|
Stormwater Committee Minutes
March 1, 2006
|
ATTENDEES
Ann Hoffnar
Ed Murtagh
Kathy Michels (by phone)
Alison Gillespie
Robert Goo
Jenny Reed
|
Outreach Table at the Green Matters Symposium at Brookside Garadens
This one-day symposium is held yearly and this year was on LID landscaping. We staffed a table and many attendees from outside the area talked to us and took our information home with them. Ed pointed out that the symposium was very good, but did not focus on residential gardening at all. He wondered if we could offer some of our work for demonstrations in future symposia.
Raingarden in Forest Park, Takoma Park
The garden we installed in the fall of 05 is functioning well and City staffers are pleased. Signage is needed; Ed has the sign DEP created for us and will install it when things green up in the spring. We discussed the need for community support when we help build raingardens; we may want to ask for buy-in of some sort. We also need to document lessons learned.
Takoma Park is anxious to build a second garden at the site but has no money until July. We will submit a grant request to CBT in the hopes that we can build the second garden this spring. The local citizens association has offered $200 toward the project if we get the grant and they are willing to sign a letter of intent.
Eastern Middle School Raingarden
Like the Takoma Park project, Eastern needs a second raingarden. We will submit a grant request to CBT and hope we can begin building this spring. Also, the first garden will need some restoration and maintenance this year.
Upcoming Projects and Events
¿Repairing the Reparian,¿ a work event, is scheduled for April 29th in the headwaters section of Sligo Creek. It is on the Friends of Sligo calendar. We will be planting trees in support of COG and P&P.
Jenny and Ed are working with the Washington Waldorf School (WWS) in Bethesda (part of our missionary effort to spread the Word about LID outside of the Sligo watershed). We decided that our role should be to provide technical support and submit a letter of support to them, talking about the advantages of LID and the importance of educating the children about stormwater. We may ask for members to volunteer if requested on a workday. WWS understands, however, that our role will be very limited.
The Kensington Forest Glen Child Care Center (contact Susanna Feder) is interested in doing environmental landscaping projects with us. Alison suggests that the park is in disarray and needs much work. They are interested in building a raingarden. We can¿t take on more work this spring, but if minimal support from us would be useful, we might be able to take it on in the fall. The Center will commit to addressing maintenance.
March 6 Linda Keenan of the National Wildlife Federation has organized a meeting in Takoma Park to see if there is interest in getting Takoma Park certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat. Arlington County in VA has just been certified. Alison and Jenny will attend the meeting.
Jenny and Lauren are giving a talk about raingardens to the Takoma Park Horticulture Club on March 22nd. Alison will go and we will provide handouts. It is great that the Club is showing interest in raingardens.
Updates on the Advocacy Front
Although Friends of Sligo now has an Advocacy Committee, Ed, Kathy and Alison are supporting the Advocacy Committee in the areas related to stormwater management. Here are the issues we are following and supporting:
- There is a Park Design meeting on March 2 on LID at Evans Parkway Park. This public meeting is set to talk about the plan, discuss options and get feedback. Several Friends of Sligo members plan to attend. One option includes LID and Sligo friendly features, the second option uses hardscaping and curb and gutters to address stormwater runoff problems at the site.
- Priorities for DEP Watershed Restoration Program. We continue to work on the draft (see last month¿s minutes).
- The focus of the Countywide Green Infrastructure Plan meeting March 9 is to be tree preservation. We want to support this movement. This is the initial phase of developing the plan.
- A major redevelopment project is being planned for Long Branch, covering several acres at Flower and Arliss in Silver Spring. We need to try to influence the design process. Environmental issues, especially related to Long Branch, do not seem to be a major focus at present.
- Many meetings have been held and many more are planned as the Stormwater Partners Coalition talks to various leaders about the suggested improvements to the Montgomery County NPDES permit. (This is the document spearheaded by Diane Cameron) Robert Goo will attend a meeting March 13th with DEP. Friends of Sligo Creek has agreed to support the coalition¿s 11-point document on the issue.
- Stormwater Bill 26-05. Ed will try to attend the next meeting of the DPS working group on March 17
May 16th Program Meeting
The meeting is to be at the Brookside Nature Center. Alison will be the coordinator and a presenter. The topic is Increasing Wildlife Habitat Potential in Your Backyard¿using stormwater techniques. We will ask NNWB to join us.
Notes prepared by Ann Hoffnar and Ed Murtagh