Board of Directors
Meeting
A. Call to Order and
Introductions
B. Approval of the
Agenda
C. Approval of Standing
Items
a. Minutes: July 23 and September 24
Board of Directors Meeting
D. Guest Presentation
Streets to Creeks Update
Nick Sudano,
City of Santa Rosa
E. Guest Presentation
Rising Waters Project Update—
Exploring the Nexus of Water Quality
and Community Members
Experiencing Homelessness
Dr. Claudia Luke, PhD,
Sustainability Programs Director,
Center for Environmental Inquiry,
Rising Waters:
Partnership for Innovative Water Quality Solutions
Today
Background
Water Quality & Homelessness
Project Update
Actionable Research Questions
Next Steps
Transformative change is needed across all sectors of society
“
”
United Nations
At this moment in time, we are called to lead and act with courage. We are called to embrace change. Change in our societies. Change in the management of our economies. Change in our relationship with our one and only planet.
Multi-disciplinary faculty expertise
Graduates, students and curriculum
Laboratories, libraries, preserves
Neutral convening spaces for cross-disciplinary cross-sector discussions
Rising Waters
Mobilize academic and
community resources to find new solutions to emerging complex water issues.
Waters Collaborative
2013-20: Sonoma Water – Center for Environmental Inquiry
Train students and address regional water issues
3,100 students, 50 faculty, 30 community partners
Pollution, flood, drought, planning, restoration, performing arts….
Waters Collaborative
2.0
Viable solutions on emerging complex issues that cross jurisdictional boundaries
Cross-sector discussion
Public awareness of complex issues
Trained workforce with real-world experience
Rising Waters
1. Identify emerging challenge
2. Explore pan-sector solutions
3. Refine questions
4. Recruit teams, gather information
Rising Waters
Aug: Identify emerging challenge
Sep: Explore pan-sector solutions
Oct: Refine questions
Dec: Recruit teams, gather information
May: Share results, implement solutions
Identify Complex
Emerging
Challenge
Discussions with RRWA, Sonoma Water, NCWQCB
RRWA Board: “Water Quality and Community Members Experiencing Homelessness”
Water Quality &
Homelessness
Increasing homelessness in riparian areas
Pathogens, nutrients, biological hazards, trash
Flooding, wildfires
Vegetation removal, digging, poaching
Water Quality &
Homelessness
Increasing water quality regulations
Housing shortage and services for homeless
Human Right to Water Law AB685 (2012)
Declining biodiversity
• Aug 2020 Planning Workshop
• 14 leaders: social services, water agencies, environmental
organizations, academic sectors
• Goals:
1. Identify stakeholders to invite to workshop
2. Identify discussion topics 3. Relationship building
Explore Pan-Sector
Solutions
• Sep 2020 Information Needs
Workshop: 30 attendees representing stakeholders
• Goals:
1. Summarize the challenge
2. Identify questions that need to be answered to find new solutions
3. Relationship building
Explore Pan-Sector
Solutions
• Oct-Nov 2020: Leadership Team
• Identify specific outcomes needed to implement solutions
Refine Questions for
Actionable Results
Leadership TeamAndy Rodgers, RRWA
Mike Thompson, Sonoma Water
Jenna Garcia, City of Rohnert Park
Lynea Seiberlich-Wheeler, West County Health Center
Sean McNeil, City of Santa Rosa
Matt St.John, North Coast WQ Control Board
Claudia Luke, Chris Halle, Kerry Wininger – SSU Center for Environmental Inquiry
• Where are people living in riparian areas?
• Can we estimate the distribution and density of trash and nutrient contributions in waterways based on the distribution of people experiencing homelessness?
• Where can restrooms and trash receptacles be placed to have the greatest improvement in water quality?
1. Where are resources
needed to reduce water
quality impacts?
• What are the sociopolitical and legal barriers to preventing closures of public restrooms and installing portable restrooms?
• What is needed to remove these barriers?
• (Other barriers for future work: physical, resources, services, misinformation, and personal, health.)
2. What are the barriers to
providing services?
• How do stakeholders engage with populations experiencing homelessness?
• How do services being provided to people experiencing homelessness vary across the county?
• How much do they spend on these activities?
• What is the true cost to society of people experiencing homelessness?
3. How can we better align the
universe of investments?
Recruit Teams
3 faculty-student research teams
Discussions with Rising Waters leadership team
Proposal, report and data
Presentations
$10K Research Grants for
Local Environmental, Economic, and Cultural Challenges
All disciplines encouraged. No specialty needed.
Statement of InterestDue Friday, Dec 18, 2020 Information Session 1: December 9, 10 a.m. Information Session 2: December 10, 3 p.m.
Funding is available for faculty to engage students in addressing real-world resilience challenges in Sonoma County during the Spring 2021 semester. The research to be conducted focuses on three questions surrounding the intersection of water and
homelessness. Faculty are not expected to be experts on this topic. Regional leaders have agreed to serve as consulting experts for faculty-student project teams.
1. ($10K) Mapping Study. Develop a map of locations preferred by people
experiencing homelessness, and use the map to determine where to best deploy trash receptacles and toilets. Some observations are available online, and some will need to be
obtained from partnering organizations and verified. The mapping software chosen will need to allow managers to overlay datasets and items of interest.More informationhere.
2. ($10K) Case Studies. Use case studies to identify the legal and political barriers to providing toilets to people experiencing homelessness. Potential case studies are
available.More informationhere.
3. ($10K) Agency Alignment Assessment and Knowledge Map. Identify how organizations and agencies are engaging with homeless populations in Sonoma County. Conduct interviews and summarize results in ways (e.g. knowledge mapping) that
identify intersections and gaps in addressing homeless and water quality issues. Draft lists of information to be collected is available. More informationhere.
Next Steps
Jan: Choose faculty-student research teams
Feb: Research proposals due
May 8: Student research panel May 26: Results & Implementation workshop
Next Steps
Share Results
• CASQA Presentation (Luke & Rodgers) – 9/15/20
• Board presentations
• News releases
• Regional resilience planning
Questions / Thoughts?
Claudia Luke, lukec@onoma.edu
Water Quality &
Homelessness Myths
Myth #1: Homelessness is increasing in Sonoma County.
35% reduction in homeless population between 2011 and 2019; yet increasing near waterways
Myth #2: People experiencing homelessness aren’t interested in housing
89% would accept housing if offered; 68% cannot afford rent
Most of the homeless are from out of area
F. Guest Presentation
Annual Dialogue
with Matt St. John, Executive Officer, North
Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
G. Board of Directors
Business
a.
2021/2022 Work Plan
development
• Timeline for development and adoption
− September 8: TWG kick-off
− September 24: BOD overview
− October 13: TWG develop project list
− November 10: TWG review project list
− December 8: TWG review draft budget
−
December 17
: BOD review draft scope
& approval to proceed
−
January 2021: ED meets with individual
members (optional)
−
February 9: TWG review final WP
a.
2021/2022 Work Plan
development
• Structure
− Executive Director Services
− General Benefit
a.
2021/2022 Work Plan
development
• Work Plan Draft 3 reviewed by TWG
December 8
• RRWA’s annual budget is currently ~13%
lower than current year
• Reduced level of effort for many tasks
• Individual agency budgets vary due to level of
participation in special benefit projects
• Other direct costs account for ~30% of budget
• Work Plan Draft 4 in preparation
a.
2021/2022 Work Plan
development
•
Executive Director Services
− Ukiah maintaining $2,000 charge for
administrative agency services
− Proposing 4 BOD meetings and
6 TWG meetings
− Recommended changes from current year:
o
Reduced BOD and TWG meetings
a.
2021/2022 Work Plan
development
•
General Benefit Projects
− Added efforts for radio interviews & PSAs
− Reducing social media efforts
− Smaller RRFL training event
− Added small sign development
− Added Daily Act’s Carbon Gardening
− TWG recommended Streets to Creeks move
to Special Benefits ($45K ODC)
− TWG recommended Regional Fee Incentive
Program move to Special Benefit
a.
2021/2022 Work Plan
development
•
Special Benefit Projects
− Placeholders for the following programs
(as needed/requested by TWG)
o
Co-permittee meeting & project facilitation
o
Annual LID training
o
Laguna agencies water quality monitoring
and reporting
− TWG recommended URRWM participation
as Special Benefit - proposed for removal
− Bulk Purchases
b.
Election of 2021 RRWA
officers
c.
Resolution(s) of
Appreciation
• Scheduled for February 2021
d.
Draft 2019/2020
Annual Benefits Summary
e.
Creek Week update
• Storm Water Program Updates
(continued)− Creek Week Updates
o 2020 Coastal Cleanup—Sponsorship of $500.00
• Helped to successfully promote, coordinate, and implement the Coastwalk Cleanup Crew, a year long pilot that enables individuals and families to safely perform beach cleanups during the Covid 19 pandemic.
• 65 individuals in the Coastwalk Cleanup Crew —13 are
families with school age children. • Cleanups using Clean Swell App.
o Community Of Geyserville
• 6 participants. The 1/2 truckload collected was weighed and counted with the Clean Team/Riverkeeper totals.
o City Of Santa Rosa
• 21 volunteers that participated in various neighborhood cleanups
• 64 participants in Zoom Bird Webinar
e.
Creek Week update
Previous Creek Week Updates from October • Town of Windsor
− 16 people participated
− Collected ~500 pounds of litter (17 bags)
− Windsor Soroptimist Club, Windsor High School Girls Wrestling Team and 2 resident teams
• Ukiah Valley Community And Creek Cleanup 2020
− 54 people in 24 COVID bubbles cleaned creeks and dry land throughout the upper Russian River Watershed.
− Collected 1260 pounds of litter and recycling.
• Russian Riverkeeper: Healdsburg, Guerneville, Steelhead Beach, And Mark West Creek
− Over 33,000 pounds of trash in the month of September
− Pulled out at least 16 tires, 4 appliances, and lots and lots of single-use food packaging
f. Membership
i. New Board Member packets available
g. Effectiveness Assessment
Infographic
h.
Low Impact Development
(LID) Training—December 2
• LID Training Outreach
− Boosted 11/25-30
− $30 spent
o
776 reached
o
76 engagements,
including 63 shares
o
1 message received
asking for more information
• Training video and materials
− srcity.org/1255/Low-Impact-Development
i.
Steelhead Festival ($1,000
sponsorship level)—
Canceled for 2021
• Canceled due to COVID-19 and the Walbridge
Wildfire, which burned a part of the Lake Sonoma
Recreational Area
•
Staff recommends repurposing sponsorship
to
compensate RRFL event speaker(s)
j.
Student Video Contest—
May 2021 awards
• High School Video Awards update
− Great news! Awards ceremony will be
hosted in 2021.
− 31 school principals, science chairs, and media teachers were contacted
o Students can choose to individually enter the contest by making a video at home.
− Students who started their videos last year, may submit them this spring
• Deadline for video submissions is Friday, April 9, 2021
• The website reflects all the changes, and the forms are current:
www.sonomawater.org/video-contests
• Most video submissions are submitted using our online upload
form—students are NOT allowed to drop them off at Sonoma Water. • Planning to have the winning videos play on KRCB channel 22—
videos will NOT run in the theater this year. (unless the COVID-19 situation changes)
k.
Safe Medicine Disposal
program
i.
Next Subcommittee - Operations Group
Meeting—TDB January/February
Update — CPSC grant funded mail-back envelope
locations
•
11 locations
, representing all member agency areas,
have expressed interest.
•
4,000 +/- envelopes
will be divided among the qualifying
locations.
l.
Our Water Our World
update
• Two
Nuestra Tierra/Our Earth
radio station interviews
Advertised in English and Spanish
https://kbbf.org/nuestra-tierra− Recordings will be posted to www.rrwatershed.org/about/partners
• Webinars
− Posted to
www.rrwatershed.org/project/our-water-our-world
m. Russian River-Friendly
Landscaping
i.
Biennial Event, February 2021 —
Rehydrating the
Russian River Watershed
o
UPDATED TIMES
• February 2 from 1:00 pm to 3:30pm • February 3 from 1:00 pm-2:30 pmo
Next Subcommittee
meetings—
• December 29 • January 14 www.rrwatershed.org/project/rrflgn.
Summary of Board of
Directors Action Items
•
July 23 Meeting:
− Medicine Disposal
o Provide a website link for envelope locations when it becomes available
o Sign onto CPSC letter SB 212 - Drug Take-Back Program
•
September 24 Meeting:
− Sonoma Water's Water Education Program - Reach out to school districts and spread the word about the program − Technical Working Group
o RRWA staff to recommend budget saving measures
o TWG comments to Roles & Responsibilities Document (February BOD meeting)
− 21/22 Work Plan Development
o ED to schedule a meeting w/ Neysa (Sebastopol) to discuss Work Plan projects and options
o ED to provide member agencies resources related to wildfire recovery and effects on watershed health
− OWOW
o Keep members updated on cost savings
o Consider adding Sebastopol Hardware to the list of education program locations
