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Chair: Tim Jeffers. Members: Tom Baker, Bill Bretzger, Kevin Clancy, Charlie Durkin, Larry Garlasco, Al Kramer, Bob Kravitz, Jim McLoone, Judy Restaino. Staff: Richard Franklin, Ralph Graf, Bill Rooney, Bob Taggart. Excused: Karen Greenfeld, Susan Lyte. The meeting was called to order at 9:07 AM. The minutes of the October 31st meeting were corrected as follows: Larry Garlasco was excused. A. Kramer made a motion to approve the minutes as corrected, and B. Bretzger seconded the motion. (10-0-0)
OLD BUSINESS: 1. Recreation: R. Franklin stated that work is being done at Laurel Park so that boats can be stored there. T. Jeffers received an e-mail from Recreation about alternative uses for the present boat storage area. R. Graf said that the Roamingwood picnic area and boat launch areas might be expanded. Plans are also being discussed to expand the use of Laurel Park as well. T. Jeffers expressed a concern about any plans that might be detrimental to the lake and therefore wants the Lake Committee to have a voice in any decisions that are made, and R. Graf agreed. B. Rooney said that in his opinion we need more beach area. We need to consider expanding Roamingwood Park as a larger recreation area but not for swimming. B. Bretzger stated that Roamingwood was considered for a swimming beach a few years ago but it was decided that it would be too dangerous for swimming because of the dam and the marina.
2. Public Works: Dam Reinforcement:
R. Franklin said that the bids are set to go out in April and will hopefully be back by June. However, at the Board Meeting on the 19th an alternative plan is being discussed which could save a lot of money but would involve major changes. T. Jeffers wonders if the savings would be worth it as we have been setting expectations for several years now. B. Taggart has to talk to Lake Ariel and the DEP as Lake Ariel must coordinate their drawdown with ours when we do the dam. C. Durkin informed us that because Lake Ariel is a natural lake, they are not normally regulated by the DEP. R. Graf stated that regardless of the decision made on the 19th, they will go to the DEP so that they will be in control for our project.
If we go with the alternative plan, we can still do some dredging. The North Beach will be done. R. Franklin said that we have been running into some permitting problems but they are fixing an area in the Hideout where we can put the sediment and then use it ourselves. C. Durkin thinks that we should dredge as much as possible and expand the plan. T. Jeffers questioned when we will know how far the $200,000 will go so we can expand to other areas where we have sandbars, etc.
Some concern about the level of the lake was expressed. The valve is at the bottom of the dam, and they have been manually opening the valve to try to keep the 5’ drawdown level during the winter, but more water has been flowing into Roamingwood even though there hasn’t been much rain.
Deerfield/Brooks/Windemere Lake: Charles Givler is looking at the lakes. Roamingwood is classified as high hazard. Deerfield is Class C – not high hazard. An upgrade to the spillway at Deerfield needs to be done, and some trees cut down. T. Jeffers would like to see a drawdown of Deerfield so that a valve could be installed. Potentially Deerfield could be a big project because of the feeder pipes for the ski hill. Windemere could be classified as high hazard. There seems to be some leakage under the dam there. C. Durkin has spoken to someone who feels that the lake has been there for at least 75 years.
3. Environmental: Budgeting Discussion: B. Rooney states that we are looking at an increase in amenities of 4%. T. Jeffers indicated that we need the $250,000 to begin the projects proposed by Princeton Hydro, but we won’t have firm numbers until the spring. C. Durkin stated that if we don’t move along quickly with these projects, we will have severe consequences with Roamingwood and will eventually have problems with our drinking water. We need to do all of the environmentally sound things. T. Jeffers added that some of the projects will have recurring operational costs.
EcoSolutions Update: Amanda will expedite her report. Princeton Hydro: T. Jeffers indicated that we expect to have a list of the special projects prioritized and an estimated time line. Princeton Hydro said that they will provide us with that. Stormwater Management Planning: We need to get the culvert projects completed by next year as we need to have a place to catch stormwater before it gets into the lakes, taking sediment with it. B. Bretzger said that there has been a lot of sediment buildup in the lake this year. K.Clancy said that a major problem is leaking pipes which were put in during the ‘70s, and RS&W is in the process of fixing them.
4. Security: J. Kozuch was not at the meeting, and R. Graf said that he would have him get back to us.
NEW BUSINESS: 5. Committee Items:
Brighton Nursing Home: The problem there has been taken care of. The sewage treatment plant is within the permissible level and is being monitored by the DEP.
Next meeting will be on January 30th. The meeting was adjourned at 11:16 with a motion by A. Kramer and a second by B. Kravetz.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Restaino
Lake Committee Draft Minutes of Meeting - October 3, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers. Members: Bill Brenner, Kevin Clancy, Larry Garlasco, Karen Greenfeld, Al Kramer, Bob Kravetz, Arnie Milidantri, Judy Restaino. Staff: John Barcarola, Richard Franklin, Ralph Graf, Bob Taggart
Excused: Tom Baker, Bob Dehl, Charlie Durkin, Jeff Silverman
The meeting was called to order at 9:06 AM. L. Garlasco made a motion to accept the minutes, and K. Greenfeld seconded the motion. All approved. (7-0-0)
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Recreation: Plans for the handouts at Boat Registration are in progress. We are still looking for more ideas for themes for the July 4th Boat Parade.
2. Security: To the question about an emergency action plan, R. Graf responded that J. Kuzoch updates it every year. He would notify the Main Gate and then the North Gate. Ralph will check with Joe and have the plan available for the next meeting. L. Garlasco suggested that we put some part of the plan in The Hideabout so residents will be aware of it. 3. Public Works: Dredging/Scraping Project: Sediment: R. Franklin said that there are about 10,000 cubic yards, based on calculations. Except for the North Beach, there is less than one foot of sediment in the areas tested. North Beach has perhaps five feet. Wildwood Lake flows into the area by the North Beach. B. Taggart will try to determine this winter, when the coves are dry, the amount of dry sediment.
Soil disposal: R. Franklin said that we are not yet at a point to determine if we need to do more samples to verify that it is good soil. B. Taggart wants approval from the DEP before we remove it. A. Milidantri said that there are six locations around the lake where culverts empty, creating unnatural pockets which should be cleaned out when the contactors are here. T. Jeffers said that we don’t know how much it will cost to expand the project and expressed his concerns about a timeline for a plan. We need estimates ahead of time, so if we’re under budget, we can do other studies.
Permitting: R. Graf has been given a ballpark figure. The Board should be ready to go out for bids in April or May.
Lakefront Owners’ Meeting: What are owners permitted to do? R. Franklin said that whatever scraping is done will be to the shoreline. The Hideabout, e-mail, and Channel 20 can be used to notify owners. E-mail addresses of lakefront owners are needed.
Shoreline Cleanup Coordination: This year some cleaning will be done. At the 10 foot drawdown a major shore cleanup will be planned. We need to determine when the shoreline will be ready. This year we are planning to begin the drawdown on October 27th. Lake Ariel will drawdown on October 31st. R. Graf received approval for a 5’ drawdown every year.
Deerfield, Windemere Dam Designations: B. Taggart indicated that Windemere will be looked at next, and T.Jeffers expressed concern because of the condition of the berm. Solutions for Deerfield will not be done this year. We need to get an estimate for putting in a valve for a drawdown. The carp issue has been put on hold.
Roamingwood Boat Storage: A. Miladantri said that it came up at a Board meeting that boat storage should be eliminated during and after the drawdown, and the area should be developed. Now the fee for storage at Roamingwood is $80 per season, and it is $140 at the campgrounds. B. Brenner said that people have been turned away from storing at the campgrounds because improvements have to be made. Some storage spaces have been added. The fee schedule will be leveled and scaled according to size of boat, etc.
Roamingwood Drawdown Date: Because there are so many issues not yet resolved, the Board is not sure when the dam project will be done. A discussion ensued. T. Jeffers said that after the drawdown, we need to have time to have the sediment dry out, and B. Brenner indicated that we need to notify Wildwood and Lake Ariel that we will have a 10’drawdown. The plan should be for the 2010-2011 season but we need to know if it can it be put off until the 2011-2012 season without penalties if not finished by December 31, 2011. The dam project should be completed in 6-8 weeks if all goes well. J. Barcararola assured us that the funding is available for 2010 but it might be preferable to wait until 2011. The budget allows for the dam to be paid off over two years.
Getaway and Holiday Parks: There is limited parking at Holiday Park, and Getaway Park needs a ramp into the lake for non-power boat access. A. Milidantri said that it needs to be put into the budget.
4. Environmental: Princeton Hydro Update: The general consensus is that the committee is not satisfied with the performance of Princeton Hydro because they don’t seem to have lived up to their promises. We had requested a report by September, 2009, in order to create line items in the budget, and that report has not yet been received. To date they haven’t given us any solutions, and we would like a prioritized list of what needs to be done. Their final report will not be received until January, 2010, and the solutions they recommend for next season will be a pilot program. B. Taggart feels that we have covered the cost of their solutions in our budget
EcoSolutions Update: Chemicals have been used all summer where needed.
PA DEP CVMP (Department of Environmental Protection Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Program) Update: The last lake sampling will be done on October 26th or 27th. It needs to be done before the Lake Ariel drawdown.
Integrated Stormwater Management Planning: Conversations with RS&W have begun.
NEW BUSINESS:
5. Committee Items:
Volunteer Water Quality Measurement Plan for 2009: A. Kramer reported that they have done the same number of samples but haven’t done the last sample yet because we haven’t had any rain events. Certain areas are showing consistency in the samples.
PSU ASE – Watershed Association Planning: K. Clancy showed maps of the area to the committee and has identified our boundaries in the Ariel Creek Watershed. The Ariel Creek Watershed is 15.4 square miles, and the Hideout Watershed is 10.7. B. Brenner has maps and the names of some of the people in the watershed. The plan is to have a meeting with other residents in the Ariel Creek Watershed with someone like Peter Wolfhurst to run the meeting.
The next meeting will be on October 31st. B. Kravetz made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 12:15. It was seconded by K. Greenfeld, and all were in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Restaino
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes of Meeting - August 29, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers. Members: Bill Brenner, Bob Dehl, Kevin Clancy, Larry Garlasco, Karen Greenfeld, Al Kramer, Bob Kravetz, Suzanne Lyte, Jim McLoone, Arnie Milidantri, Judy Restaino. Staff: John Barcarola, Richard Franklin, Ralph Graf, Bob Taggart. Guests: Jack Frech, Rich Topp.
The meeting was called to order at 9:10AM. L. Garlasco made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected, and J. McLoone seconded the motion. (11-0-0). Suzanne Lyte was thanked for her years of service as secretary of the Lakes Committee. B. Brenner brought it to our attention that contractors and any others are able to read our minutes on the Website. Elections had been moved to August. Tim Jeffers was unanimously reelected as chairman of the Lakes Committee.
OLD BUSINESS: 1. Recreation: Handouts at Boat Registration should include a calendar with dates for when docks are put in and taken out; boating rules; and the Boat Parade theme. A. Kramer asked about refueling of boats on Lake Wallenpaupack. B. Kravetz stated using cans to refuel is not allowed there. Results of tests for petro chemicals on Roamingwood show that we are below the limits. 2. Security: We are still concerned about an Emergency Action Plan and would like Joe Kuzoch to outline some procedures in the Hideabout. B. Kravetz would like to know if we can have effective enforcement of “catch and release.” T. Jeffers would like the committee to make recommendations for a policing policy. K. Greenfeld and J. Frech noted that there seems to be no security on Deerfield Lake, and stickers are missing from boats. J. McLoone also noticed that some boats on boat racks have no stickers. B. Taggart will address these issues with Joe Kuzoch. 3. Public Works: Ralph Graf introduced Richard Franklin, the new Director of Public Works. Eleven people had been interviewed. Rich is from North Carolina and is a civil engineer with expertise in road construction, storm water management, etc. and has had a variety of experiences. He offered to help the Lakes Committee wherever possible. Dredging/Scraping Project: B. Taggart said that Jeff Sias had noted two coves for the dredging project, and the question is whether we want to address more areas than those. We don’t as yet have a definite date for the report from Princeton Hrdro. T. Jeffers would like to have a date set for a presentation from them as we had asked for a September date due to budgeting. Brian Oram should be at any meeting we have with Princeton Hydro. It’s becoming imperative to know figures for dredging as we need to talk to contractors. There is also a concern that they might not recommend dredging. Our goal is to improve the quality of the lakes, and if boats are bottoming out in the coves, dredging would be helpful. Lakefront Owners’ Meeting: Having a lakefront owners’ meeting is a priority for B. Taggart. Fish Conservation: B. Kravetz reported on his meeting with B. Taggart, Frank Dynarski, Paul Hagen, and Judy Restaino about options to improve the fishery during the 10 foot Roamingwood Lake drawdown in 2010/2011 and to make plans to better manage the fishery after the drawdown. Frank is certain many of the fishermen will help. This will be coordinated with a shoreline cleanup.
Deerfield/Brooks/Windemere Dam. Designations: Deerfield is a Class C dam and needs minor changes to the spillway. There is no apparent deadline. Work also needs to be done on the valve and ski hill feeder pipe. The consultant has just begun work on Brooks.
A. Kramer said to anticipate problems with Windemere as the berm may not qualify as a safe dam. Al will take R. Franklin to see Windemere.
4. Environmental: Princeton Hrdro Update:
T. Jeffers suggested a conference call with Princeton Hydro as we need an update soon. EcoSolutions Update: They spot treated problem areas and the entrance pond. T. Jeffers commented on the plant identification charts that B. Taggart sent to us. He will send them to D. McGowan to make available on our Website. EcoSolutions treats for curly weed and duck weed. The CVMP (Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Program) did the plant survey. B. Taggart senses that the program will be eliminated next year. Some testing of the algae was done, and it is not toxic. Stormwater Management Planning: RS&W and the Lakes Committee need to work together.
NEW BUSINESS: 5. Committee Items:
Watershed Association Planning: B. Brenner is putting together some information like property owners’ names, and B. Taggart has a contact, Peter Wolfhurst. T. Jeffers indicated that we need to have a picture of the whole sub-basin. K. Clancy can print a watershed map with an aerial survey which can be laid upon a tax map. T. Jeffers explained that the purpose of the association is to work together with the others in our watershed to improve the quality of the water in our lakes. An organization would have a better chance of obtaining grants than a private community.
Budget Concerns: J. Barcarola joined the meeting to request ballpark figures for line items in the new budget which is being worked on. He said that the Board fully
supports the Lakes projects and has allocated $600,000 a year for lakes and dams. Lakes committee members were reluctant to suggest figures because we have not yet heard from Princeton Hydro. After a lengthy discussion, the following figures were decided upon but might be revised subject to the
recommendations of Princeton Hydro:
2010 2011 2012
Sediment removal $200,000 $150,000
Windemere Dam 50,000 50,000
Deerfield Lake 100,000
Princeton Hydro 250,000 300,000 300,000
Culvert Repairs 150,000 150,000 150,000
$600,000 $750,000 $500,000
The next meeting will be on October 3.
B. Kravetz made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11:50. It was seconded by J. McCloone, and all were in favor.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Restaino
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes of Meeting - July 25, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers. Members: Charlie Durkin, Al Kramer, Bob Kravetz, Bob Dehl, Tom Baker, Judy Restaino. Staff: Bob Taggart. Guests: Jack Frech
Excused: Jim McLoone, Suzanne Lyte, Larry Garlasco, Kevin Clancy. The meeting was called to order at 9AM. C. Durkin made a motion to accept minutes as corrected, A. Kramer seconded motion. (7-0-0)
OLD BUSINESS: 1. Recreation: Management indicated the Hideout is close to hiring a new recreation manager. Boat Parade: Any pictures of boats from the parade please forward to D. McGowan. 2. Security: No update. B. Taggart to follow up with J. Kuzuch. 3. Public Works:
Manager position still vacant. Dam project: B. Taggart questions the 10K cubic yards of sediment estimated by J. Sias. Bob indicated there are other areas that should also be addressed, and a full bathymetric study may be needed to determine how much sediment there is outside of the targeted cove areas. Discussion followed that we should not spend monies on another survey until we know how far the current dredging budget will get us. C. Durkin stated that we do not have a position statement from Princeton Hydro as to the effect of additional dredging. Boat storage during dam construction: Still an open issue. Shoreline cleanup during 10 foot drawdown:
B. Kravetz and B. Dehl volunteered to help organize this effort. D. Pfister to create a list of lake front owners that we can contact. Accordingly, B. Taggart will hold meetings to inform the lake front owners of what they can/cannot do during the dredging project. B. Kravetz added that their efforts will also include a fish habitat effort to be deployed after the dredging. Deerfield/Brooks/Windemere Dam Designations: Deerfield dam has been designated a class “C” dam. As such it will need spillway repair. After discussion, it was agreed that since there are multiple items needed for Deerfield lake (drawdown valve, spillway repair, ski hill feeder pipe solution, dredging, …) that an encompassing project plan should be developed and put before the BODs as a single project. Getaway and Holiday Parks: No update. 4. Environmental: Princeton Hydro Update: B. Taggart held meeting with Princeton Hydro, stressed the importance of having a solution set prior to budget process. PA DEP CVMP: Have not received sampling data results yet, Bob to follow-up with DEP.
NEW BUSINESS: 5. Committee Items:
WCCD (Wayne County Conservation District): Received letter from WCCD, they do not believe there is anything they can do further. It is their opinion that current agriculture use in the area is not creating our problem. Nutrients coming into our watershed are legacy nutrients.
Volunteer Water Quality Plan for 2009: No new measurements taken, the past month has been dry, waiting for the next heavy rainfall.
Emergency Rain Event Planning: No update.
PSU ASE – Watershed Association Planning: B. Taggart feels that a meeting can be called together by this fall. Need addresses and contact information of neighboring communities. If anyone knows of folks in neighboring communities, please give information to B. Taggart. It was suggested to utilize WCCD to create an Ariel Creek watershed map and overlay tax map to get potential watershed participants.
Stormwater Management: B. Taggart started conversations with RS&W on how to integrate the stormwater management.
OPEN COMMENTS: The next meeting date is August 29. C. Durkin made motion to adjourn meeting at 12:15. A. Kramer seconded. (7-0-0)
Respectfully submitted: Tim Jeffers
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes of Meeting - June 27, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers. Members: Charlie Durkin, Al Kramer, Bob Kravetz, Karen Greenfeld, Larry Garlasco, Arnie Milidantri, Bill Bretzger,
Jeff Silverman, Kevin Clancy, Bob Dehl,
Tom Baker, Bill Brenner. Staff: Bob Taggart
Guests: Andy Turano, Kathy Turano, John Barcarola, Jim Lacantro. Excused: Jim McLoone, Judy Restaino, Suzanne Lyte
The meeting was called to order at 9AM. L. Garlasco made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected, and B. Bretzger seconded the motion. (13-0-0)
OLD BUSINESS: 1. Recreation: A new recreation manager will be hired. The new manager will incorporate all recreational activities. Boat registration handout: Kept on agenda, to be completed for 2010 recreation year. Boat Parade: Suggested themes: “1776,” “The Presidents,” “Seven Wonders of the World,” and “Movie Themes.”
2. Security: The original question of how to react to a breach in Lake Ariel dam has evolved into a security issue of notification of Hideout residents in case of any impending disaster. B. Taggart to follow up with J. Kuzoch.
3. Public Works: The manager and supervisor positions in the Hideout are now vacant.
The work load has been spread to other managers until replacements can be hired.
B. Taggart filled in the status of what he knew.
Dam project: B. Taggart has reviewed the draft plan for the scraping project and we are still on target for 2010. He also stated the 6 sediment samples taken previously will likely be used as part of the required DEP sampling for the project. B. Taggart was made aware of a plan to have informational meetings with lake front owners to discuss what they can do/can’t do during this project timeframe.
Boat storage during dam construction: Still an open issue.
Shoreline cleanup during 10 foot drawdown: Need to pull together a volunteer effort for this cleanup of common areas.
Current Year Fish Stocking: The BOD asked for an opinion from the Lakes Committee concerning the scheduled fish stocking for 2009. After much discussion, it was decided a motion was made by L Garlasco and seconded by B. Dehl for the postponement of fish stocking until after the scheduled dredging project. (11-0-0) This is due to the unknown effect on the habitat the dredging will have.
Deerfield/Brooks/Windemere Dam Designations: A letter received from the PA DEP stated the final classification for Deerfield Dam would be a class “C” dam. The letter also stated their was need for some repair of the spillway. Both Class “C” designation and what repair is needed is unknown. B. Taggart to follow up. It was suggested that the necessary repair of the spillway be treated as a project encompassing the fencing for the grass carp, installation of a control valve for winter let downs and proper placement of the feeder pipe for the ski hill. Engineer is currently performing Breach analsyis for Brooke lake.
Getaway and Holiday Parks: B. Taggart was not aware of the suggested modifications at these parks. The committee filled him in, he will look into it.
4. Environmental: Princeton Hydro Update: B. Taggart suggested that he arrange a face-to-face meeting with Princeton Hydro to go over status and convey additional data points taken by other organizations. Still on track for September delivery of solutions set.
PA DEP CVMP: Sampling event coming up at the end of July.
NEW BUSINESS: 5. Committee Items:
Erosion and Sediment Plan: B. Brenner asked for consideration of requiring an Erosion and Sediment plan for all construction activities requiring a permit in the Hideout to be filed with applicable permits. There was much discussion on this topic. The committee agreed that sediment erosion is a tremendous problem that should be addressed in the Hideout. It was not certain that the requirement of the filing of a Erosion and Sediment plan would resolve this issue. No motion or resolution was made.
WCCD (Wayne County Conservation District): No substantive change is status.
Volunteer Water Quality Plan for 2009: C. Durkin has been comparing data taken from Deerfield lake and is coming to the conclusion that the phosphates are being released from the bottom of the lake sediment due to an anaerobic process.
Emergency Rain Event Planning: Lake level gauge given off to B. Taggart. He will look into what type of notifications can be made with the data.
PSU ASE–Watershed Association Planning: B. Taggart agrees that formation of a watershed association for Ariel Creek will benefit the Hideout. T. Jeffers to initiate the project with Peter Wulfhorst of PSU ASE.
Stormwater Management: T. Jeffers suggested that the groups within RS&W and the Hideout work on integrating stormwater management plans. K. Clancy indicated that RS&W had just purchased a very expensive modeling program for this effort and would welcome the participation of the Hideout. B. Taggart to follow up.
OPEN COMMENTS: Next meeting date is July 25. C. Durkin made a motion to adjourn meeting at 12:15. A. Kramer seconded. (11-0-0)
Respectfully submitted: Tim Jeffers
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes of Meeting - May 30, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers Members: Charlie Durkin, Al Kramer, Bob Kravetz, Karen Greenfeld, Jim McLoone, Larry Garlasco, Arnie Milidantri, Bill Bretzger, Judy Restaino, Suzanne Lyte, Jeff Silverman, Stu Levy. Staff: Bob Taggart, John Barcarola, Nubia Malkin, Jeff Sias, Ralph Graf. Guests: Jack Frech, Rich Topp. Excused: Kevin Clancy, Bob Dehl.
The meeting was called to order at 9:05 AM. B. Kravetz made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected, and A. Kramer seconded the motion. K. Greenfeld asked that any organizations be written out in the minutes instead of just using the initials.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Recreation: Boat registration handout: T. Jeffers asked that all handouts having to do with the lakes (rules, calendar of events, etc.) be put together in one handout that would be available in 2010. Anyone with any other ideas should send those ideas to Tim. J. McLoone asked that that information be put on the website and also in the Hideabout. A. Milidantri suggested adding information about boating courses.
Boat Parade: T. Jeffers once again stated that the Lakes Committee wants to be involved in choosing the theme. He is collecting ideas for next year. A. Milidantri said that some people don’t want a theme but felt that last year’s 14 entries following the theme was a good turnout. B. Taggart stated that the Hideout is collecting email addresses of residents so that more people will know what is going on.
2. Security: Wildwood Lake’s designation was discussed. J. Sias said that it is designated “High Hazard.” Questions asked were: is an Evacuation Plan in place, how does Security notify people, do they have a breach analysis, what effect would a breach have on the south side? B. Taggart said that this needs to be brought to Management, and J. Kuzuch must make plans to notify residents if a breach occurs in Wildwood or Ariel.
3. Public Works: Dam project: The dredging /scraping samples came back clean. J. Sias is looking into disposal; there is no place on site. Some of the material is gravel which would be good for us to stockpile, and other material is good topsoil if dried out. The contractor will find a site to dispose of what we don’t want. The bidding for the dam project will go out in the spring of 2010, and the construction will begin in September 2010. If we get a grant or low cost funding, it might be sooner. J. McLoone asked if it is possible that the lake will not be full enough to use in the summer after the 10 foot drawdown for dam construction, and he was informed that that will be up to Mother Nature.
Lake drawdown: Majority of people want the same 5 foot drawdown of Roamingwood Lake every year. J. Sias said that historically there is a 5 foot drawdown every few years but usually just a 3 foot. A permit is needed, and the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) makes decision for us. A motion was made by J. McLoone and seconded by B. Kravetz to have the Director of Public Works pursue a permit to have a 5 foot drawdown every year, passed unanimously.
Boat storage during dam construction: N. Malkin asked about boat storage, and T. Jeffers said that people have to be told that they need to find alternate storage places if they use the lot near the dam. J. Sias said that the campground may be used, but that is not secure.
Shoreline cleanup during 10 foot drawdown: – A lot of junk is at the bottom of the lake – tires, drums, etc. Ar. Milidantri suggests that we ask for volunteers to clean the shoreline in the fall of 2010. R. Graf said that this should be coordinated through the Lakes Committee –set several dates and provide refreshments. J. Sias suggested doing one this year with the 5 foot drawdown.
Dredging project: T. Jeffers asked if homeowners can get a permit and hire a contractor to level or improve shoreline. J. Sais said that anyone can improve their shoreline with a shovel and a wheelbarrow but with a permit you may only bring the levels to the initial grading of the lake. Letters will be sent to the people affected by the dredging project, and a meeting will be held. There should be a line item in the budget to allow scraping to be done every few years.
Deerfield/Brooks/Windemere Dam Designations: J. Sias reported that they are actively working on them. Inspections, surveying, and breach analysis were done. They will probably get a “High Hazard” designation but hopefully not as high. Pending the classification of Deerfield, and we don’t want to accelerate that process, the valve will be put in when the dam is touched. According to the Princeton Hydro report, Windemere Dam is a candidate for breaching.
S.Lyte asked that the backhoe be used again to clear around the north side of Deerfield .The carp for Deerfield has been put on hold.
Getaway and Holiday Parks: Any plan to have a landing area in Getaway Park will not happen till at least winter; it has to be run past management first. Enlarging the parking area in Holiday Park needs to be put into the 2010 budget.
4. Environmental:
Princeton Hydro Update: B. Taggart distributed a memorandum from Princeton Hydro; they had done a field reconnaissance and watershed assessment on April 29th and 30th. T. Jeffers hopes that they will have solutions ready for 2010. C. Durkin suggested that in the next couple of weeks we should sit down face-to-face with them and discuss the problems; he is willing to participate. He also said that if we look at the April data, 2009 numbers are higher than 2008, so we can expect the same problems in the lakes as we had last year. A. Kramer noted that Ecoscientific was here on Friday and is making a big effort to decrease the phosphate load in the lakes, and Princeton Hydro is aware of what they are doing.
B. Taggart reported that the PA DEP CVMP (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Citizens Volunteer Monitoring Program) completed their initial training session but no results have been received yet.
NEW BUSINESS:
5. Committee Items:
WCCD (Wayne County Conservation District) : A. Kramer reported that they have put a hold on checking the Brighton and Golf Park equestrian areas as they haven’t been able to get a crew together but they have definite plans to do it.
Volunteer Water Quality Plan for 2009: C. Durkin and A. Kramer took samples on May 29. The April samples showed that the levels this year are worse than last year. T. Jeffers wrapped up the discussion. Princeton Hydro needs to study the situation and make plans. We cannot speed up the process. We hope that there will be a solution for 2010.
Emergency Rain Event Planning: C. Durkin made a chart of rain projections and how it would affect residents. Where is the area of concern and how should residents be notified?
PSU ASE – Watershed Association Planning: Peter Wulfhorst said that he would help us in this planning. It needs to be decided who would be in this association.
Committee Chairperson Meeting: B. Brenner had a committee chairperson meeting, and there needs to be better communication between the chairpersons.
OPEN COMMENTS
J. Barcarola asked about fish stocking. A discussion ensued about whether stocking now makes sense – perhaps after the 10 foot drawdown. It was decided to hold off on a stocking decision until the next meeting.
J. Barcarola also asked how the Board can help the Lakes Committee. T. Jeffers is concerned about identifying money amounts; he is concerned that we will run out of money for the things Princeton Hydro wants to do. J. Barcarola said that we are collecting $500,000 a year. B. Taggart said that he would ask Princeton Hydro to accelerate plans.
The next meeting date is June 27. K. Greenfeld made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 12:15. C. Durkin seconded, and all approved.
Respectfully submitted:
Judy Restaino
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes of Meeting - April 18, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers Secretary: Suzanne Lyte (excused) Members: Al Kramer, Bob Kravetz, Kevin Clancy, Larry Garlasco, Arnie Milidantri, Bill Brenner. Staff: Derrick Pfister
Guests: Larry Holmes, B. Kassay
Excused: Charlie Durkin, Jeff Silverman, Jim McLoone, Anthony Milidantri, Bill Bretzger, Karen Greenfeld, Bob Dehl, Tom Baker, Judy Restaino.
The meeting was called to order at 9 AM. Previous meeting minutes corrected for spelling of “Oram” and “EcoSolutions.”
B. Kravetz made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected, K. Clancy seconded. (7-0-0)
A. Milidantri informed the committee that Bob Taggart was admitted to the Hospital and is very seriously ill. The work Bob was performing will be split amongst current management and a newly hired role of Assistant Environmental Manager, filled by Derrick Pfister. Derrick previously interviewed for Bob’s role, so his qualifications and experience are well known to the management team. Derrick has an Environmental Sciences degree and has performed studies at Wildwood Lake and Lake Ariel.
K. Clancy volunteered to make introductions of Derrick to The PA DEP CVMP representatives and push off the initial sampling date to give Derrick time to get on board.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Recreation: No Attendance.
The committee discussed the need for a pamphlet to be given out to all boaters at time of registration. This pamphlet could include the many loose handouts we currently have. We will target the 2010 season for this to be in place. T. Jeffers to contact N. Malkin and request the Boat Parade info be placed on Channel 20.
2. Security: No Attendance. Discussion surrounded the status of Wildwood Lake (designation) and if there is an emergency action plan in place. T. Jeffers to follow-up.
3. Public Works: No Attendance.
A. Lake Drawdown: In an email from Jeff, it seems he is not under the impression the 5ft Roamingwood draw down is a recurring event. Arnie Milidantri expressed that the CMR and motion passed by the BODs should have made it a recurring event. This needs to be resolved.
B. Roamingwood Scraping: In an email from Jeff, the volume of sediment to be removed is calculated at 10K cubic yards of material.
C. Roamingwood Park Boat Storage:
B. Kassay, a guest, asked why the Roamingwood park boat storage is not limited to 17’ boats, same as the lake. This storage area is for Hideout residents. Not all residents have boats they only use on our lakes, therefore is not limited to 17’ boats.
4. Environmental report: Derrick Pfister
None.
NEW BUSINESS:
5. Committee Items: A. WCCD: A. Kramer arranged meeting with WCCD. WCCD was supposed to start looking into the area along golf park road from the outflow of Brighton to the horse ranch, and dairy farm. This was postponed until the first week of May.
K. Clancy requested a written report so it can be passed along to Princeton Hydro,
A. Kramer to Follow-up.
B. PA DEP CVMP: K. Clancy reported that the DEP will also be performing Water Potability testing along with fish tissue sampling (Roamingwood only). The committee questioned this approach because we do not use any of our lakes for potable water supply. T. Jeffers to follow-up.
C. Water Quality Testing: A. Kramer stated it may start this week, it depends on the weather, he needs to take samples on days the culverts are flowing. K. Clancy raised a question as to who controls the weir at the outflow of Roamingwood dam. T. Jeffers to follow-up.
D. Web Data: Any data can be sent to Debbie McGowan for inclusion the Lakes portion of the web site. Members agreed that keeping the data up-to-date on the site would not serve any purpose. T. Jeffers recommends that if we do not keep up-to-date data on the web, we should at a minimum compile a historical record so we can measure the improvement of our watershed over time.
GUEST ITEMS
6. Roamingwood Parks: B. Kassay raised the following issues.
The parking restrictions in Holiday Park seem a bit stringent especially during peak weekends. Is there anything that can be done to provide more parking. T. Jeffers to follow-up.
Getaway Park needs to have a boat landing for small craft. T. Jeffers to follow-up.
L. Garlasco made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11:25. Arnie Milidantri seconded. (7-0-0).
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes - March 28, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers Secretary: Suzanne Lyte (excused). Members: Al Kramer, Bob Dehl, Bob Kravetz, Kevin Clancy, Larry Garlasco, Tom Baker, Judy Restaino. Staff: Bob Taggart, Brian Schumacher. Guests: Dennis Schultz, Rich Topp, Bill Brenner. Excused: Charlie Durkin, Arnie Milidantri, Jeff Silverman, Jim McLoone, Anthony Milidantri, Bill Bretzger, Karen Greenfeld.
The meeting was called to order at 9 AM. A correction was made to the minutes from the previous meeting. The cost for Ecoscientific Solutions will be $9000, not $4000 and K. Clancy/A. Kramer stated the need for a full bathymetric survey of Roamingwood lake. L. Garlasco made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected A. Kramer seconded. (8-0-0)
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Recreation: Boat Parade: T. Jeffers reported that the theme for the boat parade on July 4th is “Magic in America.” He was disappointed that the Lakes Committee was not involved, as we had requested, in choosing the theme. He will ask Nubia again to be included next year. B. Dehl said that he and B. Kravetz will encourage participation by making phone calls to boat owners. Flyers will be handed out at boat registration. They don’t feel that prizes are really an incentive – it’s the fun of doing it. D. Schultz suggested that we should include information about the boat parade with mailings and the Hideout website.
2. Security: Brian Schumacher reported seeing three people in the middle of Roamingwood Lake last week. He also stated that people are allowed on the lake as soon as the ice is gone.
3. Public Works: J. Sias was not able to attend, instead he emailed a status update:
A. Lake Drawdown: All agreed that maintaining the 5’ drawdown of the lake was good.
B. Spring Items: The marina is scheduled to open May 15. The committee had requested an earlier opening and a later closing. B. Dehl feels that we should have the docks in as soon as the lake fills. After some discussion, he made a motion that “docks should be put in as soon as the lake is capable of accepting them.” L. Garlasco seconded the motion (8-0-0)
C. Roamingwood Boat Storage Relocation during Dam Rebuild Project: B. Taggart reported that no decision has yet been made as to the boat storage during the dam rebuild.
B. Dehl suggested that those storing boats should be told that no storage space will be available at that time. B. Kravetz agreed. The campground committee doesn’t have any objections to having boats stored at the campground, but security would be needed. It would be easier and less costly to inform those people that the storage area will be unavailable during the dam rebuild.
4. Environmental report: A. Roles /Responsibilities: B. Taggart is responsible for coordinating the four studies of the lake with EcoSolutions, PA DEP CVMP, and Princeton Hydro. He is not sure how to use B. Oram who must be informed as to what we are doing.
B. Taggart has reached out to Karen Manderville at Wallenpaupack about grants; if we partner with a public agency, we might get some help. T. Jeffers said that the majority of grants seem to be available from WCCD. We need to get the baseline study done by Princeton Hydro and go from there. K. Clancy reported that Princeton Hydro has sources of grants. T. Jeffers suggested that we try to put something together ourselves, such as the “Ariel Creek Watershed District” organization which would pull the community together: people from Brighton, Wildwood Lake, Lake Ariel. This would be a public group, and then the governing body could apply for grants. T. Jeffers will call Peter Wulfhorst to ask how we go about forming a Watershed organization. B. Brenner reported that the DEP will be sampling Lake Genero because they are downstream of a water treatment plant.
B. Water Treatment Plans for 2009: We are trying to minimize chemicals.
C. Vendor Water Quality Monitoring Plan for 2009: A. Kramer went over the points of the plan. It was accepted as is. The program will be started in weeks. A final report will be ready in mid-October.
D. Consideration of Grass/Non-chemical Control Items: B. Taggart said that the DEP approves of weed harvesting if we don’t do too much. There are questions about bethnic matting. T. Jeffers suggested it would be good to get samples of mattings so homeowners could see what is approved.
E. Princeton Hydro Contract: The Board voted to okay the contract with options for bathometric readings of Deerfield and Brooks,
F. PA DEP CVMP Update: The first sampling is scheduled for April 22 or 23 with an alternate date of April 29. The lake has to be full enough to launch boats. The Hideout pontoon will be taken out of storage to use for the sampling. B. Kravetz volunteered his boat as a backup. R. Graf is checking with the insurance company to see if volunteers are covered. Volunteers will sign waivers. PA would like to do a fish survey of Roamingwood Lake only. We would be rated for four categories. T. Jeffers thinks that we have a say in what we want to be rated for, and we don’t need to be rated for potable water.
G. Lakeshore Cleanup: When the lake was down, members saw much debris in the lake, and some was cleaned up. Maintenance should clean up larger items. T. Jeffers pulled a rusted 50 gallon drum out of the lake. B. Kravetz feels that the island in the lake off Roamingwood Road is an eyesore and should be cleaned up.
NEW BUSINESS
5. Committee Items: A. Dam Rebuild:
B. Brenner reported that J. Sias has the letter of authorization and the permit to proceed with the dam. The permit is valid for three years; the dam must be completed by the end of December, 2011. The next step is getting bids and money.
B. Dehl questioned whether the plan included a sidewalk next to the road going across the dam. B. Brenner brought out the plans, and it was noted that a sidewalk is included. RS&W will relocate the pipes. The rebuild of the dam should be started right after Labor Day, 2011, with an early drawdown of the lake.
B. Education of Membership: B. Taggart feels we need to begin educating members about environmental issues. B. Dehl suggested including an article every month in the Hideabout. K. Clancy suggested including ideas of what people can do with their own properties. A. Kramer suggested “Before” and “After” cleanup pictures. A volunteer from Brooks Lake is needed on the Lakes Committee.
C. Hideabout Reprinting of Boat Rules/Lake Rules: These were sent to Debbie McGowan to reprint.
D. Web Posting of Lake Committee Items: T. Jeffers will submit to Debbie McGowan.
E. Dam Bill 1355 & Grants: B. Brenner reported that the bill died December 31, 2008, but that someone should be submitting a similar bill for 2009.
L. Garlasco made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11:25. B. Dehl seconded. (8-0-0)
Lakes Committee Draft Minutes - February 28, 2009
Chair: Tim Jeffers
Secretary: Suzanne Lyte (excused)
Members: Al Kramer, Bob Dehl, Bob Kravetz, Charlie Durkin, Kevin Clancy,
Larry Garlasco, Tom Baker, Judy Restaino
Staff: Bob Taggart
Guests: Jack Frech
Excused: Anthony Milidantri, Arnie Milidantri, Karen Greenfeld, Bill Bretzger,
Jeff Silverman.
The meeting was called to order at 9AM.
L. Garlasco made the motion to accept the minutes with change to show him excused from January 24, 2009 meeting, A. Kramer seconded, passed 8-0-0.
J. Restaino was welcomed to the Lakes Committee. Judy volunteered to take minutes.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Management:
A. Environmental Manager: B. Taggart was welcomed to the committee as a new staff member.
2. Security:
A. Lake Ice: T. Jeffers reported an incident with people on ice earlier this month.
3. Recreation:
A. Boat Parade: B. Dehl and B. Kravetz discussed the boat parade for July 4th. R. Graf suggested a 50/50 at any time the Tiki Bar is open from Memorial Day to July 4th.
N. Malkin has $200 in the T-shirt budget (which comes from sponsors); question is whether t-shirts are an incentive to enter a boat. B. Dehl suggested calling all who have boats; B. Kravetz suggested hotdogs and soda afterwards. They will continue to work with Nubia and report results.
4. Public Works Report:
A. Deerfield Lake Designation: No Update
B. Roamingwood Scraping: Sediment testing in the coves came back clean (found some copper and arsenic below levels). This stretches the budget for removal. B. Taggart said that J. Sias needs to find a place to dispose of the sediment that is removed. Still do not have volume estimates.
C. Roamingwood Valve Replacement:
J. Sias was able to maintain the water level all winter and found another valve. Need to get estimate for installation of valves in dams in Deerfield and Brooks.
D. Fish Rescue: When scraping, the coves will be empty. PA Fish and Boat may be able to help. They electrify the fish which can then be netted. BassMasters agreed to help also.
E. Deerfield Lake Diffusers: They are still off. C. Durkin suggested it might have something to do with the ski hill. No update from J. Sias. There is a concern about water usage for the ski hill. There doesn’t appear to be any drop in the water level in Deerfield. Issue: If Deerfield is let down for the winter, will there be enough water in the sump hole for the ski hill?
5. Environmental Report:
A. Water Treatment Plan 2009: There will be bi-weekly water quality monitoring for phosphate levels. The cost for Ecoscientific Solutions is $9000; there are two contracts – one for treatment and one for water quality. C. Durkin feels that we have reached the limits of what we can do with chemicals.
B. Taggart was asked if individual owners of lakefront property can treat weeds. T. Jeffers said that they may remove weeds but there should be a list of approved matting or materials for weed suppression. B. Taggart said that we could call lawn services and alert them that phosphates are not allowed. We also need to communicate with homeowners about maintaining buffers between grass and the lake. C. Durkin said that the Board should make more stringent rules about the use of phosphates.
NEW BUSINESS
6. Committee Items:
A. Special BOD Meeting on 2/6/09: BODs approved the PADEP Citizens Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program for 2009. BODs approved bridge financing for Brian Oram services not to exceed $1000.
B. Princeton Hydro Proposal: BODs will take the vote today for Princeton Hydro proposal for a Watershed Management Plan for the Hideout. T. Jeffers asked BODs to accept base contract plus Bathymetric studies of Deerfield and Brooks Lakes. C. Durkin, A. Kramer and K. Clancy feel we need a complete bathymetric study of Roamingwood.
C. Wayne County Conservation District (WCCD): A. Kramer reported that there is a discharge from Brighton Nursing Home. Nothing can be done about it now but it will be checked out in the spring. T. Jeffers will ask the DEP for statistics on the discharge. Each Water Treatment Plant must stay within legal limits.
D. PA DEP CVMP: K. Clancy organized the PA DEP CVMP participation for the Hideout. State will analyze water samples from four of the Hideout lakes. Citizens take samples and the DEP tests and keeps records. DEP has agreed to four of our lakes, three samples a year. First meeting is March 17 at 10AM with three members of the DEP. Training will be at the first sampling in spring. We will be able to use that data to supplement Princeton Hydro and EcoScientific Solutions. Have permission to use Hideout Security boats. There should be liability releases for the volunteers or insurance coverage. B. Taggart will follow up on this. B. Taggart agreed the coordination of this program would be his responsibility.
E. Web Posting of Lake Items: This is being discussed with the BODs as part of an education program.
F. Grants: B.Taggart will be looking into grants. The easiest to obtain seem to be WREN grants.
G. Heavy Rain Event: No Update.
B. Kravetz motioned to adjourn at 11:45AM, C. Durkin seconded, passed 8-0-0.
Next meeting: March 28, 2009 at 9AM at the POA.
Respectfully Submitted:
Judy Restaino/Tim Jeffers
