WEBVTT 00:00:01.026 --> 00:00:07.610 - Well then, we're gonna go ahead and move on to our next item. Hopefully we all have a chance to approve 00:00:07.610 --> 00:00:13.940 - the minutes, which were the exciting recap of our annual planning meeting. So I don't know if we'll 00:00:13.940 --> 00:00:20.460 - be receiving any edits, whether we're in the end of that. Is that a promise that's supposed to happen? 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:26.854 - I believe that we approve the minutes of everything. Second. Thank you, Matt. Thank you, Shane. Yes. 00:00:26.854 --> 00:00:30.462 - Adam Budifer? Yes. Painting Guy? Yes. Adam Arquina? Yes. 00:00:31.106 --> 00:00:36.529 - David Parker, period, all right, motion passed. Excellent, well thanks, and thanks for being part of 00:00:36.529 --> 00:00:42.060 - our meeting. It was a lot of fun, and I'm super excited, and we all want super race. Great, okay, well 00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:47.537 - we've got, like I said, a couple of things happening at the beginning of this meeting, so we're gonna 00:00:47.537 --> 00:00:53.067 - go ahead and just jump right in. We have Dylan here who's gonna just talk just a little bit more about 00:00:53.067 --> 00:00:57.470 - the Hoosier River Watch program. I'm sure that some of the sort of more, kind of, 00:00:57.986 --> 00:01:03.348 - old school Indiana or even doing meetings with residents may be familiar with it, but it's a really 00:01:03.348 --> 00:01:09.139 - cool program. So I'll hand it over to you, Tom. Thank you very much. Yeah. I've sat, I mean, Dylan Allison, 00:01:09.139 --> 00:01:14.609 - the coordinator for the Hoosier-Ripawanna program. I've been in that position for a little over three 00:01:14.609 --> 00:01:20.025 - years and I worked alongside Mitchell Owens, you may know. And he actually talked to me when we were 00:01:20.025 --> 00:01:25.816 - here earlier in the year doing the Bloomington Bug Fest, which was my first time doing an event, incredible 00:01:25.816 --> 00:01:26.942 - event to be part of. 00:01:27.234 --> 00:01:35.849 - So definitely be coming back to that, but I just wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the program 00:01:35.849 --> 00:01:44.301 - as a whole and talk about how it can be used in the Bloomington area. And fortunately, we actually have 00:01:44.301 --> 00:01:49.502 - a lot of folks who are already involved in it in the city here. 00:01:51.586 --> 00:01:59.215 - There we are. So what is Hoosier River Water? It is a volunteer stream monitoring program. We have office 00:01:59.215 --> 00:02:06.412 - of water quality. We have staff that check the water quality of all of the state every single year. 00:02:06.412 --> 00:02:13.680 - But we don't have the staff to go to all of those stream miles. And that's where Hoosier River Watch 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:19.294 - kind of fits in. It fills the gaps in data in water quality across the state. 00:02:19.458 --> 00:02:26.281 - We offer workshops to train individuals who are interested in learning about the techniques on the monitoring 00:02:26.281 --> 00:02:32.484 - there. And then once these volunteers go out into their neck of the woods, they can gather the data 00:02:32.484 --> 00:02:38.874 - and then send it back to us. And we have a database. And this program is actually turning 30 years old 00:02:38.874 --> 00:02:45.511 - next year. So we have three decades of data on water quality across the state. So it's a great opportunity 00:02:45.511 --> 00:02:47.806 - to see some trends in water quality. 00:02:48.386 --> 00:02:55.798 - And we're all about involving Hoosiers and I love this word stewards. We want everyone to show stewardship 00:02:55.798 --> 00:03:03.003 - of the water and really try to protect the water resources as a whole. So how did the Navy get started? 00:03:03.003 --> 00:03:09.931 - So back in the early 90s, there was actually another program that was under the DNR at the time. It 00:03:09.931 --> 00:03:12.286 - was called Hoosier River Peepers. 00:03:12.482 --> 00:03:18.008 - And it was more of a cleanup program. It was kind of a precursor to the about the stream. You might 00:03:18.008 --> 00:03:23.699 - have seen the signs still in different waterways. But they were about cleanup. They were pulling tires 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:29.446 - out of the rivers. They were cleaning up the banks. In 1996, they added the river wash component, which 00:03:29.446 --> 00:03:34.972 - was really about actually testing the water and monitoring it. So between the two programs, you had 00:03:34.972 --> 00:03:37.790 - a cleanup side and you had kind of a testing side. 00:03:37.986 --> 00:03:44.665 - But they said that it's all kind of, you know, it's a miracle to have both of those. They kind of combined 00:03:44.665 --> 00:03:50.969 - it just in the Hoosier River watch. And they hired a coordinator with the Clean Water Act funds. And 00:03:50.969 --> 00:03:57.397 - that's actually still what funds our entire program today. It's Clean Water Act funds from the federal 00:03:57.397 --> 00:04:03.701 - government. SED-IDEM manages this program and then also offers a lot of watershed grants to put best 00:04:03.701 --> 00:04:05.886 - management practices in the place. 00:04:06.082 --> 00:04:12.127 - that goes to different market groups around the state as well. So that's all kind of coming from the 00:04:12.127 --> 00:04:18.111 - same cloud model there. And in 2001, we actually had a volunteer instructor training. And till that 00:04:18.111 --> 00:04:24.216 - point, one coordinator, in my role, would actually be in charge of training everyone who wanted to be 00:04:24.216 --> 00:04:30.260 - involved. And that's a huge, huge, huge profit to be a part of. So now we use the model of kind of a 00:04:30.260 --> 00:04:34.270 - train the trainer. So we have volunteer trainers around the state. 00:04:34.402 --> 00:04:41.728 - who will in turn put on those workshops. So it's not just myself leading those workshops. And by doing 00:04:41.728 --> 00:04:48.841 - that, we're able to really increase our scope overall. And in 2012, it went from the DNR to IBM. So 00:04:48.841 --> 00:04:56.096 - still within the state, but it jumped different agencies. And like I mentioned there in 2026, we have 00:04:56.096 --> 00:05:03.422 - our 30th anniversary there. So really we kind of built on first off the foundational knowledge, right? 00:05:03.522 --> 00:05:09.044 - program leads up into those concepts of watersheds and water pollution. And these are concepts that 00:05:09.044 --> 00:05:14.788 - are great for children. As you see here, I do a lot of outreach with schools there. I use like a little 00:05:14.788 --> 00:05:20.697 - tarp, and we kind of talk about the principles of watersheds and how the water flows across the landscape. 00:05:20.697 --> 00:05:26.274 - We talk about, we actually do sampling for macro invertebrates there. So the kids love getting their 00:05:26.274 --> 00:05:31.134 - hands wet and looking for little creepy crawlies in the water. But it's adults as well. 00:05:31.266 --> 00:05:37.786 - We do all sorts of outreach from kids or 12 college students and beyond. And, you know, sometimes you 00:05:37.786 --> 00:05:44.242 - think, okay, that's, you know, building that foundational knowledge with the young kids and stuff is 00:05:44.242 --> 00:05:50.699 - great, but sometimes I think even adults need a little bit of work pressure at times. I actually saw 00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:57.538 - this, this quote, it's kind of getting covered up there, but this is actually a quote at an UJER national, 00:05:57.538 --> 00:06:01.118 - I think it's Hardin Ridge. There is this interior sign, 00:06:01.346 --> 00:06:07.455 - overlooking a beautiful vista. And I'm a sucker for those signs. I love reading everything on this. 00:06:07.455 --> 00:06:13.625 - So I first went up to a server reading it, and it had this, a quote on there that talked about, over 00:06:13.625 --> 00:06:19.795 - half of the world's water originates in forests. I thought, conceptually, that is just false, right? 00:06:19.795 --> 00:06:26.209 - So why is that false? What's wrong with that? Over half the world's water originates in forests. I think 00:06:26.209 --> 00:06:30.974 - there's a lot of talking. True, certainly. Yeah, there are a lot of comments. 00:06:31.330 --> 00:06:36.980 - But I found troubled by the word originates, right? There's a water in it, it's swimming, right? 00:06:36.980 --> 00:06:42.863 - There is, what's the important point of the circle, right? It's all just moving, it's always kind of 00:06:42.863 --> 00:06:48.980 - moving through the environment. So I thought that that sign is a little bit of an update. So the forests 00:06:48.980 --> 00:06:55.038 - have the, you know, incredible role to play and filtering the water and allowing the red water recharge 00:06:55.038 --> 00:07:00.222 - and everything. But I wouldn't say it originates there, it just moves through it, right? 00:07:01.858 --> 00:07:08.902 - And that's one of the things we learned when we were in elementary school, the water cycle, right? We 00:07:08.902 --> 00:07:15.807 - learned how it moves around the globe. And I think there's, surprisingly, always something to learn 00:07:15.807 --> 00:07:22.713 - or new things being discovered. You know, even with the simple water cycle, in the last 10 years or 00:07:22.713 --> 00:07:28.030 - so, there's been discoveries of water trapped deep, deep, deep in the earth. 00:07:28.194 --> 00:07:35.262 - deep beneath our feet, 400 miles deep in the mantle of our planet. And it's bonded to a mineral down 00:07:35.262 --> 00:07:42.401 - there called ringwoodite. And through the pressure and intense heat at that depth, the water molecule 00:07:42.401 --> 00:07:49.399 - actually breaks up and binds to the mineral. And it actually becomes almost this fourth state. It's 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:55.838 - not a liquid, it's not a solid, it's not a gas, but it's kind of bind onto the ringwoodite. 00:07:55.938 --> 00:08:01.664 - opens up, that discovery kind of opens up all these questions for, okay, is that water cycling up? 00:08:01.664 --> 00:08:07.622 - You know, has it been trapped down there for, you know, for a long time? You know, we're just starting 00:08:07.622 --> 00:08:13.811 - to kind of scratch the surface of that. So even a concept like the water cycle where we think, oh, simple, 00:08:13.811 --> 00:08:19.826 - we learned it in third grade, we're still learning stuff about how the water's moving across our globe. 00:08:19.826 --> 00:08:25.726 - And I love talking about this slide in particular, especially to the kids. It talks about the average 00:08:25.890 --> 00:08:31.913 - length of time that a molecule of water, a drop of water, is in all of these locations. So if we drop 00:08:31.913 --> 00:08:38.112 - water in the ocean, it could actually kind of bounce around and be caught in that ocean for 3,000 years. 00:08:38.112 --> 00:08:44.194 - And the atmosphere is much, much quicker, you know? It evaporates and condensation and falls back down 00:08:44.194 --> 00:08:50.334 - as rain. It's only there for nine days or so. Generally, ice caps, you know, could be a thousand years, 00:08:50.334 --> 00:08:55.294 - but there's been ice cores in Antarctica that are a couple million years old there. 00:08:55.490 --> 00:09:01.840 - So groundwater couple of months, lakes, 100 years depending, Great Lakes obviously more time than a 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:08.318 - smaller lake, right? And the rivers are about three, two, three weeks or so. So I always point out to 00:09:08.318 --> 00:09:14.668 - the children when we do the outreach with them that no matter what span of time we're talking about 00:09:14.668 --> 00:09:21.018 - here, it's dwarfed by the amount of time that dinosaurs run when. So you killed that statistically, 00:09:21.018 --> 00:09:24.638 - almost every drop or every drop of water that you drink, 00:09:24.834 --> 00:09:31.278 - has actually worked its way through a dinosaur bladder, right? So I'll sell it in the case. You can 00:09:31.278 --> 00:09:38.173 - bring me a dinosaur feed, all right? And we talk about all watersheds as well. This is a map of watersheds 00:09:38.173 --> 00:09:44.488 - that I have identified. So you can see a name and a number there. Those numbers are confidential, 00:09:44.488 --> 00:09:51.190 - a unit code. It's how we identify our watersheds there. But it's just another part of that foundational 00:09:51.190 --> 00:09:52.414 - knowledge that we, 00:09:52.578 --> 00:09:58.958 - uh, kind of show off for our kids. But the next, hi, whose river watch is so well, so kind of important 00:09:58.958 --> 00:10:05.215 - for, you know, especially outreach and engagement with communities is the hands-on experience. Uh, so 00:10:05.215 --> 00:10:11.533 - of course, I didn't have a lot of colleagues who go out and monitor the waterways. Uh, but often times 00:10:11.533 --> 00:10:17.851 - they use fairly expensive equipment, data, saws and whatnot, which is essentially just a pro that they 00:10:17.851 --> 00:10:19.262 - toss out in the water. 00:10:19.362 --> 00:10:26.111 - It's attached to a handheld device and it will read dissolved oxygen and the pH and all these different 00:10:26.111 --> 00:10:32.666 - parameters that they're measuring. But it's quick and efficient and effective for our purposes. That 00:10:32.666 --> 00:10:39.480 - wouldn't be much fun for kids or for people who want to get out in the stream and spend time and connect 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:46.814 - with nature, right? So the hands-on experience of the program is really something too. We actually are out there 00:10:46.946 --> 00:10:52.778 - catch the macro invertebrates, you know, we take meats out, like at the top left there. We, after we 00:10:52.778 --> 00:10:58.667 - catch everything, we try to identify it. We are using keys like this mother and her children there at 00:10:58.667 --> 00:11:04.442 - a tabling event. So we're getting hands on with the creatures in the streams and with our chemistry 00:11:04.442 --> 00:11:10.273 - tests. We're again, hands on with all of these. I'll talk a little bit about the tests that we use a 00:11:10.273 --> 00:11:11.486 - little bit later on. 00:11:14.434 --> 00:11:21.078 - know it's so crucial because clean water is important to us all right we need clean drinking water we 00:11:21.078 --> 00:11:27.853 - need it for recreation we need it for wildlife habitat and irrigation and certainly just the aesthetics 00:11:27.853 --> 00:11:34.822 - of it right so we we need to have these monitoring programs in place to kind of keep track of that because 00:11:34.822 --> 00:11:39.838 - there's a lot of uh challenges around water quality right we see issues with 00:11:40.066 --> 00:11:46.419 - sedimentation like here at the top left. A lot of erosion happens and if that sediment settles into 00:11:46.419 --> 00:11:52.836 - a stream bottom it starts to smother the gills of the aquatic creatures there. It starts to cover up 00:11:52.836 --> 00:11:59.316 - all the little spaces in the rocky kind of stream bottom there where these macron vertebrates like to 00:11:59.316 --> 00:12:05.669 - live. So sedimentation is a big problem. At the top right there we have invasive species. Those are 00:12:05.669 --> 00:12:06.686 - the silver carp 00:12:06.978 --> 00:12:12.388 - that when they get agitated, they jump out of the water there. It can be quite the hazard if you're 00:12:12.388 --> 00:12:18.069 - boating, right? So we have invasive species of different kinds. We have both litter, we have some litter 00:12:18.069 --> 00:12:23.533 - in that, but also it shows a little bit of algae, which itself is totally fine. But when you have an 00:12:23.533 --> 00:12:28.997 - excess amount of nutrients in the water, sometimes you get those algae blooms, and those can cause a 00:12:28.997 --> 00:12:34.462 - problem for the ecosystem there. And then on the right kind of shows this cattle pasture, which is a 00:12:34.462 --> 00:12:36.734 - common scene in much of the state, right? 00:12:36.866 --> 00:12:42.944 - And a lot of times these pastures will have some sort of drainage ditch leading right through perhaps 00:12:42.944 --> 00:12:49.141 - the cows. And anytime that cow will leave a cat patty behind, right? Next rain washes it down the ditch 00:12:49.141 --> 00:12:55.100 - and eventually it's going to make its way to electric water. And then you have issues with bacteria 00:12:55.100 --> 00:13:01.238 - in the water, like E. coli, right? So while we monitor, there's all sorts of reasons why we might want 00:13:01.238 --> 00:13:05.886 - to monitor, but we want to identify pollutants and where they're coming from. 00:13:06.018 --> 00:13:12.112 - If it's a site that has not been tested before, we can establish some baseline data. If it is a site 00:13:12.112 --> 00:13:18.145 - that's been tested before, like I said, you know, 30 years old, this program, so a lot of sites are 00:13:18.145 --> 00:13:24.299 - in the state, and we can actually document the changes in strands and water quality there. And we can 00:13:24.299 --> 00:13:30.393 - also measure the effectiveness of a best management practice, a BMP. So, those watershed groups that 00:13:30.393 --> 00:13:33.470 - I mentioned earlier, if they get a grant to put in 00:13:34.146 --> 00:13:41.507 - strips along the edges of agricultural fields to cut down on nutrient runoff. You can test before and 00:13:41.507 --> 00:13:49.012 - after those practices are put in place and see if it's really working. So when it comes to kind of what 00:13:49.012 --> 00:13:56.229 - we look for because there's all sorts of parameters what we can measure but I call it the big three 00:13:56.229 --> 00:14:03.806 - that we can look for. We look at the physical makeup of a stream that's going to be a habitat evaluation 00:14:03.970 --> 00:14:10.624 - We look at water chemistry and we look at the biology. So, IAEA actually has a fish crew and a macroinverter 00:14:10.624 --> 00:14:17.156 - crew. With future Overwatch, we just focus on the stream bugs, I guess you could call them macroinverters. 00:14:17.156 --> 00:14:23.322 - So, if you were to, you know, the first part there, the physical makeup and the habitat of a stream, 00:14:23.322 --> 00:14:29.427 - if you were to close your eyes and kind of imagine this pristine stream and you hear the water kind 00:14:29.427 --> 00:14:33.822 - of battling by and, you know, you're sitting in the shade under a tree, 00:14:33.922 --> 00:14:40.436 - And you can imagine what that looks like. Hopefully, it's going to look a little bit more like this 00:14:40.436 --> 00:14:47.341 - illustration on the left than on the right. There's a lot of characteristics that a really healthy stream 00:14:47.341 --> 00:14:53.920 - should have. It should have a meander in shape. We like to see that natural meander. And through the 00:14:53.920 --> 00:15:00.434 - meander, it's actually going to cause different depths within the stream. You're going to have some 00:15:00.434 --> 00:15:02.974 - deeper slender areas where we call it. 00:15:03.650 --> 00:15:09.890 - maybe get some more fish that like to sit in those areas where it's a shallow area that has a lot of 00:15:09.890 --> 00:15:16.438 - kind of the rocks breaking the surface and a lot of water kind of bubbling around that and getting oxygen 00:15:16.438 --> 00:15:22.616 - mixed in. Our macro invertebrates are going to like that area. We call those the riffles. So having 00:15:22.616 --> 00:15:28.980 - some variety in the stream, the physical make of the stream is actually going to help the biodiversity 00:15:28.980 --> 00:15:32.254 - of the stream overall. So we also want to have a lot 00:15:32.450 --> 00:15:39.067 - that riparian vegetation or riparian zone being the area just adjacent to the stream. We have there 00:15:39.067 --> 00:15:46.016 - the left soil because the roots hold onto the soil there. Now you're going to have almost a buffer strip 00:15:46.016 --> 00:15:52.832 - for any rock making its way towards the stream there as well. What you were imagining ahead, hopefully 00:15:52.832 --> 00:15:59.449 - it looks a little bit more like what we have on the left here as opposed to the right. Whenever you 00:15:59.449 --> 00:16:00.574 - get channelized, 00:16:00.738 --> 00:16:07.674 - and you try to straighten the stream out and kind of work against nature. The water moves very quickly, 00:16:07.674 --> 00:16:14.342 - so then you see more soil erosion issues, so then you have to put down different control methods in 00:16:14.342 --> 00:16:21.011 - place, like using riprap along the banks of that channel. You don't have, usually they'll have sort 00:16:21.011 --> 00:16:27.680 - of a buffer strip along those as well. So all, we're able to actually go into the stream and take a 00:16:27.680 --> 00:16:29.214 - look at some different 00:16:29.378 --> 00:16:35.806 - parameters and actually test and evaluate that physical or habitat makeup. And we're looking at the 00:16:35.806 --> 00:16:42.813 - substrate. What kind of rocky bottom is it, or is it just kind of mud, you know, that a lot of sedimentation 00:16:42.813 --> 00:16:49.820 - has happened? Is there places for fish to take cover and hide? Is that stream shaped natural and meandering? 00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:56.441 - What's the riparian area like? Are there different areas of depths and different speeds that the water 00:16:56.441 --> 00:16:57.598 - goes that kind of 00:16:57.698 --> 00:17:04.370 - offers that biodiversity later on. And we actually are able to, we have a data sheet, so we actually 00:17:04.370 --> 00:17:11.240 - physically scan there in the creek, we check boxes off as we go along and say, yep, it's got, you know, 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:17.977 - a fish cover and it's got this type of substrate, and then we're able to score it at the very end and 00:17:17.977 --> 00:17:23.262 - give a habitat evaluation score to our stream. There's some other things we can 00:17:23.458 --> 00:17:29.762 - to evaluate the physical makeup and the other is flow or how much water is moving through a system. 00:17:29.762 --> 00:17:36.319 - And you can actually at the USGS site, you can actually find a lot of stream gauges online. And we have 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:42.623 - quite a few in the state that you can actually find nearly up to date. It actually updates every 15 00:17:42.623 --> 00:17:49.054 - minutes. So it's nearly a lot, but it will give you the different flow or the height of the stream or 00:17:49.054 --> 00:17:53.278 - river that you're looking at there. So that's a neat tool to have. 00:17:54.114 --> 00:18:00.889 - to get out and use our a lot. It's great because there's a lot of STEM involved with this, so I like 00:18:00.889 --> 00:18:08.133 - doing this with the school groups as well. We just take all the measurements and plug them into an equation 00:18:08.133 --> 00:18:14.975 - so we're finding the different widths of the stream there at the top, multiplying that by the average 00:18:14.975 --> 00:18:21.682 - of the depths at nine different locations. We're actually measuring how fast the water's moving the 00:18:21.682 --> 00:18:24.030 - velocity using a floating item and 00:18:24.194 --> 00:18:31.241 - timing how long it takes to float down to a partner downstream. And we're plugging this onto equations 00:18:31.241 --> 00:18:38.356 - and we're essentially figuring out in cubic feet per second, how much water is moving through a system. 00:18:38.356 --> 00:18:45.403 - So this is a great one to do every day towards all ages as well. So when it comes to the chemical side 00:18:45.403 --> 00:18:52.518 - of things, there's actually quite a few, like eight different parameters that we can measure. And it's, 00:18:52.518 --> 00:18:53.886 - again, more of the, 00:18:54.050 --> 00:19:00.637 - hands-on techniques that we like to use that have been just thrown out, you know, a probe into the water 00:19:00.637 --> 00:19:07.161 - and reading off of our handheld device, right? So we're going to, you know, take water temperature into 00:19:07.161 --> 00:19:13.623 - consideration, and that's going to affect the dissolved oxygen, the pH of a system, and the phosphates 00:19:13.623 --> 00:19:20.084 - and nitrates. Those are the two nutrients that we measure as well. The turbidity, which is the clarity 00:19:20.084 --> 00:19:22.782 - of the water, and then we actually measure 00:19:22.914 --> 00:19:29.200 - was called the biochemical oxygen demand. It's a test that takes five days. It's essentially a dissolved 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:35.246 - oxygen test, but it's tested five days later to see how much oxygen is being used up by the bacteria 00:19:35.246 --> 00:19:41.292 - in the water. And if there's a huge difference between day one and day five, it means you have a lot 00:19:41.292 --> 00:19:46.799 - more organic pollution, a lot of bacteria eating that up and using up oxygen as it does so. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:52.606 - And then the E. coli, we mentioned the bacteria earlier. So we have an E. coli test that you can 00:19:52.706 --> 00:20:01.766 - do as well. So we have a data sheet for this as well. So all of our hands-on tests can be done in the 00:20:01.766 --> 00:20:11.004 - stream on-site, except for the full hours takes, the 48-hour incubation period, and then of course that 00:20:11.004 --> 00:20:18.110 - five-day test with the oxygen test that we do as well. What's interesting about 00:20:18.210 --> 00:20:24.936 - our tests they have different units you know our transparency for example here we have this transparency 00:20:24.936 --> 00:20:31.470 - two we measure it in seven units right but that's a totally different unit than the parts per million 00:20:31.470 --> 00:20:38.133 - that we measure our dissolved oxygen in so how we compare apples to oranges is we have to convert every 00:20:38.133 --> 00:20:44.731 - answer that we get to what we call a q value and what's helpful to our volunteers is that every single 00:20:44.731 --> 00:20:48.126 - volunteer that goes through a training workshop gets 00:20:48.290 --> 00:20:55.022 - user Overwatch manual that is there. So take home and they can refer to it when they're out there in 00:20:55.022 --> 00:21:01.688 - the stream. And then it will have these charts and these graphs that you can see here that converts 00:21:01.688 --> 00:21:08.420 - their answer into a Q value. So all you do is simply find your results on the table and you can kind 00:21:08.420 --> 00:21:15.353 - of plug in the Q value there. This graph illustration here on the left is actually showing the Q values 00:21:15.353 --> 00:21:16.286 - for dissolve. 00:21:16.514 --> 00:21:23.894 - oxygen saturation and you might think more oxygen the better, but for this particular test, you can 00:21:23.894 --> 00:21:31.570 - see once it goes beyond 100% saturation, our Q value of 100 actually dips back down. So it's not a good 00:21:31.570 --> 00:21:39.024 - thing to have too much oxygen. Has anyone gone scuba diving before? Yeah, so has anyone heard of the 00:21:39.024 --> 00:21:44.190 - bends? So if you call too quick from diving, it has an effect on your 00:21:44.514 --> 00:21:51.343 - system, right, your body, right? Similarly, when the system in the water system is basically super charged 00:21:51.343 --> 00:21:57.854 - with oxygen, it has an effect on the critters that are living in that water as well. So that's why we 00:21:57.854 --> 00:22:03.789 - actually consider it not to be too good if we have more than 100% saturation. And, you know, 00:22:03.789 --> 00:22:09.470 - Mitchell Holmes, who sits on the commission here, he's actually in his testing has found 00:22:09.602 --> 00:22:18.576 - of streams that have had 200% oxygen saturation, mostly because the algae is photosynthesizing and pumping 00:22:18.576 --> 00:22:27.299 - it full of oxygen. They had an algae overgrowth at that particular stream. So for pH, we have assembled 00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:35.938 - test strips. Who's done the pH test strips before? Maybe it's been a while. Easy to do, hands-on. I'll 00:22:35.938 --> 00:22:38.622 - actually show this illustration 00:22:38.946 --> 00:22:45.290 - workshop participants because it's got a lot of items that you might find at home or in your own house 00:22:45.290 --> 00:22:51.572 - and where they fall in that pH range, right? So, of course, distilled water is right there neutral in 00:22:51.572 --> 00:22:57.670 - the middle, but, you know, lemon juice, watermelon, and then there's bleach on the other end here, 00:22:57.670 --> 00:23:04.383 - very basic. But down at the bottom there, there's different kind of bars there showing where those organisms 00:23:04.383 --> 00:23:08.510 - can survive, what range they can survive at. So, if you like to go 00:23:08.674 --> 00:23:15.428 - and try to catch catfish, for example, their pH, they're not really going to be found outside a six 00:23:15.428 --> 00:23:22.519 - to a nine and a half. If your pH is outside of that range, your fish are going to have trouble surviving 00:23:22.519 --> 00:23:29.273 - in that system. Whereas the bacteria, incredible organisms, right? There are some bacteria that can 00:23:29.273 --> 00:23:36.094 - actually live in lemon juice at two on the pH scale, and some that can actually be served in bleach. 00:23:36.546 --> 00:23:44.107 - And you're thinking like, okay, bleach is supposed to disinfect everything. But if you read the bottle, 99.9% 00:23:44.107 --> 00:23:51.188 - of bacteria, this can work. So it's talking about that, you know, bacteria can survive that. So that's 00:23:51.188 --> 00:23:58.062 - something that we can easily test at the stream site as well. And then we have a couple of nutrient 00:23:58.062 --> 00:24:04.798 - tests. Our nitrate test is also a test trend. Then we have a color comparator for our phosphates. 00:24:05.378 --> 00:24:12.364 - And it's similar to our dissolved oxygen test here. So with dissolved oxygen test, we actually have 00:24:12.364 --> 00:24:19.559 - these little glass, what we call ampules, and they have a reactant inside. So we actually snap the tip 00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:26.824 - of it in a little collection cup with our stream water and the vacuum inside. It sucks the water, mixes 00:24:26.824 --> 00:24:33.880 - with the reactant, and it starts to turn blue. And the darker the water, the more oxygen you have in 00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:34.718 - that water. 00:24:35.906 --> 00:24:42.538 - use a comparator like this one here. So we just simply hold our our annual up to these and see which 00:24:42.538 --> 00:24:49.368 - is the closest, right? And it just is an easy test to do, you know, kids, adults, everyone can do this. 00:24:49.368 --> 00:24:56.000 - You know, we're going to get pretty close to the same results overall. So our nutrients that we test 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:02.633 - are the nitrates and the phosphates. And they can come from, you can see on the slide, they can come 00:25:02.633 --> 00:25:04.734 - from everywhere. They come from 00:25:04.962 --> 00:25:12.551 - a sewage system, or a faulty septic tank, or ag fields, or even your home lawn if you're spreading different 00:25:12.551 --> 00:25:19.652 - fertilizers in it, right? And whenever you get too much nutrients into an aquatic system, algae tends 00:25:19.652 --> 00:25:26.963 - to grow out of control because algae bloom. And when the algae dies, it starts to decompose and actually 00:25:26.963 --> 00:25:32.254 - sucks the oxygen out of that water. And then you get things like fish hens. 00:25:34.242 --> 00:25:41.197 - up on the shore. If you ever see anything like that, then it means that there's likely just not oxygen 00:25:41.197 --> 00:25:48.625 - in that water to survive. And that's actually a dead zone in the Gulf. That tells right where the Mississippi 00:25:48.625 --> 00:25:55.513 - leads out there. And the Mississippi River is such a huge drainage. A lot of our state actually makes 00:25:55.513 --> 00:25:59.902 - its way in the Mississippi River. The water is close to Indiana. 00:26:00.130 --> 00:26:07.818 - we contribute to the nutrient problem that the Gulf sees there. In fact, the Wadash River, beautiful 00:26:07.818 --> 00:26:15.658 - river, it's great for recreation and whatnot and songs over in the area, so it's an important waterway 00:26:15.658 --> 00:26:23.802 - here. It is notorious because landmass wise, it's only about 3 percent of the Mississippi River watershed, 00:26:23.802 --> 00:26:26.238 - which is a huge amount of land. 00:26:27.042 --> 00:26:34.007 - contributes closer to 12% of the nutrient load that ends up in the gulf there. Part of it is because 00:26:34.007 --> 00:26:40.972 - there's really no dams on the Wabash River, so a lot of the nutrients cling to sediment, and if that 00:26:40.972 --> 00:26:48.075 - water rushes down the Wabash River with nothing to slow and stop the sediment and have it kind of sink 00:26:48.075 --> 00:26:55.454 - out to the bottom, it just makes it to where it breaks the Mississippi eventually and down the gulf there. 00:26:56.066 --> 00:27:02.259 - And we contribute to the problem. And we actually have a task force for the state that is focused on 00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:08.758 - reducing our nutrient level that we contribute to this. But that's when we assess the health of nutrients 00:27:08.758 --> 00:27:15.012 - there. It's a big issue. I mentioned the turbidity. And I had to show off the turbidity too. We would 00:27:15.012 --> 00:27:21.756 - simply kind of fill this up with water. And we'd stare straight down. There's a little kind of a checkerboard 00:27:21.756 --> 00:27:24.638 - pattern right down at the bottom of that tube. 00:27:24.834 --> 00:27:31.673 - If it's very clear water, we would be able to hopefully see that pattern and we would know we got some, 00:27:31.673 --> 00:27:38.314 - you know, clarity to our water. But if it was very turbid or very cloudy, maybe you wouldn't be able 00:27:38.314 --> 00:27:44.890 - to see that, and you'd have to actually release water at a valve at the bottom until the water gets 00:27:44.890 --> 00:27:51.466 - to a point where you can see. And I've had some events after rain in particular, when you have more 00:27:51.466 --> 00:27:54.622 - soil erosion, where, you know, a typical stream 00:27:54.754 --> 00:28:01.223 - would be no problem having very clear water, but after a rainstorm it's, you know, 10 to 20 centimeters 00:28:01.223 --> 00:28:07.753 - of foot clarity just because of all the sediment that gets washed in there. And then on the screen there 00:28:07.753 --> 00:28:14.222 - you see different petri dishes there. Those are our E. coli tests that we can do. So we culture E. coli 00:28:14.222 --> 00:28:20.753 - and there is an incubation period of a couple days, but we can start to read that. And it can get pretty 00:28:20.753 --> 00:28:23.614 - tedious as you can see here where we would be 00:28:23.746 --> 00:28:30.875 - having the kind of violet or the dark blue. If you see pink dots, those are bacteria, but they're the 00:28:30.875 --> 00:28:38.144 - non-E. coli bacteria. So we pick out all the dark blue dots on there. And as you can see, some of those 00:28:38.144 --> 00:28:45.412 - would be a lot of counting, right? So that's one point where IM's technology could help. When I'm doing 00:28:45.412 --> 00:28:53.310 - E. coli testing, they simply push their results into this machine that counts them for them. Very easy for them. 00:28:53.538 --> 00:28:59.880 - volunteers have to do it, kind of the tedious man in there. But, you know, this is an issue that we 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:06.539 - find across the state, E. coli in our waterways. So it's something that we definitely want to contribute 00:29:06.539 --> 00:29:12.881 - to the data being found there, because a lot of times you'll see DNR beaches, for example, a lot of 00:29:12.881 --> 00:29:19.223 - reservoirs around the state, the beaches have to close certain times of the year because of E. coli 00:29:19.223 --> 00:29:21.950 - in the water. And island is the testing to 00:29:22.114 --> 00:29:29.004 - basically make that, make that known to the DNR who then shuts the beaches down. And then the third, 00:29:29.004 --> 00:29:35.484 - the big three kind of categories that we look at are the macro invertebrates, the stream bugs, 00:29:35.484 --> 00:29:42.783 - if you will. So the chemistry is great. You can get a lot of information, but it's a very much a snapshot, 00:29:42.783 --> 00:29:49.604 - right? If you've been before and after a rain event, because the runoff that comes into a waterway, 00:29:49.604 --> 00:29:51.582 - your chemistry test could be 00:29:51.810 --> 00:29:58.168 - totally different, you need completely different numbers, because the macroinvertebrates are a little 00:29:58.168 --> 00:30:04.589 - more stable because they're in the waterways, they can't move very much, they spend their lives in the 00:30:04.589 --> 00:30:11.134 - water. And then the kicker is that they have different levels of tolerance to pollution. Some can handle 00:30:11.134 --> 00:30:17.430 - it and some cannot. And that's why we look after our macroinvertebrates. So we'll actually go out on 00:30:17.430 --> 00:30:20.734 - the stream sites, we'll take kick nets and dip nets, 00:30:20.930 --> 00:30:27.595 - This is a big part of Mitchell Allen's position with IDEM. He's an actor and very big crew. We try to 00:30:27.595 --> 00:30:34.260 - identify what we're looking at when we catch these little critters. We'll actually bring them out and 00:30:34.260 --> 00:30:40.926 - in our tips that we make available to our volunteers, we have these little white bus tubs or dishpans 00:30:40.926 --> 00:30:47.460 - essentially. We'll pull the critters that we find into the dishpans and we'll start looking through 00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:50.270 - the water and picking them out, looking at 00:30:50.562 --> 00:30:56.785 - very well magnifying glass. And trying to determine what we're looking at. And this particular dichotomous 00:30:56.785 --> 00:31:02.659 - key is a nice one because there's 50 or 60 different macros on here. And all you have to do is start 00:31:02.659 --> 00:31:08.474 - at the top and ask yourself one question at a time. And the top question says, does it have a shell 00:31:08.474 --> 00:31:14.348 - or no shell? Simply look at your critter. Answer, if it doesn't have a shell, you come down. Does it 00:31:14.348 --> 00:31:19.582 - have legs or no legs? And work your way further down and ask, how many legs does it have? 00:31:19.778 --> 00:31:25.998 - Does it have wings? How many tails does it have, if you can see any? So you can actually kind of narrow 00:31:25.998 --> 00:31:32.038 - down your search for when you're looking at your macro invertebrates from, you know, 50 or 60, well, 00:31:32.038 --> 00:31:38.438 - you know, five or six. So it's a big help for that. And I'm gonna show you a couple of things here because 00:31:38.438 --> 00:31:44.538 - the key that he uses for IDIDM isn't just nice one page, it's like a dictionary. Because he has to go 00:31:44.538 --> 00:31:49.502 - much further in tax open than we do. We go to the order level and he's looking for 00:31:49.666 --> 00:31:56.167 - genus, maybe the species of dogs. But once we know what we're looking at, we can see if it's intolerant 00:31:56.167 --> 00:32:02.731 - or tolerant of pollution, and that gives us a clue to the water quality overall, right? So the top group 00:32:02.731 --> 00:32:09.044 - here, group one, we love to see them. They're very intolerant of pollution, which means it has to be 00:32:09.044 --> 00:32:15.358 - clean water if we're finding them, right? Things like stoneflies and mayflies, water pennies. But as 00:32:15.358 --> 00:32:18.046 - you work your way down through the groups, 00:32:18.178 --> 00:32:24.450 - they get more tolerant of pollution. So if we find something down at the bottom, it's kind of cut off 00:32:24.450 --> 00:32:30.722 - here, but, you know, there's leeches in Group 3, for example. They're pretty hungry. They can survive 00:32:30.722 --> 00:32:37.239 - a lot of different waterways, even if the pollution, you know, is found there. Now, we don't necessarily, 00:32:37.239 --> 00:32:43.450 - you know, freak out and say, oh, we've got bad water quality if we find a leech, because even though 00:32:43.450 --> 00:32:47.262 - they can't live in polluted waters, it doesn't mean that they 00:32:47.554 --> 00:32:55.055 - can't live in theme water, right? So we're not really looking for whether or not these lower groups 00:32:55.055 --> 00:33:02.931 - are found. What we really want to focus on is can we find the top groups? And if not, there's an absence 00:33:02.931 --> 00:33:10.582 - of those, then maybe we have up to looted in Y1 here. And we're actually able to, just like the other 00:33:10.582 --> 00:33:14.782 - two sections, provide a grade for our waterway as well. 00:33:15.010 --> 00:33:21.208 - we actually give a little bit higher kind of a weighting factor to those clean water critters, 00:33:21.208 --> 00:33:27.927 - those Mayfly, Stonefly. So we count out the tax of that we find, and then we multiply by the weighting 00:33:27.927 --> 00:33:34.451 - factor, and we essentially get a score for our waterway. So it's a nice way to really get hands-on, 00:33:34.451 --> 00:33:41.040 - but then you're able to actually collect that data and get like a final results or grade right there 00:33:41.040 --> 00:33:43.454 - at the stream, and you don't have to 00:33:43.586 --> 00:33:51.425 - It doesn't take collecting the macro invertebrates. After we're done, Hoosier Riverwatch actually releases 00:33:51.425 --> 00:33:58.752 - everything back to the waterway. So it's a great way to sample and get real-time result right there 00:33:58.752 --> 00:34:06.225 - on the stream. So I mentioned the data. Whenever our volunteers collect these data points, they share 00:34:06.225 --> 00:34:11.134 - it with us. And we have a website, hoosierriverwatch.com, that has 00:34:11.362 --> 00:34:17.974 - space to interpret it. And then what's great is that it's publicly available. So anyone can go on to 00:34:17.974 --> 00:34:24.520 - visualreports.com and look up data for their waterways. They can search by watershed or by the name 00:34:24.520 --> 00:34:31.460 - of the river or county or their organization. If it's maybe like a school where we have a lot of teachers 00:34:31.460 --> 00:34:38.072 - who go through our workshops. So you can navigate them that way. And then instead of pulling up, you 00:34:38.072 --> 00:34:41.214 - can get a whole bunch of raw data tables there. 00:34:41.314 --> 00:34:49.253 - that you can export to a PDF or, you know, a CSV to follow up. But we also have a visualization program 00:34:49.253 --> 00:34:56.963 - built into the site as well. So you can start to see kind of the graphs and whatnot change in it. It 00:34:56.963 --> 00:35:04.596 - helps just kind of digest that data a little bit easier. So kind of our data visualizations for our 00:35:04.596 --> 00:35:10.398 - after invertebrates there. And you can see some of these, you can start to, 00:35:11.298 --> 00:35:18.191 - paying for the county you're looking at, getting the watershed, the time frame, you know, if you're 00:35:18.191 --> 00:35:25.221 - looking, I just want to know for the last five years, what has our macro and burger community done as 00:35:25.221 --> 00:35:32.251 - a decline, has it stayed the same? You can filter all that out with our visualization tools. So let's 00:35:32.251 --> 00:35:39.557 - have an overview of the program and share just a few slides on kind of the direction we're going overall. 00:35:39.557 --> 00:35:40.798 - We want to offer, 00:35:40.994 --> 00:35:48.350 - Over the course of 30 years of the program's been around, we have over 4,000 people who have gone through 00:35:48.350 --> 00:35:55.706 - a training. Every year since I've been here, we've had approximately 250 people become trained in Hoosier 00:35:55.706 --> 00:36:02.854 - Overwatch, monitoring techniques, and we want to be able to offer them a continuing education. We have 00:36:02.854 --> 00:36:06.046 - in place two what we call advanced workshops, 00:36:06.146 --> 00:36:11.648 - So our normal training, our basic training we call it, it's not nearly a full day thing. It's half a 00:36:11.648 --> 00:36:17.423 - day in the classroom, half a day doing the hands-on work in the stream. But we actually have two half-day 00:36:17.423 --> 00:36:23.143 - VIX workshops that people can take advantage of. We have an entire ECOBOT training focused just on that. 00:36:23.143 --> 00:36:28.809 - And then we have the macro and vertebrae training. It's brand new. I just loved the first one this fall 00:36:28.809 --> 00:36:34.366 - and it was great. We take out dissecting scopes and we look at these pairs up close under the scopes. 00:36:34.626 --> 00:36:41.298 - and really get to go further than the orbit level and the taxonomy. So we do have some additional training 00:36:41.298 --> 00:36:47.596 - that people can take part in. Weird training videos online, which are just for a reflection. If it's 00:36:47.596 --> 00:36:53.894 - somebody who's already done the training or if somebody who's thinking about their workshop and want 00:36:53.894 --> 00:37:00.317 - to see what it's all about, they can check out our videos to see if it's something that might interest 00:37:00.317 --> 00:37:03.934 - them. Right now we just have most of the chemistry tests. 00:37:04.162 --> 00:37:10.716 - But in the next year, we're going to be adding training videos on the macro invertebrates and the PATAT 00:37:10.716 --> 00:37:17.522 - evaluation as well. And then maybe the most exciting thing that's happened this year is that we've released 00:37:17.522 --> 00:37:23.886 - a Hoosier River Watch junior program. So all of these workshops that I've been mentioning are geared 00:37:23.886 --> 00:37:30.251 - towards the dentists. So we have a lot of teachers who will go through it and they'll turn and we'll 00:37:30.251 --> 00:37:33.150 - lead the monitoring events for their students 00:37:33.410 --> 00:37:40.761 - but the actual students haven't been through an official workshop themselves, which is why I wanted 00:37:40.761 --> 00:37:48.259 - to create something that our K through 12 students could participate in. So Hoosier Riddles Junior is 00:37:48.259 --> 00:37:55.831 - an activity guide with low to no cost activities. It's something that can be done any place in Indiana 00:37:55.831 --> 00:38:02.814 - and it invites teachers and educators to go out to these outdoor locations. It's not required. 00:38:03.042 --> 00:38:09.202 - A lot of schools don't come from Indianapolis and a lot of schools don't have this beautiful outdoor 00:38:09.202 --> 00:38:15.362 - lab or space to be going and exploring. But these activities can even be done in a classroom setting 00:38:15.362 --> 00:38:21.583 - and you still learn a lot of those concepts that we cover in our adult class. And they're all tied to 00:38:21.583 --> 00:38:27.866 - education standards. So that really helps when teachers need to kind of show that, hey, this is really 00:38:27.866 --> 00:38:32.318 - worthwhile. It's directly tied to the standards we're covering in class. 00:38:34.946 --> 00:38:42.153 - site as well. But if anyone has any questions about the program, I'm happy to take some questions. But 00:38:42.153 --> 00:38:49.149 - thanks for your attention. I just thank you. It's a great way for engagement in a community because 00:38:49.149 --> 00:38:56.426 - that's what it's about, right? It gets the community involved in the data gathering. So we've had quite 00:38:56.426 --> 00:39:03.423 - a few people go through the program. But we have generally workshops usually like April through the 00:39:03.423 --> 00:39:04.542 - end of October. 00:39:04.738 --> 00:39:11.477 - So if you have a golf course workshop, I'd definitely encourage you to do so. But if you have any questions 00:39:11.477 --> 00:39:17.904 - or anything else, there's more contact information, and please reach out. Thank you. Thank you. I know 00:39:17.904 --> 00:39:24.518 - that we've got a lot on the agenda tonight. Is there anything specific that folks want to ask the program 00:39:24.518 --> 00:39:30.758 - or about anything we've covered? It's Christine Lindberg, the CBU trainer. Yeah, sure. So we've had 00:39:30.758 --> 00:39:33.566 - a couple different in the building scenario. 00:39:33.858 --> 00:39:42.211 - Yeah, she's been in the program for years, so she's a very knowledgeable one. Oh yeah, her network's 00:39:42.211 --> 00:39:50.481 - at the city, so she's been in the city. Yes, yeah. Yeah, and she usually does at least one workshop 00:39:50.481 --> 00:39:58.917 - a year or two, so if you're interested in that, definitely talk to Chris. Thank you. So if you can do 00:39:58.917 --> 00:40:01.150 - it with a stream or river, 00:40:01.762 --> 00:40:07.288 - Great question, yeah. So, you know, we actually don't direct people to a particular area. We kind of 00:40:07.288 --> 00:40:12.869 - let them go wherever they'd like, which is a little different than some other programs. In the Indian 00:40:12.869 --> 00:40:18.560 - Atlas area, we have the White River Alliance, and they have their monitoring program, which is a little 00:40:18.560 --> 00:40:24.305 - different. They do a couple more chemistry tests. They don't do the macro invertebrates. They send stuff 00:40:24.305 --> 00:40:29.886 - to the lab, they get tested. But they're very like, go test here, go test there. Whereas, through the 00:40:29.886 --> 00:40:31.582 - RiverWatch is, we'll take data 00:40:31.714 --> 00:40:38.060 - wherever you're in the state. So it could be a stream that runs through your backyard. It can be your 00:40:38.060 --> 00:40:44.592 - favorite park. It's wherever you'd like, as long as you're following, you know, directions in the manual 00:40:44.592 --> 00:40:50.875 - that you get. So everyone's doing the same tests overall. So it's kind of that quality control built 00:40:50.875 --> 00:40:57.470 - in. You can send us data for more of it. All right. If that role has been interesting for you or someone. 00:40:58.114 --> 00:41:04.758 - So we've had some people certainly submit data for seasonal streams that kind of disappear in the summer. 00:41:04.758 --> 00:41:11.090 - Generally, we just ask that you make a comment like that if you know that it's generally not flowing 00:41:11.090 --> 00:41:17.358 - in the summer months. You could say, hey, this is flowing this time of year. All of our data sheets 00:41:17.358 --> 00:41:23.877 - are dated and whatnot. So if I see a site that has a high flow in the spring, but in the summer they're 00:41:23.877 --> 00:41:27.262 - telling me there's not a lot of water moving through, 00:41:27.394 --> 00:41:33.815 - You know, I know that that's an example of a seasonal stream like that. But again, we, I'll take data 00:41:33.815 --> 00:41:40.110 - from anywhere. If it's, if you follow the protocol and it doesn't have to be all of the data that I 00:41:40.110 --> 00:41:46.531 - mentioned today. You know, if you go out there and you just take a one dissolved oxygen test and send 00:41:46.531 --> 00:41:52.952 - that to me, as long as it's the same way out of the manual that everyone else does and you've kind of 00:41:52.952 --> 00:41:56.414 - done it correctly, that's good data. So we'll take it. 00:41:56.578 --> 00:42:03.069 - them for the pandemic. And as I was pulling some of the kits, take them to the river. Yeah. Then during 00:42:03.069 --> 00:42:09.435 - the pandemic, the kit moved to like a building that was blocked. There was nobody available. Everyone 00:42:09.435 --> 00:42:15.863 - started to block their houses. And sure, I've done a lot about it. Yeah. How do I get the kit anymore? 00:42:15.863 --> 00:42:22.541 - Yes. So on our website, we actually have a map of our instructors and our lunar kids. So if you're talking 00:42:22.541 --> 00:42:25.662 - about, we have different ways that we want to get 00:42:25.858 --> 00:42:31.221 - uh the equipment into the hands of our volunteers uh and that's through a loaner kit so you can go to 00:42:31.221 --> 00:42:36.532 - an office sometimes it's like a nature center or something like that so you can check out the map on 00:42:36.532 --> 00:42:41.843 - the idem river watch site and that'll tell you where those are at but all times we have uh educators 00:42:41.843 --> 00:42:47.153 - and teachers go for this program and if you are a school a non-profit or a government agency you can 00:42:47.153 --> 00:42:52.464 - actually get a grant kit so the learners are usually like maybe somebody keeps it for a couple weeks 00:42:52.464 --> 00:42:55.198 - a month or so and they go out once or twice but the 00:42:55.298 --> 00:43:01.188 - It's actually a two year period. So if you're kind of thinking you want to do it with like your group, 00:43:01.188 --> 00:43:06.963 - your school kids or something like that, you can actually do that kind of a longer term kit as well. 00:43:06.963 --> 00:43:12.967 - And we do all this, the workshops and the kits and all of this, it's always free. It's always that Clean 00:43:12.967 --> 00:43:18.914 - Water Act funds. And we really want to eliminate the barrier of costs that might be in the way for some 00:43:18.914 --> 00:43:23.774 - folks. So we want anyone who's interested in the program to be able to get involved. 00:43:25.570 --> 00:43:39.717 - Great questions. Thank you. Yeah, I really appreciate you coming down and sharing with them. Well, travel 00:43:39.717 --> 00:43:49.726 - safely on your way back. Don't get washed away. Who knows what that meant. 00:43:50.498 --> 00:43:56.329 - All right, well then we can keep proceeding through the agenda tonight. So as Matt mentioned, he is 00:43:56.329 --> 00:44:02.684 - here to talk a little bit about some of the conversations that have been cropping up as far as the residency 00:44:02.684 --> 00:44:08.515 - requirement. So yeah, feel free to join us and I'm glad to hear your thoughts. So yeah, this can be 00:44:08.515 --> 00:44:14.462 - like a very quick discussion. And what I'm curious to hear your all's perspectives on a question that 00:44:14.462 --> 00:44:19.710 - our council committee on process has been grappling with. And so that is the question of, 00:44:20.482 --> 00:44:25.651 - Most boards of commissions in the city have city residents with requirements. Some of the statutory 00:44:25.651 --> 00:44:31.233 - boards that are defined by the state, we can't change that. Of course, that's a given. But for our advisory 00:44:31.233 --> 00:44:36.713 - boards and commissions, which the environmental commission is one, that's something that we can't change. 00:44:36.713 --> 00:44:42.243 - And this comes up occasionally, I think, both in the context of folks not being aware of the requirements, 00:44:42.243 --> 00:44:47.464 - despite the fact that we asked about residency, like when they're applying. But that can probably be 00:44:47.464 --> 00:44:49.790 - improved from an administration perspective. 00:44:51.650 --> 00:44:58.277 - recently was from the Earth Commission basically making the case for wanting the ability to appoint 00:44:58.277 --> 00:45:05.036 - a non-city resident. A lot of folks can't afford to live in the city. There are other reasons why you 00:45:05.036 --> 00:45:11.662 - might want to bring in perspectives from urbanized areas or rural areas that are in the county, but 00:45:11.662 --> 00:45:18.686 - not in the city. We've been looking at that question and I can just share committees. I think our initial 00:45:18.686 --> 00:45:19.614 - thinking was, 00:45:21.218 --> 00:45:28.126 - probably do it uniformly. And I think we've actually moved away from that. We think some commissions, 00:45:28.126 --> 00:45:35.236 - it's probably best for them to be city only based on maybe funds they administer or the policy questions 00:45:35.236 --> 00:45:42.144 - they're looking at. And for others, there might be unique cases for involvement or the possibility of 00:45:42.144 --> 00:45:48.510 - a non-city resident being appointed. And so that conversation has mostly been narrowly-spoken 00:45:48.962 --> 00:45:55.324 - a little bit reluctant of opening that door, but open to it based on the case that our commission made. 00:45:55.324 --> 00:46:01.624 - And that would probably look like a maximum of one member in the Mount City resident or something like 00:46:01.624 --> 00:46:07.802 - that. We've also talked to the folks in the Office of the Mayor a little bit who have expressed some 00:46:07.802 --> 00:46:14.103 - mostly reluctance or resistance so far on the basis, I think, of administrative difficulty of tracking 00:46:14.103 --> 00:46:17.406 - that type of thing. And also, again, a question of if 00:46:17.570 --> 00:46:24.235 - Commission's administrative bonds, you know, is it suitable to have a non-city resident be part of the 00:46:24.235 --> 00:46:30.836 - decision making for that? And some of the questions, I don't know if the CEC does, but our commission 00:46:30.836 --> 00:46:37.437 - does, for instance. So basically, we're talking to a number of the advisory boards and commissions to 00:46:37.437 --> 00:46:43.391 - get their own input on what you think about this. And maybe what I mentioned is the Minerva 00:46:43.391 --> 00:46:46.238 - County Environmental Commission, of course, 00:46:46.370 --> 00:46:51.472 - Resiliency, I think it was the Environmental Commission, now it's the Resiliency Commission. There's 00:46:51.472 --> 00:46:56.878 - probably some overlap there. The Commission on Sustainability here in the city also has had two ex officio 00:46:56.878 --> 00:47:02.132 - seats, one appointed by the Monroe County Commissioners, which has included, you know, has, as a matter 00:47:02.132 --> 00:47:07.487 - of convention, then as someone who's seated on that, what was the Environmental Commission of the county, 00:47:07.487 --> 00:47:12.792 - and then also someone from the SustainIU. And that's all, like, I used to serve on BCAS, both as a staff 00:47:12.792 --> 00:47:16.126 - member and a forehand, and like, that felt like, okay, that's it. 00:47:16.514 --> 00:47:22.097 - those seats are unfilled. And, you know, it's been a little bit tricky to administer. So maybe our Resiliency 00:47:22.097 --> 00:47:27.275 - Commission, and that's all the, you know, interconnection you need. Maybe you see this case for this, 00:47:27.275 --> 00:47:32.046 - and that's really why I'm here, is just to, like, bring you the question for your input about 00:47:32.046 --> 00:47:37.528 - the Environmental Commission specifically. Do you all think you could benefit from the option of appointing 00:47:37.528 --> 00:47:42.197 - a non-CITIC to the Commission? Like, is there a unique case to be made for that? Or, again, 00:47:42.197 --> 00:47:45.598 - against that, also, if you feel like actually that's well covered. 00:47:46.370 --> 00:47:52.557 - should be the same, because that's our permit. So just put it for some discussion. And if it is beyond 00:47:52.557 --> 00:47:58.684 - the scope of what the agenda allows for today, you'll all be welcome to think about it, deliberate it 00:47:58.684 --> 00:48:04.811 - at a future session. And what I may recommend is if you are in favor of that, which would be a change 00:48:04.811 --> 00:48:10.878 - from the default in city code, probably formalize an ad request or position your resolution would be 00:48:10.878 --> 00:48:14.302 - a whole lot. But if you wanted to do that and think why, 00:48:17.090 --> 00:48:22.628 - it is some you know signal of like the commission decided we think this yes um if no change uh probably 00:48:22.628 --> 00:48:28.006 - no need for that because that's the status quo and just reporting maybe from the chair back to us on 00:48:28.006 --> 00:48:33.597 - what you know what you have concluded that you find here so that's all i got with happy answer questions 00:48:33.597 --> 00:48:39.028 - okay i was going to just double check does everyone understand kind of what that's describing or have 00:48:39.028 --> 00:48:44.459 - any questions on the concept that we're kind of going to dive into permanently does it mean just this 00:48:44.459 --> 00:48:45.950 - board or all the boards are 00:48:46.754 --> 00:48:52.261 - We're looking at a number of these rewarding commissions. I think about 10 or so of them, and I forget 00:48:52.261 --> 00:48:57.714 - how many there are total. And a few that I think you've already allowed for, you know, either whether 00:48:57.714 --> 00:49:03.113 - it's that's an ex officio seat, like because that I was describing, or I think there might be one or 00:49:03.113 --> 00:49:08.620 - two others that allow for non-city residents to serve. But the default in city code is city residents. 00:49:08.620 --> 00:49:14.020 - So for this discussion, it's just a minute here. Systems level question, great. But my real question 00:49:14.020 --> 00:49:16.158 - for you is specific to the city center. 00:49:16.738 --> 00:49:26.418 - that should be allowed up here. It seems to me, it makes sense occasionally to have a county person 00:49:26.418 --> 00:49:36.388 - on the commission who is looking at the sources of water that are coming from outside of the city, but 00:49:36.388 --> 00:49:43.358 - affecting the city or things like that. So occasionally a county person 00:49:44.802 --> 00:49:51.420 - you talk about like the watersheds kind of, kind of a, I think he, I think he said perhaps it's being 00:49:51.420 --> 00:49:58.168 - strictly on the city population. Oh, you, how do you come? Oh, no, I'm not sure. The part of the chair, 00:49:58.168 --> 00:50:05.175 - the process. Yeah, that. How do you come from people who are in those areas that are kind of being inargued 00:50:05.175 --> 00:50:11.729 - about being at next, whether they do well or not? Do they have a link in the address? Do they have a 00:50:11.729 --> 00:50:12.702 - link in water? 00:50:13.218 --> 00:50:19.391 - Good question. They are not city residents. They're not part of the corporate grant boundaries. Someone's 00:50:19.391 --> 00:50:25.098 - saying Bloomington is more of a postal convention than a municipal government voting constituency 00:50:25.098 --> 00:50:31.272 - perspective. And if any of those areas were ran up, then they would be so best at determining boundaries. 00:50:31.272 --> 00:50:37.153 - Just are you in the corporate city boundaries of Bloomington? Good question. Just had a question. So 00:50:37.153 --> 00:50:42.686 - what happens if someone is a resident when they come on the commission and then they move out? 00:50:42.850 --> 00:50:54.741 - side of. So that doesn't always happen. These things and so that's part of maybe some of the conversation 00:50:54.741 --> 00:51:06.296 - here too. It might have been somebody on the earth's portion was moving outside or. But, um, but yeah, 00:51:06.296 --> 00:51:10.110 - I don't know about that. So yeah. 00:51:11.522 --> 00:51:17.848 - Some cities have the ETJ, the five miles that three or other city limits where things happen. You know, 00:51:17.848 --> 00:51:23.932 - formal, there used to be the interning kind of annexation, which was like a sort of like a two-mile 00:51:23.932 --> 00:51:30.380 - fringe type of concept that's formalized anyway. So I don't think that the kind of work we do, I actually 00:51:30.380 --> 00:51:36.828 - think having, you know, a member that maybe is in the county enough, the city makes sense for the reasons 00:51:36.828 --> 00:51:41.086 - that, I mean, not that we need to mandate that, but we don't get out, 00:51:41.442 --> 00:51:48.011 - grants like the Arts Commission or other commissions. So it's not that the people on this committee 00:51:48.011 --> 00:51:54.581 - are making funding decisions necessarily. I mean, we make very few funding decisions, don't we? And 00:51:54.581 --> 00:52:01.150 - I think it's more like efficacy type work, which when it comes to the Monroe County level, we don't 00:52:01.150 --> 00:52:07.720 - do a ton of overlaps with them on a regular basis, but I think they have a pretty open relationship 00:52:07.720 --> 00:52:11.070 - as far as if there was something that came through 00:52:11.682 --> 00:52:16.783 - I can remember what it was, but we basically said this seems more like a county level decision to weigh 00:52:16.783 --> 00:52:21.688 - in on or whatever it was, because it was outside of the city limits. I do think that kind of starts 00:52:21.688 --> 00:52:26.838 - to blend that enough to our conversations then start going outside of the city as well, as far as things 00:52:26.838 --> 00:52:31.939 - that, you know, we're weighing in on or anything like that. I don't know if it's endorsements both ways 00:52:31.939 --> 00:52:36.844 - in that way. If we invite, you know, doesn't look within the city limits to our conversations, then 00:52:36.844 --> 00:52:39.198 - extend beyond the city of Bloomington and we'll 00:52:39.458 --> 00:52:48.817 - we're doing because we have our presentation board for the last day. So I would say that I don't think 00:52:48.817 --> 00:52:57.994 - advocating for going as far as to invite non-city residents to be part of the commission, but I also 00:52:57.994 --> 00:53:04.990 - personally don't see a problem with if someone were to move out of the city. 00:53:05.250 --> 00:53:10.935 - see how that would necessarily be a conflict of interest. And so that would be problematic for us. And 00:53:10.935 --> 00:53:16.565 - I understand how it could be, potentially, but. Well, it creates a flexibility if it's an option, but 00:53:16.565 --> 00:53:22.139 - it's not filled, and then someone does move out, then they don't have to resign and build their car. 00:53:22.139 --> 00:53:27.769 - Yeah. And that was the chair before me. Oh, gosh. I'm hearing his name. But he did. He bought a house 00:53:27.769 --> 00:53:33.565 - right outside of the city limits. And so it's just kind of a painting in the general counsel. So a while 00:53:33.565 --> 00:53:34.558 - ago, I had a dad. 00:53:34.946 --> 00:53:43.646 - So yeah, I think that that's a good point. And this is something that people can think about a little 00:53:43.646 --> 00:53:52.430 - bit. As Matt said, if we want to support that change, we can take a step, you know, that's perfect for 00:53:52.430 --> 00:54:01.386 - us to share that and be open to it. And if it's something that we don't feel is necessary for our group, 00:54:01.386 --> 00:54:03.774 - I think it's safe for them. 00:54:04.034 --> 00:54:09.973 - County Environmental Commission changed its name and a little bit of what it did. I kind of thought 00:54:09.973 --> 00:54:15.972 - it wouldn't make any sense to have someone from outside the city and because there was a comfortable 00:54:15.972 --> 00:54:21.911 - committee there. And I think we meet at the same time. So it wasn't even possible. You know, it was 00:54:21.911 --> 00:54:27.850 - what we tried to at one point and then immediately it was signed when he realized he couldn't be in 00:54:27.850 --> 00:54:32.542 - two places at once. Yeah, now that they have a little bit of a different scope 00:54:32.706 --> 00:54:41.733 - I suppose, be open to it. But I don't feel like we need to make any change at the time. That's just 00:54:41.733 --> 00:54:51.031 - my opinion. Or just the official decision. I'll appreciate your work. OK. Any of us have thoughts that 00:54:51.031 --> 00:55:01.502 - they want to make sure are full of their questions like that? What if I'm hearing short of anybody making a motion? 00:55:02.210 --> 00:55:09.528 - What I mean is open this to a slightly favorable orientation as an option, not as a mandate. And there's 00:55:09.528 --> 00:55:16.706 - some reasons having to do with the environmental boundaries for watersheds, airsheds, things like that 00:55:16.706 --> 00:55:23.814 - that are especially interesting. Sound about right. Okay. Great. I can report that. What are we doing 00:55:23.814 --> 00:55:31.550 - in a year? And keep you posted if there's any actual legislative proposals. So no guarantee that this actually 00:55:32.098 --> 00:55:38.511 - close their path is sort of slow moving, but we're getting there. And conversation again, and you're 00:55:38.511 --> 00:55:44.924 - reading and doing the very right. You get something else. I just want to note too, I don't, I didn't 00:55:44.924 --> 00:55:51.083 - want to like, uh, effect any discussion, but to Dave's point, if he, if this doesn't go through, 00:55:51.083 --> 00:55:57.750 - if you have, um, if you want to invite, I'm happy to reach out to the county, you know, representatives, 00:55:57.750 --> 00:56:00.734 - we're representing the watershed or friends of 00:56:00.994 --> 00:56:07.194 - whoever to come and work on that partnership with us. So I wanted to throw that idea out there as well. 00:56:07.194 --> 00:56:13.513 - Do we want to put discussion with this on next month's agenda just so that we thought about it in between 00:56:13.513 --> 00:56:19.653 - and we can kind of decide then if there's anything we want to throw there, right? Yes, I can. Perfect. 00:56:19.653 --> 00:56:25.733 - Great. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you again. Thanks for coming. Yeah. Good to see you all. Yeah, 00:56:25.733 --> 00:56:29.310 - you too. Thanks for your service. Good question. All right. 00:56:29.826 --> 00:56:36.202 - Well, thanks, folks. And yeah, keep thinking about it, and we'll get some time to circle back on these 00:56:36.202 --> 00:56:42.578 - in-house meetings. As we move through the agenda, we see old business. I said it was a bit dismissive, 00:56:42.578 --> 00:56:48.768 - but it's not. It's exciting in new business as well, but it's officially old business. I'm going to 00:56:48.768 --> 00:56:55.206 - push this little container and feed these past the group, because they are still hanging out. So please 00:56:55.206 --> 00:56:59.230 - help yourself. I make a motion to muster police. Literal motion. 00:57:00.834 --> 00:57:08.299 - So now we're going to jump into the working group updates. We've got a bunch on here, which is super 00:57:08.299 --> 00:57:15.986 - exciting. So I'm going to pass it to you. We'll see if you choose now. Headed up by Mateo. Biodiversity 00:57:15.986 --> 00:57:23.377 - did not meet. Even the holidays, I find it a little bit unlikely that we'll meet before the January 00:57:23.377 --> 00:57:29.438 - meeting as well. But we will get back going in the new year. Love it. And I think 00:57:29.730 --> 00:57:36.081 - I'm going to interject with the B city meeting. Is there anything that you want to share about that? 00:57:36.081 --> 00:57:42.809 - I think it was like a data. It was like a lunchtime meeting, so it was. Well, we were the B city committee 00:57:42.809 --> 00:57:49.097 - that that is kind of run through the parks department and it's first meeting and so there's kind of 00:57:49.097 --> 00:57:55.637 - a chance to chat with everybody and start to talk about what it will look like for the rest of the year 00:57:55.637 --> 00:57:58.718 - to be part of that partnership and start kind of 00:57:59.842 --> 00:58:07.076 - aggregating projects we're working on and things like that. Yeah. Yeah. So we're just kind of kicking 00:58:07.076 --> 00:58:14.382 - out. And I think we have our first official meeting in early February. That's sort of our kickoff, but 00:58:14.382 --> 00:58:21.829 - we'll get moving out of here soon. Great. Okay, cool. Next up is Ego Heroes. And we had a meeting, which 00:58:21.829 --> 00:58:28.638 - was super fun. So if anybody wants to chime in on what this meeting entailed, I welcome you to. 00:58:29.090 --> 00:58:35.183 - The biggest announcement is that the website now has language about the Eco Heroes event, if for no 00:58:35.183 --> 00:58:41.399 - other reason, because Matt wonderfully sent out an email to all the educators, kind of giving a heads 00:58:41.399 --> 00:58:47.553 - up on our plan for this coming year's art contest. And I know that, Adam, one of the things that you 00:58:47.553 --> 00:58:53.768 - had offered to do was kind of like put some thoughts onto what all we can do on the website, but it's 00:58:53.768 --> 00:58:57.790 - still very much open, but this is kind of the summary of the job. 00:58:58.018 --> 00:59:05.274 - what the theme is. People go to the website, they'll be like, make sense of it. But we've, we've, yeah, 00:59:05.274 --> 00:59:12.669 - yeah, Matt sent out the email that went to all the, you know, educators that we had emails for, basically 00:59:12.669 --> 00:59:19.855 - invited them to start thinking about the theme and gave some language to that. And then we have a plan 00:59:19.855 --> 00:59:27.390 - for a meeting, I think, early in January to really solidify some of the other details for the next stage of 00:59:27.650 --> 00:59:34.964 - sharing flyers that we can put up, handouts that educators can give to kids to take home or put in their 00:59:34.964 --> 00:59:42.209 - rooms, some of the different resources and ideas that we can provide for people to start thinking about 00:59:42.209 --> 00:59:49.384 - it and then start making some progress on what outreach looks like. Because outreach for participation 00:59:49.384 --> 00:59:53.982 - in the Eco Heroes Art Contest and also outreach for donations and 00:59:54.274 --> 01:00:03.749 - support that we could get from businesses in the area. So we started to kind of dip our feet into that 01:00:03.749 --> 01:00:12.947 - in our last meeting and then our plans to sort of solidify that. That meeting is January 6th, 5.30, 01:00:12.947 --> 01:00:22.238 - is that right? Yep, looks good. January 6th, 5.30. I don't know if we know where it's at. McLaughie. 01:00:23.714 --> 01:00:31.224 - Are there any other updates from Ecovirus folks that I missed or that you'd like to enthusiastically 01:00:31.224 --> 01:00:38.734 - shout out? I have an update, okay. So, not an update, I don't think anybody really wants to be here. 01:00:38.734 --> 01:00:46.690 - So, any matured office of the mayor had their communications director speak to planning and transportation 01:00:46.690 --> 01:00:50.334 - earlier this week. And so, basically it was just 01:00:51.714 --> 01:00:57.543 - I think the status is given to all board information being given to the directors and other departments 01:00:57.543 --> 01:01:03.260 - as well. For website updates and kind of what we're putting out for the media and whatnot, moms would 01:01:03.260 --> 01:01:08.864 - like to review it. So there's just, so whenever you're distributing materials or please plan for an 01:01:08.864 --> 01:01:14.581 - extra, I don't know what their review timeline would be, but you know, it's an extra time just to get 01:01:14.581 --> 01:01:15.646 - that review going. 01:01:16.994 --> 01:01:24.642 - and please be open to suggestion. Do you have a sense of what all that means? Like our native landscaping 01:01:24.642 --> 01:01:32.363 - handouts, like what we put up, like stuff like that, or just like those things that we want on the website 01:01:32.363 --> 01:01:39.794 - or from our social media? I think the brochures and stuff will be infected. As far as like the website 01:01:39.794 --> 01:01:45.278 - and social media, definitely. Can I answer the first part of your question? 01:01:46.018 --> 01:01:52.701 - I think you asked about brochures and something else. Yeah, brochures, like, yeah, flyers. Yeah, like 01:01:52.701 --> 01:01:59.580 - the materials that we table with, things like that. Yeah, I think most of the stuff is going to be fine. 01:01:59.580 --> 01:02:06.393 - Does it need to be reviewed now, even though we've had it forever, or does it need to be reviewed? We'd 01:02:06.393 --> 01:02:13.141 - say probably, but I can, I'll look through the outreach materials box and that stuff up to columns and 01:02:13.141 --> 01:02:14.910 - see what they have to say. 01:02:19.746 --> 01:02:35.621 - This is something that you're able that if we send it to you, you will just get to that. Yeah. So I 01:02:35.621 --> 01:02:48.798 - was creating a list of resources. I'm not sure. That will go on the website. Yeah. 01:02:49.506 --> 01:03:00.350 - Education. Okay. So it's just regarding nature at night. Okay, here's some information about bats in 01:03:00.350 --> 01:03:11.838 - Indiana or constellations that you can find. Yeah. Yeah, we're talking about the fever like it's so broad. 01:03:12.194 --> 01:03:18.965 - Do we try to give people ideas of how to narrow it down? It's like, I think it's helpful to give them 01:03:18.965 --> 01:03:25.736 - some place, but yeah, like giving them lots of different options, I think is a fun way to think about 01:03:25.736 --> 01:03:32.374 - the theme, so yeah. Hello, anything else from the e-government response? Great news. Okay, so we're 01:03:32.374 --> 01:03:39.742 - gonna move on to the ECPC. Rachel, is there something you want to update on? I'm insured of that one, I guess. 01:03:40.354 --> 01:03:49.279 - I think the gray star at 503 North Rogers and I know it was the board of zoning appeals tonight. So 01:03:49.279 --> 01:03:58.829 - the letter was included. Obviously, I don't know how that meeting is going currently. But it was received, 01:03:58.829 --> 01:04:07.486 - I believe the letter will also be sent to the commission member. So I think it'll go in January. 01:04:08.098 --> 01:04:15.449 - Um, so that has fun. I did want to ask, um, before we, there was another, whenever we met, um, a few, 01:04:15.449 --> 01:04:22.800 - there was a last speaker the week before, um, recently, it was a snowy day, um, that another property 01:04:22.800 --> 01:04:30.151 - was discussed at 2511 North Dunn. It was basically a four acre lot, I believe, um, that's going to be 01:04:30.151 --> 01:04:37.790 - subdivided, um, with some common area lots and lots eligible for, um, to felt like single family housing. 01:04:38.402 --> 01:04:45.884 - I wanted to ask, no one has been written at this time that the ECPC wants to meet in a scheduled meeting 01:04:45.884 --> 01:04:53.081 - to write a letter. What is the time for any of the sounds like, wildly fast? I think it's coming up, 01:04:53.081 --> 01:05:00.349 - I think it's the 29th. Let me see what I, I think I put it in the email, but I can't remember off the 01:05:00.349 --> 01:05:04.126 - top of my head. I think it's the 29th of this month. 01:05:05.250 --> 01:05:12.998 - For many people, it's the holiday season, which makes it just inconvenient and also difficult to have 01:05:12.998 --> 01:05:20.822 - time to get together. So I will defer to members of the ECPC for how we will handle that. Okay. So for 01:05:20.822 --> 01:05:28.571 - that property, it's going to go to claim commission on January 12th and the Board of Zoning and Field 01:05:28.571 --> 01:05:30.014 - from January 22nd. 01:05:30.498 --> 01:05:39.131 - We, Planning Transportation, can share comments with the petitioner before the final revision deadline 01:05:39.131 --> 01:05:47.681 - of December 29th, which is the Planning Commission's revision deadline. So let's see. So if you would 01:05:47.681 --> 01:05:56.817 - like to have the petitioner to have it, having a letter prior to December 29th so they can maybe incorporate 01:05:56.817 --> 01:06:00.254 - those changes, that's an option that you 01:06:00.610 --> 01:06:08.923 - don't necessarily need to do that option, but you just want a letter submitted to Planning Commission, 01:06:08.923 --> 01:06:17.477 - we would need that. I wrote January 2nd on that. And then if we want to just take it with us to be heard? 01:06:17.477 --> 01:06:25.790 - Yes, that's an option. You can make a public statement after the meeting and read your letter. Is that 01:06:25.790 --> 01:06:29.502 - the 22nd? Planning Commission's January 12th. 01:06:29.602 --> 01:06:38.413 - in the 27th or two meetings. They will be getting a plan approval as well as variances. So that's why. 01:06:38.413 --> 01:06:47.394 - Do you know with the last letter we submitted, so I believe we got that to petitioner. Yes. Did anything 01:06:47.394 --> 01:06:54.494 - happen with that? They modified their petitioner statement. I think they addressed 01:06:54.882 --> 01:07:03.896 - each of the four options or recommendations for the tree preservation. And I believe they said something 01:07:03.896 --> 01:07:12.910 - about the soil remediation. From what I remember, they were more, I think there's something else happens 01:07:12.910 --> 01:07:20.894 - that I think I recommended recommendation three, from what I remember, they were going to do 01:07:21.282 --> 01:07:29.615 - They're going to do something like that, but I think they were going to stick with what they have proposed. 01:07:29.615 --> 01:07:37.871 - So, um, and they wrote some sort of response and that was included in the PTA packet. What was the address 01:07:37.871 --> 01:07:45.278 - again? Um, for the upcoming one, 2511. You said it was being subdivided for to what do we know? 01:07:45.570 --> 01:07:54.704 - Yeah, so there'll be, I think, two to three common area lots where most of the trees in the stream is. 01:07:54.704 --> 01:08:03.661 - But it's going to be, I think, single family homes, the fifth of the development. There's a question 01:08:03.661 --> 01:08:13.150 - from a member of the public. Are we answering that? Yeah. Go ahead. Chris, what it's now? Is it woods now? 01:08:13.314 --> 01:08:22.554 - Yeah, partially good. I don't have the calculation off the top of my head. So it's being proposed with 01:08:22.554 --> 01:08:31.704 - the variance is needed because the tree removal and the exceedance of what our standards allow. So it 01:08:31.704 --> 01:08:40.674 - is partially good. And then there's a stream on the western part of the property. Yeah. And there's 01:08:40.674 --> 01:08:42.558 - no longer any cycle. 01:08:42.946 --> 01:08:50.722 - Oh, so an example has been removed. That was also not part of the tree canopy population. So what do 01:08:50.722 --> 01:08:58.959 - folks think about wanting to get together to potentially arrest something after this? Again, the deadlines 01:08:58.959 --> 01:09:06.658 - are the 29th of December is the day to get it to the petitioner. And then by January 12, right? The 01:09:06.658 --> 01:09:10.430 - planning commission. Um, let's see. January 2nd. 01:09:10.690 --> 01:09:19.640 - Yes, we would need it by January 2nd. The packet will go out January 2nd. So it's a tight timeline. 01:09:19.640 --> 01:09:28.591 - And if you submit it on December 29th, that's fine. The petitioner doesn't really have time to make 01:09:28.591 --> 01:09:38.078 - changes. So we would need it before the 29th if you would like the petition changes. What do folks think? 01:09:39.874 --> 01:09:46.168 - holiday season makes that one really challenging. I would kind of like to see what their plan is just 01:09:46.168 --> 01:09:52.585 - you know really agree but um and then after that I can decide if I feel motivated to try to write. Yeah 01:09:52.585 --> 01:09:58.818 - I will say PC does have Bobby's at the plan. Yeah this is the one that I think has maybe been up for 01:09:58.818 --> 01:10:04.988 - a couple months now right? Yeah. Is it the one that's been considered in the past? I don't know I'm 01:10:04.988 --> 01:10:09.246 - sorry that that this is the first time it's being thought out. Okay. 01:10:10.658 --> 01:10:19.725 - But I did send out on December 2nd, just kind of summarizing names. What do you think, Adam? This was 01:10:19.725 --> 01:10:28.880 - the one at the launch time, right? Yes. And Daniel Butler. Yes. Fire name. Not the fire name. No, it's 01:10:28.880 --> 01:10:38.124 - not the fire name. The exit. Yeah, thank you, sir. I didn't find it very egregious personally, and that 01:10:38.124 --> 01:10:39.902 - combined with level 01:10:40.066 --> 01:10:48.104 - I wasn't at that meeting, so I hadn't seen it. But if my fellow commissioners who were at that meeting 01:10:48.104 --> 01:10:56.220 - say it's not worth trying to write something over the holidays, that's okay with me. I'll take you guys 01:10:56.220 --> 01:11:04.336 - if you were. So, Rachel, would you be able to resend to Matt the materials that the ECAC has? And then, 01:11:04.336 --> 01:11:08.862 - Matt, if you look at them and then decide that we want to 01:11:09.666 --> 01:11:18.800 - set a meeting to write a letter then. Yeah, it's a silly time of the year. If it isn't pretty egregious, 01:11:18.800 --> 01:11:27.587 - I'm pretty happy to let this one pass, but I would like to see it since I wasn't able to attend that 01:11:27.587 --> 01:11:36.286 - meeting. So thank you. All of these teams should ask their feedbacker to say if there's a variance. 01:11:36.386 --> 01:11:44.992 - That's another question. So I believe where we landed was environmental variances are after requested. 01:11:44.992 --> 01:11:53.849 - So whenever there's an environmental variance, I'm usually in the loop on it. If it's pretty substantial, 01:11:53.849 --> 01:12:02.538 - that's when I bring it to ECPC. If it's something that I'm not feeling like it's not warranted for like 01:12:02.538 --> 01:12:05.630 - a staff presentation with ECPC, that 01:12:06.178 --> 01:12:12.888 - I don't necessarily offer it, but it is included on packets. It's always included either in the hearing 01:12:12.888 --> 01:12:19.468 - officer or VBA packet, and that's open for anybody to get all those downloads. And so public comments 01:12:19.468 --> 01:12:26.049 - can be received in those meetings. If you like, bring certain filters to the environmental commission 01:12:26.049 --> 01:12:32.823 - just to get more feedback or? I think it's just in the interest of the environmental commission. I think 01:12:32.823 --> 01:12:33.726 - others can... 01:12:33.858 --> 01:12:41.313 - other than speaking about the history of it a bit more than I can. But it seemed like the EC had a role 01:12:41.313 --> 01:12:48.481 - in development in the past. And then because of that role of development, environmental regulations 01:12:48.481 --> 01:12:55.650 - were baked into our code. Though I think that's why the department let it briefly die, because they 01:12:55.650 --> 01:13:03.678 - felt like some of the administrative burden as well as the recommendations EC was providing was already kind of 01:13:03.874 --> 01:13:10.909 - baked into the code, but I think they were still interested in doing more than what they took. Is that 01:13:10.909 --> 01:13:17.740 - pretty reflective? I think that sums it up pretty well. We used to be involved in just about all of 01:13:17.740 --> 01:13:24.638 - them, and now I think that would be excessive. So we appreciate Rachel bringing us the ones that are 01:13:24.638 --> 01:13:31.742 - significant so we can decide if we want to weigh in, knowing that it's just an advisory board trying to 01:13:32.706 --> 01:13:39.606 - nudge people towards feeling a certain way about environmental features so we're not going after every 01:13:39.606 --> 01:13:46.372 - every single issue but the significant ones. And do you think our opinion matters with the developer 01:13:46.372 --> 01:13:53.339 - to the people approving the development variants? Like who does it matter most to? Ultimately they have 01:13:53.339 --> 01:14:00.574 - to get approval from zoning so I guess I would say those are the people we're trying to influence the most. 01:14:00.674 --> 01:14:06.860 - And again, I'm not looking at it as anti-development or anything in any way. I mean, sometimes people 01:14:06.860 --> 01:14:12.924 - say there's, we want to clear every single tree on this lot. And, you know, that's kind of extreme. 01:14:12.924 --> 01:14:19.292 - So we, we would have feelings that we would hope would influence those individuals, but that it's, we're 01:14:19.292 --> 01:14:25.721 - just choosing to be engaged in this process. Even if it's a note that says pretty, please carry up trees. 01:14:25.721 --> 01:14:27.358 - And I do think that, that. 01:14:27.522 --> 01:14:32.421 - meant a little bit different now is that previously when we were weighing in on lots and lots 01:14:32.421 --> 01:14:37.685 - of developments, and sometimes it was just little things. It was like, oh, more natives, just little 01:14:37.685 --> 01:14:43.105 - things. I do think the fact that it is a much more selective group of developments or variants, request 01:14:43.105 --> 01:14:48.368 - things like that, that we are weighing in on, I think it does increase the significance of us saying 01:14:48.368 --> 01:14:53.945 - we took time out to really look into this, to really think about what we're concerned about, the solutions 01:14:53.945 --> 01:14:54.622 - we consider, 01:14:54.978 --> 01:15:01.420 - to share with you, I think that that gives it a little bit more weight now than maybe food or rain on 01:15:01.420 --> 01:15:08.241 - every development. Yeah, before if it was true. How could you do rain on every development? It was chaotic. 01:15:08.241 --> 01:15:14.809 - It was about, yeah, the administrative burden, as was mentioned. But yeah, it became pretty repetitive. 01:15:14.809 --> 01:15:21.188 - It became, you know, these canopy standards are important because these impervious surface standards 01:15:21.188 --> 01:15:24.030 - are important because, and so I think now by 01:15:24.930 --> 01:15:31.071 - selectively chiming in on some of the either the ones that are the largest or the ones that are the 01:15:31.071 --> 01:15:37.273 - most extreme variances is um is prudent for us yeah kind of echoing what's been said having the same 01:15:37.273 --> 01:15:43.537 - lawyer provided to every meeting to the bca it kind of loses i mean i don't want to speak for the bca 01:15:43.537 --> 01:15:49.800 - but sometimes that can lose the important the importance of what's being said so having a very select 01:15:49.800 --> 01:15:54.590 - like putting in a lot of thought and and review and recommendations into this 01:15:54.690 --> 01:16:01.248 - a selected development that does have strong environmental implications. I think maybe those words are 01:16:01.248 --> 01:16:07.805 - a bit a little bit more. And also separately, because the new way that we're doing the memos is coming 01:16:07.805 --> 01:16:14.172 - from just the ECTF. It's not coming from Rachel. Rachel is weighing in as an environmental planner. 01:16:14.172 --> 01:16:19.902 - And then there's a separate body of our group that are also weighing in on our community. 01:16:20.418 --> 01:16:25.678 - increase in the number of places. And instead of it being previously through the environmental plan, 01:16:25.678 --> 01:16:31.042 - it would automatically come through. And sometimes it was like primarily driven by the planter because 01:16:31.042 --> 01:16:36.302 - our community couldn't meet as much or something like that. So it kind of, I feel like the splitting 01:16:36.302 --> 01:16:41.979 - it out, while it is additional time and energy from our wonderful one for commissioners who were dissipating 01:16:41.979 --> 01:16:47.291 - in it, I think it does build up the strength of what we're saying back. That's all the update. I have 01:16:47.291 --> 01:16:48.958 - any other questions about DCPC? 01:16:49.378 --> 01:16:58.234 - Okay, I will hear from you Matt and just look at the entire separate networking group if you think of 01:16:58.234 --> 01:17:06.917 - trying to get to me. Okay, now we're on to light pollution, which is our friend over here, Edda. We 01:17:06.917 --> 01:17:14.558 - have not met, but now that it gets dark, so do we really not look this one on me again? 01:17:15.810 --> 01:17:22.191 - You're looking up at 6 p.m. and it's dark, but I can't see the stars. I know there's been so many things 01:17:22.191 --> 01:17:28.451 - happening in the skies lately. Sure. Do you want to consider trying to schedule a meeting for January? 01:17:28.451 --> 01:17:34.710 - Yeah, I was going to say, I'm going to reach out sometime in January. I was watching a movie the other 01:17:34.710 --> 01:17:41.030 - night, and I thought it felt like solution working group. The movie was set in a pretty urbanized town, 01:17:41.030 --> 01:17:45.406 - and there are so many stars in the sky, and I thought that's so unreal. 01:17:45.762 --> 01:17:54.395 - Okay um so moving on we're now to the outreach and education uh working group. Shannon so we just met 01:17:54.395 --> 01:18:02.943 - we made a plan for the next month we're going to share the website um then we're going to go through 01:18:02.943 --> 01:18:11.406 - you. Super fun thank you uh special projects we have not met or taken any next steps on some of the 01:18:11.406 --> 01:18:14.622 - grants that we talked about those are 01:18:15.234 --> 01:18:22.284 - I'm just continuing on. And I got an update from Mitchell. Does anybody have any water quality details 01:18:22.284 --> 01:18:28.649 - to contribute? I don't think we do. Okay. All right then. Thanks for the updates, everybody. 01:18:28.649 --> 01:18:35.562 - Moving along, we've got we are on to number six, which is our time for public comment. So members of 01:18:35.562 --> 01:18:39.326 - the public, you have five minutes to use as they like. 01:18:39.554 --> 01:18:46.753 - James, have you been hanging out with us or anything you'd like to share? Sounds good, sounds good. 01:18:46.753 --> 01:18:54.168 - Thank you. Of course. All right. And now we are onto the staff update, which are two items that I will 01:18:54.168 --> 01:19:01.727 - pass over to Rachel. Okay. I've put together, it's not as pretty as last year's, and I'm starting having 01:19:01.727 --> 01:19:06.622 - trouble figuring out how to do it. Is this how you do it, Al? Okay. 01:19:07.554 --> 01:19:18.370 - It's plenty pretty. Last year, I put working group updates for each meeting. Really didn't follow that 01:19:18.370 --> 01:19:29.711 - this year, so I removed them. I'm happy to add them back with you. I also forgot to add the annual planning 01:19:29.711 --> 01:19:36.222 - meeting to the November meeting. Still going to be happening. 01:19:36.770 --> 01:19:44.674 - draft schedule I'd like to propose to you all. There are two dates that are not on the third Thursday, 01:19:44.674 --> 01:19:52.962 - that's March 26th, I think that's on the fourth Thursday, and June 11th, and that's on the second Thursday. 01:19:52.962 --> 01:20:00.712 - So, proposing that, and then I also wanted to kind of get a sense of, this year we canceled the July 01:20:00.712 --> 01:20:05.086 - thing, and then last year we canceled the December being 01:20:05.346 --> 01:20:12.791 - I kind of made the executive decision about the Seminole-Washington reform, but I'm so sorry about that. 01:20:12.791 --> 01:20:19.881 - I think we heard that communication stuff out. And then this year, it seemed like December has kind 01:20:19.881 --> 01:20:26.971 - of been not as high of attendance as what we previously had in other months. So I'm gonna throw the 01:20:26.971 --> 01:20:31.934 - idea out there of having a summer with your recess with the caveat of 01:20:32.098 --> 01:20:39.181 - Maybe those are months where it's more working group heavy because December is right after the November 01:20:39.181 --> 01:20:46.060 - meeting. So I thought I'd have time for working groups to meet at the time that's available for that 01:20:46.060 --> 01:20:52.258 - group to assess what the goals were based off November, planning for 20 for the next year. 01:20:52.258 --> 01:20:59.614 - And then summer, it seems like either June or July is a little bit chaotic based off vacations and whatnot. 01:20:59.842 --> 01:21:06.117 - I'm happy to keep all fall on the calendar, but I also wonder if there are any sets of ideas out there. 01:21:06.117 --> 01:21:12.332 - I'm thinking about kind of the arc of our activities. I have a tech and activity plan and biodiversity 01:21:12.332 --> 01:21:18.366 - stuff a lot of times spring-heavy. We obviously know the eco-hero stuff is in the spring. Are there 01:21:18.366 --> 01:21:23.978 - any other major events that we can consistently have on our books? The bug fest we table at, 01:21:23.978 --> 01:21:26.814 - which is what, summer? Early fall. Early fall. 01:21:27.202 --> 01:21:34.021 - And you also do a spring or fall recess, and that's better. You know, if March, if it's like, that's 01:21:34.021 --> 01:21:40.974 - the year's time, we're spending so much time into that, we can do March and then kind of subsequently, 01:21:40.974 --> 01:21:47.861 - maybe October, we can prep for it, then November meeting. Rachel, is it challenging for you if it was 01:21:47.861 --> 01:21:55.422 - more based upon whether it's gonna be a life agenda or a lot of absences? Like, is it definitely easier to plan 01:21:56.034 --> 01:22:04.425 - a recess in advance or is it not too heavy of a lift? I mean, I can cancel the meeting, but yeah, 01:22:04.425 --> 01:22:13.502 - it's more, so, I mean, this is part of my job. You guys are all volunteers, and so I want to be cognizant 01:22:13.502 --> 01:22:23.006 - of your planning to be here and if you're, I guess the cost benefit analysis of making other plans to be here. 01:22:23.202 --> 01:22:31.337 - So I start like, answer your question. I don't want to like, the plan book said, I think it's supposed 01:22:31.337 --> 01:22:39.315 - to let me know 10 days before our meeting of whether you're going to be here or not. I don't enforce 01:22:39.315 --> 01:22:47.213 - that. I mean, things happen, things come up. And so I don't, you know, I'm not reaching for it in a 01:22:47.213 --> 01:22:50.846 - day. So that's the only problem I have. Okay. 01:22:51.042 --> 01:22:56.836 - What do other folks think? Folks that are in academia or have family obligations, stuff like that, are 01:22:56.836 --> 01:23:02.629 - you looking at this calendar to have any clear plans? I would say we just leave them all scheduled and 01:23:02.629 --> 01:23:08.423 - then, yeah, we can decide at the month before if we don't have a lot to do. I do appreciate that folks 01:23:08.423 --> 01:23:14.161 - have been pretty clear about, if they've got something they're going to be going next month or in two 01:23:14.161 --> 01:23:19.786 - months or whatever, and that we can start to see it down the road that that will be getting around. 01:23:19.786 --> 01:23:20.798 - That's been nice. 01:23:22.850 --> 01:23:29.969 - I will get everything on the calendar then and set up according to the schedule. And then the outreach 01:23:29.969 --> 01:23:37.087 - and education group will meet at 530 on these dates as well. Unless there's another time you all would 01:23:37.087 --> 01:23:44.137 - like to meet. Does that have anything to say about that? I think that's all. Any other comments about 01:23:44.137 --> 01:23:49.182 - this? I was going to chime in really quickly. Then do we have the dates? 01:23:49.314 --> 01:23:55.077 - popping up here. So last year we talked about having some different presentations, like the ratchet 01:23:55.077 --> 01:24:01.071 - you're kind of like feeling today tonight. I know Adam, we talked about if you want to do like a little 01:24:01.071 --> 01:24:07.007 - share about, you know, invasive animals or whatever it was that you want to, that would be fun for one 01:24:07.007 --> 01:24:12.655 - of the regularly scheduled meetings. We talked about having Joe Cottle from DNR talk about state, 01:24:12.655 --> 01:24:17.150 - you know, deer issues. We talked a little bit about following up on the lawn, 01:24:17.506 --> 01:24:25.409 - guidance or something like that that Norma's been talking about. I think we talked about maybe having 01:24:25.409 --> 01:24:33.156 - some fancy iris or somebody come in. So there are a few. Oh, and then we also discussed potentially 01:24:33.156 --> 01:24:40.904 - if we wanted to have like a twice yearly, bi-annual, twice year conversation sort of schedule about 01:24:40.904 --> 01:24:45.630 - UDO changes and specifically maybe doing like one, you know, 01:24:46.498 --> 01:24:52.822 - some of the environmental sections of the UDO, and then, you know, six months later, whatever, covering 01:24:52.822 --> 01:24:59.085 - another section, because it's a pretty intense document, and so maybe do some of the break it down and 01:24:59.085 --> 01:25:05.348 - intentionally add it ahead of time. That'd be helpful for us. I had notes on that, so I kind of wanted 01:25:05.348 --> 01:25:06.078 - to see what 01:25:06.370 --> 01:25:13.170 - You mentioned video changes in January. I invited our senior zoning planner to talk about the video 01:25:13.170 --> 01:25:19.970 - changes that are going to be brought to council in February. Okay, great. So January's booked. Yes. 01:25:19.970 --> 01:25:26.974 - Would it be possible to also have like a sort of, not a key schedule, but a schedule of like eco-hero, 01:25:26.974 --> 01:25:33.842 - to add the dates, like eco-heroes and bugfest and things like that. But, I mean, do we know like the 01:25:33.842 --> 01:25:36.222 - dates? I mean, eco-heroes we know. 01:25:36.354 --> 01:25:43.034 - or when we give out the prices. But I just think that we'll be in a similar situation to be able to 01:25:43.034 --> 01:25:50.316 - put that in my schedule now as it's starting to come up. So I think that's the same thing. Administratively, 01:25:50.316 --> 01:25:57.196 - I could add, you know, maybe not just in form. I can't add it to the environmental commission calendar 01:25:57.196 --> 01:26:04.478 - because then I have to notice it. And then it's not necessarily like eco heroes, things like that Earth Day, 01:26:04.770 --> 01:26:13.463 - and I don't know how like minutes work, but like because I'd be putting it on our calendar. Yeah, but 01:26:13.463 --> 01:26:21.986 - I can't be on the day. Okay. Wait, can we, we can't put it on the day? I think we can put it on the 01:26:21.986 --> 01:26:30.765 - day, yeah. Just like, put it on the day. But not on the official day. Yeah. This calendar or whatever, 01:26:30.765 --> 01:26:34.174 - I don't think we can share. Yeah. Okay. 01:26:34.370 --> 01:26:42.049 - I think the months that you proposed meeting in a different time make sense. I appreciate you putting 01:26:42.049 --> 01:26:49.652 - the document together. This doesn't require a commission vote, does it? No, I don't think so. As far 01:26:49.652 --> 01:26:57.632 - as the events that you think for, so Eco Heroes, BudFest, or some other events, would you like the NCIRs, 01:26:57.632 --> 01:27:01.246 - like Angel of the Nightingale Trail over there? 01:27:02.114 --> 01:27:11.737 - Um, yeah, because I can make it. Are there any other events that would be helpful just to have like. 01:27:11.737 --> 01:27:21.264 - A reminder about these things coming up. Yeah, they don't sneak up on us. We know about them months 01:27:21.264 --> 01:27:27.838 - in advance. I don't worry about them for now, but if there's events. 01:27:28.354 --> 01:27:34.931 - that you know that are coming up for next month or two, please shoot me an email or find me and I can 01:27:34.931 --> 01:27:41.894 - put it on you just as a reminder for everybody. Okay, the sixth calendar. Oh, secondary about the calendar. 01:27:41.894 --> 01:27:48.600 - For working groups, if you all, it would be great if working groups had like a monthly standing meeting 01:27:48.600 --> 01:27:55.112 - or every other month, whatever, and we could easily cancel, but then I can reserve rooms and whatnot 01:27:55.112 --> 01:27:58.014 - and sign up for a public notice we sent out. 01:27:58.146 --> 01:28:06.294 - You can make an effort when we start meeting in January to see if there is a set time to project in 01:28:06.294 --> 01:28:14.605 - the future. I know that every month will work out. Basically, none of the working groups but outreach 01:28:14.605 --> 01:28:22.590 - have that planned yet, but we can aim to. I think UCPC and outreach, they both are good for 2026. 01:28:22.978 --> 01:28:33.801 - Can you remind me of what the terms are for having a virtual aspect for a working group meeting? Yeah, 01:28:33.801 --> 01:28:44.414 - so the virtual aspect, the biggest thing is I have to be there. Okay. So then I would need to ask if 01:28:44.414 --> 01:28:51.454 - it has to be recorded because this is publicized by CAPS. So then, 01:28:52.194 --> 01:28:59.306 - there's new state laws on putting those recordings up on our website. Right now, all of our recordings, 01:28:59.306 --> 01:29:06.145 - you don't necessarily have a section for like recordings on our website right now. And then what is 01:29:06.145 --> 01:29:13.258 - that? So there's just a lot of more administrative things to work out rather than, I guess, having that 01:29:13.258 --> 01:29:20.302 - virtual option in general. So the department has said as of right now, like for the ECPC lunch for the 01:29:20.302 --> 01:29:21.054 - main bowl, 01:29:21.250 --> 01:29:32.058 - That's the one sessions that they're all in person is that I know that when we did that, there were 01:29:32.058 --> 01:29:43.189 - multiple people who are doing in with that before the rules came up the staff. So the the numbers have 01:29:43.189 --> 01:29:49.566 - to be in person about training the presentation. Oh, yeah. 01:29:50.018 --> 01:30:00.557 - Someone had told me the other day about the Residence Academy. And I did a tour of the water treatment 01:30:00.557 --> 01:30:10.993 - plant and the wastewater treatment plant. And I could ask about that. I did a tour about a month ago. 01:30:10.993 --> 01:30:18.462 - I don't know about the Residence Academy though, that's on the left one. 01:30:18.626 --> 01:30:25.401 - I think that the Housing and Labor Department hosts that. I think it's, I don't want to say incentive, 01:30:25.401 --> 01:30:32.044 - but the multi, like, non-week introduction of Wilkinson. And it's not necessarily just environmental 01:30:32.044 --> 01:30:38.752 - stuff, it's like all sorts of things. Right, yes. Yeah. That's an interesting idea, just like getting 01:30:38.752 --> 01:30:45.527 - along comfortably with this thing. Kind of like we did our own Weed Rangle, you know, if we had a tour 01:30:45.527 --> 01:30:48.158 - arranged for admission, that'd be cool. 01:30:49.826 --> 01:30:58.684 - Before we move on, just a quick check. Adam, I know I threw your name up. Do you want to do a presentation 01:30:58.684 --> 01:31:07.046 - for us with that? Sure. Do you have a preference of any month in particular? After January. I really 01:31:07.046 --> 01:31:15.325 - don't care. If I saw you for March, would you do it for March? I think so, yeah. Okay. I'll keep it 01:31:15.325 --> 01:31:17.726 - to 15 minutes. Okay. Got it. 01:31:18.274 --> 01:31:28.567 - March, someone remind me. Okay, great. Any other thoughts or questions about the schedule? Cool, then 01:31:28.567 --> 01:31:38.759 - moving on to attendance requirements, the most fun and interesting part of this meeting tonight. So, 01:31:38.759 --> 01:31:47.134 - in our handbook, I don't have a handbook pulled up right now, but in our handbook, 01:31:47.490 --> 01:31:56.594 - I think the attendance requirements are mostly about the COVID error rules, like how often you need 01:31:56.594 --> 01:32:05.880 - to come in person versus a virtual meeting. I have since learned there's actual rules in the clinical 01:32:05.880 --> 01:32:16.350 - medical code. And so I do have that pulled up. So there's something about you cannot miss three consecutive years. 01:32:16.834 --> 01:32:24.505 - You can be removed if you miss three consecutive meetings or four regularly scheduled meetings within 01:32:24.505 --> 01:32:32.175 - an eight hour period. So there have been a couple of issues. And whenever I do this, I'm obligated to 01:32:32.175 --> 01:32:40.071 - report to the appointing group, whether that's council or office. So I wanted to provide something about 01:32:40.071 --> 01:32:44.734 - it. I wanted to bring it up to everybody that this is a rule. 01:32:45.058 --> 01:32:50.490 - And Perry mentioned, you know, having this in our handbook. So I wonder if we'll check on if this would 01:32:50.490 --> 01:32:55.713 - be helpful to have in our handbook. And it's not because we're adopting it as our language, because 01:32:55.713 --> 01:33:01.354 - it is what it is. It's more putting it in the paperwork that all of us have access to when we're onboarded. 01:33:01.354 --> 01:33:06.577 - It's in, you know, I reference the handbook all the time for just random questions. So it'd just be 01:33:06.577 --> 01:33:11.957 - more incorporated into that document. I feel generally supportive of putting it in that document. This 01:33:11.957 --> 01:33:14.046 - is always accessible, too, but no one's 01:33:14.242 --> 01:33:21.081 - going to go digging. So I think it'd be good if our documents reflected this. The question is, it's 01:33:21.081 --> 01:33:27.920 - removable for cause. Is it required or is it something that someone, a commissioner, can be removed 01:33:27.920 --> 01:33:34.965 - for a cause? And this is an example of a problem. It's up to the expression of the mayor or the common 01:33:34.965 --> 01:33:40.094 - council. So I think I also want to ask if we can fit in a handbook because 01:33:40.738 --> 01:33:48.029 - The guidance that I received from the court's office was the EC kicked somebody off. So I don't know 01:33:48.029 --> 01:33:55.321 - if that being in the handbook would be like an EC rule, like that's misleading with that, the EC has 01:33:55.321 --> 01:34:02.612 - that power, I guess. So I do, I just wanna make, I'm happy to add it and I'll propose that change in 01:34:02.612 --> 01:34:09.470 - January if, I don't think we're allowed to do that. I think it would be in the same section of 01:34:10.434 --> 01:34:16.092 - if you're attending virtually this is this is how it is and we're not going to kick you off anyway it's 01:34:16.092 --> 01:34:21.533 - always just going to go back to it it's not it's not saying that we'll do it it's saying you can be 01:34:21.533 --> 01:34:27.245 - removed for cause here's what that is i do think that would have some value you know within our document 01:34:27.245 --> 01:34:32.686 - i think it's helpful too just because when life gets busy and you start to see what you can come to 01:34:32.686 --> 01:34:37.310 - and not it starts to become a little more important if they start right yeah so just 01:34:37.474 --> 01:34:43.792 - except for appointees who serve at the pleasure of the mayor. So if you serve at the pleasure of the 01:34:43.792 --> 01:34:50.109 - mayor, this doesn't apply? It's up to the mayor's discretion. Because like half of us, we don't have 01:34:50.109 --> 01:34:56.489 - the mayor of it? It's all the doughnuts before that. That would be very strange if you were appointed 01:34:56.489 --> 01:35:02.744 - by the mayor first. I mean, it's too massive. It's just like administrative. I think this is really 01:35:02.744 --> 01:35:05.246 - saying the mayor's office and the mayor 01:35:05.570 --> 01:35:25.606 - She can remove for any cause. But then maybe other, like the council maybe has specific causes. So, 01:35:25.606 --> 01:35:34.622 - two mayors will determine many, many causes. 01:35:34.946 --> 01:35:41.902 - I think everyone knows that I'm not the expert on the municipal code. I'm happy to ask questions, but 01:35:41.902 --> 01:35:48.926 - I can only say what the code says. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It's been years since 01:35:48.926 --> 01:35:55.881 - we've had an issue with it, but we have had issues before regarding attendance. I do think having the 01:35:55.881 --> 01:36:02.701 - municipal code reflected in our document is probably a good idea, or at least a paraphrased version 01:36:02.701 --> 01:36:04.542 - of that that's applicable. 01:36:05.346 --> 01:36:11.911 - Basically, it boils down to, you can't miss, what is it, four? Four within a year. Four within a year. 01:36:11.911 --> 01:36:18.603 - Three in a row. Three in a row, or you can only attend two virtually in a row. The third time you attend 01:36:18.603 --> 01:36:25.040 - virtually in a row is a problem. And you have to attend more than half of the year in person. Right. 01:36:25.040 --> 01:36:29.310 - So it's a few of those things that, you know, you start to kind of 01:36:29.698 --> 01:36:35.393 - you know, and, and, and genuinely believe it's like, life picks up, you know, people's health comes 01:36:35.393 --> 01:36:41.089 - and goes, weather comes and goes, vacation's coming, like all those things. So I think any level of 01:36:41.089 --> 01:36:46.784 - transparency that we can add to our existing handle will be really helpful in the long-term future. 01:36:46.784 --> 01:36:52.593 - I also want to add administratively, this is not going to be traffic. So, um, these are, these aren't 01:36:52.593 --> 01:36:57.662 - rules that I'm creating. So, um, I appreciate you all for seeing and acknowledging that. 01:36:59.906 --> 01:37:07.932 - I did want to also remind everybody about the name tags. We've had one commissioner turn them in. I 01:37:07.932 --> 01:37:16.039 - don't know who else has them, but if you do, please turn them in. I probably won't remind anybody in 01:37:16.039 --> 01:37:24.788 - the future. That is all I have. Great. Thank you everybody for laying on the stuff and asking your questions 01:37:24.788 --> 01:37:27.838 - and being ready to figure it all out. 01:37:28.450 --> 01:37:36.513 - We are at the point of our evening where we talk through reports from various other groups that are 01:37:36.513 --> 01:37:44.738 - represented by EC members. So I'm going to jump right in to David. Do you have any updates you'd like 01:37:44.738 --> 01:37:53.285 - to share? Yeah, well, street commission meetings usually start with, unless there's business about things 01:37:53.285 --> 01:37:56.510 - that the street department wants to do, 01:37:56.770 --> 01:38:08.234 - moving trees around and stuff that we want to talk about. Usually, Haskell Smith was the city foresters 01:38:08.234 --> 01:38:19.919 - meeting off by giving us a progress report this year, or this last meeting this past Monday. He mentioned 01:38:19.919 --> 01:38:25.982 - that in the past year, he had pruned about 1,800 trees 01:38:28.514 --> 01:38:43.500 - It's remote 308 and it's 786. This inspection on inventory has, I'm not sure what exactly what this 01:38:43.500 --> 01:38:57.886 - number is, 5,692. There's an additional 1,361 trees in the inventory. And that's pretty punchy. 01:38:59.330 --> 01:39:10.472 - total trees worked on or inspected were 1,665. Overall, we've hit almost all our goals in the third 01:39:10.472 --> 01:39:21.948 - quarter, still letting catch up on the tree planting. Overall, a great year with sound staffing issues 01:39:21.948 --> 01:39:27.742 - and equipment issues. Then he mentioned that he has 01:39:28.706 --> 01:39:42.159 - $50,000 received for ash tree management, and there are 16 applicants for tree assistance. We then moved 01:39:42.159 --> 01:39:54.972 - on to, um, now, Mayor Williams, who's the new representative there. They will have a tree inventory 01:39:54.972 --> 01:39:57.150 - out soon for IU. 01:39:58.402 --> 01:40:09.714 - And they had plans to plant new trees in the athletic district, but that is told to be careful not to 01:40:09.714 --> 01:40:21.691 - get in the way of tailgating. Julie Roberts and the people of Newton had no report. And under new business, 01:40:21.691 --> 01:40:27.902 - George Higman came up with the possibility of tree tags 01:40:28.738 --> 01:40:39.116 - that we would make available for new trees. I think this is likely to happen. It's going to be $500 01:40:39.116 --> 01:40:50.427 - to $600 lost. I'll pass around this list of three possible tree tags. And my other piece of pre-commissioned 01:40:50.427 --> 01:40:56.446 - business is this thing. I wouldn't have to do it anymore. 01:40:56.770 --> 01:41:08.724 - Is there anybody who would like to be in the presentation? This has the disadvantage or the advantage 01:41:08.724 --> 01:41:20.912 - for a retired person. The meetings typically last one hour and not longer than that. They start at 9.30 01:41:20.912 --> 01:41:26.654 - in the morning on the third Monday of the month. 01:41:28.130 --> 01:41:38.844 - on that commission, we plan to be able to go to those Monday meetings. This is the third Monday of the 01:41:38.844 --> 01:41:49.349 - month at 930s? Yeah. Are they here and selling? No. Up until now, they've been up on every office of 01:41:49.349 --> 01:41:56.318 - the city forestry, which is up by a row ship cemetery, but I think 01:41:56.450 --> 01:42:04.628 - They've just decided they can't do that anymore. And they're going to start meeting in the city hall. 01:42:04.628 --> 01:42:12.966 - So somebody else will take it over. I would appreciate it. OK, that question, when is the next meeting? 01:42:12.966 --> 01:42:20.663 - Do you remember? January 19. Oh, thank you. OK, so January 19. I assume that's not the holiday. 01:42:20.663 --> 01:42:24.030 - Which it is. Yeah, usually they're on the 01:42:25.346 --> 01:42:37.382 - Monday, but on sometimes because of. It's not my commission. Because of all the days, the various sorts 01:42:37.382 --> 01:42:49.650 - that we looked at other dates, but. The next meeting, I think it's going to be on the second. The second, 01:42:49.650 --> 01:42:54.974 - okay. I believe that they fought back a week. 01:42:55.842 --> 01:43:06.949 - Okay and then if anybody thinks about it like typically 930 on the third Monday of the month but the 01:43:06.949 --> 01:43:18.276 - January the second line so the folks are interested you should reach out to maybe Rachel to verify the 01:43:18.276 --> 01:43:23.774 - location of it and Dave thanks for being the tree 01:43:23.906 --> 01:43:34.511 - mission representative for so long. I really appreciate how much I've put into it. Okay, do you have 01:43:34.511 --> 01:43:45.115 - any, are there any updates for ERAC or the others? ERAC met last Wednesday, the week from yesterday. 01:43:45.115 --> 01:43:52.990 - And we met in the Manifer Community Center, where I had never been before. 01:43:53.698 --> 01:44:05.881 - It's out on West 7th Street, and apparently it was once a black school. A funny building, and it was 01:44:05.881 --> 01:44:17.339 - not met up on the fourth floor. I misplaced my notes, but I have a few things left in my head. 01:44:17.339 --> 01:44:20.958 - Deer this year, deer hunting. 01:44:22.818 --> 01:44:36.445 - Last year, they got 35. I think this year they got maybe 49. They got more deer in the deer hunts this 01:44:36.445 --> 01:44:47.294 - year than they did last year. There was a report on, I forget what the plant was. 01:44:47.458 --> 01:44:58.227 - not doing better than it has in the past. And they think that's because they were nearer than they have 01:44:58.227 --> 01:45:08.582 - been in the past. Let me discuss the report on the treatment of the actual water. Oh, that's right. 01:45:08.582 --> 01:45:15.934 - Yeah. Yeah, there was a report on actually the treatment of the water. 01:45:16.802 --> 01:45:26.639 - really like. I didn't bring my notes either. Things are going well, right? And they're going to continue 01:45:26.639 --> 01:45:36.101 - treatment for a non-native micro-imperibrate, or actually it's a plant. It's a plant. Plant, yeah. I 01:45:36.101 --> 01:45:45.470 - forget which plant it is. InvisPlan, yeah. Studying it. I don't know. Yeah, it's going well. Right. 01:45:45.890 --> 01:45:56.026 - And then I have to leave early, so I missed the last part, which is important. Or there's developments 01:45:56.026 --> 01:46:06.063 - that I don't know anything about. And Bernd, you said nothing new. All right. Perfect. Thanks for the 01:46:06.063 --> 01:46:14.526 - updates and thanks for the year additions, too. As far as because goes because, Matt, 01:46:14.722 --> 01:46:21.892 - a week earlier than usual, and I was caught off guard by that and had a kind of crazy week last week, 01:46:21.892 --> 01:46:29.343 - so I will watch it and report on it next. All right, so MC Iris is the next one on the list, and I think, 01:46:29.343 --> 01:46:36.654 - Rachel, you've been trying to touch those meetings, is that right? Yeah, I was at the Urban Forest Tree 01:46:36.654 --> 01:46:42.910 - Symposium from DNR during that time, so I was not able to attend the MC Iris meeting and 01:46:43.330 --> 01:46:50.306 - and Jay Park did not pass along the magnets. She's usually really good about it, so something came up. 01:46:50.306 --> 01:46:57.283 - She wasn't able to pass them along right after the meeting. And then the Clean Community Program under 01:46:57.283 --> 01:47:04.192 - the Mitchell often weighs in on this, but, Rachel, are there any updates for that? Oh, good question. 01:47:04.192 --> 01:47:11.710 - Let me see. I think Christine Lindbergh sent an update that we are one submission away from the silver status. 01:47:11.842 --> 01:47:20.387 - So we're really posting feeds and verging all the trees to try to get them something so we can get that 01:47:20.387 --> 01:47:28.685 - status for the city. Okay, so that's all of the different reports. We've moved along to commissioner 01:47:28.685 --> 01:47:36.901 - announcements. Norm's not here tonight, so we can skip him on the list. Are there any announcements 01:47:36.901 --> 01:47:41.502 - from any other commissioners that they'd like to share? 01:47:43.586 --> 01:48:02.998 - The Monroe County Christmas bird count is happening on Saturday. What does that entail? Five thirty 01:48:02.998 --> 01:48:12.510 - six. And you went to the goose. Okay. All right. 01:48:13.986 --> 01:48:20.484 - lot of good birdings that apparently you've been to. I was excited to see, I can't remember exactly 01:48:20.484 --> 01:48:27.113 - when, but sometime in the last few weeks that our urban forester Haskell has planted some trees in my 01:48:27.113 --> 01:48:33.741 - neighborhood. It was something that I've talked to him about well over a year ago and it was supposed 01:48:33.741 --> 01:48:36.990 - to happen like last fall or something and I would 01:48:38.050 --> 01:48:45.358 - I was joking with the friend that I feel betrayed, but then, you know, one day it was driving home, 01:48:45.358 --> 01:48:52.811 - like, oh my God, these are nice and they're in more than just this one person's yard. So I bet you it 01:48:52.811 --> 01:49:00.484 - was the city's doing. So that was a cool surprise earlier this month. Anything else? Yeah, that's great. 01:49:00.484 --> 01:49:07.646 - All right. Well, I believe that brings us to the end. Our next meeting is going to be January 15. 01:49:08.066 --> 01:49:14.790 - 6pm. If you can't make it or you think you may not be able to, please reach out to Rachel and myself. 01:49:14.790 --> 01:49:21.381 - Let us know. But otherwise, that's that. Motion to adjourn. Second. Excellent. All right. 7.52. You 01:49:21.381 --> 01:49:25.534 - have seven and a half minutes to do whatever you have in mind.