After some frustrating delays, Connecticut regulators have promised to expedite approvals needed to treat Twin Lakes for invasive weeds. We hope to apply herbicides in June, when they are most effective in fighting the curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian milfoil that clog sections of the lakes.
This is great news, and it didn’t just happen. The Twin Lakes Association board put on a full-court press over the past month in order to get the attention of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). For reasons unknown, our application had stalled at the Natural Diversity Data Base, which is the part of DEEP that guards endangered species. We have a large number of these, ranging from plants to insects to mollusks. Our application was submitted on time. Its contents are nearly identical to years past, when we won routine approval.
We were at risk of missing an important window for treatment this spring and got invaluable assistance from Jeff Bravin of the American School for the Deaf, State Rep. Maria Horn, State Sen. Craig Miner, and our herbicide contractor Pond and Lake Connection. Thanks also go to TLA President Carey Fiertz and board members Grant Bogle and Bill Barton, who put in a lot of time making calls. We have been promised that the initial step in our permit approval is forthcoming and that final approval will come almost immediately after that. We expect treatment will occur in June. If we have to treat as late as July, we will do our best to avoid disruption around July 4.
The June membership meeting will be on Saturday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. It will be held over Zoom to ensure proper social distancing. Details on how to access the meeting will follow. A fuller agenda also will follow. But the main purpose of this meeting is to:
• Update members on executive committee actions since last August. • Present any rules changes at the lakes. • Allow members to voice any concerns and suggest any changes they would like the board to consider.
Every four years, TLA leadership presents a slate of nominees for the executive committee and other key appointments. This is one of those years. If approved, the slate will be presented for election at the Aug. 8 meeting, at which point the new executive committee officers take over. Look for a Zoom invite and bios of the slate of nominees in the next mailing.
TLA President Carey Fiertz has received inquiries about the structure of TLA’s governance. You can find a copy of the by-laws here or click on the button below. By mandate, we have a president, senior vice president, treasurer and secretary, plus the immediate past president and such officers as the executive committee or membership sees fit to appoint. We also have up to 5 at-large members.
Pay online this year. It’s easy with PayPal. The 2020 membership fee is now due. TLA welcomes anyone 18 and older to join and support our efforts to preserve the lakes for future generations. Annual dues are $25 per person and bestow the right to vote at our semi-annual meetings and serve on the executive committee. Sign up and/or pay at www.twinlakesassociation.org or click on the appropriate button below. Be sure to update the information on the form so that we can print an accurate member directory.
To encourage safety for boaters at dusk, please ensure your floating raft and docks have reflectors on all sides, and that they are clearly visible. Reflectors can be ordered on Amazon, purchased at local hardware stores or, if you are in the area, picked up for free from Grant Bogle, who has a supply left over from last year’s June meeting. Email Grant at grantbogle80@gmail.com and let him know how many you need.
Make sure you get counted in the 2020 census so that Salisbury receives its proper share of federal and state resources, says First Selectman Curtis Rand. He notes that our area lags much of the state in completing census forms, which can be filled out in minutes online at www.census2020.gov. Non-resident renters and property owners should fill out the form as well.
Rand also notes that the state’s economy was set to begin reopening May 20. He will provide updates on how town services and staffing resume, and on absentee voting. He thanks the community for its cooperation in dealing with the virus. Here is more from Rand:
• The traditional Memorial Day parade and ceremony will not be held this year. • No decision has been made regarding the Town Grove and Summer Youth Work and Recreation Program. We will hopefully have partial re-openings of some programs. • The budgets for the General Government, Salisbury Central School, and Region 1 have all been approved, and during the next fiscal year which begins on July 1, the mill rate for property taxation will remain unchanged at 11.6. • Many town functions continue. The lobby at town hall is open for applications and appointments from 9-4, M-F. Meetings are held by video-conference. However, public hearings have been canceled or postponed into the summer. • Trails and parks are seeing excessive use on sunny weekend days. Be serious about social distancing on the trails and in parking areas, and find alternative places to hike when parking areas are full. • Town is interviewing candidates for the new Land Use Administrator position, which will combine Planning and Zoning enforcement as well as Inland Wetlands/Conservation. • The Salmon Kill bridge is now one lane with stop signs at each approach. This is due to deterioration of the upstream side of the east abutment. ; Town and State officials have been in discussions about this for several years and the state will now assume the job of designing and overseeing repairs. • The new transfer station is on track for a mid-summer opening. • Town offers a huge thanks to ambulance, fire, hospital and grocery workers, food banks, and all other essential people during this stressful time. Please show your appreciation as well
