Healthy Pine River Meeting this Thursday, May 12,
7 p.m.
at Alma Public Library
State of the Pine River by Murray Borello, this Saturday, May 14, 8:30-12:00 at Alma College Science Building, Kapp Room L4
Minutes of Healthy Pine River / April 14, 2016 @ 7 p.m. / Alma Public Library
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Call to order by Gary Rayburn
Approval of March Minutes
Treasurer’s Report by Chuck Sandro:
*58 paid members
*$1,700 in the account
New Business
*Bob Gouin, Director of Environmental Health @ MMDHD*
+ Demonstration and discussion of what he and his department have been working on to modernize their operations:
- Hired a secretary to organize and deal with 80% of the department’s paper records which date from 1965 to present.
- Secured a grant from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative in order to create a mailing list (using Excel) of all the property owners in our watershed. *Space for data on well and/or septic status, but many of these spaces are empty due to lack of info.*
- Julie Spencer hopes to launch an education/information campaign utilizing the addresses (ie. Septics 101, Watershed 101, etc.)
- Excel document of addresses is connected to Geographic Information System of Gratiot County (GIS) which shows a live satellite picture overview of our county.
+ Why are many of the data fields blank in the Excel mailing list?
- MMDHD has no authority to go to home/property owners and inquire about their septic systems or their wells. Authority is only tied to a “written complaint”.
- There is a possibility of filling in the blanks if property/home owners are contacted by phone for the necessary information. An opportunity to express concerns re: health of the Pine River?
+ Michigan is the last state in the U.S. without a uniform Sanitary Waste Code!
- Addition to current state regulations in 2000 re: square footage and size of septic tanks. Last large overhaul of regulations was in 1984.
- Who has the authority to update the regulations?? Board of Health, Gratiot County Board of Commissioners, ???, ???.
- Gratiot County and two others (Montcalm & Clinton?) are tied together and a vote of 50+1 is required of ALL three to update/pass any new regulations.
- The desire of property owners to retain local control has been a BIG influence on why our state lacks uniform sanitary waste regulations.
+ Possibility exists to establish a “revolving septic loan fund” program in Gratiot Co., similar to the one in Bay Co., to help with the costs for updating septic systems.
- Laura Ogar, Bay County Director of Environmental Affairs and Community Development states that it is “hard to keep the pot full” during the process of this program.
+ Bob Gouin in the final stages, with the help of a Canadian software engineer, of creating software that will enable permits to be created while “in the field”.
*Grant Application (Chuck Sandro)*
+ Deadline of March 22, 2017 to use the $2,500 grant from Gratiot County Community Foundation
+ $5,000 to $10,000 price of bathymetry study by Barr Engineering
+ Stakeholders need to be approached for their support
+ Also, waiting to hear on grant from Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (commonly referred to as WIN)
*Live Pine River Camera (Gary Rayburn)* – Proposal from Matt @ May’s monthly meeting
*Tillage Survey of Upper Pine River Watershed (Jane Keon)*
+ Julie Spencer requested helped from Jane Keon for this project she agreed.
- Observe certain areas of the watershed near the upper Pine and its tributaries.
- Take note of crop residue or remnant crops before farmers get out into the fields and begin plowing.
- Jerry May volunteered to help.
Old Business
*Membership – if you are not a member you cannot vote
*Boat for use on the river – Gary bought a 14 foot, flat-bottom boat. Motor to be donated soon (9 h.p.), but looking for a smaller 4 or 5 h.p. motor.
*State of the Pine River meeting*
+ Saturday, May 14th (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
+ Alma College Science Building
+ DOW/KAPP Rm. L4 – Just off Main Lobby
*Chemical Exposure Seminar @ Alma College on April 27 & 28* – Comments?
~~ Meeting adjourned @ 8:40 p.m. ~~
Submitted by Heather Chapin