2014 BPLA April Update
April 1st, 2014
As you all know, it has been an unusually long and tough winter, but hopefully the end is in sight and we will soon see the ice leave our lake so we can start enjoying it again. In 2012 our ice-out date was March 23rd; last year it was May 8th and a lot of the lakes in Minnesota still had some ice for the fishing opener. Any bets as to when the ice will be gone this year?
On March 19th, some Big Pine Board members met either in person or via teleconference with Rob Hall, the County Engineer in charge of our dam project, and with representatives from Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH), the company awarded the Request for Proposal by Crow Wing County to pursue options for a more permanent solution to our problems. At this meeting SEH presented 6 tentative options, which ranged from a relatively simple rock riffle dam to a concrete dam. There was a long and productive discussion among all parties regarding which option (or combination of options) might be best for our lake. After input from everyone, SEH is now considering the feedback and they will be providing your Board with a revised tentative report in mid-April. This will again be reviewed and discussed as we did on March 19th; a formal, final report with recommendations will be presented to us in mid-May. It is the intention of your Board to hold a meeting at the Crosslake Community Center (hopefully with Rob Hall present) for all landowners sometime in June so that the final recommendation can be presented to everyone for discussion and comments. Your participation in this meeting will be crucial, and we encourage all of you to attend and to help make a decision about the future of our dam. I will send out another letter with more information as soon as we have a date for this meeting.
Our annual brunch and business meeting will be held on Saturday, August 16th, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the picnic shelter at the Crosslake Community Center, located just north of town. Go north on Highway 66 past 61 Marine North and turn right onto Daggett Pine Road. Proceed for 2 short blocks; the Community Center is on the left. Everyone should bring a dish to share as well as plates, napkins and silverware. Coffee and juice will be furnished. Pursuant to our Association Bylaws, we will be having elections at this meeting. The Bylaws dictate that voting is held to name Board members only, and that after the voting is done the Board members alone will hold a short meeting to determine positions within the Board. Dave and I will be leaving the Board of Directors at this time, so we will need at least 2 new people to agree to join. If you are interested in running, please let me know. Don’t forget that to be eligible to vote you must have paid your dues for 2014 in the amount of $25.00. These can be paid beforehand (check made payable to Big Pine Lake Association and sent to the address below) or you can pay at the brunch.
Lastly, it’s time to sign up for mosquito spraying again. Clarke Environmental once more is not raising their prices for the current year and will charge us the same that they have charged since 2008. There will be 9 biweekly sprayings from approximately Memorial Day to Labor Day at $55.00 per spraying. With taxes, the cost will be $529.03 for the entire season. I do not yet have their calendar for spraying but it will be very similar to previous years. If you are interested in this service please send your check in the amount of $529.03 to the address below made payable to Big Pine Lake Association, Dave Rudberg, Treasurer, no later than April 30, 2014.