October 13, 2005
Tele – conference Call

Note Taker: AR-Jo Gault

Attendees:
AR:
Pittsburgh: Susan Stoyek, Bill Winters, Lois Uranowski
Knoxville: Jo Gault, Daniel Lewis
Big Stone Gap: Harry Morris
MCR: Paul Behum, Kevin Garnet, Bill Joseph, Len Meier
WR: Billie Clark, Veronica Eskova, Lou Hamm, Bill Kanawin, Cathy McNish, Greg Morlock, Dan Rivers, Dawn Trudeau, Steve Trujillo, Bob Welsh, Alan Wilhelm

Topic: Use of Live Meeting

Discussion: The TIPS Team will use MS Live Office Meeting in the future once the connection bugs are resolved.
Action: Billie will look into resolution of problems. 

Topic: Personnel

Action: Billie introduced Dawn Trudeau to the team. Dawn came onboard filling the position left by Karen Pierson. 

Topic: FY 05Annual Report

Discussion: Lou reported that Diane Osborne has revised numbers for students trained and TIPS software hits for FY-05. Diane was unable to attend today's meeting. 
Action: Diane will report the new numbers at the next team meeting. 

Topic: FY-06 Budget and Planning

Discussion: None
Action: Billie and members involved with the budget will stay on-line to discuss after Telecon is over. There will be a meeting in Denver at 1:00 p.m. today for further discussion. 

Topic: Training—Need new hotel for Pittsburgh

Discussion: Bill Winters reported that he and Lois Uranowski would work with Pittsburgh Admin to determine a new hotel for lodging.
Action: Remove item from agenda.

Topic: Software Distribution-Configuration of new hard drives

Discussion: Lou expressed concern about the delay of software distribution and suggested we not hold up deployment of software that is ready by waiting for completed testing of other software. Daniel Lewis stated that the software deployment team (Mary Greene, Cathy McNish, Dan Rivers and himself) would meet by telecon tomorrow (October 14) to discuss this issue. He also stated that he is preparing the hard drives for software deployment.
Action: Cathy McNish will report at the next meeting what the recommended solution will be for this problem.

Topic: FY 07 Greenbook Planning

Discussion: Lou asked for team members to do write ups describing current TIPS projects for FY-06 and future projects in planning stages for FY-07. 
Action: Team members will submit these write ups by November 1, 2005.

Topic: Training Program

Discussion: Bob Welsh reported that an e-mail asking for nominations for FY-06 training will go out by COB today. The Ground Water Vistas class scheduled for November 14 in Pittsburgh has been canceled. New dates for the class will probably be in January or February of 2006. Billie informed the team that Karen Evans has been hired to fill the TIPS Training Coordination position. Karen will report for duty around the middle of November. 
Action: Bob Welsh will provide the training and support to bring Karen up to speed. Bill Winters will be working with Keith Brady of PA DEP to try to accommodate the students that were scheduled for the first Ground Water Vistas class.

Topic: Mobile Computing Team

Discussion: Bob Welsh reported that the Mobile Computing Team has met for a second time. ArcPAD will be a priority for FY-06. The Team is preparing a feedback form for use of mobile computing devices. Every time TIPS sends out a Mobile Computing device, the person that receives it will be expected to provide annual feedback via this new form. Bob suggests that this type of form may be applicable to other forms of assistance that TIPS provides. Bob also stated there may be a chance for a Mobile Computing Workshop to be put on at the symposium in Billings, Montana in 2006. Lou and Len brought up concern about security restrictions on wireless technology (Bluetooth, WI-FI, Cellular data transfer). Both stressed the importance of being able to use this technology. Dan Rivers, Chairperson of ITMT, stated that ITMT would be meeting later today and he assured the group he would discuss this issue at that meeting. He further stated that ITMT was definitely supportive of this new technology and realized the value it would bring to TIPS and TIPS customers.
Action: Bob will be the Mobile Computing National Team Leader for one year. Dan Rivers will address wireless security concerns with ITMT members.

Topic: PA-Wilkes University Project

Discussion: The PAGIS project is finally off the ground with the contract between Wilkes University PAGIS and PADEP signed October 4th. It is expected that project activities will start shortly.
Action: Lois will keep the team updated.

Topic: National Surface Mining Geospatial Committee and “EGIM”

Discussion: None
Action: Bill Card will report status at next telecom.

Topic: TIPS Web Team

Discussion: Veronica Eskova reported that the prototype for the website would be ready to review hopefully at the end of October. After a review of the prototype the site will be activated with an end of year target date.
Action: Mary Greene will report status at next telecon.

Topic: GeoFluv Review Team

Discussion: Kevin Garnet reported that the GeoFluv Review Team will be meeting in Farmington, NM the week of December 12th, 2005. The team will get training on the Natural Regrade software from Nicholas Bugosh (Carlson Software) and will have a field trip to the San Juan Mine to see how the software has been used for coal mine reclamation. The field trip will also serve as training for the team on how to obtain input parameters for the software from an actual mine site. The team will be evaluating the software after this meeting to determine its applicability for permitting in different types of mining as well as its applicability to AML and Bond Forfeiture reclamation design. The GeoFluv review team will have a recommendation for the TIPS steering committee in May 2006.

Topic: FY06 Annual Steering Committee Meeting Planning

Discussion: Lois reported that she was the representative for the East for the committee meeting planning. Alan Wilhelm is the representative for the West. There is no representative from Mid-Continent as of yet. Once this representative is on board, planning will begin for the meeting.
Action: Len Meier will find someone from Mid-Continent for the team.

Topic: Secure FTP Service

Discussion: Greg Morlock also expressed concern about hard drives (refer to topic Software Distribution) being used for software deployment. Greg suggested a service called ShareIT FTP Server. Greg stated that this is a secure, encrypted server and he has tested it at home with no problems. He feels this may be a better way to distribute TIPS software. Members of the team brought up the fact that many states did not have the band width to download large software files in a timely manner or without interruption.
Action: Greg will continue to test this product.

Team Member Reports 

Jo Gault is waiting to hear from KY to schedule a Service Manager meeting. The meeting will specifically address suggestions made by KY DNR Commissioner Susan Bush in a letter written earlier this year concerning TIPS training.

Bill Joseph is scheduled to give a presentation on Mobile Computing as part of the Krumb Lecture Series in St. Louis on October 20, and again in New Mexico on January 19, 2006.

Paul Behum will assist IL with hydrology applications to be used with Mobile Computing. He may also be involved with another AMD site in IN, working with Dan Hause.