Lake Zoar Authority
P.O. Box 931
Southbury, CT 06488
Email: [email protected]
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Member Towns
Monroe-Newtown-Oxford-Southbury
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The regular meeting of the Lake Zoar Authority was held Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 7:00 pm at the Southbury Town Hall, 501 Main Street, Southbury, CT 06488.
Commissioners Present:
Gary Fillion, Chairman
Bill May, Treasurer
Frank Cavallo
John Downs
Herbert Garber
Jerry Kozera
Mark Saksa
Dick Speer
Absent:
Jeff Thomas
Lesley Pires, Secretary
Gary Fillion, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.
Secretary’s Report:
Corrections to April’s minutes are as follows:
1) There are currently no confirmed water chestnuts in Lake Zoar
2) In regards to the previous grant proposal submitted on behalf of the LZA, the Federation of Lakes reported that 50 applications were received for the Aquatic Invasive Species Control on Lakes, Ponds and Rivers program, not the CT DEEP.
A motion to accept the minutes as corrected from the April 6, 2021 minutes was made by Bill May, seconded by Frank Cavallo; the motion was passed unanimously.
Public Comments:
None.
Correspondence and News Clippings:
None.
Treasurer’s Report:
Bill May, Treasurer, presented account balances, with cash on hand totaling $114,831.00. Including Town participation, the total funds equal $222,874.00. The FY 2021-2022 Budget is currently planned for $108,000.00 in spending.
It was also reported that docking, storage, and service of the boats at Carl’s Marina instead of Beacon Point and changing insurance carriers to CIRMA, will save the LZA approximately 4-5K annually.
Marine Patrol Report:
Dan Semosky reported that both boats have been picked up from Beacon Point Marine and are in the water at Dick Speers home on the lake. The trailers are temporarily stored at the Riverside Fire House in Oxford and will be relocated to the Marina in Southbury. It was noted that the Town of Southbury will not be participating supplying officers for the patrols on the lake again this year. Chairman Fillion said that he will reach out to the Selectman from Southbury to have a conversation regarding the matter and report back to the Board next month.
The Board agreed to the recommendation presented to start lake patrols on Saturday, May 22nd.
Currently there are three drivers for patrols. Dan Semosky recommended to the Board that he would like to solicit for a 4thdriver and begin an interview process with applicants.
A new CT boating law regarding the requirement for a “lanyard” was discussed. The “lanyard” must be attached between the operator of vessel and the ignition switch to shut off the engine of the vessel if the operator becomes unable to navigate the vessel. A discussion followed as to how patrols were going to enforce the new law. To make boaters aware of the new law, Herb Garber said that he will contact Voices to put an article in the paper. Additionally, the information should be put on the LZA website and Facebook pages.
Publicity/ Public Awareness:
None.
Water Quality / Grants Report:
Chairman Gary Fillion reported buoys are in the water. A DEEP approved Leaps of Faith application was presented. Dick Speer said that he will discuss the actual location on the Lake for the 5 events and report back.
The first aquatic weed treatment permit was approved by DEEP. The first treatment will be sometime in mid-June and will be coordinated with First Light.
Dick Speer asked Chairman Fillion to inquire about continued water testing throughout the season.
Boats and Motors Report:
Dick Speer installed the additional emergency lights purchased and New Age made final connections and programming. D. Speer and D. Semosky inspection the work and approved.
Boats were pressure washed by Beacon Point but not waxed. Mark Saksa’s contact said that he would wax the boats for $500.00/boat, washed & waxed.
Grants:
Frank Cavallo and his partner Barbara McWilliams reported that the DEEP grant was denied. DEEP reported that 1million dollar worth of applications were received for 363k of funding. She was told to reapply again in the Fall.
Unfinished Business:
None.
New Business
A motion to purchase four new self-inflating vests for boats at a cost of $250.00/vest was made by Dick Speer, seconded by Bill May; the motion was passed unanimously.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Bill May, seconded by Herbert Garber, the motion was passed unanimously. Gary Fillion adjourned the meeting at 7:48.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lesley Pires, Secretary
The minutes are not considered official until approved at the next regular meeting of the Lake Zoar Authority to be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 7:00 pm at the Monroe Town Hall.
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Click here to download the 05-04-2021 Minutes
Click here to read the proposed agenda for the 06-01-2021 LZA meeting