Scugog Lake Stewards’ AGM Minutes 2014

March 27, 2014 at 7 p.m. , St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Queen Street, Port Perry 

The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m. by President, Barbara Karthein.  Director regrets:  Garry Wice and Chris Hall.   Minutes were taken by Barbara Karthein.

Ms. Karthein, President 2013 spent some time remembering our former member, Jamie Ross and his large contribution to our organization.  A letter from his widow, Louise Renwick, thanked the Lake Stewards for kindness and memorial flowers.  Other Board Members; Lee Beacock and Sandra Mayr, who unfortunately had to resign from the Board due to work constraints, were thanked for their service.

The Chamber of Commerce was thanked for all their help throughout the year and for providing space for our Board meetings at their new office on Queen Street.

Ms. Karthein welcomed special visitors;  Councillor Corrigan, Director of Kawartha Conservation – Rob Meservey and Regional Councillor Drew.  Current members of the Board of Directors were asked to stand and be recognized.

Minutes:  Approval moved by Rebecca Clark, seconded by Tom Phipps. The minutes of the 2013 Annual Meeting were approved as read.

Treasurer’s Report:  A statement of Income as of March 26, 2014 was presented showing total revenue for the year 2013 to 2014 to be $5515.10, total expenses of $3,129.37.  The starting balance was $6,826.21, therefore the final balance at March 26, 2014 was $9,211.94.  Backup data was given of all bank records.  However, it will be job of the new Treasurer to break down the records to reflect just the accounting year, January 1st to December 31, 2013 and present that to the next meeting of the Board of Directors for approval. Approval moved by: Colin Kemp, Seconded by: Bill Eull  Approved as presented.

President’s Report on the year 2013:

Ms. Karthein indicated that their biggest success of 2013 was to form excellent partnerships to work on lake issues.  Ms. Karthein indicated that the Working Group for a Healthy Lake Scugog which includes representatives from the municipality, Kawartha Conservation, the marine industry, Ontario Waterways and M.P. Erin O’Toole,  is the best possible vehicle for getting work done.  Ms. Karthein indicated that the Lake Stewards are equal partners within the group.

Another success for the year 2013 was obtaining permission from Ontario Waterways to install additional milfoil weevils in Lake Scugog.

The Lake Stewards, with John Mackey of Port Perry Marina, were successful in having all the marker buoys changed in the lake by Ontario Waterways staff to replace aging and damaged older buoys.

In their desire to create useful partnerships in order to get work done around the lake, the Lake Stewards are working towards having Board membership by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Marine Industry as well as setting up a strong connection with the local Rotary Club.

The Stewards developed a very fruitful partnership with the Allies of Frenchman’s Bay Association; a group facing the same challenges regarding Eurasian watermilfoil, water quality and water depth.

A Director from the Board has made considerable inroads with Zone 17 of the MNR Fisheries Zone Management Committee in their bid to close winter ice fishing for walleye on Scugog – at least until Walleye populations have an opportunity to bounce back.

The new Lake Monitoring Project, managed by Director, Bill Eull has 25 volunteers around the lake.  They will complete a standardized survey, give anecdotal information and take photos every month that ice is out on the lake.  Five more segments require monitors.  This monitoring program will be an excellent opportunity to educate deeply a wide range of shoreline owners around the lake.

The Lake Stewards expanded their social media presence through our website, Facebook posts, new brochure and Twitter.  A new banner is planned which will be displayed year around in the Chamber office.

The Lake Stewards completed a Position Paper designed to guide our priorities and actions for the future.  While the mandate will still be “to protect and enhance the health of Lake Scugog”, they will be concentrating on accomplishing it through four main avenues:   Lake Advocacy, Lake Monitoring, Education and Special Projects.

Ms. Karthein then read from a 1985 Trent-Severn Waterway Report to the then Mayor of Scugog.  Simply speaking that report indicated that the principle problems in the lake are:  a proliferation of Eurasian watermilfoil and depth of water for navigation.   Needless to say, the problems faced today are the same.

Solutions put forward by the Stewards and their partners are:

  •  Follow through with stormwater management plans and ideas of the Lake Management Plan
  • Consider dredging of Port Perry and Rowing Club bays
  •  Consider laminar diffusion technology for around the lake by public and private owners
  •  The Lake Stewards should continue to look into the economic use of milfoil weevils
  •  In the interim the Township should harvest excess milfoil in economically important areas

Lake Monitoring Project:   Bill Eull

Mr. Eull outlined the program.  In two introductory sessions so far, monitors have been instructed how to complete on-line surveys of their findings.  Barbara Karthein instructed them about how to recognize invasive aquatic plant species as per the Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program and how to recognize native species that are essential habitat for fish or fowl.   In 2014, it is planned that the monitors get instruction in weevil recognition and weevil damage recognition, as well as more about aquatic plants they may see and about algae and microcystic blue-green algae.

Elections for the Scugog Lake Stewards 2014 Board of Directors:

The following names were put forward by the Nominating Committee and they have indicated that they are prepared to stand for election:

Rebecca Clark, Julie Curran, Bill Eull, Carolyn Hall, Chris Hall, Tyler Harrington, Michael Konopaski, Ken Oldfield, Tom Phipps, Yvonne Storm, Garry Wice, Barbara Karthein.  With Alex Shulyarenko of Kawartha Conservation as our Science Consultant.

Motion to accept the list of nominees as read:  Larry Corrigan, Seconded by Colin Kemp.   All in favour.

The following from the above Nominating Committee list indicated they would be willing to fill the following executive positions:

  • Barbara Karthein, President
  • Michael Konopaski,
  • TreasurerChris Hall, Secretary
  • Carolyn Hall, Vice-President

Motion to accept the above executive for the Scugog Lake Stewards as read:  Bill Eull, Seconded by Yvonne Storm.  All in favour.  The Executive for 2014 is as above.

Resuming President, Barbara Karthein indicated that while those in attendance would not be voting on the following list, these Board members have come forward and indicated their interest in heading the following sub-committees:

Bill Eull, Lake Monitor’s Program

Tom Phipps, Weevils Program

Yvonne Storm, Education

Ken Oldfield, Marine Industry Representative

Julie Curran, Chamber Representative

Tyler Harrington, Fisheries Protection Advocacy

Michael Konopaski will be keeping our membership records.

Garry Wice, Rebecca Clarke, Yvonne Storm, and Barbara Karthein, will work together on various social media initiative involving the website, facebook, videos, Newsletter, etc.

Incoming President’s Remarks:

Of all the important things there are to achieve things in our complex world and world of many bureaucracies, Ms. Karthein believes that there are three things that always allow things to get done:  long time knowledge, contacts and having what is called “cred.”   She then indicated that since the Stewards began in 1999, it was a long road to go from being known as do-gooding volunteers to recognized authorities on lake and environmental issues.

With the newly elected Board in place, Ms Karthein feels that with the wide range of skills, connections, ages and interests they have one of the strongest Boards of Directors yet.

The lake is aging and the actions of the Stewards cannot hold off its eventual turning into a wetland in the distant future, but they can with their partners slow down the process.  The Township together with Kawartha Conservation have good plans to reduce the high levels of nutrients from running raw into the lake through stormwater channels that cause excess lake plants and algae.

Even Ontario Waterways is now ready to look at correction methodologies that would not have been entertained previously.

In closing, Ms. Karthein complimented the attendees for coming as well as those who have volunteered bor their Lake Monitors’ program for their involvement.

Adjournment and refreshments