ROCK LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

Board Meeting             L.D. Fargo Library

Minutes, October 8, 2003

Present:  Johanna Chworowsky, Patricia Cicero, Pete Ebbott, Kevin Lehner, Stanley Smoniewski, Milt Strauss, Karl Vonderohe, Russ Wagner

Meeting called to order at 7:00 P. M. by Johanna.

Secretary’s Report

            Minutes of the September meeting were approved with corrections.  The handwritten minutes of the July meeting were transferred from Johanna to Stan for transcribing and inclusion on the web site.

Treasurer’s Report

            The treasurer’s report was accepted as presented and reflected total assets of $6,935.54.

Committee Reports

            Fishing:   Patricia has talked to Laura Stremick regarding the advisability of RLIA contributing funds to the local fish hatchery for stocking larger walleyes in Rock Lake.  Laura suggested that money would be better spent on the lake management program. 

            Patricia also reported on the fall electrofishing on September 17.  Laura Stremick will send a report when available.

            Website:  The RLIA Articles of Incorporation are now scanned into a Word document and will be scanned in PDF for the website. 

            Joint Rock Lake Committee:  A Request For Proposal was sent to 14 consultants who responded to a mailing regarding a Lake Management Plan for Rock Lake.  RLIA will be the applicant for a DNR grant that will be used to help fund the plan.   Patricia will write the application for the $10,000 grant which has a February 1, 2004, deadline.  Pete will appear before both the Town Board and the City Council regarding the plan and may ask them to contribute $1,000 each.  Pete also reported that the committee is purchasing a new and more accurate GPS to assist in placing new or replacement buoys.

            Storm Water Issues:  Kevin presented Rock Lake secchi disk data from 1988-2003 showing a trend toward decreasing water clarity and described the lake as becoming more fertile and more productive.  He said that the cause is hard to determine and is perhaps the result of several conditions that would cause an increase in total phosphorus in the bottom layers. There is a need for more and better chlorophyll and total phosphorus data and suggested that RLIA may need to be an advocate for data gathering.  He volunteered to head the process. He stated that the data suggests a call to action which might include an article in the newspaper which he would write and Johanna would edit before publication.  He also suggested creating an awareness program with presentations to the city council, town board, schools and service clubs.

Susan Graham will send available DNR data to Patricia.  It will include secchi measurements, dissolved oxygen and other chemical and limnological data.

Stan suggested that the issue be named “Lake Water Quality Monitoring”

            Korth Park:  Patricia reported that the connection to the Glacial Drumlin Trail is expected to be finished by October 18, and that the house on the property has an October 15 deadline for sale and removal.  The  Lake Mills Historical Society appeared before the Parks Committee for an extension.  The county has now set a deadline of January 1, 2004, for a sales contract to be signed with the county including the particulars about moving the house off the property.

Seed collecting will be conducted  Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Faville Grove.   Portions of Korth Park will be seeded in early November.

            Adopt-a-Lake:  Stan reported that the group is working on updating a resource list and that the summer grant application is due by January 1, 2004.

            Making Waves:  In the absence of volunteers, Johanna continues as a committee of one.

Old Business

            501(c) 3:  No report

            Review of Bylaws:  Stan will scan existing bylaws and send copies to members.

Milt will send a link of the WAL model bylaws for lake associations.  Here it is:

           http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/uwexlakes/qualifiedlakeassoc/bylaws.asp

            Other:  Patricia circulated a newspaper article regarding a proposal to license watercraft

operators.  This is a petition to the legislature initiated by friends and family of a man hit and killed by a personal watercraft while he was being towed on a tube behind another boat.  Here is the link:  www.zeroo.info     

New Business

            The mailing address for Russ Wagner for November –March is:

                        Russel Wagner, 105 N. Cesar Chavez Rd. # 539, San Juan, TX 78589

            Meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

Next Meeting

            Next meeting, November 12, 2003, at the Library.  

Submitted by:  Milt Strauss, Secretary

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