By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Members of the Waterford Waterway Management District (WWMD) board discussed and refined their overall structure of governance at a recent meeting.
While seven commissioners oversee WWMD’s policies and operations, an important backbone to the organization are various committees that include involvement from residents living within the district’s boundaries.
In recent months, commissioner Barbara Baron has been researching WWMD’s bylaws and tallying up the number of committees that have been meeting regularly and sporadically.
Baron said WWMD’s bylaws state that six standing committees must remain intact: aquatic plant management, navigation access and hydraulic management, eco-system restoration, information and education, legislative and planning.
Beyond those six committees, WWMD has had other committees in place, and some might be folded into the six standing committees and restructured as subcommittees.
The potential subcommittees include groups devoted to taking up such issues as marketing, ordinances, history, research, finance and grants.
Another potential subcommittee, borne out of an existing committee, touches on relationships with local politicians in an effort to discuss waterway issues with those crafting policy and legislation at the state level. Commissioners liken the group to a public relations function since it addresses outreach efforts.
One concern raised during the meeting’s discussion touched on grant processes, some of which require a painstaking amount of detail in the application phase. Members involved with the grant committee have, in the past, sought out grants that could benefit WWMD.
“Shouldn’t there be a specialist working on the grants?” Commissioner John Bostrom asked. “There are people who specialize in this.”
While Bostrom’s suggestion was taken under advisement, no further action was taken.
“I’d like to get all of this sorted out,” Chairwoman Kelly Cornelius said. “But it doesn’t have to be written in stone. We can revisit this.”
While commissioners continue to hash over the organization’s overall structure, the six standing committees outlined in WWMD’s bylaws will be placed on each monthly agenda.
Each chair of the committee will have an opportunity to provide updates on projects – conceptual or under way – during WWMD’s monthly meetings. Other committees can be added and subtracted from the agenda, as needed.
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