Introductions/Attendance
Steering committee members introduced themselves and indicated their affiliations with the project: Dr. Joe Ohren, ICARD/EMU; Dr. Kevin Gustavson, EMU; Kathy Giszczak, Augusta Township Representative; Cheryl Baltrip, Exeter Township Representative; James McDevitt, Frenchtown Township Representative; and Janna Sebald, DEQ.  The group welcomed the new representative from Frenchtown Township and indicated that background material will be sent to bring him up to speed.  Dr. Ohren also shared an email from Aretta Schils, from Augusta Township, who has been attending regularly.  She is tending to medical matters and will not be able to continue with group—Ohren will send  a note thanking her for her energy, and all the treats she has shared over the past several months.

Updated Task Chart
Participants moved directly into a discussion of the updated task chart distributed in advance of the meeting.  Dr. Gustavson indicated that several members of the Technical Committee had commented on it, and a revised version with those comments was circulated.

Discussion first focused on permitted water run-off under the regulations of the Washtenaw Drain Commissioner with the idea that changes might be recommended to reduce the amount of run-off allowable for new developments.  This led to discussion about hydrologic data, especially for Paint Creek and the upper portions of Stony Creek, to complement the hydrologic Study completed for the lower portion of the creek at the time of the proposed inter-county drain.  Kevin indicated that the task would be included in the chart.

This led to broader discussion of development regulations designed to minimize the impact on the watershed.  Several strategies have been identified in the chart to encourage discussion among township officials about best practices and model ordinances for consideration.  These will be included in the information and education section of the chart.  The group also discussed a number of other strategies as they went through the several pages looking for any issues or problems that might stand out.

Dr. Ohren indicated that additional changes will be made to the chart based on this discussion and as further comments from Technical Committee members come in.  But, he would like the Steering Committee to adopt a resolution of support at the December meeting so that the final touches of the narrative can be made.

Updated Timeline
Dr. Ohren briefly described the timeline, circulated in advance, indicating the next steps in preparing the draft plan for presentation to the township boards.  Members suggested that a draft of the presentation itself would be useful to see, and he agreed to prepare for the next meeting an outline of the presentation and a draft resolution to be submitted to township boards.  

Next Meeting
The next Steering Committee Date was scheduled for Wednesday, December 15 at 1:30pm.  The revised chart will be circulated in advance of the meeting, with a proposed resolution of support for action by the Steering Committee, and a detailed outline of the presentation of the watershed management plan and task chart to township boards will be presented for review and feedback.