Michael Watkins seeks input from group on possible FFA projects
The Lake Commission held their March meeting on Monday, March 13 (the group meets the second Monday of each month) and addressed a number of agenda items.
Michael Watkins, a junior at Mountain Lake Public High School and member of the Mountain Lake Area FFA Chapter, representing the group, sought input from the Lake Commission on possible FFA projects. The local chapter needs to complete 200 service hours by the end of May.
The list of suggestions included: working on the Island Trail, helping with Lake Clean-Up Day, spreading sand on the beach, removing volunteer trees along Cottonwood County Road 29 by the dam and cutting back willows along the Mountain Lake Trail. Watkins will bring back these ideas for review by FFA chapter members, and schedule work times.
In other Mountain Lake, Mountain Lake Trail or beach business
+ Learned that an Invasive Species Grant of $4,999 was awarded for the removal of invasive species in the lake.
+ Scheduled Lake Clean-Up Day for Wednesday, April 26, from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Haberman will notify students.
+ Heard that a concerned citizen had inquired about the total expenses for the settlement with Ken and Rachel Yoder. This information was submitted as requested. Legal feels from 2010 to 2017 totaled $31,030.64. The December 2013 settlement was $14,324.23 and the November 2016 settlement was $96,652. These amounts do not include surveying expenses or costs incurred during closed council meetings.
+ Learned that the commission’s aluminum can bin will be emptied at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22.
+ Learned repair of the weed harvester’s elevator by Radtke Welding of Mountain Lake was $521.96.
+ Learned that the lake has refrozen and that the Thin Ice signs will be recovered when it reopens.
+ Learned that the 100-acre permit is in process.
+ Decided to run a Help Wanted ad for weed harvester operators.
+ Reviewed quotes for three construction projects (culverts at Lawcon Park and north side of the trail and plunge pool repair at the storm sewer outlet into the lake). Three quotes have been submitted. They are from Lohrenz Construction of Mountain Lake, Nickel Construction of Mountain Lake and Mathiowetz Construction of Sleepy Eye.
+ Decided to contact Stephen Funk for quotes for benches, a pergola and fire pit at the beach.
+ Addressed Friends of the Pool donation. There had been discussion of using a donation from the group to place a swimming dock at the beach area. The conclusion was reached that a swimming beach is not possible due to too much sediment, excessive plant growth and the fact that the commission’s permit does not allow for adding additional sand. Lake Commission member Jean Haberman was designated to forward that information to the Friends of the Pool.
+ Decided to have Haberman contact Lake Commission member Mike James to see if he would be interested in taking Secchi disk readings once a week from the beginning of May through the end of September. These readings measure water clarity and are sent to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as part of the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program.
