The September 8, 2008 meeting of the Lake Development Corporation was called to order at 4:03 by President Jim Dabbelt.

In attendance with Dabbelt were Don Davis, Bob Grimm, Donna Grube, Owen Hall, Kent Hinton, Milt Miller, Frank C. Murray, Matt Schwieterman, Terry Wissman, Laura Walker, Max Gilpin, Craig Morton, and Nancy Allen of the Daily Standard.

Frank C. Murray moved that the August 2008 minutes be approved as e-mailed to the membership, Bob Grimm provided a second, motion carried.

Treasurer Milt Miller reported that the LDC bank balance sits at $8,127.54 cents. He added that in looking at our bills for stationery, we should order larger quantities in the future to cut the costs.

Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Manager Craig Morton provided the following lake report:

Lake Level: Approx. 4” below normal pool.

Dredge:

• Floating suction dredges. St. Marys is at the Camp Lagoon and Schell’s channel. Pump-A-Little is at Barnes Creek 2/3 finished.
• Next dredge jobs are Prairie Creek Island and Prairie Creek Dike.
• So far this season we have completed Windy Point West, Southmore Shores East and a side channel off of Burdge Creek.
• Dozers have worked on the Uppenkamp DMRA on Behm’s Rd. to continue tear down.
• Construction has begun for the Anderson DMRA. The concrete and stone is halfway across the channel. Will continue placing concrete all winter and next season. Will create a 23.5 acre in lake DMRA which will also protect that shoreline.
• Anderson shoreline protection of 1800’ is finished.
• Putting in a request to the Statewide Dredge Crew to get their help on future projects. We won’t know for a while if any of our requests are accepted.

Lake Issues:

• Capital shoreline protection project. The job has been advertised and the bid opening is on Oct. 1. Prairie Creek Island, mouth of Chickasaw Creek 2 locations, dike at Prairie Creek and Safety Island.
• Beach testing. All beaches tested very safe all summer with low bacteria levels.
• Governors Cup went very well. The Coast Guard Auxiliary was very helpful in maintaining the safety perimeter. Thanks also to the Mercer Co. Sheriff Dept., St. Marys Volunteer Fire Dept. and the Division of Watercraft. The race committee and the City also does a great job of working together to manage the event.
• Moose Stock. Fire works went well. Park Officers and Watercraft and Sheriff Dep. Patrolled and wrote citations during and after the event.

Park:

• Dog Park. Working on installing the water fountain and hookup. The grass is planted and starting to come up. The gates are locked and we want them to stay shut until spring when we plan the opening. We need the grass well established in order to hold up to the dog activity. Please stay out till spring. Web site is http://www.grandlakedogpark.com/ The volunteer group headed up by Deb Bornes is seeking members to help maintain the park.
• West Bank boathouse. Construction started Sept. 3 and is moving along.
• Halloween Campout is October 3,4,5. The reservable sites are all taken. The only sites left are the walk-in sites. Very popular event. If volunteers approach you or your business for donations please consider that this event provides a good, safe place for families to have an early Halloween experience. It is mostly children that will benefit from your donations. We try to monitor so that each business is only approached by one person but it could happen that you are approached by more than one. If so we apologize.

LDC Secretary Donna Grube reported that the Friends for the Preservation of Ohio State Parks is seeking a membership renewal that would be at a prorated amount to take it to the end of the year. Beginning in 2009 all members would then be billed with the start of the year. Frank C. Murray moved we remain a member of the FPOSP, a second was provided by Don Davis, motion carried. Grube also reported her office is getting ready to conduct the fall solicitation for the LDC. She passed around the names and addresses of the solicitation list to see if there are any personnel changes that should be noted.

Laura Walker, Grand Lake/Wabash Watershed Coordinator, reported that she had sent out a follow up on assignments given out at the LDC Day on the Lake. She said there are several new Ag incentives in the new farm bill. Walker also spoke about a canoe tour and upcoming advisory board meeting:

Grand Lake St. Marys Canoe Paddle
Friday September 26, 2008
Registration 7:30 a.m.
East Bank Shelter House #3, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park, St. Marys, OH

You are invited to come out and paddle across Grand Lake St. Marys. See the other side of this sheet for more information.

Paddle Stops

• The Enviroscape, a watershed education tool, by Educator/Administrator Nicole Hawk, Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District.
• Geotextile Tube Shoreline Stabilization Project Site, explanation of project timeline by Laura Walker
• Nature on the Lake, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park
• Wildlife on the Lake, representative of Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Recycle with Bonnie Kaiser, an educator with Mercer and Auglaize Solid Waste District (lunch sponsor)

GLWWA Public Advisory Board Meeting

Friday September 26, 2008
Noon with lunch
East Bank Shelter House #3, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park, St. Marys, OH
Please RSVP to 419-586-3289 or laura.walker@mercercountyohio.org

Agenda

• Introductions
• Agenda Additions/Changes
• Watershed Activity Discussion
• Public Policy
• Next Meeting Date/Time

Events

• Thursday October 23 – 4 p.m. – Central Services Building, Celina – Joint Board meeting
• Thursday November 20 – 4 p.m. – Central Services Building, Celina – Joint Board meeting
• Thursday December 11 – 9:30 a.m (or earlier?) – Chickasaw Fire Department – Public Advisory Board meeting (with breakfast if sponsored?) – Review/Revisions of Watershed Action Plan

Bob Grimm reported on the Lake Improvement Association’s Barstool Open. They had over 800 participants and raised more than $15,000. The LIA hosted an information tent at the Governor’s Cup Regatta and shared that space with the LDC. Frank C. Murray moved we cover half the cost of the tent, Matt Schwieterman seconded that motion. The group approved the $250 expenditure. Grimm also reported that the LIA will give state and local candidates a chance to speak about lake issues at their October meeting. That will take place on October 4th, 10 am, in the Celina Moose Lodge Meeting Room. The public is invited to hear what these candidates and office holders have to say about the lake.

President Jim Dabbelt began a discussion on the urgent need to get the dredges out and keep them running. He inquired why Indian Lake has the state dredge crew helping them and Grand Lake. St. Marys does not. He said it is imperative to keep them running from ice to ice to try to keep up with the amount of silt that flows into this lake. Matt Schwieterman added that the long abandoned plan to make islands in the lake would certainly help. He added they would be constructed from dredge material and the islands would cut down on wind and erosion. Owen Hall said it is all a matter of getting this lake to actually become a priority with Logan, West and the legislature. He added that the director called this a dying lake and Hall said that should be used to lobby the Governor and legislature to get the funds needed to clean it up. Hall said the D’s and the R’s need to work together. Frank C. Murray sad he doesn’t think they will provide the needed funding for future dredging until programs are in place to keep the silt from coming back into the lake. Kent Hinton added that the director and chief are getting their information from state engineers and that they may not always be getting the right information. No final decision was made on a new lobbying effort.

With no further business to come before the group, Bob Grimm moved for adjournment, Max Gilpin provided a second. Motion Carried.

The next LDC meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 6, 2008. It will begin at 4pm in the Auglaize and Mercer Counties Convention and Visitors Bureau meeting room.