Marion Soil and Water Conservation District Work Session & Board Meeting

Transcription

1 Marion Soil and Water Conservation District Work Session & Board Meeting Location: Marion SWCD Conference Room 338 Hawthorne Ave. NE, Salem, OR Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Time: 7:02 PM to 8:58 PM Amended Approved Date 11/05/14 Recorder Susan Ortiz Chair Tim Bielenberg Actions and follow-up items (notes) are italicized. ATTENDANCE: Directors Associates / Bielenberg, Tim Hetsel, Ken Krahmer, Doug Olson, Darin Directors Emeritus Fields, Mark Hardy, Leland Staff Eden, Scott Keppinger, Jane Ortiz, Susan Guests / Partners Bachelor, Les NRCS Tobey, Kevin Salem Business Computers NOT IN ATTENDANCE: Directors Associates / Directors Emeritus Ackland, Emily Dyk, Robert Keasey, Dave Harper, Sarah Jane WORK SESSION CALL TO ORDER Call Meeting to Order: Tim Bielenberg, Chair, called the Work Session to order at 7:02 PM. Ortiz made note that the meeting was being recorded. Discuss Adding New Computer Program / Upgrading Computer System Keppinger stated that when the District moved to the new office, a trial of the InOutBoard an online whiteboard (signin/sign-out board) was utilized, it allowed staff to see who was in/out, so long as staff remembered to sign-in/sign-out; it was minimal, and staff would like some more information and other items such as instant messaging. Kevin Tobey, of Salem Business Computers, reviewed the Microsoft Lync program with the staff at the last staff meeting and looked at how it would work with the District s current computer/server system. Keppinger noted that it will be 4 years in January since the District s computer system came on-line and there have not been any major hardware or software upgrades since that time. Keppinger noted that there are different abilities and different devices being used (particularly by the Board) to access information. Tobey noted that the current system is running well and continues to be low-maintenance. Keppinger noted that there will be a cost to move onto an electronic whiteboard, and there needs to be a discussion regarding whether or not it is time to upgrade the entire software/hardware system concurrently. Tobey noted that the system that they recommend is Microsoft Office 365 (which removes it from the physical server to an on-line server) it includes the Microsoft Office suite of programs currently utilized by the District staff, the addition of Lync to the suite Page 1 of 7

2 will allow instant messaging, the ability to offer webinars, etc. Tobey noted that Office 365 is licensed on a monthly per user basis; he recommended the one version upgrade from business basic, which would allow archiving and hold (which would meet the public records requirements). Tobey stated that moving to this program would be the last time Microsoft Office would have to be updated, as Microsoft will continue to upgrade the program(s) on a continuing basis. This is a platform to add other features and functionality to the system. Office 365 includes the online version of the Microsoft Office programs, does not require the loading of the software onto the physical computers/server. The most urgent need for the District is establishing a method to know where employees are. Krahmer inquired how easy it is to use the Lync program; Tobey stated that there is a dashboard that tracks an employee s computer activity, an employee can update their status as well, thus even if an employee doesn t do anything there will be some sort of notice of whether an employee is available or not. The program will also allow instant messaging between the employees. Keppinger provided a brief overview of how the staff might utilize the Lync program; she noted that as the telephone is being answered it is nice to know if the employee is available to take the call when someone calls in to them. The Office 365 license subscription fee is charged per mailbox; therefore, if each Director has a District address then the subscription fee would be charged for each of them as well. The cost of installation (or the migration of the information) to the new system and updating of the devices (computers), is $150 per mailbox through Salem Business Computers. Business basic version is $96/year/user for Office 365, which won t quite meet the needs of the District, the District requires, at minimum, level E3; there is currently a need for 17 mailboxes (8 employees, 7 directors, 2 associate directors). The cost would be roughly $3,000+ plus about $2,500 for migration; Tobey noted that sometimes there is a cost break if the licensing fee is paid in full for a year. Krahmer asked what upgrades would be necessary on the current server or if the server would then become obsolete; Tobey responded that the server would still be necessary for other programs the District uses. Olson noted that in the event the power goes out at the District office, it is possible to log on to the platform at another location. Olson stated that he has been using the platform for several years and is very pleased with it; he does recommend it for the District This item will be addressed further under during the Board Meeting under New Business. Adjourned work session at 7:29 PM BOARD MEETING CALL TO ORDER Call Meeting to Order: Tim Bielenberg, Chair, called the Board Meeting to order at 7:30 PM. INTRODUCTIONS Introductions of all individuals present were made. Ortiz made note that the meeting was being recorded. SPECIAL RECOGNITION / SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/CALENDAR Keppinger stated that the District held a very nice Open House; approximately 40 people attended. Bielenberg noted that two of the Marion County Commissioners came to the Open House. Keppinger noted that after the Open House the power went out in the building; as a result it was determined some emergency lighting and signage did not work, the landlord is in the process of replacing units as needed. Page 2 of 7

3 AGENDA CHANGES Bielenberg asked if there were any changes to the agenda; Hetsel asked to add under New Business a District position statement regarding the Marion County Extension Service tax base measure. PUBLIC COMMENT None. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE: Bachelor noted that he did not have any conservation plans for the board to review. Bachelor reported: NRCS new fiscal year started today Regarding the Service Center office space leasing situation; as FSA is now in charge of the process so there is not much information available locally. First set of proposals did come in and they will be touring properties that qualify. The Champoeg NWQI will get funded for FY 2015 The FY 2015 will be their last year in the Stayton-Sublimity Will focus more on forestry this year in conservation planning, per the area committee recommendation The Energy Initiative has not been funded very well for implementation; so these plans are on hold Received the only easement in the state; on Duck-Flat, a WRE (wetland reserve easement) Have another potential WRE along the Cascade Highway,. There will be about 45 NRCS employees that will be attending the OACD conference. Keppinger inquired regarding a new intergovernmental agreement, Bachelor stated that there is a blanket agreement that covers all of the SWCD s that are not housed with NRCS; the agreement is automatically in place, therefore, there is nothing for the District to sign to be part of it. PUBLIC or BOARD COMMENTS RE: CONSENT AGENDA Olson inquired regarding the USGS payment and if the District was getting a value out of the contract. Keppinger noted that this is the final payment of the fiscal year (which ended September 30, 2014); the contract amount will go down slightly for FY Krahmer noted that it was costing the District roughly $125,000 for the District to have a District employee perform the work. CONSENT AGENDA Bielenberg presented the consent agenda; he asked board members to state any comments or conflicts of interest. Olson motioned for the Board to approve and adopt the following items contained in the Consent Agenda. A. MARION SWCD MINUTES A1. September 3, 2014 Board Meeting B. ACTION ITEMS B1. NRCS Conservation Plans [None] B2. CLEAR Grant Silverton High School Salmon Watch, $370 B3. LAP Payment Request Joseph Stalfire Heavy Use Area, $2, B4. USGS 4 th Qtr Payment under Contract - $11, Motion was 2 nd by Krahmer. Motion was passed by a unanimous vote. Page 3 of 7

4 FINANCIAL REPORT Keppinger provided the financial report to the Board for September The QuickBooks reconciliation detail report showed the balance held under the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) to be $1,732, as of the close of business on September 30, 2014 and that the interest rate paid was 0.54%. The District s checking account had an ending balance on September 30, 2014 of $70,200.32; this amount could not be reconciled with the bank statement as it had not yet been received. The August bank statement and reconciliation were reviewed. The District s checking account activity report for September was reviewed and all questions regarding the checks paid out were addressed. Current activity within the budget categories were reviewed and discussed as needed. Keppinger noted that payments were received for previously levied taxes, health insurance reimbursement, ODA payment, sale of surplus office equipment, and interest is split between the general fund and the UPCLR fund. Olson motioned for the Board to accept and approve the Financial Report for September 2014 as submitted. The motion was 2 nd by Krahmer. There was no further discussion. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Keppinger noted that the Kylie Moore, with Grove, Mueller, & Swank PC, completed the in-office portion of the annual financial audit on September 30, NEW BUSINESS A. Landowner Assistance Program Changes / Revisions Scott Eden, District Resource Conservationist, noted that the changes to the LAP application and associated documents. Discussion followed with recommendations: Application: Eliminate the word critically under only equipment that is critically needed Team Priorities: Concern was raised that drip irrigation systems in blueberries that is a standard practice and that providing funding for conversions or new installations may not be something the District should do. Conversation followed regarding other possible options to address this concern. Eden suggested shifting installation in new fields to a medium priority with existing fields remaining a high priority. Olson noted that this is still a more efficient system than overhead watering, both in water conservation and energy; while there are cheaper methods of watering, the District should be encouraging the installation of systems that conserve water and energy resources. It was also stated that size of the farm may assist with the priority of such an installation. Hardy noted that the double line system will ensure that the system will run even when one line may be damaged. Olson countered that a properly designed system will operate on a single line, and the second line is a back-up or for use of application of chemicals. This item will be deferred to the irrigation system designer (one-line or two-line) as they are experts. Cost List: Pricing on tree protectors was discussed; it was noted that cost can vary based on the type of tree protector. Eden noted that when the applicant purchases them, the District pays off of the receipt. Tree protectors will now be listed within a cost range. The District will try to have a winter deadline for LAP applications as there are still funds available in the budget. Krahmer motioned for the Board to approve the 2015 Landowner Assistance Program practice cost list, team priorities, application screening and evaluation tool, and application, with the recommended changes. The motion was 2 nd by Olson. There was no further discussion. The motion passed by unanimous vote. Page 4 of 7

5 B. OACD Additional Information to SWCDs Regarding Officer Resignation Issue and By-Laws The Board was provided with the documents sent out by OACD; included by-law changes and officer resignation issue. A concern was raised that Ackland may have a potential of conflict of interest in voting for the District as she is on the OACD Board; currently Ackland is the OACD President-Elect. Keppinger noted that the OACD has sent out proposed changes to the OACD by-laws. Olson asked to table the conversation regarding the OACD by-law changes until the November board meeting; noting that it would be nice to have Ackland present to have that discussion. There are also other items in the information from OACD that should be discussed at the November Board meeting in preparation of the OACD Board Meeting (at the OACD Conference). Olson suggested the possibility of a letter of support from the Board regarding the OACD Board presidency. Discussion followed regarding appointing another Director to represent the District. Krahmer noted that he does plan to go to the meeting. It was decided that the Board delegate be voted on at the November meeting. C. Approve Directors Attending OACD Conference at Eagle Crest in Redmond The 2014 OACD Annual Meeting will be held November 11-14, 2014 at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond. A brief discussion followed regarding Director attendance. Olson motioned for the Board to approve the District to paying the registration, mileage, accommodations, meals not covered under the registration, for those District Directors who decide to attend the 2014 OACD Conference. The motion was 2 nd by Hetsel. Motion passed with unanimous vote. Keppinger noted that generally the Board has left the attendance of the District employees to the discretion of the District Manager. D. Approve Adding / Updating Computer Program(s) Bielenberg asked for comment regarding the proposal to convert to Microsoft Office 365. Olson stated that the District can either move forward with it now or note that it will be necessary to make the move within the next two years; he noted that these platforms do not require anywhere near the amount of IT maintenance as updates are automatic through Microsoft. Krahmer motioned for the District to move forward with converting to Microsoft Office 365 at the E3 level with records retention and Lync; with installation/conversation through Salem Business Computers. The motion was 2 nd by Olson. Discussion followed regarding adding the Directors onto the systems. Olson noted that additional internal policies will likely need to be developed to address the use of instant messaging available through Lync. Bielenberg suggested including all staff, directors, and associate directors on the conversion. Krahmer motioned to amend the motion to purchase adequate licensing to have all District staff, Directors and Associate Directors [on the programs]. The amendment was 2 nd by Olson. Vote on amendment passed unanimously. The amended motion reads for the District to move forward with purchasing adequate licensing to have all District staff, Directors and Associate Directors on Microsoft Office 365 at the E3 level with records retention and Lync; with installation/conversation through Salem Business Computers. Motion passed with unanimous vote. Page 5 of 7

6 E. Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP) Grant Application Keppinger advised that shortly following the September Board Meeting the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced that there were funds available under the Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP); with grant applications due no later than September 30, Keppinger directed Brenda Sanchez, District Resource Conservationist, to work on an application, in cooperation with the North Santiam Watershed Council, to focus on landowner education in the Pudding River watershed. If funds are received it will allow for a traveling education booth to be created which could be set up at various public events to provide educational materials to the public regarding pesticides and water quality. Discussion followed regarding the proposed project. F. Oregon Energy Trust Speaker for November Board Meeting Keppinger stated that the Oregon Energy Trust has offered to provide a presentation at the November Board Meeting. The presentation will be during the work-session time at the beginning of the Board Meeting. Consensus was to agree to the presentation. G. Support of the Marion County Extension Tax Measure Hetsel asked if the District would like to take a position on the Marion County Extension Service property tax measure. Olson asked if there is a final written tax measure yet; the response was no. Olson noted that one of the concerns was that the proposed measure does not have fiscal guidelines regarding the allocation of the funds. The Board was in consensus that no position will be taken, unless/until the Marion County Commissioners approve the tax measure for the ballot. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Follow-up to SWCD Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Keppinger provided the Board with a flyer of the Annual Meeting announcement. She briefly reviewed the proposed agenda. B. Follow-up / Approve Outdoor Sign Bid Keppinger noted that two complete bids were received. She noted that Martin Bros was low bidder. Discussion followed regarding the choice of designs. Keppinger also noted that a formal bid for electrical work had not yet been received but estimated the cost to be about $400. Krahmer motioned to delegate to the District Manager to enter into a contract with Martin Bros for the sign as per the presented drawings, with a maximum of $6,000 for the sign design, manufacture, and installation, and associated electrical installation. The motion was 2 nd by Hetsel. Discussion: Olson stated that the cost is high and questioned whether lighting is necessary; he then inquired if solar powered lighting had been explored. Discussion followed. It was noted that the sign will act as an advertisement for the District. Vote: YES Krahmer, Bielenberg, Hetsel; NO Olson. Motion failed. Subsequently, Krahmer asked to change his vote on the motion to No; discussion followed. It was noted that the District will still need to have a sign; there was no further discussion. C. Follow-up on Silverton / Mt. Angel Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) Task Priorities Keppinger stated the information was received from the City of Silverton regarding the task priorities, per the Board request at the previous meeting. She inquired if the Board was in acceptance of the task priorities as presented. Discussion followed regarding the current status of the project and funding from OWRD. Board consensus was that the task priority list is acceptable. Page 6 of 7

7 REPORTS A. OREGON ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS & NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS: Ackland was not present to report. B. ODA BOARD OF AG /OWEB BOARD / MARION CO. WATER QUALITY ADVISORY MEETINGS: Krahmer reported that the ODA Board of Ag was held in Enterprise; topics included: livestock and wolves, toured CREP plantings, and riparian buffers. Krahmer noted that Jerome Rosa s term ended as of October 1 st and that Rosa has taken a position as the Executive Director of the Oregon Cattlemen s Association. Krahmer reported that at OWEB, Tom Byler, has moved to the Director of the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), and Meta Loftsgaarden is now Director of OWEB, with Phil Ward the previous Director for OWRD appointed as the Oregon State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency. Krahmer noted that the Marion County Water Quality Advisory Committee is currently scheduled to meet again on November 9 th. MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 8:58 PM Minutes submitted by Susan Ortiz, Administrative Coordinator Attachments and handouts are available upon request. Upcoming Meeting Dates: Next Board Meeting: Location: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 and beginning at 5:30 PM Creekside Golf Club 6250 Clubhouse Drive, Salem, OR Next Board Meeting: Location: Wednesday, November 5, 2014 and beginning at 6:00 PM Marion SWCD Multnomah Falls Conference Room 338 Hawthorne Ave NE, Salem, OR Definitions of Acronyms Used: AgWQMP Agricultural Water Quality Management Plan ASR Aquifer Storage and Recovery AWEP Agricultural Watershed Enhancement Program CAFO Confined Animal Feeding Operation CIG Conservation Innovation Grant CREP Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program CWP USGS Cooperative Water Program DEQ Department of Environmental Quality EQIP Environmental Quality Incentives Program EQIP-NWQI EQIP Nation Water Quality Initiative LAP Landowner Assistance Program NRD Natural Resource Division ODA Oregon Department of Agriculture OWEB Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board RCPP Regional Conservation Partnership Program SDAO Special District s Association of Oregon SOW - Scope of Work SPG Special Projects Grant SWCC Soil and Water Conservation Commission SWCD - Soil and Water Conservation District TMDLS - Total Maximum Daily Loads UPCLR Unanticipated Projects and Catastrophic Loss Reserve Fund USGS United States Geological Survey WRP Wetland Reserve Program Page 7 of 7