Minutes of OLA General Meeting
 August  30, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 10:05 am by President Mona Lincoln. The Secretary read the minutes of the July 26 meeting. They were amended and approved. Mona noted that she will not appoint a replacement for Jean Van Valkenburg on the Board, but will allow that position be filled at the election today. The Treasurer read her report (attached). It was  approved as read.

Old Business:  Route 28 construction project. Project engineer Jeff Gaffnes has reported that funding has been cut for the project, therefore only a small portion of Route 28 inside the hamlet will be repaired in 2009. The rest of the roadway improvements will need funding from a future project. Flags will remain in place for now.

Bti:  Mona thanked all who donated to the Bti fund this year. She announced that the OLA will send a mailer with raffle tickets included for a December 1, 2008 drawing for either a kayak or mountain bike, the proceeds of which will be used exclusively toward the Bti fund for 2009.  Mona then explained that a payment of $2,000 is due for the 2009 Bti treatment in January. A discussion followed. Some highlights:  Ellie Connick asked if we could request the vendor to lower the cost, Jorge Batlle asked if there is any other vendor in the area (the answer is no), Kathy Boughton asked if the Town of Forestport could add the cost of treatment to our tax bill, to which Carole Gehrig responded that the question was asked at the last Town Board meeting, and the answer was no. Some members asked if we could send a petition or request a voter referendum, form a special tax district, etc. Mona will look into these suggestions and report at the next meeting. Loretta Kaye asked the Treasurer how many households in the hamlet contribute to the Bti fund, and June reported that this year about one-third have contributed specifically to the fund.

Mona reported that Kathy Vanselow of the company who does the Bti application has responded to our question about the pink flags. Kathy said that the flags are placed in certain sectors to aid their novice employees in determining where to apply the product. They are not set out every year if the applicators are veterans. She also noted that the flags are often removed by hikers etc. Therefore, the pink flags have no significance for the public, and do not denote areas where the Bti has been applied, as many property owners believed.

Anne Wright asked for volunteers to see her after the meeting today to follow up on the subject of having the Bti application included in the Town taxes. Dick Engle asked whether the Bti application could be done by volunteers from the OLA, but Mona replied that training and licensing are necessary.

Dam:  Mona noted that a check for $6,000 has been given to our attorney to pay Harvey Construction, and thereafter we will make an annual payment of $2,000 for six years. Kathy Lansing asked for a cost of legal fees to date, but the Treasurer did not have the amount available.

Elections:  Mona noted that only one vote per household is allowed under the Bylaws. Sharon read Bylaw VI concerning voting. Hubert read a short bio of each candidate. There were no nominations from the floor. Elections will be held at the end of the meeting.

Mona read parts of the results of the aquatic plant survey done by Dan Josephson. He stated that the Grass Carp project is an unqualified success. His report is available to members after the meeting. A long discussion followed concerning the water quality, with many comments on the success of the project and suggestions for bank erosion, lake level, etc.

Mona asked the members if they choose to continue the Cap-21 flower baskets for 2009. After a short discussion, a motion was made by Kathy Boughton, seconded by Dick Engle, to discontinue the flower baskets for next year. All members present agreed and the motion was carried.

50/50 drawing:  Bob Young won $72. Kathy Lansing thanked the Crupes and the Kayes for their time and effort on the lovely flower gardens at the Lakeview/Norton Rd entrance.

Elections:  Hubert noted that there are four positions on the Board of Directors to be filled. The three nominees with the most votes will be elected for three years, and the fourth place nominee will serve for two years. The nominees are: Dave Dylis, appointed incumbent, Camille Foote, Nate Foote, Peg Gehrig, Jim Kreutzer, incumbent, and Kathy Lansing.

There were thirty-three ballots submitted. The results: for 3-year terms, Dave Dylis, Jim Kreutzer, and Kathy Lansing, and for a 2-year term, Camille Foote.

Mona asked for volunteers to store the three OLA benches for the winter. Jim Kreutzer thanked Mona for all her hard work and dedication to the OLA, and Mona replied that she receives assistance from all the Officers and Board members. All  applauded.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:06 am.