Chagrin River Watershed Partners Inc.

“The corporation shall have one class of voting members who shall be designated regular members and shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the membership. Regular members shall be such governmental units and publicly supported charitable organizations designated in article iii or determined by the board of trustees to be eligible for membership because of their interests in accomplishing the purposes of this corporation which are qualified under section 509(a)(1)a, (2)a and (3) of the internal revenue code and agree to become regular members.”

“The management and control of the affairs, finances and property of the corporation shall be vested in the board of trustees who shall be elected annually by the regular members. Each regular member, who has paid its dues and met the other membership requirements established by the board of trustees, shall be entitled to elect one regular trustee and to designate an alternate for its regular trustee. The regular trustees elected by the regular members shall be empowered to elect up to one-half of the number of regular members as at large trustees by a majority vote of the regular trustees. All trustees shall have equal status. Trustees shall serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified.”

“See response to line 7a above.”

“Prior to filing, the form 990 is presented to the executive committee, finance staff, and the executive director for review and approval. The executive committee is delegated authority by the board to approve the 990 for filing. The board president signs the 990.”

“Upon election to the board, the board members are asked to review the organization's conflict of interest policy. Among other things, the policy makes clear that all decisions of the board, officers, and employees of the organization are made solely on the basis of a desire to promote the best interest of the organization and the public good. The conflict of interest statement requests board members to identify to the best of their knowledge affiliations with organizations that may be potentially related to the financials or other substantive operations of the organization. They are also asked to identify circumstances involving either themselves, or a member of their extended family, that may be construed as a conflict of interest. At the staff level, the organization's personnel also ensure that there are no conflicts of interest when considering the engagement of a new vendor. If a potential conflict is identified, appropriate steps are taken to both assess the nature of the potential conflict and, subsequently, to ensure that the possibility of an actual conflict is mitigated. Such mitigation is managed and the letter and spirit of the conflicts policy are upheld.”

“The executive committee annually evaluates the performance of the executive director. Compensation is based on performance and compared to other area mission-comparable organizations of similar size. The board has adopted the irs-written "rebuttable presumption" checklist which is completed contemporaneous with the performance review. Compensation for staff within the organization is determined by the executive director. The level of compensation is set based on performance and in relation to other area mission-comparable organizations of similar size. This compensation is a component of the budget, which is reviewed and approved by the finance committee and also by the board as a whole.”

“The organization's governing documents, form 990 conflict of interest policy and financial statements are made available to the public upon request. The form 990 can also be found on several publically-accessible websites.”

“Chagrin river watershed partners, inc. Strives to preserve and enhance the scenic and environmental quality of the ecosystem of the chagrin river and its watershed in a manner that assures a sustainable future for people, plants and animals.”

“Crwp responds directly to the needs of member communities, elected officials, engineers, planners, law directors, and other professional advisors by helping them update comprehensive plans, zoning regulations, and other programs guiding land use. Crwp has assisted communities by introducing innovative practices that maintain natural resource functions and prevent or minimize flooding, erosion, and water quality problems. These practices include crwp's recommended watershed management tools for planning, riparian and wetland setbacks, conservation development, improved erosion and sediment control, and comprehensive storm water management. 2017 activities: -restored 890 linear feet of streambank and .92 acres of wetland - planted 3,153 trees along 13.5 acres of stream corridors - installed 3 residential rain gardens - conducted 126 site visits to discuss concerns and provide advice to landowners about stream bank erosion, drainage issues and zoning codes. - reviewed 15 site development plans to determine compliance with local codes that minimize impacts to stream and wetlands and control stormwater - empowered over 9,000 people to protect streams and wetlands (and the free services they provide) at 19 local, regional and state presentations or events - helped 21 communities adopt and/or implement codes that protect natural resources and comply with environmental requirements - applied for 19 grants to improve streams, wetlands and natural areas and assisted with 7 community projects that help keep our water clean - assisted communities with 9 park improvement projects direct impacts: - prevents 876 million gallons of untreated stormwater from reaching our streams - keeps 5,283 tons of sediment out of streams - reduces phosphorus loads to streams and lake erie by 3,519 pounds and nitrogen loads by 8,550 pounds - paid 473,000 to 15 local contractors and suppliers for projects - increased awareness and informs decisions to reduce runoff and pollution - improved aesthetics and recreation opportunities long term benefits: - fewer flooding and erosion impacts on homes, businesses and infrastructure - cleaner streams and lakes provide healthy fish habitat and lower drinking water treatment costs - fewer algal blooms and dead zones in streams, inland lakes and lake erie - livable and resilient communities - higher property values - more vibrant economy”