Herring River Restoration Project
Technical Committee
Meeting Minutes 04/25/06
Attendees: Chair Gordon Peabody, John Portnoy, Stephen Spear, Bob Hubby, Carl Breivogel, Tim Smith, Diane Murphy, John Riehl, Hillary Greenberg and Jack Whalen
Regrets: Andy Koch, Joel Fox
Chair Gordon Peabody called the meeting to order at 1:24 pm.
Meeting minutes of April 4, 2006 were moved and approved with amendments.
Public Comments: There were no public comments.
Guests included Steve Block from NOAA and Eric Derleth from the US Fish and Wildlife.
MEETING:
Chair Peabody reviewed the open meeting law and serial e-mail protocol. Due to the amount of information being gathered among the sub-committees, it is important to note no absolute decisions are being drawn without the full quorum of the Technical Committee.
Presentations by the sub-committees included stakeholder management questions. Each subcommittee responded to the specific stakeholder questions aligned with their subcommittee.
Discussion on how the Technical Committee would respond back to the Stakeholders with all their questions took place. The Committee also discussed funding for the project as there is Federal and State money available, dependent on the private property rights being respected. The Restoration Impact Subcommittee reported an area of restoration impacts could include wetlands within Truro. The greatest portion of these were park owned, with a smaller portion possibly privately owned near Ryder Hollow. An information field meeting was scheduled between the Truro Conservation Agent and the Subcommittee. Notes will be forwarded via e-mail to the Technical Committee to keep them abreast. The Technical Committee agreed that a careful approach should be made to another
town.
Further discussion took place on several progress scenarios regarding the comprehensive restoration plan. The necessity of creating a new oversight entity, following the completion, review and approval of the HRTC CRP, led to discussions about the identity, function and possible make up of such a committee. This new oversight entity would come into being through a second MOU which would enact the Comprehensive Restoration Plan, which would end the role of the Herring River Technical Committee. The Chair sent his note on this discussion to committee members for consideration and additions. The Administrative subcommittee agreed to meeting with the National Seashore. The Chairman provided the Restoration Oversight Committee Tasking Fields:
1. Insure continuity and forward motion of project.
2. Technical Understanding
3. Management experience
4. Construction experience
5. Ability to participate in and understand permitting process
6. Communications and liaison skills
7. Ability to eview and understand environmental monitoring information
8. Ability to understand alternate management options
9. Make decisions on adaptive management
10. Ability to understand grants process
11. 7, 8, 9, 25 and 30 from stakeholder questions
12. Perform in an advisory capacity
13. Ability to perform construction monitoring
14. Ability to negotiate spending (contracts)
15. Control Project Manager
The Restoration Oversight Committee would consist of the following membership:
1. Project management
2. Town of Wellfleet representative(s)
3. Wellfleet Conservation Commission member
4. Town of Truro representative(s)
5. Federal stakeholder entities (NOAA, RC, Coastal / Zone M)
6. HRTC member(s)
7. Barnstable County representative
8. CCNS
9. CCMS
10. DMF
11. CZM
12. OSFW
John Riehl motioned to empower Tim Smith of CZM to begin the process for an RFP to hire a consultant to move forward with the program; seconded by Jack Whalen; passed 10-0.
The next meeting is scheduled for May 16, 2006 at 1:15 in the Wellfleet Library. Discussion will include the continuing evolution of oversight committee guidelines, outlining a second MOU and drafting the tasking for a consultant. The Administrative Subcommittee will present an update on the joint meeting with the CCNS Superintendent; and the Impact Subcommittee will report on their meeting with the Truro Conservation Agent.
Respectfully submitted,
Christine Bates
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