About 45 people attended the 2012 Annual Meeting at the Memorial Hall Library. [To see the slide show that was presented at this meeting, click here.]

Steve Cotton opened the meeting at 7:15 p.m.

Minutes. Secretary Janet Kenney read the minutes of the March 23, 2011 Annual Meeting and the August 20, 2011 Summer Meeting. The Minutes were approved.

President’s Report.  Steve noted that the Order of Conditions under which the Corporation conducts our lake management program will expire on January 4, 2013. The Corporation will be asking the Andover Conservation Commission to approve a three-year extension of the Order of Conditions, so that we can continue to treat the Pond for invasive weeds, conduct hydro-raking and winter drawdowns, and maintain the dam.

Steve reported that all the maintenance and repairs we have done on the Foster's Pond Dam have paid off, and at the end of last year, when the dam had its five-year safety inspection, it received a "Satisfactory" rating. That is one grade below the top safety ranking, and the highest rating we could reasonably expect for our 150-year-old dam.

He reported that the engineer had made a couple of recommendations for maintenance, and that the work was done in March, when volunteers spread seven tons of crushed stone along the face of the dam.

Weed Committee Report.  Dave Adilman reviewed the history of weed treatments. He reported that the entire Pond was treated with Sonar, to get rid of fanwort, on May 13, 2011, with a "booster treatment" on June 24. This was only the second time the entire Pond was treated; the first occasion was in 2005. Most ponds need whole-lake treatments every 2-3 years, but we haven't needed to perform a whole-lake treatment for six years. Also in 2011, Dug Pond was treated with a different herbicide, diquat, to combat Brazilian elodea.

In September, our consultant came back and did a comprehensive survey. He found no fanwort, no Brazilian elodea, and no spiny naiad (an invasive we treated for in 2010). There continued to be more native plant species in the Pond than before we started our lake management program, so these treatments have enhanced the health of the Pond. We've had no adverse effects to fish or wildlife.

We also arranged for the release of "purloo beetles" to control purple loosestrife in one area of the Pond. We'll monitor the results to see how effective this is.

Land Acquisition.  The Foster's Pond Corporation last year recorded the deed for the 8 acres of land it acquired through the generous donation of residents in the Willard Circle area. This land, together with adjacent conservation land owned by the Town of Andover, forms the Foster's Pond Reservation. Parking is provided on the FPC land, and visitors can now hike to the shore of the Pond, and continue on to the Goldsmith Woodlands.

Treasurer’s Report.  David Brown presented the Treasurer's Report. He reported on income and expenses for Fiscal Year 2011.  Total Income, including Dues, Contributions, Grants, and Interest Income was $24,478.  Total expenses (including the weed treatments) were $39,434.  Total 2010 Assets:  $32,001.  Net Loss: -$14,956.

Fundraising Report.  Fundraising Committee Chairman Marty Rabinowitz said that despite the large outline for last year's weed treatment, the FPC can maintain the dam and respond to problems as the arise because of the steady level of community support.  Members of the community are asked to contribute $250 per household annually, so that we have the funds to do work on the dam and to pay for major weed treatments as needed.   All donors who contribute to the Corporation are listed on the web site during the course of the year. Marty thanked everyone for their contributions.

Election of Officers and Directors.  A motion was made, seconded and approved to elect the following officers:  Steve Cotton (President), Marty Rabinowitz (Vice-President), Dave Brown (Treasurer), Janet Kenney (Secretary). On a motion made, seconded and approved, the following Directors were elected with terms ending December 31, 2013:  Amy Janovsky and Martha Russell.

A motion to adjourn was made, seconded and approved.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.