Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance
Minutes of the Board of Directors – Work Session
Thursday, December 13, 2018
4:30 p.m. at BWB Building
Directors Present: Jim Andrews, Jay Bailey, Linda Barber, Pierre Chagnon, Bruce Erickson, Ted McCague, Dave Shepherd, and Dave Wesp.
Absent: George Borrello
Staff in Attendance: Erin Brickley – Alliance Executive Director, Randall Perry – Alliance Project Manager.
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I. Call to Order:
Mr. Chagnon called the work session meeting of the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance (Alliance) to order at 4:30 pm. It was noted for the record that there was a quorum (8 of 9) present.
II. Approval of Minutes:
Mr. Shepherd made a motion to accept the minutes of the 11/8/18 Board Meeting, seconded by Mr. McCague. The motion was approved unanimously.
III. Approval to Request 2018 Sheldon Grant Funding Extension into 2019 for $50k:
Sheldon Foundation referred member funding requests to the Alliance in 2018 for funding determinations (see June 14, 2018 minutes) and subsequently granted $250k to the Alliance. The Alliance board of directors issued six funding determination awards for member projects/programs utilizing this $250k. The majority of Alliance grant awards to members were processed and paid out in 2018 following the June determinations. However, there are three awards whereby funds have not yet been expended and therefore need to request a use extension through 2019 from Sheldon Foundation. These three include two awards that the member is under contract to the Alliance: $20k to the Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA) as a portion of the local match on the 2018 CFA Skimmers x2 state grant application which is pending until state award announcements 12/2018 & $10k to the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC) for a new baseline Chautauqua Lake tributary stream water quality analysis program which requires and is still pending submission of final scope of work and budget to the Alliance for review and approval prior to field work and grant disbursement. The third outstanding award was $20k awarded jointly to CLA and Chautauqua Lake Partnership (CLP) if they could bring an acceptable proposal (defined scope of work and budget) to implement an in-lake project that they could collaborate and cooperate on together to the Alliance for consideration, which does not have a returned contract completed at this time. Mr. Wesp made the motion to send the letter of request to extend $50k of the 2018 award through 2019 to Sheldon Foundation, seconded by Mr. Shepherd. The motion passed unanimously.
IV. Review 2019 Draft Budget:
The 2019 draft budget was reviewed and discussed. A final proposed 2019 budget will be voted on in January.
V. Review draft Director – Member Outreach Materials:
It was decided at the October 11, 2018 work session that directors would initiate outbound meetings with members over the next couple of months in order to clarify mission, review general organizational accomplishments and solicit feedback on the two pending ad-hoc committees recommendations to add two more at-large directors and create an expanded committee structure. Draft hand out materials were reviewed and discussed.
VI. Discussion on 2018 Comprehensive Alliance RFA for 2019 Funding for Member Projects:
This first effort in partnering with the local foundations was discussed. It was agreed that the Alliance would solicit feedback from members on the RFA, the grant application, the scoring, etc. that could be considered in order to improve this new process prior to initiating a second RFA to our membership for local funding consideration. At last month’s Alliance meeting, CLP requested all 12 applications received under this RFA and scoring be shared upon request. Mr. Bailey commented he could see both sides but that applicants are in essence competing for funding and feel it is important to follow what other grant programs do. Mr. Chagnon advised that he followed up with the foundations after the last meeting and they do not share funding request applications with other applicants and Ms. Brickley reiterated that state grant feedback allows for review and conversation related your own funding application but that other funding applications received from other applicants are not made available to you and that nothing in the RFA documentation noted that any submissions made could or would be shared. Mr. Wesp commented that if member applicants wanted to voluntarily share their application with others, they were welcome to do so. Ms. Brickley noted that as a compromise and in an effort to assist members with learning and maximizing the new comprehensive funding request application, the Alliance could share their invasive species early detection grant application upon request.
VII. Adjourn:
Mr Erickson motioned to adjourn, seconded by Ms. Barber at 6:30pm.