Documents: Minutes
BOSTON GROUNDWATER TRUST (BGwT)
BOARD MEETING
September 16, 2010
The meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Boston Groundwater Trust held its meeting in Boston City Hall Room #603. The Executive Director posted a meeting notice at City Hall in accordance with provision of the Commonwealth’s Open Meeting Law. Mr. Mitchell called the meeting to order at 4:09 pm. The following trustees were present, and the Chairman declared that there was a quorum:
Mr. Tim Mitchell, Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay
Mr. Galen Gilbert, Fenway Community Development Corporation (CDC)
Mr. Peter Sherin, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Ms. Molly Sherden, Beacon Hill Civic Association
Mr. Peter Shilland, Ellis Neighborhood Association
Mr. Jim Hunt, Mayor’s Office
Ms. Nancy Grilk, Mayor’s Office
Mr. William Onuoha, Mayor’s Office
Also present:
Elliott Laffer, BGwT Executive Director; Christian Simonelli, BGwT Technical Coordinator; Paul Nelson, Resident 100 Fulton Street in the North End
- Adoption of the minutes of the July 29, 2010 Meeting
Minutes were previously distributed to board members for review. Discussion followed.
Mr. Hunt, Trustee, moved to adopt the minutes. Ms. Sherden, Trustee, seconded the motion.
Voted: To accept the minutes of the July 29, 2010 meeting.
Ms. Sherden reviewed the BGwT Financial Report and Reconciliation Detail. Ms. Sherden reviewed the interest rates and maturation dates for all CD’s. Discussion followed.
Ms. Sherden noted that the BGwT purchased a new computer and copier because the old ones had failed. Total cost was around $1,500. Discussion followed.
Mr. Gilbert, Trustee, inquired if the BGwT has a credit card. Mr. Laffer noted that the BGwT does not. Mr. Gilbert asked if the BGwT should obtain a credit card. Discussion followed.
Mr. Laffer reviewed the meeting he, Mr. Simonelli, and the BGwT Technical Advisory Committee attended. He noted that a draft report was distributed, and that it was reviewed by all who attended the meeting. Refer to Mr. Laffer’s Executive Director’s Report: September 16, 2010 [linked here] for additional details. Mr. Laffer noted that the report, based on a statistical study of all of the observation wells and recharge locations in the Back Bay, showed that the recharge was having a statistically significant positive impact on area groundwater levels. The researchers have developed a model that can predict the impact of one or more recharge locations on any given observation well location in the Back Bay based on size of the recharge and distance from the observation well. While the model would vary somewhat in other neighborhoods because of variations in the composition of the fill, the general findings are transferable. Discussion followed.
Mr. Shilland, Trustee, also commented on the positives of the model. He noted that evapotranspiration has been added to the model to account for trees; most notably the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Discussion followed.
Mr. Gilbert requested the BGwT obtain costs for the amount of money people spend on complying with GCOD where applicable. Discussion followed.
Mr. Gilbert requested that the BGwT issue a press release once the final report is received. Mr. Laffer noted that he will do that.
Mr. Simonelli presented his analysis of 11 various deemed hot spots throughout the city.
Mr. Simonelli focused on annual average groundwater levels vs. annual rainfall for the OW’s in a particular hot spot. He discussed changes that had occurred in the hot spot areas that could account for variations in groundwater levels that differ from those observed over the system as a whole. Discussion followed.
BGwT Executive Director Mr. Elliott Laffer distributed his report. Discussion followed. Refer to the attached [linked here] Executive Director’s Report: September 16, 2010 for a complete list of all activities.
BGwT Technical Coordinator Mr. Christian Simonelli presented his activities since last meeting. Discussion followed. Refer to the attached [linked here] Technical & Recharge Coordinator’s Well Monitoring Update BGwT Meeting: September 16, 2010 for a complete list of all activities.
Mr. Laffer noted that he met with the new Commissioner of Public Works and her key staff. He noted that it was an excellent meeting that included discussion of how to get more recharge through the DPW controlled sidewalk system. In addition, the BGwT well network will be put into the DPW’s database of infrastructure. This will ensure protection of the wells in the network when work is being done in public sidewalks. Discussion followed.
Mr. Hunt suggested that Professor Vogel and Brian Thomas of Tufts present their results of the Research Project at the next BGwT meeting. Mr. Laffer will check with them for their availability.
The meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: November 18, 2010 @ 4:00 pm at the Lenox Hotel.
Notes submitted by Christian Simonelli, BGwT Technical Coordinator, on 9/17/10.
Respectfully submitted
Galen Gilbert, Secretary
