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 LAKE GASTON ASSOCIATION

Minutes (approved) Director’s Meeting – January 2010

Lake Gaston Baptist Church Littleton, North Carolina - 9:30AM, First Wednesday

Mission: To identify lake issues affecting our membership and pursue resolution with the responsible organizations.

Location:         Lake Gaston Baptist Church

                        Littleton, North Carolina

Convened BY: President Doug Hughes

Pledge of Allegiance:  Led by President Hughes

Moment of Silence: Led by President Hughes

Visitors: There were 26 visitors including 3 members of the press: Della Batts Daily Herald, Truda Kidd Lake Magazine, Bill O’Neill Lake Gaston Gazette/Observer.

Executives/Director’s Attending:  Doug Hughes, John Cataldo, Moira Underood, Jack Saunders, Vernon Wilson, Ron Skow, David Duxbury, Laura Kolb, Barbara Burgdoerfer, Ralph Domach, Clarence Drumgoole, Bill La Monte.

Guest Speakers:  Brady Martin, President of the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce & Almira Papierniak, Executive Director CofC.

Mr. Martin started a brief intro and then turned the presentation over to Ms. Papierniak. Some of her inputs were:

• Membership has grown from 102 in 1986 to 324 in 2009..

• The CofC provides Community College contacts and courses for the education of business members.

• Briefed on the “Ambassador” program that provides membership support/interaction between new and old chamber members.

• The CofC has been in existence since 1968, but the Cof C building has only existed since the early 1980’s and is greatly outsized and outdated.

Mr. Martin:

• Stated there needs to be some better economic forecasting because the Raleigh Banking Industry (and others) are suffering because of the many problems that developed in the economy lately.

• That Lake Gaston is part of the growth ‘fall-out’ problems created by the poor economy.

• Stated that businesses need community help by people buying locally.

• Briefed on the proposed chamber facility and how it could be used to stimulate the local economy.

• Advised that the Warren County Commissioners created a resolution to support the new CofC building and that the Commissioners further resolved to solicit state and federal help with the chamber building project.

Mr. Martin then took some questions. A couple of those were:

• A concern of over-kill in that the CofC building will be competing with the proposed Lions Club building and its office and community space.

• Advised that the Warren County Commissioners created a resolution to support the new CofC building and that the Commissioners further resolved to solicit state and federal help with the chamber building project.

• There was a question stating there was a need for the chamber to be more pro-active in coordinating with other groups and organizations.

• Another question was raised about the need for the LGCofC to work more closely with other chambers in the area.

President Hughes thanked Mr. Martin and Ms. Papierniak for their presentation and work with the chamber.

Secretary's Report: Bill La Monte presented the December 2009 Minutes for APPROVAL AND THE Board approved them.

Treasurer’s Report:  Jack Saunders provided an accounting of the budget for the start of 2010. The Board approved the budget report.

Committee Reports:

Marketing:  Bill LaMonte

• Reported a new business member (Lake Gaston Flower Shop of Gasburg, VA)

• Thanked Mr. Sherman Merchant for his outstanding recruiting efforts.

• Restated the need for the LGA to initiate an LGA Annual Project.

• Stated that he had heard that the LGA was competing with the CofC and newspapers for business memberships. He emphasized that in these tough economic times, the LGA is just providing another advertising outlet to help lake area businesses in these tough economic times.

• Stated the LGA supported all CofC fund raising effort in 2009 and the LGA will continue to do so in upcoming years.

Planning & Development:  Jack Saunders

• Stated the LGA is working with the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) to establish a ‘base-line’ of the water quality in Lake Gaston.

• That $40,000 in grants is being sought by the Friends of Lake Gaston for water testing equipment and the application process is under way.

Lake Environment/Aquatic Weed:  Vernon Wilson

• Stated the ‘weed survey’ was completed and is at N.C. State Univ. for data analysis.

• Stated that the Roanoke River Basin Authority is part of a bi-state commission to control the distribution of Kerr Lake and Lake Gaston waters.

• That 48% of Kerr Lake water is not allocated, but the N.C. Triangle Area is trying to get 50 million gallons of water a day to correct water problems in that area.

• That the Army Corps of Engineers is waiting for the RRBA to come up with a water allocation plan before it approves any additional requests for water.

• That the Motocross facility in Littleton is still trying to get an operating license (the delay is in their proving how they would control water run-off into Lake Gaston).

Safety:  John Cataldo

• Reported that the LGA sponsored “First Responders” Meeting will be Friday, January 8th.

• Stated that there will be a Home Owners Association Neighborhood Watch forum in February.

• Reported that where fire departments and ambulance services have a lot of inter-county interaction, that is not found with the various Sheriff’s Departments.

 Membership:  David Duxbury

• Discussed the “We Miss You” letters sent to those who did not renew in 2007/2008.

• Was very happy with the membership numbers for 2009 (over 1,500).

• Stated there would be a calling session to try and get those who did not renew in 2009 to sign up.