Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance
Minutes of the Board of Directors – Public Meeting
Thursday, March 10, 2022
4:30 p.m. at The Lawson Center, 73 Lakeside Drive, Bemus Point, NY 14712 & via Zoom
Directors Present: Pierre Chagnon, Bruce Erickson, Jim Andrews, Paul (P.J.) Wendel, Jr., Don Emhardt, David Shepherd (Zoom), Mike Latone (Zoom), Mary Hutchings (Zoom), and Rob Yates (Zoom)
Staff in Attendance: Randall Perry – Alliance Executive Director, Taylor West – Alliance Project Manager, and Jay Young – Alliance Communications Coordinator
Others in Attendance: Linda Swanson– The Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation; Craig Butler; Dr. Peter Beeson; Lisa Lynde –Chautauqua Region Community Foundation; Ruth Wahl; Howard Akin
Member Representatives in Attendance: John Jablonski, Bill Locke– Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy; Doug Conroe and Debbie Moore–Chautauqua Lake Association; Dr. Jim Cirbus–Chautauqua Lake Partnership; Jim Wehrfritz – Town of Ellery; Louise Ortman– Town of North Harmony; Dave McCoy, Casey Miller– County of Chautauqua; Toby Shepherd–Chautauqua Institution
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I. Call to Order
B. Erickson called the Board Meeting of the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance (Alliance) to order at 4:30 PM. A quorum of 9 out of 9 Alliance Board Members were present at the start of the meeting.
II. Approval of 2/17/2022 Board Work Session Minutes
D. Emhardt made a motion to accept the minutes from the 2/17/2022 Work Session Meeting. The motion was seconded by J. Andrews and was approved unanimously.
III. Projects Update
T. West gave the following projects update:
- 2015 County Round 12 Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Grants – Streambank Stabilizations:
- Dutch Hollow Creek & West Dutch Hollow Creek:
- Phase I construction complete at Dutch Hollow Creek Main Stem (2018)
- Construction complete at West Dutch Hollow Creek (2018-2019)
- Dutch Hollow Creek Phase II Construction began in late-August and was completed in October 2021 (Engineer: Bergmann; Contractor: Rock of WNY)
- Final grant closeout underway
- Dutch Hollow Creek & West Dutch Hollow Creek:
- 2018-2022 Invasive Species Early Detection – Volunteer Task Force
- Water Chestnut (>100 plants) found/removed in Chautauqua Lake Outlet in June-August 2021
- Collaborative efforts among RTPI, ACNC, CWC, Alliance, and Volunteers
- Contact the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC) to get involved
- To help observe/report on your own, please sign up for iMapInvasives: www.imapinvasives.org/
- Water Chestnut (>100 plants) found/removed in Chautauqua Lake Outlet in June-August 2021
- 2018 Lakewood Chautauqua Avenue Green Street Retrofit (NYSEFC GIGP)
- NYS EFC grant closeout completed Jan. 2022
- Village closeout with engineer underway
- 2018 Busti Precision Swales Stabilization (NYSDEC WQIP)
- Final punch list items have been completed by Rock of WNY and EcoStrategies
- In-kind construction by the Town is in process
- 2018 County Round 15 Skimming Capital Equipment (NYSDEC WQIP)
- Skimmers delivered by Alpha Boats to CLA June 2021
- Skimmers in use on Chautauqua Lake supporting the Joint-Operations Program
- Grant close-out underway
- 2021 Village of Lakewood Grandview Stormwater Management Project (NYSDEC WQIP)
- Project aims to create a series of pocket wetland structures to capture and treat ~100,000 cubic feet stormwater from the Grandview subdivision with the goal of reducing flooding along Rte. 394 and sediment and nutrient loading in Chautauqua Lake. A trail is planned for around the project providing an educational and recreational opportunity for the public
- Project initiation underway
- 2021 Town of North Harmony Ball Creek Stabilization Project (NYSDEC WQIP)
- Project aims to stabilize ~440 linear feet of streambank along Ball Creek in the Town of North Harmony to reduce sediment and nutrient loading in Chautauqua Lake
- Received award letter from NYS on 1/11/2022
- Project initiation underway (held kickoff meeting and issued an RFP for engineering)
- 2021 Town of Chautauqua Roadside Swales Stabilization Project (NYSDEC WQIP)
- Project aims to stabilize ~16,000 linear feet of swales within the Town of Chautauqua to reduce sediment and nutrient loading in Chautauqua Lake.
- Received award letter from NYS on 1/11/2022
- Currently awaiting receipt of contracting documents from NYS
- List of Alliance-partnered NYS grants that have been closed out:
- 2015 NYS Invasive Species Management Grant (C. Young Senate Initiative), closed ca. Apr 2019
- 2016 Lakewood-Busti Stormwater Mgmt. Engineering Study (DEC/EFC EPG), closed ca. Jan 2019
- 2013 Celoron Breakwall & Boardwalk LWRP Phase I Grant, closed ca. Sep 2018
- 2016 Celoron Breakwall & Boardwalk LWRP Phase II-III Grant, closed ca. Aug 2019
- 2017 Mayville-Chautauqua Stormwater Mgmt. Engineering Study (DEC/EFC EPG), closed ca. Feb 2020
- 2015 County Round 12 WQIP Streambank Stabilization Projects at Ball, Bemus, Goose, and Prendergast Creeks, closed ca. Oct 2020
- 2017 Celoron Park Improvement (Amenities Building) LWRP Phase IV Grant, closed ca. Mar 2021
IV. Alliance Committees
a.) Data Analysis and Research (DAR) Committee
D. Shepherd indicated that the DAR Committee has not met since the previous meeting.
b.) Lake Management Committee
R. Perry indicated that the Lake Management Committee has a meeting scheduled for March 23, 2022 at 4:30 PM at the Lawson Center and via Zoom. R. Perry indicated that T. West has distributed the Zoom information via email and that an agenda will be distributed prior to the meeting.
c.) Watershed Management Committee
R. Perry indicated that the next Watershed Management Committee meeting has yet to be scheduled.
R. Perry indicated that the board meeting packet includes a subsequent agenda item concerning New York State Consolidated Funding Application (NYSCFA) opportunities. R. Perry indicated that the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) has reached out to stakeholders to begin developing projects.
B. Erickson wished to acknowledge the attendance of Toby Shepherd, who was recently named Chautauqua Lake Project Manager for Chautauqua Institution. B. Erickson expressed his excitement for T. Shepherd’s return to the area and welcomed him to the meeting.
T. Shepherd thanked B. Erickson for the acknowledgement.
V. 2022 Alliance Consolidated Foundation Grant Program Update
B. Erickson indicated that award letters have been distributed to Members for the 2022 Consolidated Foundation Grant Program. B. Erickson expressed thanks on behalf of the Board for the continued support of the local foundations.
VI. May Annual Meeting, Board Election, and Membership Drive
B. Erickson indicated that four Alliance director seats are up for election at this year’s May Annual Meeting.
B. Erickson indicated that P. Chagnon has served the maximum allowable number of consecutive terms in the Chautauqua County Legislature representative seat permitted by the Alliance bylaws.
P. Chagnon indicated, per Alliance bylaws, the seat will be filled by an appointment from the Chair of the Chautauqua County Legislature. P. Chagnon indicated that he intends to make that appointment sometime the following week after Legislature Committee meetings are held.
B. Erickson indicated that there will be an election for one open municipal seat, as the current term of R. Yates from the Town of North Harmony is ending. B. Erickson indicated that the at-large seats currently occupied by M. Hutchings and M. Latone will also be up for election. B. Erickson indicated that M. Hutchings was elected to a one-year term to fill the vacant seat formerly held by M. Jabot. B. Erickson indicated that there will be nominations for each of those vacant seats, which will be voted on at the May Annual Meeting.
R. Perry indicated that the May Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 4:30 PM at the Lawson Center in Bemus Point and via Zoom. R. Perry indicated that the meeting packet contains election procedures and details, which will be emailed to all Member representatives. R. Perry indicated that the nomination window is open, and that nominations can be sent to him via email. R. Perry indicated that nominations can include a resume for the nominee, or Alliance staff can ask for resumes after receiving nominations from Members.
M. Latone asked if incumbents currently on the Board need to be re-nominated for the election.
R. Perry indicated that was correct.
R. Perry indicated that the nomination window will close on May 5 at 4:30 PM, at which point ballots will be sent to Members. R. Perry indicated that Members will have approximately a week to complete their ballots.
J. Cirbus asked for a clarification on the election procedures for a municipal seat.
D. Emhardt indicated nominees must be elected officials of a municipal board.
J. Jablonski asked if any Alliance Member organization is permitted to nominate an individual for election to a municipal seat.
B. Erickson indicated he believed that was allowed by the bylaws.
J. Jablonski asked for clarification on the election procedures for an at-large seat.
R. Perry indicated that the Alliance bylaws are available on the website for Members to consult, and indicated that nominees for at-large seats can occupy several positions within a Member organization to qualify for nomination, including director and employee.
J. Wehrfritz expressed his concern for the existing bylaws governing nomination and election procedures of a municipal seat. J. Wehrfritz indicated this was related to the stipulation that any Alliance Member is permitted to nominate an individual for a municipal seat. J. Wehrfritz indicated his support for reviewing the election bylaws in this case.
A discussion followed of Alliance nomination and election procedures.
P. Wendel indicated that the Board may want to look at amending the bylaws in order to ensure that nominees for municipal seats are duly endorsed by the board of the municipality of which they are an elected official.
B. Erickson thanked P. Wendel for his suggestions and indicated that the Board would take that suggestion under advisement.
R. Perry indicated that he would follow up with the Board about clarifying the election procedure.
R. Perry asked that Members review the Member contact sheet provided in the meeting packet to ensure that the proper contact information was available for the election.
VII. Other
R. Perry indicated that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) periodically collects cost and need information on water infrastructure across the country. R. Perry indicated that this information is collected and then submitted to Congress, where it is used to allocate funding to various states for water-related infrastructure and projects. R. Perry indicated that the EPA designates a point-of-contact for each state, and that the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) is the contact in New York State. R. Perry indicated that EFC has been tasked with gathering information from eligible entities via the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey, which is outlined in the meeting packet. R. Perry indicated that governmental entities and many water-related organizations can participate in the survey, and indicated that there is a webinar being held on March 29 where more information is available. R. Perry indicated he could provide any interested parties with that information, and indicated that the Alliance is happy to assist any Members interested in this program.
R. Perry indicated that the REDC has started to circulate information related to the upcoming round of NYSCFAs, and that there will be an informational meeting on March 16 at the Fredonia Technology Incubator in Dunkirk to be attended by Alliance staff. R. Perry indicated that Alliance staff have begun or will be reaching out to Members to identify potential projects for the coming round of NYSCFAs.
J. Wehrfritz asked what the definition of water quality infrastructure was as related to the EFC survey and EPA program.
R. Perry indicated that the EFC website would have a list of that information, and indicated that he understood the definition primarily included public wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
D. McCoy indicated that water resource funding from the federal Clean Water Act is released yearly, and that this program is a way to apportion that to individual states.
A discussion followed of details related to the EFC survey and EPA program.
P. Wendel indicated that the Grandview Stormwater Management Project will construct stormwater infrastructure that was originally intended to have been constructed when the development was first built. P. Wendel asked what can be done in the future to ensure that developments and construction projects are accountable for considerations and commitments such as stormwater infrastructure.
J. Jablonski indicated that this example illustrates the need for municipal stormwater laws that are enforced.
D. Conroe indicated that this issue may a good topic for the Alliance Watershed Management Committee to consider.
D. Emhardt indicated that zoning laws are important in these cases, and that the Town of Chautauqua enforces those laws within the town.
R. Yates indicated that the Town of North Harmony is moving forward to strengthen its zoning laws on these issues, following the example set by the Town of Chautauqua.
VIII. Open Floor: Member Representatives and Community Members in Attendance
J. Jablonski indicated that the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC) is pleased to move ahead with its grant award, and added that the CWC has two properties under contract. J. Jablonski indicated that these include one on Goose Creek of 33 acres to purchase across from the Loomis Goose Creek Preserve and another of 23 acres near the Vukote Canal. J. Jablonski indicated that CWC is in the process of raising funds to conserve these properties.
IX. Adjourn
P. Wendel made a motion to adjourn the March 10, 2022 meeting. The motion was seconded by D. Emhardt and was passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 5:07 p.m.
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The Alliance Board of Directors passed a motion to approve these 3/10/2022 Meeting Minutes on 4/14/22.