2006 Minutes
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PSCLA Minutes
Dates of Minutes included below:
10/29/2006 5/21/2006
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Meeting Minutes 10/29/2006
Southern Clinton County Sportsmen's Association
The 13th semi-annual PSCLA meeting was called to order by President Ron Kephart on October 29th, 2006. Attendance was 142. President Kephart read the mission statement, and stressed that this would be his last meeting as president.
Acknowledgements:
President Kephart wished to thank the Southern Clinton County Sportsmen’s Association for the use of their facility, and John Drake for his mailing services.
The following officers were present:
Pres. Ron Kephart – P
Director Martin Salinas - P
Director Tom Livingston - A
Vice Pres. George Conklin – P
Director Dan Paolini - P
Director Sid Mentzer - P
Treasurer John Green – P
Director Doug Sellers - P
Director Bob Palermo – A
Secretary Chris Fox – A
Membership Chair Dick McKinney – P
Treasurer’s Report by John Green:
John Green gave the Treasurers Report with a balance of $_________. A copy is available to any member upon request. Please contact Treasurer John Green.
Membership Committee Report by Dick McKinney:
Dick McKinney reported that membership is ______.
Old Business:
1. Delaware and Promised Land Trips:
President Kephart asked for proposals from that area to correct any ongoing issues. No proposals have been received to date.
2. Correction to Newsletter:
Water Rights Fee- $25.00 per year lease renewal.
3. Water Rights:
To this date PSCLA has no knowledge of a lessee being billed or receiving a request for
application for water rights.
4. Treasury Report:
PSCLA has removed the treasury report from our website.
New Business:
1. Election of Officers and Directors:
Today’s election can be attained through “acclamation” since there are no more candidates than positions available.
Nominations:
President - Martin Salinas (Dick McKinney made motion/John Kephart 2nd)
Vice President - Dan Paolini (Doug Sellers made motion/George Mason 2nd)
Treasurer - John Green (Dick McKinney/Carl Boone)
Secretary - Chris Fox (Martin Salinas/Sid Mentzer)
Directors:
George Conklin (Dick McKinney/John Kephart)
Mike Walker (Dick Mckinney/John Kephart)
Ron Kephart (Dick McKinney/Dan Paolini)
Tom Livingston (Martin Salinas/Dick McKinney)
Motion to close nominations – Peter Flemming, Doug Sellers 2nd.
2. Leases Lost:
DCNR estimates that no more than 25 leases have been lost while PSCLA considers that to be a very conservative estimate. We feel that a closer number would be in the 400-500 range.
3. Membership Issues:
Dan Paolini started a discussion as to why some members join for one year and then do not renew. Officers and directors pledged to tackle this problem starting with our next director’s meeting in November and seek a resolution.
4. Camp Taxes:
This has been an ongoing issue for PSCLA and several directors have voiced their concern that this is an battle we cannot win. Discussion followed with a promise to investigate further.
5. Dues Notice:
This notice shall be posted this fall reminding past members that their dues are in arrears and that the membership dues are still only $10.
Meeting adjourned at 2:45 PM
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Meeting Minutes 5/21/2006
The 12th semi-annual PSCLA meeting was called to order by President Ron Kephart on May 21st at 1:00 pm at the Castanea Fire Hall picnic grounds. Attendance was 60. President Kephart read PSCLA’s mission statement and asked members to pay particular attention to the “creation of a working partnership between camp lessees and DNCR/concerned parties based on mutual interests.” President Kephart also stressed the need that some of the officers have served since the inception of PSCLA and need to be replaced.
Acknowledgements:
President Kephart wished to thank the Castanea Fire Company for the use of their facilities, John Drake for his invaluable experience and mailing services, Chuck Kauric, Firearms Owners against Crime and Neil Gillespie for a monetary donation.
The following officers were present / absent:
Pres. Ron Kephart – P
Director Martin Salinas - P
Director Tom Livingston - P
Vice Pres. George Conklin – P
Director Dan Paolini - P
Director Bob Palermo - A
Treasurer John Green – P
Director Doug Sellers - P
Director Sid Mentzer – P
Secretary Chris Fox – P
Membership Chair Dick McKinney – P
Membership Committee Report by Dick McKinney:
Dick reported 1300 members for 2006 and 101 have already paid their dues for 2007.
Treasurer’s Report by John Green:
A copy of this report is available to any dues paying member upon request. Dan Paolini made motion to accept the report and George Mason seconded.
Planning Committee Report:
PSCLA wishes to give members a brief overview of some of the issues that face our organization. Some of these are:
Delaware boat dock issue
Water Line Right of Way License Fee
Continued improvements to the PSCLA website
PSCLA is now incorporated
Updating the office of President with new equipment
Directors continuing liaisons with their respective district foresters
April 25th meeting with Legislators and DCNR.
Old Business:
1. Water Line Right of Way Leasing Fee:
This has been an ongoing issue with DCNR/PSCLA but one where headway has been made. Some clarification is needed on this issue. DCNR wants to have a yearly assessment of $25 for any water line that extends off of the standard leased site. On April 25th, five representatives of PSCLA met with DCNR Asst. State Forester Mike Lester, Jason Hall and Karl Mull in Harrisburg. DCNR proposed reducing this water line fee to being assessed $25 upon renewal of the lease every ten years or when the lease is transferred from the principal lessee to another. PSCLA’s fear is that DCNR will use this fee as an enforcement tool to harass lessees over disposal of grey water. When questioned about grey water, DCNR’s response was that DEP handles all issues concerning waster water of any kind. This is enforced by your local sewage enforcement officer.
2. Delaware Boat Docks:
This is another issue that PSCLA has been working on for over a year. In June of last year a contingent of PSCLA officers/directors traveled to the Delaware district to meet with concerned lessees over two issues, harassment by DCNR rangers and the refusal of DCNR to transfer boat dock permits or issue new permits. Shortly after the meeting in the Delaware district, President Kephart had a rather heated phone discussion with Mike Lester over these two issues. Since that discussion, harassment by park rangers has decreased markedly. This same issue was also brought to the table on the April 25th meeting in Harrisburg with DCNR. Their stance now is that an endangered plant species which grows in the lake called the Bayonet Rush is being removed from around docks by lessees. Mike Lester noted that the shore area is not part of the lease. He also acknowledged the fact that over the years DCNR has allowed items such as patios, picnic tables and fire pits to be installed. This issue seems to be the reason DCNR wishes to return the shore line to a more natural state. DCNR’s final proposal is that boat docks can remain as long as the lease is transferred from one family member to another. DNCR was open to any ideas that PSCLA could put forth to improve this situation. PSCLA contracted local realtors in this area to provide an estimate of the devaluation of leases without boat docks. It was determined that a loss of $10,000 to $15,000 would be realized. PSCLA will travel to the Delaware district in July. Members will again be notified of this meeting.
3. PA Cleanways:
PSCLA ha maintained its ongoing support of this valuable organization through monetary donations and we encourage members to participate in local community clean up efforts.
4. Website Improvements:
PSCLA is very aware that this is an area that we are sorely lacking improvement in. To that end a local computer expert has been retained to offer suggestions and update the website. We encourage members to send in pictures electronically of their camps with your camp number, ( your camp number will not be posted ), improvements members have accomplished, or pictures of wildlife. Any suggestions on how to improve our website are very welcome. A guest book for comments is also in the works.
5. DCNR Communications:
Since our last general membership meeting, communications with DCNR have been markedly improved but only after the efforts of officers/directors in contacting and requesting local lawmakers to intervene on behalf of PSCLA. Several legislators contacted DCNR by letter and requested that they keep an open dialogue with our organization.
New Business:
1. Nominations:
These were tabled until the fall meeting. However, President Kephart reiterated the need for new faces to step forward and assume different offices.
2. Political Efforts:
On April 25th a contingent of officers/directors traveled to the state capitol to meet with legislators or a staff member whose districts contained the most lessees. Meetings were held with the following legislators: Representatives Roger Madigan, Terry Punt, Russ Fairchild, Kerry Benninghoff, Merle Philips, Robert Wonderling, C. Adam Harris, and Senator Joseph Scarnati. All of the meetings went extremely well and it was felt that PSCLA garnered some much needed support. Many of the legislators went so far as to submit letters to DCNR voicing their support of our organization and its goals. We will be returning to the capitol at a future date.
3. DCNR Meeting April 25th:
What was discussed at this meeting has already been covered in this newsletter, However, it should be noted that Mike Lester could not have been more accommodating, forthright and compromising. I mention this for the simple fact that some lessees are still worried that DCNR will be “out to get them” if they join PSCLA. This simply isn’t the case. PSCLA has strength and impact in membership numbers.
Open Discussion:
Recently a very worried member contacted PSCLA with a concern that DCNR will start inspecting the inside of state camps. When contacted, DCNR flatly denied this accusation. We consider this so called “inspection” to be a falsehood and a rumor.
The issue of shooting ranges was once again brought to the discussion table. If you wish to have a shooting range, contact your district forester and ask for the rules and regulations regarding such. If you are denied, contact your PSCLA district director. We do not guarantee success in every case but we will work diligently to meet your goal.
Director Salinas urged members to contact their legislators to voice their concerns and to remind them that they are camp owners with a vote. Director Salinas also approached a concern that has plagued PSCLA. This is the problem of one member of a camp joining PSCLA while the rest of the members of said camp do not. The issue here is not one of money but of membership. It cannot be stressed enough that the only numbers legislators and DCNR are concerned with are membership numbers, not the size of our treasury. Please encourage other camp members to join. Note: An excellent example of this was ascertained when an officer called a representative’s office to make an appointment for April 25th. The staffer asked why the representative should meet with us. “Because there are X number of lessees living in your district,” was the response. The meeting was immediately granted.
Mike Loucks has a lease in the Bald Eagle district. His question pertained to the local district forester’s refusal to permit firewood cutting. He further stated that there are so many downed trees the area is becoming an eyesore. PSCLA will look into this.
A 50/50 of sorts was held with all of the money collected being returned in the form of one $100 winner and five $20 winners. Dean Holmes won the first prize of $100.
A tentative date of October 29th, 1:00 p.m. at Southern Clinton County Sportsmen’s club has been set for the fall general membership meeting.
