate sections of the creek identified as Upper and Lower; Lower section constructed in 2017, and Upper section largely completed in 2016 (finished in 2017).
  • Completed procurement and contract execution for engineering services, final design, public bid for construction, and construction for Ball Creek WQIP; remaining work includes additional riparian buffer enhancement.
  • Completed procurement and contract execution for engineering services, final design, public bid for construction, and execution of agreement with contractor to perform Goose Creek WQIP construction in Summer 2018.
  • Completed competitive procurement and contract execution for engineering services, preliminary & 50% design, and NYSDEC permitting for Dutch Hollow Creek & West Dutch Hollow Creek WQIP; remaining work includes finalization of USACE permits, final design, public bid for construction services, and construction.
  • Performed project inspection and maintenance for Prendergast Creek WQIP (built in 2016).
• Facilitate implementation and successfully finalize detailed work plan, budget and applicable partnerships as well as successfully administrate the Invasive Species Early Detection efforts for Chautauqua Lake from a 2015 grant from Senator Young via the County.
  • Identified project partners and developed a work plan and budget.
  • Executed an agreement between Alliance and County and subcontracts between Alliance and project partners.
  • Successfully executed a no-cost time extension for County’s agreement with NYS.
  • Partners commenced project work including invasive species control efforts and training, education, and outreach.
• Facilitate implementation and successfully administrate the 2016 NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)/ Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) grant with the Village of Lakewood for the Lakewood/Busti Stormwater Management Engineering Study.
  • Facilitated project kick-off and coordination among Village, Town, County, and NYSEFC.
  • Assisted Village with NYS contract execution checklist, including several municipal resolutions and SEQRA compliance; execution of grant agreement with NYS; and initial grant disbursement of nearly $50,000.
  • Assisted Village with contracting and receipt of advance payments of local match from Town and County.
  • Prepared Request for Proposals (RFP) and coordinated Village procurement, negotiations, and contract execution with an engineering consultant
  • Coordinated project kick-off meeting and commencement of engineering services (in progress); anticipated project completion ca. June 2018.
  • Provided project coordination and administration services, including subcontractor invoice review and payment recommendations, coordination of subcontractor efforts and review of deliverables, assistance with meeting scheduling, project updates and record-keeping, and M/WBE compliance.
• Facilitate implementation and successfully administrate the 2016 Village of Celoron NYS Department of State (DOS) Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) grant award for improvements to the Lucille Ball Memorial Park (including but not limited to breakwall removal and replacement, and installation of timber boardwalk and kayak/canoe launch).
  • Provided project coordination and administration services to Village, including budget and workplan review and coordination, subcontractor coordination, procurement and contracting assistance, reporting and record-keeping, and project design review.
  • Assisted with project kick-off with NYSDOS and consolidation of efforts and grant timelines between Village’s two active LWRP grants, including assistance with a no-cost time extension of the Village’s older LWRP grant and establishment of the Village’s newer (2016) LWRP grant contract with NYSDOS.
  • Facilitated the execution of a contract amendment between the Village and its engineering consultant in order to account for past work and proposed new work needed to bring project toward construction.
  • Assisted with review and coordination of project re-design and revised construction bid including coordination/review with NYSDOS.
  • Assisted with bid announcement, contract establishment, and kick-off meeting with selected construction contractor, who is scheduled to commence work in early 2018 and complete by ca. Oct 2018
• In person meetings with member organizations at regular intervals.
  • See Page 2 Staff Meeting Summary Table.
• Continue to work on establishing local match tools and funding sources.
  • No action. However, it should be noted that match funds secured in 2016 still have sufficient available balances, removing this as a priority goal in 2017.
• Facilitate work done by our bookkeeping service provider.
• Facilitate work done by our Audit & Tax service provider.
• Successfully host second annual May Member Meeting.
• Review target member list and assess for additions or deletions prior to our 2017-2018 Membership Drive.
• Confirm membership dues structure that continues to be equitable and logical.
• Execute successful 2017-2018 Membership Drive.
  • All 27 2016-2017 members renewed for 2017-2018. No new members acquired.
• Identify and utilize Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to help track interactions with members as well as track hours and work linked to specific projects or grants.
  • This has not been accomplished and will be added to the 2018 Goals.
• Renew federal grants.gov registration.
• Determine the most appropriate mix of ways to effectively communicate with our Members and the public. Current efforts include: annual report, press releases, online (website & Social media), participation in area events, guest speaker presentations, etc.
  • This is a work in progress. The Alliance already publishes annual report, online (website and Facebook), participation in area events, and gives guest presentations throughout the year.
• Continue to develop and build relationships with state and federal agencies. DEC, NRCS, Southern Tier West, REDC, EPA, etc.
  • Attended Southern Tier West Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant program workshop.
  • Continued relationship with Southern Tier West staff, including sharing of prior GIS work performed for the Village of Lakewood in order to avoid duplication and reduce project costs for the ongoing Lakewood-Busti Stormwater Management Engineering Study.
  • Continued to develop relationships with NYSDEC, NYSEFC, and NYSDOS staff through administration and coordination for active grant-funded Member projects (i.e., County WQIPs, Celoron LWRPs, and Lakewood EPG).
  • Developed relationship with local NRCS representative through co-participation in various County-led groups (i.e., WQTF, 2% Waterways Grants program).
• Assist with finalizing in-lake management plan (MMS) and aid in working through realities of implementation, once plan is finalized.
  • MMS finalized mid-2017 and group meeting held in Mayville for those involved in active in-lake projects.
• Establish Alliance office location.
  • This has not been accomplished and will be added to the 2018 Goals.

Note: An unanticipated goal should also be noted for the second half of 2017: Procure $100k from the County 2% reserve fund for seasonal in-lake needs by member organizations, followed by member project development, funding approval or decline by Alliance board, facilitation of implementation and reimbursement of expenditures on approved actions.