Upcoming & Past AGENDA & (ABBREVIATED MINUTES)

1. Call to Order at 6:34 PM

     a. Present:

        i. Board Members: Phil Walker, Bob Remaly, Dave Nelson, Joe Cochran,

           Denise McCann, Todd Putman and Tony Gatton

        ii. Consultants: John Meier, John Meister

     b. Review/Approval of Board Minutes of April 17, 2025

        i. One correction was made to change the location of the Pulled Pork

            fundraiser to Sandkuhl’s pier.

        ii. Motion made and seconded to approve the minutes with the above

            change—motion carried.

     c. Finance -Treasurer’s Report (included with these minutes)

        i. Cash Flow Report and Individual Transactions Report—motion to accept

           the reports was seconded and motion carried.

        ii. Beyond Clear Campaign Report

               1. Cash in hand 4/17/25:....................$73,395.82

               2. Pledges.......................................$ 2,750.00

                  iii. Dues Statement—the 2025 statement was sent out May 1 with a due

                       date of 7/31/25

2. CLA Operations

     a. A discussion was held to remind everyone of the board member selection criteria

        and terms of service. The Executive /Nominating committee will take these

        criteria into consideration.

     b. NFP Status: update–David--Approval of Revised By-Laws and Articles of

         Incorporation

        i. The Executive Committee met on 4/23 to develop recommendations to

           revisions to Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation.

        ii. Each board member had ten days to study the changes.

        iii. A motion was made and seconded to approve the revisions to the

           Articles of Incorporation as written—motion carried.

        iv. A discussion of revisions to the Bylaws followed and several suggestions

            for edits were given to David.

        v. A motion was made and seconded to approve the revisions to the

           Bylaws contingent on the inclusion of the suggested changes—motion

           carried.

3. Lake Enhancement

     a. Lake Enhancement Priorities Committee – No update but the committee is still

         asking for suggestions to prioritize water quality projects,

     b. FDP on Crow property-status update--Stanger Group will start on this project

         when they finish with the Deed’s Creek project in Kosciusko county.

     c. DNR Property on Pressler—No update

     d. Pressler Bioswale project—No update

     e. Blue-Green algae and testing for toxins.

        i. The cost for testing a sample that we provide is $300-400

        ii. To get ahead of the issue, we would want to be ready to pull samples

            and submit them on short notice.

        iii. A motion was made and seconded to approve an expenditure of up to

           $500 to pay for Blue-Green algae toxin testing if it shows up this

           summer—motion carried

     f. Water Quality Findings – Chuck & Sue Farris forwarded the Annual Monitoring

        Report from the Indiana Clean Lakes Program for 2024

     g. Potential TWF Tour of Crooked Lake

        i. The board agreed that a tour would be a good idea to showcase

           Crooked Lake and the water quality improvements we are trying to

            achieve.

        ii. The most convenient time for all involved seems to be in August.

        iii. It will take several pontoons and operators to transport about 55

            attendees for a tour of the lake. Volunteers spoke up to offer their

            boating services.

        iv. John Meier will see if hosting the meal part of this tour is something that

             he and Aileen would like to take on.

     h. Water Quality Assessment—Ecosystems Connections—Jerry Sweeten would

          like to talk to the board at a future board meeting about what his company does.

          It was decided that having him speak to the board would be a good idea. It will

          likely take place at the July board meeting.

4. Communications--

     a. Committee Report – Todd reported that the website had 143 visits in April.

     b. Committee Report -- Newsletter- John Meier volunteered to work on this with

          help from other Communication Committee members.

5. Events & Fundraisers

     a. Pumpkin fundraiser- pumpkin seeding May 20 at 2:00 PM (rain date: May 22

        same time)

     b. Annual Meeting June 7, 8:00 AM

        i. A preliminary agenda was discussed and changes suggested.

        ii. Refreshments committee—Chuck Farris and Francie Hill—they will want

            to begin making coffee by 6:00 AM

        iii. Phil will pick up the key to the building on Friday, June 6.

        iv. Set up begins at 7:00 AM

            c. Pancakes on the Lake/ Blazing Paddles—July 5

            d. Gaerte fireworks – July 12 on Little Crooked Lake

            e. Pulled Pork Fundraiser –August 9, from 5 to 7 PM

6. Adjourn meeting at 9:32

Next Board Meeting Thursday June 19, 2025

1. Call to Order at 6:32 PM

     a. Board Members present at Clint Decker’s Building (firehouse unavailable):

        i. Phil Walker, Bob Remaly, Clint Decker, Dave Nelson, Francie Hill.

        ii. Association Member Tony Gatton visiting

     b. Francie Hill agreed to take minutes.

     c. Review/Approval of Board Minutes of March 20, 2025

        i. Motion to approve minutes as written was seconded

        ii. Motion carried.

     d. Finance -Treasurer’s Report

        i. YTD Cash Flow Report and YTD Individual Transactions Report

            1. Cash Flow Statement 4/17/2025 and CLA Transactions Year to

               Date statement discussed and accepted.

            2. Reports will be included with these minutes.

        ii. Carl Fuerste Memorial Gifts to Lake. Pursuant to a family request and in

          lieu of flowers, donations have been given to the Lake Association as a

          Memorial in honor of lake resident Carl Fuerste, who passed away on

          March 21, 2025. There was discussion that these memorial funds would

          go into the operating fund.

        iii. Beyond Clear Campaign Report

            1. Cash in hand 4/17/25:....................$73,395.82

            2. Pledges.......................................$ 2,750.00

            3. Some of the 2024 pledges to Farm Ditch II (Beyond Clear

               Campaign Report) have not yet been paid. Phil Walker will advise

               Board Members to make personal contact to facilitate collection,

               and there was discussion of mailing a pledge reminder.

        iv. Dues Statement

            1. $50 annual rate to stay the same—no change for 2025-26.

            2. The advertised deadline will be 7/31/25 but dues received within a

               reasonable time will be allowed the discounted Washler rate.

            3. Brief announcements (POTL, Farm Ditch Progress, pulled pork) will

               be added to the statement.

            4. A section for tax-exempt gifts (including RMD’s) will be added to the

               statement upon the approval of the Community Foundation of

               Whitley County (David Nelson contacted CFWC and the Lake

               Association received approval to use the same pass-through

               vehicle used for the Beyond Clear Campaign on 4/23/25)

            5. The board approved that we use Espich Printing to do the printing

               and mailing of the dues statement.

2. CLA Operations

     a. NFP Status: update–David/ Francie

        i. NFP/Bylaws/Articles Modification Update.

            1. Francie Hill and David Nelson announced that draft Modification of

               the Articles of Incorporation has been submitted to Phil Walker, and

               he will email the Executive Committee to review and approve, so

               that the Modification can be submitted to the Board for approval at

               the May meeting and then filed with the State for approval.

            2. The Modification limits the purpose of the Association to water

               quality and related educational and scientific efforts and includes

               clarifications to the dissolution process: both modifications are

               important to proceed toward a 501(c)3 eligibility.

            3. The Executive Committee will meet at Francie’s house at 5:00 p.m.

               Monday April 28th to review, clarify, correct and approve all these

               documents so that they can be submitted to the Board 10 days in

               advance of the May meeting.

            4. Once these documents are approved by the Board and the

               Modification of Articles approved by the state, the Board can vote

               again if it wants to proceed with the 501(c)3 application. It is not

               clear how long the application approval process will take.

            5. The Board should explore more clearly the responsibilities for this

               tax-exempt status, including the annual tax filing and/or status

               renewal.

     ii. Tax Questions related to potential changes to NFP (Wall St Journal

        article).

            1. Limited discussion was held on taxing of interest earned by

               association and possible statutory changes. Phil Walker clarified

               that the Association does pay taxes on income and Duffit and

               Associates prepare our taxes.

            2. The tax changes appear to be limited to 501(c)6 NFP’s and not

               501(c)3.

     b. Potential new board members.

        i. Morsches Road- Tony Gatton. He has been on the lake for at least 30

            years and would be a great addition.

        ii. Northshore -representation needed

        iii. Spear Road -representation needed

3. Lake Enhancement

     a. Lake Enhancement Priorities Committee Report

        i. The Priority Committee would like some guidance from the board on how

            to set priorities yet maintain flexibility.

        ii. Criteria that the committee might consider in setting priorities:

            1. Biggest offender (i.e. tributary with greatest amount of silt laden run

               off)

            2. Availability of grant money

            3. Availability of company/individual to complete the work

            4. Targeting small projects to have some discreet, quick “wins”.

        iii. Some specific areas of concern that were discussed – Gatesworth ravine,

            Woodstrail runoff issues.

     b. Buoys. Chuck & the crew will be putting out navigation buoys on April 27.

     c. FDP on Crow property-status update

         i. Stanger Group will start on this project when they finish with the Deed’s

            Creek project in Kosciusko County.

     d. DNR Property on Pressler

        i. Scott is working on a design for in-line French Drains if it is determined

            that existing tile needs to be replaced.

     e. Pressler Bioswale project

        i. Scott met with Tina Gaerte and she approved of the plan.

        ii. Next step is to secure funding (WLT funds?), probably in the $10,000

            range

        iii. As with our other projects, most grants require matching funds -a

            decision will need to be made about providing a portion of the bioswale

            cost when final plans and funding are known. Up to $2,500?

     f. Gatesworth ravine and Facebook rumblings.

        i. The board felt that an appropriate response to comments made on

            Facebook would be educational programming to show what the

            Association is doing and post information to the web site about each

            project.

4. Communications

     a. Committee Report -- NTR

        i. Lake Picture Contest. Todd would like a picture contest to encourage lake

           residents to the web site.

     b. Committee Report -- Newsletter-

        i. Newsletter. We have discussed a spring/summer newsletter. Does

            anyone want to volunteer to help write a newsletter?

5. Events & Fundraisers

     a. Pressler Rain Garden clean-up in April 12, 10AM

        i. Sue Farris, Chuck Farris, David Dinkle, Bob Remaly, Phil Walker cleaned

            up last year’s growth and it is ready for a new season.

     b. Pumpkin fundraiser- pumpkin seeding in May- date TBD

     c. Indy 500 pool. -- Once again, Chuck Farris is using the 500 pool to raise funds

        for blazing paddles trophies.

     d. Annual Meeting June 7

        i. Phil will arrange to use the church gymnasium, develop an agenda,

            contact potential speakers, create a report on achievements in the past

            year and what we expect to accomplish in ’25-26.

       ii. Francie will head up the breakfast committee – (coffee and donuts only

            unless someone wants to donate orange juice or milk).

        iii. Discussion about possible programming:

            1. Adam Balzer (Nature Preserve),

            2. Member(s) of the Art Nature Consortium which is taking footage for

               PBS on glacial lakes and their endangerment

            3. Jerry Sweeten (PhD Echo System, past lake owner, lives in

               Denver, Indiana).

     e. Pancakes on the Lake/ Blazing Paddles—July 5

     f. Gaerte fireworks – July 12 on Little Crooked Lake

     g. Pulled Pork Fundraiser –August 9, from 5 to 7 PM, at Sandkuhl’s pier.

     h. Potential Educational Programming

        i. Might consider a program in which we utilize local expertise

        ii. Freshwater mussels by Warren Pryor

        iii. Possible $200 Grant for educational speakers on water quality through

            IDEM and/or TWF.

        iv. Request that Communication Committee follow up.

        v. Others?

6. Adjourn meeting at 8:28 PM

Next Board Meeting Thursday, May 15, 2025  

1. Call to Order, Phil Walker

     a. Board Members present:

        Bob Remaly Denise McCann Todd Putman George Banta Phil Walker

        Past Presidents in attendance: John Meister and John Meier

     b. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from November 21, 2024

        i. Motion to approve minutes as written was seconded and motion carried.

     c. Finance --Treasurer’s Report – George

        i. 2024 Year-End Balance Sheet/Cash Flow Reports sent out in February

            are attached to these minutes

            1. John Meister noted that our Operating Fund (a large portion of what

               was formerly considered undesignated cash) appeared low and

               discussion ensued. He explained that expected reimbursement for

               the December check dam work along with projected income from

               summertime events would restore this fund to an acceptable level.

            2. Also discussed was the possibility that we could experience a

               surplus of funds if projected expenses of the Farm Ditch

               construction work come in at or under budget (a big IF). Since the

               Beyond Clear campaign included a modest contingency and since

               the campaign has been successful in attracting more than our goal,

               there is a possibility that CLA will show a Farm Ditch Fund surplus

               upon the completion of work. If that happens, we want to be faithful

               to our residents’ desire that all donations be used for the

               improvement of Crooked Lake water quality. Potential uses of this

               potential surplus include partial funding of our project priorities list

               or the creation of a maintenance fund that would be used to fulfill

               our legal obligations to maintain many of our current projects.

            3. Along these same lines, our Balance Sheet shows a healthy

               balance of cash designated for the Farm Ditch. None of these

               funds will be paid out until late June at the earliest and they are

              currently parked in our checking account which does not earn

              interest. Todd Putman made a motion to investigate short-term

              investment of 2/3 of the funds or about $100,000 of our checking

              balance in a two to three-month CD. The question of a Draw

              Schedule anticipated or required by the Stanger Group (the

              contractor for the Farm Ditch work) was brought up and it will need

              to be clarified before we can invest the funds. The motion was

              modified to limit the size of the investment based on any Draw

              Schedule expected by Stanger so that CLA is not caught short of

              funds. The modified motion was seconded and carried by a voice

              vote. George will check rates and CD options at Star Bank. Phil will

              check with the Stanger Group to find out what their expected Draw

              Schedule is based on before any CLA funds are invested.

        ii. George & Phil reported that our December check dam construction

            invoices were submitted in late January and have yet to be reimbursed

            by the Whitley County SWCD. This is because separate work done in

            Noble County for Metzger & Metzger under the same Watershed Land

            Treatment funds has not yet been invoiced. The SWCD needs complete

            documentation from all parties before it can pay out the WLT funds

            under its control. Scott Ziegler has been asked to investigate this.

        iii. No monthly cash flow report was submitted due to few transactions.

        iv. It was requested by the board that a simple listing of individual monthly

            transactions in addition to the monthly cash flow report be part of future

            Treasurer reports.

        v. George Banta announced that he would like to step down as treasurer.

            He has agreed to continue to fulfill his board member term which expires

            in June 2027.

        vi. Bob Remaly was asked to take over the Treasurer position and he

            graciously accepted. Board approved. George will assist in the

            transition until the CLA Annual Meeting on June 7, 2025.

2. CLA Operations

     a. Beyond Clear Campaign Report

        i. Fundraising Goal:......................... $50,000.00

        ii. Gifts by 3/6/25: ............................ $58,865.86

        iii. Events & CFWC interest.................$14,329.96

            Cash in hand 3/6/25:......................$73,195.82

        iv. Pledges.......................................$ 2,750.00

     b. Recognition of Large Donors

        i. Acknowledgement on the website is continuing.

        ii. The board decided that depending on donor’s wishes, we could have a

            formal acknowledgement during our Annual Meeting

     c. NFP Status: update

        i. Draft Mission & Vision Statement and Articles of Incorporation

            1. David and Francie were not in attendance, so no decisions were

               made

            2. They will continue to refine these documents and present the

               potential changes to an Executive Committee meeting to be

               announced in the first weeks of April.

            3. Suggested addition of “pristine” to Vision Statement --JM

        ii. Future tax changes to 501c3 NFP’s?

            1. George brought up potential changes to tax code reported by the

               Wall Street Journal

            2. His take was that non-donation income might be taxed at 20%

            3. John Meister has not yet heard about this possibility through his

               contacts in the healthcare industry.

     d. Board meeting schedule for 2025

        i. Board meetings will continue to be held at the Thorncreek FD Meeting

            Room

        ii. As in the past, we will continue to meet on the third Thursday of each

            month (March – November)

3. Lake Enhancement

     a. Lake Outlet Maintenance (weir near Public Access)

        i. Lake residents, Bill and Roxanne Thomas, among others, have been

            trying to keep the lake outlet clear of debris for the past 30+ years and

            would like CLA’s assistance in recruiting volunteers to help keep the

            outlet flowing.

        ii. The problem is that beaver are constantly trying to dam up the outlet and

            lower-lying properties suffer from rising lake levels.

        iii. The Thomas’ estimate that the outlet needs attention about once per

            week in the winter when the water is flowing and about 3 times per week

            in warmer weather. So far this month the outlet has been cleared at least

            four times.

        iv. Volunteers agreeing to help (from keeping an eye on the problem &

            communicating it to others, to mucking out the debris) include Todd

            Putman, Bob Remaly, John Meister, George Banta, Phil Walker, Bill &

            Roxanne Thomas, Mike Novachcoff, and Mike Burris.

        v. Anyone with a desire to help keep the water flowing is asked to volunteer

            some of their free time for this necessary project.

     b. Lake Enhancement Priorities Committee Report

        i. First committee meeting (3/12/2025)

        ii. Committee. Members are Phil Walker, Bob Remaly, John Meister and

            Todd Putman.

        iii. Reviewed lists of potential projects developed in the past

        iv. Began developing a map of potential projects

        v. Brainstormed for needed projects street by street

            1. Fry Road overflow area

            2. Gaerte Bioswale –information on location, cost and funding needed

            3. Discussed details of Pressler Road projects --information is needed

               from Scott Ziegler & Pressler residents

            4. Discussed NP tree planting area north of Pressler-- need more

               information from Scott Ziegler & DNR

            5. Woodstrail--Knepple driveway and Goss water overflow

            6. Tri-Lakes Sewer District stormwater inlet at Hilltop Drive and

               Woodstrail

            7. Woodstrail/ Morsches--Grant’s pond (Knepple)-grade stabilization

               from pond to Crooked Lake

            8. Woodstrail/ Morsches--Reid Property contribution to runoff

        vi. Located each potential project on the Crooked Lake map

        vii. The committee is asking board members to look at the map and the

            list of potential projects, add other projects as they see fit, and

            prioritize them before the next board meeting

        viii. The committee will use the updated lists to create a master priority list

            and map for projects we would like to see completed over the next 10-20

            years.

     c. FDP on Crow property-status update

        i. Scott says that due to difficult weather conditions at their current site

            (Deed’s Creek in Kosciusko County) our contractor, The Stanger Group,

            is not planning to start on the Farm Ditch until sometime in June.

        ii. Don Crow relayed to Scott that INDOT has decided that the 4’ culvert

            under IN 9 at the head of our current Farm Ditch worksite will need to be

            relined due to age and condition. We are hoping this work will be

            finished before it interferes with FD work that our contractor, the Stanger

            Group will be doing in June.

     d. Meeting with Adam Balzer –2/12/25

        i. Adam agreed to give residents a brief introduction at the Annual Meeting

            of himself and what he is doing at the Crooked Lake Nature Preserve.

        ii. Lately, he has been working with engineers to decide how to repair the

            outlet of the Spear Road wetland (old Bishop farm)

        iii. Scott Ziegler talked about two projects in the DNR NP to bring Adam up

            to speed: The Farm Ditch Delta area and the tree planting north of

            Pressler.

        iv. We will continue to communicate with Adam about funding for an

            engineering assessment of the Farm Ditch Delta area.

     e. Pressler Bioswale project (Gaerte)

        i. Design work is basically complete

        ii. Work was postponed until Spring because seeding the specialized

            plantings was not practical last Fall.

        iii. Scott will meet with Tina Gaerte on April 5.

     f. Wake Boat Legislation Status Update

        i. HB 1423 was referred to the House Natural Resources Committee

        ii. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

     g. Second series of check dams on Don Crow property

        i. Hand to the Plow (Scott Ziegler & son) installed a second grade-control

            structure on 12/31/24 in a ravine west of the Crow residence and east of

            the first check dams.

        ii. Total cost $10,500

        iii. Reimbursement from LARE WLT through the Whitley County SWCD

            was estimated at $7,200

     h. Johnson Dam beaver damage 11/2/24 -- Update

        i. Pond level is back to normal and repaired areas on the dam are

            recovering

        ii. Mike contacted a trapper to reduce beaver & muskrat population in and

            near his pond.

     i. Decker WASCOB & check dams

        i. Project completed on 12/27/24 by Hand to the Plow

        ii. Grass was seeded after construction but may not establish well. If

            necessary, it can be reseeded in the early spring without disturbing the

            soil.

        iii. Total cost $11,950, cost share was estimated at $4,450

        iv. Reimbursement from LARE WLT through the Whitley County SWCD

            was estimated at $7,500

4. Communications

     a. Committee Report -- Web Page Status- Todd

        i. 594 visits to the CL Website since November.

        ii. Abbreviated minutes from most of last year’s board meetings have been

            posted.

        iii. Retention Pond donors and Beyond Clear Campaign donors are

            recognized by name in a special section of the website.

        iv. Todd would like to add charts showing the changes over time of nutrient

            levels in the lake.

        v. We would like to encourage residents to take seasonal photographs of

            Crooked Lake through a monthly contest with the winning photo being

            displayed on the scrolling images section of the website.

               1. George will help with promotion of the contest in the dues mailing

                  this spring.

               2. We will also promote it through Facebook, the Crooked Lake

                  website and E-blast.

     b. Committee Report -- Newsletter-

i. The committee is currently planning a Winter/Spring e-newsletter.

ii. No current timeline for publication.

5. Events & Fundraisers

     a. Pressler Rain Garden clean-up in April—Sue Farris is lead.

     b. Expect buoys to be put out the second week of April. Chuck Farris will send out

        a request for helpers.

     c. Pumpkin fundraiser- pumpkin seeding will be in May- a request for help will be

        communicated as we get closer to planting time.

     d. 2025 Annual Meeting Date

        i. Saturday, June 7.

        ii. Phil will contact Mike Hall to get the date on their calendar.

     e. POTL/ Blazing Paddles Date—Saturday, July 5

        i. Chuck Farris is lead

        ii. Steinhoff’s on Spear Road have again agreed to host the event at their

            dock.

     f. POTL rain date: Sunday, July 6

     g. Pulled pork fundraiser to be on Saturday, August 9.

6. Adjourn meeting

     Next Board Meeting Thursday, April 17, 20255 

1. Call to Order

      (Attendees:Phil Walker, Todd Putman, Dave Nelson, Clint Decker, George Banta, Bob Remaly, Joe Cochran, Francie Hill)

       Past Presidents in attendance: John Meister, John Meier

  a. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from October 17, 2024

  b. Finance --Treasurer’s Report

Finance, continued

     ($ of LARE WLT funds awarded to Noble & Whitley counties must be spent by the end of this year.  Some $ of these funds are still available for us to use for appropriate watershed projects. The Board approved $ cost share for the Morches WASCOB and 2nd set of check dams on the Crow property..)

     (...get a gift card in appreciation for Mike Johnson’s donation of the use of his land, seeds and help with our pumpkin fundraiser, not to mention the donation of 250 of his own pumpkins when we had a crop failure)

2. CLA Operations

  a. Beyond Clear Report

     (Discussion: Where will the money go when we raise more than our goal?)

  b. Prioritization of water quality projects needs to be finalized in the event we have surplus funds left after the Farm Ditch is complete.

  c. Gifts Memorial

     (Web Site Memorials/Resident Special Tributes. Preparation continues for an “in memoriam” section on CLA web site for gift giving to lake in honor of loved ones.)

     (The site could also include short tributes to interesting persons (past and present) on the lake, such as to Lou Grawcock who designed the blue heron logo for CLA. This could include a historical look at lake residents and stories of families.)

     (...display on website.)

d. Not for Profit Status

     1) Amendment to Articles of Incorporation.

     (...reported on the pending Amendments to Articles of Incorporation.)

     (The Amendments were approved at an earlier board meeting, ...continues to put the Amendments in the approved government form, ...has added additional but minor statements in compliance with 501©(3), and will circulate again to all board members to request any objections. If no objections, the Board agreed that the Executive Committee could give final approval of the Amendments before filed with the Secretary of State.)

        (The Board requested that the purpose statements in the Amended Articles of Incorporation be codified into a simple vision statement for water quality and education.)

3. Lake Enhancement

     (It was moved and seconded to establish a Lake Enhancement Priorities Committee. Members will be Phil Walker, Bob Remaly, John Meister and Todd Putman.)

     (Farm Ditch Agreement has been signed and work can begin once contractor is ready.)

     (It was moved and seconded to create a committee to understand maintenance agreements. Suggested members: Carl Fuerste, Chuck Farris, Scott Ziegler, Francie, Phil. This group to locate past projects, prioritize maintenance needs and summarize maintenance agreements, leases, etc.)

     (Spear Road Report by Hannah Weirick, Scott Ziegler’s intern, was distributed to the board. Her report outlines practices that could be implemented to alleviate silt laden runoff through the Gatesworth ditch. Reports by Hannah on other tributaries of Crooked Lake should be forthcoming.

Lake Enhancement, continued)

     (Wake Boat Legislation, Lynn Crighton leading the charge though the TWF, will be contacting CLA to get letters of support to state legislators when legislation comes before the General Assembly.)

     (Pressler Road Bioswale has been moved to spring construction due to drought this summer and it now being too late to seed. Disappointment was expressed that this project was not addressed earlier.)

     (DNR, Delta Funds (20K), Bids should be coming and need to reconnect with Andrew Rutter on Confirmation)

     (Scott Ziegler is working with Don Crow regarding the possibility of Scott renting the fam fields north & south of the Farm Ditch for cover crop purposes and for a location to stockpile retention pond soil.)

Adam Balzer, new DNR resident

     (President Walker distributed a letter to Joe Cochran from Adam Balzer the new DNR Northeast Region Ecologist and manager of the CL Nature Preserve.)

     (The letter states Balzer’s intention “to encourage more community involvement with the nature preserve” in the form of “volunteer workdays, educational hikes, or something I haven’t thought of yet.” )

     (...pursue a “meet and greet” in the spring with Balzar and Board members.)

4. Communications

  a. Board members and interested parties were asked to help fill out the Communications Committee which is down to two members with one at home in Ohio until March.

     (The Crooked Lake newsletter is scheduled for November/December and we need help getting it designed, written and distributed. Committee members now include Todd Putman, Denise McCann, John Meier and Phil Walker.)

Communications, continued

  b. Todd continues to make progress on the website: 

     (...reported 604 visits to our website and it is still under construction.)

     (...still needs pictures of Lake enhancement projects, maintenance projects and maybe pictures of historical significance to post on website.)

    (...Discussion regarding posting of board minutes ensued with consensus that agendas with snippets of important board approved business be posted.)

Meeting was adjourned at 8:40 PM

Next Board Meeting Thursday, March 20, 2025

1. Call to Order

     (Attendees:Todd Putman, Denise McCann, Dave Nelson, Clint Decker, George Banta, Bob Remaly, Joe Cochran)

     Past Presidents in attendance: John Meister

a. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from September 19, 2024

     (Discussion, Spear Road / Gatesworth Progress. Using Pressler Road Resident and Scott Zigler

action Items as a case study, establish the same process with Spear Rd and

Gatesworth Residents. We need to share Hannah Wierick study with Pressler and

Gatesworth residents. Also discussed Spear Road Board Member options to support efforts.)

b. Finance --Treasurer’s Report

     (Discussion, requested more detail break down of funds. Farm Ditch Steering Committee to meet Monday October 21 st to discuss fund raising next steps, announcement of fund raising to lake residents, Future projects to fund with Surplus, Follow up with Scott Zigler and project status and priorities, etc… Steering Committee to report back to Board for approval. NFP Status, David and Francie to continue progess.)

c. CLA Operations

     (Winter Board Meeting Discussion, Continue with Steering Committee meetings and

establish board meetings based on approval and update needs. No future board

meeting date set at this time.)

d. Lake Enhancement

     (Continued Contact with Dave Abbott, to be discussed at Steering Committee Meeting.

Beaver Population Control, Contact DNR Establish relationship with New DNR Contact

Work with Sewer district regarding Woodstrail / Hill Top Rd rip rap project, Goss House demolition, erosion of Construction site, Wake Boat Legislation seems to be tabled, George to continue to monitor.)

e. Communications

     (continue to make progress. We need pictures of Lake enhancement projects to post on website. Discussion regarding sponsorships of website. Research ad pricing.)

f. Adjourn meeting

     (The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, November 21st at 6:30 p.m.

1. Call to Order

     (Attendees:Phil Walker, Tracy Hamilton, Todd Putman, Denise McCann, Dave Nelson, Clint Decker, Francie Hill, George Banta)

a. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from August 15, 2024

     (A motion was made and seconded to approve the board minutes.)

b. Finance --Treasurer’s Report

     (CLA has received 101 paid dues

      Expenses to be paid: Printing, Web Services, Signs, Insurance Premium

     Revenue: LARE, FDP 2 Fundraising, Pumpkin Sales received, garage/bake sale and the pulled pork sale, Pledges for 2025.

     A motion was made and seconded to approve the Finance Report.)

2. CLA Operations

a. Thank-You card signing by board members (standing agenda item for duration of

fundraising efforts)

     (Thank you cards were signed and will be sent out to donors.)

b. Farm Ditch Steering Committee/Beyond Clear Campaign Report

     (...we have raised $36,700 toward our $50,000 goal. The Post & Mail published an article regarding the LARE grant award. It was suggested to contact Lisa Long with information regarding the opportunity to donate toward the project.)

c. Gifts & Memorial Booklet 

     (...suggested creating a booklet to recognize the gifts focusing on those given in

memoriam. Maybe add biographies of people being memorialized. ...recommended a History/Contribution section for the website. ...continue working on this.)

d. Create a committee to fully understand our maintenance agreement obligations.

     (We need to define the maintenance requirements for FDP so that we can successfully

discharge CLA’s obligation under the Easement and Maintenance Agreement signed by

CLA and Don Crow. Scott Ziegler has worked on this before and could give us some of the information. We need to establish a list of completed projects, CLA’s responsibilities for those

projects, and contact the current property owners to make sure everyone is on board.

A motion was made and seconded to create a committee.)

e. NFP Status

     (Progress is being made. ...meet on Article 7 soon.)

3. Lake Enhancement

a. FDP on Crow property-status update

     (Scot Ziegler has the notarized agreement for Don Crow. We are waiting for the LARE

grant contract. Phil will sign once that is received.)

b. Spear Road/ Gatesworth progress

     (...provided a Site Assessment report by Hannah Wierick for the Eng/Fitch ditch. This

work will not be addressed until the FDP work begins. ...attend the Gatesworth Shores Association annual meeting. Interest in the Farm Ditch Project was high, and we received many questions.)

c. TWF Snapshot Water Monitoring Day

     (...attended the Water Monitoring Day. TWF had full participation in our area but there was no water from the Farm Ditch to test because of the current drought.)

d. Wake Boat Legislation Status Update—who will monitor and report on this?

     (...keep track of this and provide updates, and this is an issue they continue to monitor. Search Indiana General Assembly website ( https://iga.in.gov ) for House bills. ... call Dave

Abbott’s office to see who lake residents can call/email with support for this legislation.

e. Johnson Dam maintenance this Saturday at 9:00.

     (Dave, Phil, and Chris Hamilton will work on brush and small tree clearing on the dam.)

f. Lake Buoys will be taken out on 10/5—check with Chuck Farris to help.

g. Crooked Lake Nature Preserve was dedicated 45 years ago on July 21, 1979.

4. Communications

a. Committee Report -- Web Page Status

     (Discussion followed about whether minutes should be posted on the webpage.

... review the website structure for comments. As we each use the website, any suggestions or questions we have can be directed to Todd and the communications committee so they can make appropriate changes or bring the issues to the board for discussion and decision. It was decided to release the website to the Crooked Lake community as soon as possible.)

b. Committee Report – Newsletter

     (Newsletters will no longer be sent via email but be posted to the website at least 3x per

year.

c. Crystal Geyser Status – See Facebook

     (Water bottling company will not be building their facility near the Pisgah Marsh.)

5. Events & Fundraisers

a. Pumpkin fundraiser – status update

     (We harvested 160 pumpkins from Mike Johnson’s field. The field we planted had a crop

failure, but Mike donated two pumpkin patches that he had planted. We have raised

$500 to date.)

6. Adjourn meeting

     (The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, October 17th)

1. Call to Order

     (Attendees:Denise McCann, George Banta, Todd Putman, Bob Remaly, Dave Nelon, Joe Cochran, Chuck Ferris, Phil Walker, Tracy Hamilton)

     Past Presidents in attendance: John Meister

a. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from July 18, 2024

     (A motion was made to approve the board minutes. It was seconded by Dave Nelson and approved by the board)

b. Finance --Treasurer’s Report

     (The CD expires in September 2024. It was suggested that we may need ready access to those funds in the near future. A decision regarding the renewal of the CD needs to be made. For the fundraising events, we will have one person from the event committee collecting the money from the events then passing that to the treasurer. The funds will include a summary of the expenses and revenues. This will provide an additional level of control and security in the handling of revenue and expense.

A motion was made to approve the financial report. It was seconded and approved by the board.)

2. CLA Operations 

a. NFP Status: bylaws update

     (...are completing the changes to the bylaws. The changes need to be completed and approved by the board before we file for an NFP.)

b. Neighborhood FDP Grant Announcement visits– Denise, Bob, Dave, Tracy

     (...to complete the visits to Spear Rd. Gatesworth is having an association meeting. Phil and Francie will be at the meeting to discuss the FDP Grant.)

2. Lake Enhancement

a. FDP Pre-Bid Meeting on Crow property August 8, 2024

     (Phil met with Scott Ziegler, Hannah Wierick, and Steve Vaughn and three contractors regarding the bid. The group walked the property discussing the projects and the dredging of the pond. Bids will be submitted by September 4. Don Crow wants the agreement for easement and maintenance to be  notarized before the work begins. We need to talk to Scott Ziegler to learn what we need to do to comply with the Crow agreement as well as maintain the check dam on the Northeast side of the Crow property.)

b. Spear Road progress

     (Hannah Wierick met with Gary Wilson who may be open to work on his property. He needs assurance that the work proposed includes or considers all options. The Engh/Fitch tributary begins at the wetland near the first bend in Spear Road and continues through the Childers’ property then between Engh and Fitch. The outflow pipe from the wetland is still uncovered as the DNR is still working on it. Scott will review the report from Hannah and propose remediation.)

c. PLS Control -first round on July 27

     (Thanks to Francie Hill, Tracy and Chris Hamilton, Bob Remaly, Dave Dinkel, Todd Putman and Phil Walker for their work in controlling this invasive pest. We will spray for Loosestrife again in 2 to 4 weeks.)

d. Geese impact and their control

     (Discussion centered on what can be done to encourage residents to try to discourage geese from gathering on their property. The recommendation is to educate property owners on the risks of having geese on their property. The education needs to include how to discourage the geese from nesting on Crooked and Little Crooked Lakes.)

e. TWF Snapshot Water Monitoring Day –September 19, 2-6 PM 

     (We still need volunteers for the water monitoring day. Request that an E-Blast including the TWF flyer be sent to all lake residents. This was done on Sunday August 18.)

f. Tony Gatton has a storm grate in his yard that needs to be repaired. He has asked for help with this. 

     (Joe will look into it to see if he can assist with this replacement.)

g. Wake Boat Legislation Sponsored by David Abbott--News Article

3. Communications

a. Committee Report

     (...reviewed Weebly, Domain.com, and Go-Daddy. ...recommending Go-Daddy for the website. A motion was made and seconded to begin the build using Go-Daddy.)

4. Events & Fundraisers

a. Garage Sale & Bake Sale fundraisers report—Denise

     (We raised $8,350 on the garage/bake sale with a large portion made on pre-sales. The board will send thank you notes to Steve and Mary, Diane Johnson and Vi Roberts)

b. Pulled Pork fundraiser report

     ($932 raised after expenses for pulled pork. The majority of buyers donated additional money for the health of the lake. The board will send thank you notes to Chuck and Sandy Johnson. Only one volunteer was not from Pressler Rd.) 

c. Pumpkin fundraiser – not looking too good

     (Our pumpkins are not growing as expected. We will continue to monitor growth. ...suggested we add a hotdog fundraiser in future. ...this been seen on another lake & rivers where hotdogs are sold from a pontoon rather than a pier.

Farm Ditch Steering Committee

...reviewed the FDP Steering Committee recommendations for the kickoff celebration to announce the LARE grant. 

Recommendations:

     · Income from recent fundraisers be designated for funding the three Farm Ditch Projects.

     · Call this fund Farm Ditch II to distinguish it from Farm Ditch I which is designed for the dredging of the retention pond (now stands at approximately $64,000.)

     · Encourage 100% participation by all CLA Board members in advance of the Special Kickoff meeting.

     · Seek $500 from each household

     · For the next 24 months, all interest earned from the Crooked Lake Conservation Fund established by John and Aileen Meier held by the Whitley County Community Foundation account be earmarked for Farm Ditch II Fund.

     · Encourage all gifts to be directed to the Community Foundation of Whitley County with “Farm Ditch” written on the memo line of the check.

     · Suggestions for naming the fundraising campaign

          o Crooked Lake Water Quality Matters

          o Beyond Clear, Truly Clean

          o Beyond Clear…on the way to Pristine

          o Crooked Lake …Clean Water as it Should Be

The meeting will be held on Monday, September 9th at 7 p.m. at the Big Lake Church of God.)

6.The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, September 19th 

1. Call to Order

     (Attendees:Phil Walker, Denise McCann, Todd Putman, John Meister, David Nelson, Francie Hill, Clint Decker, Tracy Hamilton)

1. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from June 20, 2024

     (A correction was made to the minutes changing Thomlinsons to Thomases who continue to clear the dam between Crooked and Big Lake. A motion was made to approve the board minutes. It was seconded and approved by the board.)

2.Finance --Treasurer’s Report  

     (...discussed the format of the financials. ...will meet to discuss what will be needed if we move to a 501(c)(3). ...moved to accept the finance report. That was seconded and approved by the board.)

3. CLA Operations

a. Committee Report--Announcement of FDP LARE Grant Award

     (...met to discuss how we might communicate our success in obtaining a grant and explain how those funds will be used. ... notes are included at the end of these minutes.

The LARE application and the Engineering Design Report provided on January 15th are included with these minutes. ...draft an announcement to the lake residents regarding the LARE grant and the meeting we are planning for early September.  We will target the week of September 9th for the meeting. ...start drafting talking points for the board members for the fundraising campaign.)

b. Nominating Committee Report--Board officer nominations and terms of service

     (Francie nominated Clint Decker for Vice President. A motion was made and seconded with the board approving the nomination.)

c. Spear Road vacancy- eligibility issues

     (Tabled for future discussion )

d. Neighborhood visits and dues collections

     (...visit with residents of Pressler, Fry, and Spear to introduce Phil as the new board president and discuss the board initiatives. They were able to collect dues from some of the residents. Neighborhood visits will continue this month targeting, Morsches, Woodstrail and Northshore.)

4. Lake Enhancement

e. Crow riprap check dams and Morsches WASCOB 

     (Several have reviewed the Morsches WASCOB. It appears to be working as expected following the heavy rain. We need to review the Crow riprap if we can gain access.)

f. Spear Road progress

     (...make contact to work with Hannah Weirick, Scott’s assistant, in her efforts to hold meetings with stakeholders.)

g. PLS Control -need kayaking volunteers

     (...spray Purple Loosestrife on Saturday, July 27th starting at 9 AM. We need to announce on Facebook and email that we are going to spray on July 27th.)

h. Lake weed disposal issue

     (This was tabled to next month.)

i. TWF Snapshot Water Monitoring Day –September 19, 2-6 PM 

     (We need to schedule a weed control day for Johnson pond in the near future. ...ask mow the grass around the Bishops WASCOB.)

5. Communications

j. Committee Report

     (...met to discuss options for the web page. ...created an initial site map. Three & five years for site and domain. We need to review different website host options.)

k. Resident Survey results

     (This was tabled to next month.)

l. Where Does the Money Go? 

     (...provided a summary of projects from 1995 and the associated costs. For those with additional information, please share that with Phil.)

6. Events & Fundraisers

m. Garage Sale fundraiser

     (We need volunteers to clean up and haul away anything remaining items for donation in town. Signs will be placed on 9 and 109 to announce the garage sale. We can still use a couple tables for the garage sale.)

n. Bake Sale fundraiser

o. Pulled Pork fundraiser 

     (Pork is cooked for August 10th. We will sell pork from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Brown bag pork and chips will be $6 per bag. Residents can boat up or drive up. Tracy will prepare an announcement for Facebook and email.)

p. POTL/ Blazing Paddles outcome

     (We sold 158 meals collecting $1,684.)

The next board meeting is scheduled for:  Thursday, August 15th

Call to Order

     (Attendees:Dave Nelson, John Meister, Denise McCann, Todd Putnam, Tom Lickey, Tammy Lickey, Phil Walker, Chuck Farris, Bob Remaly, Tracy Hamilton)

1. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from May 16, 2024

     (A motion was made to approve the board minutes. It was seconded by Denise McCann and approved by the board.)

2. Finance --Treasurer’s Report

     (...expressed a concern that we are paying taxes on grant money that we may not owe. ...has asked ...get some clarification on our tax liabilities.  CLA Operations)

1. Welcome Fry Road’s New Board Member Todd Putman

2. Board officer elections and terms of service

  a. We will elect a vice president when Clint, Joe, and Francie are in attendance.

3. Annual Meeting Post-Mortem

  a. What went well & what we need to work on for next year.

    ( i. It was suggested that we continue to provide the board report annually.

     ii. It was also suggested that board members should get recognition on handouts as appropriate.

     iii. Thanks to Chuck & Sue Farris for stepping in to help with refreshments.

     iv. We need to make sure our water quality message for both Crooked and Little Crooked Lakes is on track and consistent with our goals.

     v. Residents want to know what the board does with the money they have donated. So we should continue to emphasize what we have completed and what we are working on at the annual meeting, on Facebook, and on a future website.)

  b. Big Lake Church of God donation for use of their facilities

     (i. A motion was made to make a donation equivalent to our 2023 donation to the church for the use of their facility.)

  c. Thank you to David Abbott—this was taken care of by John Meister at the Annual Meeting.

4. TWF Lake Association Match Challenge during July 1-8 -Last time we donated $500

     (We will verify the amount.)

5. NFP status update 

     (.....proposed language changes for the Articles of Incorporation. .....motioned for the adoption of the language with a small change. The motion was seconded and approved by the board.)

6. Spear Road vacancy

     (We will review the bylaws in an upcoming meeting to address board eligibility. ...asked that the nominating committee meet to discuss the skills needed for the open board positions including the at-large position.)

Lake Enhancement-- updates on current projects

     (We have maintenance agreements for the Crow Farm Ditch, the Bishop’s WASCOB, and the Johnson Pond. The maintenance agreement for Grant’s Pond expired on 5/31/24 without being renewed by the current owners)

.

1. Crow riprap check dams COMPLETED.

     (We have entered into an agreement that extends the 1996 agreement.)

2. Morsches- WASCOB COMPLETED.

     (We have entered into a maintenance agreement with the Bishops.)

3. Spear- Wetland, Beavers & Eng/Fitch tributary.

     (The Thomsons and other residents continue to clear the dam at the public access. We should consider developing a schedule to share this work. Phil met at the site with Rich Dunbar and his successor, Adam Balzer,  Scott Ziegler and Hanna along with Dave Nance and three people from the DNR to discuss the dam on Spear Road. Three beavers have been relocated. This, along with the work Rich has done, has allowed the water to drain more effectively. The pipe is being reviewed to see whether repair or replacement is needed.)

4. Lake testing data and interpretation- Maintaining the message

     (...overview. The Carlson Trophic State Index rates water bodies based on the amount of biological productivity they sustain. The Index shows the relationship of chlorophyll, phosphorus, and Secchi depth to the trophic class of lakes. Given our current Phosphorus level, Crooked Lake is a Eutrophic Lake. Tom and Tammy Lickey attended the meeting to express their concern regarding the increase in weeds in the last 4.5 years.)

Communications

1. Web Page

     (...Big Lake Online website was developed on Sitebuilder. They send a spring newsletter and refer their residents to the website for events and information. ...webpage committee to outline what the page should look like and propose next steps.)

2. Resident Survey results

     (We had 35 survey responses. The summary is embedded at the end of the minutes. We need to review those responses and propose an action plan. 

Denise has asked for a list of those who have not paid their dues. She and Phil will meet with those residents.)

Events & Fundraisers

1. Indy 500 pool results

     (The pool raised $660; $330 of that will be used for prize money with the remaining $330 for trophies. Winners of the pool are first place – John Meyer; Lynn Hoffman – Last place; Becky Steinhoff – 17th place)

2. POTL/ Blazing Paddles plans

     (...can use additional help; We will charge $8 per plate. We will send a communication via Facebook and email to notify residents of the increased cost. We will need approx. 20 people to set up the evening before and help clean up after. POTL will finish at 11 a.m. Will cancel the junior race if temps are too high)

3. Garage Sale

     (Tabled Denise will provide information for the Garage Sale and the Bake Sale to Tracy for the communication.)

4. Bake Sale

     (Tabled)

The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, July 18th 

1.Call to Order

     (Attendees:Francie Hill, Denice McCann, C.E. Farris, John Meier, Bob Remaly, Phil Walker, John Meister)

2. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from April 18, 2024

     (It was moved and seconded to approve the minutes as distributed.)

3. Financial Condition

   a. Treasurer’s Report

     (Discussion followed on the importance of both clarifying and expanding the financial statement presentation to detail sources of income via dues/events/contributions and the classification of related expenses to better present our story of operations and fundraising. It was noted that these changes have been previously recommended to be part of the IRS NFP status application and our ongoing accountability reporting.  ...suggested using the Quicken software used when he served as Treasurer.)

Old Business

4. Inlet Enhancements Updates

   a. Morsches Road WASCOB & Crow gulley projects.

    (Both projects are delayed due to weather conditions. We are currently waiting for Whitley County Highway Department approval on the Morsches Road project. The Bishops have agreed to the development of WASCOB on their property and have requested a written commitment from CLA to assume responsibility to maintain the area surrounding the WASCOB. There was Board consensus to accept this responsibility. We are still waiting for Don Crow’s approval to proceed with the construction of the check dams in the gully. Also, on Morsches it appears the possibility that the Columbia City Electrical Department may have broke field tiles across from Gatton’s causing excessive water to pool and not properly drain.)

   b. Reid Update.

     (Francie and Clint plan to meet with Todd Reid)

   c. Pressler Road Update.

     (Denise reported on a productive meeting last evening with Tina Gearte for the development of a bioswale on her property.  Scott Zeigler and his assistant Hannah were most attentive. She also reported that preliminary plans have been developed by the NRC Tech Team for the development of multiple WASCOBs and a wetland on the INDRN Nature Preserve 24-acre property to the north of Pressler.)

   d. Spear Road

     (Beaver situation, INDNR call for wetlands review, and need to develop plans to address the two chronic drainage situations. This situation was discussed at length as we are looking for more direction and action from the INDRN to address the growing beaver population.  We also need to support Joe to be able to commence productive discussions on how best to approach these significant drainage issues.)

   e. Woodstrail

     (acknowledgment of crushed field drain tile and assistance was offered.)

5. Communications Update

   a. Newsletter Feedback

     (Discussion included font size of the newsletter along with limited distribution. It is planned to resend the newsletter along with an updated resident directory in advance of the Annual Membership meeting on June 1st.)

6. NFP Status Update

     (Francie Hill explained that there were no new updates.)

7. Board Vacancies

   a. Spear Road

     (Given the situation where there is a motivated resident most interested in assisting with addressing the Board’s priorities, but does not qualify for association membership, there was a consensus to consider inviting her participation as ex-officio, non-voting person to Boad meetings. ...will discuss the next steps and possibly meet with this person to explain this situation to avoid setting precedent while our Bylaws are undergoing review and update.)

   b. Pressler/Fry

     (Todd Putman has agreed to step up and fill this vacant position.)

8. June 1stAnnual Meeting

  a. We reviewed the Annual Report Info Packet containing Agenda, Annual Report, a reformatted simpler Treasurer’s Report, and Things to Do handouts. 

  b. Reviewed the Draft Agenda

  c. Discussion of logistics to place regarding Annual meeting room setup and breakfast service. 

New Business

9. TWF Lake Association Match Challenge during July 1-8.

     (We participated last year where $ was received from 8 lake associations and TWF raised even more from donors. Following discussion, it was approved to again fund this match at the same level as last year.)

The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, July 18th 

Call to Order

     (Attendees:

1. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from March 21, 2024

2. Financial Condition

   a. Treasurer’s Report

     (No material change from last month. There is $ currently available for Withdrawal from Whitley County Foundation. ...motion that all available funds and any future available funds should be removed from the Crooked Lake fund at WCCF as soon as they become available.  The motion was seconded and approved by the board.)

Old Business

3. Inlet Enhancements

  a. Updates on current projects -from Scott Ziegler

     i. Farm Ditch LARE Grant Application 

     ii. Morsches Road WASCOB and Crow gulley project 

     iii. RFP for a feasibility study for the Nature Preserve Delta 

     iv. Pressler Road WASCOBs and wetland.

Scott Ziegler provided the following updates:

     (LARE Grant committee has requested additional drawings for the Crow dams and the Bishop WASCOB. The contractor for these projects is scheduled to start in May. Scott will take care of the grass seeding. Scott will contact the DNR leaders regarding the solicitation for a second bid for the Nature Preserve Delta engineering feasibility study.)

   b. Woodstrail 

   c. Spear Road 

     i. Wilson runoff 

     ii. Eng/Fitch tributary

     (Scott Ziegler feels we need someone to assess the Spear Road drainage situation.)

  d. Morsches Road

     i. Reid Property

     (Clint and Francie will meet with Todd Reid regarding what he may be able to do to assist with the runoff.)

     ii. Heller Homes/Dillree building site runoff

     (...revisit this issue with the Dillree’s)

   e. Future educational program on runoff

4. Communications- Newsletter update

     (We will finish the newsletter in the next few days and distribute it via Facebook. We will add educational programs to the survey. ...reach out to Big Lake regarding their website.)

5. NFP Status update

     (This process is moving forward. No update at this time.)

6. Indiana Ecozones update

     (... referred to a contact at the Fishery. There are additional steps we need to take to apply to become a No Wake Lake. We need to determine if we want to move forward.)

7. Mute Swan update

     (...provided an overview of the article he provided. We will include this information in the newsletter.)

8. Board Vacancy - vacancy for Spear Road representation. 

     (Dave Dinkel has resigned from the board since he will not be spending much time on the lake.)

New Business

9. Annual Meeting Planning 

     (... the agenda for the annual meeting. Francie Hill is in charge of the breakfast. She reminded all the board members to clear their calendars to meet at the Big Lake Church Friday, May 31st to set up chairs and tables for the annual meeting. She will announce the time at the next CLA Board meeting. Francie has volunteers lined up to serve breakfast, but would welcome additional volunteers.)

10. Social Events 

   a. Review & plan distribution of “Things to Do This Summer”

The next board meeting is scheduled for:Thursday, May 16th  

1.Call to Order

     (Attendees:John Meister, George Banta, Francie Hill, Phil Walker, Tracy Hamilton, Bob Remaly)

2. Consideration of February 15, 2024, Minutes

3. Treasurer’s Report

     (The Stantec final invoice has been paid.  LARE deposited $ in late 2023. We negotiated a discount of. These funds will be included in the Undesignated Funds going forward.)

     (TWF agreed to waive their 3% administrative fees on the $ contributed to TWF earmarked for the Farm Ditch Project (FDP)

     (Status of thank you letters for 2023 year-end donations.)

     (...draft template thank you letter for future use.)

     (Unable to connect with Jennifer Romano to discuss TWF Website)

     (Association raised $ toward FDP. Couple with the $ CLA designated funds we have raised over $60,000 towards our goal.)

     (Bank CD opened 9/28/2023; matures 9/28/2024)

     (We will withdraw available funds from the Whitley County Foundation funds quarterly to deposit in the CLA account.)

     TWF – The Watershed Foundations

     FDP - Farm Ditch Project

Old Business

4. Tributary/Inlet Enhancement Updates:

  a. East Morsches Road WASCOB

     (Two competitive bids were received for WASCOB & Crow gully projects. Low bids are appropriately $9,000 each ($18,000 total). LARE will reimburse $3,200 for Morsches Road WASCOB and 80% of the Crow gully check dams ($10,400). We would be responsible for $7,600.)

     (Drafting agreement with Bishops where we will be responsible for WASCOB maintenance.)

  b. Pressler Road Plans

     (·NRCS (tech team) plans for DNR property to be drafted within the next month.)

     (Scott Ziegler & Rich Dunlop are meeting to review plans and INDNR Nature Preserve budget as the DNR has committed to paying for this plan from annual maintenance budget.)

     (Scott Zeigler has received only one engineering response todate to address Nature Preserve Delta engineering feasibility project.  Need to work within DNR NP budget to pay for the engineering study.)

  c. Spear Road

     (Scott Zeigler is available to meet to address both Wilson sediment runoff situations along with Eng & Fitch drainage issues. A plan needs to be drafted and shared with residents to gain support. This may become a future LARE project.)

     (In 2015/2016 we received a LARE grant to install three WASCOBs. Those WASCOBs proved not to be able to address the water flow and a second LARE grant was applied for which was denied. We subsequently installed a manual water control structure in the uppermost WASCOB.  We are considering contacting Goshen College to see if they can do a study like that completed for Pressler Road to develop a comprehensive plan.)

  d. Woodstrail

     (The written plan drafted last year has been shared with impacted residents twice in 2023. It was agreed to send out these recommendations again.)

  e. Reid Property

     (Preliminary Reid plans were discussed.)

     (Discussed how best to address recent Hannah Reid Facebook post and decided to directly address Todd Reid.)

     (Heller Homes agreed to address sediment runoff from new ranch home on lot #1 of Bishop Ridge.)

  f. Is there a need for another Tributary Workshop like 2023?

     (We will consider presenting this as an educational program following the development of sediment mitigation plans for both Spear Road & Reid property.)

5. Communication Committee Update

  a. Newsletter Update

     (We will send a newsletter in mid-April to announce the June 1st Annual Meeting, announce the mailing of dues statements, and list scheduled activities including Pancakes on the Lake on July 6th, etc.)

6. Social & Fundraising Events

  a.  See attached first draft of 2024 “Things to Do.”

     (update the draft of planned events and distribute for review and input.)

7. Mute Swan situation

     (we will research how we address this population.)

New Business 

8. Spear Road & Woodstrail Board Vacancies

     (regrettably, April shared that she is stepping down due to pressing family matters.)

     (Bob Remaly has agreed to accept our invitation to join the CLA Board)

     (discuss Spear Road candidates.)

9. NFP Status Update

     (include the Draft revisions to the Crooked Lake Articles of Incorporation in the newsletter.)

10. Draft Annual Meeting Agenda

     (... would like feedback before the April meeting to finalize the agenda.)

11. Grayson Acres Subdivision

     (Update provided on lot spilt.)

12. Other Business

The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, April 18th 

1.Call to Order

     (Attendees:John Meister, George Banta, Francie Hill, Phil Walker, Tracy Hamilton)

2. Review/Approval of Board Minutes from December 19, 2023

     (Minutes were approved as distributed.)

3. Financial Condition

  a. Treasurer’s Report

     (Update on releasing CLA donations to TWF for Farm Ditch & Year End Donations

TWF requires invoices to pay out funds.  Plans are to cover the cost of the Crow Gully project from these proceeds.)

Old Business

4. Inlet Enhancements Updates

  b.No questions were raised on the 2024 Farm Ditch LARE Grant Application. We anticipate hearing the funding decision in early July from the INDNR.

  c. Morsches Road WASCOB & Crow gulley projects

     (Scott Zeigler has placed flags at the proposed WASCOB site; The Bishops have asked for native plantings be provided. Scott has planned with Clayton Nursery in North Webster to provide these plantings. The estimated cost of the WASCOB will not exceed $10,000, the majority of which may be paid by Whitley County Soil & Water District using a LARE cost sharing schedule.  

Scott Ziegler is also getting two bids for the Crow gulley work do be combined with the Morsches WASCOB.  The Board has earmarked $7,000 for gulley work.)

  d. RFQ/RFP for an engineering and feasibility study for the

     (Nature Preserve Delta $ has been earmarked by TWF for the studies.)

  e. Pressler Road WASCOBs and wetland creation plans 

     (NRCS tech team is reviewing the WASCOB and wetland creation plans for the INDNR property north of Pressler.  They are recommending two or three WASCOBs and the wetland using agricultural NRCS criteria.  Scott Ziegler believes the plans will be complete within the month. He will then meet with the DNR to see what they can provide toward the cost via their annual maintenance budget.)

5. Communications Update

     (The Yahoo CLA email will not work for our purposes. ...research other email options. ... research the option to create a CLA website. ...reach out to TWF to see if they would be willing to host pages for the area lakes. We discussed sending newsletters in early May, June, August, and possibly, October. Newsletters will announce upcoming events (Social and Educational), provide status for projects, etc.)

  f. Newsletter

     (...deferred.)

  g. Input to in CLA Primer Update

     (...deferred.) 

6. NFP Status Update

     (...reviewed an email ...that was mailed earlier in the day addressing where Outlined draft amendments to the CLA Articles of Incorporation. ...specifically reviewed the (1) 

proposed organizational purposes and (2) dissolution options. There was favorable feedback 

provided.)

7. Board Vacancy

     (We have a vacancy for Valley/Woodstrail representation. ... interview a prospective candidate to determine interest and a skill set.)

New Business

8. Social Events

  h. Plans & suggestions for 2024 

  i. Neighborhood activities

     (Chuck Farris wants to hold a junior kayak race in the spring, a tour of the Nature Preserve 

sometime in 2024, and he plans to run an Indianapolis 500 race pool again in May.)

  j. Sponsorship of educational topics this coming Spring. 

     (We have addressed aquatic plants/weeds and shorelines over the past years.)

     (Boating safety and speed limits are always a good reminder.)

     (...brought forward a garage sale this summer. One of our resident families is willing to provide the use of their pole barn if others are willing to organize and operate the garage sale. ...recommendation to see if they can recruit someone to assume leadership of this CLA fundraiser.)

     (It was also suggested that we consider publishing an event schedule for this summer.)

9. Confirm date for CLA Annual Meeting

     (the first Saturday of June is June 1st. We have invited Rep David Abbot to attend and participate.

Francie Hill agreed to assist with coffee and donuts. We will need additional assistance.)

The next board meeting is scheduled for: Thursday, March 21st