Minutes

Minutes of the Kentucky Speleological Survey

 

June 12, 2011

    2. Meeting held at American Cave Conservation Association

    3. 119 E. Main St.
      Horse Cave, KY 42749

 

President Jim Greer called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m. and welcomed everyone to the meeting.  

 

Officers and Board Members Present:  

President, Jim Greer; Vice-President, Howard Kalnitz; Treasurer, John Cassidy; Secretary, Kim Gentry; Membership at Large Representative, Steve Gentry; Membership at Large Representative, Amber Yuellig.

 

Organizational Representatives

Present:  Greater Cincinnati Grotto, Howard Kalnitz; Western Kentucky Speleological Survey, Preston Forsythe; Dayton Underground Grotto, Don Conover.  

Absent:  Kentucky Geological Survey, Jim Currens; Bluegrass Grotto, Randy Paylor; Dayton Underground Grotto, Jim Perkins; ESSO Grotto, Johnathan Lewis; Hart of Kentucky Grotto, Peggy Nims; Louisville Grotto, representative unknown.;

 

KSS Members and Cavers in Attendance: Don Conover, Bill Walden, Karen Walden, Shari Forsythe, Lee Florea, Jonathon Durall, J. Pat Stephens, Fran VonSelzam.  

 

Welcome and Introductions/ President’s Report (Greer):  Everyone was welcomed to the meeting and the officers were introduced.   

 

Minutes from the last meeting were not read, copies were available at this meeting, and had also been posted on the KSS web site as well as through the KSS Yahoo Group.  Steve Gentry made a motion to approve the previous meeting minutes.  Howard Kalnitz seconded the motion.  The motion was carried.  

 

Vice-President’s Report (Kalnitz): Nothing to report

 

Secretary’s Report (Gentry): Nothing to report

 

Treasurer’s Report (Cassidy):     Treasurer John Cassidy reported a balance of 3650.51.  

The KSS has 17 life members and 43 individual members.  

 

Data Access Committee Report:  

  • Steve Gentry worked on a request concerning the proposed Hwy. 313 extension in Meade County and is now completed.  

  • Preston Forsythe filled two requests:  one from Todd County Highway Department and one from Christie Richards-Environmental Protection Agency in Tennessee-area right on KY/TN border.  He will submit future requests to committee for handling.  

  • Howard Kalnitz responded to request (Hart, Barren & Edmonson counties) for Redwing Ecological Services.  He uses disclaimer:  This represents caves recorded in KSS records as of date, there may be misreported/unrecorded caves or features, use caution in Karst areas.  

  • Discussion regarding obtaining fee prior to giving out data.  Discussion regarding fee amount vs. time spent collecting data. Suggestion to charge by hours spent collecting and formatting data.  Discussion of suggestion to consult with lawyer for standard waiver form/language for commercial requests

 

Data Administration Committee (Library) Report (Currens/Kalnitz):  Nothing to report.  

 

Membership Committee Report (Cassidy):  Kim Gentry provided copies of updated KSS PowerPoint.  Open for suggestions/changes, etc.  She will email copy to KSS Yahoo group so everyone can review.  

 

Data Administration Committee (Database) Report (Kalnitz/County Coordinators):  

  • Howard Kalnitz provided update.  There are 120 total counties in Kentucky-71 are cave bearing counties, 33 counties are complete.  A total of 46% of the counties are completed, with a total of 4,156 caves recorded.  All cave bearing counties are now assigned a County Coordinator.

  • Bill Walden added 21 new caves to Cumberland County and passed the information on to Harry Goebel.  Josh Brewer and Ben Miller working to complete Simpson County.  

  • Preston Forsythe is working to complete Butler and Caldwell Counties.   

  • Discussion of storage of cave data-setting up digital archive for other digital data.  We should incorporate scanned maps and other print information.  Howard Kalnitz advised to scan at 300 dpi JPG.  He is creating master file.  Each county has file named as county number.cave number.  There is also a folder for county wide resources.  He will update county coordinator manual.  He would like to have everything in KGS room scanned.  He has been researching options for storing files online.  He has been using program called Dropbox.  He would like all coordinators to put their data on Dropbox.  Preferences will be set up depending on member level.  Board vs. Coordinators vs. regular members will have different access levels.  Discussion of Dropbox storage limits/fees.  Discussion of limiting data to coordinators for their specific counties.  Exceptions could be made on a case by case basis.  Howard Kalnitz will review folder options.  Dropbox does not replace master database but rather another place for storage.  

 

Web Site Review Report:  Lee Florea will help update website if needed.  List of items needing updated was previously given.  Main (Home) page is current.  

 

Annual Publication:   Bill Walden/Steve Gentry will work together to complete.  

 

KSS Newsletter Report (Walden):   Not enough material to publish.   

 

County Coordinators Update-

  • Lee Florea/Amber Yuellig-in progress.

  • Preston Forsythe-in progress.  

  • Don Conover-working data.  

  • Jim Greer-did some field work.  

  • John Cassidy-still reviewing.  

  • Steve Gentry-working data.  

 

Old Business (Greer):  

  • KSS Projector-Howard Kalnitz would like to set a budget.  Amber Yuellig motioned to allot $700 for a KSS projector within the next 6 months.  Bill Walden seconded.  The motion passed.  

  • John Cassidy will pursue State tax exempt status.  

  • Howard Kalnitz advised that ArcGIS software is available on TechSoup for $185 with 2 books and training.  Steve Gentry volunteered to learn program.  Lee Florea is willing to help.  Howard Kalnitz motioned to budget $185 to purchase copy from TechSoup to reside with Steve Gentry and the software will remain the property of KSS.  Amber Yuellig seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  

 

New Business:  

  • Discussion of Kentucky being an official White Nose Syndrome (WNS) State.  Jim Greer suggested reading press release from U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) if you have not already.  Discussion of updated WNS decontamination procedures from USFW.

  • Data Request Fees-Discussion of rates-suggestion to charge for each hour.  Howard Kalnitz motioned that the database committee review and come up with options for new fees, waiver language and referral list to present at a future meeting. Bill Walden seconded.  The motion carried.  

  • Jonathon Duvall gave presentation/discussion of newly formed Twin Lakes Conservation Task Force.  

 

Open Discussion (Group):

Kim Gentry has new Cave Babe T-shirts for sale as a fundraiser for the American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA).  

 

A hat was passed around for donations to the American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA) as thanks for letting the KSS use their meeting room today.

 

Future Work Sessions at Kentucky Geological Survey Mining & Minerals Building:  Jim Currens not present to set dates.  Jim Greer will contact him to see what dates are available.  

 

Future Business Meetings:  Annual meeting and location was discussed.  Amber Yuellig volunteered to contact locations discussed for fees and availability.  

 

Steve Gentry motioned for the meeting to be adjourned, Howard Kalnitz seconded.  The motion carried.  The meeting was adjourned at 1:59 p.m.

 

Respectively submitted,

 

Kim Gentry, KSS Secretary