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Annual Meeting 12July2010

Minutes from the 2010 Annual Meeting of Members

July 12, 2010, Peaine Township Hall

Before the meeting, Seamus Gardner of the Mackinaw Forest Council gave a presentation on “natural forest succession”.  He and Eric Myers will give a more complete presentation on July 21 at 2pm at the Beaver Island Community Center.

  1. President Paul Glendon called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.
  1. Board members present were Anderson, Dashiell, Glendon, Igoe, Jacobson, Jones, and Leuck.  Not present were Avery, McDonald and Schrotenboer.
  1. The minutes of the 2009 Annual Meeting were approved.
  1.  Annette Dashiell gave the financial report.  Net Income for the year was negative $902.73 primarily reflecting the expense of $2,000 for nine fire safety signs placed strategically around Beaver Island and jumping off points on the mainland.  The balance in the checking account is now $1,833 and the CD balance is $7,179.  The balance in the separate Education Fund is $1,699.
  1. Peter Igoe and Craig Schrotenboer were re-elected to the board for a second 3-year term.  Beth Leuck was elected to the board to fill the position previously held by Jacque LaFreniere who has taken the position of coordinating the Beaver Island Phragmites control program.
  1. It was announced that the annual beach cleanup effort is scheduled for September 11.
  1. Bruce Jacobson reported on the nine new fire-danger warning signs.  Jacque LaFreniere has been trained in the technical calculations to establish fire risk levels specific to Beaver Island.  Other volunteers will assist in updating the signs around the island as fire risk conditions change.  A 10th sign, paid for by the association, will be posted at the four-corners intersection.
  1. Paul Glendon reported that The Great Lakes Islands Symposium planned for last year was cancelled due to insufficient enrollment attributed primarily to the poor state of the Michigan economy.  With the economy still in distress, there are no plans to proceed with resurrecting the project.  However, a group of journalists and other speakers will meet on the island in July to review a number of the issues put forth in the symposium planning, so some good has come from all of the effort put into organizing the symposium.
  1. Paul Glendon reported that the second video: A Home on the Shore is almost complete.  The video deals with important environmental issues to consider in constructing and managing shoreline properties.  The association intends to purchase 200 of the completed CDs and these will be made available to members for a nominal $2 shipping charge.  Plans are to show the video during the upcoming Museum Week and it will be shown, and offered for sale, by the Michigan Sea Grant organization.
  1. Jacque LaFreniere gave an update on the Phragmites control effort for this year.  DNR will take responsibility for treating Hog Island.  Jacque will be looking for volunteers to treat the small remaining sites on Beaver Island.  The volunteers for treatment of private lands will be trained by DNR on August 25, with treatments schedules for August 26 and 27.  DNR will treat public lands.
  1. Pam Grassmick reported on (and showed samples of) several invasive species located around the island, particularly Japanese Knot Weed and European Marsh Thistles, encouraging members to take action to destroy these plants.
  1. Paul Glendon then initiated a discussion with the membership regarding future initiatives for the Beaver Island Association.  These are included with the agenda for the Annual Meeting.
    • A discussion of island governance generally favored support of a fact-finding initiative to identify possible improvements to the structure of island government, but there was a great deal of cautious sentiment in favor of not taking on a political agenda.
    • Another suggestion favored strong BIA support for the process of creating an island-wide Forrest and Wildlife Management Plan, which is under development by the Natural Resources and Eco-tourism Commission.
    • A third area of discussion had to do with the issue of forest management, specifically the issue of clear-cutting on Beaver Island.  Paul Glendon noted that forestry on Beaver Island public island lands is under the control of the Michigan Wildlife Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), which has shown itself to be sensitive to the wishes of Beaver Island residents.  Building a consensus amongst residents, the Beaver Island Natural Resources and Eco-Tourism Commission, and the township boards regarding a Forest and Wildlife Management plan (above) and then effectively communicating the plan to the DNRE would be a good way to establish island control of the issue.
    • There was also mention of the need for the Beaver Island Association to reach out to, and include as members, more of the year-round residents in the Beaver Island Association.  Specifics for such an initiative would need to be developed.
  1. Lars Larson announced that the island Red Cross blood drive is scheduled for July 29 at the Christian Church hall, 12 noon to 5:45pm.
  1. The annual meeting was adjourned at 8:05pm, after which, a BIA-sponsored presentation by Traverse City architect Ray Kendra and Max Strickland on green building practices was attended by numerous BIA members and two Beaver Island contractors.

Respectfully submitted:  Peter Igoe

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