Lipsett Lake Association Fall Meeting 2024
August 31, 2024
The general meeting of the Lipsett Lake Association was called to order by the President, Mark Hansen, at 9:00 AM at the Lipsie Pines Tavern. Approximately 45 members were in attendance.
Committee Reports
President Report – Mark Hansen: Welcome, new lake members!
Approved Spring 2024 Meeting minutes (available at the meeting and online). Motion by Charlie and seconded by Mark Hansen.
Meeting Minutes from 5/27/24: Please review the Lipsett Lake Association blog for updates.
Divers Donation – Bob Major
Divers from a year ago are part of the fire department from the Jackson township (6 miles E Webster). 20+ firefighters: 7 of them are certified divers (fire chief is the lead diver), and a couple more in training. Bob visited with them and asked what their needs are. Township pays for all their equipment, but consumables like batteries (budget gets cut, etc.) are always needed or a $1,700 respirator.
The team has a great website, be sure to check it out.
Chris Schneider spoke to the guy who was there. Chris makes a motion for $2,000 donation to the dive team, seconded by Warren and aye by Association.
Keep Gracie’s and Tyree’s families in our prayers.
Memorial Garden – Mary Hansen
Angela is Mary’s and Mark’s niece (Grace was Angela’s daughter) and spoke about creating a memory garden.
Past Memorial Day weekend fundraiser for a memorial garden and/or bench for those who came before us on Lipsett Lake and start this due to the tragic accident. Mark Mcgloffen offered his material and machinery and installed the bench. His wife Kirsten and their master gardener friend laid the design for a small garden and retaining wall by the boat landing. All they have left is a bench plaque.
Received $1,000 from Angie and Scott to have their picture on the plaque. Mary found the last picture of Gracie and Tyree for the plaque.
Presenting to the Association for Phase 2: Continue the garden, but now as a memorial garden could include walking paths, garden setting with the master gardener, ideas from other members, etc. We could even create a garden club to maintain, plant, and replace the memory garden.
Inscribed memorial papers. Range $35-40 twice a year and put them in fall/spring to continue the path with the blessing of the Rusk township (would go back and present this to him).
Walking path: Association would buy the bricks as a donation and then sell the bricks. Around $100 including price of the brick and labor. Aligned with environment and integrate into the nature. Plus, members would be allowed to put a message and memory on a brick.
If Association buying, what would be replenished? Or giving donation?
One company works with the Association to order bricks twice a year and we could incorporate them into the garden. Not an all-at-once endeavor.
Motion to pursue this by Kirsten seconded by Grace and aye from Association.
Let Kirsten or Grace know if you’re interested in helping plant in the spring/fall.
Mary has a layout of plants that fit the environment, mostly perennial and some planters, including lilies of the valley (Gracie’s birth month flower). Original bench was a labor of love, but a centerpiece that’s legacy can be supported by the Association.
Motion by Jon Canny to donate $500 and $200 annual maintenance fee to start, seconded by John Hansen and aye from Association.
Add Venmo on the blog for people to donate individually
Membership Committee – Carolyn Schlitter and Julie Miller:
73 (out of 99) of lake member families are current and have paid their association dues.
If somebody sells, please let Carolyn Schlitter know and encourage their neighbor to reach out to update the membership list (which is on the website).
If you prefer, reach out to Carolyn Schlitter about using Venmo.
Treasury Report – Mark Schlitter:
Financial reports sent out by Chris Snyder in advance of the meeting.
Highlights:
Left-hand side is results of this year; right-hand side is comparison to last year.
Biggest change: one additional worker at the landing (3 total) thanks to additional grant money. They are working through Monday of Labor Day and then they’re done.
Grant money from last year fully received and downpayment for this year received and will continue to apply for that.
$65,000 in the checkbook today. One account to pay the bills and run the Association, and everything else gets moved to continue growing interest.
Motion to approve financials by Bob Major and seconded by John Hansen.
Fundraising – Aaron Temple (his final meeting as fundraiser):
Aaron has been leading the Fundraising position for eight years and this will be his final meeting in this position. We thank Aaron for his years of volunteering and congratulate on the extra time to be with his kids. Please reach out to Aaron or Mark Hansen if you’re interested in this position.
For those interested in the Fundraising Committee: Communication is key, so people know you are present and help keep people linked to the lake.
If you’re passionate about keeping our lake the way it is, this may be the perfect position for you.
Dock In and Dock Out raise about $4,000. Bring beer and people show up!
It could also be 1–4 people as a committee with plenty of support.
Reach out if interested in a holiday food or toy drive as an Association.
Duck Memorial:
Raced 250 ducks in memory of Gracie and Tyree. Next year, will have to talk to the Rhine family if they want to continue.
Pancake Breakfast:
Pancake breakfast fed over 100 people and raised $920 for the Association.
Dock In:
Will likely be October 26, mark your calendars!
Suggestion for $150 into tools for the Association to use for dock in/out and the landing. Motion by Aaron Temple seconded by Mark Schlitter.
John Hansen also suggests purchasing a wench. Grace also offers their wench for the Association to use.
501c Organization Donations: If you’re employed by a company, see if they do a matching. If you’re going to donate, we could double that money through an employer. Visit this site to see if your company will match your donation.
Can Koozies: $5/each. Great for Christmas and stocking stuffers.
Road Cleanup:
We are losing volunteers for cleaning up the road. It’s a great volunteer option, especially if you can’t or don’t want to participate in dock in/out—simply walk around the road and clean up trash. Usually the end of April.
Reach out to Mark Hansen with other ideas.
Facebook Association Question: Does anyone know who the administrator is for the Lipsett Lake Association Facebook page? We don’t want people to have too much information about the lake. Could make it a private group instead by members of the Association. In addition to the blog as an informational page. Pam Landrau offered to administer that.
REMEMBER: Fundraising should accommodate a variety of interests on the lake. We need to get young people and kids involved to show how special the lake is to them and everyone on the lake.
Loon Update: Diane
Last sighting 2–3 days ago. On June 8, three families that saw the adult loon, the other on the nest. Yesterday on the lake and was very quiet; didn’t hear a sound or see any loons. Normally see one on the lake when it’s quiet. Concern that the slime on the lake makes them ill, or perhaps the adults left, and the chicks leave soon after.
Fun fact: they can reach over 60 mph when they’re flying!
Interesting note from July 6: during a pontoon ride, saw the female with the two chicks huddled together on the NW bay. Male successfully chased away two adult loons.
Fun fact: After the adults leave, chicks all meet on another lake and fly south later. Chicks are down south for three years, then they return to their birth lake in the Midwest.
Lake Management – John Hansen:
Power washer: He’s not sure how to maintain the power washer. We do have a plumber on our lake (south side of the lake) and John will ask if he’d be willing to check on the power washer when there are concerns. Also looking for help in the fall and spring to turn off and on.
Landing workers: Leonard on Friday basis not coming back, Cathy saying her health is not the best so is working weekends only in the morning, and Curtis can help fill in the week. Afternoons on the weekends no longer covered. Grant is up to $4,000 per year toward their pay. Options:
If we can get some volunteers or recruit someone to fulfill that role.
Asked Bob how he found the people, and he put something through community college in Northern Wisconsin and how he found Leonard. Spoke with Lake McKenzie that they worked with the high school.
Approved by Association to recruit someone to fulfill that role.
Invasive species: 5 different plates out on the lake to look for zebra mussels. State does come out and does water samples.
Thank you, Stephanie, for the data entry! Pete has been picking up the time sheets, thank you!
The Lake Association is trying to protect your property value!
Wake Boats – Mark Hansen:
Started hearing about wake boats in 2017 at a convention with Bob Baker. There’s been a lot more information in the last seven years since then. Evidence is overwhelming that the destructive nature of wake boat bilge to lakes is more than we could even know.
Bob Baker included Mark Hansen in the back-and-forth with Scott Township. Used Bob as a reference to get wake boats banned on their lake. Just heard from Chris that Lake McKenzie is voting today to also ban them. They got approval from their township.
2022 had a wake boat frequently on the lake. That same year, we had multiple algae and sponge blooms.
Started this discussion a month ago. Chris Snyder has been sending studies about wake boats from the U of M and U of W and the dramatic effects it’s had on lakes. Within FOUR years, some lakes have had almost all natural life destroyed.
Was expecting this year to get passed, but the boat lobbying destroyed the passing of it. Won’t be brought up again for two years. 20+ townships have started banning them instead, because they have the power to do that. Not just wake boats, it’s any boat that uses the bilge like that. First violation is $500.
Many lakes are a risk for us, including Bennoit, Rice, and Dubois. When they release their bilge, it also releases contaminated water.
How we could ban wake boats with the same strategy as Lake McKenzie:
Our Association gets green light from Township
Send proposal to DNR, who then write the ordinance that would be reinforced
Post in the paper for 30 days
Then it’s officially an ordinance by next year
Motion by Jon Canny (educational to Lake Association members and pursue Township board) and seconded by Michael Miller.
Could create a pamphlet or something that summarizes the information.
Give the landing workers the information to pass out.
Volunteers are always needed: Be sure to volunteer! We have a thriving Association if we have the volunteers.
Connect more members and your children and grandchildren to become passionate about caring for our lake. It’s up to us to keep doing what we’re doing.
If you have ideas that would enhance the lake, present them to the Association. Please get involved!
Other Voting Members of the Board:
Vice President: Matt Smith (taking over for Lisa) motion by Diane second by Dumke
Directors: Billy Voyles, John Canny, Scott Rhine
Closing – Mark Hansen
Check your email to get a link to the blog and meeting minutes.
REMINDER – Volunteers are extremely important for the Association and the lake, please volunteer in any way that you can! Thank you and happy rest of your summer!
The meeting was adjourned at 10:18.
Report is submitted by Mari Yell, Secretary.
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