Members Present: Lina Vlavianos, Chair
Sally Hornor, Vice Chair
Carrie Capuco
Dave Hanson
Scott Hymes
Charlotte Lubbert
Pete Robinson
Jeff Schomig
Michael Shultz Guests and Staff: Marcella Capuco, Student
Albert Johnston, Greater Severna Park Council
David Mauriello
Brenda Reiber, AACo. County Executive’s Office
Joe Rubino
Brenda Weeks, AACo. DPW Absent: Virginia P. Clagett, MD House Delegates (Ex-officio)
Ron Dillon, County Council (Ex-officio) CALL TO ORDER The regular monthly meeting of the Severn River Commission was called to order by Chair Vlavianos at 4:14 p.m. A quorum was declared present. The guest speakers from the State Highway Administration (SHA) to address Route 3 improvements have been tentatively rescheduled for the April meeting. MINUTES The Minutes for the January 4, 2007, regular monthly SRC meeting was presented for approval. MOTION: A MOTION, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE JANUARY 4, 2007, REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE SEVERN RIVER COMMISSION AS WRITTEN, WAS MADE AND SECONDED. THE MOTION WAS PASSED BY A UNANAMOUS VOTE AND THE MINUTES WERE APPROVED. ANNOUNCEMENTS / CORRESPONDENCE - Vlavianos has been reappointed and Joseph Rubino has been appointed, subject to County Council approval, to the SRC by the County Executive for three-year terms to expire 1/31/10. Vlavianos will continue to serve as Chairman. Rubino will fill the vacancy left by Pete Robinson whose term expired 1/31/07. Vlavianos thanked Robinson on behalf of the Commission for all of his input and his time spent working with the Commission.
- Hanson was reappointed to the SRC by the Mayor of Annapolis, approved by City Council, on December 11, 2006, for a three-year term to expire 1/31/10.
- Vlavianos will be out of town from February 7 through February 15, 2007. Contact Hornor, the Vice Chair, if the need arises.
- A clean-up of Warfield Branch, sponsored by the Severn Riverkeeper in association with the Severn River Association, is scheduled for March 31, 2007.
- Vlavianos met with AACo. Planning & Zoning Officer Lois Villemaire and Inspections & Permits Director Betty Dixon to introduce and establish a rapport with SRC. She will be meeting also with County Councilmen Jamie Benoit and Josh Cohen and possibly someone from the County Executive’s office regarding the same.
- Tentatively, James George of the Maryland Department of the Environment will be present at the March meeting to address TMDLs and NPDES permit obligations.
- Per Bylaws, a Vice Chairman will be elected at the Commission’s March meeting.
OLD BUSINESS 2005-2006 Biennial Report A final draft copy of the report was distributed to SRC members by email on January 31, 2007. Vlavianos thanked members for and complimented them on their input. She explained that this two-year report is a reflection of the activities of what has transpired with the Commission over that period of time. During the discussion, it was pointed out that the report contains both successes and difficulties encountered. Following the discussion and clarification, the Biennial Report was accepted. The report will be printed and distributed to appropriate parties. Long Range Planning Vlavianos reported in detail the discussions that took place between her and Lois Villemaire of the Planning & Zoning Office and Betty Dixon of the Inspections & Permits Department. She noted that both meetings were cordial with a desire for cooperation and sharing of information in the future. She was told that the SRC should request information rather than expect information to be automatically provided. Utilization of the Watershed Management Tool (WMT) important in General Development Plan (GDP) planning, the Jazeb Overlay Zone, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit obligations, and the Severn River Watershed Management Master Plan’s legislative recommendations are some topics that are big agenda items for the next two years. SRC Special Committee Hanson reported that the idea to expand the focus of SRC came from the Commission’s Bylaws: ". . . it shall further be their aim to coordinate and promote active community involvement in the environmental matters of the Severn River watershed." In its first report, the Special Committee (Hanson, Hymes, Schomig, and Shultz), appointed at the SRC’s regular January 2007 meeting, recommended that the Commission expand its focus to address significant issues throughout the entire Severn River watershed. Schomig reviewed five proposals made for achieving a watershed-wide focus: (1) develop a rountine, formal relationship with relevant interest groups; (2) continue to cultivate and enhance formal relationships with relevant government agencies; (3) regularly monitor significant events within the Severn watershed; (4) monitor and comment on legislation that significantly impacts the Severn watershed; and (5) counsel the County Executive, County Council, Annapolis Mayor and City Council, and the Governor and General Assembly on significant matters impacting the watershed. The Committee will refine this focus and recommendations based on input from the Commission at the March meeting. Further deliberations will continue at that time to get feedback from other Commission members. Concerns were expressed about how the Special Committee’s recommendations to reach a wider audience will be incorporated into a heavy future SRC agenda. To help the Commission better understand the Takings law, Schomig will contact the AACo. Office of Law to get a sense of how the Takings law is interpreted and report at the SRC March meeting.Jabez Environmental Overlay Zone This agenda item was covered under the SRC Special Committee report above. Naval Academy Dairy Farm The only thing new to report is that the Request for Proposals (RFPs) are due March 19, 2007. KCC Properties Hymes suggested that since there is nothing new to report at the present time that this item be removed from the agenda. Lower Severn The City’s ex-officio member to the SRC will be appointed after the special election. There was nothing new to report on the City of Annapolis’ Critical Area legislation. Hanson and Hymes will meet with Anne Arundel Medical Center officials regarding details of the hospital expansion and will report to the Commission at its March meeting. Route 3 Upgrade As noted at the beginning of the meeting, the speakers from the SHA regarding Route 3 improvements have been rescheduled for the April meeting. Website Lubbert reported that the SRC website had 1,423 hits in the month of January. She and Betsy Kirkpatrick-Howat will address the unauthorized ads showing up on the SRC website. Lubbert announced that the Severn River Association will have Alan Hyatt talking about installation of a green roof at their February 20, 2007, meeting at the Calvary Methodist Church on Rowe Boulevard. Everyone is invited. MD Tracking #06--NT-0439 Hymes will write a letter to Maryland Department of the Environment expressing concerns about the proposed Toll Brothers development planned for Severn, MD and its impact on Severn Run. SRC is opposed to any buffer, wetlands and stream disturbances. NEW BUSINESS Grant for Upgrading Septic Systems Hornor reported that the County Health Department has received a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund to be used for upgrading septic systems. The money is available to install low nitrogen septic systems. Existing houses in the Critical Area and houses with questionable functioning systems are given first consideration. AACo. DPW would like to see SRC push for State legislation to be able to use this money to allow homeowners to connect to County sewer. County sewer lines are better in terms of reducing nitrogen than these new septic systems. This would improve the river and stretch the money further. Impacts on the Severn Schomig explained that a fishing club who has been having a pickerel tournament on the Severn River is trying to develop a grass roots way to bring to MD DNR an informal survey of the pickerel population in the Severn. Pickerel seems to be the only thriving resident fish in the Severn River besides carp. When the tournament is over the first of March, they plan to share their findings. Schomig stated that MDE has been asked to determine whether chum is a pollutant under the Clean Water Act. This is important in that the contention is that introducing any substance into the water violates the Clean Water Act. MDE’s interpretation may be quite significant. PUBLIC INPUT There was no public input. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m. The next regular monthly SRC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2007, 4:00 p.m., in the Chesapeake Room, 2664 Riva Road. | 
