MEETING MINUETS 2007         April,17

The meeting began at 5:30 with the introduction of Chris Coldwell by David Morgan.  Chris will be the new webmaster and Chris did provide a written agreement that any of his work for LOWA is volunteered and donated to LOWA with no strings attached.  The executive committee signed on in agreement to the agreement.

Education/Outreach – Christy Fera – we want to be able to but various promo items to give away at the trade shows, environmental conferences, and other public festivals where we have a booth.  Donna will check the invoice for these items.

Insurance for LOWA will be through Christy Fera’s State Farm Insurance office to cover LOWA and its members during LOWA sponsored activities.  At this time, LOWA will purchase liability coverage:  a $2 million per occurrence, $4 million per year total, covering up to 100 people, for $262/year.  Marv made a motion to buy this policy and have be bound as of 4/17/07.  Lori seconded the motion and the motion was passed.

KRMS will print some coasters with boating tips and LOWA logo for LOWA to distribute around the Lake.  Perhaps several versions of these coasters could be printed so people won’t get bored with one and keep reading all the coasters for continual remindments.

There are many fishing tournaments and festivals coming up and LOWA needs many volunteers to help represent LOWA at these events.  Please contact Christy or Donna if you can help out at any of these.  Public beach #2 has tournaments every weekend during the summer and during the week, there are still lots of people using the Lake.  So, the question becomes, where can we put out the Pump-Out brochures for the public to pick up and use?  Maybe we can place the brochures at the places where ramp fees are collected?  LOWA could create a flyer about how water quality affects the fishing.  An upcoming event is Hillbilly Days, in Laurie, on May 4^th at the Laurie Fairgrounds.  We need volunteers for that soon.

Greg Stoner – Water Quality – the bacterial study is moving right along on schedule.  Training is scheduled for April 18^th at 9am at the Camdenton Conservation Office.

David Morgan – Pump-Out – the grant has been submitted and we should be getting the money by July 1^st for Camden County and we are still on track for the other grants and the other counties.  LOWA can do some preliminary work that doesn’t take any money.  We are still ironing out media releases and information.  Bob Broz said Dept of Health has some money for this kind of project.  LOWA’s goal is 120 pump-outs with some money coming from LOWA so that we can offer $50 discounts to people for getting their septic systems  pumped out.  Another grant has an extended deadline so the program can roll over to next year also.  Different counties will be staggered.  This first part will be working out some of the kinks.  Also, the US Coast Guard can probably come up with some funds for a pump-out program as well.

Chris Hall – The Lake District Plan 4 County Alliance is the new name for the Watershed Management Plan for LOWA.  This group still needs to identify the boundary of where this plan will cover.  There will be a meeting May 10^th at 1 pm at Central Bank of the Lake of the Ozarks lower level.  The boundary will be (hopefully) nailed down then and the group will delineate the data and determine what data they have and what they need.  They will need to flesh out some data and find more details on various subjects in order to begin setting priorities for the Plan.  This group hopes to be ready for public input and prioritizing in about 5-6 months.  In 18 months, they plan to have a finished Plan.  The boundaries may end up using a sub-basin format or a miles from the Lake format or a mixture of both.  They will probably use the 14-digit sub basins and piece them together and then subtract parts from them and end up with a map incorporating both types.  This group will send the completed map out to community leaders and business leaders and have them spread the map out through their constituency and get comments from their community and do this about 2 weeks before a LOWA meeting so that we can get feedback on how this map’s boundaries work or don’t work for their needs.  LOWA wants to encourage people to see this map as a tool that they will be able to use in long range planning, short term planning, construction projects, or any other kind of community development that may be planned.  This map should become an essential tool for the entire Lake District.

Seary Niccoli – Lake Safety – new organization – just getting started.  Many different agencies are attending these meetings and using this group to network throughout the LOZ watershed.  This group will be sending out information about safe boating and they will be starting the Designated Captain Program and their billboard campaign (the bill boards have already started showing up around the Lake).

Chris Caldwell – new webmaster – will be working with Greg Stoner on wildlife graphics – asks everyone to email him comments and he will help us with any work we need done (in the computer realm).

Lori Miller – Treasurer’s Report – Dec 11/2006 beginning balance - $485.00; since March 19, 2007 – deposits $160.00 and expenses $891.49; Ending Balance (balanced with bank statement) - $2032.61