This report only covers specific agenda items as noted below. Of note, during public testimony Luke Metzger with Environment Texas spoke during public comments and delivered almost a foot deep of public comments they have from going door to door talking to the public about water waste and protecting rivers. 

 
21. APPROVED – Consider authorizing: (a) a transfer of funds, not to exceed $45,000, from the Water Assistance Fund to the Research and Planning Fund, for reimbursement of travel expenses for the Stakeholder Committee of regional water planning group chairs and designees establishing uniform standards for prioritizing regional water plan projects; and (b) execution of letter agreements with regional water planning group chairs and their designees for the purpose of reimbursement of related travel expenses. (Matt Nelson)
 
22. NO ACTION -Briefing and discussion on progress of the Stakeholder Committee for establishing uniform standards for prioritization of regional water plan projects. (Matt Nelson)
·         The Stakeholder Committee has largely completed their task and will submit their package to the TWDB by December 1, 2013.
·         They started with a list of 50 standards and were able to “whittle down to the relevant” and critical standards and then the scoring of those standards.
·         The 9 standards were given to the board in attachment A.
·         The committee “beta tested” and worked through any issues that came up which included adding standards, language on the standards and how to apply the standards.
·         The next step will be the packaging of background material with recommendations and to bring before the TWDB.
·         The public can comment when the item is brought before the board and at some point the package will be posted on the TWDB site.
·         Ken Kramer with the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club testified
o   Requested the process be fully transparent and perhaps allow the public to comment outside or even before the package is brought before the board.
o   Requested great weight be given to the recommendations of the regional planning chairs and designees.
o   Encouraged the board to change the standards if they think they should be – issues may be on sustainability such as the operationalization of it and how to weigh cost effectiveness.
 
23. APPROVED – Consider authorizing the executive administrator to negotiate and execute a research contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not to exceed $15,000 from the Research and Planning Fund, to support studies of the Rio Grande in Texas under the Rio Grande Environmental Management Program. (Brenner Brown)
 
24. NO ACTION – Briefing and discussion on drought conditions in the state of Texas. (Mark Wentzel)
·         Overall it is anticipated there will be some improvement of drought conditions in some parts of the state while other parts of the state may continue their drought or fall back into their drought condition.