Happy New Year all.
Well, much has happened since we first formed our Group. The following is a summary of steps taken and planned.
- We’ve grown from the original 10 to 35 Lakeside Drive home and business owners in our Group! Welcome! Randy Present and Jami Henderson are following up on our December 12 letter to add more. Please talk to your neighbors.
- We’ve developed a slogan, “Chautauqua Lake, A Great Lake Seeking a Greater Future” to be used on correspondence and documents. We hope you like it.
- We’ve set specific objectives and included them in a two page summary describing our challenges and how we plan to meet them (attached, please read). There’s much to do and not much time to do it. We need your help.
- We’ve made good progress in a short time, but not as much as we’d like, on each objective in the summary:
- County Macrophyte (Weed) Management Strategy (MMS): We’ve submitted 2 letters, November 1 and December 19, with comments on the MMS and how it’s to be implemented (copies are available upon request). We’ve requested participation in MMS finalization after learning that property owners had not been included in MMS development thus far. Unfortunately, the County has yet to agree to consider our comments or allow our participation.
- State, County, Town and Village support: Correspondence (CR), conversations (CO) and meetings (M) continue with Catherine Young (NYS Senator, CR), Andy Goodell (NYS Assemblyman, CR, CO), Vince Horrigan (Chautauqua County Executive, CR, CO, M), Pierre Chagnon (County Legislator, CR, M), Arden Johnson (Town of Ellery Supervisor, CR, CO, M) and Bryan Dahlberg (Bemus Point Mayor, CR, M). We’ll meet with the Ellery Town Council January 12 (7:30 pm) to seek their participation in permitting/funding. We responded to a December 21 “update” letter from Vince Horrigan (attached) this past week. Contact your representatives to request their support. If in the area, support us at the Town Council meeting.
- Upgrade of Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA) operations: The County Executive organized a meeting between CLA and our Group on November 14 to review our concerns with CLA. He also requested CLA develop contingency/post-season near shore and shoreline cleanup options and costs. We’re waiting for the County to schedule a January, 2017, followup meeting. Also, our Group is seeking a meeting with the CLA Board Executive Committee to review our concerns at that level and assess their willingness to address them. CLA management representative discussions have not been successful.
- Secure a NYS DEC permit and the capability to spray herbicides: We met with the NYS DEC to clarify the process and gather permit application and supporting information. We are using the materials to take the first steps including a pre-application meeting with DEC in late January. There’s much to be done. We need a few individuals to help with the research, permitting and implementation.
- Secure an US ACOE permit and the capability to dredge weeds and sludge: We are gathering recent Chautauqua Lake dredging experiences and expertise with the first of several meetings planned with dredging-experienced Town of Ellicott representatives in late-January. We’ll schedule a preliminary meeting with ACOE after that. We need a few individuals to help with the research, permitting and implementation.
- We’ve prepared a preliminary Organization/Activity Chart (attached). We need part-time assistance in each of 7 key areas. Expertise in a topic would be great but is not required. Jami Henderson and Randy Present are working on “Bemus Bay Homeowner” activities. Contact Jami/Randy if you wish to assist. Contact Jim Wehrfritz, Jim Cirbus or Mike Latone to get more detail on what we’ve done/are doing and to discuss how you might assist. See the two page summary (attached, BBPO Summary 010917) for contact information.
Thanks for your support. Together, starting with our properties on Bemus Bay, we can help giveChautauqua Lake, a Great Lake, a Greater Future.
Jim Wehrfritz, Mike Latone and Jim Cirbus
on behalf of Bemus Bay Property Owners