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Regional Open Space
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
Meeting 08-24
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
November 12, 2008
MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
I. ROLL CALL
President Pete Siemens called the Special Meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. He called the Roll Call.
Members Present: Pete Siemens, Jed Cyr,Nonette Hanko, Ken Nitz, Larry Hassett and
Curt Riffle.
Members Absent: Mary Davey
Staff Present: Steve Abbors
II. CLOSED SESSION
The Board recessed to the Special Meeting Closed Session at 5:33 p.m. for the purpose of
discussing Closed Session Agenda Item Number One.
The Closed Session adjourned at 7:03 p.m.
REGULAR MEETING
II1. President Siemens called the Regular Meeting to order at 7:05 p.m., and asked for the Roll Call.
Members Present: Pete Siemens, Jed Cyr, Nonette Hanko, Ken Nitz, Larry Hassett and
Curt Riffle.
Members Absent: Ma Davey
Y
Additional Staff Present: D. Sanguinetti, S. Schectman, M. Freeman, M. Williams, R.
Jurgensen, N. Perez, C. Roessler, M. Manning, L. Maze, K. Lenington, S. Hooper, D. Simmons,
P. McKowan and B. Malone.
President Siemens stated that there were no reportable items from the Closed Session item 1.
IV. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS —There were none.
V. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion: Director Cyr moved that the Board adopt the Agenda. Director Riffle
seconded the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
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Meeting 08-24 Page 2
VI. ADOPTION OF CONSENT CALENDAR
Director Nitz removed the Revised Claims from the Consent Calendar. He asked questions on
Revised Claims numbers 9023, 9025, 9027, 9060, 9052, 9094, and 9144R which staff answered
to his satisfaction. Director Hassett asked about Revised Claim number 9035 which staff
answered to his satisfaction.
Motion: Director Cyr moved that the Board adopt the Consent Calendar, including
approval of the October 22, 2008 Board Minutes; and Revised Claims 08-19. Director
Nitz seconded the motion.
Vote: The motion passed 6 to 0 except for the AT&T Claims and Claim
Number 9145R identified on the Revised Claims list. Director Hanko said she was
recusing herself from voting on the AT&T Claims and Claim Number 9145R. The
Board vote on the AT&T Claims and Claim Number 9145R passed by a vote of 5 to 0.
VII. BOARD BUSINESS
A. Agenda Item No. 3 —Authorize the General Manager to Amend a Contract with
Wetlands and Water Resources, Inc. for an Additional Amount of$47,000, for an
Overall Contract Amount Not to Exceed $64,080 to Prepare an Inundation Modeling
Study for Schilling Lake at Thornewood Open Space Preserve—(Report R-08-129)
M. Manning presented the staff report and highlighted the major points of the contract.
Director Hanko asked how the study would be done and if any water would inundate the
neighbors as a result of the study. M. Manning explained the process of the study and
said that no water would be released from the dam.
Director Siemens asked if the contractor will look at various scenarios and M. Manning
said there was room in the budget for the contractor to provide different options.
Director Riffle stated that it is important for the District to become good at pond
management and he asked if a study like this one had been done before and if it is
something that will be done more often. M. Manning said that this is the first study and
it was possible studies on other ponds would be conducted in the future. Director Riffle
asked who will share in the data and M. Manning replied that the Woodside Town
Engineer would, and depending on the results, the downstream neighbors.
Director Hassett asked if there was a definitive report about the dam. M. Manning said
there was not and added that it was expensive to do geotechnical engineering studies.
Director Cyr said he wanted the neighbors to be included prior to any action taken as a
result of the study.
Motion: Director Hanko moved to approve the General Manager's
Recommendation. Director Riffle seconded the motion. The motion passed
6 to 0.
Meeting 08-24 Page 3
B. Agenda Item No. 4—Annual Update on the Resource Management Program, Receive
an Oral Report on the Status of the Resource Management Program—(Report R-08-124)
K. Lenington gave an annual update report on the resource planning components for the
Resource Management Program and highlighted projects that fell under the Resource
Program Planning and Policy Development; Water Quality Protection; Environmental
Remediation; and Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species Management. C. Roessler
gave an annual update report on Resource Inventory; Ecological Restoration; Vegetation
Management; and Wildlife Management.
Director Hassett complimented staff. He said that at the Skyline Tree Farm, staff is
doing a great job in restoring the area.
Director Cyr asked for more information about exclusionary fencing. K. Lenington
described how wildlife could move under the fencing and deer can jump over it.
Director Cyr stated that he liked the partnership with the Department of Fish and Game.
Director Riffle said he was thrilled with the staff accomplishments. He said he was
encouraged by the grant program participation, impressed with the grazing program, the
involvement of the volunteers and public. He asked if there was a way to streamline the
permitting process. K. Lenington said that staff is working on 5-year permits with
various agencies, but that obtaining county permits was difficult.
Director Hanko suggested the R. Jurgensen look into the possibility of coordinating a
private fundraiser for the Resource Management Program.
Director Nitz said the report was very good. He asked why the five-year strategic plan is
on hiatus. S. Abhors said that it was at his request following a review of priority
projects with M. Freeman. K. Lenington added that there is not enough staff to achieve
the goals in the strategic plan.
Director Siemens asked clarifying questions about the resource management database
that was answered to his satisfaction by staff. He said that staff should focus on
obtaining the 5-year pen-nits so there is more efficiency on projects. Director Hassett
said that there is a new Planning Manager at San Mateo County and suggested that the
Board can assist in the process of helping staff get the 5-year permit from them.
Motion: No formal Board action was required. The Board of Directors
accepted the report.
C. Agenda Item No. 5—Approve the Scheduling of Special Meetings of the Board of.
Directors on November 19, 2008, December 4, 2008, and January 10, 2009 - (Report R-
08-131)
Directors Hanko and Hassett said they would not be in town on November 19 and
Director Davey would not be available. After discussion, it was determined that a
meeting on November 20 at 6:00 p.m. would work for the Board members. Director
Meeting 08-24 Page 4
Riffle asked who should lead the workshop on January 10. Director Hanko said that
Director Siemens should lead as President of the Board.
Motion: Director Cyr moved to approve the General Manager's
Recommendation as amended changing the November Special Meeting date to
November 20, at 6:00 p.m. Director Riffle seconded the motion. The motion
passed 6 to 0.
D. Agenda Item No. 6—Adopt the Proposed Amendments to the District's Rules of
Procedure Regarding Reconsideration of Actions Previously Taken by the Board of
Directors—(Report R-08-130)
Director Hanko, as Chair of the Legislative, Funding and Public Affairs Committee,
commended S. Schectman's work. S. Schectman summarized the staff report and
reviewed the Board voting procedures.
Director Nitz said that the fourth sentence in section 1.31 was confusing. He suggested
adding the word"Board," so that a phrase read, "Intervening Board meeting"each time
it is repeated in the section.
Director Nitz suggested changing the title of Section 1.26 to, "Procedural Rules"to
make it clearer. S. Schectman suggested "Rules of Order,"which was agreed to by the
Board members.
Director Nitz asked that the LFPAC members look at other sections of the Rules of
Procedure that need updating.
Motion: Director Hanko moved to approve the recommended action as
amended. Director Cyr seconded the motion. The motion passed 6 to 0.
VIII. INFORMATIONAUCOMPENSABLE MEETING REPORTS
A. Committee Reports: There were none.
B. Staff Reports:
D. Sanguinetti announced that the District now owns an Escape Hybrid vehicle. He said
that Operations would convert the Durango into a Patrol Supervisor vehicle.
Director Riffle asked about a meeting schedule for the La Honda Creek Master Plan. M.
Freeman said staff planned to schedule an ad hoc committee meeting prior to January.
Director Hanko commented on the good report in the FYI's by T. Hugg and S. Abbors.
S. Schectman gave an update on the Bear Creek litigation and said there would be a
mediation session on November 13 and the trial setting date is November 25, 2008. She
said that the Riverside County case is fully briefed and filed with the state Supreme
Court. She said that, as part of the risk management function that has transferred to the
Meeting 08-24 Page 5
Legal Program, they are developing a database to show the current status of the
insurance certificates for District contractors and consultants.
S. Abhors announced that P. Naito has left District employment. He said that staff
would begin using a new PowerPoint template that shows the new District logo for all of
their report presentations. He met with the Skyline field staff regarding the budget. He
attended the Mindego and Russian Ridge meeting on November 8 with C. Koopmarm.
On November 9, he went to Devil's Canyon. He met with the Overlook Road neighbors.
On November 11, he toured the Cloverdale Ranch with Audrey Rust and other POST
staff.
C. Board Member Reports:
Director Cyr said his only compensable meeting was tonight's meeting(11/12). He
brought in an article from the San Jose Mercury News regarding the Santa Cruz land
connection. On October 24, he hiked at Fremont Older Preserve and saw the erosion
control work at the trail. On October 31, he attended the staff Halloween luncheon. He
also attended the Mindego Hill and Russian Ridge event on November 8, 2008.
Director Hassett said his only compensable meeting was tonight's meeting(11/12). He
said he met George Cattermole at a benefit event at the San Gregorio Store and heard
about Mr. Cattermole's group's work doing stream monitoring. Director Hassett asked
if the District could help locate grant money to support Mr. Catten-nole's group's
efforts. He said he felt their work would directly benefit the District.
Director Hanko said that tonight's meeting was her only compensable meeting. She said
she enjoyed the Halloween party. She gave an update on Director Davey.
Director Nitz said that his only compensable meeting was tonight's meeting (11/12). He
announced that he lost the recent election. He said he would be in town on November
22 and 23, which is a change from what he had previously told staff.
Director Riffle said that tonight's meeting was his only compensable meeting. He said
the docent hike at Mills Creek he attended was well done. He said he enjoyed the
Mindego Hill and Russian Ridge tour on November 8, 2008. He said he was planning
on going to the weed seminar on November 14 with C. Roessler.
Director Siemens said that his only compensable meeting was tonight's meeting.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
President Siemens adjourned the Special and Regular meetings of the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District at 10:15 p.m.
Lisa Zadek, Recording Secretary