LOSOM meeting postponed due to storm

Posted 7/6/21

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, postponed the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) Project Delivery Team (PDT) Meeting originally scheduled for July …

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LOSOM meeting postponed due to storm

Posted

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, postponed the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) Project Delivery Team (PDT) Meeting originally scheduled for July 7, until Monday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. due to Tropical Storm Elsa.

“Based on the pending land fall of Tropical Storm Elsa and concern for those on Florida’s west coast, we are postponing the LOSOM PDT meeting from tomorrow, July 7, to Monday, July 12. We hope this alleviates any worries related to participation in this important LOSOM meeting and allows those who may be impacted by the storm to focus on their family, friends, and homes,” said LOSOM Project Manager Tim Gysan. “We hope that everyone will be safe through the storm and look forward to your participation this Monday once the storm has passed.”

The purpose of the July 12 Project Delivery Team Meeting is for the PDT agencies to provide their recommendation on which Iteration 2 alternative should be carried forward as the preferred alternative.

“Each PDT agency will be provided time to speak. A single agency representative should provide the recommendation,” said Gysan. “A short presentation on why the alternative is preferred is welcome, but not required.”

“Our schedule has us providing the preliminary preferred lake schedule alternative for stakeholders to consider as of July 19, and the final preferred lake schedule alternative on August 4, 2021,” said Gysan. “It’s really important for everyone to understand that we will be counting on the PDT and public to continue to be fully engaged after August 4, as we begin development of the operational guidance that accompanies the schedule.”

“The PDT will help us with optimization of the preferred alternative and help us to write the guidance which provides additional detail to help decision-making and enhances the flexibility of the schedule. The schedule and guidance together make the operating plan that we will document in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Water Control Plan. The process of optimization and developing the operational guidance will continue through Oct. 14,” said Gysan.

The release of the draft EIS for public comment is scheduled for February 2022, the release of a final EIS by July of 2022, and a Record of Decision in November of 2022, so that we have the best possible plan ready to implement as soon as the Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation is complete at the end of 2022.

The Project Delivery Team (PDT) members include only the federal officials and elected officers of state, local or tribal governments or their designated employees with authority to act on their behalf acting in their official capacities.

Members of the public (PUBLIC) are welcome to attend the government agency PDT meeting and provide comment during the designated Public Comment periods.

*PLEASE log into the webinar first and have it call your phone in order to avoid background noise so all participants can hear the discussion clearly.

Please mute your phone and mute your computer upon joining the meeting.

All lines except those who are scheduled to speak will be muted during the meeting.

LOSOM PDT Meeting – PDT Member Identification of Preferred Iteration 2 Alternative

Monday, July 12, 2021, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
https://usace1.webex.com/meet/earl.t.gysan

Call-in toll-free number: 1-844-800-2712

Call-in number:1-669-234-1177

Access Code: 1997788788

Please announce yourself when you join the PDT Meeting or Technical Workshop by signing in via the chat function with your full name and affiliation, as well as either “PDT” for Project Delivery Team members or “Public” for members of the public.

There will be designated opportunities for public comment during the PDT meeting and technical workshops. If you would like to provide public comment, in addition to your initial check-in, we request that you WAIT to add your name to the chat to provide public comment until the public comment period is announced, and then provide your full name and affiliation to everyone on the chat again at that time to reserve your opportunity to provide public comment. This will make it easier for everyone to track who will be next up to provide public comment.

For those who cannot attend the online PDT meeting or technical workshops, but wish to provide a comment, please send those comments by email to LakeOComments@usace.army.mil (recommended subject: LOSOM PDT Meeting Comments).

Additional information is available at: www.saj.usace.army.mil/LOSOM/

The purpose of the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) effort is to reevaluate and define operations for the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule that take into account additional infrastructure that will soon be operational.

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