Thursday, September 19, 2013

BLID Quarterly Board Meeting September 19, 2013


Call to order at 7:00 pm with the following members present:  Dale Bacon, Ryan Hoops, Tom Merritt, and Steve Laliberte.  Jim Grisim arrived at 7:22pm.

Motion (Hoops/Merritt) Move to approve agenda.  Motion carried.
Motion (Hoops/Merritt) Move to approve the minutes of August 28, 2013.  Motion carried.

Treasurers Report: 
A new profit and loss statement was presented by Tom Merritt. We now have a balance sheet.  We will begin tracking the levy shortfall.

Motion to approve report (Grisim / Bacon), Motion carried.

Harvester:
Harvester is out of the lake. 
Motion (Merritt/Grisim) To move ahead with the harvester repair, contract with Aspen for in October/November, not to exceed $3000.00.  Motion carried.

Motion (Tom / Jim ) Order the track needed for the harvester, not to exceed $4,000.00.
Motion carried.

Aquatic Plant Survey:
Reviewed requirements for next study.

Levy Meeting and Annual Report:
Reviewed the annual report.    Dale will move ahead on creating the package.

Other Items
New resident welcome packet – good idea.   Pave the path from the sidewalk to Birch Lake Blvd S.  Dale will contact Mark Birch, city administrator.

Adjournment
Motion (Grisim/Hoops) Move to adjourn.  Motion Carried.

Meeting adjourned at 8:07pm. 

Upcoming meeting
City Council Levy meeting – October 22, 2013
Board meeting November 7, 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

BLID 2013 Annual Report

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Birch Lake Improvement District
2013 Annual Report
Birch Lake is a shallow, suburban lake with an area of 123 acres.  It is considered to be one of the healthiest lakes within the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO).   Concerns over maintaining this quality led lake property owners to petition the City of White Bear Lake to form the Birch Lake Improvement District (BLID) in 2006.  The following is a report of BLID activities during 2012 – 2013.
The Sustainable Lake Management Plan (SLMP) developed in conjunction with VLAWMO and Blue Water Science, continues to be used by the BLID board as a strategic planning tool.   It is invaluable in maintaining a long term focus on lake quality issues.  All actions of the board relate to specific sections of this plan. 

2013 was a banner year for Birch Lake.  Spring rains and cooler than normal temperatures resulted in near record water levels.  The lake continues to be very clear with limited nuisance vegetation.   Wild life, especially the eagles, continues to flourish and to be enjoyed by the numerous residents and visitors who walk the lake path on a daily basis.  The lake walk has been made much safer by Ramsey County’s construction of a rumble strip along the Otter Lake walkway.  The north shore restoration area is also flourishing with the first planting yielding some dramatic blooms.  The restoration site bench, located on the new concrete pad supplied by the Public Works Department, is a much used stopping point for lake walkers.   In addition, new home construction and the influx of younger resident members point to the continued health of this historic area of White Bear Lake.

During 2012-2013 the following activites were carried out by the BLID board:
1.     Annual lake clean up occurred on May 4, 2013.  16 residents participated.
2.    BLID members continue to participate in VLAWMO Citizen’s Water Monitoring Program.   This involves taking biweekly lake water samples and making secchi disk and lake level readings.
3.    BLID continues to operate an aerator during the winter months.  This helps to maintain sufficient dissolved oxygen in the lake water to prevent fish kills.
4.     As a follow up to the 2011 fish survey, 1000 crappies were stocked in the lake.  The fish survey was a critical component of the SLMP to maintain the health of Birch Lake.  Because of this and previous restocking programs, the lake is beginning to be known for its trophy catches!
5.    The harvester was operated over a two week period in August to remove nuisance vegetation.  Approximately 15 loads of vegetation were removed to the county compost site.
6.    In order to enhance communication to district members, the newsletter publication was changed to quarterly schedule and offered an electronic format.
7.    Blue Water Science conducted an aquatic plant survey in early September, 2013. This is a follow up to the 2007 survey and also a part of the SLMP. The results will be an indication of the extent of the Eurasian milfoil problem.
8.    In conjunction with the City of White Bear Lake Finance Department, a financial review was conducted on BLID finances.  No areas of concern were identified.
9.    A capital reserve fund was established to cover equipment replacement.
10.BLID provided comments to the Variance Board on the impact of the Lande property development.  Recommendations were made to increase native plant usage in landscaping, reduce impervious surfaces, limit wetland damage during construction and to limit off shore visibility of over head lighting.
11. The board has discussed the invasive species problem and how it relates to        Birch Lake.  There will be a heavy emphasis on this issue in future board communications.
12.   Following the annual meeting, Board elections were held. Dale Bacon was elected to Chairman; Ryan Hoops, Vice Chair; Tom Merritt, Treasurer; and Steve Laliberte, Secretary.  Jim Grisim, member at large.
The seventh annual BLID meeting was held on June 19, 2013 in the White Bear Lake City Hall, with Chairman Dale Bacon presiding.  The annual meeting was attended by 16 persons representing 15 of the 62 units.
Jim Grisim and Steve Laliberte were elected for 3 year terms.  Steve replaces Rod Kreuser who chose not to run for another term.
After a review of current year activities and plans, the following budget was approved by the membership.  A per property levy of $155 was approved.

Approved Birch Lake Improvement District Budget


For January 1 - December 31, 2014



















FIXED COSTS

 $       4,300.00





Aerator







NSP







Administration







Admi. Secretary







BLID Insurance







Lake Imp. / Blue Water







Easement Payment







Trailer License







Truck & Trailer Insurance





















WEED CONTROL

 $       8,460.00





Harvester Repairs







Harvester Fuel







Harvester Permit







Subcontractor to harvest weeds







Truck Rental







Trailer repair














Miscellaneous














Special Projects

 $       1,000.00












Fish Stocking














TOTAL 2014 BUDGET

 $ 13,760.00




CASH RESERVE USED

$4,260.00




TOTAL LEVY AMOUNT

 $   9,500.00










PER PROPERTY

 $      155.00




















The dates of the required scheduled quarterly Board meetings for 2013-2014 are as follows:
    November 7, 2013
    February 6, 2014
    June 5, 2014
   September 18, 2014
   November 6, 2014




The 2014 annual BLID meeting date will be Wednesday, June 18, 2014.

Submitted by the Birch Lake Improvement District Board
Dale Bacon,Chairman