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anything that is discussed in our meetings is to not be discussed outside of <br />the LMAB. Do not hit "reply all" to any communications to her related to <br />meetings. She encouraged members to stop and interrupt her during her <br />discussions if they have any questions. <br />Aquatic Plant Management Updates: Ms. Williams stated that during the <br />winter months is when the hydrilla does not grow as rapidly. Lake <br />Kathryn, Grassy Lake and South Triplet are scheduled for full lake <br />treatments. We have a new Lake Management Technician and another <br />one to be hired very soon. This will aide in giving more treatment <br />attention to our lakes. We will also begin the process of purchasing an <br />airboat in January. It is a customized order and we can expect to receive it <br />in the spring. The new staff members will not only be managing the lakes, <br />but also the City's conservation areas. She showed areas on a map where <br />the various conservation areas are located. We have been historically <br />managing these through grant funding from the Florida Fish and Wild Life <br />Conservation Commission. The State has been managing these areas on <br />an annual basis, when they should be managed on a quarterly basis at <br />minimum. Hiring the Lake Management Technicians will now allow the <br />City to manage these sites on a more frequent basis. The new City staff <br />will also be managing the city -owned shorelines such as half of Lake <br />Concord Park, Secret Lake, North Triplet Lake, the retention ponds on the <br />golf course and all the other wet retention ponds in the City. We will also <br />be able to respond quickly to aquatic plant management needs and <br />address the issues in a timely manner. Mr. Case asked what type of <br />components are involved with managing the conservation areas. Ms. <br />Williams stated, "basically having someone walkthrough (these sites) to <br />inventory and survey the extent of invasive or exotic species present and <br />use a backpack sprayer to target these plants with appropriate <br />herbicides". They will also manually remove some vegetation and <br />material from the shoreline when we have shoreline restoration events. <br />The conservation areas have been dedicated as such by the City and will <br />be remaining in perpetuity. We will still try to pursue grants from the <br />State to continue to assist with this restoration. We recently did a hydrilla <br />treatment for half of Middle Triplet Lake and will be following up for the <br />other half next month. The product used for this treatment is a <br />combination of diquat and endothall, contact herbicides. The City tries to <br />rotate through herbicide mode of actions so we are not allowing a <br />resistant population to become the dominant one. About half of the City's <br />lakes have fluridone (Sonar) resistance. We cannot continue to use this <br />product in these water bodies because we have to use such a high rate of <br />active ingredient that it starts to negatively impact the other desirable <br />species in the lake. Even when used at the normal chemical level it <br />sometimes effects other native species. Fluridone is a product that kills <br />the plants above the surface of the sediment, and it also reduces tuber <br />production. Hydrilla can never be completely eradicated from a system, <br />however we try to keep this plant at the lowest level possible. The cold <br />weather inhibits the plant, however, it continues to grow through the <br />2 <br />