Executive Meeting Minutes Sunday Sept. 27th, 2015

Executive Meeting Minutes Aug.12, 2015

Napatak Community Association

Executive Meeting Minutes

Wednesday August 12th, 2015

Attending: Maureen Bingham, Brendon Zarazun, Kona Guest, Laura Johnston, Laurie Thompson, Jody Watt

Regrets: Nicole L’Heureux, Tracey Fesiuk

Guest: Pam Sanderson

Action List:

Maureen will try to organize a meeting with NMS for Thursday August 20th. Laurie and Laura are interested and available to join her for that meeting. Topics include:

• FireSmart Community - budget line
• Ditch mowing and stump trimming, sewage lagoon road brushing
• Roads - intersection with Hwy 2, bad section of main road, loop maintenance
• Emergency preparedness process - cell phone contacts for weekends, poor cell reception at Napatak
• Sewage Lagoon
• Dog Bylaw
• Tax revenue

Pam will start the paperwork to register our community with FireSmart. Brendon will jump in to help after his wedding and honeymoon.

Laura will contact Nathan Kustiak about grading loops, B side boat launch parking lot, and sewage lagoon road.

Laura will visit Jason Senga at Highways

Maureen will make two copies of key pages of Emergency Prep binder

Maureen, Jody, and Brendon will organize a mock evacuation in September. Maureen will put details in the newsletter.

Nicole will let Kevin Weatherbee know about condition of B side dock.

Maureen, Kona, and Nicole will plan two weekend work bees in the fall for beach path clean-up.

Laura will contact Kylie Berkatch about signs on road.

4.b. - FireSmart Community. Pam Sanderson joined the group to discuss the FireSmart Community program. She described the program and how it would work in our community. Pam is willing to get the ball rolling and to work with the executive to get the community on board. The FireSmart Canada rep in Prince Albert is Larry Fremont. Both Maureen and Pam have contacted him about our interest. Owen Price is in charge of the LaRonge area. Some of the key points include:

• Need to register as a community with a FireSmart committee
• $2 charge per volunteer to register
• $21 per volunteer hour paid to community for FireSmart expenses
• Weyakwin and Wadin Bay were FireSmart communities. Both survived raging fires.
• Weyakwin uses firebreaks for quad/snowmobile trails

Motion - Brendon Zarazun/Jody Watt - We engage in developing a FireSmart Community at Napatak. - Carried.

Further discussion 

• Maureen will ask Northern Municipal Services to set up a line item on the budget for this - including funding the $2 per registered volunteer so that we do not have to handle cash. 
• Should create a  few model FireSmart properties as examples
• The FireSmart committee will be comprised of the Napatak Executive Committee plus Pam Sanderson and Vern Eder. Other interested community members include Greg Rychlo and Boyd Krakowka
• Pam will get started on the paperwork immediately. Brendon will be available in early September to help get this rolling. 
• Muster point sign at Napatak sign. Need to organize a practice evacuation - probably in the fall. Evacuees would register at the sign on their way out.
• Maureen will post info on FireSmart and on practice evacuation on Facebook page and in newsletter.
• Pam was thanked for all her efforts and for sharing the information with group.

1. Review Agenda - no changes
2. Review Minutes - accepted as distributed
3. Executive Terms - 1 year - Tracey Fesiuk, Laurie Thompson, Laura Johnson. 2 year - Jody Watt, Nicole L’Heureux, Kona Guest. 3 year - Brandon Zarazun, Maureen Bingham. Maureen reviewed the purpose of terms and stated she would like to use this 3 year term to mentor a new president.

1. a. Roads

Grading - Nathan Kustiak has the contract to do monthly grading on the loops. He came out at the end of July but did not do any of the dead end streets. Maureen talked to him and he agreed to come back out to do that as well as the B side boat launch parking lot and the sewage lagoon road. He has not come back to do that. Laura will call him.

• SaskEnergy is making a mess of the roads but is committed to fixing them as they go - once when they install the lines in the loops, again after they put the lines into houses, and again next spring after everything has settled.

Ditches - Brush has grown rapidly this summer. Need to mow ditches. Stumps left after brush clearing last fall a problem. Maureen will ask NMS to arrange to have brush mowed and stumps cut down. East side of Mistik also needs to be done.

Culverts - Laura has sent specs into NMS about 2 culverts already. She will send info on third one on Ategameg.

Signs - Issue with community member re: parking in Waskos cul-de-sac. There is a sign there but he has been particularly rude about enforcing it. NMS will send him a letter including a map to show where the parking ban is in effect. Also - one road sign appears to be supporting one of the port-a-potties from the army camp. It will have to be reinstalled after the port-a-potties are removed. Maureen has already asked NMS to arrange for removal.

Repairs - SaskEnergy to repair loops. Gravel to follow - next year.

Main Road - Maureen has asked again for repairs to main road in - especially first kilometre. Continued issues with people passing on the left on Hwy 2 while Napatak vehicles preparing to turn into Napatak road. Laura will meet with Jason Senga to discuss.

      c. Emergency Peparedness

Binders - almost done with updates. Maureen will take binder home and make copies for Brendon and herself. Jody has already sent updated pages to Sandra at NMS. 

Texts - some people not getting text alerts. They should check the settings on their phone - might be set to not accept group texts. Encourage people to share cell numbers as is the easiest and most efficient way to reach people. Can’t rely completely on that though because cell coverage not always good.

Phone fan out process - block captains should highlight names on their list that do not have cell phones or emails and try to reach them first unless only number listed is a long distance one.

Emails - Sasktel cutting off email access if Maureen sends too many in one day. Maureen has added emails to contacts so that she can use same app as used for texts to send emails. Encourage people to join closed group on Facebook - much easier to share info through there.

Practice Evacuation - will schedule a mock evacuation in the fall to test all of our processes. Maureen will give people advanced warning in the newsletter and on Facebook.

Sprinklers - lots of evidence throughout the north after this summer’s fires that sprinklers work. Looking at some options for getting a couple of big pumps to feed sprinklers on the outer edges of the community where access to water is not feasible for homeowners.

Fire Prevention - clearing the ground of combustable materials is key to preventing the spread of fires. Encourage people to clean the forest on their own property and that immediately adjacent to theirs. Bigger clean ups will be planned through FireSmart program.

      d. Boat Launches - 

Laurie talked to Henry Brown recently. He is back from up north and is committed to getting the gravel on the A side boat launch parking lot.

B side dock is in bad condition - sinking on the far end and holes in the boards. Nicole will let Kevin Weatherbee know it needs repairs or replacement.

      e. Recreation - 

B side beach - Waskos path and that end of main beach needs clean up. Permit ends at end of September so should organize a work bee in September. Can use quads and wheelbarrows to get trash out to trailers on the road or gather it up to be burnt on the ice this winter. Lots of burnt needles and debris from fires on east side of lake accumulated on beach this summer. People have been raking and shovelling it into the bush.

A side beach trail from Niska to the boat launch - Laurie has done some cleaning but lots more to do. Will organize a work bee this fall.

Both work bees would likely fit the criteria for volunteer hours for FireSmart.

      f. Sewage Lagoon and Brush Dumps -

Lagoon needs to be pumped out or dredged or both. Maureen will add this to meeting agenda with NMS.

Both brush dumps have been pushed back. Remind people to deposit brush behind the rock wall in the Sasktel tower site.

       g. Natural Gas -

Concern raised about Natural Gas line markers being on the road - snowplow might take them out. Laura will contact Kylie Berkatch about this.

       h. Bylaws -

Draft dog bylaw changes sent to NMS. Will discuss with them at meeting next week. These changes would bring our bylaw into line with LaRonge bylaw so we could use their dog pound. Once that is accomplished, we can contact the dog catcher to determine interest in an additional contract to serve our community.

No news on potential changes to zoning bylaws that would allow second residence on a lot and smaller cabins.

5. Newsletter 

- mock evacuation

- FireSmart program

- work bees - beach paths - both sides

- natural gas progress

- other topics that rise from meeting with NMS

6. Action List review - all done

7. New Business - taxes taking a long time to catch up with actual development. Will add to meeting with NMS.

Adjourned. Next meeting date not yet determined.

Napatak News Summer 2015

Napatak Community Association Annual General Meeting Minutes May, 18, 2015

Napatak Community Association

Annual General Meeting

McCarty/Bingham Boathouse on Niskemin Drive

Monday May 18th, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.

1. Welcome and introductions – Maureen Bingham

a. Executive introductions – Nicole L’Heureux, Laura Johnston, Kona Guest, Jody

Watt, Laurie Thompson, Tracey Fesiuk and Maureen Bingham

b. Government representatives – none available

c. Community member introductions – name, street and number of years at Napatak.

Nice mix of “been here forever” and new young couples and families.

2. Minutes from 2014 AGM – Tracey Fesiuk

- Minutes were distributed ahead of time. Motion to dispense with reading –

Charlotte Milne, seconded – Bert Gogal, carried3. Agenda review – Maureen Bingham

- No additions to the agenda

4. Financial Report – Maureen Bingham

As of April 30, 2015:

Total cash in our account - $114,644

2014 Tax Revenue - $30,926.82 (up $1500 from last year)

2014 Total Expenses – $435,127 (down $1300 from last year)

Major expenses:

Snow removal and road maintenance - $25,515 (including brushing of ditches)

Waste Management - $5988

Government Services - $3073

5. Roads – Laura Johnston

- Good news – a count was done to determine how much traffic goes into Napatak and highways now agreed to do a flared corner at the turn-off from the highway.

There is no timeline yet on this.

- Ditch clearing half done in preparation for natural gas lines. Highway to do the rest.

- A grader is to be brought in to bring the gravel to the centre again.

- A gravel crusher is to be brought in to make gravel so there will be lots of gravel available.

- The main loops need work and maintenance.

- We will wait until the SaskPower work is done before we will ask for more gravel on loops.

- Grading needs to be done more often. We would like to see grading once a month on the loops.

- Highways has declined to service Mistik – 2 letters have come from the minister of highways stating they are not responsible for it. We are considering offering to pay highways to grade, apply calcium and plough Mistik.

- We have limited resources for residential road maintenance. The spending

breakdown from last year is as follows:

o Snow removal -$7000

o Road maintenance - $2000

o Brush cutting – $15000

- Concerns raised about stumps left behind after brush cutting on loops. Maureen has sent pictures of stumps left too high to NMS and they will share our concerns with the contractors.

- Brush cutting will not have to be done this year so that will help with the budget.

- We have been told that the main road is getting gravel but consensus is that it will need more work - clay cap and crown repair before the gravel.

- Motion to negotiate with the government to add Mistik to their loop – Bernie Johnston, seconded – Jody Watt, passed.

- Roads need to be a priority. We need to lobby for this as a community so the more voices and letters sent in, the better. Executive to share bullet points and contact names and addresses so individuals can send their own letters.

6. Boat Launches – Nicole L’Heureux

- Parks are to install the A-side dock next week.

- Nicole asked them if she could trim brush in the boat launch areas but she was told no as they will do it.

- Sketches of both boat launches were shared to describe best use of space.

- On the B side - no parking in the roadway to the boat launch. Vehicles and trailers should pull as far up towards the trees as possible. Executive will be placing logs to indicate preferred parking location to allow for lots of turnaround space for launching a boat.

- On the A-side - Henry Brown is hoping to be there this week to finish the parking lot. Grading and crushed rock still needs to be done and logs (instead of concrete barriers) added to define parking area and pattern. The original lot will now be a turn- around area only.

- Boyd Krakowka has the signs for the lot and they will be installed once the area is finished.

7. Bylaws – Laurie Thompson

a. Dog Bylaw – The bylaw says we have access to the La Ronge dog pound. We can take loose dogs there. Laurie Thompson is developing a proposal for the use of their dog catcher.

b. Development Bylaw – Laurie, Colin & George all sit on the Northern Planning Committee – Laurie as the Napatak representative. There are proposed changes:

- Building height – no change at Napatak – Eagle Point and Nemieben may change

- Minimum building area – the proposed amendment is that Eagle Point and Nemieben go to 600 square feet and the minimum size be removed from Napatak.

These changes wouldn’t come in effect until next building season.

- Proposal for secondary suites – will apply everywhere. Secondary suites will be permitted but they must fit and not be more than (either 40 or 60% to be confirmed) of the principal dwelling size or 650 square feet maximum (whichever is less ) 325 square feet of open space for secondary suite and setbacks. This is not

adopted yet and Dee needs to draft so would not be in effect for this building season.

- Portable garage and shelter – to be allowed at Napatak however must be in the side or back yard with height and size restrictions.

8. Sewage Lagoon – Kona Guest

a. Brushing the road into the sewage lagoon – there will be a call for volunteers for late summer / fall.

b. Dredging / draining – found a permit which has been sent to Hasan Akhtar at NMS. Waiting to hear back on this. Maureen to check. The lagoon has previously been pumped out but not dredged. We are hoping to discharge the liquid and dredge.

9. Recreation – Nicole L’Heureux and Kona Guest

a. Beach clean up – beach clean up was done with a work bee.

- Orange and yellow survey tape marks the walking trail along the shore to Waskos to be done. We are hoping to get another work bee for this. Anyone working on the trail would need to have the permit on them.

- We will need another permit to do the A-side trails. It took 4-5 visits to get the Bside permit.

- Motion to apply for a permit for the A-side – Dave Gudjonson, seconded Brendon Zarazun, carried.

- People living close to pathways are asked to help out with checking on and maintaining the walking path / snowmobile signs. Move them out of the way in winter so snowplow doesn't hit them. Switch from beach to snowmobile seasonally.

b. Trails – maps available - contact Maureen Bingham for copies.

10.Natural Gas – Laura Johnston

- Work has started and natural gas will be coming this year – hopefully by fall. Gas lines are to be put in on the opposite side of the road from the power boxes.

- Will send out updates as we have them. They are supposed to get started this week.

- Maureen will contact SaskEnergy to double check that the power lines are properly marked. There is concern that they might be trying to put the gas in on the same side as the power and that the power lines are not always easy to locate.

11.Emergency Preparedness – Jody Watt

a. Block Captains – Trying to update the contact list and make an electronic version.

b. Emergency Contact process: When Northern Municipal Services declares an emergency, Jody and Maureen are to be contacted.

- A group email / text is then to be sent out.

- Block captains are to be contacted and they are to contact the people on their list to notify them of the emergency.

- Keep track of who has been contacted.

- Let Maureen or Jody know if you are not on the contact list.

- Fire is the biggest worry. We will have to be diligent and monitor our neighbourhoods as this is forecasted to be a dry year. Clean up the dead fall on your lot. Will need to address the empty lots which have quite a bit of dead fall on them.

- We will try to look into programs which may be available to clean up the dead trees.

12.New Business

- Community Bulletin Board – looking for ways to share information of interest to the community. Discussed including it in electronic newsletter, on our blog which has minutes and newsletters, or on Facebook. Suggestion of a website also raised. Concerns that Community Association not be seen as promoting a particular service or product.

- Motion to include community services in the newsletter with a disclaimer –

Charlotte Milne, seconded Bernie Johnston, carried.

- Email from a concerned resident – people pushing snow across the road as this pushes the gravel off the road and the piled snow can block drivers’ views. Also concerned that when they come up for a weekend, they are surrounded by construction. As a courtesy, please keep your lots as clean as possible while you are

building.

- Kona – trying to get a sign at the highway – caution left turning vehicles. She is hoping the flaring will help. Another possibility might be a bigger Napatak sign to let people know that vehicles will be turning off into our community. Laura will check if there is any timeline on the flaring.

- Bernie – concern about dune-buggies and quads tearing up the paths and driving late at night.

- Permission has been granted to move rocks in to block off the end of Ogow where a walking path has become a truck trail. Contact Northern Municipal Services regarding payment if you can do this.

- Maureen will include in the newsletter a request for people to show neighbourly

courtesy and to slow down when there are pedestrians and cyclists on the road.

13.Executive Elections

- Maureen and Tracey’s terms are over but are available for re-election

- New members:

- Brendan Zarazun – Nicole L’Heureux nominated, Warren Koch seconded

- Maureen Bingham – Warren Koch nominated, Jody Watt seconded

- Tracey – Maureen Bingham nominated, Claire McCarty seconded

- Show of hands for each executive member on the list - passed.

- Motion to end the meeting – George Pidhaychuk , Kona Guest seconded - passed.

-

2015 Spring Newsletter