TLA Board Meeting
December 5, 2021
Via Zoom
7-8:35 Pm
Attendees: Grant Bogle, President, Bill Barton, Senior Vice President, Jean Bell, Treasurer, Eric Storer, Jackie Blombach, Jeff Bravin, Danny Vogus, Rich Haupt.
Absent: Terry Cohen, Dave Haab, Justin Meyer, Dan Kadlec, Blake Morrison, Carey Fiertz and Pat Miller
Meeting called to order at 7 pm by Grant Bogle.
Lake Management: Bill Barton and Russ Conklin provided an overview of the ongoing lake management work that is underway. We just received the rare plant survey that was conducted in the summer of 2021 and this will be submitted shortly to the State of CT as part of our permitting process. Once the report is finalized, it will be posted to the TLA website. By and large, the status of rare plants remains unchanged from previous reports.
We also received the updated water quality report based upon the testing the TLA conducts each year based upon monthly water sampling in both East and West Twin. This report is a longitudinal report that looks at water quality and changes over time. We are still understanding the findings and will convene again in January to discuss. Once the report is digested, we will share its contents with the membership and post the report on the website.
Russ Conklin has been doing a great deal of research to understand the zebra mussel issue challenges that emerged this past year. He has spent many hours documenting the spread of zebra mussels in East Twin and speaking to many experts about what, if anything can be done about this issue. The board discussed the idea of holding an information session for members over the winter to begin to discuss what steps we can take as a lake community to improve the ability for natural predators to control the population of zebra mussels in the lake.
Lake Management Plan: TLA has engaged AER to develop a more comprehensive lake management plan. This will allow us to look more wholistically at lake management issues and to work more collaboratively with the Town and the State when addressing issues like invasive species of plants, etc. A motion was made and seconded to authorize TLA funds of up to $4000 be spent to support ongoing consulting from AER for lake management and planning. All expenses are subject to approval by the President and Senior Vice President.
Safe Boating Regulations: After discussions with First Selectman, Curtis Rand, it was agreed that the TLA would put forth a proposal for updating the town ordinances for Safe Boating. The current ordinances have not been updated for over 40 years and due to the proliferation of new types of water craft along with increased use of the lakes for recreation, the TLA board feels that the regulations need to be updated to protect the safety and enjoyment of the lakes. Russ Conklin and Rich Haupt agreed to engage with the town to ensure that our proposal is considered.
Earmarked Donation by TLA members: Several members of the TLA are banding together to raise funds to be donated to the TLA to support the purchase of a skimmer that would allow for removal of weeds from West Twin, including the channel. The plan would be for the TLA to purchase this equipment based upon donated funds specifically earmarked for this purpose. After the purchase, the TLA intends to donate this machine to the town. The town will then assume responsibility for the maintenance, insurance and staffing and management of the equipment. The Board authorized the TLA to begin to accept funds that have already been collected and once the required amount is received, we will secure membership approval for the purchase of the skimmer and authorization to donate it to the Town.
The Board agreed to meet again in January to discuss ongoing lake management issues, the water quality report, and the overall lake management report.
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.