Kasoag Lake

KLCA Meeting
Kasoag Lake Tavern & Grill
May 11, 2024
10:00 AM

DISCUSSION

• President Lynne B called meeting to order at 10:05am
• Remembrance Mark Augustus & Sharon Cericola
• Mary A resigned; welcome Jay G to board
• Remove Board Member personal contact info from website; replaced with generic email address due to Spam.
  • All communication goes straight to Lynne’s phone; her personal contact info will be shared with members , timing TBD
• Treasurer’s Report – Presented by Lynne due to Kelly’s absence
  • Lake District (LD) passed in Nov 2023
    • Collected on Jan tax Bills
    • Received check for $20k from Town of Williamstown in Feb 2024
    • Separate bank account, no co-mingling with any other KLCA funds
    • Used for everything related to lake treatment and weed management
      • Lake Study, insurance, permit fees, CSLAP dues included
    • $0 spent to-date
  • Regular funds
    • Sept 2023 – $11,050.74
    • Successful Winter fundraiser: Ice Out
      • $1200 brought in; 50/50 split with winner
    • $800 merch sales; donations
    • Dispersals
      • Tax preperation
      • Deposit for treatment
      • Insurance ($2k)
      • Apparel
      • Flowers for Mark & Sharon
    • Remainder: $10,408.84
  • Received $13k grant from NYS DEC for lake study, to be applied to cost of lake study
  • Membership dues reduced to $25; sustainability TBD
    • NEW: Membership window clings
  • Motion to accept: Denise H; seconded by Bill B – approved
• Secretary’s and Treasurer’s Reports
  • Motion to accept: Teague O & Gary K. Approved
• Lake District
  • Create 3-member Advisory Board (2 KLCA, 1 Town)
    • Kelly M & Lynne B, Bill Murray
  • Provide quarterly report to Williamstown Town Board
  • Chip Hamblin requested that we update KLCA by-laws for LD
• Update to by-laws
  • Emailed to membership for review prior to the meeting
    • Get in touch with Nick B if email needs to be added/updated with Membership
  • Most of the changes are primarily administrative
  • Updates:
    • Change 1: Snail mail to Email
      • Reduce expenses
    • Change 2: Summary of meeting minutes (Secretary’s Report)
      • Email meeting minutes to membership
      • Vote to approve at following meeting
      • Print copies available at following meeting
      • Open floor to members who may have questions/concerns
        • Yes’s
        • No – Like to have the opportunity to revisit items for discussion
        • Compromise: In place of Secretary’s Report, membership will be asked if there are questions or concerns after having the chance to review either emailed or printed copy of previous week’s minutes
    • Change 3: Removal of board member due to conviction
      • “…may be removed” instead of “…shall be removed”
    • Change 4: Advisory Board
      • President to choose two members, town chooses one
      • Advisory Board recommendations to town board must be pre-approved by KLCA Board
    • Change 5: Lake district funds
      • Must be used for aquatic weed control & associated expenses; no co-mingling with other KLCA funds
    • Change 6: Requires quarterly report to Town Board
      • Change 7: Minimum one KLCA Advisor must be present at town meeting
    • Change 8: LD funds/accounts included in any audit
    • Open floor to comments/questions
      • Gordon H
        • Do we pay any ongoing attorney fees going forward relating to the LD?
          • Fees were paid to create the LD; but no ongoing fees for LD/working with town
    • Motion to accept changes to By-laws: Ed G; seconded by D – approved
• 2024 Herbicide Application
  • Luke, A-tip will apply on or after June 17
  • Douglaston Manor participation – joined association, paid for mailing
  • Merrill’s donated printing
  • Paid for and submitted for permit, in the mail
  • Total cost of treatment is $15k, deposit of $500; Balance owed $14,500
  • Discussion:
    • Plan for where treatment will be applied?
      • Luke sent map; focus will be in similar areas as done in the past; weeds seem to be arriving early
    • Will we be getting notifications for the application date?
      • Contact Linda with exact date; Lynne will call
    • Deposit: came out of association dues?
      • $500 did come out of dues, since LD funds had not been received at that time; remainder will be paid from LD
    • Motion to approve $15k expense: Lauren G, seconded by Tad K
• Lake Study
  • Purpose:
    • Where the weeds are, what they are, best way to treat them
    • Open up grant opportunities
    • DEC can ask for a lake study
    • Are we doing everything we can for the lake
  • Grant:
    • Min grant $11k
      • Min KLCA input: $3667
    • 75/25 grant
    • Applied for and approved for $13k
    • Contacted UFI for lake study; cost ~$17k; report delivery 2025
    • Contacted ADK Resources for alternative
      • $600 cheaper
      • Dec 2024 delivery
      • Additional beyond UFI
        • Sonar depth
        • Member surveys, observations
      • Recommendations for health of lake provided
      • Will come to meeting to discuss findings, timing TBD
  • Questions?
    • Will study include fish/mammals/reptiles?
      • No, plants only
    • What was the invasive species found last year?
      • Water Chestnut; work party successfully removed; Requires 20+ years of monitoring where found AFTER removal and no return
      • New work party sign ups to look for and pull any that may be found (as well as other projects for this summer season).
      • Lake study will also identity if water chestnuts are in other areas of the lake
    • Will lake treatment include Shingle Mill creek & other side of culvert?
      • Yes, Lynne will remind Ezra
    • Where will funds come from?
      • Lake district funds; may or may not be entirely covered, some may come out of association funds.
  • Motion to approve Lake Study plan: Chris G, seconded by Tom N – approved
• Culvert Repair
  • NOT DETERMINED BY ASSOCIATION
  • Williamstown has plans to do work on Kasoag Lake Rd
    • Repairs to road beyond culvert
    • Culvert requires replacement due to safety concerns
  • Work involves:
    • Remove board from dam to “de-water” the work area
    • Water level will be lowered ~12”
      • Time to empty and refill unknown
    • Barriers will be place on both sides of culvert to facilitate dewatering.
    • The actual repair work will only take a day or two.
  • Timing
    • KLCA has requested that the Town defer culvert work until after Labor Day weekend
    • Member asked if it is possible to defer the work until Oct?
      • Town wanted July, KLCA wanted November; compromised on Sept
  • Town should be contacting all properties impacted by road work
    • Access disruption should only be one or two days.
• Apparel
  • 2024 Design available online in various styles online, t-shirts at meetings
  • Hope to add embroidered options; may also offer “vintage” designs from years past – both of these would be available on the website
  • Goal: Offer more styles, colors, sizes; requires less commitment and cost to KLCA
  • 2024 Events & Fundraising
    • 50/50 raffles
      • Majority agreed to continue
    • Boat Launch season pass, sold at the Tavern
      • $30; proceeds to go to KLCA
    • Corn Hole Tournament
      • Tavern to host
      • $20 to play. Every player will play at least 6 rounds.
      • KLCA estimated to take in ~half of proceeds
      • June 29
      • Hope to get band to come, chicken BBQ
      • Sign up sheet available; also sign up online at Scoreholio
      • Raffle baskets/auction items
        • Good show of hands for people willing to donate baskets/items for a raffle at this event.
  • Annual Picnic
    • July 13
    • Silent Auction moved to Corn Hole Tournament
  • Duck Race
    • Moved to August 10, after meeting
  • Fishing Derby
    • Tentative: Sept 21
    • Need volunteer to run event; if no volunteer available, we will need to cancel
  • Ice Out
    • Will be repeated this Winter
• Work parties – encourage everyone to sign up if they can
• Loose dock on the lake
  • Tied off to island between 1st and 2nd lake
  • Will be left until summer; removed if no one claims

ROUNDTABLE

• Big thank you to Jay G for working on the grants
• Green Pond access
  • Why no access?
    • DEC has issued an opinion that it is not considered navigable waters; has not issued a written statement yet
  • Lynne will follow up with DEC to obtain written decision.
• Algae problem on 3rd lake
  • Will this be addressed?
    • Natural, not harmful
    • Hoping lake study will cover this
• Lake treatment 2024
  • Same as last year?
    • Green Pond will be doing their own treatment, Kasoag to do their own; coordinating to do at same time
• Motion to call meeting to an end: Lauren G, seconded by Denise H at 11:12am