Utah Geological Survey - UGS Board

Minutes - December 6, 1999
Utah Geological Survey Board Meeting

UGS Conference Room

Attendance:

Board Members:

William Berge, Chair
Deedee O'Brien, Vice Chair
Cary Smith
Charles Semborski
Craig Nelson
Robert Robison
David Terry
Excused: Richard Kennedy

Staff:

Kimm Harty
John Kingsley
Cheryl Ostlund
Dan Kelly

Guests:

Kathleen Clarke, Department of Natural Resources
Sherm Hoskins, Department of Natural Resources
Lowell Braxton, Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

Chair William Berge called the meeting of the Board of the Utah Geological Survey to order at 8:35 a.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Cary Smith made the motion to approve the minutes of the November 5, 1999 meeting. Robert Robison seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Kathleen Clarke, executive director, Department of Natural Resources, reported to the Board that she has formed a committee to review the long-term direction of the Survey, to resolve the short-term budget shortfall, and to review the management practices of the Survey. The Survey is also being audited by the DNR finance section. These reviews are part of a new policy Ms. Clarke has implemented to review the finances and management practices of a division whenever a director leaves. She wants recommendations from the Board and the UGS Committee by March 1. The director’s position will be filled only when she is confident that the funding is there to support that position. She would also like the Board members to give her recommendations on policy issues for the Survey.

Role of the Utah Geological Survey and Board
As the discussion of the Board's role began, Kathleen Clarke described the UGS Board as an advisory board. Deedee O'Brien asked for a clarification of "advisory" as she thought the state code established the board to be policy making. Kimm Harty said that her review of the state code confirmed the policy making role, but that it had been used more as an advisory board in the past. Ms. Clarke then indicated that it is the responsibility of the Board to make policy for the Survey, and the Board members should take this role upon themselves.

Acting Director Harty reported to the Board that she found out while studying the Utah State Code for the UGS, that the Board should give approval for all contracts that the Survey enters in to. She also discovered that the DNR Executive Director has final approval on all contracts.

Craig Nelson asked Ms. Clarke what she felt the Board’s role should be in getting advocates for the Survey. She encouraged them, with the caution of not trying to change the policies from the Governor’s office. She informed the Board that she is working on the idea of creating an advocacy group for the Department. Lowell Braxton, director, Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, suggested that the Survey Board and the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining Board have a joint field trip/meeting, perhaps to the Uinta Basin. Ms. Clarke suggested to include the Division of Wildlife Resources’ Regional Advisory Council for the area where the field trip is held. It was also suggested to have all of the boards within the Department of Natural Resources meet together at a joint board meeting.

By request of the Board, a new section for Board policies will be added to the UGS policy and procedure manual.

Mr. Nelson made the motion to have the Board approve establishment of any permanent positions or conversion of any AL time-limited positions to permanent positions. Mr. Robison seconded, motion passed unanimously.

Cary Smith requested Acting Director Harty to develop a policy for the Board to approve the feasibility for all grant proposals. This would include a one-page summary, with a financial analysis for each project. Mr. Nelson will distribute a copy of a similar form used by Dames and Moore. Ms. Clarke expressed concerns of the viability of some of the foreign travel by DNR employees. She felt that some foreign travel was questionable as to whether it related to the missions of the divisions. Mr. Smith asked Acting Director Harty to also develop a policy for Board review of foreign travel by UGS employees.

Mr. Smith requested a clause written into all UGS contracts (if not already present) that the contract can be terminated based on lack of funding and to look into modifying existing contracts to add the same clause.

Acting Director Harty handed out copies of an information packet she has given to the UGS Committee that describes what each program is doing, along with the personnel assigned to each project.

Funding Ideas
Craig Nelson contacted four state surveys (Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, and Texas) to discuss how their funding works. He indicated that most of those four surveys operate on 80-90 percent grant/contract money. Colorado hires people for 18 months and then lets them go when there is no funding. They hire them again in six months when funding is available.

Robert Robison brought up the possibility of the UGS conducting short-courses that could bring in revenue for the Survey. Mr. Robison felt there are several topics for short courses that the Survey staff could present. Acting Director Harty will look into it.

The Board will review the programs, staff, and funding of the Survey and give its recommendations at the next Board meeting. UGS staff will send the funding information to the Board prior to the meeting.

Mr. Nelson indicated another source of revenue would be to charge schools for site reviews of plans for new buildings. Mr. Nelson requested that Gary Christenson report to the Board on what the Survey has done for site reviews and what it has cost the Survey to complete those reviews. In order to charge fees for site plan reviews, the Survey would have to implement a fee schedule through the state administrative rules process. It would take three to six months to establish fees. Mr. Braxton will provide to the Survey a copy of the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining’s fee schedule for reference.

Update on UGS Committee
Acting Director Harty reported that the UGS Committee has met three times. Ms. Harty has used these initial meetings to educate the committee members on how the Survey operates, its funding sources, and how the budget problems came about. As part of this education period, she told the committee members that the Survey has more grants and contracts than any other DNR division, and each contract and grant has a different funding mechanism. These numerous contracts make the Survey budget very complex.

The committee members will focus on discussing the financial problems the Survey is facing, both short- and long-term beginning at their next meeting. With the implementation of the salary reduction plan, most of the short-term funding problems have been resolved. The committee’s recommendations are to be to Kathleen Clarke by March 1.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/MICELLANEOUS

Next Meeting
The next meeting of the UGS Board will be January 7, 2000. Further review of the Survey, its programs, and funding will take place. The schedule of meetings for the year 2000 will be determined at the January 7th meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

Cary Smith made the motion to adjourn the meeting of the Board of the Utah Geological Survey. Craig Nelson seconded, and the motion was approved unanimously.