The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, May 16, 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: Staebell, Davidson, Burger, Leonard, Havertape and Herman. Gifford present by phone

Visitors: Ed Schmidt and Dan Reyner

Staebell asked for a motion to approve the meeting agenda. A motion was made by Herman, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

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

Claims were presented for payment in the amount of $8,968.22 from the General Fund for electricity, internet services, dam operation services, printer maintenance, lobbyist expense, clerical expense, property insurance, trailer license and miscellaneous supplies. Herman motioned to approve the claims for payment as read minus the payment of the trailer license. Davidson seconded.  Motion carried.

April financial reports were presented. The General Fund had revenues of $160,528.07 from Delaware County and the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi. Expenditures for April were $$108,884.16 ending April at $1,965,506.84. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $28,414.00 from Delaware County and expenditures of $236,579.00, ending April at $28,956.39. The Dam Improvement Fund had no revenues or expenditures and ended April with a $20,000.00 balance. Herman motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Burger seconded. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Burger, second by Leonard to approve the FY2018 Compilation report by Hunt and Associates. Motion carried.

The next agenda item was consideration of a resolution to consent to assignment of trustee agent agreements; escrow agent agreements; and/or paying of agent and registrar and transfer of agent agreements. Staebell asked Burger to update the Board.

Burger explained that the registrar paying agent that the District original signed up with is Bankers Trust. What they do is they keep track of all the electronic bonds that are out there so all the District has to do is send one check to them. If bonds are sold Bankers Trust distributes the money. They take care of all the paperwork for an annual fee.   What happened is Bankers Trust sold their service to UMB bank of Kansas City. Bond council decided a resolution needed to be done to verify the District is okay with transfer. While the actual transfer to UMB Bank has been moved back to July, it’s necessary to get the paperwork completed beforehand. A motion was made by Herman, second by Davidson. Staebell asked for a roll call vote.

Leonard – yes

Davidson- yes

Burger – yes

Gifford – yes

Staebell – yes

Herman – yes

Havertape – yes

Motion carried

Consideration and possible action on a resolution to transfer a designated amount into the Dam Improvement Fund as required by the 28E Agreement with the County Supervisors filed in January of 2014.   Staebell explained that this is an annual transfer and in the past two years the Board has approved $10,000 each year for a total of $20,000 that is in Fund 81003. He noted there has been some discussion among the Trustees regarding the amount to transfer. Staebell stated that more discussion about adding more money into the Dam Improvement Fund could be done at the next work session.   The requirement from the County is to get to a total of $150,000 in that fund. Staebell asked for a motion to transfer $10,000 into the Dam Improvement Fund.. Davidson made the motion to transfer $10,000, second by Havertape. Staeball asked for a roll call vote.

Leonard – yes

Davidson- yes

Burger – yes

Gifford – yes

Staebell – yes

Herman – yes

Havertape – yes

Motion carried.

The Board considered possible action on a resolution to approve a policy to transfer District lake frontage. Staebell noted that this issue has been discussed for several months and asked Herman to give the Board an overview of the policy. Herman stated that in Resolution 5.16.19 (d) he laid out a summary of how historically the LDRA had sold lake frontage in the past. Although most of the lake frontage was sold there are some areas that remain with the District. The District’s intent is to give up control and sell it to adjacent property owners. While we can’t force the property owners to purchase their frontage the District can prohibit docks and lifts to be placed on the frontage the District owns. While the LDRA transferred property to the center of the lake that could be a FEMA issue.   The intent of this policy would be to transfer 50’ from the shoreline. This would be done by a quit claim deed at the same cost that the LDRA sold front which was $10.00 a lineal foot. The property owner would have to pay for the survey and also all recording fees. In the deed the District would reserve the right to enter the property and maintain what was sold if an event warranted it.   It would be the District’s cost to move the owner’s docks/lifts and replace them. The District would also retains sole discretion to NOT sell frontage if for some reason that frontage was deemed valuable to the District.   Herman stated he felt the deeds will be pretty consistent and if there’s one attorney would could handle all of the deeds it may be a benefit to the owner. The homeowner can choose whoever they want for a surveyor. Leonard stated he felt the $10.00 per foot should go up every year to encourage property owners to take advantage of purchasing the frontage now. He also thought the estimate on the legal fees and recording costs seem a bit low.   Leonard stated his concern about putting cost estimates in the policy given the fact that the costs could run higher than the estimate. Herman said the estimate could be removed from the policy but Burger stated he felt there needs to be some language as to the cost. Leonard suggested the policy include a range for costs. Havertape asked how many properties were left that are District owned. Herman stated he thought around 20 or so. Staebell thought it was more like a dozen. Leonard suggested changing the rate per foot to $10.00 per for in calendar 2019 and a 3% inflationary rate thereafter. Herman said he’d rather do $10.00 per foot for the fiscal year 2020 and an additional $5.00 per foot per year thereafter.  Leonard asked if the language relating to moving property owner’s docks/lifts reviewed by the county auditor. Herman said he had talked with her but that he would draft language that would go on the deed. Herman said the policy approval could be postponed until after the public hearing. After some discussion, the consensus was to approve the policy tonight and if it needs to be amended that could be done at the public hearing in June. It was also clarified that the policy would reflect a range to the costs for surveying and the legal and recording fees. Leonard asked how is this going to be communicated to the homeowners since some may not know they don’t own their frontage.   Staebell and Herman stated they would be reaching out to the property owners who have been identified as not owning their frontage. Herman noted that the language on #4 of the policy would state the rate of $10 per lineal foot would be measured from the point where the district property meets the private property and that the rate of $10 per lineal foot would increase $5.00 annually starting in July, 2020. Davidson made a motion to approve the transfer policy as edited in Resolution 5.16.19 ( c ), Havertape second. Motion carried.

The Board considered possible action on a resolution to schedule a public hearing to approve the transfer of lake frontage owned y the District to adjacent property owners pursuant to the District lake frontage a transfer policy. Said hearing will be held on June 20, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at the District Office.   Herman stated that he had talked with Laurie Kramer regarding the notice for the public hearing. He will be working with her on the language for the notification. A motion was made by Burger, second by Davidson. Motion carried.

The Board discussed action on removal of the wood debris located down by the Nook location near the dam and wood debris at Lost Beach.   Staebell stated that Rich Hughes plans to remove the debris on Lost Beach. The question is what to do with the debris in the Nook area. Leonard stated he had talked to Marty Pottebaum. Marty had talked with the homeowner next to the debris and she was comfortable with burning it but there could be some liability to do that. Davidson said he is not in favor of burning. He stated that the decision was made to let the wood dry out for 30 days and then anyone who wanted to take it for firewood could do so. He also noted that Jeremy Klima expressed interest in taking it. Burger stated he had heard from Bruce Schneider who had a lot of trees and wood debris dropped at his place. Burger said if action is going to be taken on wood debris the Schneider property should be included. Staebell also stated that there was a lot of debris in the Klima area also. Because of other debris that is still located in the lake, Leonard made a recommendation to reach out to Jeremy Klima to take another run through the lake. Other discussion was finding someone to haul the debris away. Different options were discussed. Leonard reminded the Board that the President and Treasurer have the authority to expend up to $5,000 to hire someone to remove debris after a couple of weeks. No other action was taken.

The next agenda item involved looking at options for the Wall of Recognition using funds gifted to the Trustees. Staebell began the discussion with some background information regarding monies for the Wall of Recognition. He noted that of the $1,700,000 pledged to the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi around $1,600,000 was collected. Based on the information on the CFTRLD website there were around 278 donors. The funds collected have been held by the Greater Dubuque Foundation. After previous donations for the dam rebuild the account in Dubuque has approximately $14,100 left. Staebell said he felt there’s need to close this account sometime in the near future. He also noted that the CFTRLD held around $112,000 in their bank account around a year ago. After a transfer to the District of $91,000, the current balance in that account is a little over $21,000. Staebell noted that there were three large fundraising events that happened prior to the completion of the dam in 2016. Those included the pontoon raffle, a cash raffle and St. Pat’s bartending tips. Those dollars amounted to approximately $57,600 of the $91,000. So the balance would be for the wall and LDRA seed money.  The balance at Heritage of $21,000 would also be available funds for the wall and LDRA. He pointed out that on the CFTRLD website there was a notice of transparency that stated zero donation dollars would be going toward marketing, rewards, recognition, printing, mailing, etc.

He then asked Gifford to review the wall options with the Board. Gifford stated that in 2011 when the fundraising began it was identified that private funds would drive all the fundraising because the State and County wouldn’t come in unless there was a large private fundraising effort. An important part of driving the private fundraising was having a wall of recognition. The Dubuque Foundation was brought in to develop the trust and tracking of those donations. Because the funds in Dubuque couldn’t be used for marketing, the wall, etc., the other funds went into the bank in Delhi. He presented three options for consideration and noted that the committee to oversee the project included himself, Leonard and Davidson. He noted that while there are three options components of each option could be interchanged so multiple options are available.

Option #1 has a cost of $51,900. This includes the wall, concrete pavers and limestone sitting cubes Lake Delhi “map” inlaid pavers and “piers” would be paid by interested donors. He noted that there is a significant cost to the engraving.

Option #2 has a cost of $65,400. This everything in Option #1 but would include an enlarged concrete space by the spillway which would include a shade sail area and a sculpture area. Those two items would also be donated.

Option #3 has a cost of $81,900. It includes an even larger concrete area and additional limestone seating along with some landscaping.

Davidson asked if the budget difference between #1 and #2 including pulling out the existing concrete pad. Gifford said that was correct. Davidson said the removal of the concrete pad should be done no matter what option is taken. Burger asked if limestone is the best option in terms of cost and durability. Gifford said limestone is a good look and is receptive to engraving. It’s not the cheapest material but not the most expensive either. It was clarified that the material is Indiana limestone. Burger asked if the committee considered several walls versus one large wall that would need bigger footings. Gifford said there was some discussion but concluded that the main wall was the consensus was a main wall was the best choice. Staebell asked if all the names would be on one side and Gifford confirmed that. Leonard also stated a larger wall would be easier to see by water. Herman commented that he liked the idea of it being natural looking and not looking commercialized. Gifford said that was the key to the design. It was noted that the piers were salvaged after construction began on the dam. They have great historical value. Herman asked if there’s a comfort level with the location of the wall. Leonard stated they spoke with the dam safety engineer and the local fire department. A crane was also brought down to see what kind of access they would need. It was noted that all involved in the discussions felt the likelihood of needing a crane for assistance would highly unlikely. Herman said his concern was also regarding creating issues on the embankment.   Leonard said that was all reviewed by Bill Holman, our dam safety engineer. Staebell asked if the wall is located on the embankment on is where is it from the current sidewalk. Gifford stated the wall will be much closer to the sidewalk which is a big cost savings. Staebell asked if there were other locations considered. Davidson said the committee talked about some options but this location seemed to be the best area. Herman asked if there was any feedback from residents regarding using taxpayer dollars. Leonard stated it’s no taxpayer money is being used. It’s money that comes from fundraising. Leonard stated the $91,000 transfer made to the Trustees from the CFTRLD was accepted for use for the betterment of the public. Staebell referred back to his initial review of the transferred dollars.   His feeling is that the fundraising done prior to the completion of the dam would have gone to the Dubuque Foundation for the purpose of the rebuild but to avoid associated fees the monies went to Heritage Bank. Leonard stressed that the Board accepted the $91,000 was for public benefit and they have some great options to choose from for the wall project. Staebell asked if the committee is looking for a commitment of a certain amount of dollars for the project. The District would be the holder of the contract. Leonard made a motion to approve option #2 in the amount of $65,400 plus a 10% overage for sake of discussion. Havertape second the motion. Davidson asked what are the “paid for by donors” are getting for their donation. Leonard said there was some specific individuals interested in donating toward specific aspects of the wall like the shade sail area. These individuals are looking for guidance from the Board on what projects will be approved. Staebell said he’s comfortable with staying within the $34,000 level and would support paying for contingencies. He also felt the concrete repair costs should be supported by the District. Staebell said he would amend the motion to $34,000 plus a 10% contingency and also the cost to repair the concrete area. Davidson asked what the difference in site prep was for each option. Option #1 is $1,500, Option #2 is 3,000 and Option #3 is $3,400.   Gifford stated site prep increased with the size of the project. Davidson suggested the site prep be paid for by the District. Herman asked where the money at Heritage Bank came from. Leonard said it came from fundraising activities. Herman asked if the $21,000 remaining at Heritage Bank could be used for this project. Leonard suggested he sit down with Gifford and Kramer to see what expenditures are left to come out of that account. There’s currently $10,000 of the $21,000 is earmarked for this year’s fireworks. There would need to be input from the Board on how they want to handle those remaining dollars. Davidson asked if it would be agreeable to close out the account at Heritage Bank and Leonard said that could be done. Davidson asked Burger if there was dollars allocated in the certified budget for lake events. Davidson asked if there was money in there for the fireworks. The answer was yes. Staebell asked if there was going to be fundraising for the fireworks and Leonar5 stated the fundraising is done in arrears. Future fundraising would come from the LDRA.  Gifford noted the District has a bucket of non-taxpayer dollars that can support the project but Herman stated that some of that money could be used for other things. Burger noted that taxpayer money was used to enhance Turtle Creek and that was for public use. Leonard expressed to the Board that the $91,000 will always be up for debate on how to spend those dollars on any future projects. Havertape noted that when Gifford came to him asking for a donation the for the rebuild project he told him there would be a wall to recognize those donors who stepped forward. Burger asked who is designing the project which includes the footings, etc. Gifford said Culver Landscaping is doing the design and engineer. The DNR will sign off on the project. Staebell asked for clarification on what the DNR will sign off on. Gifford stated DNR has already reviewed the plans and have signed off. Davidson asked who was going to oversee the project? Gifford said Culvers will be the general contractor along with the three committee members. Staebell asked if we need oversight on the footing checks. Burger stated it’s important to protect our property. It was suggested the District hire Burrington Group to oversee the initial inspection. Davidson asked if Culvers will be drafting a contract and Gifford said that’s correct. Herman suggested taking the plans and specs to Burrington Group for review. Davidson said he wants it in the contract that there will be oversight from an engineering firm. It was agreed that no matter which option is selected additional items could be added to the project if agreed to by the District. Additional discussion surrounded discussion of the monies to be approved for the project. There was some conversation regarding how much fundraising monies were eligible for the wall. Herman asked if Leonard and Gifford were comfortable with the $21,000 from Heritage going to the trustees.   Leonard said yes. There was discussion to amend the motion on the table. Leonard moved to amend his motion to approve option #1 in an amount not to exceed $55,000 + a 10% overage that will be paid by the District. The funds will come from $34,000 that has already been transferred to the District from the Community Fund and the remaining $21,000 monies held by the Community Fund at the Heritage Bank in Delhi. Engineering and inspection services will be covered by the District. It was also noted that the concrete removal and repair would be a cost to the District. Havertape seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Committee Updates:

Staebell stated he had some dates for a planning session to be scheduled for May or June. Because of conflicts, he will send out a Doddle poll to find a date that will work.

Debris update: Staebell has been in contact with Jeremy Klima . They will be here for a couple more weeks and it was noted that several more items have been located to remove.

Staebell also noted that the filing for trustee elections is required by June 7^th at 4:30 p.m.

He also noted that there have been requests for trustee attendance at various annual road association meetings. Those are covered.

Leonard stated Rocky Nook folks reached out to him to make sure they could do the weed control on the side by their docks. They also asked about removal of the canvas on the fence since it is pretty well shredded. The consensus of the Board was to let them remove the canvas. Leonard then addressed the issue of the fireworks. The contract to get the discount is due very soon so if the Board is okay with payment coming from the $21,000 at Heritage Bank. Davidson addressed the concern about the Rocky Nook owners putting a “no trespassing” sign on District owned property near their docks. Leonard said he would speak to them. Leonard also noted that our lobbyists will be coming to the June meeting to give an update. Davidson gave an update on the problems that the operations team is having with the crane at the dam. Options are being discussed.

Public Comment: Schmidt asked a question regarding the budget for Option #1 on the wall. It was noted that there were four specific item that were a part of Option #1.

Reyner noted that the road association meeting for Turtle Creek Cove is Sunday, May 26^th at 10:00 if any trustee would like to attend.

Davidson made a motion to adjourn, second by Herman Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m.

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, April 18, 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, Burger, Staebell, Herman and Havertape

Trustees absent: Gifford and Leonard

Visitors: Ed Schmidt, Gordon & Patricia Anderson, Linda Slobodnik, Dan Recker, Randy Rattenborg, Mike Ryan, Wanda Davidson, Ben Pasker, Vicki Shadle, Lois & Larry Sloan, Dan Reyner, Larry Aschbrenner and Tyler Burlage

Staebell asked for a motion to approve the meeting agenda. A motion was made by Havertape, second by Davidson. Motion carried.

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

Claims were presented for payment in the amount of $11,955.84 from the General Fund for electricity, internet services, dam operation services, printer maintenance, lobbyist expense, clerical expense, scaffolding and miscellaneous supplies. Claims were also presented in the amount of $236,579.00 from the Debt Service Fund for payment of principal and interest on the GO Bond debt. Burger motioned to approve the claims for payment as read, Davidson second.  Motion carried.

March financial reports were presented. The General Fund had revenues of $102,364.30 from Delaware County and expenditures of $9,746.02 ending March at $1,913,862.93. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $145,185.69 from Delaware County and no expenditures, ending March at $237,121.39. The Dam Improvement Fund had no revenues or expenditures and ended March with a $20,000.00 balance. Burger motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Herman second. Motion carried.

Mike Ryan, from Delaware County Emergency Management, was present to provide information regarding a new notification system that Delaware County will be instituting in the near future. The county is participating in a statewide mass notification system known as Alert Iowa. Mike noted that a letter is being sent to lake homeowners asking them to sign up for the notification alert. He also walked through how the declaration process for weather damages is handled by the county. Staebell thanked Mike for his presentation.

The Board considered action on Resolution #4.18.19 to authorize the Delaware County Auditor to conduct the upcoming Trustee election to be held Tuesday, July 23, 2019. A motion was made by Herman, second by Davidson to approve the resolution. Motion carried.

A motion was made by Burger, second by Davidson to approve a donation request from the LDRA for assistance with the LDRA dredge debt. The amount approve was $96,760.50. Motion carried.

The Board discussed approval of a quote from Rotork for actuator service work. The quote is for $4,024.06.   A motion was made by Havertape, second by Herman to approve moving forward with the quote and authorizing a purchase order to be sent to Rotork. Motion carried.

A discussion was held regarding beach maintenance. Staebell mentioned that the Trustees had received a request from several lake residents regarding the condition of the beach at Lost Beach. He also received notice from Dave Fink that he will no longer be able to do the maintenance at North Beach. Because of those issues, he asked for this to be on the agenda. Davidson said he would like to table the discussion until the committee for beach maintenance can get together to discuss options for maintenance at both locations. He noted that Tyler Burlage has approached the trustees with possible solutions to eliminate the rocky condition at Lost Beach and Davidson said the committee would be looking at all options. Burlage stated he had pursued information regarding equipment that would be able to screen out the rocks from the beach area He was asked if he could look into finding a dealer that might be interested in bringing out the equipment so the board could see how it works. Burlage said he would look into it.

Consideration and possible action on a request from a lake owner to purchase shore frontage was discussed. Staebell noted that the District had received a request last fall from a homeowner regarding the purchase of frontage and since that time the District has received another request for the same thing. Staebell asked Davidson and Herman to provide the Board with an update of what their committee had discussed for actions going forward. Herman stated that there were varying opinions amongst the trustees on whether to transfer any District properties. Some of the concerns were regarding any implications with potential future FEMA claims if the District doesn’t own the property.   Because the District owns very little lake bed property, the conclusion of the committee was that they would entertain transferring frontage but the purchased frontage would only go 50’ into the lake bed. Surveying the property would be necessary and the cost to do that is approximately $1,500. Other fees and legal services would be an additional expense. The suggestion of the committee is that all costs should be assumed by the property owner along with a cost of $10.00/ft. for the frontage. That number is based on what the LDRA sold property for in the past. Herman noted that in the quit claim deed there would be a clause that would allow the District to enter the transferred property if needed for maintenance or dredging. The cost to remove and put back docks/lifts would be the District’s responsibility. Staebell noted that there are other property owners who don’t own their frontage and at some point the District should consider reaching out to them and give them the opportunity to purchase their frontage based on the aforementioned procedure if approved by the Board. It was suggested that the Board contact their attorney to decide how best to start the process of transferring property and what the procedure should be with regarding to holding a public hearing. A motion was made by Burger, second by Davidison to start the process on transfer of properties. Motion carried.

Committee Updates:

Water Quality – Nothing to report

Community Quality of Life – Nothing to report

Property, Assets & Dam – Davidson gave an update on debris removal. He stated they had a slow start because of weather but are now making good progress. Debris has been taken to two locations. Work is scheduled for downstream starting tomorrow, Friday, April 19^th and is expected to be complete fairly quickly. They have found additional lifts and the Delhi Fire Department has also been available to do more sonar work. Staebell asked if we could get pictures of the debris. Davidson said most of the debris is scrap but it was decided to put any pictures available on our website.

Finance & Budget – Nothing to report

Staebell noted that Hartwick West is having their road association meeting on Monday, May 27^th at 9:00 a.m. Trustee members are invited to attend and give updates if they are available.

Public Comment: A question was asked if it is safe to put boats in the water. Staebelll stated that while it is safe please use caution and noted boats have been on the water over the past week.

Larry Sloan thanked the board for taking quick action on the debris cleanup.

Larry Aschbrenner wondered if the pictures of the pile of debris could be deceiving. There was no conclusion to that question.

With no other comments, a motion was made by Davidson, second by Havertape to adjourn. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Monday, April 1, 2019

4:30 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 4:30 pm by President Staebell.

Trustees present: Davidson, Burger and Staebell;. Havertape, Leonard, Gifford & Herman present by phone (Note: Herman left at 5:10 and Gifford left at 6:10)

Trustees absent: None

Visitors: LuAnn Weber, Gary Weber, Tom Gatto, Travis Niehaus, Paul Roussell, Bill Ries, Burce Schneider, Margie Schneider, Larry Aschbrenner, Ben Kindred, Chris Stender, Dan Reyner, Dan Recker, Greg Steffen, Cindy Blonigan, Dick Blonigan, Jason Wenger, Marty Pottebaum, Chris Jones, Al Bauer, Diane Bauer, Doug Bauer, Ben Pasker, Joe Vorwald, Mark Kintzle, Dick Recker, Daryl Hogan, Laurie Kramer

A motion to approve the agenda was made by Davidson, second by Burger. Motion carried.

The first agenda item was consideration and possible action on sale of the District’s barge. Staebell stated that the District went out for bid on the barge last fall. At that time there was no interest from the public. The Trustees now have an interested party who has submitted a quote to purchase the barge.. Staebell asked if there were any other interest to purchase. There being none, he read the proposal for purchase of the barge. Daryl Hogan from Hillside Manufacturing provided a proposal to purchase the barge for $1,500 contingent upon seeing the bottom of the barge and ensuring that there are no rust holes. He stipulated that if there are rust holes he would not purchase the barge. Burger asked Hogan what area of the barge would he be looking at for rust. Hogan indicated he would be looking for rust at the bottom of round barrels. Hogan said he it was scraped out it would be worth around $2,000. Leonard asked Herman if he was comfortable from legal aspect with FEMA is he comfortable with the sale. Herman said because it’s personal property and previously asking for bids there was no need for the District to go through a public hearing for bid. As far as FEMA is concerned, the only thing they might ask for is the $1,500 but considering how tied up FEMA is with other national issues, it’s not a concern. Davidson stated that the last time we offered the barge for sale it was “as is” condition. This proposal now has stipulations attached. He has concerns about that. Hogan said he would be okay with accepting the barge in “as is” condition. A motion was made by Burger to sell the barge to Hillside Manufacturing. Leonard second provided we get a Bill of Sale noting the amount of $1,500 and a timeframe of moving the barge. Hogan stated moving the barge will depend on the weather. He said he was hopeful to move it within a month. He also stated that rebuilding the barge would probably be complete by the end of the boating season or next year.

The next agenda item was consideration and possible action on quotes for debris removal. Staebell recapped the event that occurred March 14^th that caused a lot of damage and loss of property on the lake. The first thing that was done was to gather an inventory of items that were lost in that event. The major location of damage was done from the Cedar’s down past Freddie’s Beach. Staebell noted that the Delhi Fire Department was brought in to help locate submerged items and mark items in the lakebed. Joe Vorwald, from the Delhi Fire Department, gave the Trustees an update on what the department found when they scoured the lake. He stated they found nothing up-river from Cedars. Most of the inventory is on the shore and they are damaged. They found seventeen lifts that were submerged. The department didn’t mark anything that was visible and said most of those items are not in the channel. Most of the inventory was in the Schneider area and Freddy’s Beach. He noted the damage really stopped above Linden Acres. They did find a lift by Camp O but after that there was nothing under the water.   It was noted that a lift was also located down river from Lost Beach. Herman stated he took a boat ride on Sunday and saw a lot of damage and noticed a number of things out in the lake a ways that were not marked.   He asked Vorwald if he had any idea how many of those items are above water. Vorwald stated he thought around 15 above water but 30 lifts total. Leonard asked if they fire department was able to get all the way down to the dam. Vorwald said they did go down that far and there’s debris floating in that area.   He also stated they first pass they did through the lake was done with their old sonar and they weren’t happy with the results so they purchased a new sonar with a live camera. They went through the lake again and didn’t find any additional debris.   He also said they spent about 40 hours over seven days and did multiple swaps around the lake. Staebell thanked Vorwald and the fire department for providing their service to the lake. Vorwald stated that their diving team would be available for additional assistance if needed.

Before Staebell provided information regarding the two quotes for the debris removal he asked if there was any other interest from those in the audience to provide a quote to remove debris. There being no interest, Staebell reviewed the two quotes.

Staebell asked Leonard to provided information regarding the two companies that he reached out to for quotes. The first company that came out to the lake was Newt Marine Service out of Dubuque. Dan Reyner, from the LDRA, met with their representatives to see the scope of work needed to be done.   The key components of the proposal included mobilization costs, an hourly rate for debris removal, capabilities of their equipment and a potential start date. Leonard stated Newt Marine’s proposal was $67,500 for mobilization and $10,500 per an eight-hour day or $1,950 per hour. Part of the reason their proposal is so high is because of the size of their equipment they would have to pull everything before the Hartwick Bridge and re-mobilized to get all the way downstream. They could begin asap.

The second proposal is from Frentress Marina in East Dubuque. Their mobilization cost is $25,000 with an hourly rate of $400 for debris removal. They can begin work between 3-5 days after a contract is signed. The only concern for Frentress Marina is they would need to have the work completed by April 20^th because of their busy schedule.

Leonard stated there are other components to consider. One of those is deciding on locations to deposit the debris. The other is deciding on how the debris is removed since having these companies completely remove all the debris would be very costly.

Staebell stated that he felt one thing the trustees need to consider is while we are going through the process of removing the docks and lifts having the contractor deal with trees and other potential hazards in the water should be considered. Leonard state he spoke with both firms and they are willing to go all the way up river to remove that kind of debris. Davidson agreed that catching debris upstream is important but noted that all the debris at the dam should be taken care while we have the equipment to do so. Herman asked if any of the local marinas have been contacted to collect any of the items out in the lakebed. Both Chris Stender and Al Bauers said they have had calls from residents for help. Herman said a concern is with the upcoming mobilization people who plan to retrieve their docks/lifts will need to get that done very soon. It was noted that from the inventory listed there about three homeowners who plan to retrieve their items. Gifford asked if the trustees should consider charging homeowners for collecting their debris. Staebell said that is something that will be considered in the near future. Burger asked Stender if the people who have contacted him know where their docks/lift are location. Stender said most of the people he has talked to do not know where their items are. He expressed concern over what has not been located. Burger said he was concerned because if the trustees hire Frentress and they need to be off the lake by April 20^th will there be time to do additional sonar runs to catch more debris that’s submerged. Leonard stated that both firms have sonar to use during the process. Staebell asked Vorwald if the fire department would be available to assist in doing additional sonar runs. Vorwald said they would be available to help.   For clarity, Staebell stated that anything that’s out in the lakebed 100’ or more will be removed by the contractor. Stender stated he felt there were probably fewer items that need to be removed by the contract. He also said given the cost to have a contract come out and remove debris the District should look at getting a barge that would be available for future situations like this. He noted having their own barge and having volunteers would save the District money in the long run. Davidson stated he felt community involvement is crucial.

Staebell asked for public comment.

Al Bauer stated that while the contractor will be working to remove lakebed items B & B Sports and the Hartwick Marina can take care of a lot of the shoreline work.

Larry Aschbrenner – Does the District have insurance to cover the expense? The answer is no because the property damaged is not the District’s. The reason the District is taking on the expense to remove the debris is because it’s a boating hazard. Staebell noted because the District is taking on the expense to remove the debris there’s going to be some discussion on charging the homeowner’s something for removing their property from the lake.

Mark Kintzle – Is there any smaller equipment that could be used versus the big excavators that are being proposed for use? Staebell said that he was not aware that any inquiry had been made regarding smaller equipment. A question for the contractor may be utilizing other equipment once they see the scope of work to be done.

Chris Jones – Has anyone seen the barge to make sure we know what it’s going to do?   Staebell read the description of what the mobilization included.

Dan Reyner said when he took Jason from Newt Marina for a tour of the lake he asked him how big the platform would be that they would bring in. He was told 10’ x 40’ dock section and that there would be four of them. He stated it was not only for the excavator but for the debris they pull out of the lake.

Bruce Schneider suggested to they contract start upriver to better utilize their time and save some cost to the District. Leonard also suggested that locations be established to best utilize the contractor’s time as well. Schneider asked how the contractor will off-load the material. He said they could use his area but he needed to understand how this would be handled. Leonard said he would speak with the approved contractor about how they would handle getting the materials to the shore.

Marty Pottebaum said because time is of the essence and that the District needs to be sure that the contractor understands that if there is something they can’t get with their equipment then need to find the equipment that will work. Staebell asked Leonard to clarify this issue with the approved contractor.

Margie Schneider ask how much the District has budgeted for this type of expense. Staebell stated that in the budget there’s $35,000 for debris removal and also $60,000 for Lake Bed Mitigation of which $40,000 is already designated. So the total amount is around $55,000.

With no other questions, Davidson made a motion to accept the proposal from Frentress Lake Marina noting the work will include not only removing the debris from the docks and lifts but other potentially dangerous material such as trees and that they take care of all the debris located at the dam and around the cabling at the dam.  Burger seconded the motion.  A question was asked about dealing with the wood and trees at the dam. While this is not a part of the motion it was suggested that the material be dragged to the District’s ramp area south of the dam to be cut up later on. Pottebaum said he would be available to truck out the material if we could get volunteers to help cut up the material. Gifford asked if a part of the motion should include looking at charging back a part of the expense to the homeowners. Staebell stated that will be part of another discussion. Gifford said he feels the Board needs to make a decision very soon. Leonard said his concern is that a property owner needs to know in advance if there’s gong to be a charge in case they are planning to remove their own property. Margie Schneider expressed concern that this was an act of mother nature and to distinguish whose property is whose would be a nightmare. Staebell ask for a roll call vote.

Burger – Yes, because of the timing. He would like to look into purchasing a barge in the future but noted there’s also a liability to owning a barge.

Davidson – Yes

Leonard – Yes noting we need a strategy for future needs but we need to get this taken care of now.

Gifford – Yes

Havertape – Yes

Herman – Signed off

Staebell – Yes

Motion carried.

Staebell asked Leonard to communicate to Frentress and get something contractual for Staebell to sign.

Staebell spoke to the Trustees about the communication document that ‘s being developed to present to the community. He read the proposed document to those in attendance and noted the document will be posted as soon as it is finalized. Within the document aris a timeframe for the debris removal to take place and directions to property owners who lost personal property and steps that will be taken to remove items in the lake bed. Burger stated he felt that damaged property within the 100’ mark should be considered for removal by Frentress it is not owned by the property owner. Burger asked Stender and Bauers if they are going to go out and mark the items the people have asked them to take care of. Stender said they will have to do that.   Burger said it’s very difficult to identify lifts and it’s going to be hard to charge back to the property owner for a lift unless there are specific markings. Burger stated he’s not in favor of charging back to the home owner. Leonard stated timing is important if we need to involve the ski club for assistance. Staebell asked the question “do we want to give owners a certain amount of time to reclaim their items and if so should we charge them at that point in time”.   Pottebaum stated most material that is going to be removed will be junk and we should not people to sift through the material to take whatever they want. Pottebaum reiterated that time is of the essence.

Dick Recker said if someone identifies their lift they should donate an amount back to the District.

Staebell stated the document was drafted to be communication going forward to be clear on dates, timing and the responsibilities of property owners. The plan is to post on the website, sent out through email, etc.

Margie Schneider asked the boat ramps would be closed during the time of the clean up. Leonard said he spoke with the Delaware Co. Conservation Department and the DNR. Neither one plan to close down any access area. They also do not to plan to take any action regarding signage. Bruce Schneider asked if we could make a request because activity on the lake will slow down the debris removal process.  Leonard suggested sending an email blast for “no wake” activity. Staebell asked what kind of timeframe do the Trustees want to allow the marinas or individuals to go out and mark and have access to their items. Jason Wenger from Burrington Group stated that given Frentress needs to be off the lake by April 20^th the District should consider getting them started on April 8^th. Any rain days could hold up their work as well.   Leonard said their goal is to be out by April 20^th but Staebell stated that date is not listed on their proposal so we need to be sure we get that in writing from them. Staebell stated that because Frentress Marina plan to start their work on Monday, April 8^th, home owners who plan to take care of their own lifts/docks need to get them marked as soon as possible. Another concern is when does the District make sure items marked for removal to, in fact, get removed. Davidson and Burger said they would be available for oversight. Leonard said his concern is about homeowners who plan to remove their property on their own and if they don’t get it done what’s going to happen. Leonard suggested giving them until the middle of next week to get their items removed. Margie Schneider ask about property that went downstream and ended up on someone else’s property. How will that be addressed? Staebell stated if it’s not marked it will be removed.  Staebell expressed a concern on how we identify the property as not being the homeowners. Another concern was for those homeowners who live out of state and how they handle their property. Staebell said that’s why he’d like to give them more time. Davidson said we have to move forward despite these issues. After additional discussion, Staebell said it seems the consensus is that homeowners will need to contact us by Monday, April 8^th if they do not want their property removed.. Davidson stated that the homeowners who are going to be taking care of their property need to tag it stating “do not remove” and list their name so that it’s left alone. Anything not tagged will be removed. As a point of clarification, homeowners are expected to take of their property no matter it’s condition if it’s on their shoreline. The only exception would be items that landed on a property owner’s area that doesn’t belong to them. Then the District would remove it if they know about it.

Bruce Schneider said he could provide an area to take care of trees.   He said he could load the wood and take it away to burn.

With no other comment, Burger made a motion to adjourn and Davidson seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 6:20 p.m.