Upcoming AGENDA & Past (ABBREVIATED MINUTES)

1.Call to Order

2.Guest Visitor- George will introduce Jordan Bohlander, USDA

     a.USDA’s mute swan control program

     b.Area lake leaders concerns & questions

3.CLA Operations

     a.Review/Approval of Board Minutes of February 19, 2026

     b.Finance -Treasurer’s Report –Bob Remaly

     c.Nuisance Wild Animal Control Policy—Phil

4.Communications

     a.Committee consists of Todd Putman, Denise McCann and Francie Hill with technical assistance       from Tracy Hamilton

          i.Progress on a Quarterly newsletter

          ii.Progress on future Educational Event

     b.Committee Report -- Web Page/ Mass Email Status- Todd

5.Lake Health

     a.Project updates-- Phil

          i.FDP on Crow Property

          ii.Pressler/ Fry Road --Gaerte Bioswale--NTR

          iii.Spear Road/ Gatesworth projects –Bishop wetland

6.Adjourn meeting

Next Board Meeting Thursday April 16, 2026

Crooked Lake Association Board of Directors

February 19, 2026 @ 6:30 PM

Thorncreek Township Fire Station Minutes

Quorum requirement was satisfied with 7 directors in attendance. (A Quorum is 51% or 5 of 8 current directors present to conduct business)

Call to Order at 6:42 PM

Attendance: Phil Walker, Todd Putman, George Banta, Joe Cochran, Bob Remaly, Francie Hill, Tony Flesch by phone, and John Meier, consultant.

CLA Operations

Approval of Minutes of last board meeting

Upon review of the CLA Board Minutes of November 20, 2025, a motion for approval was made by Joe Cochran and seconded by George Banta. The motion carried by voice vote.

Finance -Treasurer’s Report –Bob Remaly

Cash Flow Report and Transactions Report for Dec-Jan 2025.

A motion for approval of the Treasurers Report was made by Francie Hill and seconded by Todd Putman. The motion carried by voice vote.

Community Foundation of Whitley County (CFWC) Conservation Fund (Meier) – available funds ($2,740.43) have been received and deposited in the CLA account.

Lake Resident donations to the Farm Ditch Project held by The Watershed Foundation (TWF) in the amount of $3,122.50 will be released upon presentation of an invoice showing that sufficient work has been completed and paid on the project.

The contractor of the FDP, Stanger Group, considers the Farm Ditch work to be a small project and plans to hold back invoicing until the job is complete. Treasurer Remaly expressed his concern that handling the entire project cost could be very difficult for CLA because the total cost is estimated at $205k and we have limited funds immediately available (most of the Farm Ditch contributions are earning interest in CD’s which don’t mature until late March [see Executive Committee Report 1/15/26]). Also a $100k LARE grant will be paid to CLA only after we pay the contractor from our available funds. Phil will contact Stanger Group to see if multiple, smaller invoices could be arranged.

Nominating Committee Report – Francie

Francie conducted an interview with Hannah Geiger who has expressed interest in becoming a director. Hannah was invited to the board meeting but could not attend. She plans to attend the March 19 board meeting.

Directors were encouraged to think of other association members who might be good candidates for the board and be prepared to discuss at each board meeting.

Executive Committee Meeting Reports (12/8/25 & 1/15/26)

A brief summary of the reports was offered by Phil with discussion following. The complete written reports were provided as supplemental information sent out to all directors prior to the meeting.

Annual Meeting Planning is underway. A discussion by board members focused on the question of holding the meeting in the gym vs in the sanctuary. This resulted in a consensus that if a good sound/video system is not available for the gym, the meeting should be held in the sanctuary allowing time for socializing with refreshments in the Narthex prior to the meeting. It was also suggested that we inquire about the possibility of broadcasting the meeting on the church’s YouTube feed.

Phil reported that the committee discussed a number of needed Bylaws changes exposed by the policy work that is currently underway- Not For Profit, Nuisance Wild Animal Control and the Directors and Officers policies all revealed need for revisions in the Bylaws.

Board members present were asked if there were any questions or disagreements with the actions of the executive committee and there were none. It has been suggested that this question be asked at each board meeting for the purpose of evaluating whether actions of the executive committee are in line with the wishes of the entire board of directors.

Nuisance Wild Animal Control Policy—Francie, Phil

A draft of this proposed policy was submitted to directors and lake residents (seeking their comments) 30 days prior to the February board of directors meeting. Lake residents were invited to attend the board meeting (regular CLA board meetings are always public) but no one other than board members and one past officer were in attendance.

All written comments (from lake residents and directors) received by the board were discussed. The NWAC committee will consider these and future comments and suggestions in the development of this policy.

The board discussed the authority and limits of a shooter, the disruptive effect of continually reopening the swan discussion for lake residents through notices of swan committee actions, whether there should be data or specific requirements related to lethality, and related issues in the draft policy. Comments were noted that there are patterns of movement by 6 to 8 mute swans on Crooked Lake over the past few months/weeks indicating the likelihood that they are mating pairs and expected to begin nesting. Mating pairs are factors that trigger nest destruction and egg oiling, and more aggressive action if those options are not safe or successful. There was general agreement about the policy, with the exception of notice provisions, the type of data to be collected for decision-making and determining factors for lethality. It was recommended that the NWAC committee should give notice to the DNR and USDA when there is evidence of nesting or eggs.

No motion to approve the draft was submitted at this time and the proposed policy was returned to the committee (George Banta, Todd Putman, Bob Remaly & Phil Walker) as more discussion and refinement is needed.

Motion to renew NWAC Permit with IDNR Fish & Wildlife Division was made by Bob Remaly and seconded by George Banta:

It is moved that the Crooked Lake Association, Inc. file an application for a Nuisance Wild Animal Control Permit for mute swans with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife (IDNR F&W) for the calendar year of 2026. The Permit may include the control options of nest destruction, egg oiling, and lethality, and will allow the United States Department of Agriculture and its staff to provide assistance.

It is also moved that the least invasive methods of control under the Permit shall be used, except when inconsistent with human safety, the extent of threat or damage, or the recommendation of the Indiana DNR and the USDA.

The motion carried by voice vote.

Director and Officer Policy (DOP) Task Force Report –Francie. 

A draft of the proposed policy with comments from John Meister, Francie and Phil will be sent out to committee members Tony F. and Denise for input, and a committee meeting will be scheduled to refine the draft.

Communications

Committee Report -- Web Page/ Mass Email Status- discussion tabled

Crooked Lake Primer Revision Subcommittee Report – discussion tabled

Spring Newsletter – discussion tabled

Educational Program – discussion tabled.

Lake Health

Wake/Surf Boat Task Force-

Progress of HB1062, the Wake/Surf Boat bill.

Indiana House committee hearing on HB1062 held January 14, passed out of committee. Subsequent House action: voted and passed.

Indiana Senate committee hearing on HB1062 held February 9, passed out of committee.

Todd and Bob reported that the IN Senate approved HB1062 this afternoon, February 19. Good work everyone! Especially Lyn Creighton and TWF. To find out more about the legislation go to:

https://thecrookedlakenoblewhitleycoindiana.com/wake-boating Then scroll about halfway through the wake boating section to: Original Article Posted by Hannah Godfrey (TWF)

A suggestion was made for the Association to make a donation to TWF in appreciation of all the work they did to promote passage of this bill.

Project updates

Farm Ditch Project on Crow property— the following is submitted for the record although it was not discussed by the board: The Stanger Group (project contractor) moved in during the second week of January, and construction began on February 2. Projects 1 (at-grade crossing/stilling pool) and 2 (one-sided two-stage ditch, stone toe and cross-vane structure) were well underway by February 5. As of February 19, warm weather has delayed progress on dredging of the retention pond and on Project 3 (dam, outlet, and downstream streambank stabilization).

Pressler/ Fry Road --Gaerte Bioswale—discussion tabled

Adjourn meeting at 8:42 PM

Next Board Meeting Thursday March 19, 2026