From Andrea

Dear Members and Friends of Tri-County Association H.E.L.P., Inc.

Several days ago, I sent an e-mail notifying you of an important meeting  of the Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve.  The meeting is scheduled for Monday evening at 6:00 p.m., October 1, 2012 at the Markham Woods Church in Longwood FL.  Since my initial e-mail to you, I have spoken with Ms. Deborah Shelley, the Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve Manager and have more information on the meeting format.  Ms. Shelley will be giving opening comments about the Management Plan Draft (available at www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/wekiva/ ) and there will be tables of information set up for the public to gather information and speak to representatives about particular issues.

This meeting has been structured as an “open house”.  It is not the “open mike” public input format I expected from my attendance at similar meetings.  As a result, Tri-County Association will not be giving a verbal presentation to FDEP representatives.  Tri-County was invited to submit a written commentary about issues in the Management Plan Draft that affect our septic systems.  The Tri-County Assoc. publication has been forwarded to Ms. Shelley and several other individuals at FDEP involved in the drafting and finalization of the Aquatic Preserve Plan.  Those comments are attached for your review.  If you plan to attend this Oct. 1 meeting, the information in the Tri-County publication will be helpful to you. 

In the meantime, as a result of these conversations and for the first time, Tri-County Association has been invited to participate on behalf of homeowners in the Wekiva Basin Ecosystem Working Group, which includes representatives of various environmental organizations, officials from Orange, Seminole, and Lake Counties, Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, the Florida Park Service, and others.  A review of this meeting highlights will be published in www.thesludgereport.org.  

Please let me know if you have questions about the above information. 

Andrea

andrea@tricountyassociation.org

Septic tanks

Got this from Andrea, thanks for all that you do on this..... Dave

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012 – 6:00 p.m.

Markham Woods Church, 505 Markham Woods Rd., Longwood FL 32779

A formal public meeting to receive input regarding the Draft Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve Management Plan will be held.  This plan strives to bring together under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection all the work of the various working groups regarding nutrient loading in the Wekiva River Area, including 20 miles of the St. Johns River.  All along, we have been attending many of the meetings held by these groups and monitoring activity as it impacts our septic systems.  The entire survey of these activities is presented in the link below.        

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/wekiva/pub/Wekiva_River_Aquatic_Preserve_Management_Plan_DRAFT_2012.pdf

Please go to Page 57 of this draft.  It gives a broad description of these groups, their activities, and the draft is a preliminary step to rule-making based on the findings and recommendations contained in this draft.  Although the draft gives a nod to the on-going DOH Nitrogen Reduction Strategies Study which is supposed to provide nitrogen reduction alternatives for conventional septic systems, it is particularly disturbing that the draft has recommended and named “performance-based technology” as a solution to reduce nutrient loading from septic systems.  TRI-County Association will be addressing this and related issues at the meeting.

Public meetings are typically held in advance of rules being developed and adopted.  Homeowners cannot be silent and unrepresented, or as in the past, rules will be promoted and passed that are inappropriate and devastating to our home asset values and basic property rights.  Please plan to attend!

Andrea Samson, President

TRI-County Association H.E.L.P., Inc.

P.S. If you have friends in the Volusia County area, please pass along this information.  There is a second meeting planned for Tuesday, October 2, at the Volusia County Administration Bldg., 23 West Indiana Avenue, DeLand, FL 32720.  More information on time, etc. is available atwww.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/wekiva/ .  For more information on the history of EPA, Wekiva Basin Management Action Group (BMAP), the Earth Justice lawsuit, etc., please visit www.thesludgereport.org .

BOB, (Bent Oak Bear)

It's getting that time of the year when BOB is on the prowl at night. So please be careful, the last spotting was at Whispering Oak and Hidden Pine Ln. What ever you do DO NOT FEED the bear, and keep the dog or cat food in a safe place, and it would be a good idea to make sure your garage door is closed before evening gets here, thank you, and please be safe.... Dave