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(UNAPPROVED) FAUNTLEROY WATERSHED COUNCIL Meeting #5 - March 14, 2002 - Fauntleroy Church Hall

Meeting Attendees Park/Creek: Karen Farnsworth, Steve Bomkamp, Judy Pickens, Dennis Hinton, Jon Jolly, Lynda Kammerer, Luli Weatherwax, Gail Hlavacek, Steev Ward, FloraBelle Key, Christine Nack, Scott Allen (briefly) Fauntleroy Church: Randy Sleight Fauntleroy Community Association: Phil Sweetland, Kirk Hopkins Seattle Public Utilities: Kathy Minsch Seattle Parks & Recreation: Mark Mead

Facilitator: Judy Pickens Scribe: Karen Farnsworth

Meeting Notes 1. Introductions The roster circulated for updates. Judy P. noted that past minutes and other documents were available for the taking on the front table.

2. Approval of minutes and agenda The minutes and agenda were approved as distributed.

3. Park reports/updates Tree frogs: Luli W. reviewed the many considerations she found in her research into re-establishing Pacific tree frogs in the park. Several negatives have come to light in recent years, including the potential for spreading disease, genetic problems, noise, habitat needs different from what the park offers, the need to release hundreds at a time, and possibly the need for permits. She advised against this species and offered to look into others.

Action: By concensus, the council concurred with Luli's advice not to pursue re-establishing Pacific tree frogs in the park, commended her work, and asked her to summarize her research and references for the file.

Park Steering Committee: Karen F. reported that Friends of Fauntleroy Park had met February 19 to discuss the upcoming study to create a vegetation management plan for the park. The many questions generated fell into two categories: (1) how would the study be done and paid for and (2) what would the benefits be for the park and taxpayers. They subsequently invited Eliza Davidson to meet with them, then learned that Mark Mead had replaced her as project manager. He and Don Allen met with several members on March 13. Mark presented a rough draft of the scope of work, which he planned to present to Sheldon and Associates as the basis for the firm's contract to do the project. Karen said that the meeting had been valuable as an opportunity for Mark to give more specifics about the project, including the built-in public-involvement process, and for the Friends to clarify for him the groups with interest and experience in the park.

4. Agency reports/updates Vegetation Management Study and Plan: Mark presented the proposed scope of work, responded to questions, and offered examples of similar projects for other parks. He summarized why Parks is doing these plans: to provide a framework and guidelines for investing $3 million to $5 million in rejuvenating city parks over the next 20 years, to generate quantitative data, to use the information to analyze the city's entire forest resource, to build a body of work that gives alternative solutions for problems both ubiquitous to the system (invasives) and specific to individual parks. Judy P. noted the absence of a study objectives and articulated the following, with which Mark concurred: To identify and assess problems and assets in the park having to do with vegetation, water quality, wildlife, and public impact and use this information to create a framework that enables leveraging of funding and other resources for long-term improvements.

Actions: 

• The executive committee will ensure that council meetings are available as part of the public-involvement process for the project, with one month's notice to get on the agenda. 
• Judy will provide electronic versions of the documents Mark requests. 
• Karen will be Mark's day-to-day point of contact during the project, with other council members available as requested.

Action-funding forecast: Katie Gray was not present. Judy reported a phone conversation with her earlier in the day in which she said not to expect any changes in the maintenance budget for Fauntleroy Park during 2002. Kathy M. asked about the impact of the department's new stewardship coordinators.

Action: Judy will work with south district director Christopher Williams to ensure that Parks has ongoing representation on the council and put the question on the next agenda.

5. Executive Committee reports/updates Ferry construction: Judy reported that State Fish & Wildlife had issued the project a revised HPA that incorporates our negotiated agreement with Washington State Ferries to protect the coho return and creek during terminal renovations this fall. She said that the marine habitat biologist in charge of permitting the project believes that, unless stress to spawners can be documented at the time, no mitigation funds will be warranted since removal of creosote-treated wood from the cove will be a major habitat improvement in itself. The Fauntleroy Community Association is working with Ferries on the noise variance. Phil S. noted that Ferries will have an information table at FCA's annual meeting April 16.

Website: Chris N. reported that she has about half the planned content for the creek section on the community Website (www.fauntleroy.net) and is looking ahead to council and park content.

Action: Steev W. will transmit his video of the 2001 coho return to Chris for the site, as well as other appropriate footage.

Executive Committee replacement: Judy reported that Scott Allen had resigned, with regret, from the Executive Committee but would be continuing (if all goes well with his job search) to coordinate the salmon watch and participate in park work parties. Randy S. volunteered to serve in his stead.

6. Creek reports/updates Emergence monitoring: Steev W. reviewed the process being used to monitor emergence of coho fry, noting that the objective is to provide baseline information and gain experience with a monitoring process. He noted that guidelines and the form are available on the Website and on the Pickens/Sweetland porch. So far, the most fry reported on one day was fewer than 20, he said, making this hatch apparently the smallest since 1999. Monitoring information enabled him to set March 20 as the first day that schools might release fish and to determine that the lower creek could sustain some release fish this year.

Assorted news: Judy announced that FCA has begun work on a brochure about salmon art at the viewpoint and saltwater art at Cove Park, which will be an additional resource for teachers (and others). She also announced that Tom Jay will be augmenting his viewpoint art with a school of bronze smolt to deter skateboarding.

Fish-passage barrier report*: Randy S. began with a brief tutorial on methods used to size culverts, noting that, when the culverts under 45th Ave. S.W. and the church parking lot were installed, the goal was to move as much water as fast as possible, without regard to fish passage. He summarized key factors identified by SvR Design in its assessment of both locations for Seattle Public Utilities and noted the pros, cons, and possible costs of options presented to the Creek Committee on February 28. He reviewed rationale for the committee's decision not to pursue reconnecting the creek for fish passage but instead to continue student releases in the park and focus on maximixing accessible habitat downstream of 45th.

Action request: Kathy M. announced SPU's Creekside Living Workshop set for April 27 at the Delridge Community Center, this year focusing on stream-friendly landscaping.

Decision: The council endorsed the workshop and authorized use of the endorsement in promoting the event.

7. Announcements 

• The Creek Committee will meet soon to scope out an erosion-control study in the park. 
• Park work parties will continue from 1-3 p.m. on the second Saturday and Sunday of the month. 
• Salmon watchers will have a potluck on March 20 at the Pickens/Sweetland home to celebrate the emergence.

Next meeting: Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in the Fauntleroy Church hall