Forming A County Lake Association

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Forming A County Lake Association

• Walworth County WI
• July 2001 January 2008
• January 7, 2008
• Sauk County

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What Makes Our County Special?

• 37 named lakes
• Size range 8 acres to 5,262
• Total lake acres 13,333
• Lake surface covers 5.8 of total
• area of county
• One hour from Madison, one hour
• from Milwaukee, two hours from Chicago

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Challenges Facing County Lakes

• Aquatic invasives
• Increased shoreline development and density
• Demand for second homes within 2 hours
• driving time
• Erosion and agricultural runoff
• Many lakes in unincorporated towns
• Concerns about annexation and challenges to
• shoreland management authority

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Getting Started

• July 28, 2001 first meeting
• -explored interest in forming association
• -moderator and facilitator
• -16 lake protection organization
• -11 lakes represented

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• Key Questions To Be Answered
• What would you like to see this association
  accomplish
• in the first three months?
• -explore land use issues
• -be a resource for sharing lake issues and
• concerns
• -maintain local control but function as a group

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• What would you like to see this association look
  like one year from now?
• - a structured organization with presence and
  
• resources to deal effectively with state and
  local
• governments on lake issues
• - a group representing more than 28 lakes with
  stated
• objectives for short- and long- term goals
• - a group with improvement and protection ideas
  for
• all our county lakes

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• We Meet Again
• September 22, 2001
• met with goal to develop a mission
• statement for WCLA
• each attendee drafted their own mission
• statement that best reflected their
• respective organization
• narrowed to 12 common areas of interest

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A Mission Is Born

• The purpose of the Walworth County Lakes
  Association is to provide a resource
• for Walworth County lakes to share lake-related
  information and concerns among one another and
  with governmental units

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The Third Meeting Is The Charm

• November 3, 2001
• challenges and issues were identified
• -increase attendance at meetings
• -develop a survey to document and
• reference the programs and features of
• each participating organization
• -seek input from other county lake
• associations in Wisconsin
• -compile newsletter examples

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• Established a regular meeting schedule
• for WCLA
• -every 2 months, Saturday AM
• -member lake groups would alternate
• hosting duties and locations
• -developed a 12-month program plan for
• presentations and guest speakers

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Becoming Official

• January 2003 draft By-laws sent to members
• for discussion at next meeting
• February 2003 21 lake leaders representing
• 14 lake organizations
• -completed final draft of By-laws for legal
  review
• -6 member interim Board of Directors elected
• -basic tasks underway, i.e., P.O. Box, bank
• account, letterhead, publicity plan
• -dues structure defined 50.00/year per member
• organization
• -began steps to incorporate under WI Chapter 181
• -first annual meeting of WCLA set for October
  2003
• -news release prepared for distribution to
  county media outlets

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• We Are Getting Close
• June 2003
• Articles of Incorporation/By-laws filed with WI
  Dept.
• of Financial Institutions
• Total cost to WCLA to date
• -corporation filing 112
• -P.O. Box 38.00/annual rental
• -letterhead design and printing 120.00
• -website development 10.00 annually
• Our first media interview Janesville Gazette
  article

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• Incorporation The Good News
• It Was Cheap!
• Met with legal counsel March 2003
• Costs for counsel obtained at lower cost
• Quoted at 72.00 for filing packet and
• 35.00 filing fee
• Articles of Incorporation filed with the WI
• Dept. of Financial Institutions
• Incorporation official September 4, 2003

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• Incorporation A Lesson Learned
• It Was Not Cheap!!
• Counsel advised that 501c3 status as
• tax exempt not needed at that time
• Result owed IRS , state and federal
• March 2004
• Depleted our meager treasury by 25

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• Our First Annual Meeting
• October 2003
• First meeting as Incorporated County Lakes
  Association
• Elected first sitting Board of Directors 3 year
  terms
• Developed first annual goals for adoption by
  membership
• Submitted first annual budget for membership
• approval

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• Goals 2003 2004
• complete meeting and program schedule through
• December 2004
• Increase membership and expand outreach efforts
• Explore hosting a county-wide Lake Fair
• Expand member communications
• Increase WCLA visibility
• Compile new members introductions packets
• Share efforts to expand municipal non-phosphorus
  
• fertilizer bans

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What Does WCLA Look Like Today?
Bigger and Better Than Ever!
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• December 2004 received 501c3 tax-
• exempt status
• -avoided state and federal tax liability
• -cost to obtain this status after the
• fact
• 900.00 in legal, CPA and filing fees

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• Eighteen lake protection organizations
• Represents 15 Walworth County lakes
• 2 Conservancies sponsor members
• 1 Business sponsor member
• Salvation Army Camp sponsor member
• 3 municipalities sponsor members
• Co-sponsored annual Walworth County
• Land Conservation Symposium
• July 2007 hosted WCLA Lake Fair on
• Lauderdale Lakes invited elected
• officials

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• Programs and Speakers
• Clean Boats/Clean Waters Delavan Lake
• Walworth County Conservancies
• UW-Whitewater/Delavan Lake Economic Impact Study
• Harmonious Relations With Lake Critters
• WDNR Conservation Wardens
• Membership Roundtables
• Self-Help Monitoring Delavan Lake
• Trends In Boating Use Geneva Lake Study
• WDNR Legislative Updates
• WDNR Limnology 101
• State Representatives Nass and Lothian
  Legislative
• updates
• State Senator Neal Kedzie Legislative Updates
• Walworth County Landscaper Training
• WDNR Fish Stocking Programs
• GLEA State of the Lake
• Potters Lake Whole Lake Treatment

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Day at the Lake July 2007

• ?Held at Lauderdale Lakes
• ?23 elected officials in attendance,
• representing 8 municipalities
• ?30 volunteers from WCLA organizations
• ?Land and water stations manned by DNR, Town
  Police,
• Conservation Warden, UW-Whitewater plant
• biologist, DNR Fisheries manager, Citizen
• Lake Monitors, County Lakes Specialist, CBCW
• trainer
• ?Senator Kedzie and Representative Lothian
  participated

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Whats Next for WCLA?
?Lakes Convention 2008 Slide show of Day at the
Lakes 2007 presentation for Saturday roundtable
discussions for Associations and Districts ?Day
at the Lake 2008 2 Member lake groups will host
the event for their local elected officials, with
assistance and education stations sponsored by
WCLA lakes groups ?Kevin MacKinnon
Scholarships 2 scholarships will be awarded to
qualified members for Lake Leader Institute and
Lakes Convention attendance
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Keep your goals out there for all to
see Keep your members informed
Maintain strong
relationships with local policy and decision
makers
Invite agencies, units of government and
media outlets to meetings and events
Establish ongoing
community visibility for your county lake
association