REGULAR BOARD MEETING
APRIL 13th 2010, 10:00 A.M.
TUMALO IRRIGATION DISTRICT OFFICE
64697 Cook Avenue
Bend, Oregon 97701
BOARD: Bob Morrow, Stephen Putnam, Patricia Gainsforth, Ron Cochran, Dean Tuftin
STAFF: Elmer McDaniels, Kenneth Rieck, Bob Varco, Jan Wickham, Fran DeRock
ATTORNEY: Bill Hopp
ENGINEER: Jon Burgi
GUESTS: Greg Mohnen
Vice-Chairman Morrow called the meeting to order at 10:01 A.M. and appointed Fran DeRock scribe.
DEAN TUFTIN OATH OF OFFICE
Dean Tuftin read and signed his oath of office for Director of Tumalo Irrigation District. He was chosen by the Board as interim Director for Division #3 until the elections in the fall of 2010, at which time a Director will be elected for a three year term by the patrons in Division #3.
APPROVE MINUTES
Director Putnam made a motion to approve the minutes of the March 9th, 2010 Special, Regular and Executive Board Meetings and the March 23rd, 2010 Long Range Planning Meeting. Director Tuftin seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
APRIL VOUCHER LIST APPROVAL
The April voucher list was reviewed by all Board Members and approved by signature on the voucher list.
CRESCENT LAKE WATER REPORT
Per Manager McDaniels, Crescent Lake is at 67,642 acre feet of storage right now. Per Assistant Manager Rieck, the snow pack is at about 65%. The District is in good shape for this irrigation year due to Crescent Lake being 77% full.
HCP UPDATE
Refer to the letter copy, which is attached, sent to Representative Walden from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Deschutes 10(j) designation for the DBBC HCP should be out in July. This helps protects us from fines, etc. from Fish and Wildlife and other State & Federal Agencies.
The TID HCP is still sitting on Scott Carlin’s desk. Engineer Burgi has asked Terry Buchholz to start pushing Carlin again. The District has spent a lot of time and money on getting it’s HCP signed and we need to push to get it moving off Carlin’s desk.
TUMALO FISH LADDER UPDATE
The project is almost complete. Kirby Nagelhout Construction is almost done with their part of the work. The sluiceway isn’t online yet because the motor is being replaced. It will be several months before it is up and running.
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The District’s Draft Environmental Assessment for the TFC NEPA Study has been advertised in the Federal Register and the comment period ends April 23rd, 2010. Once this period ends, the Assessment will help in our bids for grant funding from various federal agencies. Full copies of the Assessment are available to the Board members for review.
RYAN RANCH
The Ranch is in an area between Benham & Dillon Falls on the Deschutes River. When North Unit Irrigation District was created, the Deschutes River levels rose and dikes were built to handle the increased summer flows. The Forest Service now wants to take out the Ryan Ranch dikes and flood the pasture area. This would change our summer flows and could create other problems, such as, introducing an endangered species to the area. Per Attorney Hopp, the District is looking into possible permits we may have on the dikes. He also suggested we get a perpetual deposition from Bob Main, one of the people involved with building the dikes. Next Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 Manager McDaniels, Assistant Manager Rieck, Attorney Hopp, Engineer Burgi & Bob Main are going out to the property to see what the dikes look like, etc. Since it is questionable whether the meadows were ever a wetland there was discussion about a soil scientist checking the area to see if it was a wetland at some time in the past. No one knows why the Forest Service wants to flood the area for sure. All irrigation districts in the Deschutes Basin, with the exception of The Three Sisters District would have their water flows affected if the area is flooded. Further research on this issue is forthcoming.
MEETING WITH ODOT
The meeting with ODOT the week of April 5th, 2010 regarding the road the District plans for its nine lots along Highway 20 involved many concerned parties. A surveyor has been hired to do the initial surveying for the road through the Cascade cinder pit. The construction of the road should go out to bid in 5 or 6 weeks.
WATER TRANSFERS
Director Putnam made a motion to approve the following water transfers, seconded by Director Cochran. Motion carried unanimously.
DLMM Properties to Self 25 acres
Resor to Easterly 2 acres
MEETING WITH THE DRC
Manager McDaniels, Assistant Manager Rieck, Attorney Hopp and Engineer Burgi met with Tod Heisler & Scott McCaulou of DRC regarding grant funds. The DRC has 300 thousand in grant funds that are available to the District and OWEB has one million potentially available to the District. The Board needs to make a resolution approving application for these funds and how they will be used.
RESOLUTIONS REGARDING GRANT FUNDING
Director Gainsforth made a motion that the District make the following resolution:
Tumalo Irrigation District is committed to a minimum 1.3 million dollar project to install piping in the Tumalo Feed Canal provided funding is available to do the project in the 2010-11 construction season. The motion was seconded by Director Putnam and carried unanimously. Resolution was adopted.
Director Putnam made a motion that the District also make the following resolution:
Upon completion of Phase II of the Tumalo Feed Canal Piping project the District will place in-stream the pro-rata share of saved water based on 17.75 cfs divided by the total undeveloped footage of the canal after Phase One. This will equal approximately .000579 cfs per foot of pipe for all the remaining Phases of Tumalo Feed Canal piping project, per our Conserved Water Agreement-37. The motion was seconded by Director Cochran and carried unanimously. Resolution was adopted.
ADJOURN
Director Putnam made a motion at 11:07 a.m. to adjourn the Regular Board Meeting, seconded by Director Tuftin. Motion carried unanimously.
RECONVENE
Vice-Chairman Morrow reconvened the Regular Board Meeting at 11:50 a.m. and appointed Fran DeRock scribe.
MOTION TO SET UP PAYMENT PLANS
Director Putnam made a motion to authorize the office staff to negotiate with Water Patrons on behalf of the District and set up payment plans to pay off their assessments by December 31st, 2010. If the Patron pays according to the payment plan set up, the District will not lien their property. Motion was seconded by Director Gainsforth, subject to approval of the language of the motion by Attorney Hopp. Motion carried unanimously.
NEXT MEETING DATE
Next Regular Board Meeting is Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
ADJOURN
Director Putnam made a motion to adjourn the Regular Board Meeting at 11:55 a.m. seconded by Director Gainsforth. Motion carried unanimously.