Webster Lake Association Meeting Minutes Oct 8th, 2002

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"Webster Lake Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing, preserving and protecting the quality of the lake and its watershed through the promotion of responsible, effective environmental & educational policies. We shall strive to strengthen and unite the Webster Lake Community through recreational, social and civic activities. Our mission is to preserve this regionally unique resource as a pristine legacy for future generations."

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Webster Lake Association, Inc.

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WLA
P.O. Box 156
Webster, MA 01570-0156

WEBSTER LAKE ASSOCIATION

OCTOBER 8^TH MEETING MINUTES

 Congratulations to our WLA Board Of Directors!

 Our sincere thanks to all who ran for the Board of Directors at our October Meeting. For those not elected this year please note that your talents and dedication are needed in other areas of the organization!

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

• Dick Cazeault reviews the roles & responsibilities of the Officers, Committee Chairs and the Board of Directors. He has also agreed to write a monthly article for the local newspapers about our organization

SECRETARY’S REPORT

• Jane Hill reviewed the minutes of the September Meeting

TREASURERS REPORT

• Robin Wade reported on the money we raised so far.

• She additionally explained the 50/50 raffle we are holding at our monthly meetings. 50% goes to the winner and 50% goes to the staff at Point Breeze to show our appreciation for their donation of the Pinnacle Room for our meetings.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Membership - Jane Hill

• She presented the number of members to date. As of mid-day October 8^th we had 14 from North Pond, 33 from Middle Pond and 35 from South Pond for a total of 82 households.

• The Membership Committee will be meeting next Monday (10/14) at 7:00 at Point Breeze. We really need additional members! Anyone who is interested in joining this committee should contact Jane Hill at jmhill@charter.netor show up at our meeting at Point Breeze on Monday night (10/14) at 7:00. We would also invite creative ideas for increasing membership from anyone in the WLA.

• Social/Charitable – Jeanne Rossetti:

• JunqueTrunk - Our WLA Auction and Garage Sale is on November 2nd at Point Breeze at 7:00. Dig through those cellars and garages as one man's junk is another man's treasure. And even if you don't have anything to buy or sell, come along, meet your neighbors and have some fun!

• New Year's Eve Beach Party - We have decided to forgo the usual glitter, polish and furs. Instead we’re looking to the islands for sun, sand and fun! We’ve planned a fantastic beach party to ring in the new year! This is a member's only party and your invitation will arrive in the mail. It's a first-come, first-serve event, so send your response cards back quickly

• Food Drive - we are collecting food at our next meeting for the Worcester County Food Bank. We will send another email reminding the group prior to that meeting. Let’s help those less fortunate than we are with the gift of food.

• Shopping Trip to Freeport - We are hoping to fill a bus on Saturday November 30th to spend a day outlet shopping in Freeport, Maine. An email will be sent out to the group providing more detail on this event. Based on discussions last night, we've decided it is not "ladies only" but open to the entire group! Members and guests welcome.

• Dock Registration – Dick Cazeault

• He stressed the importance of getting as many people as possible to attend the town meeting.

• Not only is this important to get the amended dock by-law passed, but to show the strength and unity of the WLA to our town officials. 

• We are number 34 on the agenda so be prepared for a long night!

• We passed out flyers to the WLA group last night and asked you to put on your walking shoes. We’d like you not only to put these flyers in the newspaper boxes but to stop and talk to your neighbors about the dock by-law, the WLA & our upcoming events. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool we have!

• Please wear your Chargoggagogg attire to the meeting and spread out throughout the front of the hall.

• This meeting is open to registered votes who reside in the town of Webster.

• Environmental Committee – Paul LaFramboise

Due to the vast amount of issues that the Environmental Committee is working with, we agreed to separate out a Safety Committee, which Randy Wade has agreed to chair.

The Environmental Group has identified 5 major areas that they are working on:

• Angler Code of Ethics to be posted at the ramps with handouts attached to fishing permits

• Weed Control which includes funding, planning, education and long term strategies. The DEM hosted a seminar to help us identify intrusive weeds in the lake. And there were intrusive weeds found in South Pond

• Water Quality Testing – COLAP will educate us as to how to test the water and help us to purchase equipment

• Representation on other– namely COLAP, NALMS and the Quinebaug-Shetucket Watershed as well as the Town Planning and Conservation boards.

• “Bird-Dogging” the $4.35 million Webster Lake Environmental Management Program Bond Issue to ensure that it moves efficiently

As a thanks for the work done securing the Bond Bill we will bestow Honorary Membership on John Desmond - the Basin team leader for the French River Watershed from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Bob Durand  - Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Senator Richard Moore  and Representative Paul Kujawski. We also will include AJ from Point Breeze

• Safety Committee – Randy Wade has volunteered to start up a Safety Committee focused on educating people who both live on and visit our lake as to the rules and regulations necessary to make our lake a safe place to live and play. If you’d like to volunteer he can be reached at rwade@charter.net.

• Newsletter Committee – Jane Hill is looking for someone to chair a committee that would publish and mail a quarterly newsletter to all of our members. We have several volunteers who would like to contribute but need someone to manage the entire project. If you’d like to volunteer, she can be reached at jmhill@charter.net.

• Historian/History Committee – The WLA is looking for a historian to collect articles, photos, videos, etc of things pertaining to the Association. If you’d like to volunteer, contact Jane Hill at jmhill@charter.net. Additionally we have had some interest expressed for a History Committee to compile information about our very significant and historic lake. If there are any history buffs out there that would like to get involved, please contact Jane Hill at jmhill@charter.net

NEW BUSINESS

Please note that the WLA meetings are public meetings and people outside the group do have a right to speak. We will make every effort to ensure that they keep it short (under 5 minutes) and relevant to the point they are there to address. We will additionally limit the number of people who are allowed to speak based on the length of our agenda. Please note that providing permission for someone to speak on a topic does not mean that the association either agrees or disagrees.

• Chuck Cormier (A member of the School Committee and the School Building Needs Committee) came asked us to support the following article: ARTICLE 31. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $22,588,734 for designing, constructing, equipping and furnishing a new elementary school for Grades 3 through 6; that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer with the approval of the Board of Selectmen is authorized to borrow $22,588,734 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws or Chapter 70B of the General Laws or any other enabling authority; and that the School Building Committee is authorized to take any other action necessary to carry out this project; provided, however, that this vote shall not take effect until the Town votes to exempt from the limitation on total taxes imposed by G.L. c59 para 21C (Proposition 2 ½) amounts required to pay the principal of and interest on the borrowing authorized by this vote; and further provided that no debt may be incurred under this vote, except for up to $949,766 for planning and other preliminary expenses, until the State Department of Education has included the Town’s application for a state school facilities grant on its list of completed project applications, showing the priority assigned, contingent upon a minimum of 83.58% reimbursement rate, or take any action thereon.
  Sponsored by the school department

• Paul O’Donnell came asked us to support the following article: ARTICLE 34. To see if the Town will vote to adopt a bylaw to allow all registered voters to vote by mail, with ballots to be mailed to all registered voters by the Town Clerk allowing voters at home to follow the Town Meeting on cable and to receive from the moderator at the meeting, voting instructions and marking instructions for all articles and amendments, and to adopt a workable procedure to accomplish the aim of this article, or take any action thereon.
  Sponsored by a citizens petition

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Town Meeting – October 21^st at 7:PM at the Town Hall

• Next Directors Meeting – November 5^th at 7PM at Point Breeze

• Next General Meeting – November 12th at 7PM at Point Breeze

• Winner of the 50/50 Raffle – Congrats to Peter Lawless!