Friday, November 7, 2008

Board of Directors Meeting November 6, 2008

Call to Order: 7:13 p.m., Chair Jim Grisim presiding

Members present: Dale Bacon, Dick Brink, Ryan Hoops, Jim Grisim, Rod Kreuser. Also present, Julie Yoho and (for part of meeting), Nancy Kreuser.

Motion by Bacon, seconded by Kreuser, to approve the agenda as modified. Motion carried.

Motion by Hoops, seconded by Bacon, to approve the minutes of the September 18, 2008 Board meeting. Motion carried.

Treasurer Kreuser reported that as of the date of this meeting the bank balance was $6,322.48. Nancy Kreuser presented a tabulation of budget and expenditures covering the period of July 1, 2007 through November 1, 2008, reflecting the change of fiscal year from July 1-June 30 to calendar year as of January 1, 2009. A copy of this tabulation is attached to these minutes. Motion by Brink, seconded by Bacon, to approve the report. Motion carried.

Grisim reported that the BLID budget proposed for 2009 was approved, without opposition, by the White Bear Lake City Council at its October 28, 2008 meeting. City Manager Mark Sather, Mayor Paul Auger, and several Council members made complimentary comments about the work of the BLID. Renee Tessier, Council member who represents the district in which Birch Lake is located, expressed interest in attending a Board meeting of the BLID. Grisim will follow through.

Printed information about the M4 checking plan, provided by City Treasurer Don Rambow, has been confusing. Grisim and Kreuser will arrange a meeting with Rambow to help clarify the program and how the BLID might participate.

At the October 28 City Council meeting, the Council approved two changes to the June 3, 2006 Order establishing the BLID, (1). the Council will no longer need to approve Board appointments to fill openings on the Board between annual meetings and (2) the requirement for absentee ballots will be replaced by the provision of proxies. Both of these changes will facilitate the operation of the Board.

Bacon reported that the final report on the condition of Birch Lake, prepared by Steve McComas of Blue Water Science, is anticipated shortly. It is anticipated that the report will endorse weed harvesting and recommend shoreline management.

Bacon and Brink reported on the September 28, 2008 VLAWMO Watershed Summit workshop they attended. A great deal of attention has been devoted to storm water runoff, most of it not applicable to the BLID.

Hoops reported that the air lines to the three aerators have been repaired and that he and Grisim have installed warning signs in the area to encourage slow boat traffic. Kreuser raised the question of whether the air lines could be enclosed in rigid PVC pipes. The cost of such a project will be investigated.

Bacon reported that in early December we should learn the status of the joint VLAWMO-City-BLID request for a $5,000 matching grant from Minnesota Waters to improve part of Birch Lake’s shoreline.

The plan to have newsletter reporters Patty Kuppe and Ron Auger attend Board meetings is not doing well. Grisim will invite Kuppe to the next Bard meeting. Grisim and Bacon will meet with her to decide on content for the next newsletter.

Dick Gillitzer has made numerous repairs and improvements to the weed harvester and recommends more extensive repair. Kreuser believes the harvester can perform satisfactorily for another year before undertaking such action.

Motion by Brink, seconded by Kreuser to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:32 p.m.


Richard E. Brink
Secretary

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Board of Directors Meeting September 18, 2008

Call to order: 7:06 p.m., Chair Jim Grisim presiding
Members present: Dale Bacon, Dick Brink, Jim Grisim, Ryan Hoops, Rod Kreuser. Also present, Julie Yoho & Fred Downing.
Motion by Kreuser, seconded by Bacon, to approve agenda. Motion carried.
Downing reported on his work with a representative of Comstock & Sons in carrying out this year’s weed harvesting program. He was favorably impressed and recommends contracting with Comstock again next year. The rep-resentative not only ran the harvester, but also was responsible for repairs and maintenance, all at a cost of $31 per hour. No bill has been received, but a total of $1,000-$1,500 is anticipated. Downing reported that the two bottom belts on the harvester are old and stretched, and Dick Gillitzer recommends replacement. The White Bear City lot is under construction, so the harvester will again be stored on the White Bear Township lot.
Motion by Bacon, seconded by Hoops, to approve the minutes of the July 9, 2008 organizational meeting. Motion carried.
Kreuser presented the September 17, 2008 treasurer‘s report, a copy of which is attached. Motion by Brink, seconded by Bacon to approve the report. Motion carried.
Kreuser reported that White Bear Lake City Treasurer Don Rambo is willing to permit use of the City’s banking arrangement, at much more favorable terms than those provided by Bremer Bank. Kreuser will follow up.
Removal of the harvester from the lake proved difficult. A casualty was a blown transmission on Kreuser’s truck, resulting in repairs estimated to cost about $3,600. Motion by Bacon, seconded by Hoops, to pay half the cost of repairs. Motion carried.
Following the damage to Kreuser’s truck, the harvester was removed using a winch provided by Vadnais Auto Service. Motion by Grisim, seconded by Kreuser to use a winch in all future removal operations. Motion carried.
Grisim presented a proposed annual report. Numerous amendments were made, and Yoho will retype and distribute the revised report, accompanying it with a transmittal letter.
Brink submitted a proposed request to have the Order establishing the BLID amended. (The proposed request was not submitted but has been withdrawn for revision.)
Hoops agreed to have appropriate warning signs erected in the vicinity of the aerator this winter.
Hoops agreed to update the BLID blog, web site and newsletter information.
Following a water skiing exhibition on the lake, there were complaints about weeds being churned up near the shore. It was agreed that the harvester will be standing by to alleviate such problems in the future.
Minnesota Waters is offering a $5,000 matching grant for 2008-2009 for projects relating to conservation. VLAWMO, the BLID, and the City of White Bear Lake submit a joint application based on restoring the northwest shore of Birch Lake. Motion by Kreuser, seconded by Grisim, to approve the BLID’s participation in this project. Motion carried.
The Rush Lake Improvement Association has requested the BLID’s en-dorsement of a proposal to have the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Min-nesota Resources conduct research on the use of iron filings to control curlyleaf pond weed. Motion by Grisim, seconded by Kreuser to approve the request. Motion carried.
Motion by Brink, seconded by Hoops to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Richard E. Brink
Secretary
Next quarterly meeting November 6, 2008