Yolo County Resource Conservation District
221 West Court Street, Suite 1 Phone: 530-662-2037
Woodland, CA 95695 Fax: 530-662-4876
Email: Website: www.yolorcd.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Time: 4:05 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: 15818 County Rd. 95, Woodland, CA
Directors Present: Gio Ferrendelli (Chair), Rachael Long (Vice Chair) – left at 5:40 pm, Garth Williams, Mike Leacox, Suellen Witham. Directors Absent: None
Associate Directors Present: Trent Stanger, Associate Directors Absent: None
Others Present: Phil Hogan – NRCS District Conservationist; Ben Leacox; prospective Associate Director; Tagert Williams
AGENDA
1. Call Meeting to Order and Introductions-The meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m. by Chair Ferrendelli.
2. *Approval of Agenda, Minutes for 11/19 Regular Meeting and 12/5 Special Meeting: ACTION: Approve the Agenda as presented; MOTION: Leacox; SECOND: Witham; AYES: Unanimous (Ferrendelli, Long, Williams, Leacox, Witham). ACTION: Approve the Minutes of the November 19th Regular meeting; MOTION: Williams; SECOND: Witham; AYES: Unanimous (Ferrendelli, Long, Williams, Leacox, Witham). ACTION: Approve the minutes of the December 5th Special Meeting – Strategic Planning; MOTION: Witham; SECOND: Leacox; AYES: Unanimous (Ferrendelli, Long, Williams, Leacox, Witham).
3. ***Public comment: There were no comments from the public.
4. Special Reports and Presentations: There were no special reports or presentations.
5. *Approval and payment of Claims: Director Williams reviewed all claims ahead of time, including the Solano RCD claim held back last month. He was satisfied with the explanation that, although one receipt appeared to be in two parts of the invoice packet, it was only included in the total once. ACTION: Approve all claims; MOTION: Williams; SECOND: Leacox; AYES: Unanimous (Ferrendelli, Long, Williams, Leacox, Witham).
6. Regular Reports
a. NRCS Update – Phil Hogan, NRCS District Conservationist. Mr. Hogan stated that Corey Shake, partnership biologist with Point Blue Conservation Science stationed in the Yolo Field Office, is already proving useful. He is working on rangeland and on WRP and shorebirds in rice. There is a tillage workshop on Tuesday; the Farm Bill is moving along and may be passed by mid-June. The biggest hang-up is the cuts to Food Stamps. A potential January shut-down may be averted. The NRCS staff have received 65 EQIP applications, most for water conservation. Most probably won’t get funded, probably due to the lost of our Special AWEP funding which just ended after 5 years. The EQIP deadline was November 15 but they are still taking applications for that and WHIP (have received 5). Mr. Hogan added at the end of the meeting that Public Works Director John Bencomo is retiring and was honored by the County Board of Supervisors. His last day is December 20th.
b. Executive Director’s Report. Ms. Wrysinski reported that we received a tax notice regarding the shut-down of the Zamora Water District. There are no fiscal impacts since it was a non-operational district. Chris will be piping wood-chip mulch onto the corners of two I-5 interchanges: West Street and Zamora. The Rangeland Summit is in Oakdale this year on January 21st all day. From the CARCD Conference, procedural changes need to be made by all organizations with Board of Directors in reporting votes to be in compliance with a new law; yes and no votes must be reported as associated with specific board members. We already do this, so no changes are needed. We also need to fix our Director/Associate Director application form, per Dept. of Conservation legal counsel. That is in process. The new SB751 allows for a fully teleconferenced board meeting if at least a quorum of those calling in are calling from within the District boundaries, teleconference locations are also noticed, accessible to the public and ADA compliant. The US Army Corps of Engineers has revived its effort to address flooding issues surrounding woodland. The RCD has been awarded a Dept. of Pesticide Regulation IPM Innovator Award, along with Yolo UC Cooperative Extension, UC Berkeley, and Hedgerow Farms for our work on hedgerows. The award ceremony will be January 23rd, 2014, 1:30 p.m. at the Cal EPA Bldg. At least one Board member should attend.
c. Board Member Reports and Comments There was discussion about the irrigated lands regulatory program and the role of the RCD in providing either sediment or nutrient management plans for landowners for a fee. Ms. Wrysinski was told to get information on the cost of getting “Certified Crop Advisor” certification. This type of certification may be required to qualify to develop nutrient management plans.
d. Business acquisition Ms. Wrysinski stated that she and Nina Suzuki met with a teacher at Delta High School in Clarksburg about planting they want to do along Elk Slough across from the High School. The locals will be holding a meeting in early 2014 and we will attend. She was asked by Wes Ervin, County Airport Manager, to attend a meeting about airport drainage. After attending, the RCD role appears to be in working with landowners upstream on projects to attenuate storm flow and/or in planting 1 to 2 large stormwater retention ponds that likely will be constructed on airport property. She met with Jeff Mitchell, UC Davis on developing conservation tillage research and demonstrations project(s) in Yolo County, perhaps looking toward a SARE grant.
7. Continuing Topics:
a. Strategic Planning Committee Report The committee met on 12/5. They set a goal of having the plan ready to send out with the Board packet for the February meeting. A committee meeting is scheduled for 12/20. Mr. Hogan asked if farmland protection and land use planning is part of the plan. It was rated as a high priority at the last, facilitated strategic planning meeting held at the YCPARMIA building (2010?). He was told “no.”
b. Discussion of RCD project tracking and accounting Ms. Wrysinski was not given the opportunity to give her report on efforts to get updated on the County’s GenLed accounting system and Pro-Con analysis of the use of GenLed and/or Excel and/or Quickbooks. She was told to Meet with Corina Macias at the Auditor’s Office and to learn GenLed, at a minimum, enough to oversee Sue’s work but not do her job.
8. New Business:
a. *Approve and welcome Benjamin Leacox as a new Associate Director ACTION: Approve Benjamin Leacox as an Associate Director for the RCD; MOTION: Long; SECOND: Williams; AYES: Unanimous (Ferrendelli, Long, Williams, Leacox, Witham)
b. *Discuss Annual Dinner 2014 The Annual Dinner was discussed as to whether it is or should be an outreach oriented celebration of the RCD and its partners and to send students to Range Camp vs a fundraiser for the RCD. The Board needs to decide which it should be and provide a budget, or consider taking a hiatus. The format and/or venue may need refreshing if it continues, such as changing to a weekend or family event, held in conjunction with a local partner or event such as Creek Cleanup, or finding ways to reach younger people. This needs to be considered over the holidays and continued to the next agenda. Everyone should come up with 3 ideas. Get input from RCD staff. Per Director Williams, John Brennan is still interested in being a keynote speaker.
9. Confirm Next Meeting Date and Location: Wednesday February 12, 2013 at 5:05 pm at the Yolo County RCD Office
10. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 5:47 p.m. by Chair Ferrendelli
Minutes respectfully submitted by: Jeanette Wrysinski, Executive Director. Approved on ______, 2012 by the Yolo County Resource Conservation District Board.
By: ______
Jeanette Wrysinski, Executive Director
The Mission of the Yolo County Resource Conservation District is to Protect, Improve, and Sustain the Natural Resources of Yolo County.