International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Study Board

Board Meeting, St. Catharines, Ontario

May 9 and 10, 2002

Summary

Those present at all or part of the two-day meeting were: Rob Read, Roger Gauthier, Steven Renzetti, Tom Bender, Jonathan Brown, Ralph Moulton, Fred Parkinson, Sandra LeBarron, Ian Crawford, Wendy Leger, Ed Eryuzlu, Tony Eberhardt, Gene Stakhiv, Doug Cuthbert, Roger Haberly, Amanda Morelli, Arleen Kreusch, Marie-Claude Pitre, Andre Carpentier, Russ Trowbridge, Tom McAuley, Commissioner Herb Gray, Murray Clamen, David Fay, Lisa Bourget and Dalton Foster.

Commissioner Gray provided brief remarks to the group concerning retention of experts and the desire to see the Year 1 Report.

He indicated that

• Most PIAG members have agreed to continue
• Expects to have PIAG Lead issues resolved in June

May 9, 2002

1. Agenda was approved.

2. Board Briefing on IJC Appearances

1. The IJC agreed with the recommendation that the fall public meeting be a joint Study/Control Board meeting;
2. The Commissioners requested that the Board develop a Public Information Plan for making the first year report public; they also wish to see the report before it is final/public;
3. The IJC suggested that the Board consider how the good efforts of individuals supporting the Study can be recognized (examples suggested: awards, honorarium). Sandra and Ian volunteered to propose some ideas to the Board.
4. Tony & Ed will review:

• Divergences from the POS;
• Where there are pressures to divert $’s within the POS framework;
• Where there is need to adjust the POS total estimates.

3. Study Team Membership

a. Board: No replacement yet for Shawn Martin.

b. PIAG:

• No replacement for Fred. Members who have ideas/suggestions may contact the IJC Secretary directly, with copies to the Board
• Dalton’s resignation has not been withdrawn and is still pending.
• Potential PIAG vacancies: Sally Sessler, Eban James, and Marj Hare.
• IJC staff members at the meeting advised that the total PIAG should not exceed 22.
• 18-month appointment best.
• Role of PIAG has to be re-examined compared to POS. IJC advisors, PIAG co-chairs and Ed and Tony to consider how to accomplish this.

c. TWG:

• Wendy is new Canadian PFEG Lead.
• Ian Gillespie is new Canadian Common Data Needs Group Lead.
• Marie-Claude Pitre is new Canadian member of Rec. Boating TWG.
• Rob Read is temporarily supporting the Canadian Environmental TWG until a Canadian lead and dedicated staff support are engaged.
• Each TWG should review the level of support required to deliver their mandate and convey this to Ed and Tony.
• The Board requested that a review be made of the TWG-Environment membership; inactive members to step aside; the size of the group to remain about the same as the current.
• PFEG will be a formal TWG; Paul King-Fisher was accepted as a new Canadian member. Additional U.S. members should be included, possibly Paul Yu from Corps of Engineers, Buffalo and a NY State representative. Sandra may suggest someone from the US;
• Updated membership list will be sent to IJC. Murray confirmed that the Commission does not have to approve the TWG memberships but they take note of the Board’s appointments.

4. Communications Strategy

• The Board Communication Committee consists of Doug and Gene; Ed and Tony; Amanda and Arleen; Dalton and Fred; Mike and Tom
• The Communication Strategy document was distributed. Comments are to be sent to Arleen and Amanda.
• Three PIAG public meetings are being scheduled for: Sackets Harbor in late July/ early August, Belleville in September and Trois Rivieres in late October.
• Fred is making public presentations on May 21,22 and 27.
• The Communications Committee will work with Tom Brown of Cornell on future surveys.

5. Information Management Strategy (Presentation by Wendy)

• The Board agreed that in the short term we will follow the "data list" option at a estimated cost of $4,750
• Board agreed to support the portion of the work relating to metadata costing $56,577. Wendy will provide clarification.
• Option will be developed adding the IJC Offices in Washington and Ottawa as data custodians.
• IJC will examine/decide on the option of Commission offices being the data and information custodian
• An update of the strategy will be covered at the September Board meeting (included on agenda).
• Ed/Tony expect to complete/present MS Project tracking in about six months

6. Climate Change (presentation by David)

• Board agreed that they would not support the development of new Regional Climate Models

May 10, 2002

Doug suggested that items from Quebec City Meeting notes be reviewed:

• Ed to send copies of Peaking & Ponding Report (from John Ching) to all Board members and TWG leads
• The Coastal TWG still has to consider how future development should be handled
• Propeller vibration question still to be addressed by Akwesasne
• The water quality issue (who to perform) still has to be addressed by Env. TWG
• TWG should inform Ed when meetings are scheduled so that he can update information and provide to members.
• Andre mentioned that the March 13, 2002 meeting started at 13:00 instead of 15:00
• Future agendas should include a list of decisions, which the Board needs to make.
• Lisa mentioned that encapsulated minutes are to be provided to the IJC within 45 days of the meeting (she provided an IJC Policy Statement).

7. Baird Presentation on Flood and Erosion Prediction System (FEPS)

Pete Zazak gave a very extensive presentation on the model being developed by Baird & Associates. Steve mentioned that there appeared to be an imbalance between physical data collection and economic evaluations. Pete agreed, but mentioned that an economist had not yet been involved in their work. David suggested that at some point, an Economics Subgroup for the Study might need to be created. The Board response was that this function was the responsibility of the PFEG.

8. Updates from TWG – none.

9. Year 1 Report

It was decided that the main report would be 20 to 25 pages with the existing 109 page report to be an Appendix. Another appendix could be the Year 1 Work Plans. There was a long discussion regarding how extensively the findings of the institutional report should be included in the Report. It was decided that the report would be mentioned, but the findings required further discussion by the Board and should be included as a future meeting or conference call (June 20, 2002) agenda item.

The schedule for the report production is:

• Comments on existing report by May 17, 2002
• Summary Report (Findings) to Board by May 24, 2002
• Conference call on May 30, 2002 to discuss summary report
• Final report to IJC by June 7, 2002 prior to Executive Meeting
• Arleen and Amanda to make report ready for public after review by IJC and they are to develop a one-page communications plan.

10. Public Information Plan: (Covered under # 9, last bullet).

11. Next meeting and conference calls

Conference calls: May 30 and June 20

Meeting: Next face-to-face meeting will be September 19/ 20 in Thousand Islands area.

12. Other Business: None

Prepared: Ed Eryuzlu and Tony Eberhardt

17 May 2002

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Schedule and Board Meeting Agenda

St. Catharine, Ontario

May 8, 9, 10

Wednesday, May 8

• 8:00 am to noon: Meeting of the PIAG and PFEG
• 1:00 to 2:30 pm:  Meeting of the PIAG with Comm. Schornack & Gray
• 2:30 to 6:00 pm: PIAG business meeting

Thursday, May 9

• 8:00 am to 11:30: Meeting of the PIAG and TWG Leads
• 12:30 to 1:30 pm: Meeting of the Board with Comm. Schornack & Gray

• 1:30 to 5:00 pm: Board meeting Agenda

1. Agenda Approval
2. Board Briefing on IJC Appearance
3. Study Team membership
4. Communication Strategy
5. Information Management (Presentation)
6. Climate Change

• Board Briefing / Presentation
• Issues Requiring Board Decision/Approval

Friday, May 10

• 8:00 am to noon   Board meeting (Cont.)

1. TWG- Coastal: Activity Status report and Consultant (Baird) presentation
2. Brief updates from other TWG's
3. Year-1 Report
4. Public Information Plan for Year-1 Report (Commission Required)
5. June Board Conference-call (Items / Issues)
6. Other Business