Lake Development Corporation Minutes
10/01/07
As meeting time came and went, the President, Vice President and Treasurer were all absent. Since the Secretary needed to take the minutes and is not actually a member of the organization, Greg Schumm jumped in to conduct the meeting, getting things underway at 4:09 pm.
In attendance were Rick Bachelor, Don Davis, Donna Grube, Owen Hall, Milt Miller, Greg Schumm, Doug Temple, Terry Wissman, Max Gilpin, Craig Morton, Ryan Garrison, Laura Walker and Nancy Allen of the Daily Standard.
It was decided that the approval of the September minutes would be tabled until the next meeting.
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Craig Morton presented the following lake report:
- The smaller dredge is progressing down the Behms Channel. The DMRA on Behms Rd. is near capacity and will likely only allow half day pumping until Behms Channel is finished.
- The large dredge is making progress at Burdge Creek.
- Long reach track hoe worked on the Uppenkamp DMRA to raise the walls for higher capacity. Dozers intermittently working on Liette DMRA tear down.
- Windy Point West Channel on hold for now for possible geotube project.
- Stump removal planned for October 1 for approx. 2 weeks.
- Long range. Beaver Creek mouth, Coldwater Creek mouth, and Barnes Creek and Schells.
- The park received a used tandem dump truck from the statewide dredge crew earlier in the summer to replace our worn out tandem dump.
- Sediment trap info
Lake level (6 to 7 below normal pool)
Dredge
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Lake Safety
- Boaters are urged to use caution going into late summer and autumn conditions. Be sure to have good proper fitting life jackets on board your boats along with emergency signal devices such as flares, orange flags and communication devices such as radio or cell phones. Fire extinguishers should be checked for adequate pressure. Night time navigation is to be at 10 mph or less and navigation lights must be used. Forward docking lights should only be used when approaching your dock and very sparingly to avoid blinding other boaters. Water proof outer shell and layers for clothing.
- Boat house progress report.
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Park
- Current projects: SMBC seawall and docks. Cedar cabin porch roofs. Road work chip and seal.
- Future projects. Park office renovations/expansion to update the main office reception room and work area. Also will expand to the west side for more office space and storage. Putt putt course renovation.
- New 1 ton dump truck, 4WD with plow package should arrive before winter. The park has also received a new John Deer mower and trailer for hauling equipment. Used golf cart for Camper Host. Park trucks are slowly being replaced with Div. of Wildlife salvage vehicles.
- Halloween Campout on October 5,6,7. Our volunteers will be approaching local businesses and asking for donations of candy, food and prizes. We are trying to coordinate so that each business is approached only once but if more than one volunteer asks for a donation I apologize in advance. Any business owners or individuals that want to donate to a Halloween event attended by families and children can call the park office at 419-394-3611. The event is for registered campers in our campground. Camper Host volunteers are forming a friends group and have applied for a 501,C,3 status. This will be very helpful in the future.
Laura Walker, the Watershed Coordinator of the Grand Lake/Wabash Watershed Alliance presented her report:
- GLWWA Watershed Action Plan
- Conditionally Endorsed
- Meeting October 3 with parties who commented
- Several time consuming requests
- Lawn Fertilizer Minigrant
- About 95 coupons are available for lawns to be tested with the owner paying $5 per sample
- Combining with Pheasants Forever and State Park to put insert in Franklin Township Newsletter
- Received initial results from Helena Agronomic Center
- $100,000 for Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed
- Second round ran out of funds.
- Small amount of funds available.
- Need to start follow up, documentation, certifications and payment.
- Geotextile Tube Manure Dewatering Grant
- roject started September 4, 2007
- Two tubes are started at swine operation, two started at the dairy
- Has captured the interest of Ag-Cert
- Volunteer Monitoring Program
- Shooting for early spring stream training
- Tenative date for lake monitoring October 19
- Volunteers are needed for this program
- Working on quality assurance and supply order
- Attended training for level II
- Water Pollution Control Loan Fund
- Nomination Forms were submitted August 17, 2007
- Forms for septic system replacement and agriculture equipment
- If nomination is accepted, funds will be available Jan. 1, 2008
- May open door for other grant funds
- USGS Microbial Tracking
- Proposal
- Project could show source of nutrients
- Requires a 70% match, looking for sources for match
- Ideas for Anniversary
- Education, similar event in each watershed
- Awareness track, one meeting each month
- Couple with existing events in watersheds
- Farm Bureau Banquet
- May be interested in funding part of microbial project
- Plan to work with them on a stream monitoring bucket
- Grant Writing Workshop
- Presented many ideas for education, awareness
- Need time to match projects with possible funding sources
- Facilitator is willing to peer review applications
- Lake Geotextile Tube Project
- $25,000 from state budget for capitol improvements
- Assisting State Park to get project started
- Met with Tencate, Watersolve and Parks yesterday
- Planning Commission Meeting
- Distributed Construction BMP poster and flyers
- Received ideas and input from group
- Coordinators Upcoming Meetings/Trainings
- Geotextile Tube Officials Manure Project Review, September 27 & 28 (Maria Stein)
- Auglaize County SWCD board meeting, 7:30 a.m. October 3 (Auglaize County)
- WAP meeting, 1:30 p.m. October 3 (SWCD office)
- Ag Breakfast, roundtable discussion, 7:32 a.m. October 4 (large meeting room)
- Lake Improvement Association, Manure Geotextile Tube Project Overview, 10 a.m. October 6 (Celina Moose)
- Advisory Board Meeting, 4 p.m. October 25 (large meeting room)
- SWCD Annual Meeting, November 8, (Coldwater American Legion)
Don Davis asked about the results of the barley straw experiment in dealing with the algae and where it can be purchased. Greg said the results are still being studied and re-verified and added that he thought the straw was available from local farmers.
Ryan Garrison reported that hunting season is underway and added that there will be additional antlerless deer permits available in this area this season. He also reported that waterfowl season comes in October first and that Pheasants Forever is sponsoring a youth hunt on October 27th.
Treasurer Milt Miller arrived and reported that the current LDC checking account balance is $7338.96.
Secretary Grube said that her office has completed the LDC solicitation mailing and that Owen Hall Realtors was the first to send a check. She added that her office is out of LDC envelopes, she will call Winkeljohn Printing to order more.
Grube also reported that she was one of many volunteers for the Mercer County Economic Development Retention and Expansion Survey and noted that the early results show many local businesspeople feel the lake is very important. Grube also reported that in her interview with Bill Montgomery of Celina Insurance Group, he talked about the benefits of Celina making use of the lake as an asset. Montgomery said he believes there would be a great benefit in positioning the community as a resort town. He spoke about the need to improve the water quality and remove stumps that plague boaters when the water level is low. Montgomery said his company would be willing to sponsor some sort of contest to get boaters to mark stumps they find in the lake so that ODNR can pull them out. He said they would contribute $1000. That could be used for prize money and to print education information about the contest. Grube said she contacted the park office immediately but Brian Miller told her that the stump pulling machinery was going out in less than a week so there was no time to organize the effort. Montgomery said they can revisit it in the spring and see if they can come up with a contest for next year. Grube added that it was very gratifying to speak with a businessman who understands what benefits tourism can bring to our area.
Greg Schumm reported on a recent gathering he attended at LIA member Bob Grimms home that featured State Representatives Jim Zehringer and John Adams and State Senator Keith Faber. He said the focus was on Grand Lake St. Marys and Schumm added the three men voiced their commitment to improving the body of water. Schumm also added that the lake is getting attention in Columbus.
Owen hall said he is getting very positive feedback on Representative Zehringer in Columbus, that people like the way he conducts business. Hall also noted that he is no longer on the state parks advisory board, adding that it appears it has become a very partisan body.
Terry Wissman reported on beached and missing buoys. Craig Morton said folks who see those should contact his office so they can be collected.
Rick Bachelor reported that the city of Celina will be contributing to the proposed west bank boathouse project. He said since it will be located outside the city limits there are some legal issues that have to be cleared before that can happen.
At 5pm, with no further business to discuss, Schumm closed the meeting.
The next LDC meeting is scheduled for November 5th, 4pm in room 182 of Wright State University Lake Campus.
