Reduction in and/or Denial of Lake Access Issues

There is a concerted effort to limit public access to the lakes that they own. In addition, the DNR is no longer enforcing the code that says that lake property owners may not have more than 2 boats docked per 100 feet of frontage.

Last night the Big Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District vote 3-2 to close the boat launches once all parking spaces were filled.   This is the recording.

The vote is at 14 minutes

They said their ordinance is based upon an ordinance from Pine Lake in Chenequa.

It was also brought up that similar access lawsuit from the Lake Geneva area went to the supreme court where the closing of the boat launches was deemed unconsitutional.  

The fishing public needs to know about these kinds of rules and this is probably a good place to start that discussion.

PRD to consider recount at meeting on September 10th...

BIG CEDAR LAKE PROTECTION & REHABILITATION DISTRICT

MEETING OF COMMISSIONERS

Commissioners: Roger E. Walsh, Chairperson; Christopher C. Genthe, Treasurer;

Paul Sacotte, Secretary; Mike Bums; Frank "Buzz" Carr; Brian Krebs, James R. McGath

MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA

Pursuant to the requirements of Wisconsin Statutes Section 19.84 & 33.28, notice is hereby

given that there will be a meeting of the Commissioners of the Big Cedar Lake Protection &

Rehabilitation District on Monday, September 10, 2018 at the District Building, 4480 Gonring

Drive, West Bend, WI at 5:45 p.m. Agenda items for the meeting are:

1. Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call.

2. Discussion of the Petitions from Troy Zagel and Nicole Gonring for a recount of the votes for

Commissioners of the Big Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District cast at the election

held at the Annual Meeting of the District on August 29, 2018 at the Town of West Bend Town

Hall.

3. Consider an Order for Recount of the Election of Commissioners at the 2018 Annual Meeting of

the District held August 29, 2018 at the Town of West Bend Town Hall.

4. If the Commissioners vote to adopt an Order for Recount, then consider an Order Appointing a

Board of Canvassers and providing for the conduct of the recount.

5. Adjourn

September 6, 2018 /s/ Paul Sacotte

Paul Sacotte, Secretary 

For a newcomer to get within 3 votes of being elected to that board, actually was pretty amazing. I felt very proud to nominate Nicole last night, and even more proud about that after hearing her speech.

Above all else, a bunch of 20 and 30 somethings became fiercely engaged in the political process, something far to many in that generation fail to do. 

Even if you were in favor of 2018-1, you have to admire how quickly the young folks organized and almost beat the POAs hand picked candidate.

I see the vote went well....

Two people are running for the board who are against the Big Cedar Lake Ordinance 2018-1.

They are Troy Zagel and Nicole Gonring.

If you live in the lake district, and still want to be able to launch your boat when 34 people are parking in the gonring drive lots, vote for them.

Gotta love our dnr.

I copied this from the BC thread.

 I  really think it could be an awesome small mouth fisherie. How would one go about finding interest in stocking them?

Why would any fishing club, individual, or organization want to see any of their efforts, or money going to enhance this fishery? We only have minimal limited access, plus we know we are not welcome. It is bad enough that the Wisconsin DNR is spending our tax dollars to maintain this lake. One only has to use one of the Porta-Johns at the launch to know what the Lake Association  thinks of you!

I for one would like to see my tax dollars, plus any would be efforts and dollars go to another close by lake to improve the fishery. Little Cedar would be a prime example.

Nicole Gonring has declared that she will be a candidate to fill one of the two BCLPRD Commissioner spots whose terms are expiring.  She is a  public access advocate !  We all need to support her.  

Roger Walsh, the current BCLPRD Chairman, the man who pushed the new launch ordinance through, is seeking re-election.  He is owned by the Property Owners Association.

JamesMcGath has declared that he is retiring and will not seek re-election.

Another announced candidate is Dave Claussen. He is a very vocal POA Director that pushed Roger to enact the new launch ordinance.  Claussen even volunteered to develop policy and volunteered POA members to be the ones putting the chains up on the launches.

Nicole Gonring has posted that she will be at the House of Heileman's this Friday the 24th at 5pm to meet people and discuss public access to Big Cedar Lake.

Any BCLPRD resident can vote.  You must live within 1000 feet of the lake, but you do not need to own frontage.  The election will be at the annual meeting scheduled for next Wednesday August 29th at the Town of West Bend Town Hall.  Go to www.bigcedarlakeprd.org to view the details

They remind me of a dog when you walk him on a leash. He stops everywhere and lifts his leg to “Mark His Territory”. In reality the next dog that comes along just p&$$#s right on top of their imagined territory. They still only own their fifty to one hundred feet of frontage, plus they still put their pants on one leg at a time.

I just wish that the Town, or DNR would enforce the number of watercraft by frontage law. This would at least help to reduce the congestion for the thirty-four people that are allowed on the lake.

Why does Little Cedar have so many parking places for a much smaller lake? It’s in the same township, same state, so same DNR. Somebody is wrong with the 1:25 parking ratio.

After failing to gain control over two Town Owned access sites, the Big Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District is turning its attention to parking on a county road

They seek to convince the county to ban parking on County Highway K, just West of Big Cedar Lake. What a waste of money. The shoulder on that side of the road is wide, and it is safe. It is used by residents of the area, their guests and the public seeking access to the lake. Highway K parking is VERY SAFE.  Safety is important. Real steps to improve safety are what is needed, not simply denying access to whomever gets to the lake late. Ticket the troublemakers, no matter where they live and who their parents are. Then the lake will be safer.

After failing to gain control over two Town Owned access sites, the Big Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District is turning its attention to parking on a county road.

They seek to convince the county to ban parking on County Highway K, just West of Big Cedar Lake. What a waste of money. The shoulder on that side of the road is wide, and it is safe. It is used by residents of the area, their guests and the public seeking access to the lake. Highway K parking is VERY SAFE.  

Safety is important. Real steps to improve safety are what is needed, not simply denying access to whomever gets to the lake late. Ticket the troublemakers, no matter where they live and who their parents are. Then the lake will be safer.

Pine lake had a similar no power launch and one day a DNR rep was there and I show her how I just power up from the pier and let the momentum carry me on to my trailer where I would crank it up the rest of the way. I have a 15 foot glass bass boat with a bunk trailer and it loads very easy for me even when I am a one man show . I will not throttle up at all to get on my trailer 

I just bought a 14 1/2 foot boat this spring. Maybe that boat will just idle up to the winch post on my trailer? I was thinking that you cannot drive onto your trailer at all. It has been years since I have been on the lake. The last time I was there I had a 18’ bass boat.

If the board on BC does not own any part of the Gohnring Drive parking/launch, then how is it that they are governing it? Are they elected by property owners, or appointed by The Town of West Bend board?

I still would never go on that lake on a weekend, or holiday.

Tuffy2 , I always idle my boat right up on my trailer no matter what lake I am on and actually had a DNR rep tell me as long as I am not using throttle , that was perfectly legal. Now if you have that heavy of a boat where you can't just idle it up then using throttle may help you get it on the trailer but it does wreck the launch by moving the bottom material away from the end of the launch pad and causes pot holes and sand bars that won't help anyone launching or retrieving their rig . Hope that clears that up for yeah 

Tuffy2...The Property Owners Association does not own anything.  The BCLPRD owns or leases the 2 parking lots off Gonring Dr.  The Town of West Bend installed the new no parking signs - with the BCLPRD paying for them. 

The power loading law has been in effect for years.  Power loading erodes the area underneath the concrete platforms, which results in very costly repairs.  The life of the lauch is pro-longed when power loading does not occur. Sorry that it prevents you from using the launch.

Does anyone know if the Accociaion owns, or leases the two parking areas off of Gohnring Drive? Do they own Gohnring Drive?

Who authorized the installation of all of the No Parking signs? Who paid for the No Parking signs?

And while we’re at it, who implemented the No Power Loading law? This law has made it impossible for me to load my boat by myself, thus not allowing me to fish BC anymore. The launches are too flat requiring me to have to walk in the water too deep to retrieve my boat. At my age it is not safe for me to do this anymore.

So the West Bend Town Board tabled action on giving the BCLPRD authority to regulate Town of West Bend launches.  However, the new launch ordinance passed by the BCLPRD includes Town launches.  Sounds like the WHOLE ordinance is illegal.