State of the Lake

​Thanks to those that attended our annual meeting on Monday night.  It was great to get together with neighbors again in person and spend the evening together.  For those of you unable to attend or who may still be avoiding large gatherings, below is a summary of key topics.  The slides from the meeting are also attached for reference.  Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments.
 

• THANK YOU to our Officers and Volunteers

A big shout out to Bryan Maloney, Dave Vogel, and Bob Kruempelstaedter for being our officers over the last year, and our volunteers Jake Petersen, Greg Hastings, Deb Bryan and Lisa Adzick.  Your willingness to donate your time to help our small but impactful association function is very much appreciated.  A special thank you to Bob who will soon be moving off the lake and is retiring as our Treasurer.  Bob did an outstanding job of organizing and staying on top of our finances, and he has been a great champion and partner for the Association.  He will be missed!
 

• Social Activity Volunteers Needed

We are still in need of a few volunteers to help out with our 4th of July Boat Parade and Annual Party this year.  If you have any ability to help, please reach out to Bryan Maloney (bryanwmaloney@gmail.com) & Dave Vogel (dpvogel@gmail.com).  This is a great example of where a few people stepping up to pitch in for a few hours can make a huge difference to reduce the workload for others.  Please consider pitching in here if you are able!
 

• Association Business
  The following actions were approved by the voting members at the meeting:
  • Approved minutes from 2021 Annual Meeting
  • Approved Treasurer’s Report and 2022 Budget
  • Authorized Board to donate up to $750 from General Fund to Fish Fund in 2022
  • Elected officers:  Treasurer Chad Henfling and Secretary Dave Vogel.  Thank you Chad and Dave for volunteering to run for these positions and congrats on being elected!

 

• Shallow Water Marker Buoys

Keep an eye out for the new shallow water marker buoys on the West shoreline this spring.  The association purchased new buoys to replace the previous ones that were aging and falling apart.  Thank you to Dave and Jake for managing the buoys.
 

• Boat Launch Inspection

2021 was a record year for boat ramp inspections.  We have continued to stay connected with the City of Eden Prairie and Watershed on this program, and are pleased that the program has operated well over the past three years.  The City of Eden Prairie plans to staff the boat ramp inspection program for similar hours in 2022 as was done in 2021.
 

 
As a reminder, we are committed to a “neighborhood watch” of the boat ramp inspection.  Please alert the LRIA officers via the website (www.lakeriley.org) or email me (ryan.majkrzak@gmail.com) if you observe the boat ramp not being staffed or operating properly during these hours.
 

• AIS Prevention

Please remember that in addition to the boat ramp inspection program for the public access, there are additional ways we can all help mitigate the spread of AIS.  These include controlling equipment / watercraft that enter Lake Riley from private shorelines and carefully choosing Lake Service Providers and ensure they are following best practices.  More information on slide 11 of attached deck.  
 

• LakePledge.com

The Hennepin County AIS Prevention office has created a series of very short (1-2 minute) educational videos targeted at preventing the spread of AIS.  Check them out at www.lakepledge.com.  Every person who identifies as being from Lake Riley helps improve our stats on the site, which helps demonstrate lakeshore owner vigilance to prevent AIS and reinforces the value of the investment from the City of EP and the Watershed to fund the boat launch inspection program.  Please invest 15 minutes to go on the website and “take the pledge”.
 

• Dock and Mooring Rules

A reminder that the cities of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie both have rules for the size and placement of docks, as well as the watercraft that can be moored or docked overnight.  There are similar and separate rules for recreational beach lots.  Please reference these if you are considering adding to your setup this year.  In addition, please keep your neighbors and other users of the lake in mind!
 

• Boating Safety Reminders

Now that we are into boating season once again, we ask everyone to please be courteous, respectful and friendly to all fellow users of Lake Riley.  Some boating safety reminders are included on slide 13 of attached deck. 
 

• Guest Speakers:  Carver County Sheriff’s Office and DNR

This year we were privileged to have Sergeant Neil Kuhnau from the Carver County Sheriff’s Office and Conservation Officer Alexander Birdsall from the Minnesota DNR as our guest speakers.  They presented on the lake patrol plan, water safety reminders, and key regulations (many are summarized in the Boating Safety Reminders slide).  They also answered a number of questions from our members.  If anyone would like to get in touch with either officer, their contact info is below.  A reminder that this contact info is for non-urgent questions, and responses may take a few days.  If you have an urgent issue, they encouraged us to call the DNR Tip Line (800-652-9093) or the Carver County Sheriff (911 for emergencies, 952-361-1212 for the Sheriff).
              
              Sergeant Neil Kuhnau
              Office of the Sheriff of Carver County
              nkuhnau@co.carver.mn.us
              952-361-1895
 
              Conservation Officer Alexander Birdsall
              Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
              alexander.birdsall@state.mn.us
              612-240-3948
 

• Financial Summary

The association ended 2021 with $8,128 in the General Fund and $701 in the Fish Fund.  There were 45 households that paid for an annual membership in 2021, which is down slightly from the last couple years where we were in the range of 50-55.  The pandemic and our virtual meeting format last year likely played a factor in this.  Full financials and 2022 budget are included in slide 15 of attached deck.
 

• Annual Membership

Annual memberships can be paid via cash or check.  Membership is $20.  If you are also contributing to the Fish Fund or making a General Donation in the same check, please clarify this in the memo line of the check.  Checks can be mailed or dropped in my mailbox (9001 Lake Riley Blvd, Chanhassen, MN 55317).  Our goal is to reach 55 households as annual members in 2021.
 

• Fish Stocking

Donations to the Fish Fund can also be made via cash or check.  If you are also paying your Annual Membership ($20) or making a General Donation in the same check, please clarify this in the memo line of the check.  Checks can be mailed or dropped in my mailbox (9001 Lake Riley Blvd, Chanhassen, MN 55317).  Last fall, we stocked 2,000 walleye fingerling in the lake.  We would like to stock a similar number this year, and would need about $2,000 contributed to reach this goal.  
 

• 501(c)(3) Status

The LRIA Board once again evaluated converting to a 501(c)(3) during the last year.  The benefits are a potential tax write-off for members and the ability to keep using online payments.  The drawbacks are that it is cost prohibitive (initial cost of $1,000, annual tax preparation and filing expense of $500 to $1,000) compared to the LRIA operating budget of $2,500 to $3,000 per year.  The recommendation is to continue operating LRIA without 501(c)(3) status.  However, with the new IRS rule that online payment systems require tax ID numbers and forms reporting for anything over $600, this does mean that we need to revert to using cash or checks for payments.
 

• 4th of July Boat Parade

We plan to once again have the 4th of July Boat Parade.  It will start at 12:00 pm sharp on July 4.  Please meet in the West Bay.  There will again be 3 categories of winners with awesome traveling trophies.  Further details will be communicated closer to the event date.
 

• Annual Party

Due to an outstanding turnout last year, we will once again do the Annual Party on a Sunday afternoon in August at the Riley Lake Park Pavilion.  This year it will be on August 28 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.  Please mark your calendars!  Further details will be communicated closer to the event date.
 

• T-Shirts

New for 2022!  Lake Riley t-shirts are once again available!  Please contact Jake Petersen(jake@golfthejake.com) to put in your order.  They are $20 each and pictures of the design are on slide 24 of attached deck. Thanks again to Jake for getting us t-shirts this year.
 

• Website and Email Group

As always, keep an eye on our website (www.lakeriley.org) throughout the year for updates on LRIA happenings.  We will also continue to use email as a primary form of communication with members.  Members should feel free to use the email group (lake-riley@googlegroups.com) as a community forum for questions or information pertaining to LRIA members. 
 
See you on the lake.
Ryan