Legislative Committee April 2012
Brochures
Keeping the brochure boxes from running out at their locations near the Iron Bridge (DNR boat launch), and at the River City Marina continues. As of today, 67 copies have been taken from these locations by interested parties. After dropping off 100 copies as requested at the Town of Waterford Police Station, and 10 copies to River City Marina for keeping inside their building, this leaves us with about 390 copies for the brochure boxes. 67/390 = 0.17, or 17%. This is a bit less than 2 months out of a nine-month season of open water. If the consumption rate were not to increase, our supply would be sufficient. However, it is likely to increase significantly around Memorial Day. Chances are that in spite of the significant increase in copies ordered, (500 this year vs. 200 last year) we will run out around August. When that time approaches, we will have to place an additional order.
The early boaters and late boaters tend to be human-powered boaters (the exercise keeps them warm), plus duck hunters. Most power-boaters tend to use the waterway during the summer.
Silt fence monitoring
No further activity this month.
Legislative Committee March 2012
Brochures
20 new brochures each were deployed into the brochure boxes near the dam, near the Iron Bridge (DNR boat launch), and at the River City Marina. 100 copies were left at the Town of Waterford Police Station. We are ready for the start of the boating season. I will keep up topping off the above 3 brochure boxes, throughout the boating season. The early boaters and late boaters tend to be human-powered boaters (the exercise keeps them warm), plus duck hunters.
Silt fence monitoring
No further activity this month.
Legislative Committee February 2012
Brochures
Last year, we ran short of the brochures “Town and Village of Waterford Boating Ordinance Summary”. New, more attractive brochure boxes were installed on 2011-9-6 (3 public launch site locations). To keep up with increased demand, additional copies were run off. Last Spring, 200 copies had been ordered from Minuteman Press. At the WWMD meeting on 2012-1-20, it was decided to increase this to 500.
After checking with Town of Waterford Chief of Police Tom Ditscheit on whether there were any changes in the ordinances, 500 copies were ordered from Minuteman Press. The only changes were the date, and correcting two minor typos on the last page. They were picked up on 2012-2-9. The thaw may come earlier this year, and we are good to go.
Silt fence monitoring
At the meeting 2012-1-20, I agreed to take over the silt fence monitoring, which Dick Kosut had been doing. Met with Dick Kosut, who very clearly explained what is involved. We are not necessarily obliged to check frequently on all silt fences at shoreline construction sites. If a neighbor were to complain, or if we discover an apparent violation, we would take a photo of the site and transmit it electronically to Racine County.
In 2010, copies of the Racine County Shoreline Contract silt fence layouts were sent to Dick Kosut at his residence, and in 2011, in his name at the WWMD Waterford PO Box. Kelly and I agreed that it would be most expedient to have them sent to my residence. The appropriate person in the Racine County Office, Krystal Freimark, was notified of this today, and confirmed that it will be done.
Legislative Committee January 2012
New, more attractive brochure boxes were ordered, for housing the “Town and Village of Waterford Boating Ordinance Summary”, and installed on 2011-9-6. By now, the final results on increased consumption are in. To make the story short, between picking up 20 surplus copies from the Town of Waterford Police Station, and running off 21 extra copies on blue paper, a total of 41 extra copies were fielded where they were most needed; at the dam and at the launch site near the Iron Bridge. On 2012-1-3, the brochure box at the dam had 4 copies left, and the one near the Iron Bridge had 1 left. Thus, at least 36 copies were consumed between 20011-9-6 and the ice-covered end of any boating season. Plus a few at the River City Marina site.
There are about 9 months total in the overall boating season. Maximum boat traffic occurs in June, July and August. During March, April and May I assumed about 1/4 of the traffic (early diehards) compared with July-August. During September, October and November, I observed that the late diehard boaters were also augmented by the duck hunters, implying that the assumed total boat traffic was now about 1/2 of that during summer, and twice that in the spring. Thus, assuming a shortfall of 40 copies last fall, and assuming the same increased consumption rate throughout the year, leads to an estimate of 140 extra copies, above last year’s order.
Upon Kelly’s suggestion, talked with Steve at Minuteman Press today (2012-1-20). He informed me that last year, 200 copies were ordered. He also shared their current quantity vs. price scale, as below:
300 copies, $74.03
400 copies, $85.12
500 copies, $93.21
200 + 140 = 340. This means that the lowest number we should consider for 2012 should be 400, and in view of the small price difference and the extra insurance it provides, I recommend we order 500. Let’s discuss.
Legislative Committee November and December 2011
No Report/No meeting the month of December Legislative Committee October 2011
At three locations, at the boat-launch site by the Waterford dam, at the DNR launch site upstream near the Iron Bridge, and at the River City Marina, there are large signs summarizing the Town and Village of Waterford boating ordinances. Below them are brochure boxes for housing more details on these ordinances.
The brochure boxes were in very bad shape, mostly due to the initial boxes having been overlaid by layers which could not withstand the weather, and became illegible. One box was broken. To make the story short, new brochure boxes were ordered, and installed on 2011-9-6. These feature weatherproof title at the top: “Free brochures”, with a transparent window showing the contents. The new brochure boxes are much more attractive. (Photos were emailed to all Commissioners.) At Dick Kosut’s suggestion, the order included a spare.
Addendum, as of 2011-10-12: Probably due to the more attractive boxes, we now run out of brochures more quickly. Some boxes were already running low on 2011-9-17, when at Dick Kosut’s suggestion, about 20 surplus copies were picked up from the police station; 7 were left there. The rest were distributed to the sites near the Iron Bridge and near the dam; on 2011-9-19, a total of 14 was left at each of these sites.
As I knew we would run short, I ran off 21 copies on blue paper kindly furnished by the Town of Waterford police station. Upon checking today, the box near the Iron Bridge was empty, and I left 11. The box near the dam had one left, and I inserted 9. The box at the River City Marina was OK, with 18 left. For the rest of this year, I will keep the boxes from going empty by running off more copies on my copy machine. For next year, we should order more from Minuteman Press.
-Andres Peekna
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(262) 895-4790 fax/phone
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