LIA Members Meeting
10 a.m. February 2, 2014
Minutes
Celina Moose Lodge
Board Members Present: President Tim Lovett, Vice President Mark Piening, Treasurers Ted and Diane Bertke, Sgt. of Arms Dave Eyink, Trustees Tom Rampe, Seth Brigham, Brian Morris, Nick Rentz, Stan Wilker & Jeff Vossler. Absent was: Secretary Eric Morris.
Tim Lovett welcomed everyone and led the pledge of allegiance.
Ted Bertke gave the treasurers report: Ted reported the checkbook balance is $25,160.57
Stan Wilker announced the Motown on the Lake that is to be held on February 28th. Stan indicated he had seen the KGB Band which will be playing and they are exceptional and play the top hits of the Motown era. He reported suites are still available at Romers the night of the party at reduced rates.
Mark Piening reported on the events the LIA will be sponsoring the rest of the year. They include a Casino Night to be held on March 21 at Romers. The LIA will be sponsoring the Casino Night with the Lake Festival Committee and the proceeds will be used to support the Lake and Lake related activities. The price will be $45 per couple and $25 for singles. On June 20 the LIA will be sponsoring the Bands on the Beach which will be held at the shelter house between the two East Bank beaches. On June 27th, the LIA will hold its annual golf tournament with an 8 AM T time. On August 8 the LIA will have its annual Bar Stool Open. In September the LIA will have its annual Zombie Fest and in October its Flag Football tournament on a dates to be announced. More details on each event will be available at future meetings and on the LIA website. Mark noted that one of the LIA’s objectives is to help other Lake related organizations. The LIA gave $20,000 to the Regatta in 2013 so it would not be cancelled and $3,000 last year. We are helping the Regatta Committee with marketing and expanding their operation this year so it will attract more attendees and become more financially sustainable.
Tim Lovett advised the members that the LIA leadership understands the importance of good water quality to the Lake. Water quality is important to promoting the Lake activities, getting money into the local economy, and getting more of the local public involved in supporting the Lake. The LIA is active in supporting activities to improve the water quality in the Lake. We provide financial support to the LRC and have two trustees on the Committee. The LRC has several ongoing programs to improve the water quality in the Lake. We also provide input to various governmental agencies on Lake related issues and encourage them to help improve the Lake.
Tim presented the LIA’s 2015 Strategic Action Plan which was developed by the Executive Committee to the membership. The plan is available on the LIA’s website. Tim announced the LIA Committee Chairs for 2015. They are: Dave Eyink and Seth Brigham, Membership Committee; Mark Peining, Events; Tim Lovett, Political; Brian Morris, Communications, and Tom Rampe, Research and Development.
Tim then presented the preliminary LIA 2015 budget. Details are still being finalized and it will be presented to membership for approval at the March LIA meeting. The preliminary budget shows income exceeding expenses by about $10,000. As a non-profit organization, the LIA can have some excess income. However, if the scheduled events do not go as planned, there may be no excess income.
Tim introduced the newest LIA Board Member, Nick Rentz, to the membership and thanked Nick for stepping up to fill the position which had been vacant for some time. A member thanked the LIA leadership for working with the Park management and the City of Celina to get a potential pollution issue quickly resolved. A contractor had piled a large amount of dredged material on a breakwater on the west side of the Lake and it was going to wash into the Lake. The contractor was directed to remove the material from the breakwater, keeping it out of the Lake.
Milt Miller updated the membership on recent developments on LRC programs. The LRC’s goal is to have treatment trains installed on all of the major streams flowing into the Lake. The treatment trains will not solve all of the Lake’s problems but they are critical to improving the Lake. He noted that we have the Prairie Creek Treatment Train essentially complete, design work on the Coldwater Creek Treatment Train underway, and a 319 grant for the Beaver Creek Treatment Train will soon be approved. A recently completed private wetlands area along the Little Chickasaw is being donated to the recently formed Lake Facilities Authority and plans are being developed to incorporate it into a treatment train. Milt noted the treatment trains have been getting a lot of positive press, but they are just one of the tools being used to clean up the Lake. Other activities that are needed include the dredging of the Lake, channel aeration, rough fish removal, and watershed improvements.
Milt also reported the Club Island/Montezuma sewage treatment plant which discharges into the Beaver Creek has added an additional treatment pond. The operators are proud of the fact that they discharge only ½ of the phosphorus they are permitted by the Federal regulations. In response to a member’s inquiry, Milt noted the Coldwater Creek Treatment Train may attract additional geese to the area. While their droppings are a nuisance and can result in elevated ecoli in the water where they congregate, they contribute very little phosphorus into the Lake.
Brian Miller gave the Lake Update. Brian said that the lake is currently around ¾ inch below pool but expects to have it at 9” below pool by March 15, in accordance with the lake level management plan. Due to the 10 to 12 inches of ice on the Lake, he cannot lower it now without damaging the docks around the Lake. He reported several improvements will be completed in the Park this summer and the events planned in the Park for this year are listed on the Park’s website. He noted the West Bank road improvements and the walkway extension are under construction and will be complete by Memorial Day.
Tom Grabow reported on the dredging planned for 2015. It will start on April 1, weather permitting. The 3 dredges will be operated 10 hours per day, 5 days a week and he expects 300,000 cubic yards of material will be removed from the Lake. Over 18,000 feet of dredge pipe will be used on the Lake this summer so be alert and avoid hitting it with your boats. He reported a new 22 acre DMRA will be available on the S/E corner of the Lake. DMRA availability continues to be a problem. More sites are needed.
Francis Springer spoke about the extensive effort that goes into the development of the manure management plans (NMP) the producers in the Lake’s watershed are required to have. She reported that in 2009 only 23% of the producers in the watershed had NMPs but now 100% have them. They cover 90% of the farmland in the watershed. The remainder of the land is covered by NMPs administered by ODA, or it is farmed by producers that are too small to require NMPs, or it is not receiving manure . The preparation of the NMPs require extensive data including soil nutrient level testing and can be 60 to 80 pages in length. Phosphorus soil levels are tested and manure application is limited to areas that need P for crops and the P levels in those areas do not exceed specified limits. The NMPs are carefully reviewed and approved when they are developed by ODNR staff and ODNR staff conducts site visits to ensure the NMPs reflect actual site conditions. NMPs have to be updated every three years to include actual manure applications during the three years and recent soil test results. In response to members’ questions, Francis and Terry Mescher indicated that the development of the NMPs have resulted in improved manure application practices being implemented by many of the producers in the watershed, some land being restricted from receiving manure due to excessive P levels, and more manure, including liquid manure, being exported from the watershed. This year, 80 NMPs in the watershed will be reviewed and updated. After a couple of cycles of reviews, the effectiveness of the NMPs in reducing P runoff should be evident in the streams feeding the Lake.
Francis said that if people are seeing manure application problems they should call Terry Mescher or Francis Springer at 614-395-6210 or 419-234-4678 respectively.
Tim Lovett noted that the Membership Meeting will be on March 7, 2015.
Jeff Vossler was the winner of the 50/50 and he graciously donated the winnings to the Kids Fishing Derby.
The Members Meeting concluded at 11:30am
Submitted by,
Tom Rampe, Trustee