Members Present: Harlan Meints, Jon Hanson, Becky Ricklefs,
Dale Owen, Ken Gutzwiller, Jim Teschendorf, Bob Carruthers, Tim Groshens, Gordon Bloomquist
Harlan called the meeting to order at 9:00 A.M.
Ken read the minutes of the August 18 annual meeting. Ken moved and Bob seconded to approve the minutes as read.
Jon Hanson gave the treasurer’s report. We have $6335 in dues from 251 members. He also reported an audit was conducted prior to the annual meeting. Jon is going to check with Joan Schultz on whether our tax-exempt status needs to be submitted each year. Jim motioned and Dale seconded to approve the treasurer’s report.
Jon submitted a bill from Ramsey Printing for $330.20 for the printing of the fall newsletter. Ken motioned and Jim seconded to approve paying that bill.
Discussion of keeping the list of property owners current for the mailing of the newsletter was held. Bob Carruthers will contact Bob Meyerson about updating the list by getting the new list from Judy Christensen.
Dale nominated Harlan Meints for president of the board for the new year. Jon seconded the nomination. Harlan nominated Jim Teschendorf for president. Ken seconded the nomination. Harlan was elected president of the board for next year. Harlan nominated and Ken seconded Vicki Behm for secretary. Vicki was elected. Becky nominated and Dale seconded Jon Hanson for treasurer. Jon was elected. Harv nominated and Jon seconded Jim for vice president and he was elected.
Jon reported that Vicki was mailing out lake directories to people who didn’t pick them up at the annual meeting. We have 251 members out of approximately 350 lake property owners.
The annual meeting was discussed. Jim commented that there was good discussion of the sewage disposal problem. People seemed ready to have decisions made and to move forward.
On the subject of the fish trap, Lowell and Bill talked to the DNR. We currently have 2 gates so that fish are trapped between them. The DNR proposes getting rid of the gate by the bridge and filling that area with rocks 20 feet wide and running four 36” concrete tubes with 1 inch holes every 4 inches the length of the area. Water would have to go through the rocks and tubes to get into Diamond. Cost would be $21,800, which the DNR will fund. No date has been given for a start to this project.
Harv contacted Sheriff Hartog about safety concerns on Breezy Point Road involving traffic traveling too fast. A speed sign was installed in front of Harv’s house over Labor Day weekend. Harv talked to Terry Thompson, who is on the township board, about putting up more speed signs on Breezy Point. He will bring it up at the next township board meeting. Harv is going to continue to pursue possible options to slow the traffic down on Breezy Point.
Harv & Sherri helped fold and tape the letters that went out about the September 29th meeting with the University of Minnesota. They were sent using Judy Christensen’s mailing list, which should be current. Jim suggested we should advertise the meeting in the paper to make sure all residents know about it. Harv is going to check with Julie and see about getting the meeting in the Community Events section of the Willmar paper. Harv reported that Julie paid for the mailing of the letter. Jon motioned and Jim seconded to buy coffee and cookies for the meeting. Vicki or Harv will take care of that. We are planning on 100 people maximum. Julie will furnish cups and napkins. The meeting is at the community building in Spicer. We need people to go about 9:15 and help set up chairs and to help clean up afterward. Harv, Sherri, Becky, and DeWayne and other board members who can will help with that. Julie doesn’t think there is a rental charge for the building. If there is, she will pay for it. It will cost $2500 for the complete study by the U of M if it continues, half of which the Lake Association will pay.
E-mail addresses are up to date for all of the board members.
Tom Bonde has proposed a change in the outlet on the northeast corner of the lake. He is asking for approval to widen the outlet so water would leave the lake faster to control soil erosion on the shore. It won’t change the height of the lake; the water would just leave the lake faster during heavy rains. The board expressed concerns about flooding of the lowlands near the outlet. The Watershed District is not in favor of changing the outlet. Tom has gone to the DNR and the county with the proposal. Jon made a motion and Dale seconded to wait until we have more information to make a decision on the board’s stand on the outlet.
Harv reported on the results of the water testing this summer. The phosphorus measures half as much this summer as it did last summer. The assumption is that lack of rain is the reason and shows that the septic systems are not the major contributor of the high phosphorus in the lake. Fourteen tiles and ditches empty into the lake. Jon commented that it is possible that more rain also washes more sewage into the lake. He also commented that we don’t know how the flow into the lake changes from year to year through the inlets. Harv commented that the testing next year will be more intense and will require more people to conduct it.
Jim suggested the possibility of changing the annual meeting to the beginning of the summer instead of the fall, possibly to get more interest in lake concerns and to get helpers for the testing. Jim, Tim, and Dale will study the idea of changing the meeting to early summer and pick a tentative date. Also, the newsletter may be moved earlier in the summer so it goes out well before the annual meeting if that date is changed.
The date of the next board meeting will be decided after the September 29th meeting. We may need to meet this fall and winter to follow up on work done by the U of M.
Bob asked if there was a relationship between phosphorus in the lake and clarity. Harv said the algae and chlorophyll increase drastically during the summer and the more phosphorus in the lake, the more algae. He also commented that the wind causes the blue-green algae to die.
Jim discussed the progress of high-speed Internet around the lake. He talked with a representative from Frontier two weeks ago. They are locating lines and have installed equipment. They are trying to get the first phase completed in September. Once the infrastructure is in place, we will probably get mailings from Frontier.
Gordon made a motion and Dale seconded to adjourn the meeting at 10:00.
Becky Ricklefs
(filling in for Vicki)
