WW Meeting Minutes

Wolfeboro Waters Committee 1.25.21
Meeting Minutes.  

Attendees:  Linda Murray, Paul O’Brien, Art Slocum, Abby Adams, Rich Masse, Kathy Barnard, Tavis Austin, Warren Muir, Mike Turner, Mary DeVries

Meeting was called to order at 1pm.

Linda
Read the public participation piece and the gotomeeting information.

Attendance was established.

Motion by Rich and seconded to table the 11.16.20 meeting minutes, seconded by Kathy Barnard and voted unanimously by all.

Warren:
Gave a report of what the Water Assessment committee has been doing and the data they’ve gone over.  Only have partial results due to Covid.  We have not seen any of the Wentworth or Cresent Lake, or Russ Pond data. We have more data coming.  We met and looked over what we have, and we will meet again when we have a critical mass of the 2020 data.  We got the Thermocycler device.  Emily Clark, from Lake Wentworth and Abby Adams are interested in getting trained.  Will talk to Keith Simpson.  Will be looking at Russ Pond this year.  Amanda McQuaid wants to get trained as well.  She is the person for the state.  She is very pleased with what we are doing.

There were no cyanobacteria blooms or any alerts for any of the waters in Wolfeboro reported this Summer.  There was zero in Winter Harbor. It was not measured in Winter Harbor.

The subcommittee discussed the fact that there are dimensions of this that have a certain locality associated with it.  A number of concerns are not lake wide.  The growth appears to be in certain areas only.  Drone photos taken by Peter Goodwin showing significant growth along the shore in some places and none in others.  Growth of muck in some places that were sand at the beginning of the season and then turned to muck later in the Summer.  

We were interested in getting a set of observers on each of our lakes to record what they see along the shoreline where they are, so we can figure out what we are dealing with.  It would be great if these folks have been there for a decade or so.

There is a subcommittee within our committee to put together the criteria of observations and samplings, how it gets reported and have consistency.

Another thing that came up is the concern about big wake boats.  Could we make some observations and collect information that would be useful to feed into our various efforts looking at the issue of big wake boats. Steve Wingate and a couple of others will be looking into that.  

We bought the thermocycler, which was almost $8,000 device.  You need vials for it.  We may or may not want to use the software that the company sells that goes with it.  We’ve been talking with Bigelow to supply us with solutions/reagents as a less expensive option.  One reagent is used to break up the cells and get the DNA out of the cells.  Another one is the one VCR portion that causes replication.  There is a thire and Cyanobacteria requires a specific primer to be used.  We can decide how specific we want to be in measuring.

Art
Asked about the wake boats.  Is there a state law that says how close they can get to the shoreline?  

Warren
Spoke about lakefront owners about the big waves that are creating issues on their shores.  The study group might be able to supply some information about the big wake boats and the problems they cause.  NH Lakes is heavily involved in this.  

Paul
Is there going to be a piece of paper that will define what the testing regiment will be in 2021?  

Warren
There will be.  We have to look at all our 2020 results in order to define what needs to be monitored.  Our subcommittee voted in favor of having a Winnipesaukee Watershed management plan in the rest of Wolfeboro.  

Linda
Were you going to talk about some of the goals from the Conservation Commission for Wolfeboro Watershed Management Master plan?  

Warren
A spreadsheet was sent to the Conservation Commission by the planning board and it identified which entities in town have responsibility to oversee the things that are the goals in the master plan.  Looking at the master plan, several of the items would be a good fit for Wolfeboro Waters to have some or total responsibility for.

Linda
I suggest that we take those goals that are in the conservation section and have them as goals for our committee to look at in that format, so we can express what exactly we will be focusing on and discuss them at the next meeting.  

Linda
Give me the numbers and we will pull them out and create a separate spreadsheet for discussion at the next Wolfeboro Waters meeting.  Some of them are very much like our mission.  

I sent Abby the printout of the Feb. 4, 2019 meeting and it had the mission on it.  I will email that to everybody, and we can review it at the next meeting.

Communications Committee:

Paul O’Brien
Have not had any committee meetings.  We have a website available for people for donations out there that is capable of attracting the flies, if you want to publish information.  Cary Beach project got a lot of attention/patrons.  I will not be returning as selectman.  The site is up.  You have all the money you need to run it.  I would advise you to have the content ready to go and just send it over ready to be published.

Linda
We are looking for anybody else that would like to run for Paul’s seat.  Dave Bowers is not going to run again, so there are two seats open.  Sign up before 5pm this Friday.

Mitigation and Prevention Committee

Kathy
Our subcommittee met the other day.  We met with Pat Tarpey a couple of times, from he Lake Winnipesaukee Association.  On Friday we talked with Pat about who takes the lead in this process.  Tavis Austin joined us at our meeting.  The Lake Winnipesaukee Association would set up a fund held by LWA.  Pat indicated that leadership should be perhaps herself and somebody from Wolfeboro taking the lead.  We need a steering committee.  She has done five of these previously.  The steering committee has to have some town/municipal officials, elected officials, businesses, are a good way to get moving ahead.  Tavis has said that he could and would be interested in working on this.  He has looked at some funds that might be available.  Our subcommittee decided we need to do some fundraising to get enough money to do the watershed management plan aside from getting a capital plan.

Mike
Pat thought that it would be about $90,000.

Rich
An initial watershed plan would be centered on Wolfeboro Bay.  The LWA has been going around the lake.  Meredith, Moultonboro, Tuftonboro were done, initiating plans with the waterfront owners.  Pat Tarpey administered those projects.  She would look to do the same in this project.  Previous Wolfeboro watershed plans (Lake Wentworth) have had the town planner’s participation.  LWA would take the lead, the town of Wolfeboro in the person of the town planner, and then the steering committee would participate in guiding the plan. EPA has been funding these plans through DES.  That funding has gone away.  It will need to be a self-funded plan.  Suggested town would provide some funding, LWA would complement what the town would provide and then evolve to the community to support that funding.  Long term, once the plan is in place and baselines are established, you can then go to DES to look for implementation funds under Section 319.  Our subcommittee is looking for Wolfeboro Waters to back our proposals.  Next steps are to get buy-in from Selectmen, Conservation Commission and the budget committee.

Kathy
We are thinking that this will be a 2022 project.

Warren
LWA hired an engineering consulting firm.  I would encourage that this not just be about Wolfeboro Bay, but also Back Bay and Jockey Cove.

Kathy
That is the thought.  It’s just being called the Wolfeboro Bay plan but it does include Back Bay and Jockey Cove.

Paul
When will we have something written up?

Kathy
We are just a subcommittee.  We need authorization from Wolfeboro Waters.  That is the next step, for our committee to write that up.

Rich
There would need to be a steering committee.  That should be one of the first things to happen once this project is approved in principle.  Pat Tarpey was very clear that even though this is not being funded by EPA funds, we should follow the Section 319 requirements exactly, in order to lay the groundwork for future plans.  

Warren
I think that is right.  This plan should cover the rest of Wolfeboro’s Winnipesaukee waters.  I would include everything in Wolfeboro that has not been included in previous plans.  

Kathy
We need to emphasize that point that we will take in the rest of Wolfeboro waters.

Rich
It would begin at the Wentworth watershed plan and then go downstream from Cresent Lake dam.  It should include Jockey Cove, and down toward Alton.

Warren
Over by Springfield Point, Dylan’s Cove and Wolfeboro Neck on the Broads.  Be good to have those included if we identify a source, we will be eligible to apply for 319 funding.

Rich
This will be run like all the previous watershed management plans.  It would have a Steering committee, an administrator, and a professional consultant.

Linda
Am I correct that the volunteer hours are used as a match on some of these grants down the road?  Is there anyone else who would like to address the Wolfeboro Watershed management plan?

Abby
I support it and think it is a very good idea.

Kathy
Winter Harbor watershed management plan, a lot of the plans are for 2020 and 2021.  Did the selectmen approve that?  

Linda
I don’t recall.
LWA would present the plan to the selectmen.

Paul
I don’t remember seeing anything like that.

Linda
The LWA would bring it to the Selectmen.  Get it on the agenda.

Art
What difference does it make if it is LWA or one of our committees?  

Linda
Do we need to bring it to this committee before it goes to the selectmen?

Art.
It gives it more heft with more than one entity asking for it.

Kathy
How about we put the wording for the Winter Harbor plan on the next agenda and then we can talk about it.

Mary
Could it be that we today take a vote in support of Kathy’s subcommittee to proceed to join the Lake Winnipesaukee management plan?

Rich
I think what we want to do next is to bring this proposal with the endorsement of the WWC to the Conservation Commission, to the selectmen.  We have an agreement in principle with LWA that we will work with them on this.  The actual next steps would be to present the funding mechanism.  Pat Tarpey would need to come to town and explain how we got here, etc.  Then we need to get the Conservation Commission to get on board.  It makes sense for Kathy’s committee to take the lead.  Get endorsement from this committee to proceed to talk to other entities in town (Selectmen, Conservation Commission).

Linda.
I think we are talking about two different things.  
    •    We were talking about a pre-existing watershed plan for Winter Harbor and the process to get the Selectmen to approve that.  Does it first need to come here before it goes to the BOS?

    •    We need to take a vote of establishing a steering committee and moving forward for the Wolfeboro Bay Watershed management plan.

Are we supportive of having Kathy get the Watershed plan from the LWA and have it sent to the BOS for them to accept it?

Linda
Am I correct on that, Kathy?

Kathy
Yes.

Art
I was under the assumption that the Tuftonboro Winter Harbor plan was endorsed and accepted by the town of Tuftonboro.  

Kathy
I was talking about Step 1 and Step 2.  

Linda
The Wolfeboro section of Winter Harbor, Wolfeboro put $15,000 into that plan.  That plan stated that the town of Wolfeboro needed to approve and accept that.  

Kathy
The implementation plan clearly shows issues that Wolfeboro should be addressing and the things that Tuftonboro and Moultonborough should be addressing.

Kathy
So, I think the first step is that everybody on this committee sees that implementation plan for Winter Harbor, right Linda?

Linda
Right.  You will send that out to the committee.  We will look at it before it moves over to the Selectmen.  

Warren
Well, it is the plan.  I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t approve it.  

Paul
I think what Linda and Kathy are saying is exactly right.  There should be something that comes over to the BOS.  Action items translate into spending and the BOS needs to know what those action items are and how much they are going to cost.

Linda
Made a motion that the Wolfeboro Waters committee supports Kathy getting the LWA Winter Harbor management plan and sending it to the BOS for approval.

Abby
Seconded the motion.

Paul
Kathy if you wouldn’t mind, make sure that you mark up the plan with perspective spending points that the town is going to have to consider.

Rich
I thought this plan was already done.

Linda
Yes.  But is hasn’t come over to the BOS for it to accept the plan which was part of the proposal upon completion.

Rich
My understanding is that implementation is a separate plan.  Are you saying that we have a completed plan that requires more spending?  

Warren
This plan is like the others.  It is identifying sources with priorities.  There would need to be further engineering and analyses.

Rich
Am I right in thinking there is no further spending on the current plan?  The completed plan has been sent to DES and there is no further spending?

Warren
There is no further spending on that.  Any further spending will be on what is identified in the plan.  The plan calls for each of the BOSs to approve the plan.  There are no line items that come out of the plan.

Rich
There is no further request for spending. There are proposed projects that are not funded.

Are you asking the selectmen to accept what you’ve done?

Linda
That is to accept that watershed plan for Winter Harbor.  The plan is completed, it just needs to be accepted.  We have the motion to send that Winter Harbor plan to the BOS.

Rich – yes
Mike yes
Kathy – yes
Art – yes
Paul – yes
Warren – yes
Mary – yes
Linda– yes

Kathy
So, I’m going to get in touch with Pat Tarpey.

Linda
Now we’re on to the next vote.
Does this committee support our Mitigation and Prevention committee working to establish a steering committee in order to put together what is needed to do a watershed management plan for the Wolfeboro Bay watershed?

Mary
So Moved.

Rich
Seconded the motion

Linda
Now, is there any further discussion on that?

Mike
Is it going to be up to this committee to decide who is on the Steering committee?

Linda
They will suggest people and bring the list to the BOS.

Rich - Yes
Mike - Yes
Mary - Yes
Kathy - Yes
Paul - Yes
Art - Yes
Warren - Yes
Linda - Yes

Kathy
I sent you all a draft brochure that Mike Turner put together. This overlaps with your committee, Paul.  We were asked to get some information together for property owners who live in the watershed area.  Is that what you committee members had in mind?  Do you have any changes?

Is there someone who could help with marketing and creating this brochure?

Paul
Kingswood Press can help you make it look good.

Mary
Within the town itself there may be available templets available.  

Kathy
Solid Waste has a really nice one.

Warren
I think this length is a good length.  But I think we are dealing with two different slices here.  One is the issue of phosphorous and runoff, which is important to shoreline owners.  People who are not near the shore, but are in the watershed would be interested in runoff.  A lakeshore person is interested in septic systems, phosphorous, etc.

Maybe we should have two separate brochures.  One for the folks that own waterfront property and one for the folks who land within the watershed plan.

A number of things that we identified as a good thing to do are in fact New Hampshire law.  For example, lawn fertilizers are not supposed to contain any phosphorous in NH.  We might want to flag those in a different way than “don’t feed the ducks.”

Linda
We do have an issue with residents who are concerned with the Conservation Commission using Roundup, which is a very controversial product.  

Warren
Spoke of Conservation Commission using it in Sewell Woods.  There is all sorts of misinformation about the product.  When it came up before there was nobody there who made a presentation and nothing to respond to.

Linda
Just wanted to mention it as we have a brochure that says do not use Roundup.  

Warren
There is another product.

Paul
The brochure could remind people to follow the manufacturer’s suggested use.  

Paul
Advise people if they are going to use a pesticide, get the MRSD sheet and encourage them to use the product as suggested.

Linda
You might want to cite Soak Up the Rain, by DES, as well as Lake Smart Program.

Warren
The Wentworth watershed association has a bunch of materials as well.  I think we ought to be including local sources of information.

Mary
I would suggest that all those resources are published on Wolfeboro Waters.

I think the content is excellent, but perhaps the last line, “If you live on the water” and move it to the top.  Which is currently, “How can we keep our lakes healthy?” Change it to “what can everyone do to keep our lakes healthy.”  Then the educational piece.  And add how do I know if my property is within the watershed?

Mike
I did not want to put the lake thing first because I don’t want just shoreline people to read this.  Everybody is responsible for this watershed.  

Paul
Buff up the pamphlet and do what Dave Ford did and grab an iphone and record something, send to Wolfeboro television then link to the Wolfeboro Waters website.  

Kathy
How about if we do some revisions and bring it back.  

Linda
That sounds good.

Warren
You might want to circulate to the committee members in between.

Art
The legal issues should be defined from best practices.

Mike
Phosphorous.  Landscapers are saying they don’t use phosphorous at all.  It is difficult to find fertilizers without it.  Is it true that the law says no phosphorous?  

Warren
It can be used for vegetables, not supposed to be used for regular lawncare.

Kathy
The planning board met the other night.  They are going to be redoing the stormwater management plan.

Linda
Next item is Request to spend funds.

Warren
We have in the operating budget that was approved $10,000 for assessment costs.  I’d like to get Bigelow involved further and spend another $5,000 with them.  We can’t use our thermocycler until we get supplies for it.  We are collecting samples and giving them to UNH and incurring a cost for their winter sampling.  We want to hold $1,000 for UNH to be paid at the end of the year.  We plan on $5,000 for a contract, we have $3000 for reagent supplies, and we hold $1000 to be used for cyanotoxin analysis.  

Paul
Is this 2021 budget monies that you are talking about?
    •    They haven’t voted for it yet.
    •    Having open purchase orders is not the way to spend.  You need to bring in a bill and then we will approve.  

Warren
I want the approval to get the bill.

Linda
March 9th.  We have to wait for the 2021 budget to be approved.  This is the first year it will be in the budget.

Paul
Unless you set an accrual, those monies are gone.  They go back to the voter.

Linda
The chances of getting it in the default budget, aren’t very good.  We can’t spend new monies.  Don’t worry about it now.  We can worry about it if we get a default budget.

Kathy
Made a motion to expend the funds just discussed by Warren.

Linda
and that he will go through Tavis to get approval for a purchase order.

Art
Seconded motion.

Art - yes
Mike - yes
Rich - yes
Kathy - yes
Paul - yes
Linda – yes
Warren - yes

Linda
Last item on the agenda is the article on the warrant to establish a capital reserve fund.  This is one of the places that we could go and get the money we need for the watershed management plans. We see this as being capital reserve funds that we put a certain amount aside to address some runoff.

Kathy
This came up at CPI, and our subcommittee endorsed this.  I think we all need to get the word out and get support for this.

Linda
We have a 503 from the budget committee.

Kathy
We need to get the word out about what it is for.

Linda
It is also where we would also get money to do mitigation.

Next meeting date:

The 4th Monday of the month.  February 22nd, 1pm.

Kathy
Moved to adjourn.

Rich
Seconded the motion.

All voted yes.

Meeting closed at 2:46pm

Submitted by Karen Lancaster