Members of the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance on Wednesday reviewed plans for today’s “creek cleanup,” and also reviewed a draft of proposed bylaws.

The group also reviewed a budget plan for the rest of the fiscal year, to give to the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The Alliance, which involves governments, agencies, businesses and industries interested in preserving and improving local water quality, received a $5,000 grant from TVA to help it get started.

Armstrong and Mike McElroy, district conservationist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, agreed to mark off the sections of Richland Creek, Holley Creek and Moon Creek, which the group hopes to clean up today with the aid of volunteers.

Plans call for clearing the creek banks of litter. If discarded items are noted in the creeks themselves, especially large items such as appliances, volunteers will mark them for later removal by city or county crews, said Susan Vance, director of Keep Greene Clean.

Registration was to begin at 9:30 a.m. today in the parking lot of the YMCA, and a safety orientation will be given at 10, said Ken Chase, of the Boone Lake Watershed Alliance.

Volunteers were to be given gloves and bags and will report back to the YMCA at noon for lunch, provided by McDonald’s, Professional Vending Services, and Coca-Cola.

Plans call for cleaning up Richland Creek in three sections: from EastView School to the YMCA; from the YMCA to McKee Street; and from the Big Spring (behind the Greeneville-Greene County Library) to McKee Street.

Plans call for cleaning the banks of Holley Creek from U.S. Highway 11E behind the Greeneville Commons to Tusculum Boulevard.

If time permits, and enough volunteers show up, a group may also clean up a section of Moon Creek in Tusculum.

Attempts will be made to keep together volunteers who arrive in groups, Armstrong said.

In addition to the Watershed Alliance, the event is sponsored by Keep Greene Clean; Alltrista Zinc Products Co. Inc.; the State of Franklin Chapter, Sierra Club; the Greeneville Hiking Club; TVA; the Greeneville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society; the Marine Corps League; the Greene County Fishing & Hunting Club; and Rural Resources.

Alliance’s Proposed Budget

Kidwell presented the group’s budget, which TVA had requested.

“TVA wanted to know how we were going to spend our money,” she said, so the budget committee “broke it out as best we could.”

“We haven’t spent very much,” she said, noting that the group’s annual budget totals only $5,000.

Spending plans call for a meeting next winter to show farmers ways to improve stream banks. Another project will promote the use of wood duck boxes along streams, to help rebuild the species population.

The group also plans a portable display for taking to events such as fairs; and a brochure.

Kidwell also presented the draft bylaws, which had been reviewed by a committee she heads. During discussion, the group decided to add a section to allow the president to appoint special “ad hoc” committees, as needed. It was felt that perhaps such a committee might be needed at some point to lobby the state legislature on a particular issue, for example.

Kidwell said she used the term “president” rather than “chairman” or “chair” or “chairwoman” in the bylaws, because the title president is “more gender-friendly.”

The bylaws call for a succession committee, and Armstrong said that the committee that will be looking for new leadership needs to begin thinking about candidates. “Just a friendly reminder,” he said.

The bylaws recommend that the group meet monthly, and that the executive committee meet at least quarterly. Members took home copies of the bylaws to read, so that perhaps they can vote on them at the April meeting.

Several members said that the Alliance needs to begin working on applying for non-profit status, so that it can be in a better legal position to accept donations, and so that donors can deduct donations from their taxes.

Mike McElroy, district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said that non-profit status may also help the Alliance when it applies for grants.

Roy Settle, representing the Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council, agreed, but said, for the time being, “I wouldn’t let that stop you from applying for grants.”

Armstrong said the committee needs to get started on applying for non-profit status, and several members said they would look into the required paperwork and report in April.