The pictures of the devastating floods as a result of Hurricane Harvey have captured the attention of our nation for the last several weeks. Thankfully, our own mini floods in July and August were a “drop in the bucket” comparatively speaking. To protect our members and their property, when the lake level rises above the seawalls, we treat the entire Lake as a “No Wake Zone.” The inconvenience of closing the Lake for skiing for a few hours doesn’t seem all that bad when you see entire homes and school buses under water along the Texas Gulf Coast. Hopefully, this won’t happen very often, but when it does, we’ll communicate via Facebook. I have also been asked to remind everyone that even boats on lifts still should be tied up. When the water level rises or the lifts fail, boats float away (not to mention noodles, swim mats and patio furniture.) Not only are these hazards to navigation, but considerable damage can be done to your boats as these things get away. What occupies the Association staff and Board of Directors after the boating season winds down? Next year’s budget. The Ways and Means Committee will gather data from the various committees and departments and present a preliminary budget to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors at the October meetings for approval. Once approved by the Board, ballots will be sent out to all the members to be voted on at the November 14th full membership meeting. There will be ballots for the overall budget and probably some special assessments as well. The overall budget will include things like dues, permit fees, road impact fees, boat and dock license fees as well as every expense item for the entire next year. You may recall in my last column of the Lotawana News, we will be asking the membership for a special assessment to pay for the repairs to Silt Basin #6 plus repairs and renovations to the spillway and the dam bridge. No one really wants to spend over half a million dollars on such unglamorous projects, but they are very important for the long-term health of the Lake and community. We will be crunching the numbers this entire month, but it would not surprise me if we’re going to require a special assessment of around $500 – $600 for each lot with a house (with a corresponding amount to be charged for the other property configurations, such as vacant lots, tracts, partial lots, lots with garages etc.) We encourage input from our members. Let your voice be heard. Contact your District Director.
Submitted by: Jan T. Olson – Executive Director
If you need to reach me for anything, please email me at jollassn@earthlink.net or call the office at 578- 4272.