Minutes from May 19, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, May 19, 2016

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 by President Steve Leonard at 6:34 p.m.

Trustees present: Leonard, Davidson, Herman, Gifford, Colgan and Kramer

Trustees absent: Burger

Visitors: Jim & Becky Willey, Renee Strief, David Weatherwax, Doug Camp, Ken & Mary Kray, Lou & Sue Christensen, Jeff Madlom, Don Dede, Jim Locke, Bill Havertape, Bruce & Margie Schneider, Chloe Colgan, Bill & Marcheta Lux, Barb & Ken DeKlotz, Ben Pasker, Mark Kintzle, Chip Hughes, John LeClere and Jared Landt

Leonard reviewed the agenda and asked for approval that would include an additional agenda item. That agenda item was for an update from Jeff Madlom, county supervisor, regarding an update on information regarding the proposed ATV ordinance. Motion by Davidson, second by Gifford to approve agenda with additional item. Motion carried.

John LeClere, Delaware County Sheriff, and Jared Landt, Conservation Officer for Delaware & Jones County, gave a presentation to the board regarding future patrolling efforts on Lake Delhi. LeClere explained that a couple of years ago he was informed by county employees who had attended meetings with the DNR that the seasonal water patrol was probably going to be eliminated at Lake Delhi. He said he found that very concerning because the DNR always had a pretty strong presence at the lake. Knowing that the DNR personnel has been spread pretty thin the Sheriff’s Office decided it was time to acquire a boat so that office could patrol the water area as well as the land area in the county. He noted that many other counties in the area utilize the sheriff’s office to patrol water areas such as Clayton, Dubuque, Linn and Black Hawk counties. LeClere said he began having discussions with the Board of Supervisors noting there are lots of people wanting to get back out on Lake Delhi and with the additional public access the lake will get very busy.   After talking with the DNR this spring, they confirmed that it was very unlikely that they would be able to patrol the lake. He mentioned that the number one priority of the Sheriff’s Office is public safety. They don’t intend to patrol the lake seven days a week writing tickets for every little thing. They will be looking for reckless behavior and boating while intoxicated. He’s had several deputies attend class on a boating while intoxicated and will continue to work with the DNR to keep people safe on the lake.

Jared Landt, conservation officer for Delaware and Jones counties, introduced himself. He has 5 ½ years experience seasonal enforcement before he started as a fulltime conservation office for the past six years. During that time he spent 3 ½ years working on Lake Delhi so he’s familiar with the area.   He assured those in attendance that the DNR is not eliminating patrols on Lake Delhi. However, their presences will be limited because of the reduced staffing.   This affects not only Lake Delhi but other lakes in the state as well. Landt stated he will be the primary DNR officer for this area and will utilize the assistance of the sheriff’s office when needed. The main focus for the DNR at this time is the enforcement dock permits. He agreed with LeClere that the focus of patrolling the lake will be boater safety. Landt stated that the DNR will not have a boat slip but will be trailering their boat which is a flat boat and as well as a shared Princecraft that was purchased from Hartwick but is also shared with Linn County and Coralville. He stressed again that the DNR presence will be limited and they will utilize the help from of other agencies like the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. Any special events on the lake will take priority. Those events must be approved by the DNR so they are aware of them.

Leonard asked Jeff Madlom if he had any comments. Madlom stated that from the supervisors’ perspective, Lake Delhi is a part of Delaware County. The county has to take responsibility whether it’s a paved road or a lake. With the limited resources of the DNR, he feels it’s important for the safety of the lake to have a presence there and that’s why he approved the purchase of a boat for the sheriff’s department. He also stated he felt by having a presence on the lake it would help deter reckless behavior on the lake. Leonard stated the most common question he’s gotten is “Is there going to be an additional cost to Lake Delhi for this additional service?” LeClere stated there will be no additional cost to the lake. Madlom stated that just like the county fair or other events going on in the county that require extra law enforcement presence, it’s the responsibility of the county to pay for the additional enforcement.   Davidson asked if the boat that’s going to be used will have markings on it. LeClere said yes that it will probably say “Delaware County Sheriff” but they haven’t put the markings on it yet. Davidson also asked if there will be increased patrol presence the first year. LeClere said the first year will be critical. For the first year there will be a lot of unknowns. There’s no way to know the kind of crowds there are going to be. They will base their presence upon what they see. Gifford asked if the checklist of sheriff’s office would be the same as that of the DNR. LeClere said he doesn’t anticipate stopping people for every little thing. The primary focus will be public safety. Landt stated that they need to establish a presence so people on the lake know they are out there. A question was asked if they see someone on the lake behaving in a reckless manner who would they call? Landt said it’s always a 911 call. The dispatcher will notify the appropriate personnel. He also stated that this is why the dock permitting is so important. Another question was asked regarding the boat and if it would have a light and siren and also how big of a motor it has. The answer was yes it will have a light and siren and it has a 75hp motor.  Leonard thanked LeClere and Landt for coming and expressed his appreciation to both the DNR and the Sheriff’s Office for working with Lake Delhi to resolve past issues and their cooperation moving forward.

Jeff Madlom was asked to give a short presentation on the proposed ATV ordinance that is being reviewed the the county supervisors. He stated that the supervisors have been working on this proposal for about eight months. They’ve been working a group of about 80 people from the ATV/UTV Club in Delaware County. The supervisors have also been reviewing ordinances from other counties and came up with what they felt was the appropriate ordinance for Delaware County. They’ve had two readings so far. The third reading will be at their next meeting on Monday, May 23rd.   If you agriculture you don’t have to follow this ordinance. Those people are governed by the State of Iowa. If you are recreational you will follow this ordinance. The ordinance requires turn signals, headlights and taillights that are working and on all of the time.   A slow moving sign will not be required but a six foot flag will be required or a flag one foot above the vehicle. He stated they had questions from people asking why the ordinance included turn signals when Buchanan County doesn’t require them. Madlom stated that as county supervisors they want to make sure everyone is safe and that’s why they will be required. He also mentioned that you have to be at least 16 years of age with a driver’s license in order to drive on a county road. People will be allowed to drive on all Class A roads and hard surface roads. The only roads you cannot drive on are Class C roads but there are only a few of them in the county. If you are under 18 years of age, you have to pass a safety course and carry that certificate with you until you reach 18. A question was asked about when the vehicle can be on the road. The answer is only daylight hours will be allowed. Proof of insurance is also required and the vehicle must be registered with the DNR through the Recorder’s Office. A question was raised about the Amish and are they governed the same.  Madlom stated they are slow moving vehicles because they travel under 35 mph and must have the slow-moving sign on their buggies. A questions was asked if the ordinance covers golf carts. The answer is no. Madlom also stated that the ATV vehicle must have a speedometer so the driver is aware of how fast he/she is going. A question was raise this ordinance governing an ATV being driven on private property. Madlom stated that this ordinance covers any areas that are under the authority of the DNR. The only place these vehicles are not allowed on in county parks. The county conservation board has as right to set their own rules regarding ATVs and right now they are not allowed in the parks. Leoanrd asked if the Trustees could get a copy of the ordiance if and when it’s passed. Madlom stated it’s currently on the county’s webpage. Once it’s published the first week in June, the ordinance will be in effect. That is dependent on if it’s approved the supervisors. A question was asked if the ordinance specifies whether the vehicle can to a three-wheeler or a four-wheeler. Madlom said it could be either and that there are also weight limits listed in the ordinance. Leonard thanked Madlom of his presentation.

Motion to approve the April 21, 2016 and May 7, 2016 meeting minutes was made by Gifford, seconded by Davidson. Motion carried.

Kramer read the payments for approval. Claims from the General Fund in the amount of $3,406.07 for electricity, property insurance, phone/internet service, copier maintenance, FY15 audit service and lobbyist expenses were presented. Claims from the Dam/Spillway Rebuild Fund in the amount of $385,503.61 for dam operations, Phase 2 payment, RNA septic work, and engineering services were presented. Davidson asked a questions regarding the number of meters we have with Alliant Energy. Kramer stated we have three meters. One at the house, one at the office and one at the dam. We currently have a credit on one of our accounts because we are being refunded for a hookup fee. She also noted that GCI will be reimbursing us for the cost of the electricity used at the house. We will receive a credit for that amount once they are finished.   Herman motioned to approve the payments as read, Gifford seconded. Motion carried.

Kramer presented the financial reports. The General Fund had revenues of $9,312.65 from Delaware County and expenditures of $3,193.12, ending April at $267,909.28. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $21,229.77 from Delaware County and expenditures of $359,323.75 for principal and interest payment, ending April at $12,105.15. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $90,403.96 which included the final reimbursement from Delaware County for $88,111.23, and expenditures of $351,040.02, ending April at $3,329,247.13. Herman motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Gifford seconded. Motion carried.

Kramer reviewed the compilation report received by Hunt & Associates for FY2015. It is a summary of our assets and liabilities. The report states that the Board did not make disbursements exceeding their FY 2015 certification. It was noted that because our review with Hunt & Associates is handled through the county, our expense for that service is much less than if we had to hire our own firm. Herman made motion to approve the compilation report from Hunt & Associates, Colgan second. Motion carried.

Leonard presented a request to submit an engagement letter to Piper Jaffray. The purpose of the engagement letter is to ask Piper Jaffray to review the District debt and interest rates. There’s no cost for this service and the engagement request does is non-binding. Under federal law any underwriting firm must have an engagement letter in order to review our bonds. Herman wanted to confirm that there is no cost to the District nor is there any obligation to the District to engage with Piper Jaffray should we decide to pursue the refunding of this debt. He also commented that our call date is down the road and that the purpose of engaging with Piper Jaffray is to see if it makes sense to go to the market now. Herman stated that he felt if it is determined that we should that we should go to the market, the District should look at proposals from Piper Jaffray and others as well as Speer Financial and others to decide what makes the most sense of who to deal with.   Motion by Herman to approve the engagement letter, second by Davidson. Motion carried.

Leonard presented some background information on the consideration to demolish the lake house south of the dam. Currently Stanley Engineering is using the lake office.   General Constructors is using the house while working on the dam project. Leonard described the house as generally uninhabitable in terms of anyone actually living there. It’s in poor condition as best. The District has a great need to enhance public access and this would be a good opportunity to demo the house and enable additional parking. With the planned portage for kayaks and canoes as well as a walking trail for people to fish below the dam, we will need to provide extra parking. We also have intentions to put the Wall of Recognition near the spillway. Kramer provided information regarding the cost to demolish the house and garage behind it. She contacted Randy Harbach to provide a quote that included the demolition of the house and garage and the removal of all material.   His quote was $10,000. He also noted that the siding on the house is slate which indicates that there is asbestos in the siding and that would have to be contracted with an asbestos firm for removal. He was unable to contact the firm he works with but Kramer asked him for his best guess at the possible cost and he said he thought $5,000 would be a good estimate. Kramer also contacted Oasis Plumbing to take a look as the well which is located in the basement of the house. They gave her a verbal quote of no more than $2,500 to remove the pump from the house and place it in the lake office. They would also raise the well and make sure the water line to the office is secure. Leonard asked for a motion to move forward on the project. Herman expressed a concern that the District should seek out a second bid on the demolition. He also said the asbestos inspector that Randy Harbach uses is the same that the City of Monticello uses which is Environmental Inspectors out of Dubuque and they do excellent work. He noted the window of opportunity to get an inspection done is small because most asbestos inspectors get very busy once school is out so it may be best to at least get started with the asbestos removal while we get a second bid on the demolition. Colgan said he felt that the house needs to be demolished and he supports the idea of getting the asbestos removed as soon as possible. A question was asked about the cost to insure the house. Kramer said we are currently paying $770 a year for it to be insured. She also mentioned that while we can get a second quote on the demolition, Randy Harbach will likely be the least expensive because of his proximity to the dam. She also mentioned that she asked Luke from Oasis Plumbing for a quote to take the house down and he said he wouldn’t touch it because of the asbestos.   Davidson made a motion that we hire a contractor to remove the asbestos and come back and revisit the demolition later on. Herman seconded the motion.  Herman said he would be happy to make some calls to other demolition contracts to get bids prior to our next meeting.   He also knows of other asbestos contractors and would make those calls as well in the event the Dubuque firm is unable to do the work. Davidson revised his motion to move forward with the asbestos removal at a cost of no more than $6,000, Herman seconded the motion. Gifford asked if the motion should include the statement that the intention is to tear down the house. It was agreed that the intent should be included in the motion. Davidson again revised his motion to move forward with the asbestos removal with the intent to demolition the house after we receive other bids. Gifford seconded. Motion carried.

Leonard gave some background on the next agenda item which was for approval of a quote for rock and sand mitigation at Lost Beach. Leonard has reached out to Rich Hughes who owns property right behind Lost Beach. Rich told Leonard he has done some mitigation work just downstream from Lost Beach and he suggested the District look at mitigating the reduction of sand once the lake comes back. Leonard and Colgan both went down to look at the site and after reviewing the area they came up with some options. One included taking the old concrete piers from the dam site and move them to Lost Beach or get bigger boulders to place on the beach. Leonard explained that at this point we don’t have enough information to make a decision. Colgan has reviewed the option of moving the concrete piers and it was decided they are just too heavy to move. Leonard stated that if the Board is interested in purchasing the material Rich Hughes had the machinery at the location to put the boulders in place.   Since we do not have any quotes available, Leonard asked for a motion to table this item until our next meeting. Colgan made the motion to table, Kramer seconded. Motion carried.

There were no change orders received from GCI so a motion was made by Herman, seconded by Davidson to remove this item from the agenda. Motion carried.

The next agenda item was for consideration of payment to Groth Services for the water/sewer hookups that was done for the Rocky Nook Association. Kramer explained that this payment request is the second and final invoice from Groth for the work that was contracted between the District and the Rocky Nook Association. The total contract for the work was $47,000. The amount of this invoice is $22,760. Gifford made the motion to approve, Kramer seconded. Motion carried.

Leonard presented a proposal from Groth Services to pump and fill five old septic tanks on the Rock Nook Association property. He explained that this is for work that the District agreed to provide. The proposal is for $5,500. Colgan asked if this fulfilled our obligation to the Rocky Nook Association and Leonard stated that was correct. He noted that the Rocky Nook Association has signed off on the project. Davidson made the motion to approve the proposal, second by Colgan. Motion carried.

Bruce Schneider presented his request for reimbursement for lake bed work. He removed approximately 2500 yards of sand at a cost of $5.00 per yard from the sand ridge that runs from the inlet of the cove upstream to about 400 feet in the middle of the lake. He is removing 2-3 feet of sand to bring a boating level to about 5 feet. Herman asked how much of the sand has currently been taken out. Schneider stated that at this time he has taken out 700 yards with 1800 remaining. Leonard asked the cost of the project. Schneider said the total cost is $12,500. Gifford asked if there was a reference on the cost per yard. Schneider stated he looked at county charges to come up with that dollar amount. Leonard noted that most of the board members had a chance to visit the area. Herman said he’d been there at least four times and there’s been a considerable amount of work done. The only thing he has struggled with is coming up with the value of the black dirt that Bruce removed and has stockpiled for possible use or sale. He noted that this request specifies the removal of sand and by visiting the site he has no doubt that a significant amount of work has been done. Herman said that if the Board approves something he would like it to be contingent upon a final inspection to show the final account of the material removed. Gifford said he would like to have Bruce keep a log of the amount of truck loads of material he removes. Colgan stated that he and Kramer both visited the site the Saturday prior to this meeting. He stated he has gone on record at previous meetings that he does not support any of these lake bed projects because he felt the money needed to be directed to rebuilding the dam. He noted that two months ago there was still a lot of work to be done on the dam and we were dealing with possible flooding issues that could have had a huge impact on the project. Since that time all the concrete work has been done so those concerns have been eliminated. He also stated that with all the work done to this point we are very close to filling the lake. This limits the time remaining for Schneider to complete the work. Colgan said he felt the price quoted by Schneider is justified. Leonard commented that he had visited the area and that Schneider had followed the criteria given by the Board.   Leonard said he was amazed by the amount of material that Schneider had taken out and the value to the District for the work he had done.   He also mentioned that there is a difference from this request and other projects given the fact that Schneider is doing the work himself and not hiring it done. Gifford asked if there’s a way to measure the output of material to quantify the amount in order to provide a final cost of the project. Leonard asked for suggestions on a motion to approve. Herman said he would make a motion to pay Schneider $60 per truckload with Bruce keeping track of the number of truckloads and turning in a signed statement verifying the amount. The motion also includes having the District take a measurement of the material and then make a payment not to exceed $12,500. Leonard wanted to clarify that this is an 80/20 cost share so the not to exceed figure is 80% of $12,500. Gifford seconded the motion. Leonard asked Schneider if he would be okay with anyone from the community coming down to view the area that he’s been working on even though it’s a private lane. Schneiders’ said they would like people to call them first. There being no further discussion, Leonard asked for a vote. Motion carried.

Leonard reviewed a request to the IDNR to put the Lake Delhi District on their public lake list so the District can be eligible for the lake restoration program. He explained that the IDNR has a public lake list and Lake Delhi has never been on the list. It’s important for Lake Delhi to be on that list for a variety of reasons. Since we are a public lake we should be on the list and by being on the list it allows us to have access to funds, grants and additional resources that are provided to public lakes. The letter requests two things. First, to put us on the public lake list and secondly to be part of the lake restoration program. We have received funds through the lake restoration in previous years but the criteria has changed in terms of requirements.   Those requirements include two things. One is that we are a public entity which we are. The other is that the watershed ratio cannot be above 200:1. Even though our watershed ratio is greater than that figure we are asking for them to consider us for the program. Leonard noted that we recently got a new bill signed this last legislative session that allows the District to be a voting member for the Watershed Authority which deals with water quality and water management. Many federal and state dollars will fund projects for water quality.  The amount of funding has also increased over the past six years. In 2010 the total amount of funds available was $3,000,000. That amount has increased to $8,000,000.   By being on the public lake list, we can lobby for more funding. Leonard asked for a motion to sign and send the letter to Director Gipp of the IDNR.   Colgan made the motion to approve sending the letter, Gifford seconded. Motion carried.

Leonard asked for committee updates.

Lake Bed Cleanup: Kramer noted that she was informed of some willows downstream of the Linden Acres area. Gifford said he would investigate it and see about removing the trees. Leonard stressed the need for the lake residents to remove and trees in their area or call the Trustees so we can make arrangements to get rid of the trees.

Dredge: No update

Dam Construction: Colgan explained that all the concrete work is done. What’s left is earthwork on the south side. All of the work is done on the downstream side. As of today, the soil for the remaining earthwork tested positive so for the remainder of the week and this weekend, there will be a lot of work being done to finish up and then they will be able to remove the cofferdam. If the water level continues to drop, we will be able to shut the two sluice gates. We’re hoping to have Jon Garten, the state dam inspector, out the first week in June to verify that everything we built was to the plan specifications. If he gives us his approval, we can lower the gates and start filling the lake. A 2”-3” rain would fill the lake in about four days. Colgan said filling the lake is dependent upon how much rain we get. If we have a dry period, it will take longer to fill. He also mentioned that even though we will have dam operators, we will have Lunda Construction under contract for any maintenance work and we will also be under contract with Rotork for work and warranty on the actuators. Colgan spoke about the concerns regarding Gate 2. Lunda Construction was out last week and pulled the screw auger, actuator and gearbox. Colgan described the damage that was done and that parts and repairs could several weeks. In the meantime, Bill Holman from Stanley Engineering got approval for us to close Gate 2 provided we install two 10-come alongs to be able to manually lift the gate if there was ever that need. Colgan had Marty Pottebaum and his helper do a practice run and they were able to raise the gate one foot in five minutes.  Colgan reminded everyone that the spillway has a capacity of 39,000 cfs. Each gate has an additional capacity of 10,000 cfs. Having one gate not operable is not an issue. He also stated that all the repairs for the gate parts are under warranty. Leonard shared that in talking with Lunda Construction, they are taking the lead on getting Gate 2 repairs and working with the other contractors including Linita and Rotork. Colgan also wanted to note that Brian Monk will be doing the necessary work to protect the pre-historic fish weir that is in an undisclosed location. One of the few requirements from the Corp of Engineers is that this area be protected. That work will be completed this coming Monday.

Water Quality Update: Gifford noted that once the lake is back, water quality testing will begin. He has talked to Iowa Water which is part of the DNR and is working on getting a training session set up. He will then work to reassemble the Water Quality Team and will be looking for volunteers to serve on that team.

Celebration Update: Leonard explained we have between 25-30 volunteers who are working on plans for a celebration event for the weekend of July 23 and 24. July 24th is the sixth anniversary of the breach. On July 23rd, there will be 3-4 locations on the lake that will host food vendors, music, games for kids and adult as well as a version of a poker run. In addition, there will be fireworks that evening on the south side of the Dam. More information will be coming in the near future.

Funding/Finance: No updates

Legislative Update: No updates

Leonard opened the meeting to public comment. Jim Willey asked if the North Beach area work was going to be completed. Herman said he had been in touch with several contractors and that we have one contractor willing to do the work and it should be done very soon.   Jim Locke asked if we knew how much the $6,000,000 debt was going to cost once it’s been paid in full. Without having the debt schedule available, it was thought that the cost would be around $9,000,000. Locke also asked if, once the lake is back, would shallow areas be marked.   The board will be looking at this issue when the time comes.

There being no other public comment, a motion to adjourn was made by Gifford, second by Herman. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.

Minutes from May 7, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Special Meeting

Saturday, May 7, 2016

9:00 A.M.

Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Building

Delhi, IA

A special meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order by President Steve Leonard at 9:00 a.m.

Trustees present: Leonard, Kramer, Davidson, Herman and Burger, Gifford & Colgan via phone

Trustees absent: None

Visitors: Diane Bauers, Larry Peter, Ed Schmidt, Dave Larson, Barbara & Ken DeKlotz, Lou & Sue Christensen and Dan Recker

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

Leonard explained that several months ago when Lunda Construction was still working on the final area on the north side of the dam there was a mutual agreement with the District to not have Lunda finish the project as it relates to water mitigation and erosion protection around the dam until the District could work with the neighboring property owner, Marty Pottembaum. Lunda had already put a culvert in along the road as well as some rip rap for drainage and erosion control. Leonard also explained that Lunda’s quote included more rip rap while thee proposal from MP Construction includes more concrete work which will reduce our maintenance in the long term. Bill Holman from Stanley Engineering was on site last Tuesday and reviewed the proposal from MP Construction in detail making sure it met the requirements we need. Leonard asked for a motion to approve the proposal from MP Construction with one additional item.   There’s a possibility that additional rock work may be needed as they work on the project. The estimated cost is approximately $400. Leonard asked for a motion to approve the proposal from MP Construction in the amount of $18,020. A motion to approve the proposal from MP Construction to finish the concrete work for the protection of the northern up steam portion of the dam that was originally part of the Lunda Contract for Phase I was made by Kramer, second by Herman. Davidson expressed his concern regarding the additional $400 expense. He said he felt MP Construction should be required to pay any additional costs. Leonard explained that the additional rock, if needed, would be for stability purposes and located on District property and not on Pottebaum’s property. He also noted that this work does not include replacing the guardrail and additional fencing. There being no other comment, Leonard asked for a roll call vote. All ayes, no nays. Motion carried.

Leonard opened the meeting up for public comment. Ed Schmidt asked if there were plans to deal with the erosion on the northern downstream area of the dam. Colgan confirmed that there are plans to take care of that situation.

Barb DeKlotz asked for information on the problems with gate 2 on the dam. Leonard said there are some issues regarding gate 2 but those issues will not preclude the District from filling the lake. All the manufacturers involved with the gates were out last week. A game plan is in place to get any repairs to the gates done and that all repairs are under warranty. Leonard noted that one gate not being operational only reflects 15% of our water capacity. He stated he would hate to see rumors out there that we would not be filling up the lake for any reasons because that is not the fact.   We are currently looking at about a three week time frame before the lake will start to fill and noted that it is the responsibility of the Board to communicate to the residents on the lake of any delays and or any other issues that come up that would be cause for alarm. Dave Larson asked if the gate is operational enough if we have a major water event. Leonard stated there are ways to operate the gate without all the mechanisms in place and there is a plan in place to deal with that should it ever be needed.

Ed Schmidt said he would like to see another economic impact study done showing the amount of money spent in the area since the breach. He stated there are still skeptics out in the county wondering how much money has actually been spent in the community. Gifford stated he thought the idea was a good one and that there are really two sides to the issue. One is about the money that was spent but another piece is about the actual amount of loss that occurred.

Larry Peter, a former construction committee member, presented his final report to the Board and expressed his concerns about the gate issues. Leonard responded that the concerns regarding the gate are being addressed with all manufacturers/contractors as was stated earlier.

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

Minutes from April 21, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Thursday, April 21, 2016

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 by President Steve Leonard via phone at 6:33 PM.

Trustees present: Kramer, Herman, Leonard (phone), Burger (phone)

Trustees absent: Davidson, Colgan, and Gifford

Visitors: Don & Pat Dede, Larry & Eve Peter, Jim Locke, Ben Pasker, Ben Kindred, Ken & Barb DeKlotz, Dave Larson, Dan Reyner, Ron Cook and Nancy Hurt.

Recording secretary: Shelley Kallenbach

Motion to approve the agenda as read was made by Herman, seconded by Kramer, motion approved.

Motion to approve the March 17, 2016 meeting minutes made by Burger, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

Kramer read the payments for approval. Claims from the General Fund in the amount of $3,193.12 for electricity, LP, internet, bond fees, printer maintenance, website update, voice recorder, and lobbyist expenses were presented. Claims from the Debt Service Fund for $359,323.75 for GO Bond principal and interest due were presented. Claims from the Dam/Spillway Rebuild Fund in the amount of $351,040.02 for dam operations, Phase 2 payment, mitigation work, and engineering services were presented. Burger motioned to approve the payments as read, Herman seconded, motion approved.

Kramer presented the financial reports. The General Fund had revenues of $68,662.52 from Delaware County and expenditures of $65,934.29, ending March at $261,789.75. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $156,289.91 from Delaware County and no expenditures, ending March at $350,199.13. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $547,166.63 from the DNR, Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi, and Delaware County reimbursements, and expenditures of $306,244.44, ending March at $3,589.883.19. Herman motioned to receive and file the financial reports as read, Burger seconded, motion approved.

Kramer presented Lunda Change Orders #34, 36, 37, and 38. Lunda Change Order #34 for $1,639.05 was for electrical work. Lunda Change Order #36 for $427.66 was for debris cleanout from the wicket gates. Lunda Change Order #37 for $379.63 was for a plugged pipe cleanout. Lunda Change Order #38 for $392.44 was for cutting a railing leading to the electrical room for safety concerns. These change orders were reviewed and approved previously by Colgan. Herman motioned to approve the change orders as read, Kramer seconded, motion approved.

Herman motioned to authorize Delaware County to conduct the Trustee election on July 19th, Burger seconded. The deadline for registration is not known but will be posted on the webpage. Motion approved.

Burger motioned to authorize Delaware County Auditor to make the Debt Service fund payments as previously approved, Herman seconded, motion approved.

Leonard read committee updates.

The Lake Bed Cleanup Committee states that they are busy contacting appropriate property owners to remove remaining debris and are having good success. The Committee urges the public to contact any trustee about remaining debris locations, and a member of the Board will contact the appropriate property owner for removal.

The Dredge Committee had no updates.

The Dam Construction Committee states that the concrete work is planned to be complete within the next weekend or very early next week. Earthwork will follow the concrete work, and then the temporary cofferdam will be removed. The current planned lake beginning fill date is target as soon as May 20th or the later part of May weather permitting. Gate 2 is being reviewed by Lunda Construction and Bill Holman due to a potential issue and to develop an action plan but it is currently too premature to know timeframes, details, or potential impact on the lake fill date.

The Water Quality and Funding/Finance Committees had no updates.

The Legislative Committee states that lobbyists are actively working toward the Maquoketa River Watershed Authority and including Lake Delhi on lists such as the Public Lake list and the Lake Restoration program through the State of Iowa. This will be reviewed in the coming weeks.

A new committee has been created for a Lake Celebration event with approximately 20 volunteers attending a meeting this past week to plan for an opening celebration the weekend of July 23rd-24th to coincide with the 6-year anniversary of the dam breach. A large celebration with various activities including fireworks, food, venues, music, kids’ events, and other items is being discussed, and more details will be coming in the next few weeks.

The floor was open for public comment.

Jim Locke asked what the total finance charge on the $6 million bond will be once paid. The specific number was not available, but the current interest rate is 4.5% and the Board is looking into refinance options due to current low interest rates. More information on that will be coming at the next meeting.

Dave Larson asked when the sluice tubes underneath the dam would be removed. It was clarified that gates cannot be removed but will be shut at the very end stages of the cofferdam removal.

Barb DeKlotz asked which trustees are up for reelection. It was confirmed that Todd Gifford and Lamont Davidson are up for reelection.

Jim Locke asked if all environmental tasks had been taken care of. It was confirmed there were three main areas that the Corps of Engineers required mitigation regarding. One is complete, one is near completion, and the final cannot be completed until the lake is refilled. An agreement with the Corps has been reached regarding this final area.

Herman motioned to adjourn, Kramer seconded. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 PM.

Trustee Election – Tuesday, July 19, 2016

NOTICE

ALL LAKE DELHI RESIDENTS AND LAND OWNERS

 

The Lake Delhi Combined Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees is now accepting Affidavits of Candidacy for the following positions to be filled by election on Tuesday, July 19, 2016:

District Trustee (two (2) positions)            3 year terms

Any District resident or property owner interested in running for one of these positions must file a completed Affidavit of Candidacy with the Delaware County Auditor located within the Delaware County Courthouse at 301 E. Main St., Room 210 in Manchester, Iowa.  The deadline for filing an Affidavit of Candidacy is Friday, June 3, 2016 at 4:30 p.m.  To obtain an Affidavit of Candidacy form, please contact the Delaware County Auditor’s Office at 563-927-4701 or download a form online at www.co.delaware.ia.us.

 

Respectfully,

 

The Lake Delhi Combined Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees

Minutes from March 17, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Regular Meeting

March 17, 2016

6:30 PM

Lake Delhi Trustees Building

Delhi, IA

 

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order by President Steve Leonard at 6:32 PM.

Trustees present: Leonard, Kramer, Colgan, Gifford, Burger

Trustees absent: Davidson, Herman

Visitors: Marilyn Cook, Tom Cook, Larry Peter, Eve Peter, Pat Dede, Don Dede, Gordon Anderson, Pat Anderson, Chloe Colgan, Nancy Hurt, Dan Recker, Wayne Garvin, Jenny Garvin, Marcheta Cooey-Lux, Bill Lux

Motion to approve the agenda as posted made by Colgan, seconded by Gifford. Motion carried.

Motion to approve the minutes from February 18, 2016 and March 3, 2016 was made by Colgan, seconded by Burger.   Motion carried.

Kramer presented payments for approval. Payments in the amount of $2,436.79 for electricity, printer usage, lobbyist, publication expense, and internet were presented from the General Fund. Payments in the amount of $280,551.06 for dam operations, Phase 2 payment, and engineering services were presented from the Dam/Spillway Project Fund. Motion to approve payments as read was made by Colgan, seconded by Burger. Motion carried.

Kramer read the financial reports through February 29, 2016. The General Fund had revenues of $5,969.54 from the county and interest, and expenditures of $2,577.20. Ending balance for the General Fund was $259,061.52. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $13,615.98 from the county and interest, and no expenditures, ending February at $193,909.22. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $302,018.95 from county and interest, and expenditures of $423,728.79 for Phase 2, engineering, and contracted services, ending December at

$3,348,961.00.   Motion to receive and file the financial reports made by Burger, seconded by Colgan. Motion carried.

Motion to request reimbursement in the amount of $88,111.23 from Delaware County made by Colgan, seconded by Gifford. Kramer noted that this is the final request for reimbursement from the county for the $2,999,999 that was approved for the dam spillway project.   Motion carried.

Colgan shared with the Trustees that Burrington’s proposed contract amendment defines the needs we will have based on the water flows of the lake. By working with Burrington Group we avoid expenses like payroll tax and workmans’ compensation. Jason Wenger noted there had been discussions of what is classified as an “independent contractor”. Based on conversations with others, it was determined that an independent contractor probably would not apply to someone who is scheduled on a regular basis. Burrington Group is willing to take the administrator role which includes payroll and insurance for those employees that will be doing the observations during specific flow rates as outlined in the amended contract. He also noted that these employee positions will not require heavy maintenance.   Any type of work beyond the scope of the checklist for these employees would go to an experienced contract such as Lunda. Wenger explained that in all probability a high percentage of the work on the dam will be done by volunteers who will be trained to do the daily visits. Burrington Group, under the terms of the original agreement, will be keeping a calendar to make sure there are people to cover the daily needs. If a volunteer in not available, the backup would be one of the paid employees. Colgan noted that he has a least a dozen individuals who have interest in volunteering their time with the daily inspections. He noted that this contract is for a two year period in which time the District will learn more of what their needs are and can make changes accordingly. Burger asked if the list of volunteers will be expanded in the future. Wenger said that is correct and that the expectation is that every volunteer go through a safety inspection training program. Colgan mentioned that the DNR has programs for training. Burger asked if the Board would be kept aware of any additional volunteers that are added. Wenger replied that any new volunteers would have to be approved by Burrington Group and the Trustees.

A motion to approve the proposed contract amendment with Burrington Group was made by Gifford, second by Burger. The motion was to approve Burrington hiring dam operators, adding their costs and submitting invoices to cover paid operators costs. Motion carried.

A request from the Turtle Creek Road Association for lakebed improvements was read by Kramer. The work was done in August, 2015 after their proposal was approved by the Trustees. The pay request was delayed until this time per a request from the contractor that did the work. Kramer read the request form the Turtle Creek Road Association. The amount of the request was $19,321.00 which was the amount charged by the contractor to do the work. She noted that that an additional item was added to the original proposal and that was for a culvert that was determined to be necessary during the course of the project. The request is for 80% of the completed project. Gifford asked what the amount of the original project was. Kramer said she thought around $18,700 but wasn’t sure as she didn’t have a copy of that proposal. After reviewing the minutes from that board meeting where the original proposal was approved, it was determined that the original proposal was for $18,680. Colgan expressed an interest in seeing the exact area and knowing the amount of what was taken out. Gifford said Bill Havertape has that information and that the area is documented. A motion was made by Kramer, second by Colgan to pay Turtle Creek Road Association request for reimbursement. After some discussion there was a request to revise the motion by Gifford, second by Burger to approve 80% of the original contract or $14,944. Motion carried.

The Board considered the donation request from the LDRA for the dredge debt. The LDRA requested $48,553.50 for the principal interest for the Bank Iowa loan due June 1st. Burger motioned to approve the donation to the LDRA, Colgan seconded. Motion carried.

Consideration for action on the final agreement with the Rocky Nook Association for septic/water lines was presented by Leonard. He explained that in order to rebuild the dam and spillway it was necessary for the District to negotiate an agreement with the Rocky Nook Association to purchase the necessary property needed for the spillway. The agreement included payment for the land plus a new water/septic system. Jason Wenger from Burrington Group, who supervised the water/septic project said that the area had historically had problems but now that the work is complete he had Dennis Lyons from the County Sanitation Department inspect and he was satisfied with the work that was done. Leonard reminded the trustees that we have already paid Roger Groth for part of the work that was completed. The District is now being presented with his final two pay requests in the amount of $24,038.38. Wenger advised that the completed project by Groth came in under bid by $13,500. An additional component of the project was the electrical work needed for the pumps to operate. That work was done by Pfeiler and included a new service panel. The work is complete and they are asking for payment of $1,655.   Leonard stated that there is still a couple of areas yet to be completed. The first is a reimbursable invoice from Groth for the remaining hookups in the amount of $22,760 that will be paid once the Rocky Nook Association meets code. The second is that there are still 3-5 tanks that need to be pumped and filled in. The Rocky Nook Association will also be required to sign off on the project before that final payment is made.   Motion by Gifford, second by Kramer to pay Groth and Pfeiler for the invoices presented. Motion carried.

Gifford gave an update on the Lake Bed Cleanup. He noted that no projects have been planned at this time but because we will not be filling the lake in the next 30 days or so there’s work that could be done at North beach. Leonard reminded those in attendance that if they know of areas where there’s hazardous debris they should notify the trustees so we can address the issue.

Leonard gave an update on dredging. He said a lot of work has been done evaluating siltation traps. He has asked Bill Holman from Stanley Engineering to quantify the recommended siltation trap located near the Cedars. Some of the questions raised are: How much siltation can we stop? What information can we gather to understand our return on investment? What’s the cost if we do nothing? Will it cost more if we wait? Would the siltation trap help with water quality initiatives? Burger asked if there are companies that provide services to answer these questions. Leonard said he believes so and with Stanley’s help we will be able to locate them. Alternatives such as Iowa State University could assist. Leonard informed the board that the District should endorse a future plan in order to get any type of funding from the state, federal or other funding sources.

A dam construction update was presented by Colgan.   He told those in attendance that the D1 slab which is one of the two major horizontal concrete slabs supporting the labyrinth spillway was completed today. He estimated there were about 75 truckloads of concrete that was poured in a six hour time span. He noted the biggest frustration of getting to this point was that the dam was built on a glacial tilt and get the correct compaction of material during the months of January and February was very difficult. Now that the weather is starting to cooperate, General Constructors has been very active. Iron workers worked over the weekend to get all of the rebar in place so the pour could be done. Several other major pours will be done next week which will allow the spillway to be poured around the 2nd or 3rd week in April.   Once the spillway is completed there will still be work to do including removing the cofferdam, backfill work, removing the sheet pile and the earthen dike. He noted that the average flow for this time of year is 400 cfs. Right now it’s 700 cfs. At the flow rate, the lake could be full in two days. A question was raised about debris coming down river once the lake fills. Colgan said debris in the river is a concern due to the lake being empty for almost six years and is somewhat on an unknown at this time but should be manageable. He noted that Lunda was down last week and set up the stop logs. Steve Gehl, who was the Phase 1 construction superintendent from Lunda, said this stop log system is the smoothest he’s ever seen in his experience.

Leonard gave an update regarding water quality. He said he’s been proactively working with the Maquoketa River Watershed Authority, the state legislature and our lobbyists to get a law approved by the Iowa House and Senate that would allow Lake Delhi to be voting member and give us opportunities in the future for state and federal funding. Our lobbyists play an important role in this endeavor and will continue to assist with funding for water quality and siltation programs. There are currently only seven watersheds in the state and by taking the lead now we are years ahead of others before formed. Gifford said this is a hot topic in the State and watersheds will carry a lot of weight to get in getting funding dollars. Gifford also mentioned that he submitted a grant from the Green Community through Rockwell Collins that could potentially cover water-testing expenses.

Leonard informed those in attendance that the next Lake Delhi Voice will be coming out this weekend. He reminded everyone that the next month or so will be your last opportunity to do shore wall work and debris removal. All lake residents need to get their permits for docks and lifts along with making sure their septic systems have been permitted.

Leonard expressed thanks to the board for the plant that was sent to his family at the time of his mother-in-law’s death. He said it was greatly appreciated.

There being no public comments, a motion was made by Burger, second by Gifford to adjourn.

 

Minutes from March 3, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Board of Trustees Meeting

Thursday, March 3, 2016 – 6:30 p.m.

Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Office

The meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees was called to order by President Steve Leonard at 6:30 PM at Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Office.

Trustees present: Kramer, Davidson, Leonard by phone, Burger by phone

Trustees absent: Colgan, Gifford, Herman

Visitors: Larry Aschenbrenner, Nancy Hurt, Wanda Davidson

Agenda reviewed by Leonard. Motion was made to approve agenda by Davidson, second by Kramer. Motion carried.

The public hearing for the FY 2016/2017 budget was opened. Kramer gave a short overview of the proposed budget noting that our taxable valuation increased by $11,287,112 from last year. Kramer stated that due to the increased valuation, the tax rate for the lake debt service for FY will decrease from $9.10329 to $7.4775. It was also noted that property tax levied from the $4.00/$1000 will increase from $207,926 for FY16 to $253,065 for FY17 due to the increased valuation. With regard to estimated revenues and expenditures, Kramer stated that as the dam project nears completion we will see a drop in our ending balance in FY17. It was also noted that those numbers are estimates.

Kramer asked for any comments from the board or public. Davidson asked a question regarding the LDRA dredge loan. He wondered why the numbers went from $89,455 in FY15 to $72,107 in FY16 and then back up to $81,292 for FY17. Kramer answered that those numbers came from the dredge debt schedule which had been renegotiated in FYY16. Burger said he reviewed the budget and thought it looked good. Kramer noted that the last two pages of the budget were for the District’s debt service schedule. Those numbers are actual numbers and not estimates. Burger noted that the line item expenditures are estimates and the District could over-expend in one area and under-expend in another. What we can’t do is over-expend the total expenditures without amending the budget. Leonard asked for a motion to close the public hearing. Davidson made the motion, Burger second. Motion catrried.

Burger made motion to adopt a resolution to approve the Fiscal Year budget for 2016/2017, Davidson second. Motion carried.

The next agenda item was consideration and possible action on amending the District’s credit card policy. Kramer explained that the policy had been approved at the February meeting but after giving it to Carla Becker, the County Auditor, she felt we needed to change some of the language. Her concern was the language that gave some leeway to purchases made that would allow for payment of sales tax. She suggested removing that language and adding language that if a purchase was made that included sales tax, the Board of Trustees would need to review and approve before payment could be made. Kramer noted that she had had discussions with Burger and Davidson regarding other aspects of the policy but for the sake of getting the credit card application processed in a timely manner she would like a motion to approved the policy as amended. If we need to add or remove individuals currently named on the credit card policy, we can always amend at a later date. Kramer noted that Davidson felt we should use a purchase order system that isn’t addressed in the policy. Kramer said she agreed that we should look at that but also stressed that the credit card is going to be used minimally and that it was needed most to allow Burrington Group to make purchases for items not available locally that will be used for the start-up and maintenance of the dam. Kramer stated that in order to get the credit card application processed it needed to through the County Supervisors. Davidson asked why that was necessary. Kramer explained that because our finances are held by the County, any credit card application would require their approval. Motion was made by Burger, second by Davidson to approve the amended policy and open for further discussion. Burger said he wanted to make sure that since an important part of the credit card is to buy supplies & equipment for the dam we should have the ability to expand the number of credit card holders to Pat Colgan or those who may either work or volunteer at the dam at a later date. He also said we need to make sure we have control over the credit cards and that is the responsibility of the Treasurer. He said he would support approving the amended policy at this time but we should review to make sure we the right people approved to carry the card and would like to review the policy again at another time. Leonard said he agreed that this policy would probably always need to be looked at and reviewed as our needs continue to evolve but that we do need to get the application processed. Davidson commented that there should be a purchase order for anything ordered using the credit card and that it should be attached with the invoice when it’s presented for approval. With no further discussion, Leonard asked for a vote. Motion carried.

Leonard opened the meeting to public comment. Larry Aschbrenner noted that Sunday, March 13th would the the 4th Annual St. Patty’s Day Guest Bartender Event at the Pizza Place. He said he hoped to see as many people from the lake attend and asked that the Trustees send out an email to make people aware that the event was coming up. All tips go to the rebuilding of the dam. The Trustees thanked Larry for his continued support of the Lake.

Motion to adjourn by Davidson, second by Kramer. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm.

Minutes from February 18, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Regular Meeting

February 18, 2016

6:30 PM

Lake Delhi Trustees Building

Delhi, IA

 

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District was called to order by President Steve Leonard at 6:28 PM.

Trustees present: Leonard, Kramer, Davidson, Herman, Colgan (Skype), Gifford (phone), Burger (phone)

Trustees absent: None

Visitors: Larry Peter, Eve Peter, Ed Schmidt, Dan Recker, Pat Dede, Don Dede, Chris Stender, Ron Cook, Marcheta Cooey-Lux, Bill Lux, Nancy Hurt, Dan Reyner, Wayne Garvin, Jenny Garvin, Larry Aschbrenner, Bruce Schneider, Margie Schneider

Recording Secretary: Shelley Kallenbach

Herman motioned to approve the agenda as posted and read, seconded by Davidson. Gifford motioned to move Agenda Item 11 to earlier in the meeting to accommodate his schedule. Herman modified his motion to approve the agenda with Agenda Item 11 to the fourth slot and move the remaining agenda items down accordingly, Davidson seconded, Motion approved.

Davidson motioned to approve the January 21, 2016 meeting minutes, Herman seconded, motion approved.

Davidson motioned to reopen the tabled motion regarding Bruce Schneider’s request for reimbursement for sediment removal from the lakebed, Burger seconded.

Individual trustee opinions regarding the motion were heard.

Davidson stated that he has had the opportunity to look at the sites and documentation. He says that ideally this work would have been approached in a different manner, but the sediment removal was still beneficial to everyone on the lake.

Burger seconded Davidson’s opinion and added that sediment removal improves the safety and recreational value of the lake.

Schneider stated that since the last meeting, he has removed another 50 dump truck loads for about another $3,000 worth of work. Most of the work had been done through the summer and fall and he plans on doing more.

Gifford stated that he did not consider whether or not the work done had value, as there was clear value, but that as the project was begun without trustee involvement it didn’t qualify for review. He stated the only portion that would qualify for reimbursement review would be future work that the Trustees would be involved in.

Herman stated that since the last meeting work has been done with definite value to the general boating and recreational value of the lake. He stated he shared Gifford’s concerns, and also has had lake residents contact him that are concerned about opening a “can of worms” regarding reimbursement. He is concerned that there was no prior Board approval and no solid way to measure what work had been done.

Colgan stated that he didn’t doubt there was value to the work completed, but had concerns about the reimbursement. He stated that if this was approved, many more would come forward. He believes there are still 6 to 12 weeks left to finish the dam and money may be required for contingencies. He feels he needs to be accountable for funding to be available if things happen in the future.

Leonard stated that the original intention with the 80%/20% match was to have Board involvement upfront evaluating ideas on criteria including public recreational benefit, improvement to safety, and cost effectiveness. He stated that it is difficult to understand the starting point and current point since the Board was not formally involved in the process from the beginning. He commended the Schneider family for their work. However, there’s no way to know if the work fits the Board’s criteria. He also commended all of the many property owners who have removed dirt with no reimbursement from the Lake District after the DNR/Corp of Engineers/County Engineer approval process. He stated he would strongly support future work based on recreational value, safety, and cost effectiveness, and would evaluate the work with the same heavy debate the other larger projects have received.

Clarification was requested regarding Colgan’s comments on funding. Colgan stated he is concerned about risk and the Board’s criteria for budget control for reimbursement when the dam itself is not finished.

The original motion on the table was for $25,000 reimbursement for Schneiders’ work that had already been done and still has yet to be done. Votes were taken as follows:

Burger: Yes

Gifford: No

Herman: No

Davidson: Yes

Leonard: No

Kramer: Abstain

Colgan: No

Motion does not pass.

Kramer presented payments for approval. Payments in the amount of $2,577.00 from the General Fund for electricity, internet, printer maintenance, lobbyist, and miscellaneous equipment were presented. Payments in the amount of $423,728.79 for Burrington Group, GCI payment, and Stanley engineering services were presented. Herman motioned to approve the payments as read, seconded by Kramer. Concerns about the increasing costs of engineering expenses were expressed. Colgan reviewed the four Stanley Engineering invoices for the month and their appropriateness. Leonard stated that as the project nears completion, Stanley’s engagement is critical with a lot of moving parts coming together with problem solving and advice. Leonard expressed confidence in the services received and the amount billed. Additionally, a question about whether GCI should pick up some of the contract extension bills due to their failure to meet the deadline in the contract. It was confirmed that over 2 million dollars was saved from the contract rebid, and even with additional charges, there is still a major net money difference saved. Motion passed.

Gifford dropped from the meeting.

Kramer presented the financial reports. The General Fund had revenues of $943.64 and expenses of $2,502.06 to end January at $255,669.18. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $2,156.24 and no expenditures, ending January at $180,293.24. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $439,076.17 from reimbursements and the county, and expenditures of $660,463.50, ending January at #3,470,670.84. Davidson motioned to file the financial reports as read, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

Motion to request reimbursement from Delaware County in the amount of $194,601.27 for expenses paid by the District was made by Herman, seconded Davidson, motion approved.

Discussion was opened on the issue of a credit card for the District. A maximum spending limit has been set by the County at $3,000. The credit card application would be processed through Grundy National Bank. A set of procedures on the use of this credit card was presented. Herman motioned to approve the presented procedures, Davidson seconded. Discussion was opened. Herman added an exception for smaller online purchases in which the tax-exempt paperwork would take more time than it is worth. Stamped inventory and a purchasing log was also discussed. Herman amended his motion to allow purchases of less than $50 total online be exempt from the tax-exempt status if it creates a hardship in regards to placing an order, Davidson seconded, motion approved.

Colgan reviewed GCI Change Order #8 in the amount of $6,683.25. This was presented at the previous meeting but had not yet been adequately reviewed by Stanley Engineering. This change order allows for equipment that would allow the SCADA computer to be located in the LDRA house across the river which has better environment to house this type of equipment computer to the dampness of the concrete powerhouse structure. Burger motioned to approve GCI Change Order #8, Kramer seconded, motion approved.

Colgan presented updates regarding job descriptions for potential future employees of the lake. Colgan states that the District will not be hiring any contractors as direct employees to operate the dam. Personal that will operate the dam that are non-volunteer workers would be hired and managed by Burrington Group. All maintenance work would be a separate contract with Lunda for one to two years.

The potential endorsement of HF2249 by the District was discussed. Leonard stated that a very concerted approach was made regarding getting financial support for Lake Delhi and future watershed management concerns. As this is a growing statewide issue, increased funding is becoming available through the state. However, Iowa requires that only counties and cities are able to be voting members of watershed management authorities.  Our combined District is currently not eligible. HF2249 is a bill currently in place to allow the District to be a voting member of this future watershed management authority. The bill has already passed the committee process. Davidson motioned to formally endorse HF2249 as a District, Kramer seconded. It is unknown at this time what liabilities the District may incur in the future as part of this authority, but each will be reviewed extensively. Motion to endorse HF2249 approved.

The Board heard committee updates.

The Lake Bed Cleanup Committee had no updates.

The Dredge Committee should know the final Lidar mapping from Stanley on the last remaining borings and will forward the data as soon as it is received.

The Dam Construction Committee states that GCI has worked every day except for three or four due to wind chill. Six to eight weeks remain to finish the dam under ideal weather conditions, with parts remaining including a sheet pile wall to prevent water from running around the dam spillway. The downstream side is complete. The weather has been impacting the compaction of clay materials that will be the base for three remaining concrete slabs on grade. Warmer weather, wind, and potentially mixing the clay with lime will allow for drier clay and subsequent slab placement.

The Funding and Finance Committee stated there will be a public hearing March 3rd to review the next fiscal year budget.

Leonard added that within the last week he met with the Iowa DNR and various state representatives in Des Moines for an update on the lake restoration progress and the request to get on the Iowa Public Lakes list. This could allow for increased funding for the lake. There was good communication and support following the meeting.

Public discussion was opened.

Bruce Schneider stated that he feels he was let down by the Board because he was not told to get a bid. Leonard clarified that there were no details on the work done or the estimated cost until the last meeting. Leonard stated that the Board had taken the time to evaluate the cost effectiveness, safety, and risk management of each project proposal on its individual merits, and would continue to do so for any future work, including work performed by Schneider. He stated that with all proposals, the Board had gone through a yes or no process of voting for each project individually. Leonard stated that he is willing to add future work with the Schneiders on the March 3rd meeting agenda if the Schneiders are willing to propose new work. Assuming the board is in agreement with new work, he would contact Randy Rattenborg to come out to complete laser lines for work estimation prior to the work starting.

Larry Peter expressed concerns about matching funds required in a watershed authority regarding property tax increases. It was clarified that any situation where matching funds would require a property tax increase would have to go to the voters. If the general operating funds would be used for matching funding, the Board would make the decision to use or not use it.

A question was raised on if the District would be paying rent to the LDRA for use of the LDRA building for the remote computer access. It was clarified that the District owns the LDRA building.

It was clarified that no liaison is required to be a part of the legislative watershed authority, as the request is for the Board to have a single vote.

A question regarding the location of archaeological sites was raised. It was confirmed that the Board is unaware of any archaeological disturbances, but is bound by the Corps of Engineers not to release the archaeological site locations publicly. However, the Board continues to be mindful of them.

With regard to the 80%/20% projects, it was confirmed that each project had been done differently for silt removal along with being reviewed by the Board under its own individual merits. 100% payment by the road associations had been expected prior to Board reimbursement. A laser requirement will be reviewed on March 3rd as a formal process. Schneider’s future work would be considered but not automatically approved.

Davidson motioned to adjourn, seconded by Herman. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.

Minutes from January 21, 2016

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District

Regular Meeting

Thursday, January 21, 2016

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 by President Steve Leonard at 6:30 pm.

Trustees present: Leonard, Gifford, Burger, Kramer, Davidson, Herman, Colgan (via Skype)

Trustees absent: None

Recording secretary: Shelley Kallenbach

Visitors: Larry Peter, Eve Peter, Donald Dede, Becky Willey, Jim Willey, Ed Schmidt, Margie Schneider, Bruce Schneider, Randy Rattenborg, Jason Wenger, Dave Larson, Ben Pasker, Bill Lux, Marcheta Lux

Motion to approve the agenda as posted made by Davidson, seconded by Burger, motion approved.

Motion to approve the December 17, 2015 meeting minutes made by Burger, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

Kramer presented payments for approval. Payments in the amount of $2,672.26 for electricity, printer maintenance, warrants, lobbyist, salt and sand, and internet were presented from the General Fund. Payments in the amount of $660,463.50

for dam operations, Phase 2 and Phase 1 payments, and engineering services were presented from the Dam/Spillway Project Fund. Motion to approve payments as read was made by Burger, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

Kramer read the financial reports through December 31, 2015. The General Fund had revenues of $4,814.86 from the county and interest, and expenditures of $3,568.38 from approved miscellaneous payments, ending December at $257,397.70. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $6,539.62 from the county and interest, and no expenditures, ending December at $178,137.00. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $1,245,412.59 from county, community fund, and LDRA revenues, and expenditures of $445,412.45 for Phase 2, engineering, and contracted services, ending December at $3,692,058.17. Motion to receive and file the financial reports made by Burger, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

Motion to request reimbursement in the amount of $299,681.95 from Delaware County made by Herman, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

Motion to request reimbursement in the amount of $350,530.55 from the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi made by Davidson, seconded by Gifford. The Community Fund will have approximately $60,000 left in it after this requested draw. Motion approved.

Motion to approve Thursday, March 3rd at the Administrative Building at 6:30 PM for a public hearing to approve the FY 2016/2017 budget was made by Burger, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

The Board considered possible action on a proposal from Dubuque Fire Equipment for equipment needed for dam operations. Dubuque Fire Equipment was recommended to assist with finding necessary fire protection equipment for the dam. A walkthrough was conducted, and DFE provided an itemization of what is needed and pricing. Their recommendation for equipment came to a cost of $2,614.00. Colgan advised that he believed this was an appropriate recommendation. Motion to approve the proposal from DFE as read made by Herman, seconded by Burger. The proposal does not include regular maintenance, which is a nominal fee. Motion approved.

Motion to table discussion on a possible credit card for operational purposes until an example policy can be obtained made by Burger, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

Change Order #7 was canceled. Colgan presented GCI Change Order #8. which is the equipment required to allow the SCADA computer to be installed in the LDRA building across the river from the concrete powerhouse. The control room where the computer was to be placed has environmental problems including high humidity. An alternative location was recommended to eliminate the need to make major modifications to the control room to improve the environment. Part of the benefit of the SCADA system is to allow JetCo to remotely reprogramming of the PLC. Change Order #8 is for the purchase and placement of this equipment to allow the SCADA computer to be located across the river in the LDRA building. Kramer motioned to table discussion on Change Order #8 until further information is obtained, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

The Board discussed the need for a job description for paid contractors and dam volunteers. The operating plan has the dam operations automated 85% of the time with daily inspections made by volunteers. However, for the other 15%, trained operators would be needed during gate movement, etc. This group of people would also be responsible for upkeep, maintenance, buoys, etc. A meeting with Burrington Group is scheduled to discuss this subject. Motion to table discussion on a job description made by Burger, seconded by Davidson. It was emphasized that it is important to clarify the job responsibilities of a contractor versus an employee for legal purposes. Motion to table approved.

The Board heard Bruce Schneider’s proposal for reimbursement for sediment removal from the lakebed. Schneider presented a letter detailing his proposal. His first proposal had been for an 80% cost share for $25,680 for the 6,420 cubic yards of material he has removed since 2014. Since this proposal was made in October of 2015, he has removed an additional 2,938 cubic yards of sediment at an estimated cost of $14,700. He proposes a reimbursement of $25,000, with the remainder and any further work donated by himself, to cover fuel and machinery costs.

Burger motioned to approve a $25,000 reimbursement to Schneider for this and future dredging, seconded by Davidson.

Discussion was opened on the proposal. The sediment location removal was originally driven by the search for black dirt for the Schneider family farm, and it removed approximately 75 to 100 feet out toward the lakebed to create about 6 feet deep of water near Schmidt’s cove. Concerns about the recreational value of this dredging were raised. The benefit of sediment removal for future dredging requirements was reiterated. Concerns about opening up reimbursements for dredging work completed in 2014 or earlier by private individuals was raised, as well as concerns about reimbursement for work that may or may not happen. The original state of dredging with the October proposal was visited and seen by Leonard, Herman, and Davidson, but the additional work has not been seen.

A roll call of concerns to be addressed prior to approval was made.

Leonard commented that he appreciated Bruce removing dirt and silt from the Lake for the potential benefit of many.   He stated he wanted to look at the updated work prior to making a recommendation, as well as the goals and plans for going forward. He stated that he wished they had brought a plan to the board before doing any work as it is difficult to understand what specific benefits there is to this proposed reimbursement project. Reminding everyone that safety, public recreational benefit, and cost effectiveness needs to be considered and the only way to do that was to have the board involved since inception. He wants to do his due diligence to see the benefits to the lake prior committing anything to be fiscally responsible to taxpayers.

The Schneiders’ commented that they don’t expect to keep working for free without having an agreement in place to get paid.   Leonard said that anything going forward should be agreed to by the District board with all appropriate District criteria considered if reimbursement is to be requested.

Colgan says there is a benefit to the sediment removal and the amount requested is fair, but wants to see more detail prior to approval.

Kramer agreed with Colgan that removal of sediment is a benefit to the lake but expressed concern that there was no Trustee oversight on this project.

Gifford explained that he is having difficulty determining what the value of what Schneider did because he does not know the before and after depths, or dimensions of the area where sediment was removed.

Gifford wants to know how deep it was in this location prior to sediment removal, and how deep it is now.  He also asked if any sand was removed besides the black direct.  Schneider responded that he didn’t take the sand because it had no value.

Gifford then asked Schneider if his project was profitable and beneficial, explaining he is assuming it was or why would Schneider proceed with it.  Schneider responded that it was profitable and beneficial to him.

“Herman indicated a desire to be able to explain, in detail, to anyone that asked the reasons that the Board approved a cost share on any given project.  In order to do so, Herman wanted to have a quantification of material to be removed or that has been removed, especially if the Board were to consider the approval of a prior removal from 2014.  Herman also indicated that the use of prior and subsequent LIDAR data would be beneficial.”

Motion to table the motion made by Burger was made by Herman to allow board members to take a closer look, seconded by Gifford. Votes tabled as follows:

Leonard: Yay

Gifford: Yay

Kramer: Yay

Herman: Yay

Burger: Nay, because he feels it is time to approve this particular request.

Davidson: Nay, because he feels that this is an incredible deal.

Motion approved; discussion on a possible Schneider reimbursement tabled until the February meeting.

The Board heard committee updates.

The Lake Bed Cleanup Committee had no updates.

The Dredge Committee will be having a work session soon to work on the going-forward strategy for dredging and a vision for sediment maintenance.

The Dam Construction Committee says that GCI has stuck with it every day in January that work was possible. Next week work will be to construct one of the inclined slabs on grade and will include placing the granular fill, installing rebar, and concrete pouring on Thursday or Friday of next week. He applauds GCI for working through tough situations and not asking for additional funds.

The Water Quality Committee is tackling many water quality issues and also pursuing a Rockwell grant. Work on these water quality issue will be discussed at the upcoming planning meeting.

The Funding/Finance Committee had no updates. Burger complimented Kramer on her solid work on the presented budget.

Herman updated the Board that he has received a petition for a declaratory judgment as discussed in previous meetings and is working on filling in the blanks. He is also working on a FEMA quarterly report.

There was no public comment.

Davidson motioned to adjourn, seconded by Gifford. The meeting adjourned at 8:21 pm.

Minutes from 12.17.15

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees

Regular Meeting

Thursday, December 17, 2015

6:30 PM

Lake Delhi Administration Building

Delhi, IA

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees was called to order by President Steve Leonard at 6:35 PM.

 

Trustees present: Leonard, Gifford, Burger, Kramer, Herman, Colgan, and Davidson (arrived later)

Trustees absent: None

Recording secretary: Shelley Kallenbach

Visitors present: Larry Peter, Eve Peter, Pat Dede, Don Dede, Sara Millhouse, Dave Larson, Chloe Colgan, Brock Lorren, Chip Hughs, Jim Locke, Ben Pasker, Randy Rattenborg, Larry Aschbrenner, Marcheta Cooey-Lux

 

Motion to approve the agenda as read with the addition of consideration and possible action on GCI Change Order #2 was made by Colgan, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

 

Motion to approve the November 19, 2015 meeting minutes as posted made by Burger, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

 

Kramer presented payments for approval. Claims in the amount of $3,090.97 from the General Fund for electricity, maintenance, clerical services, lobbyist services, printer cartridges, and furnace inspection were presented. Claims in the amount of $445,889.76 for powerhouse painting, dam operations, Phase 2 payment, engineering services, and diesel fuel were made from the Dam/Spillway Project Fund. Motion to approve payments as read was made by Herman, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

 

Motion to approve a request to Delaware County for reimbursement for invoices paid by the District for the spillway rebuild in the amount of $218,267.27 was made by Herman, seconded by Burger, motion approved.

 

Motion to approve a request to the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi for reimbursement for invoices paid by the District for the dam rebuild in the amount of $218,738.43 was made by Burger, seconded by Gifford, motion approved.

 

Kramer presented the financial reports. The General Fund had revenues of $4,186.43 from Delaware County, and expenditures of $2,506.13 for miscellaneous expenses, ending the month at $256,151.22. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $9,575.53 from Delaware County and expenditures of $115,323.75 for an interest payment, ending the month at $171,597.38. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $2,504.12 from interest and expenditures of $533,654.10 for Phase 1, Phase 2, and engineering payments, ending the month at $2,892,058.03.

 

Leonard and Kramer presented a high-level projected budget summary for the dam reconstruction. The projected budget estimates the total cost, including all planned and foreseen costs, at approximately $15,861,393, and total funding for the project estimated at $16,451,400.10. Therefore, barring significant additional unforeseen expenditures, the dam should be rebuilt with an excess of funding of approximately $590,007.10 remaining.

 

Motion to file the financial reports and projected budget summary as presented was made by Colgan, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

 

The Board considered possible action on Stanley Supplemental Agreement #34. This supplemental agreement had been made months ago for Stanley to evaluate dredging and siltation trap options in the amount of $17,100. However, formal approval of the supplemental agreement was not made, though the work is complete and paid for. Motion to formally approve Stanley Supplemental Agreement #34 was made by Herman, seconded by Kramer, motion approved.

 

The Board considered possible action on Stanley Supplemental Agreement #39 in the amount of $90,000. This is to extend the time for the Stanley contractor to work on site to monitor day-to-day operations and answer technical questions, as well as office work and Stanley negotiation with contractors regarding change orders. The extension would be through February 1st, 2016, and is necessary due to the construction delay after the June cofferdam breach. Burger motioned to approve Stanley Supplemental Agreement #39, Kramer seconded. It was confirmed that the Board’s contract with GCI does not place this cost on GCI for delays attributed to them, though it was a major point of discussion in the rebid for Phase 2, but that this will be the only cost to the Board for the delay in comparison to GCI’s significant costs. Motion approved.

 

The Board considered possible action on GCI Change Orders #2 through #6.

 

GCI Change Order #2 is related to the decision to reuse the gate actuators in the current project. This presented a significant cost savings. However, the actuators’ electricity wiring needed to be updated to allow GCI to work with them. This updated change order is in the amount of $9,000. Herman motioned to approve, Burger seconded, motion approved.

 

GCI Change Order #3 is for work completed on the upstream buttress. As the wing wall was not on bedrock, the wing wall had to be sealed beneath the footing to prevent water from seeping into the upstream buttress. With Stanley’s negotiation, this change order is in the amount of $39,000. Kramer motioned to approve, Herman seconded, motion approved.

 

GCI Change Order #4 completed the same work as Change Order #3, only on the downstream buttress. With Stanley’s negotiation, Change Order #4 is in the amount of $9,000. Herman motioned to approve, Burger seconded, motion approved.

 

GCI Change Order #5 is in reference to work that was required following the June cofferdam failure. A clay core wall was required to be placed on the river floor to reinforce the cofferdam, which therefore doubled the amount of earthen material necessary to remove. This resulted in a unit price adjustment based on the amount of material removed, as well as testing for the new levels of clay that were not previously mapped by the 2011 borings. This change order is in the amount of $79,000, and the Board is contractually obligated to this cost. Herman motioned to approve Change Order #5, Kramer seconded, motion approved.

 

GCI Change Order #6 currently has no cost impact to the Board. Additional concrete costs are shared 50/50 between GCI and the Board up to the end of the year. The delay due to the June cofferdam breach has extended the timeframe for concrete pours. However, since the weather has so far been warm, there have been no additional costs to share. If there are costs before December 31st, those costs will be shared 50/50. Burger motioned to approve, Gifford seconded, motion approved.

 

The Board received and filed proposals for painting the powerhouse. The Board sought proposals for salt blast cleaning and repainting the powerhouse to allow for installation of cabinetry, electronics, etc. The Board received two bids, including one from Pospisil Painting for $27,410, and one from Allen’s Painting for $3,400. The Trustees have a resolution allowing the Board President and Treasurer to approve expenditures up to $5,000 before Board approval, and so the Allen Painting bid was selected and used. The powerhouse has now been saltblasted and painted. Burger motioned to receive and file the bids from Allen’s Painting and Pospisil Painting, and to approve the Allen’s Painting bid, Gifford seconded, motion approved.

 

The Board considered establishing credit accounts with Delhi Lumber, Palmer Hardware, and Norby’s Farm and Fleet for small purchases necessary for dam operations. A need was expressed for accounts to allow for purchases of miscellaneous items such as snowblowers, salt, etc. necessary for operators to use on the dam on short notice. Burger motioned to establish credit accounts with Delhi Lumber, Palmer Hardware, and Norby’s Farm and Fleet with a limit of up to $500 per purchase with a list of all authorized chargers and to require signoff for purchase from a trustee, Davidson seconded, motion approved.

 

The Board discussed the need to consider a credit card account for operational purposes. The Board may need to purchase larger items or items that cannot be found locally for dam operations, so a credit card would be useful. It was agreed that this would be a good idea and that options should be considered. Herman motioned to table action on a credit card until the January meeting, Burger seconded, motion approved.

 

The Board considered possible action on a small committee to investigate the transition of the Maquoketa River Water Quality Team’s mission and duties to the Board. Over recent years, the Maquoketa River Water Quality Team (MRWQT) has been overseeing water quality, including septic maintenance, erosion control, bacteria testing, and public information. The MRWQT is seeking to transfer these responsibilities over to the Board along with remaining funds earmarked to be used for encouraging people to maintain water quality. It was discussed that water quality is a very large issue with many subsections, and a small committee is needed to determine these subsections and begin the process of focusing and researching water quality for Board recommendations on an action plan. Disappointment on the loss of knowledgeable voices from the MRWQT was expressed. Herman motioned to create a small committee with not to exceed 3 trustees and not to exceed 3 volunteer members of the public if available to create recommendations and thoughts on how the Board should proceed from a water quality standpoint, Gifford seconded, motion approved. Interested trustee members were solicited. Leonard, Gifford, and Davidson expressed interest in participation.

 

The Board heard committee updates.

 

Leonard presented updates from the Water Quality committee. The Board was represented at meetings for a large Watershed Management Authority encompassing Maquoketa River stakeholders. The Board was instrumental in beginning this process. It is seeking an agreement between political subdivisions to assess water quality and flood risk, develop partnerships and leverage resources. 28 participants were present at the meeting, including counties, conservation departments, the NRCS, and others. They are seeking to draft a 28E agreement to commit to water quality importance, especially in light of recent legal actions taken in Des Moines against authorities for water quality-related complaints. More will be coming in the next month or two.

 

The Lake Bed Cleanup committee stated that a significant amount of debris was lost following heavy rains the past week. This was a big plus for the lake.

 

The Dredging Committee is seeking ways to stop siltation from getting downstream into the lake, and a great way to do that would be to have a siltation trap near the dredge disposal site as recommended by Stanley Engineering. The Committee has found a firm in Iowa to give an estimate for such a project at $1.8 to $2 million in a 20-acre area.  A final amount would be determined by the board going out to bid.  If this is deemed to be an important project by the board, we will need to continue to raise money.  Fund raising will be critical to the success of a sedimentation trap.

 

The Dam Construction Committee presented updates. A major flood occurred this past week, including 3 inches of rain last Sunday. The flow rose to 4200 cfs. The flood gates had been in a position to protect the downstream cofferdam, but with the rain, it became necessary to protect the entire site from flooding upstream. The contractors were given enough time to remove their equipment successfully downstream before the gates were opened to release the water. The downstream cofferdam was lost, but it would not have been needed within a week anyway. The workers were back to work by Tuesday working on the top portion of the dam. Only one day was lost. Remaining work includes 3 slabs on grade, 3 wall pours, and the labyrinth spillway.

 

The Funding/Finance Committee and Legislative Committee had no updates.

 

The floor was opened for public comment.

 

Confusion about change orders was expressed. It was explained that the original contract with GCI was for $6.1 million, and change orders cover changes to the contract due to site conditions. The plan and the costs will come out very close.

 

It was expressed that when considering dredge costs, the cost to remove material is often overlooked.

 

It was stated that in 13 days, the DNR goes to the appropriations committee to ask for watershed area funding, but Lake Delhi doesn’t qualify due to the ratios used to meet the criteria. It was asked how to change criteria to increase funding. The Board stated that this is not the sole determiner of yearly funding, and also that the creation of this watershed authority may impact funding opportunities in the future.

 

Burger motioned to adjourn, Herman seconded, meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.

Minutes from 11/19/15

The Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees

Regular Meeting

November 19, 2015

6:30 PM
Lake Delhi Trustees Administration Building

Delhi, IA

 

The regular meeting of the Combined Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District Board of Trustees was called to order by Vice President Todd Gifford at 6:32 PM.

Trustees present: Gifford, Davidson, Burger, Colgan, Kramer, Herman, Leonard (by phone)

Trustees absent: None

Recording secretary: Shelley Kallenbach

Visitors present: Larry Peter, Eve Peter, Ed Schmidt, Jim Locke, Becky Willey, Jim Willey, Don Dede, Pat Dede

Motion to approve the posted agenda as read was made by Herman, seconded by Davidson, motion approved.

Motion to approve the October 15, 2015 and November 4, 2015 meeting minutes was made by Burger, seconded by Herman, motion approved.

Kramer presented payment claims for approval. From the General Fund, a total of $2,256.13 for electricity, lobbyist, and furnace inspection expenses was presented. From the Debt Service Fund, a total of $421,312.43 for payments to GCI and Stanley Consultants was presented. Herman motioned to approve the payments as read, Colgan seconded, motion approved.

Motion to approve a request to Delaware County for reimbursement for invoices paid by the District for the spillway rebuild in the amount of $208,137.59 made by Burger, seconded by Davidson, motion approved.

Motion to approve a request to the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi for reimbursement for invoices paid by the District for the dam rebuild in the amount of $188,796.70 was made by Colgan, seconded by Davidson. A rough estimate of the balance remaining in this fund was requested. It was estimated to have $700,000 remaining after this request. Motion approved.

Motion to approve a request to the Lake Delhi Recreation Association for reimbursement for invoices paid by the District for the dam rebuild in the amount of $22,967.14 was made by Colgan, seconded by Herman. It was confirmed that these are donations that were made after the breech designated for the dam rebuild, and it includes the full balance of the account. Motion approved.

Kramer read the financial reports. The General Fund had revenues of $14,326.63 from Delaware County and interest, and expenditures of $32,634.93 for LDRA donations, miscellaneous expenses already approved, and the Turtle Creek West/Linden Acres cost-share, ending October at $254,470.92. The Debt Service Fund had revenues of $32,601.22 from Delaware County and no expenditures, ending October at $277,345.60. The Dam/Spillway Project Fund had revenues of $1,059,239.66 from Delaware County, the DNR, and the Community Fund to Rebuild Lake Delhi, and expenditures of $1,281,901.03 for Phase 2 payments and engineering payments, ending October at $3,423,208.01. Burger motioned to file the financial reports as read, seconded by Herman. A rough estimate of the dam rebuild costs once finished was made at approximately 15.1 million, and a rough estimate of funds remaining after the rebuild was made at approximately $400,000. It was confirmed that a draft of a high-level summary of project cost totals and remaining balances has been made and a finished product will be available at the next meeting. Motion approved.

The Board considered possible action on filing a Declaratory Judgment action related to the dredge site. This has to do with the need to transfer the lake dredge site from the LDRA to the District as required by FEMA. The owner of the land has the right of first refusal in the event of a resale and desires to exercise this right regarding the transfer. It is the Board’s opinion that this transfer is not a resale, and negotiations to this effect with the owner have been unsuccessful. A Declaratory Judgment would be a civil action and the legal costs associated with it would depend on the owners’ response to it. However, the district stands to lose money from FEMA if this transfer does not occur, it is in the Districts best interest to pursue the issue. Herman motioned to hire the attorney that has assisted the District in the past to file a Declaratory Judgment that the owners’ right of first refusal does not apply to the transfer of the dredge site from the LDRA to the District, seconded by Colgan. It was confirmed that if the judge rules in favor of the owners, the District will not be responsible for the owners’ legal fees per Iowa law. It was stated that FEMA has been cooperative in waiting for a resolution to this situation, but as all attempts have been unsuccessful, it is necessary to issue this judgment to keep the process moving in the case. Motion approved.

The Board considered possible action on a matching request from Turtle Creek Cove.

Dan Reyner presented the Turtle Creek Cove project proposal. The proposal currently presented to the Board is a project that would dredge the cove to a depth of 8 feet, totaling an estimated 10,000 cubic yards of material at $6.50 per cubic yard, as well as create a sediment trap at the entrance to the Cove to prevent sediment from the creek from entering the lake. The seventeen property owners involved in this proposal are willing to contribute $1,200 each to the project as their 20% of the project and request the Board to match the project at 80%. The Cove also proposes that the Board take over maintenance of the sediment trap. Reducing the dredge to 6 feet would make the project costs approximately $60,000 as another landowner is willing to take much of the sand for an existing private project. It is the Cove’s opinion that the Cove should be considered a sediment trap, and the proposed project would present considerable sediment reduction and management for the entire lake.

Colgan motioned to enter into discussion regarding the proposal, Davidson seconded. Discussion was opened.

General thanks to the Turtle Creek Cove for the work to present this proposal and unify so many property owners. It was agreed that the Board was in favor of the sediment trap as it relates to preventing sediment from entering the lake, assuming appropriate easements and rights to reach the trap, as it would benefit all residents. The isolated cost of creating just the sediment trap was identified to be $25,000.

Leonard expressed the opinion that though some may consider this a private cove, the Board should support efforts at siltation control at a lower price than what would be possible after lake fill, which would save taxpayer funds in the future. Others expressed concerns about the dredging portion of the project beyond what is required for the siltation trap only as being an expense that does not benefit the entire lake. Others believed that in return for the Cove’s cooperation on building the sediment trap, the Board should also do something for the Cove itself. Reyner expressed the opinion that the Cove itself is a sediment trap for the entire lake in reference to a 50-year or 100-year weather event, and as such dredging of the Cove would benefit the entire lake. It was confirmed that the lake has been dredged in the past, and that dredging in 2005 included the coves.

Herman motioned that the District contribute a sum not to exceed $40,000 to the Turtle Creek Cove proposed project, paying for the sediment trap first, with the remaining balance to contribute to Cove dredging upon the conditions that the residents contribute $1,200 each and the necessary easements for the District to clean out the sediment traps as necessary, Davidson seconded.

Several board members disliked the percentage split for this motion at 33%. Herman believed that the percentages should be different because the project has greater benefits to the residents of the Cove than to the residents of the entire lake. Leonard stated he wanted to see an 80-20% cost share.

A vote was held regarding Herman’s motion. Votes were tallied as follows:

 

Colgan: No

Burger: Yes

Davidson: Yes

Herman: Yes

Gifford: Yes

Kramer: No

Leonard: No

Motion approved.

Reynar was asked his opinion regarding the residents’ willingness to accept this proposal. Reynar stated that the residents would not be interested in the project with these terms at a 33% cost share when the difference is $8,000.

Burger stated that other dredge projects at the 80-20% split added to the recreational and safety value of the lake, and he does not feel that is the case in the Cove.

Colgan motioned for a project total not to exceed $60,000 that would cover the sediment trap first to a depth of 8 to 10 feet, then go toward other Cove dredging at their discretion, bearing in mind that 4-5 feet is sufficient for recreational boating, with the project at an 80-20% split with the Cove residents, Kramer seconded. Jim Willey from the public requested that the Board do an 80-20% split and pay for the sediment trap.

Colgan amended his motion to be a 80-20% split project not to exceed $50,000 paying for the sediment trap first followed by dredging of the Cove with the expectation of appropriate easements for the Board to access and maintain the sediment trap, Leonard seconded. Individual votes tallied as all yeses, motion passed.

Herman rescinded his original motion, Kramer seconded, all approved, motion rescinded.

The Board considered possible action on Bruce Schneider’s matching request in the amount of $32,100. This is for a dredge project that has already been completed and yet to be done.

Davidson motioned for a funded amount not to exceed $30,000 for work completed and work yet to be done using an 80-20% split, Herman seconded.

It was agreed that the work remaining for this dredge project amounts to approximately 4,000 cubic yards of sediment in order to create an average of between 7 to 12 feet depth. Concern was expressed regarding the recreational and safety benefits for this project, as well as the fact that it is asking for reimbursement after the fact, which sets a new precedent. A desire for additional sediment amount measurements by Lidar was expressed.

Davidson amended his motion to table possible action on Bruce Schneider’s matching request until more information can be obtained by Lidar, Herman seconded, motion approved.

The Hartwick West project was not yet prepared to present regarding their project match request. Burger motioned to table the Hartwick West project, Kramer seconded, motion approved.

The Board considered possible action on the North Beach cleanup and stump removal. This area has had some mechanical and hands-on cutting, but there are still a great deal of willow stumps that will be a significant safety hazard once the lake fills as the water will only go 2 feet above them. An estimate of $1,500 to remove the stumps has been obtained, assuming the ability to use non-asphalt roads to travel to the site.

Herman motioned to approve project funding not to exceed $2,000 for North Beach cleanup and stump removal if the Board can get agreeable access to the site location, Leonard seconded, motion approved.

The Board heard committee updates.

The Lake Bed Cleanup Committee had a hand-cutting day a few weekends ago in areas that are not machine accessible. It was very successful, and appreciation was expressed to those who came and helped. Cleanup is going very well with only a few small pockets remaining.

The Dredge Committee recognized a property owner who has done shoreline work and removed 200 dump trucks of sediment from the lake at his own expense and at no cost to the community.

The Dam Construction Committee states that construction is ongoing 6 days a week with lights to work into the evening. GCI will only take one day off for Thanksgiving, one and a half for Christmas, and one for New Year’s Day. The stop log hoists have arrived and will soon be placed. The emergency diesel generator will be started on December 14th. Colgan estimates the project completion date to be in January.

The Water Quality Committee has sent in a packet of information with proposed thoughts regarding a water quality initiative going forward, which will be reviewed and looked at in more depth in the coming month. The Board is going down the path of creating the Maquoketa River Watershed Management Authority in cooperation with many different stakeholders along the Maquoketa River to create agreements for high water quality.  This Authority would help water quality to be a more connected effort and not just a “Lake Delhi” effort. Lobbyists will be engaged next session for funding regarding the Authority.

The Funding/Finance Committee had no updates.

The Legislative Committee had no updates.

The floor was opened for public comment.

Ed Schmidt asked what the large white x’s in his fields were. It was confirmed that those were for spotting for the upcoming flyover mapping.

Jim Willey stated that there is information regarding 5 feet being the appropriate depth range for recreational boating and believes the Board should not pay for dredging beyond that. He stated that the Board needs to be fair to all taxpayers and consider what has been done in the past.

Larry Peter stated that if the Board opens up cost shares to retroactive projects, it will be a bad precedent. He also asked regarding easements to put lines across the dredge site property should it be transferred to the District, and it was confirmed there is a legal easement for the pipeline and outflow.

Jim Willey stated he remembered there being language that said the dredge site could be transferred between organization types. Such language has not yet been found, and it was suggested to look into past meeting minutes.

No further public comment.

Davidson motioned to adjourn, Kramer seconded, meeting adjourned at 9:02 PM.