Activity Report for the Period 7/11/2016 – 7/22/2016

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Jay Udelhoven
Completed:
  • Boards/Committees: Hosted Personnel Committee on June 29th; prepped for and hosted July board meeting; met with Mike Gerel of Sustainable Northwest, who is interested in possible board participation.
  • External Engagement: Hosted watershed councils to sign the strategic partnership agreement; attended Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program (OAHP) meetings.
  • Planning/Budgeting: Finalized district-wide annual work plan and sent to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA); reviewed safety plan and equity analysis.
  • Program Implementation: Mike Guebert and I met with Metro to discuss their plans to extend the 40-mile loop trail from the Springwater Trail to Troutdale; drafted and sent comment letter on the 40-mile loop trail to Metro.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Conducted performance reviews for 3 direct reports.
  • Vacation: Toured the Inside Pass in a 3,000-person cruise ship for a week.
Planned:
  • Boards/Committees: Prep for and attend July Land Legacy Committee meeting and August board meeting.
  • External Engagement: Host quarterly partnership meeting with watershed councils; attend OAHP meeting.
  • Policies/Planning/Budgeting: Continue review of Urban Lands Program 5-Year Plan; continue revision of personnel policies.
  • Supervision/Leadership: Address personnel issue.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Lissa Adams
Completed:
  • Prepared for and attended July board meeting.
  • Solicited and evaluated proposals for FY15-16 financial audit for presentation to board at August meeting.
  • Prepared Staff evaluations as part of annual performance review process.
Planned:
  • Gather new retirement plan forms and finalize paperwork to start contributions in August.
  • Begin FY15-16 review in preparation for Audit.
  • Ensure all merit increases have proper paperwork and are effective for July payroll.
Office Management Jed Arnold
Completed:
  • Issued legal notice for the 2016 Board Election and forwarded documention on to ODA.
  • Completed my self-evaluation in preparation for my 2016 performance review.
  • Assisted staff with the completion of their enrollment forms for the new healthcare and sent off payment and all required paperwork to Providence. Coverage will begin on 8/1.
Planned:
  • Move eligible files from previous fiscal years into offsite storage after properly cataloguing.
  • Work with Phyllis to update payroll system to reflect new withholdings under our new health insurance.
  • I will be reaching out to staff and board members to identify any needs for additional or replacement branded gear, and hopefully placing an order within two weeks.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • The electrical, drywall, painting and trim work are completed in the board room in preparation for the new room dividers.
  • The new walk-in cooler installation is completed and operational.
  • The most recent round of mowing has been completed.
Planned:
  • I will be getting quotes to replace the sealed up door in the board room.
  • I will be assiting in installing the new pallet racking in the new walk-in cooler.
  • I will picking up materials and helping with the installation of the new Headwaters sign that will be located out on Orient Drive.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Worked on final drafts of Urban Lands outreach material series: image adjustments and improvements, typography, print layout, template style and design library additions.
  • Finalized work plan and self-evaluation; some discussions with staff on work plan details or additional items.
  • Worked with Chelsea on planning and promotion details for upcoming Livestock workshop. Set up event registration page, edits to postcard mailer design and illustration, working with printer and Jed on printing and mailing preparations.
  • Met with Chris Shultz from the Oregonian to discuss content marketing and sponsored content options.
Planned:
  • Work with Urban Lands onfinalizing remaining 3 material designs and send all 5 to print.
  • Send Livestock workshop mailer to print, continue to promote through social media, website and other means.
  • Work on branding/identity guidelines, on Marketing Plan final version, and on the District survey project.
Information Technology Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • Set up Lucas' station (very new; cycled through other staff station replacements), helped Lucas with settings and questions.
  • Chris' station has been shutting down without warning. Looked at event logs and noticed a pattern, started a ticket with Online Support.
  • Took cycled staff station out to Headwaters for a new office computer. Some issues setting up; worked with Online Support to resolve domain and internet settings. Set up two new accounts for staff and farmers, set up printer, wireless, general settings.
  • Minolta printer had network issues again; it turns out a staff smartphone was grabbing the IP the printer had when it wasn't in use. Reserved IP address for printer in DHCP, and that should solve the issue.
Planned:
  • Work with Online Support to set up and install new backup system. Server will go temporarily offline during install.
  • Resolve the issue with Chris' station or replace with another available station.
  • Assist staff with any software, station, network or printing issues or questions as needed.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Attended the Johnson Creek Interjurisdictional Committee meeting. Highlights include an upcoming DEQ grant application to prioritize in stream ponds based on temperature impacts and plans for macroinvertebrate monitoring in August.
  • Completing staff review documents and conducting reviews of 4 of the 6 Rural Lands staff.
  • Completed our ODA quarterly report.
  • It looks like construction on the culverts will begin August 1st. Coordinating logistics with the contractor and engineer.
Planned:
  • Joining the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership Science Working Group for a paddle in a giant canoe from Rooster Rock to the Sandy Delta.
  • Attending the next Troutdale to Springwater trail advisory committee meeting on 8/2.
  • Construction preparations.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Aaron is currently on parental leave until Mid-September.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • I toured SOLVe riparian restoration sites in lower Beaver Creek with Sandy River Basin Watershed Council staff. Some of the tour participants wish to start a Friends of Beaver Creek group that could do work in this area. We will support their efforts by providing a location to do some planting this winter.
  • One more StreamCare site visit.
  • Finalized my self appraisal.
  • I have been working more on the Dianna Pope Natural Areas Site Conservation Plan.
Planned:
  • I will be managing the initial site preparation of new StreamCare sites starting August 1.
  • Following the completion of initial site clearing I will be managing maintenance of previously enrolled StreamCare sites.
  • I will be meeting with Angela, Julie, and Kathy regarding plant sale sourcing and timing. Seven new acres were enrolled this year.
  • I will be attending the Team Leader Tools through Learning Point.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Attended RUSLE2 Training. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation database is a planning tool used to estimate erosion rates. The tool allows planners to compare various tillage scenarios to provide options or alternatives that can have less impact on the soil.
  • Met with CLIP recipient to review installation and verify costs.
  • Provided Land Legacy Team with conservation management options for a Land Legacy eligible property.
Planned:
  • Drafting a Heavy Use Area proposal for a 20 acre property bordering the Columbia Slough.
  • Submitted CLIP completion paperwork for aforementioned CLIP grant recipient.
  • Rescheduled Livestock Workshop Meeting with Kim Galland to discuss topics and presentation order.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Outreach for Ivy control and scheduling contractors for upcoming work.
  • False Brome control in the Gorge continues.
  • Annual performance review paperwork completed.
Planned:
  • Cliffside False Brome work should begin with Jon.
  • Ivy control at new site along Bell Road will begin.
  • Knotweed planning and possible control.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • I collected water quality samples.
  • Ellen, Chris and I have been finishing follow-up control of false brome at sites along Tanner, Oneonta, Eagle and Wahkeena Creeks.
  • I completed the quarterly report, self review, false brome outreach, and collected and identified a pond weed for a property owner and provided information for control.
Planned:
  • Finish second survey and control passes at all false brome sites.
  • Begin outreach, surveys and control for knotweed.
  • Outreach planning, data entry, field work prioritizing, and illustration.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Wrote press release for fish passage barrier removal project at Headwaters.
  • Completed annual review, quarterly reporting, attended equity webinar.
  • Prepped for Equity Team's video presentation to staff.
Planned:
  • Inform the community about the fish passage barrier removal project at Headwaters through press release, social media and web posts.
  • Begin promotion of August 17th Livestock workshop through direct mailing, email campaign, social media, and coordinated partner outreach.
  • Work on materials about beetle banks for Far West Show.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Met with MHCC Demo project stakeholders group to identify top five projects for Herrera to create preliminary design conderation/plans for.
Planned:
  • Annual reviews for Urban lands staff.
  • Beavercreek partnership meeting: giving an update on the MHCC Demo project.
  • Will be out on vacation from July 27th to August 15th.
Technical Assistance Erik Carr
Completed:
  • Participated in conference call to discuss next steps of MHCC stormwater retrofit assessment and project identification.
  • Presented to Youth Conservation Corps about careers at SWCD and assisted with tree care service project.
  • Attended Columbia Slough Watershed Council technical team meeting; identified restoration plan priorities.
Planned:
  • Performance evaluation.
  • Urban SWCD coordination meeting.
  • Beaver Creek Partnership meeting at Mt Hood CC.
Outreach & Education Angela Previdelli
Completed:
  • Attended Equity Grant Makers meeting.
  • Held a meeting with Rural Lands staff to plan ahead of Plant Sale 2017.
  • Tabled at Habitat for Humanity resource event to celebrate new homeowners.
  • Finalized plant lists for new outreach materials using the native plant database.
Planned:
  • Conducting my annual review with Kathy.
  • Reviewing second round of grants as part of Metro's Restoration Grant Committee.
  • Sending off outreach materials to print.
  • Reviewing grant application for MHCC.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Finished reviewing new pollinator and beneficial insects workshop presentations, wrote up detailed feedback and send to Kathy.
  • Opened workshop registration on website for 20 workshops. Finished creating fliers. Sent all hosts their checklists, fliers and links to registration page.
  • Writing up an overview of gaps I have identified in the contacts database, and ideas for how the Urban Lands program could improve data and participant history tracking and outreach communications if the database were integrated with our website and email marketing program.
  • Drafted up notes and examples of existing database processes that are not fully functional.
Planned:
  • Meet with Kathy to discuss presentations and possible change requests.
  • Begin outreach for fall workshops. Continue work to recruit Rose City Park Neighborhood Association to host 3 workshops this fall.
  • Draft up a needs assessment.
  • Will include these examples in needs asssessment in order to figure out best course of action.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Worked on staff performance evaluations, for direct reports and myself.
  • Continued with due diligence activities related to the farm acquisition project, and collating information for the up-coming Land Legacy Committee.
  • Assisted Suzanne (Grants Program Manager) with preparing for and hosting the 2016 PIC grantee reception.
  • Spent some time researching online grant management software solutions for possible use by the Grants Program.
Planned:
  • Work on staff performance evaluations, and follow-up.
  • Meet with representatives from Gresham and Metro regardig the 40-mile loop trail proposed alignments.
  • Continue more detailed research into short-listed grants management software for possible use by the Grants Program.
Land Legacy Rick McMonagle
Completed:
  • Attended and presented at LLC Co-chairs meeting.
  • Continued due diligence activities for farm acquisition project.
  • Completed FY15-16 performance evaluation.
  • Worked on other LLP land projects.
Planned:
  • Attending and presenting at LLC meeting.
  • Attending and presenting at Board meeting.
  • Continuing due diligence activities for farm acquisition project.
  • Working on other LLP land projects.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Suzanne is currently on vacation and unable to submit a report.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Training our new Headwaters Farm Operations Assistant, Stuart Moeller.
  • Conducting midseason check ins with incubator farmers.
  • Various summer farm projects: gutter bids, pallet racking for cooler, sign mounting, pollinator habitat establishment, among others.
Planned:
  • Providing tour for a group of Woodlawn Farmers Market patrons as part of our PIC grant.
  • Meeting with representatives from the City of Gresham to tour the farm and talk about our work.
  • Providing Stuart with a tractor training.
Headwaters Farm Stuart Moeller
Completed:
  • Getting up to speed on the facilities, systems, and responsibilities.
  • Weed management in prophouse, pollinator habitat, and other areas around the farm.
  • Pollinator habitat establishment.
Planned:
  • Various weeding projects, especially thistle and nutsedge management.
  • Helping to move logs off the main entrance driveway.
  • Trenching and laying stormwater and water pipes.