Meeting minutes from 1/25/18 - action items include signing up for committees, and reviewing bylaws

1. Introductions
   1. 33 people in attendance
2. Chair Update
   1. 18 organizations make up the Coalition now
   2. MDNR Water Trail Guidelines – sent via email, we can review to see if we want to apply for State Water Trail designation, in addition to National Water designation
   3. Statewide Bond Vote – potential for Nov 2018 vote, to establish a water trail fund
   4. Ben Frederick (House Rep) chaired resolution in support for legislation in support of the Shiawassee Water Trail, may be moving to committee; Senator Jim Ananich introducing similar bill in Senate
3. Committee Appointments: Referenced draft work plan that the committees would drive the work, set goals. Sign up on the website for committees http://www.shiawasseewatertrail.org/join_a_committee
   1. Recreation – coordinating events, planning (Joetta Pyles-Zalewski)
   2. Launch Sites – cleanup, identifying new sites
   3. Stream monitoring – expanding efforts of the Friends, have 12 sites total, recruiting volunteers
   4. Advancement – fundraising, identifying grants
   5. Community Engagement – speakers bureau, reaching out to visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, providing presentations to organizations, curriculum for K-12 schools
   6. Nominations – identifying new members to serve on Coalition, serve on Committees, volunteer at events
4. By-Laws are Under Review by group, was sent out via email, a link will be posted on the website
5. WMU proposal and follow up
   1. Professor David Lemburg is working with his class of 8 students to draft Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund grant applications for local units of government along the water trail. Need to determine which 8 sections we will focus on.
6. Future Meeting Speakers
   1. Stream Flow monitoring, only have 1 gauge now in Owosso. Might be interesting to have the USGS present on options for additional monitoring stations and the costs associated with sustaining them
   2. Bob Wilson, MTGA
   3. Elizabeth Griggs, HRWC – on the national water trail, and linking their River Up campaign and economic impact to the “Main Street Communities”
   4. Lori Eschenburg, Island Loop National Water Trail (Port Huron, MI)
7. Proposed Work Plan (Work to be completed in committee)

• Coalition meetings – setting agenda, recording minutes
• Trail Management
• Coordination of Work (Administration)
• Coordinated Activities Calendar
• Communication along entire trail
• Fundraising (we can appoint a fiduciary instead of seeking our own 501c3 status)
• Marketing – get more technology, include QR codes, coordinate social media, use videos to promote the trail and attractions.

   8. Upcoming Events

1. Holly Owl Walk, January 27, 2018; indoor presentation at 5pm followed by walk for those interested
2. Paddle second week of June
3. Feb 15 & 16, The Connected Communities Workshop (Oakland County)
4. Quiet Water Symposium, Saturday, March 3 – how will we coordinate displays (Keepers, Friends, and Headwaters, Red Fox)
5. Fenton Business Expo, March 3
6. Fenton Freedom Festival
7. 4^th of July Parades – would like to participate like we did in the Holiday Parades
8. Holly Day – parade at noon the weekend after Labor Day

Partner Updates

1. Friends Annual Meeting, good turnout, setting up paddling trips, 2 speaker series coming up, Feb 27^th Director of Shiawassee NWR; March - Linda - stream water quality monitoring in Japan, been working with them: see Friends of the Shiawassee River website for details (www.shiawasseeriver.org)
2. Byron DDA – grant for SR2S application, planning cardboard regatta
3. Keepers: Riverfest in Linden at the end of June 24, looking for helpers to serve on committees, looking for organizations to set up information tables
4. Vernon: working with DDA to establish canoe/kayak launch, have a location picked out; working on bike/walk trail
5. Shiawassee County – bids out for Shiatown, back in April; planned to come out in late summer 2018; restoration is the big ticket item. Takes 5 years to take out a dam, approaching 5 years now. Corunna is scheduled to be removed fall 2018, still securing permit, working with DNR to get a grant for a river walk. Owosso Schools will be closing the Middle School, a river access in downtown Owosso. Need to make sure still have access after the building changes hands. Baker College has offered landing off of M-52. The county is looking to join the Coalition as the 19^th
6. Owosso Main Street – putting grant in to secure restrooms in at launch site, working with Phil on getting Middle School access as an easement
7. Headwaters Trails – Owl Walk this Saturday, scheduling cleanup dates, planning events for Spring Paddle in 2^nd week of June. Pursuing lease agreement at Fish Lake Road with the Township of Holly
8. Red Fox Outfitters – March 23 Dave K coming talking about small mouth fly fishing, holding a small mouth weekend, kayak rigging demo for fishing; Jim DuFrane speaking on hiking and paddling in Michigan, middle of March, will be posted on website and Facebook. Could hold a “Discovering Paddling the Shiawassee” if desired.
9. Argentine Twp – got a SR2S grant! Working on application for Trust Fund, reworking Parks and Rec plan to prioritize water trails; Feb 15^th is public hearing for the Trust Fund application
10. Chesaning Village, Chesaning Township, Oakley Village has total buy-in. Trail ends at bridge at M-57, former winter spot for the Showboat. Oakley looking at landing below the cemetery.
11. Village of Holly – waterworks building was set to be demolished, group has stepped up to save the building. Putting together plans to restore the building involving Kettering University and UM-Flint. Restrooms are in the plans. Looking to reconfigure the parking lot and install signage announcing the Shiawassee River. ORV park is being built at Groveland Oaks. May be putting signs on I-75, and including the Shiawassee River on the signs.
12. City of Fenton – need to coordinate with parks on launches above and below the mill pond dam, nothing set in stone yet.
13. PST Lake Association – 2^nd Saturday in February is the Winter Fest, free, ice-skating and food. PSTLakeAssociation.com – will link to Facebook page where the events are listed
14. EDA Center will be releasing a RFP for applied research projects, spring/summer
15. Friends of the Shiawassee agreed to be fiduciary for the Coalition
16. Add site at Duffield Road (Tom) to break up long stretch between McCaslin and Byron Mill Pond

Next Meeting

February 22, 2018 @ 6:30pm

Argentine Township Hall