MAY LMA BOARD MEETING

May 21, 2022

Meeting called to order: 9:02 AM

Attendees:  Sue Westburg, Tim Rinowski, Arylss Rinowski, John Montour, Sue Reinhard, Chuck W, Mike W., Greg

Unable to attend:  Robbie Danko, Melissa, Terryl P,

Guests: None

Secretary Report: Chuck made motion to accept and Tim 2^nd

Treasurer report:

Robbie unable to attend.  Sent report in advance

Account Balances:

Checking account             $2,917.53

MM Checking                    $64,876.21

Total Receivables:                           $4,254.42

Total Payables:                                 $1,000.00

Water Quality Report:

• New truck driver – Richard May – has been hired.  Started a week ago and John has been working with him.
• New conveyor belt was installed last week.
• Waiting to put the harvester in after Memorial Weekend.  Permit doesn’t allow us to start harvesting before June 1^st.
• Supply chain issues (out of stock) – marine waterproof grease.  Tim and John looking to find the product.
• Plenty of fuel for startup. 
• A few minor items need to be done before putting it into the water
• John brought a new nozzle gun for the cleaning system.  The unit cost $800.  This new cleaning system allows the team to clean up the harvester in 3-4 hours verses 2 weeks and it does a better job.
• Bullrushes – have several lake owners have asked if we can use the harvester to get rid of the bullrushes that have blown onto the shoreline.  Board had a discussion regarding this request, and due to the limitations of our permit (can’t run the harvester within 150 feet from the shoreline and the % of water surface area), we are not allowed to do this for the lakeshore owners.
• Beaver has built a dam on top of the manmade dam.  Before a group could remove the dam, the dam and beaver disappeared.  Whether it was from the force of the water, or someone removed it.
• High water levels.  Nothing that we can do, and the sheriff is the only one who can declare a “no wake zone”.

Old Business:

Loan nesting update:

• Loon platforms have been placed.  John and Tim helped Greg since he doesn’t have a boat in the water.  Some of the bullrushes have been removed.  Not sure if the wind or the loons removed the bullrushes on some of the platforms.  We will remove the platforms 2 weeks after the hatch.
• The platform by Bann’s has a nest with 2 eggs on it again this year.  WhooHoo!!
• May try a new location or two for next year for the other platforms.
•  Greg will be getting pricing for 2 additional buoys for the loon nests that are not on the platforms.  Hasn’t been done yet.
• When we have consistent use of at least 2 nests, we will look at expanding the platform program.
• Greg will look at getting more permanent signs made

LMA Garage Sign:

• Had planned to get a sign but discussed leaving it non-descript.  Decision was made to not move forward with a sign.

Business memberships:

• Decision was made last year to do a mailing verse doing in person requests. 
• A mailing of 100 brochures were sent out.
• Have received 22 brochures back.
• 9 were returned via USP for non-deliverable.
• If you solicit businesses, please let Tim and Aryliss know so that won’t duplicate efforts.
• Sue W. will take the golf course and Prairie River.
• 
  

Individual Letters:

• Letter is ready to go out.
• People can pay online.
• Yearend Mailing:  How do we merge the Aitkin property mailing list with the website so that we capture the members that are not on the lake?  How do we follow up and figure out who is on the lake and isn’t on the lake??

New Business:

Jim has been working for us for a long time and is struggling with health issue.  Discussion was how do we help him.  Decision was made to provide him a $100 Visa card.

Scapp netting – with the high-water levels, it will make it difficult to get accurate information regarding the spawning site.  Gregg will reach out to Rick?? To discuss this decision not to do it this year.

Yearend Mailing:  How do we merge the Aitkin property mailing list with the website so that we capture the members that are not on the lake.

BBQ:

• Is everyone okay with the same assignments as last year?  Yes.
• New tent was purchased for the kid’s games
• Working on new games for the kids along with new prizes.
• BBQ potluck party @ Westberg’s Friday August 26^th @ 4:00 PM

LMA Merchandise: 

• New BBQ staff shirts are done.  Ordered 50 shirts.
• Arylss and Sue got together to determine this season’s ordered.  Will be meeting with Aitkin T-shirt this week to place the orders.
• 300 kids’ shirts were ordered.  Got several smaller shirts for the 4^th of July giveaway. 
• New items will be light weight hoodies, onesies, kitchen towels, full zip dry fit sweatshirts, tie-dyed t-shirts, and sweatshirts.
• Suggestion to get a point-of-sale device so that we don’t have to use the square device.  It is about $300 dollars.  Sue Westburg to investigate what a unit costs and what it will take to use. Cost was much higher than expected.  Decided not to move forward with a POS device but will investigate what it would be for us to use Venmo as an option.

Tamarack Pest Control –Mike has been using bait stations at the LMA garage.  Sue W. will investigate if he could also spray for Asian beetles.

Wier’s Dam:

Update from Steve Houghes:  There was only 1 actual bid.  It came in way higher than budgeted (+$35,000).  Had to send it back to the engineers in Duluth to reconfigure it to reduce the costs.  Looking to use some rocks from north of here that we can use for free.  When the redo come back, there will be another bidding process.  Steve said that we will not need to rewrite the grant because of Covid, but we may need to resubmit it due so the number of people who have changed roles since the start of this process.

How do we secure the rock so that it is still available when we are able to start the project?  Sue to ask the question to Steve.

Grants

All grants have been approved and will be fully staffed at the boat launch for the season.