Meeting Location Change

This is a big entry, please forgive me.... Dave
Please note: MEETING LOCATION – is NOT at the Fran Carlton Center. Correct Location is APOPKA VFW HALL. See corrected meeting notice below!!!
Your presence is needed and greatly encouraged!

As you can see there has been a bit of a go-round about the April 15 meeting we announced last week. It’s still a GO, but location has changed. You may read through the long e-mail thread if you want to know the details. I hope you will read it. Of particular interest is the reasoning behind the selection of the “friends” of the Wekiva River who have a seat on the BMAP panel. Mr. Everson, a noted expert on on-site systems was cordially excused as he is not a Friend.

See you there. Andrea
MEETING ALERT!
We need as many people as possible to attend the April 15 meeting of the Wekiva Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP)Group, in our efforts to keep the Department of Health from forcing the new septic systems on Central Florida homeowners. Some of BMAP's findings are listed below. As you can see, those findings are favorable to affected homeowners and run counter to DOH claims.

From Wekiva Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Reports
· Nitrogen levels in the Wekiva Springshed are actually falling, in spite of the fact that the number of septic tanks installed has dramatically increased since 1996.
· BMAP reports also state that the “relative magnitude of sources is still under question, and existing nitrogen isotope results are not entirely clear.” (Meaning that no one has proven that current septic systems are to blame for the Wekiva's problems.)
· Their recommendations say it is advisable to “continue to examine sources," v. demanding that homeowners without sewer connections be singled out for blame.

We have a LOCAL OPPORTUNITY to let our voices be heard! When residents/voters take the time to show up, it has a huge IMPACT, and legislators do take note. Please mark your calendar, and be there/send others.

APRIL 15, 1:30 P.M.
APOPKA VFW HALL,
519 S. Central Ave.
(St. Rt. 441, turn left one block west of Park Ave.)
PLEASE try to BE THERE!



From: Gihring, Jennifer [mailto:Jennifer.Gihring@dep.state.fl.us]
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2009 3:03 PM
To: John.Byrd@ocfl.net
Subject: RE: Public Comment @ Wekiva Basin Working Group Meetings & FAW Notice (www.flrules.org)

Mr. Byrd,

4/15 Meeting Notification:
The City of Apopka has graciously made arrangements for us to return to the VFW Hall for Wednesday's meeting. A notification of such will be sent to the Wekiva BMAP email distribution list shortly. Thus, the original FAW notice is valid (Notice ID 7003126), and Wednesday’s meeting will be held at 1:30 at the VFW/Community Center in Apopka (519 S Central Ave).

Meeting Structure and Open Discussion Time:
Think of a City/County Commission meeting – all interested parties are welcome to attend and listen to the items being discussed by the Commission, but attendees are not able to ask questions during the meeting as they come to mind. An opportunity for open public comments is provided during a specific time on the agenda. This is analogous to the BWG operating structure that will be used for the Wekiva BMAP. Regarding broader public participation, consistent with the Florida Watershed Restoration Act (F.S. 403.067) and the BMAP program’s commitment to participation and transparency, we will be holding general public meetings at several points during the BMAP process. These public meetings will be more informal to support free-flow discussion among all attendees. Those meetings will be noticed and held as we make progress on key BMAP topics. We will look to the BWG members for guidance in determining when sufficient progress has been made to support an information-rich public meeting. We have had great success with this approach in other BMAPs in support of the Department’s desire for effective public participation and the public’s desire for the same.

Additional Sunshine Law Information:
The FL Atty. General website is an excellent resource for information about the Sunshine Law. Specifically, half-way down this webpage (http://www.myflsunshine.com/sun.nsf/pages/Municipal), you will see a link entitled “Requirements for Public Meetings.” The attached file (summary of Sunshine Law public meeting requirements) is from that link. I encourage you to review this document, as it describes several key points of the Sunshine Law in detail. The Sunshine Law text itself and related information can also be found on the rest of this website. If you have further questions, I would be happy to put you or any other Orange County staff in touch with someone at DEP who can provide additional details.

See you on Wednesday,
Jennifer