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Regional Open Space
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
Meeting 06-08
SPECIAL MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 4, 2006
District Office, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, California
MINUTES
I. ROLL CALL
President Jed Cyr called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.
Members Present: Jed Cyr, Mary Davey,Nonette Hanko, Larry Hassett, Deane Little (arrived
at 9:10 a.m.), Ken Nitz and Pete Siemens.
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Michael Bankosh, Craig Britton, Matthew Freeman, Michelle Jesperson,
R. Jurgensen, John Maciel, Meredith Manning, Cindy Roessler, Ana Ruiz, David Sanguinetti,
Sally Thielfoldt
C. Britton introduced the audience and Tom Roberts, ESA. Mr. Roberts facilitated the meeting.
IL ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion: M. Davey moved that the Board adopt the agenda. P. Siemens seconded and the
motion passed 6 to 0.
III. BOARD BUSINESS
Open Discussion of District's Resource Management Program. Comments and Discussion:
N. Hanko:
1. How to proceed? After receipt of the Workshop transcript, more ideas will be
generated.
2. Partnership with universities (research).
3. District Board monitors what staff is doing in resource management, including site
laws.
4. Identify invasive species: get public more informed to help District.
5. Partnership with other agencies.
6. LFPAC changing CalTrans policies.
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K. Nitz:
l. What is right with our resource management program now?
2. What is wrong?
3. What are the District's problems and priorities?
4. How is resource management defined?
5. How does the District move the responsibility to staff and keep Board from
nitpicking?
M. Davey:
1. Refer to mission statement—is it still relevant?
2. Reaffirm that District cares for the land it purchases, but most important is to acquire.
P. Siemens:
1. Technical ideas over time.
2. General direction: Does the District reverse the trend/priority to preserve first, then
purchase?
3. There is a need for a mechanism to respond to threats quickly.
L. Hassett:
1. Referred to polling: public wants resource management.
2. How to elevate resource management? Make resource management a separate
department in the District organization.
3. Likes the "ad hoc committee" idea.
4. Five year MOUs with Fish and Game and the Planning Department.
D. Little:
it
1. Spend $10,000 per acre to buy land; now time to spend $100 per acre to mow.
2. Great staff—it should be organized effectively.
3. Concerns with North American flora and fauna.
J. Cyr:
1. Philosophy: Reaffirm basic policy.
2. District has an ambitious resource management plan—let it play out and be able to
respond without all the tweaking.
3. What is the spending goal? In the next 20 years, what land does the District plan to
purchase in relation to resource management—be selective.
4. Possible to spend all of District's money on resource management and still not be
successful.
5. There should be more emphasis on volunteerism—physic truth of public through
education. The dynamics of the public (demographics) are changing.
6. Would like to see more preparation work with community before changing the
resource management partnerships.
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C. Britton:
1. Concerned with "ad hoc committee" idea—need full Board input.
2. Board should set the resource management policies, budget and definition.
3. Finish the resource management policies.
4. Revisit the Strategic Plan.
N. Hanko commented on reprioritizing the mission statement components, but have
acquisition first priority and downplay the "access"part of the statement.
D. Little suggested we review the Basic Policy.
Sally: Staff has already begun strategic discussions and interviews to determine the best
way to grow the resource management program. Sited Edgewood Park example that was
very successful using volunteers but it only covered 20 acres and District has 50,000.
Encourage smart growth of resource management.
A. Rust:
1. Pleased to hear reinforcement of District's mission statement.
2. POST has a direction of stewardship.
3. Follow GGNRA example, especially related to partnership.
4. Don't discount access—public needs access to appreciate and support. Before people
will care for something, they need to believe it is theirs.
Motion: N. Hanko moved that the Board reaffirm the Mission Statement. M. Davey seconded the
motion. The motion passed 7 to 0.
At 10:34 a.m. there was a ten-minute break. The meeting reconvened at 10:46 a.m.
M. Freeman:
1. Staff is inspired and encouraged and has lots of ideas.
2. The organization of the District is not as important.
3. Adaptive management= desired outcome. Take action and then monitor.
4. "Small grants programs" is a good idea.
D. Sanguinetti:
1. The more that gets accomplished, the better the morale.
2. Skyline serves Board, Real Property, resource management, users and neighbors.
3. Skyline's needs for resource management work: equipment, tools, staff and
volunteers. Mowing, e.g., too steep of terrain to mow and can't use tractors.
4. Trail maintenance and erosion control is also resource management.
5. Agrees with polling for public opinion on resource management.
6. Joint polling with Santa Clara County, or look at existing polling.
7. Let staff put program suggestion together for Board consideration.
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J. Maciel:
1. Each agency is unique regarding structure.
2. All employees want to feel successful and have a clear vision.
3. Partnerships.
C. Roessler:
1. In defining "resource management" the District must be open and realize there are
different purposes and priorities.
2. Staff works off the annual Action Plan versus the 50-year vision.
3. Struggles with science on the ground and practicality.
4. Would like to see more monitoring.
5. How to get information to Board? All SFB is mapped and on the web site.
K. Nitz:
1. Would like monitoring data in graph form.
2. There should be a mechanism to respond to threats.
P. Siemens: "Resource protection"vs. resource management or"stewardship."
D. Little:
1. Rewrite Basic Policy.
2. Map lands: Determine which fields can be mowed.
3. Explore the idea of adopt-an-acre program.
4. Revisit staff ratio to volunteers with training.
5. Mow a couple of times per year on specific fields and monitor.
6. Brush at appropriate time of year, e.g., early bloom.
7. Contract with universities, e.g., Stanford.
Craig Dremann:
1. Sell native vegetable seeds.
2. Technologies for invasive species; presented magazine, "Ecological Restoration."
3. Talked about his business.
4. $500,000: Three years CalTrans for 2-1/2 acres.
K. Lenington:
1. Broaden resource management to include rare species, e.g., red-legged frog
(thousands); trout (hundreds), salmon and marbled murrelet.
2. Watershed management: 14 miles of streams; 60 ponds—need specialists.
3. Shared vision needed for staff.
4. Sharing information is crucial. Staff has built good relations with regulatory
agencies; universities have come onto District property.
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C. Britton:
Proposed direction:
1. Board: Polling costs for budget.
2. Board: Basic Policy review.
3. Administration and Budget Committee: Define resource management for budget
purposes.
4. Reorganization suggestions from staff.
5. Partners/volunteers.
6. Board annually revisit strategic plan before Action Plan.
D. Little commented on polling and how he didn't care what the public thought about
how the Board does its job.
M. Davey stated that public input should be included.
M. Manning:
1. Resource management should be defined.
2. There should be a shift in the focus of projects back to process.
3. Trail realignment should fall under resource management.
4. Partnering: cultural resources are important, i.e., historic building.
5. Referenced contract with Brian O'Neill.
6. Must use landscape-scale thinking.
D. Little suggested considering forming a land stewardship organization, i.e.,
conservancy(non-profits).
R. Jurgensen:
1. Public outreach is very important.
2. Public Affairs Department will continue to engage public and expand partnership.
3. In answer to K. Nitz' question: The total number of volunteer hours is 14,000; 2,200
of those hours concentrate on resource management.
IV. ADJOURNMENT
At 1:20 p.m., the meeting was adjourned.
Sally Thielfoldt
Recording Secretary
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