The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, March 6, 2019

5:30 pm

Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Building

Delhi, IA

The combined regular and special meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order by acting chairperson Larry Burger at 5:30 pm.

Trustees present: Burger, Davidson (Havertape, Staebell and Herman by phone)

Trustees absent: Leonard, Gifford

Visitors: Laurie Kramer, Dan Reyner, Deb Burger

Motion to approve the meeting agenda as read made by Davidson, second by Burger. Motion carried.

Staebell made the motion to open the public hearing for the FY 2019/2020 budget, Havertape seconded. Motion carried

Kramer presented a budget listing estimated expenditures and revenue sources for fiscal year 2019/2020. This includes a proposed taxation rate of $4.00 for the General Fund and 5.43804% for Debt Service. It was noted that the Debt Service taxation rate went from 5.79439 to 5.43804 due to increased valuations.  Kramer also noted that the property tax revenue will increase from $326,219 to $347,449 due to increase property valuations.

There being no public comment a motion to close the public hearing was made by Staebell, seconded by Burger. Motion carried. The public hearing closed at 5:33 pm.

Motion to adopt and file the FY 2019/2020 budget as presented was made by Davidson. Burger seconded. Motion carried.

Public Comment: Dan Reyner spoke briefly about summer events that are being sponsored by the LDRA

Davidson motioned to adjourn, Burger seconded. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 5:44 pm.

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, February 21, 2019

6:30 pm

Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Building

Delhi, IA

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order at 6:30 pm by President Staebell

Trustees present: Davidson and Staebell. Herman arrived at 6:40. Gifford, Havertape, Burger and Leonard by phone.

Trustees absent: None

Visitors: Brian Soenen from Iowa Project Aware, Craig Burell from the Manchester Press/Dyersville Commerical and Larry Aschbrenner

Motion to approve the meeting agenda as read was made by Davidson, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

Motion to approve the minutes of previous meetings was made by Havertape, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

Claims were presented for payment in the amount of $9,155.30 from the General Fund for electricity, LP gas, internet services, dam operation services, printer maintenance, lobbyist expense, clerical expense and miscellaneous supplies. Davidson motioned to approve the claims for payment as read, Gifford seconded.  Motion carried.

January financial reports were presented. The General Fund had revenues of $4,967.04 from Delaware County and expenditures of $15,856.54 ending December at $1,814,976.19. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $3,439.93 from Delaware County and no expenditures, ending January at $73,014.92. The Dam Improvement Fund had no revenues or expenditures and ended January with a $20,000.00 balance. Herman motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Davidson seconded. Motion carried.

Before introducing Brian Soenen from Iowa Project Aware, Staebell gave some background regarding the donation made by the Lake Delhi Trustees to Iowa Project Aware. With work on the Maquoketa River completed in July, 2018, one of the volunteers for Project Aware, Doug, Hawker, came to the Board and asked them to consider a donation to Project Aware for all the work that had been done. Official action was taken in October, 2018 and the Board approved a donation in the amount of $15,000 to Project Aware. He also noted that the Trustees reached out to Lake Delhi neighborhoods and road associations requesting them to consider making a donation in support of the program. To date at least three or more neighborhoods have made a donation or pledge with others indicating they would put on the agenda at the annual meeting this summer. Staebell stated that in visiting with Brian, it was agreed that Lake Delhi’s $15,000 contribution would be listed as a Platinum Paddle Sponsor ($3,000/yr.) for the next five years. This action by Project Aware will reiterate to future Iowa rivers, sponsors and volunteers as a show of Lake Delhi’s appreciate and commitment to water quality and environmental stewardship.

Brian Soenen, from Iowa Project Aware, gave a brief background of Project Aware. He has been with the program since 2003. The goal of the project was to travel all over the state to work on various river projects and show the diversity of the State of Iowa.   The project started with 18-20 volunteers in 2003 and has greatly expanded since that time. The annual project is supported completely by volunteers and donations. He thanked the Trustees for their generous support to Project Aware.

Staebell reminded the Trustees that the public hearing for approval of the FY20 budget is Wednesday, March 6^th at 5:30.

The next agenda item was consideration and possible action on a request to the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi for reimbursement of $138,599.19 for work on the drainage project south of the dam and rip rap work on the north side of the dam. Herman made a motion to make the request, second by Burger.   Motion carried.

It was noted that a quote had been received by Superior Crane to move controls on the dam site. Staebell stated both Randy Rattenborg and Pat Colgan provided input regarding the quote which is in the amount of $34, 728.00.   Davidson made a motion to table any action on accepting the quote until more information could be gathered from Burrington Group and Pat Colgan. Herman seconded the motion. Leonard asked Davidson if the Dam Operations Committee had had a chance to review the quote. Davidson commented that the committee had not reviewed this onsite and had not met with Burrington Group to have an in-depth discussion regarding the quote. Staebell noted that he is working with Burrington Group to schedule a time to do an on-site review. Staebell asked for a vote on the motion to table any action. All ayes. Motion carried.

The Board considered the purchase of scaffolding for use on the dam. Staebell noted that Randy Rattenborg from Burrington Group has provided two quotes from Fannon Welding and Palmer Hardware.   Previously some work on the dam required the use of a ladder which is not only cumbersome but potentially dangerous. The quote from Fannon Welding was for $800.00. The quote from Palmer Hardware was for $1,470.00. After review of the quotes, a motion was made by Herman to approve the Fannon Welding quote contingent upon having Randy Rattenborg verify that both quotes were for an “apples to apples” product. Davidson seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Committee Updates: Before the updates, Staebell provided information regarding actual committee goals for the coming year and possibly developing five year goals.

Water Quality & Sediment Control – Leonard mentioned that there will be an annual meeting of the Maquoketa River Watershed Management Authority Board of Directors on February 26^th, 2019. After that meeting there will be discussion of future goals.

Community Quality & Life – Gifford stated the committee is committed to getting the Wall of Recognition done in 2019.

Staebell asked Gifford to give a brief update on potential legislation supporting the Iowa Water and Land Legacy that proposes 3/8th of a cent increase in the sales tax for water quality purposes.   Gifford stated that our lobbyists are looking for direction from the Trustees to let them know if they would support the legislation. This would raise approximately $180 million dollars for conservation and outdoor recreation programs in Iowa and it would be a great opportunity for large scale public recreation venues like Lake Delhi for future projects. The general consensus of the Board was that the proposed legislation would have a positive impact on lake Delhi. Since this was not an agenda item no action was taken but it was suggested to have it on next month’s agenda.

Property Assets & Dam Committee – Davidson commented that during the two years of operation it’s been a learning experience for everyone. He commented that working with Burrington Group has been going well. There was a recent issue with the Hotsy but that has been resolved. He expressed concern that with all the snow we’ve had this year we need to be prepared for flooding. It’s something the committee and Burrington Group are prepping for. Burger expressed concern about potential ice damage and asked the team keep that in mind.

Finance & Budget – Burger stated that the proposed budget has been sent out to all the trustees for review and feedback was taken into consideration for the final draft that will be presented on March 6^th.

Public Comment: Aschbrenner asked what the scaffolding would be used for. Davidson stated it will be located on the upper deck for use when working on the actuators.

There being no other comments, a motion was made by Davidson, second by Herman to adjourn. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, January 17, 2019

6:30 pm

Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Building

Delhi, IA

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order at 6:30 pm by Vice-President Herman.

Trustees present: Herman, Davidson, Burger. Gifford & Havertape by phone.

Trustees absent: Leonard, Staebell

Visitors: Ed Schmidt, Ben Pasker, Dan Reyner, Larry Aschbrenner

Motion to approve the meeting agenda as read was made by Davidson, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

Motion to approve the minutes of previous meetings was made by Burger, seconded by Davidson. Motion carried.

Claims were presented for payment in the amount of $15,856.54 from the General Fund for electricity, LP gas, internet services, dam operation services, printer maintenance, lobbyist expense, clerical expense, annual dam inspection, well repairs, misc. supplies and balance due on drainage project. Burger motioned to approve the claims for payment as read, Havertape seconded.  Motion carried.

December financial reports were presented. The General Fund had revenues of $6,964.12 from Delaware County and expenditures of $27,418.16 ending December at $1,825,865.69. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $6,622.44 from Delaware County and no expenditures, ending December at $69,522.22. The Dam Improvement Fund had no revenues or expenditures and ended December with a $20,000.00 balance. Davidson motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Burger seconded. Motion carried.

The Board considered setting a date for a public hearing to approval the FY20 budget.  After some discussion, Burger made a motion to hold the public hearing on Wednesday, March 6^th at 5:30. Herman seconded the motion. Because the budget will need to be published before the regular February meeting the Board agreed that the proposed budget would be sent to each member prior to the publication for their review. Motion carried.

The next agenda item was consideration for approval of a donation to the Maquoketa Valley Watershed Management Authority. The request was for a $1.00 per capita fee. Because of the difficulty in determining the population of the District for purposes of calculating the per capita assessment, the proposal, worked on with Delaware County Supervisor Shirley Helmrichs, was that the District population would be based upon the number of homestead filings in the District with an assumed rate of two residents per homestead. The District has 257 homesteads, therefore the assumed population would be 514 persons resulting in a $514.00 assessment. Burger asked if this would be an annual donation and Herman confirmed that it would. A motion was made by Burger, second by Davidson to approve payment of the per capita assessment as proposed. Motion carried.

Committee Updates:

Water Quality & Sediment Control – No report

Community Quality & Life – Gifford said there’s a focus on the Wall of Recognition and the committee is working to create a design to present some options for the Board.

Property Assets & Dam – Davidson commented that he has been working with Burrington Group on the Scada building. They put together the generator storage unit and secured it so the generator is now being stored outside the Scada office. They have been looking at other building repairs. He also stated that they are still discussing security cameras. He is also concerned about the Windstream internet costs and possible options from other companies. Herman stated he is still working on easement transfers.

Finance & Budget – Burger stated the finance committee is meeting on Saturday at 9:30 to work on the budget for FY20.

Public Comment: Ed Schmidt asked how much money is left in the Community Fund. Gifford stated he thought it was around $148,800. Schmidt asked if there were still fund advisors to approve payments from the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi. Gifford stated that was correct.

Ben Pasker asked a question about the electric bill at the dam and what drove the cost. The thought was the aerators may drive the utility expense.

Dan Reyner addressed the Board and asked how they viewed the purpose of the LDRA.   Comments from the Board indicated that they likened the Board of Trustees to a city and the LDRA as a chamber of commerce. The LDRA would handle the recreational aspect of the lake and come to the Board with their projects and funding requests. It was also noted that the Board currently has a board member who is a liaison to the LDRA. Reyner asked about fireworks and if the Board would provide insurance coverage.   Burger indicated that the Board has provided insurance for the fireworks in the past and the consensus was that they would continue to do that. Reyner talked about the LDRA budget and indicated they would be requesting a dredge donation for the amount due along with a request for $1,000 to cover general operating expenses and money to cover the expense for a tax preparer. Reyner also stated that the LDRA is looking to fundraise around $20,000 for upcoming fireworks but may also need to request monies from the Board to cover some of those costs. A question was raised about what lake activities the LDRA would handle. Reyner stated that activities would include the fireworks and Christmas on the Lake. Davidson asked about the Fish & Game Club. He stated he felt that the club needed to work with the LDRA on their activities. Reyner indicated that the LDRA would be handling all of the promotional work for the Fish & Game Club as well as the fireworks, etc. He stated the LDRA will provide all the advertising of events and that they are currently developing their Facebook page and well as putting together a mailing list of all the property owners on the lake. Reyner said the LDRA would also be working with other groups such as the local snowmobile group and the Hartwick Huskies to promote their events. They also are looking to work with the DNR to provide workshops for boat and water safety. Reyner asked about the lake logo and if the LDRA could use the same logo to avoid potential confusion. The general consensus was that using the same logo would be a good idea.

There being no other comments, a motion was made by Burger, second by Davidson to adjourn. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 7:16 p.m.

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, December 20, 2018

6:30 pm

Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Building

Delhi, IA

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order at 6:30 pm by President Staebell.

Trustees present: Staebell, Herman, Davidson, Burger. Gifford by phone.

Trustees absent: Leonard, Havertape

Visitors: Ed Schmidt, Jim Willey and Deb Burger

Motion to approve the meeting agenda as read was made by Davidson, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

Motion to approve the minutes of previous meetings was made by Herman, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

Claims were presented for payment in the amount of $27, 418.16 from the General Fund for electricity, LP gas, internet services, dam operation services, printer maintenance, lobbyist expense, clerical expense, generator inspection, dam maintenance, misc. supplies and donation to Project Aware. Davidson motioned to approve the claims for payment as read, Burger seconded.  Motion carried.

November financial reports were presented. The General Fund had revenues of $8,646.85 from Delaware County and expenditures of $106,836.44 ending November at $1,846,319.73. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $8,996.54 from Delaware County and no expenditures, ending November at $62,899.78. The Dam Improvement Fund had no revenues or expenditures and ended November with a $20,000.00 balance. Herman motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Burger seconded. Motion carried.

Consideration on the acceptance of drainage work and other improvements done by F.L. Krapfl to allow for the release of retainage after 30 days. Motion by Burger to approve, second by Herman. Motion carried.

The Board reviewed a request from the Snow Pioneers Snowmobile Club to create designated snowmobile trails on District property. A motion was made by Herman, second by Burger to approve. Staebell opened it up for discuss noting Jim Willey was there to answer any questions. Herman asked if the lease agreement is the same as what they would enter with the County. There are minor differences but the agreement is basically the same. He noted that 95% of snowmobile trails are on private property and that’s the reason for this type of agreement. Staebell noted the map of the trail is near the dredge site near the Cedar’s. Staebell asked if there is a need for a Certificate of Insurance. Willey stated that by signing the Agreement the District is included on the insurance as a landowner. Staebell asked if this needed to be done annually. Willey stated it is a perpetual agreement until either party wants to change the agreement. With no other discussion, the motion carried.

The Board considered a request for action on the approval of expenditures for one-third the cost of well repairs for properties adjoining district owned property. Staebell explained that the District has received from Wulfekuhle Electric for work done on a well that the District has partial responsibility for based on a prior agreement.   A motion was made to discuss the request by Davidson, second by Burger. Motion carried. Herman gave a review of his findings regarding the agreement. Based on information he was able to uncover there are many questions and uncertainties regarding the District’s obligations. After further discussion, a motion was made by Burger, second by Davidson to table the request until more information becomes available. Motion carried.

Committee Updates:

Water Quality & Sediment Control – No report

Community Quality & Life – No report

Property Assets & Dam – Davidson commented that he was at the dam when the transducer was replaced and the work was completed successfully.   The property committee met on December 4^th to review possible projects for the future and frontage issues.

Finance & Budget – Burger suggested that one of the trustees meet with Laurie to review the preparation of the budget and become familiar with the budget process. Herman stated he felt that it would be a good idea to make more specific line item amounts for designated project within the budget. Staebell mentioned that with the payment for the drainage project complete, it might be time to request reimbursement from the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi. This is the account that is held by the Greater Dubuque Foundation. At this time there is approximately $148,000 left in that account and he feels it might be a good idea to ask for reimbursement for some invoices that are related to the dam and lake improvements.

Staebell noted he will not be available for the January meeting but will try to call in. He noted that at the February meeting individuals involved with Project Aware will be available for the presentation of the $15,000 donation the Trustees approved in October. He also noted that several of the road associations have also made contributions to Project Aware.

Public Comment: No comment

A motion to adjourn was made by Herman, second by Davidson. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.