2026.09.08 PITLC Minutes

Monthly Meeting Presque Isle Town Lakes Committee Aquatic Invasive Species Date: September 8, 2026 Time: 7:05pm Location ZOOM ONLY Next Meeting Date/Time: October 13, 2026 7:00pm Conducted by: Nick Williams Recorded by: Jorja Burke, Secretary ATTENDEE INFORMATION Attended Name Lake Attended via Zoom or CC Behr, Fritz Lynx Benn, Eric Armour x Boyce, Joan Horsehead Zoom x Burke, JeO Van Vliet Zoom x Burke, Jorja Van Vliet Zoom Cole, Becky Papoose X Eschenbauch, Al Town Board Liaison x Giuliani, Greg Oxbow (Interim) Zoom x Heilman, Bob Annabelle Zoom Higley, Catherine V .C. Invas. Spec. Coord. Horswill, Bob Armour Lake x Kemnitz, Joe Crab Zoom x Lewandoski, Paul Rosalind/Papoose Zoom Logan, Richard Vilas Cty Supervisor x Mawicke, Ann Natural Lakes Zoom Meessmann, JeO Natural Lakes X Phillips, Carol Wildcat X Phillips, Richard Wildcat x Pire, Tim Presque Isle Zoom PlouO, Gary Frontier Lakes Preston, Tom Katinka x Ruch, Bob Carlin Zoom x Ruch, Judy Carlin Zoom Searle, Clark Carlin x Sisbach, Sarah Presque Isle Zoom x Vogt, Dave Annabelle x Walters, Lorine Horsehead Zoom x Logan Weber, Cathy Annabelle/Town Supv. Zoom x Wierzba, Tom Big Zoom x Williams, Nick Crab Zoom MEETING MINUTES Topic/Subject Discussion Items Call to Order By Nick Williams @ approximately 7:05pm Pledge of Allegiance Deferred — Zoom-only meeting. Secretary's Minutes Minutes of August 11, 2026, approved as submitted. No changes or corrections noted. Changes/additions to agenda Tim Pire requested an I-LIDS update be added (see Correspondence). Intro of new members/guests No new members or guests. Greg Giuliani (Oxbow) continues to attend for Oxbow. Treasurer's Report No financial activity since the August report; report not reviewed separately. Grant financials covered under Old Business (items 6a and 6c). Attachment 2 contains the current fiscal year financial grant status. The report is the same as last month. Correspondence I-LIDS — Tim Pire reported that Noah from LakeShield visited Wilderness Landing and a second Presque Isle Lake landing to discuss the I-LIDS devices (message board and license plate recording at landings). Tim recorded the session and will resend the recording to PITLC members. The Presque Isle Lake Assoc is actively evaluating the system through year-end and working with LakeShield on pricing. A unit with camera and message board is estimated at $15,000–$20,000 plus an annual fee; a quantity discount is available if more Town lakes participate. The system is dependent on cell coverage at the landing. The system worked at both landings visite. LakeShield is open to holding Zoom sessions with interested PITLC participants. Tom Pire has contact info. Crab Lake Landing — Nick Williams reported the Crab Lake landing inspector found 2026 landing activity to be less than half of 2025. Joe Kemnitz confirmed the lake has been very quiet. Others noted heavy boat traOic on Presque Isle Lake over the 4th of July weekend but lighter traOic recently. Water Levels —Wildcat Lake water level remains well below normal. Other reports: Presque Isle Lake down 4–5 inches; Annabelle down about 15 inches from spring; Horsehead the lowest in 40 years, with shallow landings making boat launching diOicult; Big Lake down at least one foot from spring; Oxbow at its typical late-October low, about 9 inches above its record low. Papoose down 6” and Rosalind, down 14” . 6. Old Business a. Grant Status Attachment 1 2024 Grants — DNR reports have not yet been posted on the DNR website, so they cannot be added to the Town’s list of available URLs. The reports for the six 2024 grant organizations are on PITLC’s Google Drive and can be sent with an email request sent to pitlc54557@gmail.com. Grants will be considered closed once the reports are posted. 2025 Grants (Carlin, Little PI, Lynx, Round, Wildcat): Whitewater is continuing work on the reports; nothing new to report. PITLC has received approval to pay the report invoices in the first quarter of 2027. 2026 Grants (Big, Papoose, PI, Van Vliet): Field work is complete. Three invoices received; the Big Lake invoice (approximately $9,850) is expected in September. Nick will send bills to the 2026 grant lakes in December for the lake matching share, due in the first quarter of 2027. b. 2027 Grant Planning Preliminary Grant submissions are due 9/15/26. Next step will be a review with Kevin Gauthier (DNR) in early October. Determining what qualifies as public or carry-in access has been diOicult. To date PITLC has completed surface grants for all lakes with public landings over the past three years, so remaining candidates are lakes without public landings. Each grant year stands on its own; not applying, or not being awarded, in one year does not aOect future applications. Grants are capped at $50,000 total for the town with a max of $10,000 grant per lake. Ann Mawicke presented research on candidate lakes: Anne Lake — DNR lists carry-in access with 1–5 parking spots; appears to meet the minimum requirement. Averill Lake — Located between Van Vliet and Presque Isle; no direct public access; state forest land on the east side. Paul Lewandoski and Greg Giuliani noted Averill is shallow with dense vegetation and a diOerent ecosystem than the larger lakes. Nearby Jamie Lake removed from consideration. Red Bass Lake — Carry-in access at the culvert between Red Bass and Lynx, about five cars can park on the shoulder. Lynx Lake supports the application; Lynx will provide a support letter and help with the local share if needed. The connection to Lynx and its spiny water flea concerns make this a compelling candidate. Stateline Lake — Approximately 205 acres; the only public access is through the campground. Nick contacted the campground owner; no response yet. Another potential contact has been identified and will be followed up on. Rice Creek — Vilas County Lakes and Waters personnel are awaiting DNR guidance on watershed management based on projects done in the last few years; deferred as a survey candidate at least one year. Wilderness Waters Report Update — White Water & Assoc. are interested but cannot do the work next season; therefore, a grant to update the report has been removed from the 2027 list. Cathaline Lake — No information or access found; not pursued. Motion: Sarah Sisbach moved to pursue grant applications for the four lakes (Anne, Averill, Red Bass, Stateline), respecting volunteers’ time and availability. Seconded by JeO Burke. Motion carried. Ann and Nick will work with PITLC members to identify sponsors for the candidate lakes. Ann and Nick will contact Kevin Gauthier for DNR question on carry-in landings and obtain estimates from White Water ahead of the preliminary submission. Cathy Logan Weber noted the Finance Committee and Town Board are working on the budget; Town grant financial support is not yet known. c. Town Fiscal Year Budgeting Attachment 2 Attachment 2 is a spreadsheet that shows the 2026 fiscal year income and expense impacts from each lake grant. 2024 Grants — Final Whitewater invoices and DNR final payments received; net cost to the Town shown per lake (e.g., Little Horsehead approximately $2,300). 2025 Grants — Lake matching portions received in the first quarter of 2026; awaiting report invoices. 2026 Grants — Advances and field work invoices recorded; only the Big Lake invoice ($9,850) remains outstanding. 7. New Business a. Subcommittee Updates The signage committee is believed to have completed its work; outreach is ongoing. Bob Heilman had nothing to add. b. Volunteer Hours Nick Williams reminded lakes with active 2024, 2025, and 2026 grants to track volunteer hours now: names of volunteers, time spent at each event, and activity (Adopt-a-Shoreline, Clean Boats Clean Waters, etc.). Hours are needed for the grant timesheets and cover the two-year grant period. Ann Mawicke will propose a consolidated timesheet to the DNR in place of one-page-per-person forms. Hours should be sent to Nick for review. c. Lake Ordinance Enforcement Paul Lewandoski asked whether the Town constable is not enforcing lake ordinances, including the 200-foot no-wake rule, as reported to his lake association. Cathy Logan Weber was not aware of any such change, noted enforcement is the constable’s responsibility, and she will check. d. November/December Meetings Nick Williams proposed skipping the November and December meetings, as in past years; left open pending need. Members agreed. 8. Next PITLC Mtg October 13, 2026, 7:00pm via Zoom 9. Adjourn Meeting adjourned @ approximately 8:18pm. Unapproved minutes WILL BE APPROVED AT THE NEXT MEETING. Attachment 1 Lake Last Grant Award 2024 Grants in Process 2025 Grants in Process 2026 Grants In Process Annabelle 2024 X Anne 2018 Armour 2024 X Averill 2018 Beaver 2017 Big 2026 X Carlin 2025 X Crab, Little Crab, N.Crab 2024 X Dunn 2017 Horsehead 2024 X Katinka 2009 Little Horsehead 2024 X Little Presque Isle 2025 X Lone Pine 2009 Lynx 2025 X Mabel 2016 McCullough 2017 Morton 2017 Oxbow 2024 X Papoose 2026 X Presque Isle 2026 X Red Bass 2018 Rice Creek 2015 Round 2025 X Rudolph 2009 South Branch PI River 2017 Stateline 2017 Twin Island 2017 Van Vliet 2026 X Wildcat 2025 X Attachment 2 (next page)