June Minutes 2009

ROCK LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
Board Meeting Minutes June 8, 2009
Lake Mills Municipal Building, 6:30 p.m.

Call to Order: Present - Milt Strauss, Larry Clark, Johanna Chworowsky, Jim Colegrove, Scott Johnson, Margaret Krueger, Ron Niedfeldt, Tom Pezzi, Stan Smoniewski, Russel Wagner and Jefferson County liaison Patricia Cicero. Guests – Bob Wardall, Janet Jenrich and Barb Dawson.
Secretary’s Report: Minutes of May 11, 2009 were approved as corrected.
Treasurer’s Report: Jim said as of May 31, 2009, account balances were $7,915.86 in RLIA checking and $4,236.51 in savings for a total of $12,152.37.
Correspondence/Public Comment: Janet asked Patricia to identify a plant from the channel which Patricia said was a native plant called elodea. There have been reports of an extensive amount of filamentous algae in the lake due to effects of run-off events last year. Patricia said there is blue-green algae in the lake but is not sure if it is releasing toxins. She added that it will take six years for the whole volume of the lake to flush out the effects of last year’s rain and run-off. Secretary will complete and mail a survey UW-Madison Department of Rural Sociology.
Committee Reports:
Joint Rock Lake Committee (Stan) – JR will share information collected on boat traffic; city Millpond pier needs to be stabilized; JR has asked for copy of dam report; Bob has been following the town’s discussion on using ash on roads. Brochure boxes are being installed at boat launches.
Publicity Committee (Johanna) – RLIA will have a booth at Town and Country Days. Johanna and Margaret will write annual newsletter for members. Milt, Larry and Ron staffed a display at a Wednesday Farmers Market.
County Report (Patricia) – RLIA brochures will be added to new homeowner packets.
Ongoing Projects: Adopt-A-Lake (Stan) – No report.
Management Plan for Rock Lake (Tom)
Priority #1 – Storm drains to the lake have been labeled by Boy Scout Rob Waters.
Priority #3 – Jefferson County’s Shoreline Zoning Ordinance has not yet been adopted in the city of Lake Mills.
Priority #4 – Tom will confer with Officer Scott Erwin about informational buoys.
Priority #8 – Study grant application is on hold.
Priority #9 – Stop construction site erosion topic is on hold.
Priority #11 – Revision of north end parking lot is completed but rain garden is on hold due to cost-prohibitive estimates.
Priority #12 – Patricia said there have not been any applications in 2009.
Priority #16 – Educational packet distribution and contents were discussed, along with additional distribution to riparian owners.
Priority #18 – The topic of rafts and trampolines was covered in the town of Lake Mills pier ordinance which is on hold.
Priority #19 – Joint Rock Lake Committee is reprinting educational brochures regarding rules and purchasing boxes for launch sites.
Priority #20 – Joint Rock is working on getting approval of DNR for navigational buoys, which are not legally binding for boaters.
Priority #22 – Lake education day on hold.
Priority #23 – Posting of boating and recreational ordinance on hold until Scott and Stan study how to get it on RLIA website.
Priority #26 – Clean Boats, Clean Waters Program on hold.
Priority #30 – Johanna and Patricia will have publicity in July about laws regarding aquatic plant removal.
Priority #34 – Garlic mustard is pulled on Lake Clean-up Day.
Priority #36 – Patricia said it is nearly impossible to measure the success of Korth Park aquatic plantings because plants were not marked. This priority will be removed from the list.
Priority #37 – Reducing Canada geese population is on hold. City and United States Department of Agriculture removed 208 geese on June 30, 2008 and it may be an annual event.
Priority #38 – Walleye fry stocking on hold until Tom talks to Laura Stremick Thompson.
Priority #39 – Boater safety course is on hold due to lack of interest, but will be reviewed annually.
Priority #41 – Fish surveys are being done.
Priority #43 – Dam reports were in newspaper last year due to high water levels and a hazardous study has been completed by the city.
Lake Planning Project Update (Larry) – Patricia said more e-coli has been found in Miljola Shores channel. Regular sampling is being done at 10 sites and also after rain events.
OLD BUSINESS: Annual meeting program – Agenda was changed. Election of officers will take place before the general membership forum.
NEW BUSINESS: Goose Count – To be taken June 23 or 24 with results given to USDA working with city.
Boat Count – To be held July 4 weekend.
Nominating Committee – Johanna, Ron and Stan were named to nominating committee for election of officers at annual meeting.
Next Monthly Meeting: 6:30 p.m., July 13, 2009, Municipal Building.
Adjournment: 8:25 p.m.
Submitted by Margaret Krueger, secretary.