Treasurer’s Report

Nearly 300 Twin Lakes Association directories were distributed to members on the Taconic Green on Saturday, Aug. 22. Our thanks to membership chair Susan Knight for organizing the directory and, along with Terry Cohen and Rich & Jodie Haupt, handling the distribution. If you did not pick up your directory, and want one, to arrange pickup send an email to membership@twinlakesorg.org.The treasurer’s report as of the end of August shows that total income this year was $19,737.94 and total expenses were $10,887.38. At the August meeting, the membership approved additional expenditures up to $10,000 to support lake management including mechanical harvesting. There are additional ongoing expenses for lake testing and website development that will be incurred in the fall. The board expects income and expenses for the full year to be about break even. An update for the full year will be available after closing the books the end of December. If you have questions regarding TLA income or expenses, or total assets, please contact Grant Bogle (grantbogle80@gmail.com) or Bill Barton (Bill10708@gmail.com).  

TLA has engaged Cagney Murray for the new year-round part-time administrative position. Cagney is a real estate professional who lives in Sharon CT and has a deep background in technology communications and web marketing. She begins this month. Duties will include supporting website development and maintenance, including researching topics and creating links to partners and appropriate organizations in the area; ensuring membership lists are up to date and accurate; reconciling payments to the TLA (electronic and/or check) with membership enrollment information; tracking dues vs. donations by member; suggesting improvements to the operations of the TLA and to our communications methods and content. Compensation will be $250 per month, May through September and $150 per month, October through April. The TLA previously paid for administrative help at the rate of $25 per hour. The board moved to a set monthly rate roughly equal to $25 per hour. The more predictable income provided by this arrangement is meant to make the job more attractive.

State Rep. Maria Horn of our district met with the Twin Lakes Association Outreach Committee, which is responsible for building relationships with key elected officials and employees of the state and local government and other stakeholders. Jeff Bravin chairs the committee and is supported by Bill Barton, Grant Bogle and Carey Fiertz.  Maria knows the Twin Lakes area well and was helpful in the permitting process for the lake treatments this year. The meeting was a chance for Maria to meet Jeff and Bill and to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges we have had with the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Maria sits on the environment committee and has frequent interactions with the leadership of DEEP.  

The outreach committee has also been in contact with Curtis Rand, Salisbury First Selectman. Curtis and the town have supported the lakes by paying toward weed treatments, testing and lake patrols, and allowing us to use the town’s mechanical harvester for removal of invasive weeds in areas we cannot treat with chemicals. One issue that has come up is that lake patrols have been less frequent this year despite an increase in lake traffic. This is due, in part, to increased demands on the Salisbury Resident Trooper and staffing challenges due to COVID-19.  We have a meeting with Curtis in September to discuss lake patrols in the coming year among other topics. We will report on the outcome in a future newsletter.
 
Bear #169 may be a memory. But others have taken its place around Twin Lakes. A black bear broke through a screen door at the Hedman residence on South Shore Road in mid-August (pictured here). The screen door was the only major casualty. But the bear managed to open the freezer and devour a carton of ice cream and jar of peanut butter.

Bear #169 is well known to newsletter readers, having been featured in photos on area porches all summer before the state captured and euthanized it. The bear had been tagged as a problem and twice was relocated only to return and be deemed a danger to the community. This newest home invader had no tags.

Black bear generally pose no threat to humans. But the state encourages you to report bear sightings, which are reviewed daily. The data is used for research purposes. Contact the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division at 860-424-3011. In the event of a wildlife-related emergency, contact DEEP dispatch at 860-424-3333. If anyone is in danger, dial 911. Visit the state guide for living with black bears. This site is loaded with safety and other information.ear sightings . 

The new TLA website is nearly finished. We are fine-tuning some issues around the virtual swap shop and lost and found. We are testing new mechanisms for paying dues, gathering member information, and donating for weed control and other TLA activities. We are filling in missing information with help from our new administrative assistant. Even after going live in the next few weeks, this will remain a work in progress. We ask for patience and hope you like the results