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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03072006 - C.56 "� E.`=��• TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ;' `: "` ; Contra Costa FROM: Dennis M. Barry, AICPCollrlt Community Development Director °��^�' Y Maurice Shiu Public Works Director • DATE: March 7, 2006 SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO HOST SYMPOSIA TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT CREEK AND WATERSHED ISSUES IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY. SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS AUTHORIZE the Community Development and Public Works Departments, on behalf of the Contra Costa Watershed Forum, to host three watershed symposia in different areas of the County in the spring of 2006 to educate the public about issues related to creeks and watersheds in the County. FISCAL IMPACT No impact to the general fund. Community Development and Public Works staff time is covered within existing budgets as part of the Watershed Forum. Approximately$4,000 in direct costs will be funded through grants and in-kind contributions. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE:`'1 ' Mir _,/6ECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR_ RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE i—APPROVE OTHER r SIGNATURE (S): ACTION OF BOA D N 3 7 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED V"' OTtR VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS (ABSENT I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS ATRUE AND AYES: NOES: CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISO�R,S,AON QTHE DATE SHOWN. Contact: Kae Ono (925) 335-1230 ATTESTED cc: Community Development Department JOHN CULLEN, d1LERK OF THE Public Works Department BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND County Administrator's Office COUNTY A MINISTRATOR Clerk of the Board Auditor-Controller BY: , DEPUTY ,.r Hosting creek and watershed symposia in the spring of 2006 March 7, 2006 Page 2 of 2 REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND The Contra Costa Watershed Forum started as a result of the Creek and Watershed Symposium in 1999 which was attended by approximately 300 people. That event highlighted the need to create a countywide body to exchange valuable information on protecting the health of creeks and watersheds. In 2000, the County Board of Supervisors officially recognized the Forum as a valuable committee for coordinating creek and watershed discussion and planning and authorized staff support to the forum. Staff members from the County Community Development and Public Works Departments facilitate bimonthly meetings throughout the County, create meeting agendas and minutes, and assist with many Forum projects. Since 2000,the Forum has accomplished many things. Highlights include creating and expanding the Volunteer Creek Monitoring Program, publishing the Contra Costa Watershed Atlas,conducting the second Quadrennial Creek and Watershed Symposium in 2003, and designing and installing creek signs all over the County The two symposium events organized by the Forum in 1999 and 2003 were held during the day-time. Attendees were limited to those people who have jobs in the field of watershed management as well as people who are retired or who could take time off to attend these events. In 2001, to capture the audience who are interested in watersheds but are not working in the field and cannot attend daytime meetings, an evening mini symposium was held in Walnut Creek. This was attended by 50 to 65 people. The audience was almost completely different from the Forum's day-time meetings. Many people from the local community came to observe stories from local watershed groups on what they are doing to protect and improve watersheds in their own communities. The third Quadrennial Creek and Watershed Symposium will be held in 2007 during the day. In order to provide local community members with valuable watershed information, the.Forum has decided to host three evening mini symposia in the spring of 2006. Dates and locations of the events are as follows: March 28 Central Contra Costa Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek March 30 East Contra Costa Pittsburg City Hall, Pittsburg April 5 West Contra Costa Contra Costa College, San Pablo All three events will have different agendas to reflect regionally specific interests. Members of the Watershed Forum mini symposium planning committee are in the process of finalizing the agendas. While each event has a slightly different twist, all three will include general information on all watersheds in the County, the Forum's functions, and results from the Volunteer Creek Monitoring Program. Staff from the Forum will provide volunteers who participated in the Creek Monitoring Program with a publication that includes the Global Positioning System data and the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Study data that they have collected in the past few years. This publication will be a high resolution,full color 8.5 x 11 publication with a minimum of four pages of maps foreach watershed that has participated in the data collection. This publication is intended to accompany the 2003 Watershed Atlas and is being funded by a grant from the Fish & Wildlife Committee. These events will be advertised through creek and watershed education groups'newsletters and e-mail lists,as well as any free services available to the Forum and its member organizations. Staff members from cities in the County who deal with creek and watershed management are encouraged to attend these events. Anyone from local communities who is interested in creek and watershed issues is also welcome to attend. Participation by members of the Board of Supervisors would be most welcome and staff will be in contact to explore and coordinate this possibility. All three events will be public meetings open to any and all individuals and groups who wish to attend.