[Durham INC] Contact Board of County Commissioners TODAY (they are scheduled to discuss this as I write)...

[Melissa Rooney]

Re: the link herein: https://www.facebook.com/DurhamCountyGov/?fref=photo <https://www.facebook.com/DurhamCountyGov/?fref=photo>.

Super Kudos to the 'county staff' at the helm of this life-changing program for our kids (and our community): Durham Soil and Water Conservation District employees, Mike Dupree and his smart and fast-learning apprentice, Heather Dutra. And Kudos to SWCD director Eddie Culberson for creating such an open and collaborative working environment and always steering the Soil and Water Conservation ship so clearly in the direction of its mission and ideals. 

With very little seed money from the county and only a one-time provision of $10,000 from the city, the SWCD has raised over 2 M in grant funding in recent years, most toward the BETC program. Durham is incredibly lucky to have these 3 people working for us. I hope that the Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) remembers this when they consider the SWCD's request for a part-time staff position and a $25,000 small grant to further their progress. Please contact your BOCC members TODAY and ask them to honor these SWCD budget requests (which were omitted from the County Manager's recommended budget): http://dconc.gov/.../board-of-commissioners/commissioners <http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdconc.gov%2F...%2Fboard-of-commissioners%2Fcommissioners&h=eAQH8gzO_AQHh8vA-MoBo8btSiH3yaJ2vc6Yc1ogQtjA7NQ&enc=AZO0EtgrBB8_9b6Q7yavUBagfTcp1JMzIh6h1h9j4k0DiJLH5Zj4BtsN8A__8ERENtwYRK2XB3opN6QK67jqFqZl3fdhGJarqAdxh6i27LK5aF3tsqAlBaUiEaf9--T_8nBle6OfVwcAvOEOsMOUcIqBsyk85QTdK7tPhogrzkN6O1-JgxFQLC2BGaHdisecwp10zr-ImmRzP_DZJE3JqIvu&s=1> They need to hear from more than just me :-)

For more information, see my letter in the Herald Sun last Sunday (I copy and pasted it because I could not find a link to it online):

In the Soil and Water Conservation District's 2017 budget, the line item pertaining to grant funding jumps from $126,288 in 2015-16 to over $2 MILLION for 2016-17. The 2016-17 grants line item is so high because of the tireless efforts on the part of SWCD staff to obtain any and all funding available to improve soil and water resources in Durham County and to provide education and workforce development for Durham youth toward this end. The $2M budgeted for 2017 will be spent on sustainable stormwater installations and Ag/Hort/stormwater-management workforce education at Southern High School, among other Durham public schools and county locations.

It is my understanding that none of this grant money may be used to pay staff/salaries.

Meanwhile, the Durham County Manager has decided not to support the SWCD’s request for a measly $25,000 small grant as well as for $30,000 to fund *part* of a much-needed additional SWCD position.

There is something seriously wrong with this picture. 

If I worked for Durham's SWCD (or, more correctly, was over-worked for Durham’s SWCD) and witnessed this lack of support from the county, I would start looking for another job. 

In order to sustain our current exemplary but very small (and overworked) SWCD staff and the incredible work they are doing, Durham County needs to put some money where its mouth is.

When they vote on the county budget later this month, I hope that our county commissioners will take the financially rational and responsible course of action and grant the SWCD the minimal financial support they seek.

Sincerely,
Melissa (Rooney)

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