Last years annual minute minutes were approved in the 2023 annual meeting. Please review at this link : ldca2022annual.minutes
Author: Chris Sellers
Trustee
April 2023 Board Minutes
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
April 15th, 2023
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Jerry Agrusa, President
Scott Coakley, Vice President
Jim Watt, Treasurer
Kevin Mack, Trustee
Nancy Bell, Secretary
Chris Sellers, Trustee
Al Vitous, Trustee via phone
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
None
The meeting was called to order by President, Jerry Agrusa at 9:03 at the restaurant – TTT.
The minutes from the March 13th monthly board meeting were read by Nancy Bell. The minutes were approved by Jim Watt as written – seconded by Jerry Agrusa.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Jim Watt read the Treasury Report. Payments for annual Assoc fees are starting to come in. The shelter house is not eligible for Consumers Power rebate for loss of power back in March. Jerry Agrusa approved the report, Chris Sellers seconded. All in favor.
NEW MEMBER ACTIVITY:
No change
AQUABOUNTY:
Bev came to present an hour long presentation the status of Aquabounty. She brought over the College Newspaper article that had 47K views and suggested to look at website https.//OhioDNR.gov. It would take 27 million gallons to fill tank. The modified fish would eat twice as much and grow twice as fast. They could be sold in stores and identified by UPC code. Most would be served in restaurants. The water level will effect Lime Lake, Merry Lake, Clear Lake, Lake Diane and Silver Creek areas. They are saying no effect on Lake Diane but wells could go down one foot. If an issue, notify Aquabounty and they will monitor. They still don’t have right away for drain line and power amp issue. As of now, we are not getting a lot of support from Michigan officials since it is located in Ohio. This is an issue effecting 1/3 of Hillsdale County.
AQUATIC LIFE:
Jerry received a quote from SOLitude Lake Management. Price was close to prior year spray if 30 feet out with spraying of Lilly pads. Jim Watt proposed to accept contract, Scott Coakley seconded.
PARKS:
Nothing to report
WELCOME COMMITTEE:
Nothing reported
OLD BUSINESS:
ARS will not give Lake Diane Special Discount rate.
Goose egg hunt starts today. On Newsletter, we asked owners to notify board if they saw a nest. Nothing reported.
NEW BUSINESS:
A Verizon tower with 5G network will be built on Easy Street at the lake.
Territorial Road near Carpenter will be closed late summer to Spring, 2024 to work on two bridges. Suggested detour is taking Montgomery Road to 49.
Water in Chickadee Park area has black algae. But not as bad as a week ago.
Lake attorney, Kim Burger, has moved to different position and no longer can be working for us. Jerry received recommendations and talked to different person out of Grand Rapids. He has more experience working with lakes which is beneficial for us. Jerry motioned the contract to be signed. Nancy Bell seconded. All approved.
Chris Sellers did a chart of visitors to lakediane.org. Many outside the lake are viewing but glad to see property owners are looking at also.
Scott Coakley said a lot of the lake has 3 lines for power but noticed areas were there are only 2 lines. He will contact power company to see if upgrade can be done.
At 11:12, Jerry Agrusa made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Jim Watt seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted:
Nancy Bell
May 20 – Last Day to Pay for Weed Spray!!
To ensure that your area is sprayed for weeds, please make sure to submit payment by May 20, 2023.
Your return and payment is all you need to continue to authorize spraying of your waterfront area. For members, this is included in your annual dues, for non-members, this is an individual payment.
March 2023 Board Minutes
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING LDCA-3-11-23 meeting minutes
March 11, 2023
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Jerry Agrusa, President
Jim Watt, Treasurer
Kevin Mack, Trustee
Chris Sellers, Trustee
Al Vitous, Trustee via phone
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
Scott Coakley, Vice President
Nancy Bell, Secretary
The meeting was called to order by President, Jerry Agrusa at the restaurant – TTT.
The minutes from the last meeting in December 10th monthly board meeting were read by Jerry Agrusa. The minutes were approved by Jim Watt – seconded by Jerry Agrusa with one name correction.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Jim Watt read the Treasury Report. He will look into getting rebate from Consumers Power for power outage at the Shelter House. Jerry Agrusa approved the report, Kevin Mack seconded.
NEW MEMBER ACTIVITY:
No change
AQUATIC LIFE:
Clarke has been taken over by another company but will spray Lake Diane in June. We will look for quotes for 2024 spraying 50 feet out. Our water level is high and this winter had little ice which could increase weed problem.
PARKS:
There are divots by shelter house.
TRAILERS:
Jerry and Chris will go around in May verifying amount of trailers.
WELCOME COMMITTEE:
Nothing reported
December 2022 Board Minutes
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING December 10, 2022
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Jerry Agrusa, President Jim Watt, Treasurer Nancy Bell, Secretary Kevin Mack, Trustee Chris Sellers, Trustee
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
Scott Coakley, Vice President Al Vitous, Trustee
The meeting was called to order by President, Jerry Agrusa at 9:17 am at the restaurant – TTT.
The minutes from the 11-12-2002 monthly board meeting were read by Nancy Bell. The minutes were approved by Jerry Agrusa – seconded by Jim Watt/Kevin Mack. No changes were made.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Jim Watt presented the treasury report. Received tax bill due in February. Chris Sellers motioned to approve report – Jerry Agrusa seconded.
NEW MEMBER ACTIVITY:
2 New Members/2 members sold. Stands at 199
AQUATIC LIFE:
Clarke contract ends in 2023. Will look into getting quotes from Clarke and other companies. One that was mentioned and Irish Hills area uses has contracts for 7 years and drones to view weeds in the lake. LD has 15 different species of Lilly pads, 11 are invasive. Can only reduce by 40%. There is 11.7 miles of shoreline. If spraying 30ft out, that is 42 1/2 acres. If spraying 50 feet out, spraying acres increases to approx 71 acres.
PARKS:
Nothing reported
TRAILERS:
Item tabled till next Spring
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
2023 activities will be listed on Spring Newsletter.
they want Poker Run and Trunk or Treat listed on newsletter.
Nancy will contact Friends of LD to see if
WELCOME COMMITTEE:
In 2022, there were 19 packages to new home owners. 4 Homes are being built and 1 house is for sale at the time of the December meeting.
OLD BUSINESS:
Only small amount of water over the dam is being released daily for a couple of days instead of at one time. GPS to measure by the tenths of feet is needed for elevation. Cost is $500-$600.
NEW BUSINESS:
Unsure where fireworks will be blown off in 2023. 2022 site is up for sale.
A motion was made to have Roger removed from the bank by Jim Watt-seconded by Chris Sellers.
A draft of the Spring Newsletter was started. Final one doesn’t have to be completed till March.
Next LDCA tentatively to be held in March, 2023.
Beginning of April is ideal for collection of goose eggs.
A list of topics has been started to discuss at annual meeting in June.
At 10:26, Jerry Agrusa made a motion to adjourn. Jim Watt/Chris Sellers seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the meeting adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted: Nancy Bell
April LDCA Board meeting moved to 04/15
The LDCA board has moved the April meeting from 04/08/2023 to 04/15/2023 and it will take place at the Territorial Table and Tavern – 9:00am. Goose Egg roundup to help manage the goose and lake bacteria level will take place after the meeting.
November 2022 Board Minutes
October 2022 Board Minutes
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
10-8-22
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Jerry Agrusa, President
Scott Coakley, Vice President
Nancy Bell, Secretary
Al Vitous , Trustee
Chris Sellers, Trustee
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
Jim Watt, Treasurer
Kevin Mack, Trustee
The Pledge Of Allegiance was recited.
The meeting was called to order by President, Jerry Agrusa at 9:00 am.
The minutes from the 9-10-22 monthly board meeting were read by Nancy Bell. An adjustment to reword minutes about letters to trailers was done. Motion to approve adjusted minutes made by Chris Sellers-seconded by Al Vitous.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
The Treasurer’s report was not presented
NEW MEMBER ACTIVITY:
Unknown
OLD BUSINESS:
TRAILERS – Jerry will go to Hillsdale to get copies of deed restrictions. Perhaps meet Kim (atty) about removal of trailers. All deed restrictions state trailers are prohibited.
RENTALS – If a rental is not in a sub with deed restrictions, rules may not apply. If there are any issues with renters, suggest authorities can be called. Cameras are allowed if pointed on their property.
AQUABOUNTY:
Some board members went to the September 12th meeting at Pioneer High School. Discharge, wells, waste and chemicals used were discussed. Williams County did not approve the discharge pipe permit. But the building is still in process of being built. The investors are putting in a large amount of funds.
LDCA MEETINGS:
Jerry suggested the November meeting to be held at 9:00 am at the store. Although Friends Community Center could be an option. We will meet in December. January and February are tentative since we might not have a quorum.
ROADS:
Tyson Trail Road is bad. It should be fixed for emergency vehicles. Friends of LD offered them to have their mailboxes moved by Friends Community Center. Being a privately maintained road, Assoc is not involved. Amboy does not have it in their budget to repair road. I
AQUATIC LIFE:
LDCA has one more year in Clark’s gentleman’s agreement. Jerry inquired about a 5 year plan for weed spraying and get weeds under control. We could move forward to get 51% of lake owners to agree for spraying and make it a special assessment. Cost would be allocated by all the lake front properties owners. The investors would have an interest in maintaining the lake instead of being inundated with weeds where our property value would decrease. Kevin got a letter that will be discussed at November’s meeting.
PARKS:
Nothing to report.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Nancy brought up about organizing a golf cart parade. This would be July 4th weekend and prize for best decorations.
NEW BUSINESS:
A newsletter to assoc members with the billing will be done next Spring. This will include wake time and no wake zones on the lake. Several other items could be added.
Wake time hours according to R281.730-11 have been posted on the LDCA website.
No wake areas are less than 200 feet shore to shore. Strip connecting North and South lakes are less than 200 in some areas but not marked as no wake. No wake is defined as the slowest your boat will go without losing control. Jim received a letter from Michigan Lakes and Streams that will be discussed at the next meeting.
A few Friends of Lake Diane board members joined us at the meeting. They have extended an invitation to use the Community Center for association meetings, golf outing and picnics. It can hold 185 people, has tables, chairs, bathroom and kitchen areas. And it is heated! Perhaps have Boaters Safety class at the Community Center in 2023.
A shadow box plexiglass frame will be installed near shelter house for assoc information.
LD does not have overflow of water on ‘Go Forth Dam’. Water is low due to lack of rain. Not sure who owns dam property. Looking into a meter to measure water level. Might have to spend $400-$500 for survey.
Form for board’s approval to add Jerry Agrusa for LDCA Financial information will be done at November’s meeting.
At 10:19, Jerry made a motion to adjourn meeting. Al seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted:
Nancy Bell
Lake Diane before and After 1960s transformation
In the 1960s, the lake we know of now as Lake Diane was terraformed from the dredging and flooding of lowlands that surrounded two natural lakes. See our History for more. Below is a picture roughly showing what was (according to old maps) and what is now according to the Hillsdale GIS system. Enjoy this mix of history and present.
LDCA Monthly Board Meeting – October 2022
MONTHLY BOARD MEETING
9-10-22
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Jerry Agrusa, President
Scott Coakley, Vice President
Jim Watt, Treasurer
Nancy Bell, Secretary
Kevin Mack, Trustee
Al Vitous , Trustee
Chris Sellers, Trustee
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
The Pledge Of Allegiance was recited.
The meeting was called to order by President, Jerry Agrusa at 9:03 am.
The minutes from the 7-9-22 monthly board meeting were read by Nancy Bell. Motion to approve by Jim Watt-seconded by Kevin Mack. The minutes were approved as written.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
Jim Watt presented the Treasurers report. Several bills plus insurance bills came in. Jim may contact another insurance company to get a quote. LDCA license (LARA) has been paid and is good till October, 2023. Received Consumers Power bill. Very little kilowatts used, all taxes and fees. Jerry motioned to approve treasurers report as written. Scott seconded. All approved,
NEW MEMBER ACTIVITY:
199 members – no change
Jerry passed out meeting agenda
OLD BUSINESS:
TRAILERS – Jerry and Chris to follow up to see if trailers re-appear. A couple are concerning. Last attorney letter gave 10 day notice to remove. Suggested that we tour on Memorial Day weekend, 2023 and send heads up letters of advisory notification of potential legal precedents.
RENTALS– comment made on website about rentals. There was a reply saying a resident was successful and any concerned residents may take action. The association and the board are not involved in any actions being taken. Although a no rentals statement is in the deed restrictions.
For LDCA to be involved in above, Atty would look into to see if the 7 parks would give legal standing to pursue both trailers and rentals. If yes, move forward next Spring. Then could go in front of judge. But parks are not in all subdivisions. Then up to the resident in that area.
Roads: Private roads are not funded or maintained by county. 3 ways to fix roads. Mail delivery could be affected
– All neighbors to fix at 100% their cost
– All neighbors to bring up to standard for county to maintain (Culvers, drainage, 16 ft wide) – 51% approval by neighbors to support with bond by township
Can’t count on County for financial support.
Any damage to new road won’t be funded by county since work was completed at that time
AQUABOUNTY:
Reminder of Aquabounty meeting on Monday, September 12th at the Pioneer High School. Several board members will attend. Williams County pushing back about drainage lines
LDCA MEETINGS:
Jerry proposed future meetings to be held at 9:00 am. Store opens at 8:00 so winter meetings could be held there. Time changed was approved by all board members. We will close the shelter house after the October meeting.
LANDSCAPING AT SHELTER HOUSE:
Landscaping is still a mess. There are concerns about tripping and falling. If no changes by end of October, Jim will ask Amboy Twsp about status.
AQUATIC LIFE:
Bill was lower due to acreage decrease. Lily pad spraying was done on 8-23-22.
PARKS:
There is a broken child swing at Chickadee Park. Kevin will remove before someone gets hurt. Look into getting funds to replace next year.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
The picnic was cancelled due to weather. Kim Byrne did a fantastic job on the golf outing. Thank you Kim! Wine crawl was successful again.
NEW BUSINESS:
Kevin talked to friend in Irish Hills area. Weed spraying is done at their lake and billed to all owners equally for the next 7 years on their winter taxes. Need 51% of the approx 330 LD owners to approve. Township has to agree to put on tax bill. Kevin will get petition that they past around in Irish Hills. They used a company called JPM (lake mgmt) located in Kalamazoo to spray weeds there but would come to Lake Diane. More than 1/2 get sprayed so 51% might not be an issue. Cost would be lower for those who are paying now. Annual assoc fee would be decreased.
According to R281.730-11, wake time hours are 10:00 to 6:30, not recognizing DST. This is Twsp ordinance. Chris will adjust website. Boaters are abusing wake time by hours.
Per Drain Commissioner, can’t make board on dam higher without 2/3 vote, petition, $10K deposit for study etc. Was higher in 2017 until someone complained. If water level is below 950, board could be put in.
Suggestion to get map of hazards and shallow water in lake. Several known but not all marked. DNR and diving training team would have to get involved. DNR will not allow more than 2 buoys.
Take steps to add Jerry Agrusa for LDCA Financial information. Make plexiglass board cover for message board. Many letters are getting blown away.
At 10:47, Jerry made a motion to adjourn. Jim seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted:
Nancy Bell