Tuesday, December 18,, 2007

Attendance:

            Charlotte Lubbert

            Jake Jacobs

            Mike Legacki

            Thistle Cone

            Bob Whitcomb

            Gene Milgram

            Bill Tilghman

            Bob vom Saal

            Frank Dobson

            Sarah Findlay

            Julie Johnson

            Kurt Riegel

Richard Falk

7:10 P.M. Meeting called to order by President Kurt Riegel

1. Status of Chesapeake Bay Trust grant. SRA was awarded a grant for outreach publications. One mailing for membership recruitment has been sent. The draft of a new recruiting mailing has been developed by Betsy Love and e-mailed to board members. This was briefly discussed.  Board members will direct comments on the draft to Betsy for finalization.  CBT has requested a report on the fulfillment of the grant.  Details of the grant, administered during the previous SRA administration, are not clear. Kurt will call CBT to refresh the details.

Accompanying this mailing will be proposed bylaw changes for required approval by the membership prior to the annual meeting.

2. Stormwater legislation: The SMART act as amended failed in county council. Now the Executive and Council members are attempting, to develop a new bill. Cathy Vitale is now Council Chair, and is considered the swing vote for a compromise bill. Kurt suggested that SRA representatives attempt to schedule a meeting with County Executive Leopold to discuss the issue.

3. Bay Friendly Neighborhood Award Program

Bill Tilghman (Bill@compasslanguages.com) presented a plan to organize neighborhood committees to develop projects in their communities to improve the health of the Bay. The committees would be assigned mentors with demonstrated expertise to advise them on the design and execution of the projects. The goals of the program are:

• Help people understand that they can have an impact
• Give people the tools to design worthwhile projects
• To attach quantitative measures these projects that will show their impact
• To bring people together to learn from each other
• To celebrate successes and learn from failures

• Improve the health of the bay

.

Each neighborhood committee will write a plan that

1. Assesses the neighborhood impact on the bay
2. Evaluates alternative actions for improving the bay
3. Selects the “one thing” that would have the biggest impact
4. Completes the project within the year.
5. Measure the results
6. Reports back their efforts and the impact

The Mentor signs off on the proposal and final reports and guides them to resources.

Upon successful completion, an awards dinner will be held, and the participating communities will be designated as “Bay Friendly Neighborhoods” with an appropriate plaque.

Bill will administer the program, which he would like to see launched in early 2008. He expects a commitment from 10 to 20 neighborhoods is seeking SRA sponsorship for the pilot.

It was moved that SRA support the program, and further investigate. Approved unanimously.

4. Greenbury Point Meeting

On 12/11/2007, Kurt Riegel, Charlotte Lubbert, Bob Whitcomb and Richard Falk, met in Baltimore with representatives of the US Army Corps of Engineers, to discuss a proposal to use dredge material from the Bay shipping channels for wetland “restoration” at Greenbury Point. The plan, sponsored by the City of Annapolis, is in the preliminary phase. The USACE is interested in hearing of sites for other potential projects. 

5.      Treasurers Report. Bob vom Saal reported SRA to be in good financial shape, (report is on file).

6.      Newsletter. Kurt has noted no newsletter in a while. It was felt that the newsletter is important, and should be published and distributed quarterly. Kurt will continue as editor for the present.

7.      New agenda. Gene Milgram reported on his ongoing legal case, in the Court of Special Appeals, is not yet settled.

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.

Refreshments.