The Tama County Conservation Board met in regular session on Wednesday, February 7, 2007, in the Nature Center library, Otter Creek Park.

Anderson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Members present were: Adolphs, Anderson, Little and Wiese. Also present: Etzel and Wise. [Note: In Benda’s absence Little will serve as acting vice-chair.]

Minutes from the regular session of January 3, 2007, were read. Moved by Adolphs, seconded Wiese to approve the minutes as read, carried. (All voting aye)

The following bills were presented:

TO BE PAID FROM GEN'L FUND
			Amount of Bill	Category Total
0001-6100-113-22-013 Health Ins- Co Share
Health Ins Fund	Etzel Family for February		1,203.08	1,203.08
0001-6100-260-22 Office Supplies
Staples	#6200093001 copy paper, env, receipt book, toner, etc		368.91	368.91
0001-6100-261-22 Magazines, books
Tama Toledo Newspapers	1 yr subscription- Chronicle, News-Herald		52.40	52.40
0001-6100-412-22 Postage
Etzel, Robert	As per four (4) receipts		22.09
Postmaster	500- $0.39 stamps		195.00
			217.09	217.09
0001-6100-414-22 Telephone
Iowa Telecom	17Jan07, 484-2231 (office), 484-4157 (payphone)		115.24
	17Jan07, 484-5314 (shop)		47.65
Verizon	16Jan07, 484-2231 (office)		28.96
	19Jan07, 484-4157 (payphone)		9.62
	16Jan07, 484-5314 (shop)		10.49
			211.96	211.96
0001-6100-422-22 School of Instruction
CCPOA	Regis- Etzel, Wise		20.00
ISAC	Regis- Etzel for ISAC Spring School		80.00
			100.00	100.00
0001-6100-636-22 Office Equip & Furniture
Staples	#6200093001 HP 1040 fax		99.98	99.98
0001-6110-101-22-223 Salary- Main Supervisor
Wise, Craig	12-Jan-07		1,384.80
	26-Jan-07		1,384.80
			2,769.60	2,769.60
0001-6110-101-22-224 Salary
Dolash, Ron	12-Jan-07		1,280.38
	26-Jan-07		1,274.40
			2,554.78	2,554.78
0001-6110-113-22-013 Health Ins- Co Share
Health Ins Fund	Dolash family for February		1,203.08
	Wise- life insurance for February		2.60
			1,205.68	1,205.68
0001-6110-250-22-050 Mt Veh- fuels
New Century FS, Inc.	#36-342165, 16Jan07, 100 gal unl gasohol @ $1.865/gl		186.50
	State MFT @ $0.21/gl		21.00
	FET (LUST)		0.10
	HAZMAT Handling fee		0.80
	#36-342164, 16Jan07 145.6 gl #1 LS Dyed @ $2.324/gl		338.29
	FET (LUST)		0.15
	HAZMAT Handling fee		1.16
	#36-341963, 15Dec06, 247.2 gls unl gasohol @ $1.8406/gl		455.00
	State MFT @ $0.21/gl		46.97
	FET (LUST)		0.25
	HAZMAT Handling fee		1.98
			1,052.20	1,052.20
0001-6110-254-22-050 Mt Veh- Minor Repair
J&V Auto Parts (NAPA)	#364000 battery (under existing warranty- pro-rated)		17.60
	#364002, For Ford 5600 tank heater		52.99
	Power Ser		16.99
	Fuel filter		11.43
			99.01	99.01
0001-6110-292-22-052 Main & Supplies
Campbell Supply	#1412748-01 bearing, thrust;#1412748-02 guide bracket		34.51
Central Iowa Distributing	#14722 bug cartridge/Inn IV & Ultra		21.70
Dolezal Farm Supply	#7720 1 bg sunflower seed, 1 bg cracked corn (NC feeders)		17.00
Etzel, Robert	Meals while attending Dist 1 Mtg in Newton- 10Jul06		12.39
Grainger	#9287464144 suspension for hard hats (2)		9.80
Hrabak Lumber	#0080558, #0080586, #0080706 NC Windows		851.20
	#00807741 2x10x14" cedar (11) @ $38.50 ea		423.50
	4x6x14' cedar (2) @ $23.52 ea		47.04
Hygienic Laboratory	Coliform tests- east & west wells (OCP)		22.00
IACCB	#20166, 40 copies- Outdoor Adventure Guides @ $3 ea		120.00
Iowa Prison Industries	#372420 Fish Habitat Signs 5- 12 x 18 @ $15 ea, 5- 12 x 6 @$5 ea		100.00
Menard's	#78579 2- grab bars- main res		115.98
New Century FS, Inc.	#36-342193 200 AE fuel guard element		8.95
Premier Office Equipment, Inc.	#32151, premier platinum plan, Canon IR-210S copier		35.00
Tama County Solid Waste	Landfill fees for Dec		31.10
Waterloo Boats	#CW07676 lifejacket- work vest (1), throwable cushion (1)		46.98
Wilkerson Hardware	#A1391 lockset, A13663 fasteners, #A14422 bulbs, release ratchet		81.06
Wise, Craig	Parking, meal while attending Winterfest		12.71
			1,990.92	1,990.92
0001-6110-430-22 LP gas
New Century FS, Inc	Purchased under contract LP purchase
	#6371, 26Jan07 1,075 gls @ $1.469/gal + LPER + HAZ= $1,593.16
	(Shop- 550, Trailer- 275, main residence- 250)
	Begin Balance= $3,925.42 - 1,593.16 = $2,332.26 rem balance
0001-6110-431-22-990 Electricity
Grundy Co REC	OCP thru 3Jan07, 9,800 KWH- meter #1,		731.54
	3,640 kwh- meter #2 (NC)		127.40
	Security light charge		18.00
	maintenance light charge		96.00
			972.94	972.94
	Total Bills Submitted, Gen'l Budget			$12,898.55
FROM NATURE CENTER TRUST
0031-6120-292-22-072 Recreational Supplies
Iowa Prison Industtries	#372420 Fish Habitat Signs (all except Tama County)
	12 x18 signs @ $15 ea (135)	2,025.00
	12 x 6 sign @ $5 ea (111)	555.00
Staples	Supplies for Winterfest (to be reimbursed by IACCBE)
	#6833442001 2- double rolls of tickets	13.29
	Badge holders ( 3 bx)	41.97
		2,635.26
Total Bills Submitted, Nature Center Trust				$ 2,635.26
Total All Bills Submitted				$15,533.81

Moved by Adolphs, seconded Little to approve bills, carried. (All voting aye).

Reports and Correspondence. Staff /Work. Wise updated board members on work accomplished during January including inventory of shop equipment and tools, re-make Duffus Landing sign (after being vandalized), remove some dead elms in park, annual safety inspections of shop equipment, continue work on south loop camp area, repair picnic tables, repair 100 yard shooting station at Ike’s Tract (vandalism), construct tracking equipment to maintain cross-country ski trail at park../ North Tama Schools It was reported that eighth grade students visited the park on January 25. The students brought twelve Christmas trees from Traer to use as fish structure in the lake. Students, under the supervision of their instructors, drilled holes in the trees and tied the trees to two concrete blocks for each tree. Following the work session the students adjourned to the Nature Center for a short program on the fishery of the lake and to eat lunch./New Director of DNR Etzel reported that Rich Leopold has been named as the new Director for the DNR replacing Jeff Vonk. Leopold has a diverse background but has a particular interest in water quality./ Legislative-REAP It was reported that an increase in funding for REAP is a high priority in this legislative session./Fish Habitat Grant Application The grant request for $7,692 submitted for armoring three different locations of Otter Creek Lake totaling approximately 575’ of shoreline with 122 T of class E rip-rap has been recommended for funding pending approval from the DNR. State share on the project will be $6,923, county share- $769)/Nature Center Reservations Twelve consecutive Saturdays covering the period of May 26- August 11have been reserved for different private functions at the Nature Center./Workshops/Meetings Attended Staff have attended the Winterfest Training Workshop (January 22- 24) and the Water Quality Monitoring Conference (February 2). Upcoming meetings of interest include: Ioway Trail Meeting (February 14), Hwy 30 Update Meeting (February 15), ISAC (March 18- 20), IACCB Spring Conference (March 24), District 1 Meeting (March 27), Fun Nite for the Nature Center Fundraiser (March 31)./Budget Presentation The FY ’08 Conservation Budget request was presented to the Board of Supervisors on January 9./Nature Center Exhibit Design The Exhibit Team had met on January 10 to generate feedback on initial observations and questions posed by Museum Professionals (the design firm hired for design and fabrication of the Nature Center Exhibits). Some materials are expected to be generated by the firm before the end of February.

Little spoke to the board regarding a session he had attended at the Winterfest Training Workshop. The session, presented by a representative of Pheasants Forever, spoke to the grave situation regarding youth participating in outdoor sports. The speaker relayed statistics indicating the declining level of physical activity by today’s youth and the corresponding decline in youth being exposed to outdoor recreation and nature. Projections show a continuing decline in youth participating in hunting, trapping, fishing, boating, camping and the like without an active effort by the adults of today. Little encouraged the Board members to set a goal of providing more opportunities and programming for our Tama County youth. He spoke to the need of exploring ways to accomplish this and become more active in environmental and outdoor recreation education in our county. The Board Members were in agreement that innovative methods should be sought, more effort should be expended to provide increased environmental and outdoor recreation education opportunities for the residents of the county, and the importance to work with the Supervisors to gain their support in financing such an effort.

The Board discussed camping fees for the 2007 camping season. Etzel recommended no increase in rates for the 2007 season. After short discussion it was moved by Wiese, seconded Adolphs that camp fees for 2007 remain the same as for 2006, carried. (All voting aye) [Note: Current rates are (all rates are per unit per night): $15 (all units except tents), $9 (tents), $10 (tents with electric in tent camp section), Camp Coupon book rates: seven nights ($98), fourteen nights ($182) and twenty-one nights ($252)]

The IACCB Spring Conference is to be held on Saturday, March 24, at the Tama County Nature Center. Etzel encouraged all Conservation Board Members to attend to represent Tama County. Topics to be covered at the one day event include: “Being an Effective Board Member”, “Board-Staff Relationships”, “County Conservation Board Budgets”, and “Federal Wage and Hour Update”.

The Board discussed the approaching annual “Fun Nite for the Nature Center” fundraiser slated for Saturday evening, March 31. Members discussed the need to get the word out regarding the event. General consensus was to start the event one-half hour earlier so it does not end so late. Etzel is working on lining up a program for the event. Marv & Nancy Boldt have agreed to run the fundraising auction. The Board voiced appreciation for the Boldt’s continued generous support of the Nature Center project.

After discussion of conservation topics of interest it was moved by Adolphs, seconded Benda to adjourn, carried (All voting aye). Adjourned 8:40 p.m..

______________________ ______________________

CHAIR VICE-CHAIR