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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017.08.10 OSTB Reg Min_S MINUTES OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS BOARD REGULAR SESSION August 10, 2017 Flying Dog Ranch Retreat 1625 County Road 111, Carbondale OSTB Present: Graeme Means Howie Mallory Hawk Greenway Tim McFlynn Wayne Ives Dist. 1 Dist. 2 Dist. 3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Absent Chair OST Staff Present: Gary Tennenbaum, Dale Will, Richard Neiley, Janet Urquhart Wayne Ives called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT None APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Graeme Means moved to approve the OSTB minutes of July 18, 2017 as amended. Tim McFlynn seconded. Motion passed(4-0). OSTB Bylaws Dale Will introduced new language added to the Open Space and Trails Board's bylaws regarding when a board meeting may be canceled—when a quorum for the meeting is lacking or when there is not sufficient pending business to warrant a meeting. Wayne Ives suggested a wording change so that the provision reads: Regular meetings may be canceled if a quorum is unavailable as provided in Section 3, or if the executive director and the Chair determine pending business is insufficient to warrant a meeting. Other board members concurred. Howie Mallory asked how the board's unfinished business will be dealt with. Gary Tennenbaum said that is an issue that should be dealt with through the board's working agreements, not the bylaws. He said he is looking at changes to the agenda format that could better accommodate discussion of unfinished business. Graeme Means suggested accommodating general board comments within executive sessions in order to bring up executive items that board members want to discuss. Other board members concurred. Wayne Ives also suggested board members can always email the board Chair to request adding an item to the agenda. BOARD AND STAFF COMMENTS Graeme Means questioned how acquisition projects are prioritized or initiated. There is little discipline in how projects come forward currently, he said. Means said he was pondering the issue. 08/10/2017 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 1 of 3 Tim McFlynn said the monthly update reflected an incredible workload and complimented staff for the array of projects they are currently handling. The board has provided the staff capacity to handle the workload, Gary Tennenbaum said. McFlynn also noted the Pitkin Outside Ecology project detailed in the monthly update and said OST has not conveyed to the public how much the program has accomplished in habitat protection. He said he hopes to see habitat connectivity elevated as an acquisition goal and plans to write a summary of his thoughts. McFlynn said he would like the program to figure out all the ways it can carry out the mandate of its biodiversity policy. It's an issue that could serve as a 2018 retreat topic, Wayne Ives said. Graeme suggested OST work with other conservation groups to accomplish biodiversity goals. Dale Will said an all-watershed assessment of what is needed will help identify factors that limit biodiversity. Gary Tennenbaum said the Colorado Natural Heritage Program's work in the watershed will help identify biodiversity needs. McFlynn said private philanthropy and public-private partnerships should play a role. Howie Mallory asked what is happening with James Warren's interest in the Coke Ovens Open Space lease. The property is currently under lease; Warren can submit a bid when it comes up again, Tennenbaum said. That will be at least a year from now. Mallory also complimented the OST maintenance crew for keeping the Rio Grande Trail passable given all the recent rains and debris slides. He asked if staffers work overtime. Overtime hours are paid when staff members must work overtime in an emergency, Tennenbaum said. Tennenbaum said he would go over the 2018 OST budget with individual board members before the formal Sept. 21 presentation of the budget. Mallory asked which board members would be attending the AVLT gala. Howie, Wayne and four county commissioners were expected to attend. Tim expressed an interest if he can obtain a ticket. Mallory suggested that, in addition to providing connectivity for people via a Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail, OST also try to improve connections for wildlife. He urged the board to make that part of the vision for the trail. Tennenbaum said he is putting funds into the 2018 budget to work with Colorado Parks and Wildlife on migration corridors. Up-to-date data on maps is needed, he said. Mallory also asked how staff plans to manage heavy turnout for public meetings on the Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail. If there are issues with handling public input, Tennenbaum said he will bring them to the board at its Sept. 21 meeting. Tennenbaum also noted that a Sept. 5th presentation to the county commissioners by Jefferson County will be recorded in case OSTB members want to watch it later. Jefferson County representatives will be discussing their challenges in building at trail in Clear Creek Canyon and how they have dealt with issues that may be similar to what occurs in building a Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail, Dale Will said. Mallory asked if OSTB should meet with the Open Space Board from Jefferson County. Will 08/10/2017 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 2 of 3 suggested OSTB visit their Jeffco counterparts in Golden if there is interest in a meeting. Mallory expressed an interest in doing so. Wayne Ives noted the last joint meeting with the county commissioners, during which only the Open Space and Trails Board was scheduled to act on adoption of the Prince Creek Open Space Management Plan, was confusing for the public and rushed for the OSTB. Ives said a plan adoption by just one of the boards won't occur during a joint meeting again. The next joint meeting, Oct. 17 in Carbondale, will involve OSTB, county commissioners and the Carbondale Town Council, Tennenbaum noted. The Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail Plan will be reviewed at that meeting and released for public comment, he said. Ives said he will not be at the Aug. 22nd executive session with the BOCC. Howie Mallory asked why the OSTB's usual meeting schedule has not been followed lately. The next three months are unusual for the program with all that is going on, Tennenbaum said. Afterward, the meeting schedule will return to normal, he said. Tim McFlynn asked that amended meeting schedules provide only information about what has changed in the schedule so he doesn't have to double check every already-scheduled meeting to see if something has changed. Other board members concurred. Dale Will reminded the board of the presentation he will give on the history of travel in the Crystal Valley, along with Bill Kight and Kenny Frost, on Aug. 24th at 7 p.m. at the Carbondale Firehouse. BOARD ACTIONS OSTB Bylaws Tim McFlynn moved to adopt the revised Bylaws and recommend their adoption by the Board of County Commissioners. Wayne Ives seconded. Motion passed (4-0). EXECUTIVE SESSION The OSTB moved to enter executive session in accordance with CRS 24-6-402(4) (a), (b) and (e) for the purpose of discussing acquisitions, negotiations and discussions with legal counsel, and site visits, at 10:00 a.m. The OSTB adjourned the executive session at 1:00 p.m. ADJOURN The OSTB regular and executive sessions of Aug. 10, 2017 were adjourned at approximately 1:00 p.m. Approved: Attest: /44_, Wayne Ives, Chair Jan Urquhart Pitkin County Open Space &Trails Board 0 T Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator 08/10/2017 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 3 of 3