The Board of Directors met on first Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at its
monthly board meeting. President Whitcomb scheduled two speakers,
Karuna Pujara, Chief Highway Hydraulics Division and Anne Pearson of
Anne Arundel Watershed Network.
Board Members present were:
Bob Whitcomb Saefern
Paul Rickett Broadwater
Gloria Rickett Broadwater
Jay Phillips DCET
Bill Edmonston South River Park
Charlie Burke . Harbor View
Vern Penner Amberly
Additional representatives were
Pat Lynch Amberly and Broadneck Federation
Bil Adcock Deale Beach
Geoff Thomas Admiral Heights/ Weems Creek
President Whitcomb and Treasurer Phillips:
We reviewed our organizational Membership status and the recent email
appealing for members' dues. The target is still June 30 to recruit
dues from active community members.
The Anne Arundel County Approved, DNR Approved and now Maryland General
Assembly and Governor approved waterway Projects for FY2006 have
been fully funded, and study funds have been provided for many other
dredging projects. This approval was provided in the form of a letter
from Robert Erlich, Jr, Governor to The Honorable Janet S. Owens,
County Executive, on May 23, 2005. Governor Erlich thanked CE Owens
for supporting public access to Maryland's waterways. This work was
also an important result of the dedicated efforts of our President,
Bob Whitcomb.
We have received word from several legislators and public works
administrators that the full funding was a direct response to AAWRA
involvement in the process of public, general assembly, and county
council eduction and support for county and state efforts. Del Joan
Cadden has met with Ron Bowen to gain assurances that the program
would move forward.
Speaker, Karuna Pujara, Chief Highway Hydraulics Division:
The SHA capital Projects involve environmental funding associated
with past and future road projects. Current retrofit projects in
Anne Arundel amount to $2 million involve 1.5 projects to improve
stormwater management. There are four divisions in SHA - planning,
environmental, Bridges and Hydraulics. The role of HHD is to construct
new systems in harmony with nature and ensure long term stability
of the result; to offset water quality or provide for storm water
management, ie, to provide alternative water quality treatment
and provide alternatives to channel protection volume; to remove
invasive species; protect highway embankments and bridge approaches,
address fish passage where appropriate; wetlands creation, stream
restoration/stabilization. Ms. Pujara offered assistance in grant
preparation/formulation for projects such as waters edge projects or
stream stabilization. SHA has historically allied itself with civic
and governmental groups it serves (finding that sugar works better than
salt), such as: Weems Creek Watershed Alliance, Montgomery County, Anne
Arundel County and many others who offer cooperative effort with SHA
When asked to comment on capping or filtering the 30' drain channels
at Route 50 and Weems Creek, she expressed her regret and sympathy
and reminded the group that SHA is not chartered with trash pickup-
the wrong answer when the drain channels were built by SHA to assure
high water volume and force that would easily purge the channels of
trash at the expense of the creek.
Speaker Anne Pearson of Anne Arundel Watershed Network:
Ms. Pearson provided brochures on outfall force and destruction, porous
pavers, statements from many others supporting a Watershed Restoration
Fund, Rain Gardens, ecological landscaping, etc. Ms Pearson presented
a review of the utility fee concept in use in hundreds of counties
throughout the US for environmental matters such as stormwater
management. She has briefed 50 groups from churches to schools
and governmental and civic organizations, with positive responses
in support of a $5 monthly fee that would provide $20M annually to
Anne Arundel County DPW for stormwater and watershed management.
Upon review of the concerns, the Board voted on a resolution to
support stormwater management and watershed restoration.
Secretary Comment:
It is at the least, responsible citizenship to be fully aware of our
abuse and to address our problems. Too many of us are critical of
environmental concerns preferring "look at me" tantrums of ignorance
and being unwilling to learn. On hearing formerly learned men proclaim
that the task is impossible, I then must consider two problems - the
task and the source.
Charlie Burke, Secretary
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