Steve Burgoon – TLIA President
Hello neighbors. Spring has sprung and we are halfway to the beginning of summer. Like last year we had a ton of water to deal with and cooler than normal temperatures. After a relatively dry winter the ground is now saturated as we all try to keep up with outdoor activities and spring plantings. The sun will come out some time in the next weeks and then everything will grow and grow and grow…… and then the TLIA member-owned grounds will be lush green and flowering. Thank you to all the volunteers who will have planted or be planting annuals at our entrances and parks by the time you read this edition of the Newsletter.
Thank you to all our volunteers who helped us out on Lake and Grounds Clean up. In addition to the trimming and maintenance at the islands and boat landings we tackled a few other important and needed projects. We cleared the entry to the Main Lake from North Lake by removing debris from the inlet under Roberts Road. Barsumian Park received its annual manicuring in advance of much needed capital improvements. (At the May TLIA meeting the Board approved up to $8000 to repair/replace the 270 foot wall that has been unsafe in disrepair. This work should be complete by the end of summer). Lastly, a group of vigorous South Lakers began the creation of a new park at Zupancic Park on Rose Terrace.
Now I will write about a very important subject – TRESPASSING. Over the winter we endured a large number of trespassing incidents when uninvited fisherman entered our property, set down their fishing gear, cut holes in the ice and fished on our lakes. To add insult to the actions they taunted our lake committee, broadcast their fishing excursion for over 12 minutes on a YouTube feed, and linked it to three of their sponsors websites. These fishermen benefitted from our private lake resources and received well over 800,000 “hits” on the websites. The result of those activities was a rush of unwanted fisherman on our lakes.
Trespassing by definition is “to enter the owner’s land or property without permission”. From TLIA By-Laws, Article III, Section 3, “The property of the Association shall be for the exclusive enjoyment and benefit of its members and their families including their guests, and for no other purposes whatsoever.” Quite simply, TLIA properties – our parks and lakes – are private property. Collectively, the 360 private homeowners of TLIA own our lakes and parks. TLIA members pay for the maintenance and improvement of the properties without public funding. We invite all TLIA members and welcome their gueststo enjoy our community amenities. TLIA also has a Recreational Family Pass Program (RFPP), established in 1995, more than 20 years ago, whereby all other Village of Tower Lakes residents that are not members of TLIA can enjoy TLIA lakes, parks, and activities by joining the RFPP program. By definition, anyone not a TLIA member, not a RFPP member or a guest of either, that comes onto and uses our properties is “entering our property without permission” and is TRESPASSING.
Trespassing, especially the volume we have seen as a result of the advent and use of electronic transmission of audible videos, creates a potential danger to the community as well as an overuse and depletion of our fishing population, for which we pay. The potential danger is an increase of uninvited trespassers that we do not know. An extra 100 to 300 (pick your number) visits from uninvited trespassers increases the chance and exposure to individuals of questionable intent.
HOW TLIA IS ADDRESSING THIS CONCERN
The TLIA Lake Committee, in cooperation with the Village of Tower Lakes Police Department, has developed a policy and action plan to deal with Trespassers.
(REPUBLISHED from the February Newsletter)
The following rules will apply for Tower Lakes fishermen or their guests:
1.All individuals fishing on our lake must be in physical possession of a valid and current TLIA tag.These tags were distributed by Member Services last summer. If you are in need of a new tag please, contact Kevin Middleditch: [email protected] (*NOTE: Our lake is governed by DNR and IL State Law requires all fishermen 16+ years carry a valid fishing license.) If individuals do not have a TLIA tag while fishing, a valid driver’s license/ID must be presented that clearly shows they are a resident of Tower Lakes.
2.Unaccompanied Guests of Tower Lakes residents fishing our lake must have a valid TLIA tag.If they are not able to provide the tag, they will be given the opportunity to get one from their Tower Lakes host, and if they cannot procure one will be asked to leave. These should only be lent to individuals on a daily basis because the resident is responsible for their access and actions. For instances where you suspect a fisherman may be trespassing we understand that you may not wish to travel out onto the ice or wander the shorelines to inquire with a fisherman you may not know. In that case, the following are guidelines for communicating a suspected interloper:
- Unsupervised Students/Children/Teenagers:If you are comfortable approaching them, please ask for a TLIA tag, or information related to their residency. The TLIA directory can serve as a repository of information for those you may not know in the community. If they do not have a TLIA tag, or you simply suspect them of trespassing please reach out to your Lake Committee co-chairs to address with the police: Tom Kubala-847-867-4979 Mitch Coulter-773-844-1953
- Adults suspected of being non-residents:If you are aware of someone fishing on the lake who you know to be a trespasser, please reach out to your Lake Committee co-chairs immediately. You will need to provide a general location for where the fisherman may be so that they can communicate effectively to the police. Tom Kubala-847-867-4979 Mitch Coulter-773-844-1953
Moving forward, the Beach Committee and Lake Committee will enforce the use of the TLIA Beach tags 1) WHEN AT THE BEACH, and 2) WHEN FISHING. Please begin to immediately use the tags during these activities. The Lifeguards, Beach Committee and Lake Committee can’t know or remember everyone who is a TLIA member. They will ask you to retrieve your beach tags if they cannot identify you. Providing your address and an ID is not an acceptable response. The beach tags are your proof of membership.
We really wish we did not have to take these actions but electronic media has made it easy to spread the word with pictures and a l
LOT of people now know about our excellent fishing habitat. We need to protect our personal property and safety. We appreciate your cooperation.
Yours in TLIA, Steve Burgoon