Anne Arundel
Waterway Restoration Alliance

Meeting Notes 2009-01-27

Attendance: 14 individuals were present, plus guest Jennifer Mook of Bayland Consultants and Designers.

AAWRA's first 2009 meeting began with an introduction from everyone present in the room.

President Bob Whitcomb started the meeting by reporting that the quarterly dredging meetings with Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works will continue in 2009. DPW of Environmental Ginger Ellis joined the first meeting held last Thursday.

Bob reported that 2008/2009 has been the busiest dredging season since AAWRA was established. Several projects are completed and/or in progress to be completed by the February 2009 deadline. One complication exists with Broadwater Creek dredging.

Bob reported that both Locust and Main creeks dredging projects are completed and that Mill Creek has begun. Federal dredging project Rockhold Creek has started. Anne Arundel County DPW is responsible for the Rockhold DMP facility which is located at Herrington Harbor North, which required construction be completed in order to take new material.

The Town Point restoration and dredging project has been completed, allowing the dredging of Broadwater Creek to begin. But weather has caused significant delays. The project, about 50% completed to date on the county designed main channels, has been delayed by high winds and low tides.

Broadwater Creek project, one of the largest dredging projects in all of Anne Arundel County at this point in time will have to be completed in 2009/2010 dredging season. In addition to the delay the contractor has not met or worked with homeowners holding spur permits to determine individual costs, but it was stated the contract intends to meet with homeowners by the end of February, 2009.

The County's request for bids for Carrs Creek dredging project was posted in early January by the county with a schedule closing date of February 10th, 2009. This is 6 months ahead of schedule in order to provide the County, dredging contractor and Bayland Consultants the time needed to make adjustments in construction because both Carrs Creek and Broadwater Creek are slated to use the same DMP site Town Point. Carrs Creek project is the second largest project in size. Carrs Creek permitting has been published for comments by the Army Corps of Engineers. All seems to moving along ahead of schedule for completion of all permitting for Carrs Creek.

Vice President, Paul Rickett spoke in more detail about the complication of getting permitting right up to the last possible day and the complication of the dredging Broadwater Creek which opens directly into the Chesapeake Bay. Carrs Creek faces the same issues as Broadwater Creek. He volunteered to revise and improve the AAWRA Dredging Guide. Much has been learned since this first publication of the manual. This manual is available to AAWRA members only.

Several projects and related tasks for dredging costs (more contractors bidding on projects, fuel, the economy and completion of Town Point) have come in under budget, creating a surplus of funds. Anne Arundel County has a cost savings of $800,000, which DNR will allow to be carried over for two 2009-2010 dredging projects: Brady Cove and Old Glory.

The current economy had a major negative impact on new available funds via the DNR Waterway Improvement Funds. Only one of 9 requested projects for 2010/2011 dredging season is recommended for funding in the Governor's budget submitted to the Legislature.

AAWRA has a 9-member Board of Directors. Each individual is elected for a 3 year term. For 2009, AAWRA has 3 board positions open for election. Geoff Thomas, Rhonda Harrison and Juliet Page were nominated. A request for additional nomination and discussion was made. The motion and 2nd to elect these three was approved unanimously.

AAWRA has several meetings planned over the course of this year. There is the January Annual meeting, a spring meeting focused around budget lobbying for State and County dredging programs funding, and an overview of County progress for AAWRA members by Bayland comes in August and fall is focused around State & County elections.

In the fall of last year AAWRA invited both Delegate Ronald George of District 30 and Delegate Virginia Clagett, District 30 for support in resolving some issues. A letter addressing these concerns was received from Delegate Ron George. It was decided that a response with some clarification and again addressing some unresolved is needed.

The financial condition of the DNR Waterway Improvement Funds was discussed. Contact was made to DNR Waterway Improvement Fund, Director, and Bob Gaudette. It was explained that boater excise tax income is/was extremely low. All boats sales have an excise tax applied at time of sale and this is were most of the money is generated for the program. These receipts have fallen dramatically, as demonstrated by October 2008 receipts being only $716,000 compared to October 2007 being $2.8 million.. Only $5 million is projected to be available from the Waterway Improvement program for FY2010. AAC received 1 million for 2 federal dredging projects. The remaining $4 million was spread across the rest of the counties in Maryland.

DNR also is now responsible for more projects that were once federal projects, such as Kent Narrows. Dredging projects that will be impacted by the lack of funds include Duvall Creek, Head waters of Severn River, Saltworks Creek, Pocahontas Creek, Stevens Creek, Upper West river, Upper Warehouse Creek.

Duvall Creek 100 percent funding was request because of the size, number of boaters and impacts. There are 7 main channels for Duval Creek. Sand for the dredging is a high quality grade that it could be used for a beach restoration project.

Two meetings that need to be attended are scheduled for February. AAWRA needs to prepare and speak at these meetings. Brainstorming on approach was discussed. Suggestion of possible support of Trade Marine, research of impact commercial watermen, number in individual who would be impacted and possibility of a sister group to be researched.

Attending were:

Bob Whitcomb	
Paul Rickett
Jennifer Mook	
Geoff Thomas
Elisa Moore
Rhonda Harrison
Grant Newby
Vern Penner
Jerry Karsh
Matt & Steph Rudy
Kenni & Jami Watt
Kelly Dominic
Fred Johnston
Jimmy Rogan