Synopsis of Aug. 10, 2024, board meeting and election

Rick Marneris congratulated Marcia Hummel, chair of the Sausage and Corn Roast committee, and the committee members for putting together a fabulous afternoon for everyone on the lake.  Marcia gave a report and noted there were nearly 190 people who attended the event, sponsored by the lake association, and she thanked committee members, Bob Kranc, Mike Luke, Deb Muckerheide, Jenny Gillette, Paulette Sloderbeck, Jan Luke, Pam Durkin and Jodi Marneris for all their work in making this a great day.

After much discussion on the expenditures the lake association is facing, a vote was taken to raise the dues to $50 for the year beginning in July 2025. Rick Marneris pointed out that the lake association used to receive $3,000 each year for sending volunteers to work the Cass County Fair. We couldn’t get enough volunteers anymore and we had to give up our spot with the Fair.

He also noted the lake association just spent $2,500 to have three independent companies test the lake water near the new well after concerns were expressed that the water may not be safe. All three companies found the water to be safe, in phenomenal condition and within EPA and state guidelines.

Also, the lake association pays for the lake to be stocked with fish every other year. In addition, there are fees required by the state and filing fees the association must pay. He explained that based on the number of residents paying $30 to become members, the lake association costs were higher this year than what was received.

Additional fundraising ideas were discussed and will be looked into, but for now the dues will be $50 for the year starting in July 2025. A vote was taken by the members present at the meeting and it passed.

Guest speaker Melissa DeSimone, executive director of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, spoke at the meeting and was very informative. Among the topics, were:

Legislation regarding wake boats. A bill was presented to legislators in the spring of 2024 that would require wake boat to be at least 500 feet from shore, docks, piers, and other boats. Melissa explained that it is believed 500 feet is the right amount of space to let waves dissipate before causing erosion and damage to the shoreline.

Data obtained has shown water should be at least 15-20 feet deep to minimize the stirring up of the bottom of the lake. She explained that the large boats’ equipment can bring up nutrients that end up in the water column and can cause algae blooms. Staying away from other boats is a matter of safety.

She said they are hopeful this bill, which is now with the Natural Resource Committee, will receive a hearing this fall, and as soon as they have a hearing date, her group will notify “everyone.”

Melissa explained a law that requires boat owners to “clean, drain and dry” all watercraft before and after moving the watercraft to a new location, noting this law is an attempt to stop/curb invasive weeds from getting into other lakes. It is imperative that before boats are put into the water, they are washed and free of any weeds on any part of the boat. She said when the boats are pulled from the water, they must be washed again, be free of weeds and the drain plug in the boat must be pulled.

She noted that while it is nearly impossible to enforce this law, which went into effect in 2019, boat owners should know that once the boat is on a trailer and on the road, police can pull you over and inspect your boat. If police see weeds on the boat and the drain plug is not pulled, you can receive a ticket.

Melissa also said it is important for us to advocate for this when there are boats visiting our lake.

The discussion moved on to short-term rentals. The Barron Lake Association is not an enforcement agency, nor can it dictate how people use their property. She did say, however, the township in which she has a lake home, did create an ordinance with certain requirements. This ordinance states that rentals must have adequate parking, must be inspected by fire marshal, follow local ordinances with respect to noise levels, and only house a certain number of people. Her example was that you can’t advertise your home will sleep 15 people if you only have two bedrooms. Melissa plans to forward the ordinance from her township to officials at Howard Township for their information.

The regular meeting adjourned and the annual meeting was called to order for the purpose of electing officers. The winners of the election are Rick Marneris, Tom Hable and Bill Newhouse. The board for 2024-25 also includes Jim Muckerheide and Debbie Floor.