ROCK LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION

Board Meeting           Municipal Building

Minutes, October 13, 2004

Present: Karl Vonderohe, Patricia Cicero, Milt Strauss, Russ Wagner, Margaret Krueger, Jim Colegrove, Stan Smoniewski, Larry Everson, Johanna Chworowsky

 
Call to order: Meeting called to order at 6:55 by Karl.

 
Secretary's Report: Minutes of the September 8, 2004 meeting were approved as corrected.

 
Treasurer's Report: No report in Katie's absence. 

 
Committee Reports

Joint Rock lake Committee:

Stan reported  the annual report was sent to the City of Lake Mills and that the only response was whether Patricia was a consultant or not. Minutes of the meeting Tuesday, 9-14-2004 were printed 10-14-2004 and submitted by Stanley Smoniewski.

 
Lake Management Plan

Patricia reported the following:

Dam on Rock Lake

The following people met to discuss the management of the dam on Rock Lake: Patricia Cicero, Jim Heinz, Wilke, Dave Walz, and Kurt, the city employee who maintains the dam. It was proposed that a "committee" of people who have closely monitored the dam, including Glenn Zastrow, act as advisors to the city to give them guidance on when to put in or take out boards. This was not acceptable to the city. The city proposed to sell the dam for $1 to the DNR or another group who would like to manage it. The city also proposed that a "committee" of citizens could take over management of the dam in the spring. The city said that they were not concerned about associated liability. There was some talk about re-designing the dam. Patricia was tasked with contacting Sue Josheff of the DNR with questions regarding inspection, grant money, and possible re-design of the dam. She has a call into Sue Josheff and is awaiting a call back.

 
The Joint Rock Lake Committee met and discussed the dam.  Patricia was tasked with contacting a professor at UW-Madison she knows regarding developing some guidance that would assist in figuring out when to put in or take out boards to obtain the correct water levels in the lake. She contacted Ken Potter and there are 3 options: find a student who wants a project on the side, Ken Potter is teaching a class in the spring and that class may be able to come out and take some measurements, another professor (Hoopes) is teaching a class in the fall of 2005 and the guidance for the dam might be a good project for them. Patricia plans to correspond with Ken Potter to let him know that we are interested in any assistance they can offer.

 
Long Range Plan for Rock Lake:

Advisory committee met in September and concentrated on "ground rules" for running their meetings, and brainstorming on more ideas to add to the public's on 3 items: lake assets, concerns about the lake, possible actions to address these concerns. There will be another Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, October 21 at 7 p.m. in the library. This meeting will talk about Invasive and Exotic Species.  Patricia also explained the next steps for the committee. From October through May there will be topic specific meetings (exotic/invasive species, agricultural nonpoint source pollution, residential land urban nonpoint source pollution, recreation in terms of use, access, and enforcement, fish and recreational issues associated with fishing, shoreland zoning, water levels, and habitat and wetlands. After a public hearing in the spring or early summer, the committee will then prioritize recommendations that were proposed during the topic specific meetings.

Stan suggested that the minutes of the Advisory Board be sent by e mail to a mailing list of interested citizens and to send out a survey in November. He also talked about the need to clarify clear-cutting and setback averaging regulations. Regarding removal of leaves from gutters he thought it could possibly be a project for local students.

 
Johanna had some suggestions to report from eighth graders at St. Paul:

+make public piers longer to hold more people waiting for boats

+have more trash containers

+add playground equipment suitable for older children 

 
Adopt a lake: No report

 
Old Business: 

Jim, Karl and Larry will audit the books before the end of the calendar year. Also, noted that Katie cannot be signer of checks. Karl will set up the meeting.

Membership acknowledgement cards need to be revised-Johanna will revise

Milt, Margy, and Johanna will be responsible for publicity.

 
New Business:

Johanna made a motion for RLIA to cover the expense of $80 each for Milt and Kurt to attend a Eurasion Water Milfoil Symposium. Stan seconded the motion and it was approved.

Next meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday November 10, 2004 in room 139, Municipal Building.

Meeting adjourned at 8:05

 
Submitted by: Larry Everson, Secretary