Activity Report for the Period 7/13/2020 – 7/24/2020

East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
Sections:
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ACTIVITIES
Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Andrew Brown, EMSWCD's Conservation Legacy Program Supervisor, is currently serving as Interim Executive Director in the interim. See his report here.
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Program Supervision / Finance & Budget Dan Mitten
Completed:
  • Went into Williams office. Reviewed safety protocols, supplies, and mail. Retrieved mail from post office and processed invoices, prepared checks for deposit. Coordinated processing of invoices electronically and submit weekly for remote payment by Bookkeeper.
  • Prepared Financial Reports for August Board meeting and prepared BvAs for FY19-20 for programs review. Received and submitted auditor engagement letter for Board approval.
  • Received COLI rate from CPI West-Size A, processed payroll change sheets for all staff to receive increase effective July 1st, 2020. Edited Policy 1.1.3 - Salaries & Wages to reflect change in grade salary ranges for Board approval.
  • Edited FY20-21 Timesheets for all staff to include electing to receive monthly stipend approved by Board for remote work-related expenses.
  • Meetings: Management Team, Exec Director Search Committee, Personnel Committee, CELS Orientation,all staff meeting, F&O Team.
  • Began working on F&O staff FY19-20 performance evaluations.
Planned:
  • Will continue to go into office on a regular basis for upkeep of office location, mail processing, ensuring disinfection, and to initiate in-office guidelines during COVID-19 as directed by Governor's office.
  • Will continue to work with staff and Bookkeeper to receive and process all invoices pertaining to close of FY19-20 and FY20-21.
  • Will prepare payroll change sheets for staff as performance evaluations are completed and merit increases indicated.
  • Will complete, schedule, and give F&O staff performance evaluations for FY19-20.
  • Will attend second phase meeting defining video interview questions to be asked of E.D. candidates before next management team representative steps into the process.
Office Management Lindsay Nelson
Completed:
  • Attended and participated in: Agreements meeting, Personnel Committee meeting, Search Committee meeting, CELS orientation meeting. Scheduled Equity Team meetings.
  • Prepared invoices for processing. Prepared monthly benefit witholdings sheet for payroll.
  • Notices: prepared and sent out legal notice for election, Board meeting, Land Legacy Committee meeting.
  • Finished LLC meeting minutes. Started and finished Board of Directors meeting minutes. Created and sent out LLC Packet.
  • Met with Dan to discuss laptops.
  • Started my self evaluation.
Facilities Management Scot Wood
Completed:
  • I've been in to check things out at the office and all is okay. With Alex, Dan and Lindsay's help, I put together a "goodie" bag for staff that included two - single layer face masks, a hand-made - three-layer face mask, a personal size pack of disinfectant wipes and a personal size bottle of hand sanitizer. I delivered them to the office last Friday for staff to pick up at their convenience.
  • Headwaters: I have been working to finish insulating the shop and cover the insulation with house wrap to protect it above eight feet. Nick Rowan and I were able to get pallet racking set up in the shop and along the south wall of the equipment shed.
Planned:
  • I will be returning to the office in a week or so to check on things and clean up the grounds as needed and attend to the composting toilet.
  • Headwaters: I will be working on a ramp and platform for the farmers to use to more easily clean off the BCS tillers as well as working to convert two washing machines into greens spinners.
Marketing & Media Alex Woolery
Completed:
  • IT: continued working with Lucas and Katie on getting their laptops and software set up. Network setup, software, VPN/remote access, Office/Outlook, and several other items. Went into office to turn computers back on and ensure connections after power outage. Looking into ArcGIS performance issues while connected via VPN. Helped resolve various staff VPN, password, calendar issues and questions
  • Working on editing workshop videos in GoToWebinar.
  • Board and Committee notice support, elections info updates, various website updates.
  • Worked with staff to update Site Visits language and form to reflect new covid protocols.
  • Worked on performance evaluation.
Planned:
  • Finish editing workshop webinars, work with Rhesa to publish them, and to update the events pages content and registrations accordingly.
  • Finalize performance evaluation and schedule a review with Dan.
  • Continue to assist staff with VPN/remote and other IT issues as they come up.
RURAL LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Julie DiLeone
Completed:
  • Prepared and presented the Rural Lands portion of the CELs orientation.
  • 4th quarter ODA report compiled and submitted.
  • Completed 3 of the 6 Rural Lands Team annual reviews.
Planned:
  • Complete the rest of the annual reviews.
  • Begin compiling the Rural Lands annual report information.
  • Attend Sandy Watershed Council meeting.
Rural Water Quality Aaron Guffey
Completed:
  • Completed my performance review for FY2020.
  • Met with the CLIP review team to present potential CLIP projects.
Planned:
  • Engage in the diversity, equity, and inclusion process EMSWCD staff are participating in.
  • Connect with partners to develop strategies to promote cover crop adoption/optimization on nurseries.
  • Monitor CLIP projects I have managed.
  • Work with nurseries to install Erosion Solutions and irrigation efficiency projects through CLIP.
  • Taking family leave related to COVID-19.
StreamCare Lucas Nipp
Completed:
  • I have been busy with site visits and creating maps and agreements for landowners interested in joining the StreamCare Program. Seven new agreements since the last reporting period for 17.5 new acres. Waiting on four more likely to come in before initial site prep (blackberry clearing) begins on new sites the first week of August.
  • I have been working on my self review.
  • I have had several crew days out conducting weed maintenance on StreamCare sites as well as at the DPNA, Mainstem Farm, and the Foltz Property.
Planned:
  • The next reporting period will be dominated by initial site clearing on new StreamCare sites. It looks like I will have around forty to sixty acres enrolled and we can hopefully get to most of this with the crew availability that I have lined up.
  • I am going to start getting my plant numbers together for StreamCare and get my order in soon.
  • I will have my annual performance review.
Technical Assistance Jeremy Baker
Completed:
  • Met with ODA Regional Water Quality Specialist to discuss the upcoming Ag Water Quality Management Area Plan updates.
  • Conducted a site visit to a landonwer interested in mud and manure management in Corbett.
  • Upated Annual Work Plan and preparing for annual evaluation.
Planned:
  • Workign with Headwaters Farmers on getting our soil moisture sensor installed.
  • Responded to a request to resume providing technical assistance to a horse farm in Corbett. I worked with this landonwer a couple years back but they were not in a position to move forward on implementing a plan at that point. Set up site visit to help landowner address runoff/erosion and possible EDRR weed control. In the process of preparing site visit docs and weed info for landowner.
  • Currently drafting Heavy Use Area specifications and sizing a manure composting facility for horse farm in Corbett.
Weed Management Chris Aldassy
Completed:
  • Led contractors for EDRR spray work for Impatiens bi-color. Also had contractors spray Golden Chamomile on USFS property.
  • Gorge False Brome control with Jon and Chelsea.
  • Creating work plans for contractors for the time I'll be on vacation.
Planned:
  • I'm going to be taking some vacation time.
  • Facilitating staff meetings and diving into equity work during vacation.
  • Prioritizing managed sites regarding control needs moving forward in the Covid-19 reality.
Weed Management Jon Wagner
Completed:
  • Lucas and I conducted monthly water quality sampling and wildlife surveys.
  • Chris, Chelsea, and I finished false brome surveys and control at all sites.
  • I worked on self-review, field work planning and outreach, and data entry.
Planned:
  • Office work, meetings, data enry/management, etc.
  • Begin knotweed surveys and control.
Outreach & Education Chelsea White-Brainard
Completed:
  • Met with staff from Clark County Conservation District to discuss our equity work to-date and lessons learned as they prepare to embark on their own equity process.
  • Served on a stakeholder committee to interview and provide feedback on the final two candidates for the Executive Director position of the Intertwine Alliance.
  • Met with the Equity Team to finalize the agreements. Worked with Brandi and Monica of the Planning Committee to plan and facilitate a live online orientation of the Community Engagement Liaisons. The orientation was attended by Liaisons represening 9 different communities, as well as EMSWCD's Equity and Management Teams.
  • Spent a couple of days in on the Eagle Creek Trail with Jon and Chris pulling false brome.
  • Attended the Personnel committee meeting.
URBAN LANDS
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Kathy Shearin
Completed:
  • Kathy was on vacation during this reporting period.
Technical Assistance Whitney Bailey
Completed:
  • CLIP Team meeting, IJC meeting, technical assisstance on a variety of topics, and followups.
  • Working with UL staff on creating content for virtual Conservation Corner tours.
  • Finished annual review & other end-of-FY admin tasks.
Planned:
  • Coordinating with JCWC on JCIRP project.
Outreach & Education Monica McAllister
Completed:
  • Monica was unable to complete a report for this work period.
Outreach & Education Katie Meckes
Completed:
  • Continued work on COVID Plant Sale options. Secured quotes for tents. Began budget worksheet for alternate options.
  • Annual Contract Renewals: Reviewed, made edits and corrections to new Urban Lands contract template. Sent new contracts for FY20-21 to workshop presenters.
  • Spent a couple of days with Alex and Team Logic getting new work laptop all set up and troubleshooting Outlook issues. All fixed!
  • Scheduled a series of 5 (remote) presentations that we will deliver for Master Gardeners this summer/fall.
  • Confirmed presenters, sent final schedule and presentation descriptions, presenter bios to Marcia at Master Gardners.
  • Worked on self-evaluation portion of performance evaluation, and on FY20-21 work planning and prioritization.
Planned:
  • Continue work on COVID-19 Plant Sale scenarios and associated budget implications.
  • Continue work on improving workshop participant surveys to better measure program impact.
  • Catch up on missed webinars.
Outreach & Education Brandi Boersma
Completed:
  • Brandi was unable to complete a report for this work period.
Outreach & Education Rhesa Napoli
Completed:
  • Rhesa was unable to complete a report for this work period.
CONSERVATION LEGACY
ACTIVITIES
Program Management Andrew Brown
Completed:
  • Andrew was unable to complete a report for this work period.
Grants Suzanne Easton
Completed:
  • Suzanne was on vacation during this work period.
Land Legacy Matt Shipkey
Completed:
  • Working farmland easement closing scheduled for August 5th.
  • Land Legacy Committtee Meeting prepared for.
  • Land conservation and disposition projects advanced.
Planned:
  • Working farmland easement closed.
  • Gordon Creek disposition advanced.
  • New land conservation projects advanced.
Headwaters Farm Rowan Steele
Completed:
  • Continuing to meet with farmers in their mid-season check-ins.
  • Oversaw the installation of insulation and a skin covering in the shop.
  • Hosted a terrier rat-hunt at Headwaters Farm.
Planned:
  • Wrapping up mid-season check-in meetings.
  • Conducting my own and Nick's annual performance review.
  • Doing the second weed walk of the season.
Headwaters Farm Nick Pfeil
Completed:
  • Repaired the roller on the 9' flail mower.
  • Continued to mow around the Headwaters property and the Foltz property.
  • Started installing pallet racking in the new shop and equipment shed.
Planned:
  • Moving things from the barn to the new shop/equipment shed pallet racking.
  • Applying pesticides and chisel plowing fallow fields to control nutsedge.