Door Property Owners Annual Meeting Highlights Agenda

Door Property Owners (DPO) president Donna Lash outlined the group’s accomplishments of the past year and goals for the months and years ahead at the group’s annual meeting Sept. 20 in Ephraim.

Phosphate reduction has been and will continue to be a priority for the DPO, and they’ve partnered with other area organizations to form the Partnership for Phosphate Reduction (PPR). Phosphates are a primary cause of the cladophora buildup, a slimy green algae, that has come to plague Door County shorelines in recent years.

Through public awareness and water quality monitoring the PPR strives to get residents and businesses to cut their use of products with phosphates, primarily dishwasher detergent and lawn fertilizer. A list of phosphate free products is available at http://www.dcphosphatefree.org.

Lash also highlighted DPO’s noteworthy achievements of the past year, including:

• Helping to initiate a community conversation about the water table problems in the Plum Bottom area that created a solution for area property owners.

• Continuing to raise awareness of the cladophora problem on Door County shores and encouraging elimination of the use of phosphates that help cause the problem

• Advocating for responsible development

Lash said a few of the priorities DPO will monitor in the year to come include advocating for the growth of wind energy in the county, participating in the development of the Door County Comprehensive Plan, pushing for more “dark sky” initiatives, and the unveiling of a new Web site in the near future.

The Peninsula Pulse and the Village of Egg Harbor were each honored with a Thoughtful Award for their efforts to promote and preserve the best of Door County. The Pulse was recognized for “thoughtful perspectives on news, art and entertainment,” while Egg Harbor was honored for its “Dark Sky” initiative, an effort to keep lighting in the village directed downward, enabling residents and visitors to continue to enjoy the night sky.

Door Property Owners is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization of people who own property in Door County, including part-time residents. For more information or to join the organization call 920.746.4450.