Current Agenda Archives Meeting Minutes Well Depth Report Members

ATTENDEES: Ray Brownfield, Bud Griswold, Vito Gentile, Rick Stanford, Leslie Watson, and Dennis Atwood
OTHERS: Joyce Wegryniak and Pat Felling

1) PROPOSED AGENDA was approved.

2) APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE 20 NOVEMBER, 2008, MEETING were approved as amended. In paragraph marked "Attendees", delete John Sfarnes; add Lucas Waller. In paragraph 7 under "Old Business" delete John Sfarnes, add Lucas Waller. See also paragraph 3 for the proposed mission statement for the committee.

3) PUBIC SAFETY &CODE TASKING TO WRAC RE: DRAFT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, Joyce reported:

1) The WRAC has been charged by the PS&C to undertake analysis, study and drafting of such an ordinance. There is no completion date for the tasking.

2) The County, not state, will administer the program.

3) County currently does E&S for the towns except Woodstock and envisions the the same will apply for storm water management since none of the towns fall under the MS_4 criteria.

4) UPDATE ON STATE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS: DCR representative, Jim Echols, plus Griswold and Brownfield reported:

1) The draft regulation proposed by the Technical Advisory Committee will be released for public comment this spring for 60 days.

2) The current draft requires localities to develop plans for administration, inspections and enforcement for review by the state board. Localities will also be required to train and certify staff. Technical criteria established by localities cannot be less restrictive than those specified in the state regulations. THEY MAY BE MORE RESTRICTIVE.

3) Current Shenandoah County requirements appear in the E&S and sub- division ordinances and are based on "minimum standard 19" of the state enforcement manual.

4) The County comprehensive plan recommended the adoption of a storm water management ordinance. No action is required at this time.

5) Brownfield recommended that the WRAC create a sub-committee that would examine proposed state regulations, current Shenandoah County requirements and selected model ordinances then propose a "straw man" ordinance for discussion. Atwood proposed that the sub-committee divide responsibility for reading the proposed regulation and be prepared to report on their portion.

6) Stanford suggested that first action of the sub-committee should be to study draft state regulations, see if there were issues that BOS ought to address to the Technical Advisory Committee during the public comment period. This recommendation was approved by the WRAC. Sub-committee members identified were included Griswold, Brownfield, Stanford, and Wegryniak and any other interested WRAC members.

5) POTOMAC CONSERVANCY/FRIENDS OF THE NORTH FORK EFFORTS TO RAISE VISIBILITY/CONCERN FOR NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION.
Patrick Felling (Potomac Conservancy) and Watson reported:

1) PC/FNFSR want WRAC support for a proposal to review zoning ordinances to ensure they properly protect water resources per the VISION AND GOALS of the comprehensive plan and to highlight the importance of water resource protection and conservation in this process. They suggested that WRAC should advise the BOS with relation to how water resource issues will effect zoning decisions and how zoning issues will affect future water resources.

2) WRAC decided to defer action on this request until the current Community Planning Process (Milt Herd) issues its report. Any WRAC action should fully consider the importance of acknowledging that water resource and conservation are planning and zoning issues that should be considered in this process.

6) OTHER BUSINESS.

Watson reminded the WRAC of the next meeting of the Great Valley Karst Committee on 5 February.

7) NEXT MEETING OF THE WRAC will occur Thursday, March 19.

ADJOURN

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