International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Study Board Meeting in Ottawa
October 19 and 20, 2004

SUMMARY OF MEETING

Board members in attendance were: Eugene Stakhiv, Doug Cuthbert, Tony Eberhardt, Ed Eryuzlu, Frank Sciremammano, Frank Quinn, Andre Carpentier, Pete Loucks, Sandy LeBarron, Marcel Lussier, Dan Barletta, Jim Snyder, Lynn Cleary, Steven Renzetti, Ian Crawford. Others in attendance for all or part of the meeting were: Elaine Kennedy, Max Streibel, Scott Tripoli, Bill Werick, Wendy Leger, Roger Gauthier, Connie Hamilton, Jeff Watson, David Fay, Mark Lorie, Debbie Lee, Tom McAuley, Russ Trowbridge, Greg McGillis, Arleen Kreusch, Mike Shantz, Scott Tripoli, Henry Stewart, Paul Webb, John Hall, Larry Field, Jean-Francois Bibeault, Annie Carriere, Denis Peloquin, Cindy Lavean, Christiane Hudon, Joe Atkinson, Paul King-Fisher, Joe DePinto, Todd Redder, Mark Colosimo, Frank Lupi, Sylvain Robert and John Ching.

Review of agenda, burning issues, IJC Appearance

The Board meeting was scheduled to coincide with the Plan Formulation and Evaluation (PFEG) workshop (Notes for the workshop are provided separately by Wendy Leger and Bill Werick). The agenda (attached) was approved.

• The Board discussed and approved hiring of a consultant to review the costing methodology for hydropower. Paul King-Fisher will explore options and propose the sole-source consultant; he obtain the support/endorsement of the Hydro-Power TWG; cost will be limited to $20-30K Cdn; work to be performed and complete in the Nov./ Dec. 2004 timeframe; funds to be covered from the current PFEG budget.
  
  
• Doug summarized the main highlights of the presentation to the IJC semi-annual appearance.
  
  
• It is agreed that the PIAG contributions need to be recognized; this will be brought to the attention of the Commission. Recognition was also mentioned for those that assisted with arranging the public meetings; notably Greg McGillis and Arleen Kreusch and their staffs.
  
  
• Board agreed that January 2005 would be appropriate time to thank the TWG participants recognizing some members will depart by then.

Actions Deriving from the PIAG 2004 Summer Public Meetings:

• Board decided to hold conference-calls about every other two weeks to get updated on the Shared Vision Model and plan options being developed; the calls will be at 3:00 p.m. on the following days: Nov 4; Nov 18; Dec 2; Dec 16; Dec 30 and Jan 13.
  
  
• The Board identified the following members as Guideline Captains:
  • Environmental Sustainability: Sandra LeBarron
  • Net Economic Benefits: Steven Renzetti
  • Disproportionate Loss: Ian Crawford
  • Unusual / Unexpected Conditions: Frank Sciremammano
  • Mitigation: Gene Stakhiv
  • Climate Change and Variability: Frank Quinn
  • Transparent Decision Making: Marcel Lussier and Dan Barletta
  • Adaptive Management: Lynn Cleary
  • Institutional Arrangements: Doug Cuthbert
  
  
• The next face-to-face meeting will be held in Rochester NY; it was decided to hold ½ -day Board meeting on January 25, 2005 (in the p.m.) to be followed by a 2-day workshop on January 26 and 27, 2005. Invited to the workshop are all Board members, the PIAG and the TWG's.
  
  
• A meeting will be held with the Control Board just before the next March Study Board meeting; the Control Board will be briefed on the SVM and on the plan development options.
  
  
• The next Board meeting will be 3-days on March 22, 23 and 24, 2005 attended by PIAG the last one-and-a-half days.
  
  
• For the next summer public meetings, the following format was decided on:
  • PIAG will plan and present the events;
  • PFEG will make the SVM presentation
  • There will be US / Canadian Board members presence on both sides of the border at all meetings.
  
  
• PIAG will work with PFEG to arrange a meeting on December 2, 2004 with representatives of certain interests (mini-interest groups) on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

Status of Year-4 budget and setting of Year-5 budget

• The U.S. Year 4 budget year ended on September 30, 2004 with an uncommitted balance of $896 (essentially 100%). At the mid-point of the Canadian Year 4 budget, $2,252,257 has been committed (93%). In both cases, the shortfall that had existed is or was expected to be eliminated.
  
  
• Proposed Year 5 budgets were presented (see the revised tables - PDF format). Notional amounts for TWG activities were approved as a whole rather than as individual items. The PIAG budget was capped at $320K U.S. and $415K Cdn. The IM budget had been approved previously.