WRAPS Urban Subcommittee

May 16, 2005

Attendees: Aimee Poulson, KVHA; Paul Liechti, KBS; Shari Stamer, City of Lawrence Utilities Department; Debra Baker, KWO; Rob Beilfuss, KDHE; Julie Coleman, KDHE

· A spreadsheet has been developed which lists the goals and objectives established in the Upper Wakarusa Watershed WRAPS and identifies the KVHA partners who have a role/program to implement each objective.  This spreadsheet will be updated on a semi-annual basis by KVHA.

· In previous meetings over the last year or so, the urban subcommittee discussed pursuing two initiatives:  (1) develop a survey to assess peoples' attitudes about stream bank ordinances and; (2) promote the concept of an overlay zone adopted by all the governmental jurisdictions within the UWW as a tool to "institutionalize" the WRAPS and promote inter-jurisdictional cooperation.  These original initiatives never materialized.  Today’s meeting was to get the committee back on track.

· A general plan was devised to have three purposes: 

a. bring specific government bodies, especially planning and zoning, up to date on efforts by various partners to implement the WRAPS;

b. demonstrate how the WRAPS overlaps with long range growth planning currently underway in both Douglas and Shawnee Counties, and;

c. open the door to a stream bank ordinance workshop for Douglas and Shawnee County that draws on the experience of Topeka and Johnson County.

· This general plan has two phases. 

a. First, conduct small WRAPS "refresher" meetings with the individual county planning and zoning staff and other agency staff as appropriate (for example, Shawnee County Public Works due to overlap with their storm water Phase 2 permit).  At this meeting, Aimee and Paul would remind local staff about the WRAPS and its objectives, review overlaps between the WRAPS and their long range growth plans, and solicit their feedback on a stream bank ordinance workshop.  The summary WRAPS presentation that the Core group assembled several years ago could still be used. 

b. Second, KVHA would organize and conduct a stream bank workshop for the WRAPS counties to discuss and promote the use of stream bank protection to prevent future water quality degradation in the UWW and Clinton. 

For the refresher meetings, it would be good to compile a brief overview of existing objectives in the WRAPS and county long range plans that overlap and point to stream bank protection. 

Dates and details will be discussed at the June 13th meeting.  

• Also discussed was the status of the Deer Creek stream bank assessment project that is funded under the current 319 grant.  To date, Paul has worked with the KBS, Dennis Brinkman from the Shawnee County NRCS, and KSU Watershed Specialist Will Boyer to compile land owner information and maps of Deer Creek which show areas of potential stream bank degradation.   The next action should be to retain a qualified person to approach landowners to "field verify" sites in need of restoration and evaluate the landowner's interest in participating in a restoration project.  The need for this person to have previous field experience was emphasized.  We discussed potential candidates, such as KAWS and the Watershed Institute, but acknowledged their services might be cost prohibitive.  Rob suggested we talk to the Douglas County NRCS and inquire whether they have a field technician who could perform the field verification work.  The benefit of the NRCS is that they have experience doing such field work and have an existing relationship with landowners.  They also are a KVHA partner.

• After field verification and land owner interest is completed, KVHA would generate a list of potential projects for cost share funding.   It is hoped that this information would be compiled around the same time frame that City of Lawrence officials are working on their budgets for 2007. 

• The next urban subcommittee meeting is set for Monday, June 13, 9:00 at the KDHE Northeast District Office.