AI Identifier

Person(s) Assigned / Description of Action Item / Status of AI/Comment

FEB2000.SC.1

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Bill Carswell

Description of Action Item:  CPAC MEMBERSHIP -- Bill will talk to the Regional Hydrologists at the March 1 HRMC meeting to select a replacement for outgoing CPAC member Jim Kolva. Jim currently is from Utah and represents the Data Chief constituency.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED

FEB2000.SC.2

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Greg Shank

Description of Action Item:  TRAVEL MANAGER -- Greg would like to know some technical specification on the Travel Manager, such as Server Specs, RAID, Backups, etc. Need information from Bob Arnberg, cc to tm_help. (Merk). Are there FAQs?

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED
The Travel Manager server is a Sun ES250 Enterprise Server with dual 400 MHz processors with 2Mb cache each, 512Mb RAM, two 9.1Gb UltraSCSI hard drives, 10/100 Fast Ethernet NIC, redundant power supply, monitor and tape backup running Sun Solaris 7, with Netscape Enterprise Server as the Web engine, and Gelco's Travel Manager 7.1c supporting Web, (IP) client/server and telnet user interface sessions with all the latest software patches/updates. A Unix script is run nightly to takedown the web engine and the databases after midnight EST, the databases are backed up, and the services are resumed at approximately 5:00am EST. We have ordered another 1Gb of RAM and expect to have it delivered and installed within the next 30 days.

Slide presentation by Isabelle. Also refer to the current Travel Manager Implementation Status, URL for Travel Manager Web.

FEB2000.SC.3

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Gloria Stiltner

Description of Action Item:  DIS DISTRICT QUESTIONS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA TOWN MEETING -- Refer to the original minutes for the complete set of district questions.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.4

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  NWIS DISTRICT QUESTIONS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA TOWN MEETING -- Refer to the original minutes for the complete set of district questions

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.5

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  AWUDS -- NT version of AWUDS is planned for completion this Summer. In the meantime, getting AWUDS off the Data General is a high priority. Y2K compatible AWUDS on the SUN needs to be tested (1 or 2 weeks of a District person's time.) Alan Lumb will identify a District person for this task. Lew Wade's account number will be used for testing AWUDS

Status/Comments:  Alan will continue to work on this action item.

FEB2000.SC.6

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade

Description of Action Item:  GOAL ONE DOCUMENT -- At the CPAC next meeting or at the latest, the August meeting; OI and DIS will present a document describing what OI will support in funding and resources in FY 2001. This will allow the CPAC to provide input to the resource allocation process.

FEB2000.SC.7

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  NWISWeb STATUS -- Alan will prepare a memo for the District Chiefs regarding the NWISWeb status and tasks. Note, NWISWeb new quality/control features with respect to how the rt_www works now and how NWISWeb will work.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED

Reference:  Alan's email of 3/23/2000

FEB2000.SC.8

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade & Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  NWISWeb QUALITY CONTROL CHECKS -- Lew and Alan will meet with Bill Alley to discuss the quality control checking of the Site File and the connectivity of these issues to the NWISWeb software.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED

Reference:
1.  NWISWeb Implementation -- Steps Remaining email from Alan Lumb, 3/23/2000,
2.  NWIS 3_2 Patch 4 email from John Briggs's, 3/24/2000, and
3.  DB Cleanup of NWIS-Web Sites email transmittal from Bill Alley, 3/28/2000.

FEB2000.SC.9

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  EXISTING STATS -- Alan will find out if there are any existing statistics on the quality control checking of the Site File and bring these back to the CPAC meeting on Friday, Feb 25.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED

I had an action item to provide you some summaries from District application of the GWCHECK program. The issue concerned the QA requirements on the site file for delivery of data on the web. Since the CPAC meeting, NWIS and the GW Users Group meet and discussed the concern and have altered the requirements to not require that the method and accuracy for latitude, longitude and altitude be populated in the site file. These data entries are still required for entry of new sites using GWSI, but are not required for historic sites. The relaxing of this requirement will enable more data on the web with less effort by the Districts. NWIS is in the process of making and testing the code changes to the GWCHECK program and hope to make the new code available this week.

FEB2000.SC.10

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Carl Goodwin

Description of Action Item:  CPAC TO DRAFT A MEMO to ACH/I -- to bring to the attention of the WRD Senior Staff. This is the charge to move concerns to ACH/I forward from the WRD field offices.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED - at Columbia meeting
draft in progress

NOTE:  This URL /cpac/docs/sc_ai11_000710.html points to the final memo that CPAC authorized Carl Goodwin to prepare and deliver to Lew Wade expressing concern over diminishing NWIS resources. The memo was delivered to Lew Wade in conjunction with the WRD Senior Staff meeting during the week of July 10 in Sheperdstown, WV.

FEB2000.SC.11

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade

Description of Action Item:  National-Web (NAT-WEB) -- Lew will prepare a memo for the District Chiefs regarding the NAT-WEB features, status and future. The memo will describe how NAT-WEB will work and impact the Districts.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.12

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade & Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  NWIS DISTRICT DATA BASE MANAGER TASK DESCRIPTION AND POSITION DESCRIPTION ISSUES.

The objective of this action item is to develop and share the list of NWIS data base management duties and tasks for successfully managing NWIS. This will be the basis for the development on the District Data Base Management Position Descriptions.

Status/Comments:  Bill Carswell has background information from Western/Northeastern Region Data Base Management Committee. Includes District organization unit description, functions and list of duties.

Also reference Response from Nelson Williams, 5/10/2000 email.

FEB2000.SC.13

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade & Sandy Williamson

Description of Action Item:  EMERGING TECHNOLOGY -- The next step is for Sandy Williamson to facilitate setting up a single issue CPAC meeting prior to the next CPAC meeting. Lew Wade will select the issue.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.14

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Mark Nilles

Description of Action Item:  MODEL REFRESHMENT - The next step on the model refreshment issue is to have the CPAC discipline office representative, Mark Nilles, get the status from the discipline offices and report back to CPAC. Mark will communicate via a memo to CPAC member, probably before the next meeting, on what is needed. Discussion at the next meeting will focus on whether there a role for CPAC in the model refreshment.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED - Presented information to CPAC members at the St. Paul/Minnesota meeting.

FEB2000.SC.15

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Carl Goodwin

Description of Action Item:  HARDENING THE GAGES -- CPAC and ICOM will continue to interact. One product will be a checklist for gages and a checklist for software. OSW will share plans for "hardening the gages" expenditures.

Status/Comments:  

Here's where ICOM stands to date with a gage hardening checklist. Kevin Oberg is consulting with Tom Yorke as to whether this should be released as an OSW memo. In any case, it probably should still have the review of the Regional Surface Water Specialists to see if anything should be added.

Here's ICOMs Checklist & Guidance for Hardening Gaging Stations - email from Carl dated 5/11/2000.

FEB2000.SC.16

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Jim Kolva

Description of Action Item:  POLLING OF NON-GOES TELEMETERED GAGES: -- Jim will produce an email to CPAC within two weeks with information of how OSW will scope the issue that will result in a framework to be presented to NWIS.

Status/Comments:  Here is the status of the issue from OSW's viewpoint. OSW will be collecting data from the current questionairre to the Districts asking for number of stations, number of stations with telemetry, and kinds of telemetry. From that data we will be attempting to formulate recommendations to the Districts regarding possible backup systems for non-GOES telemetry or perhaps a policy that OSW recommends a primary system of GOES telemetry.

In the meantime, OSW feels that NWIS should be able to handle and serve on NWISweb any DECODEd data available from the Districts. At current any backup systems for the non-GOES telemetered data is the District's responsibility. We may change our minds after we see how many and what kinds of systems are being used, but we really don't have that information as yet. We should have a better feel by the August CPAC meeting.
per Kolva's email of 5/9/2000

FEB2000.SC.17

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Carl Goodwin

Description of Action Item:  FIELD COMPUTER SOFTWARE -- A plan is needed for the next steps in the development of field computer software. Carl Goodwin will coordinate a conference call with the four Regional Senior Tech Committee Chairs/Leaders to solicit input for the development of Field Computer Software Requirements. Carl Goodwin, Lew Wade, Jim Kolva, Mike Slifer, Sandy Williamson, Scott McEwen, Burl Goree, and Alan Lumb are interested in participating in the conference call.

Status/Comments:  Also on May agenda for discussion.

FEB2000.SC.18

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade & Jim Slack

Description of Action Item:  BRANCH MODEL Y2K FIX -- Jim will speak with Janice Fulford to get the details of the test plan for testing the Branch Model Y2K fixes. Jim Slack will report back to CPAC in two weeks.

Status/Comments:  2/25/2000 - Janice reports that Paul Conrads is the only tester, besides herself, she has lined up. She is agreeable to recommendations for other testers. Janice wishes me to emphasize that she is working to produce a Y2K- compliant version of Branch as quickly as possible so that folks can work records; to this end she has turned off the graphics features to branch and the TDDS, so the fixes won't be tested with the graphics on. If this proves to be a problem for those working records, she will address it then. (I suggest we think of this version as "Branch Lite".) Conrads will do the testing next week. Assuming the testing goes well, Janice will make Branch Lite available when Paul is done.

FEB2000.SC.19

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade

Description of Action Item:  BASINSOFT COST RECOVERY -- Lew will talk to Bob Pierce and verify that there is no blockage to unlock the Basinsoft code key. After that, Lew is inclined to make a decision to fund the Basinsoft development and maintenance costs -- $5,000 -- from the OI budget rather than cost recover the funds from the Districts. Lew will ask Bob Pierce if there is intent to publish the software documentation.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED
"BasinSoft Now Available (Sun Only)"

FEB2000.SC.20

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Alan Lumb

Description of Action Item:  RDBMS -- Alan Lumb presented a report on the status of RDBMS. It is reported that Colleen Babcock, speaking for NWIS and AIS, indicates that there is no compelling need to switch from Ingres now. Alan Lumb, as NWIS Program Office Chief, will continue to look at the DBMS options. The RDBMS options are:
- Continue along with Ingres
- Add the DBMS research and development tasks to WRD resource needs list.

While CPAC formed an RDBMS study team broader that NWIS and AIS, the fact is that this issue is relegated to NWIS and AIS. One task is to determine the cost of converting NWIS, AIS, HIFCSS-II, et al from Ingres to other RDBMS packages. Alan Lumb, as NWIS Program Office Chief, will continue to look at the DBMS options.

Status/Comments:  AIS and NWIS met with Oracle and discussed issues related to the migration of these two applications from Ingres to Oracle. Those discussions have resulted in a proposal from Oracle consulting services. The proposal is on a time and material basis in accordance with the Oracle GSA schedule. The scope is basically to assist NWIS and AIS in assessing the tasks and options to migrate the data bases and applications to an Oracle architecture, to test whether the AIS Open Road application will operate against the Oracle database environment, and develop a test data model to evaluate the NWIS application architecture. The cost estimate valid thru April 22 is $202K and the period of performance would be 4 months. NWIS is not seeking funds at this time for this effort.
per Alan Lumb, 5/11/2000

FEB2000.SC.21

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Gloria Stiltner

Description of Action Item:  NETWORK CAPACITY STATUS PLANNING -- Gloria will set up a meeting with Lew Wade, Sandy Williamson, Nelson Williams, Chuck O'Hara, Mike McNally and Bob Wakelee to discuss WRD's current Network Capacity Status Planning.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.22

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Bill Carswell

Description of Action Item:  WORKING AT HOME -- Bill will work with Cathy Hill to prepare information for District Chiefs on the use of "standby duty pay" and overtime to compensate WRD employees involved with monitoring realtime data at night and on weekends. Flexiplace is "off the table" with respect to this "on call" issue. A decision on how to communicate this message to the field offices; either memo or through word to the Regional Hydrologists.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED -- Reference email dated 7/12/1999
Subject:  On-Call / Standby Pay

FEB2000.SC.23

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:   

Description of Action Item:  EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES -- This action item relates to developing ways to explore emerging technologies that may be applicable to WRD and bring them to the CPAC table. Reference is made to exploring emerging technologies, such as Sandy Williamson's demo at this CPAC meeting and to work of the Hydro 2100 Project. A 30-minute agenda item will be set in place for the May CPAC Meeting. Charlie Merk will include an agenda item on emerging technology "show and tell" or "proposal on how to proceed for emerging technology."

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.24

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:   

Description of Action Item:  WRD STRATEGIC DIRECTON & CPAC GOALS -- The next step is to revisit the computer-related issues in the WRD strategic directions document and CPAC goals setting process at the next CPAC meeting. At that time, CPAC will have information related to the Bureau strategic change implementation direction and can re-engage the process.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.25

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Gloria Stiltner

Description of Action Item:  REMOTE CONNECTIVITY -- Gloria will send out an email to describe how users can access WRD Intranet pages using the Internet Netscape browser via an ISP. This access can be provided by a proxy for a .gov login remote access.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.26

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  CPAC

Description of Action Item:  OFFICE OF INFORMATION BUDGET -- CPAC members will review Carl Goodwin's memo on general subject of need for increased resources to OI and return comments to Carl within one week.

Status/Comments:  

FEB2000.SC.27

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Lew Wade & Carl Goodwin

Description of Action Item:  ROLE OF CPAC IN THE NEW USGS -- CPAC is interested in playing a role in helping implement the Bureau's strategic change activities. Lew Wade and Carl Goodwin will express this willingness to the appropriate parties in the Bureau.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED

FEB2000.SC.28

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Carl Goodwin

Description of Action Item:  MAY CPAC MEETING LOGISTICS -- Carl will contact the Minnesota District Chief regarding the next CPAC meeting.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED -- Minnesota District Chief has been contacted and the next CPAC meeting is confirmed for May 16-18, 2000 in Minnesota.

FEB2000.SC.29

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  Carl Goodwin

Description of Action Item:  AUGUST CPAC MEETING LOGISTICS -- Carl will check on the August CPAC meeting location. First choice is Alaska and second choice is Utah or Idaho

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED -- Alaska District Office has been contacted and the August CPAC meeting is 99% confirmed for August 2000 in Anchorage.

FEB2000.SC.30

Columbia meeting
2/23-25/2000

Person(s) Assigned:  CPAC

Description of Action Item:  CPAC CYBER SEMINAR -- A CPAC Cyber Seminar by Sandy Williamson will be scheduled for Friday, April 14 at 1:00 pm.

Status/Comments:  COMPLETED