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Friends of Sligo Creek
Stormwater Committee Meeting
February 7, 2007
Attendees:
Ann Hoffnar
Ed Murtagh
Kathy Michels
Alison Gillespie
Diane Cameron
Jenny Reed
Marshall Johnson
Pam Rowe (guest)
Briefing by Pam Rowe
Pam is the new Rainscapes Coordinator for DEP. She comes to Montgomery County DEP with a great deal of experience, including former positions with MCDEP, MCP&P, and the Centers for Watershed Protection. She also comes to us with ideas and enthusiasm.
Pam briefed us on the programs she is developing, including:
A Charette to be scheduled in March, probably on the 10 or 17th. To ensure diverse representation, the Charrette will be by invitation only and will be an opportunity for businesses, watershed groups, and government agencies to help plan the approach to work under the Rainscapes Program.
Ideas about implementing LID practices using the Clean Water Initiative funding. It would be very useful to implement many of these projects in a focused sub-watershed so we can document the performance of LID. Also, we discussed the possibility of coordinating our efforts to build residential rain gardens as showcases. The showcase rain gardens should be distributed in the lower, middle and upper portions of the watershed.
Much of the evening was devoted to the discussion with Pam.
Our Rainscapes Projects
Northwood High School: we discussed the meeting coming up tomorrow which will be about the Northwood High School Charette
We also discussed the meeting at Blair High School on January 17. We are beginning to look at Blair as a possibility for raingardens and other LID demonstration projects.
We discussed the options for building raingardens in the spring. There are possible rain garden projects at Northwood High School, Blair High School and Spring Park in the city of Takoma Park. The Spring Park and Blair High School projects may not be ready for a spring implementation. Northwood High School looks better. Spring would be a good time to do some residential raingardens—maybe at Sally Benjamin’s or Brent Bolin’s houses. In return for our help designing and building the rain gardens, the recipients would agree to use the gardens for outreach efforts. At the same time, we are concerned that it is time to begin using these as models and stop using all our energy building them ourselves. (see tour item)
Our LID Tour
Alison and Ed have almost completed the Stormwater Tour Book. For our kick-off tour, we are looking to give the tour to some of our watershed houses of worship. Alison has researched the churches, synagogues and other religious institutions in the watershed and we will invite representatives to join us to look at our sites. The date has not yet been set and some details are yet to be worked out (though we would like to shoot for May when the flowers/plantings will look nice.)
Green Streets update and Small Lot Bill Update
Both are Montgomery County relevant issues.
Small Lot Bill Update: Kathy and Ed commented on the draft guidance document that DPS prepared for the Small Lot Drainage Bill that was passed in December. There are numerous problems such as recommending homeowners install 24 rain barrels around their house. Ed asked Ann to approach the board to see if the board would send a note of support to the comments. Diane agreed that it would help. Pam said she thinks DEP will also comment.
Green Streets update: The County Council is interested in hearing details about the Green Street Amendment that we and the Stormwater Partners Network are advocating.
Green Matters Symposium Feb 23
The symposium is held at Brookside Gardens each year. This year’s subject is urban forestation. We will have an information table at the Symposium. This will be a joint effort with NNWB. We will need to have the table staffed during the breaks in the symposium. Ann will help set up and staff the table from 8 to 9 since it looks like we may have problems getting volunteers at Brookside by 8:00 a.m.
Minutes prepared by Ann Hoffnar and Ed Murtagh