Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee holds first meeting
Verbal Comments On Shoreline Mgmt Plan Open At Next Meeting, Written Comments Accepted Now
Dana Coburn, project manager, goes over the proposed changes to the Shoreline Management Plan and Master Plan during the first meeting of the Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee on Thursday, December 12. The entirety of her presentation is available on the TRLOC website.
December 25, 2019
Isaac Estes-Jones
The newly formed Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee held the first of four public hearings on Thursday, December 12, at the Dewey Short Vistor Center in Branson. The six member panel is tasked with looking over the Army Corps of Engineers Table Rock Lake Shoreline Management Plan and Master Plan ahead of finalization in May 2020.
This was the first of four public meetings designed to illustrate what the Army Corps of Engineers plans are for Table Rock Lake. The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has control of Table Rock Lake and is in charge of all aspects surrounding the lake.
The committee, composed of representatives of various stakeholders in the lake, was sworn in at 8 a.m. The Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee (TRLOC) is chaired by Dr. Tamera Jahnke. Jahnke represents the conservation interest in the lake. Vice-Chair is Ryan Benefield, representing the state of Arkansas. Sheila Thomas is secretary. She represents one economic development area, the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce. Twilia Harrison represents the Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce. Pat Cox represents the “boating” interest in the lake and is an owner of commercial marinas. The committee is rounded out with Robert Hunt, representing Arkansas.
The composition of representatives on the committee does not specifically include someone with the interests of private dock owners, who may be impacted by changes to shoreline management rules. Randall “Jay” Townsend, Chief of Public Affairs for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District, said finding someone to represent private dock owners as a whole would be difficult, as each individual may have widely varying interests. However, he said, “they are represented. We have individuals on the committee representing both Missouri and Arkansas, so they are tasked with representing all of those people.”
At the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, January 23, members of the public will be invited to offer brief comments on the draft SMP, which is available online at https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning/Table-Rock-Lake-Oversight-Committee/. Comments may also be submitted online, through email or by regular mail. Comment forms and other information are also available on that website. As written comments are received, they will be added to the public records on that site, usually within a few days.
How to comment
Townsend said public comments need to be specific and really narrowed down before submitting them. During the public comment periods of the January 23 and March 5, 2020, meetings, each person will be allowed only two minutes, max, to present their comments to the TRLOC.
“The committee has a very narrow path, so we encourage commenters to be as concise and specific as possible,” Townsend said. “All comments will be made publicly available and the best way to get your voice heard is to submit comments to the committee,” he said.
The January 23 and March 5 meetings will begin at 8 a.m. with three hours set aside for public comments. “With two minutes per person, that comes to about 90 people being able to comment at each of the meetings,” Townsend said.
Comments can be about questions you have about the proposed SMP, comments on the project or issues the public thinks the committee and/or Corps should look into more before offering their final plans.
While the committee will not have time specifically set aside to answer individual questions during the initial meeting, Townsend said the onus to respond to public questions is on the committee. “Those questions should be responded to, but how that will look will depend on how the committee decides to address them,” he said.
Comments will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
All of the commitee meetings are currently set for weekdays and take place during normal work hours. For those unable to attend, comments may be submitted online or through the mail. “Those comments need to make it to [the Corps] by February 27 in order for them to be distributed to all members of the committee before the March meeting,” Townsend said.
All comments, whether verbal or written, are considered part of the public record and will be shared on the TRLOC’s website.
While the SMP does not specifically address commercial uses of the lake, all of those with interest in the lake will be able to comment and those comments will be shared with the committee and members of the public.
A pdf comment form is available to download from the TRLOC website. Written comments can be emailed to TableRockSMP_FAC@usace.army.mil, faxed to (501) 324-5950, or mailed with attention to USACE, Little Rock District, Natural Resources Management Section, ATTN: Table Rock Lake SMP Planner, P.O. Box 867, Little Rock, AR 72203.
Committee cannot speak outside meetings
The Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee is organized under Federal law and must therefore follow federal rules regarding committees. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) sets specific rules about how members of the committee are allowed to meet and how they may discuss matters concerning the committee and its work.
More directly, the members of the TRLOC are not allowed to speak about the committee to anyone other than to each other during public meetings. They are not to respond to or address any questions from anyone, up to and including to members of congress.
“FACA law is to keep the duties and work of the committee separate and prevent any outside or undue influence,” Townsend said.
Therefore, all comments and input from the public must be made through one of the approved channels, such as during a meeting.
“This also helps keep everything fair, so there isn’t someone outside the committee whispering into someone’s ear for their own benefit,” Townsend said.
A draft of the shoreline management plan, along with numerous other supporting documents, is available on the TRLOC’s website, https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning/Table-Rock-Lake-Oversight-Committee/. The Corps has committed to updating this website with new documents and comments as soon as possible.
If you are interested in submitting written commentary on the proposed plan, all communications must be received by the Corps no later than February 27. The next meeting of the Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee will be Thursday, January 23, starting at 8 a.m. with three hours set aside for verbal comments.
Isaac Estes-Jones
The newly formed Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee held the first of four public hearings on Thursday, December 12, at the Dewey Short Vistor Center in Branson. The six member panel is tasked with looking over the Army Corps of Engineers Table Rock Lake Shoreline Management Plan and Master Plan ahead of finalization in May 2020.
This was the first of four public meetings designed to illustrate what the Army Corps of Engineers plans are for Table Rock Lake. The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has control of Table Rock Lake and is in charge of all aspects surrounding the lake.
The committee, composed of representatives of various stakeholders in the lake, was sworn in at 8 a.m. The Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee (TRLOC) is chaired by Dr. Tamera Jahnke. Jahnke represents the conservation interest in the lake. Vice-Chair is Ryan Benefield, representing the state of Arkansas. Sheila Thomas is secretary. She represents one economic development area, the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce. Twilia Harrison represents the Shell Knob Chamber of Commerce. Pat Cox represents the “boating” interest in the lake and is an owner of commercial marinas. The committee is rounded out with Robert Hunt, representing Arkansas.
The composition of representatives on the committee does not specifically include someone with the interests of private dock owners, who may be impacted by changes to shoreline management rules. Randall “Jay” Townsend, Chief of Public Affairs for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District, said finding someone to represent private dock owners as a whole would be difficult, as each individual may have widely varying interests. However, he said, “they are represented. We have individuals on the committee representing both Missouri and Arkansas, so they are tasked with representing all of those people.”
At the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, January 23, members of the public will be invited to offer brief comments on the draft SMP, which is available online at https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning/Table-Rock-Lake-Oversight-Committee/. Comments may also be submitted online, through email or by regular mail. Comment forms and other information are also available on that website. As written comments are received, they will be added to the public records on that site, usually within a few days.
How to comment
Townsend said public comments need to be specific and really narrowed down before submitting them. During the public comment periods of the January 23 and March 5, 2020, meetings, each person will be allowed only two minutes, max, to present their comments to the TRLOC.
“The committee has a very narrow path, so we encourage commenters to be as concise and specific as possible,” Townsend said. “All comments will be made publicly available and the best way to get your voice heard is to submit comments to the committee,” he said.
The January 23 and March 5 meetings will begin at 8 a.m. with three hours set aside for public comments. “With two minutes per person, that comes to about 90 people being able to comment at each of the meetings,” Townsend said.
Comments can be about questions you have about the proposed SMP, comments on the project or issues the public thinks the committee and/or Corps should look into more before offering their final plans.
While the committee will not have time specifically set aside to answer individual questions during the initial meeting, Townsend said the onus to respond to public questions is on the committee. “Those questions should be responded to, but how that will look will depend on how the committee decides to address them,” he said.
Comments will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
All of the commitee meetings are currently set for weekdays and take place during normal work hours. For those unable to attend, comments may be submitted online or through the mail. “Those comments need to make it to [the Corps] by February 27 in order for them to be distributed to all members of the committee before the March meeting,” Townsend said.
All comments, whether verbal or written, are considered part of the public record and will be shared on the TRLOC’s website.
While the SMP does not specifically address commercial uses of the lake, all of those with interest in the lake will be able to comment and those comments will be shared with the committee and members of the public.
A pdf comment form is available to download from the TRLOC website. Written comments can be emailed to TableRockSMP_FAC@usace.army.mil, faxed to (501) 324-5950, or mailed with attention to USACE, Little Rock District, Natural Resources Management Section, ATTN: Table Rock Lake SMP Planner, P.O. Box 867, Little Rock, AR 72203.
Committee cannot speak outside meetings
The Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee is organized under Federal law and must therefore follow federal rules regarding committees. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) sets specific rules about how members of the committee are allowed to meet and how they may discuss matters concerning the committee and its work.
More directly, the members of the TRLOC are not allowed to speak about the committee to anyone other than to each other during public meetings. They are not to respond to or address any questions from anyone, up to and including to members of congress.
“FACA law is to keep the duties and work of the committee separate and prevent any outside or undue influence,” Townsend said.
Therefore, all comments and input from the public must be made through one of the approved channels, such as during a meeting.
“This also helps keep everything fair, so there isn’t someone outside the committee whispering into someone’s ear for their own benefit,” Townsend said.
A draft of the shoreline management plan, along with numerous other supporting documents, is available on the TRLOC’s website, https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning/Table-Rock-Lake-Oversight-Committee/. The Corps has committed to updating this website with new documents and comments as soon as possible.
If you are interested in submitting written commentary on the proposed plan, all communications must be received by the Corps no later than February 27. The next meeting of the Table Rock Lake Oversight Committee will be Thursday, January 23, starting at 8 a.m. with three hours set aside for verbal comments.