Communications Committee

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

2/12/2020 5PM

In attendance Kathy Koziell, Bill Rein, Mike Dolan

Kathy Koziell calls to order at 5PM

Discuss date issues in declaration for candidacy. The incorrect method was being used to determine the dates for acceptance. Official ballots will be write-in only.

Discussion on having a candidate’s night. This was we can make potential candidates visible to the voters.

KK Motion to suggest to BOC to have candidate’s night on March 3rd, MD seconds, passes 0-3

KK will check availability of Library for March 3rd.

KK motion to post open seats only to bulletin boards, BR seconds, passes 0-3

Discussion on new resident welcome package vs pre-purchase.  Bill suggests a single page to give basic info for Admin to forward on anyone with questions. Jay Buckley may be the best person to do this.

Most of the information in the welcome binder is available on either the Madison website or VDOE website. Bill suggests not trying to update the binder.

Include questions on water hook-up, water bill, driveway permits as well as construction issues.

Inquiries directed to Town of Madison or our website.

BR Motion to abandon the new resident binder option, MD seconds, passes 0-3

Kayak Rack signage discussed…. for Spring need - Boulder 4 racks, Geneva 5, Thusis 3  , Eidelweiss 3    Porridge Shore 2  = 34 signs. Looking at more durable signs, Bill to get pricing. Possibly get EPOA to help with cost.

Andrew Hartveldt is working on a site to allow owners to log-in and select a kayak rack spot.

Discuss time lapse tank construction photos, all like the idea, reach out to Andrew H. again.

Next meeting Monday March 16th 5pm district office.

MD Motion to adjourn at 6pm, BR seconds, passes 3-0

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

January 9th 2020  -  5:00 PM

The Communications Committee (CC) met on Thursday January  9th at 5PM at the VDOE Office. In attendance are committee members Michael Dolan (MD),  Kathy Koziell (KK) and Bill Rein(BR)

At 5:05 PM, Kathy Koziell calls the meeting to order.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.  

KK makes a motion to call member Isabel Pais.  MD seconds, passes 3-0

Committee reviews the list of action items for consideration from the Board of Commissioners (BOC).

Long discussion regarding the use of Facebook to communicate with the district. Review of positive aspects like instant timely posts and instant feedback but the negative side that Commissioners cannot respond individually and reply’s could take up to a week. Someone in the office would have to monitor and  make decisions on what is inappropriate etc.

KK makes a motion to recommend to the BOC that they do not create a  Facebook account.  MD seconds, passes 4-0

As discussed previously the best solution is to make our website more dynamic and current.

IP discusses creating Survey Monkey to get public feedback.  KK will get suggestions from previous meeting.

Discussion on volunteers and volunteer projects.

MD makes a motion to ask the BOC for a list of potential volunteer projects to be in Jan Newsletter,  KK seconds, passes 4-0

Review of recently located New Owners hand book,  dated 2001.

KK Makes a motion to have BR review New Owners handbook, compare to Madison, create list of what should be in VDOE version. MD seconds, passes 4-0

KK makes a motion that she will contact EPOA to see if anything more recent exists. BR seconds, passes 4-0

Discuss the impact of the Reinach Tank project requires more information from Water Committee and/or BOC.

Discussion on automated Kayak selection site.  BR looked into and would require a separate site and cost to the district. IP suggests using an on-line form could be entered thru Google Docs or Office 365 similar to last year. She will investigate how to manage the incoming applications and to push out the assignments.

IP will look into WordPress plugin’s to use with Kayak registration process

BR will collect pictures of kayak racks and send to KK for disbursement to committee. BR to get pricing for permanent Kayak rack signage.  MD found waterproof ID tags to attach to Kayaks for space assignment.  Discussion on how to get tags to Kayak owners.

Discussion on Newletter:

Include upcoming public hearing and annual meeting

Reinach Tank status

Madison’s annual meeting date and petitioned warrant articles from Eidelwess

List of volunteer projects as well as a volunteer that has Wordpress experience

EPOA events

Next Meeting to be determined

KK makes a motion to adjourn at 6:30pm, MD seconds, passes 4-0

Respectfully submitted – Kathy Koziell (Secretary)

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

December 10th  2019  -  6:00 PM

The Communications Committee met on Tuesday  December 10th , 2019 at 5 PM at the Office In attendance are committee members Michael Dolan (MD),  Kathy Koziell (KK) and Bill Rein (BR)

At 5:03 PM, KK calls the meeting to order.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.  

Talked with Bill about his history in VDOE. He has lived here since 1992 and became a resident of Madison early 2016.

Discussion regarding the December Newsletter.

Topics discussed:

New Communications member Bull Rein – profile

Overview of the Saturday “State of the District” meeting.

 Need details of the financing options for the Reinach Water Tank.

Groundwater Trust Fund – final acceptance

Warrant Articles for the DPW I Electrical and Water System Upgrades started on  December 9th  with the Summit upgrades to follow.

Commissioners will be putting together Petitioned Warrant articles for the  Town of Madison’s annual meeting for a portion of the Meals and Rooms tax and the Highway Block grant. We will need voter support at that meeting to get this passed.  Save the Date!

The District will be having the Eidelweiss budget hearings on Jan 25th and February 1st at 7:30pm, Madison Library ( Chick room ).  The annual meeting will be on March 7th, 2019

Add the winter parking and snow plow policy

Also discussed  a Welcome package. KK   to ask Jay Buckley if he had any success with the EPOA Welcome Package.

Kayak rack procedure was discussed for 2020. Bill will look into software to allow residents to select their rack location

Next meeting Jan 7th 5pm at the Office.

KK makes a motion to adjourn at 6:40pm, MD seconds, passes 3-0

Respectfully submitted – Kathy Koziell (Secretary)

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

November 12th  2019  -  6:00 PM

The Communications Committee met on Tuesday  November 12th , 2019 at 6 PM at the Office In attendance are committee members Michael Dolan (MD),  Kathy Koziell (KK)

At 6:03 PM, Kathy Koziell calls the meeting to order.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 2-0.  

KK makes a motion to call Isabel Pais, MD seconds, passes 2-0

Discussion on WordPress struggle. IP suggests possibly migrating and sharing with a municipal in VT using a non-wordpress website.

IP provides pricing options on postcards for December 7th Meeting, 1000 /$525, 500/ $300

Discussion on creating a Survey Monkey to evaluate how to better communicate with the public – possible questions:

  1. Correspondence preference -website, email newsletter, paper newsletter, bulletin board
  2.  Prioritize topics of interest – District Finances, Environment (pond/beaches), District Projects (water/roads), Annual Warrant Articles, Other _________
  3. Do you use the VDOE website?

If No, why?

If Yes, do you find it easy to navigate?

Discussed other ways to connect with the community: IP suggests Commissioners social night to invite the public – would it be appropriate? Pet of the Month? Person of Interest Spotlight? (possibly Gloria Aspinall).

Still looking for New Owner welcome package.

Isabell off call at 7pm

 Discussion on how much of Dec 7th “State of the District” meeting info to include in Newsletter. Consensus  that better to get people to the meeting to hear complete presentation vs seeing pieces out of context.

Next Meeting December 10th Tuesday at 5PM

Motion made by MD to adjourn at 7:45, KK seconds, passes 2-0

Submitted by

Kathy Koziell –

Secretary / Commissioner

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

September 17th 2019  -  6 :00 PM

The Communications Committee met on Tuesday September 17, 2019 at 6:05 PM at the Lodge  Present are chairperson Paula Doyle, committee members Kathy Koziell (KK) and Mike Dolan. Isabela Pias was not available.  Meeting was videotaped. 

At 6:05pm  PD calls the meeting to order.  

PD makes motion to approve agenda.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.

PD makes motion to approve minutes from 8/27 KK seconds. Motion passes 3-0

September newsletter draft reviewed.   Sept 28th Commissioners meeting will be a “State of the District” meeting with financial plans.  Include EPOA letter and contributions to VDOE. New 5500 in service, grader back and running.  Correction to CRF’s (20K will be added to Water Tank CRF)

Discussion on Postcard reminder of Sept 28th meeting , PD will work with Nancy Wednesday am on options.

Discussion on VDOE website update. Paula has reached out to Isabel for input. Possibly need it professionally done.

Discussion on purpose and role of communications committee.  Committee needs to propose ideas as well as just reporting.  Adding a second newsletter is discussed and previous decision to remain monthly was agreed upon. If there is an urgent matter the office uses email blast. 

Public Comment/Scheduled Appearances:  None

Next Meeting Scheduled for Wednesday October 16th at 6PM at Lodge.

7:02pm PD makes motion to adjourn.  MD seconds.   Motion passes 3-0.

Respectfully submitted – Kathy Koziell (Secretary)

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

August 27, 2019  -  6:00 PM

APPROVED

The Communications Committee met on Tuesday August 27, 2019 at 6 PM at the Lodge.   Present are committee members Michael Dolan (MD) and and Paula Doyle (PD).   Kathy Koziell (KK) attended by phone.  Isabel Pais (IP) did not attend.  The meeting was videotaped by Madison TV. 

At 6:00 PM, Chairman PD calls the meeting to order.   PD makes motion to call Isabel Pais and Kathy Koziell.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 2-0.    Kathy Koziell joins meeting by phone.  Isabel Pais does not answer – PD leaves message for her to text if she becomes available. PD agrees to take minutes for the meeting.

PD makes motion to approve agenda.   KK seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.

PD makes motion to approve minutes from 7/16/19 meeting.  KK seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.   

8/6/19 minutes will not be approved until next meeting since only 1 of 2 attendees is present.

NEWSLETTERS – HOW OFTEN, WHEN TO ISSUE, ETC.

KK presents request from BOC to consider more frequent newsletters (2x per month) perhaps with less information and less concern about formatting in order to get them out quickly.

MD states that 1x per month is enough and that emails can be done to supplement with additional info that needs to go out quickly.  Also states that the purpose of the committee and newsletters it to facilitate communication between BOC and residents so that residents have information that will help them stay informed throughout the year that will help them make informed decisions at annual meeting.

PD agrees with MD and also states that Committee is not a communications agency and does not need to advise, comment on or write every single piece of communication coming from BOC.  The BOC can decide at any time to send a communication to residents about anything and can direct Administrator to draft and send emails as needed.   Also notes that the newsletter is a communication from the BOC and not from the committee.  The committee only drafts it but recommends that all commissioners read the drafts so that they know what information and topics are being included.  PD also states that she believes the newsletter is a good way to communicate information to majority of property owners who are not involved, aware of or interested in detailed information – people who are not attending, viewing or reading minutes of meetings or not requesting documents via 91-A.  PD also recommends that BOC consider using the newsletter as way to thank and recognize volunteers and groups rather than spending valuable time writing, discussing and sending individual TY notes.

MD also suggests that Committee Chairmen be tasked with informing Communications Committee with anything they want in newsletter rather than putting burden on KK or committee to read all committee meeting minutes as recently suggested in a BOC meeting.   PD and KK agree.

KK agrees with MD and PD and agrees to summarize this discussion and recommendation on newsletter and emails at the next BOC meeting.

NEXT NEWSLETTER

KK to update 3 topics – Capital Reserve Balances, Topics for upcoming 9/28 presentation and Grader Back in Service anticipated date. 

MD to provide PD with # of beach raking volunteers.

PD to update photos from Little Library celebration and send updated draft to committee and administrator.  

WEBSITE

KK summarizes BOC request to prioritize website updates and/or overhaul.   PD suggests asking IP if she has time and wants to take on this project.

KK makes motion to have PD contact IP to determine her interest/availability to update website.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.

PD will inform KK of IP interest and if she can do it, KK will make a motion to BOC that will revoke PD website credentials and provide new credentials to IP.  If IP does not take this on, KK will inform BOC so that alternative solutions can be considered. 

CANOE/KAYAK REGISTRATION FOR 2020 – ANY UPDATES

Discussion delayed until next meeting since IP is handling and she is not in attendance.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

PD presents and summarizes recent comments made by Commissioner Adam Leiser on his personal facebook page that are critical of Commissioner Jay Buckley and of the district.  Also discusses a new policy he wants to propose.    In light of prior recommendation from our Committee which was adopted by the BOC via a motion and 3-0 vote, PD questions use of personal social media page and concerned that many residents of the district have seen these posts given that many are facebook friends with Adam Leiser. 

KK agrees and comments that the original motion did not specify only district pages or social media channels and that commenting on VDOE business on any page was implied.    States that comments are divisive.

MD agrees.

PD makes motion to advise the BOC that they recognize that these FB posts contradict their prior motion that Commissioners not post about VDOE business on social media and that the BOC request that these posts be taken down and that moving forward, all Commissioners agree to abide by the pre-agreed social media motion.  MD seconds the motion.  Motion passes 3-0.

KK to share this recommendation with the BOC at their next meeting.

OTHER BUSINESS

KK reminds committee that we agreed to develop an annual calendar with key dates for property owners.  This would be posted on the website.  PD agrees to draft and forward to KK so that she can submit it and review with BOC at their next meeting.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

None

Next Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, September 10 at 6PM at Lodge.

6:45 PM  PD makes motion to adjourn.  MD seconds.   Motion passes -3-0.

Respectfully submitted - Paula Doyle (Chairman)

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

August 6th 2019  -  6 :00 PM

The Communications Committee met on Tuesday August 6, 2019 at 6:05 PM at the Lodge  Present are committee members Kathy Koziell (KK) and Isabel Pais (IP).  The meeting was videotaped. 

At 6:05 PM, KK calls the meeting to order.  

KK makes motion to approve agenda.  IP seconds.  Motion passes 2-0.

KK makes motion to approve minutes from 7/16. As they have not been reviewed motion withdrawn. tabled until next meeting.

 Discussion on the NH RSA 91-A laws as being accepted and understood by committee members. A form with a signed acknowledgement is being required of all VDOE committee members.

Discussion on topics for August newsletter:

  1. District financial update is the theme of the August newsletter – Sept 28th Commissioners meting will be a “State of the District” meeting with financial detail
  2. Capital reserve funds update
  3. Any beach water testing updates to be provided by PD
  4. DPW and Summit pumphouse upgrade status
  5. Kayak rack space assignment procedure for 2020 options discussed IP looking into possibilities
  6. Reinach water tank project schedule - update to be provided by KK
  7. John Corcoran and William Schwab evaluation of VDOE budget
  8. Mention of EPOA Pig Roast on August 18th

Discussion on adding additional “No Dogs on Beaches” signs to be in more obvious locations in response to recommendation from the Madison Police.

Environmental Committee asked by Commissioners to investigate options to make Muddy Beach area more inviting.

Public Comment/Scheduled Appearances:  None

Next Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday August 27th at 6PM at Lodge.

7:00 PM KK makes motion to adjourn.  IP seconds.   Motion passes 2-0.

Respectfully submitted – Kathy Koziell (Secretary)

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VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER

In This Issue:

Commissioner News

        Congratulations to Kelly Robitaille

        Dam Engineers Report

        New Hire Donna MacKinnon

        Grader Repair Status

        Reinach Tank Status

        Water Bills

        Water Testing

        Job Posting

Upcoming Meetings

New Police Chief

Don’t Feed the Ducks Reminder

Loon News

Committee News

Volunteer Update

EPOA Summer BBQ

COMMISSIONER NEWS

Congratulations go out to our DPW Foreman Kelly Robitaille who was recently awarded and named a Senior Road Scholar through the UNH T2 Roads program. Kelly took the initiative to undertake this program and completed 75 hours of training to receive this achievement.  We thank Kelly for his ongoing commitment to our community.

The Dam Engineer with DES has completed a hydrologic study of our dam and it has been posted on the district website (Click Here).  The dam was rated as being in fair condition with the recommendation that the hazard classification be changed from ‘low’ to ‘significant’.  Simply stated, this means that should the dam be breached for any reason, the amount of damage would be more significant than previously classified.  It does not mean that the dam is in any danger of breaching.

The Commissioners have hired Donna MacKinnnon as a part-time employee working with Nancy Cole, our district administrator.  She will become familiar with the daily functions of the office and provide a much-needed backup for this key position.

Unfortunately, the Road Grader equipment is still out of service.  It was expected to be back in working order by mid July but while in for repairs, additional repairs and work were identified.  We hope to have it back on our roads by early August.  In the meantime, the DPW continues to utilize other equipment for road repairs and maintenance.

Reinach tank project update.  The subsurface exploration for the proposed tank construction has been completed.  The completed tank design and specifications are due in August.

Outstanding water bills as of August 1st will be subject to $100 late fee and $10/month until paid. Please contact the office to make payment arrangements. office@vdoe-nh.org or call 603-367-9022

Job Posting for 2 part-time highway workers for snow removal with CDL-B license. Hourly rate $20-$25 commensurate with experience. Contact the office for application at office@vdoe-nh.org or call at 603-367-9022

WATER TESTING

There has been a lot of discussion about pond water testing at recent meetings.  To clarify, there are 2 types of testing that have been historically conducted: 

1-Monthly VLAP (Volunteer Lake Assessment Program) Testing (through NH DES) – this is done 3 times each summer (Jun/Jul/Aug) with 16 samples taken at pre-identified locations and depths across -Middle & Big Pea Porridge Ponds.  Samples are collected by EPOA volunteers and delivered to a lab in Concord and paid for by the VDOE. --The testing provides a comprehensive review of pond health including e-coli.  More information and historical reports can be accessed through the NH DES website (Click Here). The next scheduled testing is on August 18th at 1:00pm beginning at Geneva Beach. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help with sample collection should contact John Rocharz (jrocharz@bridgew.edu or 508-317-6730).

2-Weekly Beach Water Testing – the program was initiated and funded by the EPOA until 2016 at which time a warrant article funding it for 1 year was approved by the voters at the annual meeting.  In 2017 it became funded via the VDOE Parks & Recreation line item in the operating budget that is funded by taxes.  The cost for testing is $35 per beach per test ($175 weekly for 5 beaches) for 14 weeks (Memorial Day to Labor Day) totaling $2,450 plus the costs to pay someone to collect samples and drive to lab in North Conway. The person hired to clean the beach outhouses had been collecting the samples each Monday.  Results are received on Wednesday.  Re-testing can’t be done until the following week.  Therefore, any positive results require that the beach be posted with a warning through the weekend. This test only identifies e-coli bacteria that many believe is due primarily to ducks that poop near the beach.  Historically there have been a few positive tests.  In 2018, one test result was positive at Geneva Beach. All re-tests have shown that the bacteria are gone by the following week. Based partially on a unanimous vote by the Environmental Committee, the Board of Commissioners decided this year to forgo this weekly testing given the time lag between samples taken and results along with the historical negative re-test results and the high cost. The BOC recommends that the EPOA resume funding this program if its members want to continue with weekly beach testing.  The Town of Madison funds testing of two beaches on Silver Lake through taxes.  The Silver Lake Association of Madison (SLAM) coordinates and funds similar testing at additional sites that is not funded by Madison taxes.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Check the VDOE website for all meetings & locations.

Wed Aug 7th, 7:00 pm at the Town Hall Meeting room.  The Town of Madison Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing to review plans for a new police tower (used for the 911 call repeater system) at the summit of Oak Ridge Road. The plan is to replace the current 60-foot tower with a 120-foot tower.  The tower will not have a blinking light on top.

NEW MADISON POLICE CHIEF

It was recently announced that Madison Police Chief Ted Colby has resigned effective 8/1 for health reasons.  Part-time Officer Bob King has been appointed as the new Chief.  Bob has also served as a Lieutenant with the Ossipee Police and as Chairman of the Madison Board of Selectman, a position that he has just resigned from as he becomes Chief.  We thank Chief Colby for his service to Madison and Eidelweiss and congratulate Chief King on his promotion.

MADISON OLD HOME WEEK

August 3rd – 11th, a fun filled week of family activities, food and friendly competition. For complete schedule (Click Here)

DON’T FEED THE DUCKS

Just a friendly reminder to not feed the ducks in our ponds.  Doing so encourages them to linger at the beaches, which increases the opportunity for water contamination.

LOON NEWS

After the Loon couple on Little/Middle Pea Pond lost their chick in early July, they did not nest again.  The Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) did not expect they would as they successfully hatched a chick. However, they have started to socialize with loons on neighboring ponds (probably Big Pea) with one of our loons often disappearing after taking off in the morning and returning in the evening hours.  And, recently on a Saturday morning, a neighboring pair of loons were spotted having breakfast with our loons on Middle Pea.  You can read more about this behavior on an 8/9/18 blog post written by the LPC on the Squam Lake Association website under “What Are Those Crazy Loons Doing?”  (Click Here)

VOLUNTEER UPDATE
We need just 2 more volunteers to finish off the weekend beach raking through Labor Day.  If you can help, please send an email to Mike Dolan (dolrn@yahoo.com). 

Jay Buckley is coordinating two additional projects for August – specific dates TBD.

1-Reconstruction of the bulletin boards at the Huttwil parking area. 

2-Line stripe painting of the basketball court at Eidelweiss Beach. 

Anyone who would like to volunteer to work with Jay on these projects should email him directly at jaybuckley@verizon.net

EPOA PIGROAST
August 17th –5:00pm at the scenic overlook at the top of Oak Ridge Rd. Tickets can be purchased on August 10th at the Huttwil mailboxes 11am-1pm or call Bev at 603-367-8634. Tickets are $14 for EPOA members and $18 for non-members and guests. FREE for children (hamburgers and hotdogs provided)

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Village District of Eidelweiss

Communications Committee Meeting

July 16 2019  -  6 :00 PM

The Communications Committee met on Tuesday July 16, 2019 at 6 PM at the Lodge  Present are committee members Michael Dolan (MD),  Kathy Koziell (KK) and Paula Doyle (PD).  Isabel Pais (IP) attended by phone.  The meeting was videotaped. 

At 6:05 PM, Chairman PD calls the meeting to order and makes motion to call Isabel Pais.  KK seconds.  Motion passes 3-0.  

PD makes motion to approve agenda.  MD seconds.  Motion passes 4-0.

PD makes motion to approve minutes from 6/7. As they have not been reviewed motion withdrawn. Table until next meeting

Discussion on topics for July newsletter:

  1. Congratulations to Kelly Robitaille for completing the Road Scholar T2  program at UNH
  2. Welcome new hire Donna McKinnon, she will be working with the district administrator, Nancy Cole to become familiar with the daily functions of the office and provide a much needed back-up for this key position.
  3. Site work has begun for the Reinach tank project.
  4. Include details of 3 VLAP water testing programs (pond, beach, winter runoff)
  5. Results of June VLAP pond water test which includes e-coli
  6. Comment on DES report on change in dam status at Boulder w/link to document
  7. Town of Madison Public hearing on August 7th regarding the Sherriff’s tower on Oak Hill
  8. EPOA annual Pig Roast BBQ – add details
  9. Beach raking volunteers still needed for 2 weekends in August. Please contact Mike Dolan at dolrn@yahoo.com . 
  10. Jay Buckley has volunteered to re-paint the basketball court lines and to rebuild the bulletin board next to the mailboxes. Thank you for again volunteering.
  11. Add duck and dog reminder in July newsletter
  12. Add balance of Capital Reserve Funds

Discussion on making a single page document to highlight “Do not feed the ducks” and “No dogs allowed on beaches” for next spring newsletter.

Beach signs to be update and ready for 2020 summer season.

Beach raking discussed and trash removal being more important than raking

Status of Loon pair – Paula researched behavior and will create the story with picture

 Isabel Pais will look into possibility of an interactive-live website for the assigning of kayak/canoe spaces.

Public Comment/Scheduled Appearances:  None

Next Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday August 6th at 6PM at Lodge.

6:58 PM PD makes motion to adjourn.  MD seconds.   Motion passes 4-0.

Respectfully submitted – Kathy Koziell (Secretary)

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VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
       JUNE 2019 NEWSLETTER

In This Issue:

Commissioner News

        2018 Audit

        Grader Repairs

Public Hearing Results

Letter to Madison police

Employment Opportunity

Upcoming Meetings

Tax Bills

Fire Permits

No Fireworks Reminder

Pond Levels & Loon News

Volunteer Update

Bear Sightings

EPOA Summer Events

COMMISSIONER NEWS

The 2018 Financial Audit is now available on the VDOE website.   Click Here to view.

The Road Grader is out of service for a mechanical issue.  Unfortunately that has slowed down the DPW’s ability to fill potholes in a timely manner.  As a stopgap, they are filling where most critical and smoothing areas using the backhoe.  Please exercise additional caution while driving on the gravel roads.  We expect to have the grader back in service the week of July 15th.  We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience.

Public Hearing Results:  At the June 1 Public Hearing a decision was made to update the highway ordinance to remove overnight parking at the beach parking lots.  Also, the water ordinance was revised to update the process and add a charge for seasonal valve turn on & shut off.  The updates have been made to both ordinances and can be viewed by clicking here.  

Commissioners are drafting a letter to Madison police asking for increased patrol of beaches to assist us in enforcing the “No Dogs Allowed on Beaches” regulation. 

Employee Opportunity: Looking for individual(s) to rake 4 of the Eidelweiss beaches, 2-5 days during the week in July and August.

3 early morning hours per day at $13.00/hr.  $50 referral fee paid at the end of summer for successful hiring of employee. Contact the office at

for employment application.  office@vdoe-nh.org

Canoe/Kayak Racks: All available spaces have been assigned. Thank you to Kelly for making the necessary repairs to the racks and to Nancy for managing the numerous requests and getting the assignments out by the deadline.

Upcoming Meetings

Check the VDOE website for all meetings & locations.

Tax Bills

You should have received the first 2019 tax bill from Madison which is due July 11th.  This bill is 50% of the 2018 tax rate of $24.98 per thousand.  Any change in the tax rate from 2018 to 2019 will be reflected in the 2nd 2019 tax bill once the rate is set by the Department of Revenue.  Currently 24% of the property taxes go to the Village District of Eidelweiss with the remaining 76% to the Town of Madison, Carroll County and the State.

FIRE PERMIT CHANGE FOR OWNERS WHO RENT

In addition to property owners obtaining permits as usual (see basic info here), any renters of your property will also each need to obtain their own permit.  To get one, they must get a signed application (click here) from you that allows them to apply.  You can email these directly to the Madison fire warden (madisonfire4c3@gmail.com) in advance or you can leave these for the renters at your property or email to them in advance with your signature.  When the renter arrives on site, they need to call a fire warden who will come to the property with final approval of the application.  A list of fire wardens and their phone numbers is available here.  

FIREWORKS – NOT ALLOWED

Just a friendly reminder that fireworks are not permitted in Eidelweiss or in the Town of Madison.  If you see or hear any fireworks, please contact the Madison Police Department at 603-367-8334. 

POND LEVELS & LOON NEWS

There have been several discussions and debates at various Commissioner meetings over the last 2 months about the water levels in our ponds and how it affects the loon nest on Little Pea as well as how it affects many homeowners.  The Commissioners and a new Environmental Committee have heard various points of view from property owners as well as from experts at the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES), the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) and, NH Fish and Game. A Dam Engineer with DES is currently undertaking a study of our dam and the water flows of our ponds.  Upon completion, our hope is that it will enable us to make informed decisions going forward that will best meet the needs for all constituents.  The Commissioners plan to hold a public meeting at a future date when more information is available. Unfortunately, the loons lost their chick to a bald eagle shortly after emerging on Sunday morning June 23rd. In light of the recent loss of the loon chick, LPC issued the following as part of the blog on www.loon.org.

“LPC has been considering putting a raft on this site because of water level fluctuation issues. Now we have another reason. An avian predator guard, which we use on all our rafts now, almost certainly would have prevented loss of the chick, although it would have been likely the eagle would have made some attempts after the chick was in the water.”

VOLUNTEER UPDATE
We have a lot of volunteers for weekend beach raking this summer but still need people for August.  Please send an email to Mike Dolan (dolrn@yahoo.com) if you can help. 

Two additional projects are being coordinated by Jay Buckley for July & August – specific dates TBD.

1-Reconstruction of the bulletin board at the Huttwil parking area. 

2-Line stripe painting of the basketball court at Eidelweiss Beach. 

Anyone who would like to volunteer to work with Jay on these projects should email him directly. (jaybuckley@verizon.net) 

BEAR SIGHTINGS

There have been multiple bear (some too big, some too small and some just right) sightings in and around Eidelweiss over the last several weeks.   Please do not feed the bears and remember to keep all trash contained and inside. 

EPOA SUMMER EVENTS
EPOA Board meeting July 6th at 9 am at the Lodge. Beach cook out at Eidelweiss Beach July 13th (rain date July 20th).

Pig roast – August 17th. Details to follow in the July newsletter