October was a busy month for DCVA directors, who held a Special Meeting in addition to their regular monthly Board Meeting. 

The purpose of the Special Meeting was to bring the Board up to speed on the status of the County Water Agency’s wastewater disposal proposal.  Earlier this year, the DCVA joined with five other neighborhood groups to form the Clean Water Coalition (CWC).  The purpose of the CWC is to pool resources – financial and technical – to more effectively respond when the Northern Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse Program’s (NSCARP) Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) is presented to the Board of Supervisors, probably in December.

Concluding the Special Meeting, past president and Natural Resources Committee member, Fred Corson reviewed a fascinating new study on the hydrology of Dry Creek Valley that had been commissioned by the DCVA.  While there was a good deal of lively discussion, no Board actions were proposed or taken. 

A week later, during the regular Board Meeting, directors heard reports from the following committees:

Natural Resources

Judith Olney asked the Board to approve some measures needed to formalize the working relationship between the DCVA and its Clean Water Coalition partners.  These measures related to personnel, finances, and the role of the DCVA in reviewing and responding to County documents, once they are made public.

Planning & Zoning

Charlee Schanzer reported that two new wineries are planning to open on Dry Creek Road. The committee she chairs has reviewed their use permit applications, and she asked the Board to take action on both of them.

DCVA’s Financial Condition and the Legacy Fund

Don Kaminski reported on the association’s operating fund and Richard Kagel reported on the proposed Legacy Fund.  The Board approved Kagel’s request to set up a brokerage account and to contact DCVA members about fulfilling pledges they had made to the Fund earlier in the year.  The DCVA now has IRS 501c(3) status, and donations to the Legacy Fund and the Association are now tax deductible.

Report by Richard Conrad