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Toledo Bend BI State Alliance
Meeting Minutes
June 26, 2000
The meeting was called to order
The opening prayer was conducted
The minutes of the last meeting were approved as presented on the Internet
The treasurer's report was presented and approved as presented.
The Region I East Texas Water Planning Group report
The modeling program was presented for use in issuing water rights. The program assumes the worst case situations to determine if a water right should be granted. The results of the program resulted in decreases in the yield of several of the proposed new reservoirs because the original planning only considered hydrological issues and did not consider existing downstream water rights.
The salt-water barrier to be installed on the lower part of the Neches will save a considerable amount of water in Rayuburn. At the present time Rayburn dam must release water to prevent the salt water from moving up the Neches.
The DETDA representative was not present.
Lake Level Project
Larry Kelly met with the Louisiana Governors office. The goal was to get a bill into the next special session. However it was not possible to get this legislation into the call due to the quick return to the Special Session.
Larry will prepare a letter to be sent to each member of the LA legislature addressing the lake level.
We will still go to the regular session even if we are working with the Stakeholders during the arbitration.
Terry Rider of the governor's office asked questions of the public service commission about the impact of the lake level project on the power system customers. They replied that the cost was low and that it could be included into the power companies rate structure.
The need to have meetings with individuals in the Texas Legislature was also stressed. The prospects of using the EPA interface to the Texas Governors office was discussed. It was felt that this might be a more effective avenue than the attempts that had been made in the past. Larry sited how the letter prepared by SRAC to the EPA interface had been sent to the Rims site of FERC.
The FERC has sent a letter to the SRAs informing them that they have until July 17 to prepare and submit a plan to start the negotiations with the stakeholders.
The FERC response to the letters from people below the dam is that flooding will occur from time to time. However they were concerned with the SRA emergency plans. Representatives from FERC went to the SRA to work with their Emergency Action Plan.
Larry continued to encourage people to write letters to FERC.
Larry Kelly made a presentation to six new members of the SRA LA. The new members contain people who are interested in the lake issues. The new members were alerted to wait until they heard from other staff members before making any judgments and decisions.
Two new members were appointed to the Joint Board.
One new member has been appointed to the SRATX board.
The next SRATX board meeting will be at Cypress Bend. This will give the TBBSA the opportunity to have substantial attendance. The meeting will be held in July.
No bids were received for the golf course that was to be built by a private concern on South LA state park lands. The primary reason was the substantial amount of infrastructure which would have to be put in place. The park will be constructed but it will not contain a golf course.
Larry still intends to hold a meeting with the other stakeholders in the SRA project prior to meeting with the SRAs. He will also be trying to establish another meeting with the power companies prior to the first negotiation session.
A bill for $48.96 for ink and photocopies was presented and approved.
A motion was made seconded and passed to adjourn the meeting.
The next meeting will be on July 24,2000.
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