ESSLA Executive Board Meeting – August 26, 2010

Present:  Bill McGhie, Jane Smith, Vince Blando, Joanne McGhie, Anne Pieper, Chrys Matterson, Kim Frazier, Steve Fahey, Bob Colegrove, Mike Purdy, and Sally Paland.

The minutes from the July 22 Executive Board Meeting were approved as written.  The minutes from the Membership Meeting July 23 were approved as written.  Joanne reported that we have $9,480.32 in our bank account. $124 was paid to our insurance company for uninsured vehicles and  $617 was spent on 5 new GPS systems.

Vince asked for suggestions for a new ESSLA business card.  Discussion pursued regarding wording, color, and design.  Joanne said she would research the cost of additional color.  Kim offered to work on the logo and possibly print the cards for us.

Vince met with Bill and discussed revising the ESSLA Goals.  After a brief discussion, Vince motioned to accept the revisions, Joanne seconded it.  The motion carried 10-1.  Jane voted against the revisions.

Anne reported that the profit from the calendars was just under $4,000.  She turned $660 from calendar sales and $10 from a map sale over to Joanne.  Anne and Vince attended a workshop sponsored by the Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region.  They are going to seek a grant for ESSLA.

Bill asked for suggestions on how we should allocate our money.  Jane suggested funding a educational field trip to Lake George. Children would attend the floating classroom and learn about taking care of lakes.  We could possibly do this with Brant Lake.  Bill said he wants to get the 3 towns together and have Dave Wick do a presentation on watershed quality.  Other suggestions were to continue milfoil removal, start a lake stewardship program, install wash stations at the boat launches, and put new signs on the pilings as well as speed limit signs in the river.  Bill asked that we think about these suggestions and prioritize them.

The Ice Cream Social is set for Saturday the 28^th.  The committee will set up at 2:00.  Calendars, wind shirts, and maps will be sold.  Raffle tickets for a gondola ride at Gore will be available for $1.00 each, 6 for $5.00.  The Adirondack Marathon committee will also be selling raffle tickets.  Calendars will be sold at the marathon.

Vince gave a report on milfoil.  All scout reports have been kept on a master list and sent to Steve LaMere.  The goal was to cover Warren County this summer, and most of that has been completed.    Bill and Vince did not find any milfoil in the river.  Vince is launching an “Adopt a Shoreline Project” for 2011.  He has divided the lake and river into 50 sections and is getting scouts to be responsible for a certain ½ mile section.  GPS systems will be loaned to scouts.   He wants to get to the point where the scouts will pull the milfoil as it is detected.

Jane questioned what information she should send out to our membership as she gets many requests from individuals as well as groups.  She may send things as an attachment.  It was suggested that she use bcc to our membership so all the email addresses are kept more private.

Bob asked if our 501 C 3 tax status had been approved.  It has not and discussion followed.  Bob said we need to show how we are spending our money and that is supports the cause that made us tax free.  We also need an annual report date.  Bob will work on this with Joanne.

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:32.

Respectfully submitted,

Sally Paland, Secretary