HomeMy Public PortalAbout20130723 - Minutes - Board of Directors (BOD)
July 23, 2013
Board Meeting 13-16
*Approved by the Board of Directors on August 14, 2013
SPECIAL MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
Administrative Office
330 Distel Circle
Los Altos, CA 94022
July 23, 2013
APPROVED MINUTES*
SPECIAL MEETING – STUDY SESSION
I. CALL TO ORDER
President Cyr called the Special Meeting of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District Board of Directors to order at 6:01 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present: Jed Cyr, Yoriko Kishimoto, Nonette Hanko, Larry Hassett, Cecily
Harris, and Curt Riffle
Members Absent: Pete Siemens
Staff Present: General Manager Steve Abbors, Assistant General Manager Ana
Ruiz, Assistant General Manager Kevin Woodhouse, General
Counsel Sheryl Schaffner, Assistant General Counsel Hilary
Stevenson, Natural Resources Manager Kirk Lenington, Senior
Resource Management Specialist Cindy Roessler, Natural
Resources Intern Collin Kortman, Resource Management
Specialist Joel Silverman, Maintenance and Resource Supervisor
Stan Hooper, Public Affairs Manager Shelly Lewis, Contingent
Employee Ellen Gartside, Human Resources Supervisor Candice
Basnight, and District Clerk Jennifer Woodworth
III. PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
IV. BOARD BUSINESS
Meeting 13-16 Page 2
General Manager Steve Abbors called attention to the summary portion of the Board
Report that tonight’s approval of the Integrated Pest Management Policy (IPM) is in
concept in order to ensure the Board’s objectives are reflected in the IPM Policy to begin
the environmental review process. Staff will bring the IPM Policy and the CEQA
analysis back to the Board in seven to eight months.
Agenda Item #1 – Study Session to Review and approve “in concept” the Draft
Integrated Pest Management Policy, for Purposes of Conducting Environmental
Review (R-13-22)
Senior Resource Management Specialist Cindy Roessler presented the staff report and
provided a presentation on Integrated Pest Management in the District’s preserves.
Loran May, the District’s consultant from May & Associates presented the proposed
Guidance Manual that will be created based on the Integrated Pest Management Policy
once it is adopted by the Board. Ms. May explained the IPM Guidance Manual, both
how it will look and work in practice.
Natural Resources Manager Kirk Lenington provided information regarding how
pesticides will be used on District lands, their potential hazards, and the abatement of
those hazards.
Extensive discussion ensued among the Directors, and staff provided answers to the
Directors’ questions.
Public Hearing opened at 7:20 p.m.
Greg Kerekes from the Urban Wildlife Research Project spoke against the use of
herbicides in pest management.
Lisa Karpinski, a member of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, spoke against the
use of rodenticide bait products.
Roger Castillo, a member of the Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Group, spoke against
indiscriminate use of pesticides and their negative effect on frogs and fish in the area.
Eileen McLaughlin, a member of the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, asked
the Board to ban the use of rodenticides in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District.
Annette Herz from Mountain View and member of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon
Society and Wildcare’s Raptors are the Solution organization spoke against the use of
rodenticide on District lands stating its use can lead to secondary poisoning of predators
that eat poisoned rodents.
Shani Kleinhaus, a member of Santa Clara County’s Fish and Game Commission, but
speaking for herself and on behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society spoke
against the use of rodenticides specifically anticoagulants.
Meeting 13-16 Page 3
Morteza Danesh, a member of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, asked the Board
to ban the use of rodenticides on District lands.
Public hearing closed at 7:45 p.m.
Extensive discussion ensued among the Directors, and staff provided answers to the
Directors’ questions.
In response to Director Hassett’s question regarding Board review of specific IPM
techniques, Natural Resources Manager Lenington explained that the Guidance Manual
will first be reviewed by the Planning & Natural Resources Committee in the fall prior to
going to the full Board for final approval. Several Directors expressed their desire for the
Manual to be reviewed by the full Board. General Manager Abbors suggested the
Guidance Manual could bypass the Planning & Natural Resources Committee and be
reviewed by the full Board.
Motion: Director Kishimoto moved to create a goal to over time reduce the use of
pesticides on a per acre, per year basis for District lands.
Brief discussion followed. General Manager Abbors suggested that staff could return to
the Board with information regarding the amount of pesticides currently being used by
the District and compare District pesticide use to that of other agencies. Natural
Resources Manager Lenington stated that the goal of the Integrated Pest Management
Policy is to reduce the toxicity of the pesticides used over reducing the quantity because
reduced quantity does not always equate to reduced toxicity.
Director Kishimoto withdrew her motion from consideration.
Motion: Director Hassett moved, and Director Kishimoto seconded the motion to accept
the Integrated Pest Management Policy as presented in concept.
VOTE: 6-0-0 (Director Siemens absent)
V. ADJOURNMENT
President Cyr adjourned the Special Meeting of the Board of Directors of the
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District at 8:43 p.m.
__________________________________
Jennifer Woodworth
District Clerk