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August 28, 2001

Tracy Mehan to Meet with AMSA’s Leadership
G. Tracy Mehan, the recently confirmed Assistant Administrator for Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has accepted AMSA’s invitation to meet with Association leaders. As part of the agenda of the Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session, Mehan will join AMSA’s leadership for a wide ranging discussion of issues critical to the Association from 12:00 - 2:00 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2001. This first meeting with Mehan provides an excellent opportunity for AMSA’s leaders to favorably position the Association’s regulatory priorities on EPA’s agenda – and to advocate on behalf of member agency interests.

House Staff Seeks AMSA Input on Infrastructure Legislation
AMSA and other WIN members continue to meet with staff from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in an effort to resolve outstanding issues and to push for water infra-structure funding legislation. This week key Committee staff expressed their strong desire to have AMSA member input as they move forward to craft legislation. Both Susan Bodine, Senior Majority Counsel, and Ken Kopocis, Senior Minority Counsel, have confirmed their plans to attend AMSA’s Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session and expressed their genuine desire to spend a substantial amount of time in discussions with AMSA’s leadership – just one more indication of the importance of our upcoming meetings in Washington.
If Hill staff begin writing a bill after Labor Day, it is possible that it could be introduced in the House this Fall. Congress is expected to stay in session in Washington until late November or early December, which should provide lawmakers with enough time to pass next year's appropriations bills, debate the budget surplus and turn their attention to other national priorities. While the issue remains high on the list of Senate environmental priorities, a bill is not expected in that chamber until early next year.

Board Agenda Features Adoption of 2002 Budget
Materials are currently being prepared for the September 21, 2001 Board of Directors Meeting in Washington, DC. Prominent on the agenda is Board consideration of the Association’s 2002 General Fund and Technical Action Fund budgets. Numerous other important issues will also receive consideration. Board members are encouraged to make every effort to attend the Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session, as well as this important meeting of AMSA’s Board of Directors.

Board Called Upon to Reach Out to Regions in Support of 2002 Budget
Members of AMSA’s Board of Directors will soon be called upon to contact member agencies in their regions in support of the preliminary 2002 budgets, and in particular, the 2002 Technical Action Fund budget. Member Update 01-12 was forwarded to the membership for comment last week. In it, the Board recommends a separate Member Agency dues assessment focused solely on supporting and ‘growing’ the Association’s Technical Action Fund. This separate line item on member agency dues invoices will range from 35% of dues for members > 1,000,000 to 10% for the Association’s smallest member agencies. While the need for, and importance of, AMSA’s Technical Action Fund are generally supported, the National Office believes that direct Board to member outreach will be essential to ensuring member agency commitment to successfully ‘grow’ the Fund. Soon you will receive correspondence from the National Office requesting that you call assigned member agencies in your region to express your support for this action, encourage their support, and respond to any questions or concerns they may have. Thank you, in advance, for your contribution to this important effort.

Hotel Cut-Off Tomorrow of Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session
Board members are reminded that the hotel cut-off for the Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session – and Board of Directors Meeting is tomorrow, August 29, 2001. AMSA’s Fall Leadership Retreat & Strategy Session will take place on Thursday and Friday, September 20-21, 2001 at The Washington Marriott Hotel (1221 22^nd Street, NW) in Washington, DC. AMSA has reserved a block of guest rooms at The Washington Marriott at the special rate of $179 single/double. If you have not done so already, please make your reservations without delay by calling 1/800-228-9290 and referencing the AMSA Fall Board of Directors/Leadership Meeting.

CSO Companion Report Nears Finalization
AMSA’s National Office, in coordination with the Wet Weather Issues Committee and CSO Working Group, is putting the final touches on a report which will summarize the progress made by the membership in controlling CSOs as a supplement to the U.S. EPA’s upcoming Report to Congress. AMSA’s report, Communities At Work . . .CSO Companion Report, will summarize data from the Association’s recent CSO survey, and provide Congress and EPA with recommendations on how to move the program forward in the coming years. The CSO Companion Report recommends that EPA and Congress take action to: 1) provide new and increased technical and financial assistance; 2) develop guidance for states to conform with the CSO Control Policy’s approach; 3) develop new approaches to other wet weather discharges, such as sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) based on the Policy’s basic framework; 4) focus renewed energy and resources on reviewing the applicability of water quality standards to wet weather conditions; and 5) support greater use of urban watershed management principles to set priorities and proportionate accountability for removal of pollutants. AMSA plans to finalize the CSO Companion Report in the near future and distribute the document to Congress, EPA, and the states.

Leadership Center Successful in Reaching Second Session Goal
We are pleased to report that we have been successful in securing twenty-two participants to comprise the class for the September 16 - 28 session of the Water & Wastewater Leadership Center. The National Office is delighted to report that AMSA was successful in recruiting 10 of the 22 participants for this session. This level of participation provides for a small profit (approximately $1,300) for each of the organizations participating in the joint venture. Discussions with the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill are planned to consider scheduling or program modifications aimed at ensuring the future success of the Center. The Board is to be commended for their support of this effort and will be apprised of new developments as they occur.

We Look Forward to Seeing You in Washington on September 20-21!!!