2023-01-10

2023-01-10

 P.O. Box 931

Southbury, CT 06488

Email: lakezoar@gmail.com

Member Towns

Monroe-Newtown-Oxford-Southbury

The regular meeting of the Lake Zoar Authority was held on Tuesday December 6, 2022 at 7:00 pm at the Oxford Town Hall.   

Commissioners Present:                                                   

Gary Fillion, Chairman                                                                                                   

Frank Cavallo    

John Downs                                                      

Bill May, Treasurer                                                                     

Barbara McWilliams

Lesley Pires

Mark Saksa

Dick Speer

Absent:

Jerry Kozera, Vice Chairman

Chairman Gary Fillion called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm.

Secretary’s Report:

A motion to accept the minutes with from the December 6, 2022 minutes, was made by Mark Saksa, seconded by Bill May; the motion was passed unanimously.

Public Comments:

A resident from Newtown was in attendance.

Correspondence and News Clippings:

Articles were presented from the Voices published on 12/14/22, entitled; “Council Approves Transfer for Lake Authority Funding,” and from the Newtown Bee on 12/20/22 entitled “Council Restores Money to Lake Authorities,” and on 12/30/22 entitled, “Police Mark 2022 with Additions, Promotions” with a photo of Officer Felicia Figol receiving her LZA award.

Treasurer’s Report:

Bill May, Treasurer, presented account balances, with cash on hand equaling $104,208.37. Bill presented the 2023-2024 season budget totaling $123,309. A motion to pass the budget was made by Mark Saksa, seconded by Barbara McWilliams; the motion was passed unanimously.

Marine Patrol Report:

None.

Publicity/ Public Awareness:

None.

Water Quality / Grants Report:

Gary Fillion, Chairman, reported he received a quote for the buoys from an alternate vendor, and it was not feasible. Gary will make an effort with the current vendor to prevent the buoys from breaking loose. Gary reported that Brian Woods from FirstLight said he will have physical maps for the drivers to report the location of debris for removal by the end of March, and he will take a survey ride with the drivers to tag debris this spring. Gary presented an estimate for weed treatment from a new vendor, The Pond and Lake Connection, for $104,700 for three years, effectively saving the LZA several thousand dollars per year. A motion to contract The Pond and Lake Connection to treat Lake Zoar for weed control services was made by Treasurer Bill May, seconded by John Downs, the motion was passed successfully. Gary reported that he discussed options to direct fast traffic away from the shoreline at the west part of the sandbar with the CT DEEP, and it is possible to place two navigational buoys at each side of the channel with approval from the CT DEEP. Marine Patrol Coordinator Dan Semosky identified potential enforcement problems with this, and suggested a no wake zone would be more effective. Gary will discuss the issue further with the CT DEEP to determine a solution. Gary reported it is now official hunting season for ducks on the lake and there are active hunters on the lake, who are allowed to be 500 feet from shore buildings.

Boats and Motors Report:

None.  

Grants:

Barbara McWilliams reported that the new marine patrol boat committee is still working on collecting grant money for the purchase of a new boat. She reports the LZA received half the amount of funding that was planned. Treasurer Bill May reported that there is not enough money in the current reserve to cover the remaining costs for a new boat while maintaining a responsible amount of cash on hand. Barbara expressed she will continue to pursue the remaining funding.

Unfinished Business:

None.

New Business

A motion to elect Barbara McWilliams as Vice Chairman was made by Lesley Pires, seconded by Mark Saksa, the motion was passed unanimously.

A motion to reelect Bill May as Treasurer was made by Gary Fillion, seconded by Frank Cavallo, the motion was passed unanimously.

A motion to reelect Lesley Pires as secretary was made by Barbara McWilliams, seconded by Gary Fillion, the motion was passed unanimously.

A motion to reelect Gary Fillion as Chairman was made by John Downs, seconded by Dick Speer, the motion was passed unanimously.

Adjournment

A motion to adjourn was made by Dick Speer and seconded by Barbara McWilliams. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:50pm.

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 February 7, 2023 at 7:00 pm at the Monroe Town Hall.

Click here to download the 01-10-2023 Minutes

Click here to preview the proposed agenda for the 02-07-2023 LZA Meeting