Legislative Committee
Scope of work:
•Send resolutions that impact the Bylaws or Manual of Policy and Procedures (MOPP) to the Bylaws-MOPP Committee.
• Reject resolutions that are duplicative of current policy.
• Clarify the intent of resolutions when not immediately obvious.
• Work with watersheds that submit similar resolutions to combine them into one.
• Debate resolutions in advance of the Annual Meeting on Resolutions and Petitions.
• Review and make recommendations to the legislative platform in partnership with the Minnesota Association of Watershed Administrators (MAWA) Legislative Platform Committee.
• Review materials for legislators and Minnesota Watersheds members on the priority legislative issues, providing context and why the legislation is important.
• Aid in legislative matters as requested by the Minnesota Watersheds Lobbying Team and executive director.
• Recommend legislative priorities, working with the lobbying team and executive director.
Committee Members:
Co-Chair: Don Pereira, Valley Branch WD
Co-Chair: Michelle Overholser, Yellow Medicine River WD
Region 1 Managers:
Gene Tiedemann, Red Lake WD; Linda Vavra, Bois de Sioux WD; Don Andringa, Sand Hill River WD
Region 2 Managers:
Andrew Weber, Lac qui Parle Yellow Bank WD; Jeff Gertgen, Middle Fork Crow River WD; Ruth Schaefer, Middle Fork Crow River WD; Brad Kramer, Shell Rock River WD (2026 - at large member)
Region 3 Managers:
Don Pereira, Valley Branch WD; Beverly Burnett, Prior Lake-Spring Lake WD; Marcie Weinandt, Rice Creek WD; Bonnie Nelson, Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek WD; Shawn Mazanec and Joe Collins, Capitol Region WD (2026 - at large members)
Administrators:
Region 1 - Dan Money, Two Rivers WD; Tracy Halstensgard, Roseau River WD
Region 2 - Amber Doschadis, Upper Minnesota River WD; Michelle Overholser, Yellow Medicine River WD
Region 3 - Phil Belfiori, Vadnais Lake Area WMO, Nick Tomczik, Rice Creek WD
Upcoming Meetings (online):
June 22, 2026
October 6, 2026
Meeting Notes:
January 21, 2026
October 7, 2025
June 18, 2025
January 31, 2025
January 31, 2024
January 16, 2024
June 21, 2024
December 8, 2023
June 12, 2023
December 9, 2022
September 29, 2022