Gunpowder Watershed Project Public Involvement Team Meeting
Gunpowder Conference Planning Committee Meeting
Nov 12, 1998 Minutes

NOTE:  Next meeting  - Thursday, December 10, 1998, at 7:00 PM.
PLACE: Towson University, ROOM 340 in Smith Hall
PARKING: Lower Level of Union Parking Garage at TU.
Please RSVP.

ATTENDEES: Pat Pudelkewicz, Jeanne Armacost, Sue Maszczenski, Loren Friedel. Louis Ensor, Steve Wilson, Anneke Davis, Jeff Wolinski,, Val Brennan, Jo Owen, William Smith, Renae Olver, Elysabeth Bonar-Bouton, Steve Yochum, Mitch Keiler, Charlie Conklin
(Thanks to Pat for the minutes)

Meeting Outcomes:

I. Survey Return Results.

List of respondents, 35 of 150 sent, was discussed with intent to increase response rate. Balt Co... Planning & Zoning will be consulted to determine those community organizations that are most active.  This will then produce a bug list to be contacted by phone. Renae, Loren, Val, Sue have agreed to make these follow up calls.  Letters acknowledging receipt of the surveys to be held until all key organizations have been contacted and results reviewed.

II. Poster session was discussed with the following programs representing the survey responses:
(separated into themes by Valerie)

    Development/Land Use and Preservation -
    Local Land Trusts & MET
    MOP/Smart Growth
    Rural Legacy
    MD Home builders
    Master Planning process
    Agricultural Preservation
    Project 98
    Baltimore Metro. Council

    Clean Water & Resource Protection -
    MBSS
    Watershed Plans
    Trib Teams
    1000 Friends
    Carroll, Balt, Harford Co. plans
    Gunpowder Project
    SWQAC
    Clean Water Action
    Agricultural BMP=s/
    Soil Conservation
    Riparian Buffers - Stream ReLeaf
    Funding Sources -CBT, State, EPA
    Clean Water Action
    Plans

    Wildlife and Recreation -
    GFSP
    Fisheries/TU/Bikers
    Trails -  MCM
    Volunteer Mounted Patrol

    Education -
    BioTrek Naturalists
    Balt Co. Schools
    Camp PuhíTok/Gunpowder Youth Camps
    DEPRM/SOS/CBF/ACB
    Coop Extension Service
    (ìHomework Bookî)

    Participant Information Table and Bulletin Board -
    (Participants to be invited to bring literature of their organizations) Poster displays, brochures AND, as suggested by Jo, also Anne Pearson, that participants put 2 sentences on a 3X5 card with photo saying - ìWhat the Gunpowder means to meî
    In addition to the poster session, 1. Make available an agency resource guide - ìWhere to callî plus other important information that community associations would find valuable, and 2. Provide a Gunpowder Resource Guide in CD or hard copy formats.

III. Conference Goal -
Agreed that the goal of the conference is to permit development (growth) while maintaining a sense of place in the watershed and communities.
(This needs to be ìwordsmithî) The outcome of the conference, as originally conceived, is to provide information to the ìleadersî in the watershed and a reason to continue to the next steps which is to develop a ìcoreî group who will address issues on a watershed scope.  OR, as agreed to in the last meeting.  Conference will build on existing programs/technologies to create guidelines for ìdevelopmentî which protects the natural resource and  ìspecial placeî infrastructure.  It will provide outline information on existing programs and active organizations, specifics on the Gunpowder Project, and opportunities for input and commitment by the stakeholders.

IV.  Work sessions -
These should give participants an opportunity to air concerns, making certain that it does not turn into a gripe session about development.
Sessions to focus on values and resources.
Elysabeth suggested that the work sessions should not be topic specific,  but should produce a list of topics of concern to formulate commitments and action steps.  She will develop this concept and present it to the planning committee at the next meeting. To give a different perspective, Jeanne will suggest at the next meeting a topic orientated work session.

V. Conference Agenda -
Discussed invitations of speakers - Reds Wolman & Denny Hall. Charlie will follow up.  Need to get right person to extend invites and suggest presentation themes.
Conference agenda, as developed from the 11/12 meeting, is listed below to provide basis for decisions to be made at the next meeting.

DATE: March 20, 1999  Saturday @ Camp PuhíTok
A.- registration 8:30 - 9 AM (poster session with representatives
B. - Welcome & opening remarks - 5 minutes
ï Who do we want to make the welcoming remarks - Prominent
official?
C. - Keynote speaker - 9 - 9:30
ï Suggested Reds Wohlman.  To highlight the values in the Gunpowder
ï water, natural res, recreation, open space, etc. Need to extend invite.
D. - Overview of existing programs - many represented in the poster
session - 15 minutes
ï Give the audience sense of the magnitude and usefulness of the collaborative efforts that exist to achieve responsible use of the resource.
Who should be presenter?
>Bill Stack/Jeanne Armacost/Jack Anderson/Rich
Eskin/Elysabeth Bonar-Bouton to work on developing overall inventory and suggest format & contents of presentation.
E. - Gunpowder Watershed Project - 9:45 - 10:30 +/- (Rich Eskin et.al.)
ï Describe the purpose, activities, results & project outcomes.
ï Break          15 minutes
F. - Speaker - ìHow  groups can work togetherî  10 :45 - 11:15
ï Suggested speaker Denny Hall - Darby Creek.   >Charlie
G. - 1st of two or three group session - 11:15 - noon
ï Develop issue questions that will solicit input and commitment to action.
H. - lunch + poster session 1 hour (speaker ??)
Continue with group sessions after lunch
I. - Group presentation wrap up & closing remarks - 2:30 - 3:15

VI. Next steps: AND basis for next meeting agenda -
a. Continue to solicit responses from surveys and meld into conference
elements, if significant & appropriate.         > Renae, Val, Sue, Loren
b. Follow up on including additional organizations as suggested by respondents     > Charlie
c. Finalize the agenda, poster subjects,  and decide on the format of the work sessions, including facilitators.   > group
d. Develop tasks to those responding groups that have indicated a willingness to assist with the conference.  >group
f. Discuss need for professional conference coordinator to handle ancillary tasks, catering, set ups.
g. Discuss political communication/support/involvement.
h. Decide on invitations & registration fee - public & private organizations

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