Bid packets delivered on four projects
Lake Commission members heard a presentation by Luke Winger on the idea of building a one-kilometer mountain bike trail on the island at its regular Monday, October 10 meeting. He added that, in addition to biking, it could be used for running, snowshoeing and fat biking.
Winter will prepare a proposal and Mountain Lake City Administrator/Clerk Wendy Meyer will discuss it with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). She will also look at the stipulations in the island purchase agreement.
Other activity ideas entertained at the meeting were the possibility of building a mountain bike trail on the grassy lot south of the railroad tracks on Cottonwood County Road 1, shared by Mountain Lake Mayor Mike Nelson, as well as having a sledding hill available in Mountain Lake, as proposed by Lake Commission Member Dave Bucklin.
Project bid packets delivered
Bucklin also reported that he had delivered bid packets for four projects – Mountain Lake Golf Course sediment pond, storm sewer outlet plunge pool repair, culvert on the Mountain Lake Trail by the property of Ken and Rachel Yoder and drainage tile at Lawcon Park – to Nickel Construction and Lohrenz Construction, both of Mountain Lake.
In other business
+ Learned that Bucklin and Jay Schied have spotted Black Locust trees growing on the lake overlook. The DNR has labeled Black Locust an invasive species. Bucklin will work to get funding from the Noxious Weed Grant so that he and Schied can exterminate them.
+ Learned that the trail bridge repair will have to be postponed until summer 2017. Lake Commission Chair Jim Peterson and Bucklin may attempt to level it off yet this fall.
+ Learned that the students of Ag Teacher Stephen Funk at Mountain Lake Public High School will do some island trail clean-up either in November or in spring 2017.
+ Heard a presentation by Peterson of Schied’s Secchi disk (an opaque disk used to gauge the transparency of water by measuring the depth at which the disk ceases to be is no longer visible from the surface) report for the summer. Schied will not be taking Secchi readings next summer, so a volunteer is needed.
+ Heard a letter shared by Bucklin from Ryan Doorenbos, Minnesota DNR Windom Area Fisheries Office Supervisor, that concerned the extensive plant growth in Mountain Lake. Doorenbos stated that there is not much that can be done about the excessive native vegetation. He stressed that it is good that a handle on controlling invasive species has been achieved. Doorenbos also noted that it might be possible to chemically treat a small area of the lake for boating access.
+ Learned that Peterson will speak to Mountain Lake Streets/Parks Supervisor Rick Oeltjenbruns about weed harvester maintenance that needs to be completed prior to winter storage in a shed on the property of Sid Ewert.
+ Learned that the beach project is on hold until Stephen Funk gives Administrator Meyer a materials list and cost estimate. Meyer will work to get some grant money to help fund the project.
+ Learned that a fee of $46 was paid to the Cottonwood County Recorder for recording the Mountain Lake Golf Course sediment pond easement.
+ Learned that income of $599.40 was received by recycling 1,620 pounds of aluminum cans at 37 cents a pound.
