Annual Meeting
Thank you to all the members who attended the 2024 Annual Meeting. All the feedback from members is appreciated and helps us with our efforts to manage the Association affairs. As everyone knows we have quite the gem here at the lake. As discussed during the meeting, a big part of our effort going forward besides managing the roads and preparing for resurfacing will be a full-scale plan for managing our dredging and silt basin requirements. By the fall budget meeting our goal is to have the dredging and silt basin plan complete so that we can present all the details and how it’s impacting future budget planning.
Silt Basin #3 – Understanding the Scale of Our Dirt Removal Efforts
If you’re curious about the sheer volume of dirt we’re dealing with around the basin before we start the actual excavation, take a drive past Dirt World, located south of Highway 50. There, you’ll find an impressive mound of soil—all of it silt dirt from our project. The good news? Dirt World is graciously hauling away this massive pile at no cost to us.
Now, you might wonder why they’re doing it for free. The answer lies in the significant expense associated with dirt removal, particularly the trucking fees. By handling the loading and pond preparation in-house with our dedicated crews (funded by the silt basin maintenance budget), we’re effectively cutting down on costs. To put it into perspective, one estimate for trucking dirt out of Silt Basin #6 alone was a staggering $1 million. Silt Basin #3 falls within a similar ballpark.
So, next time you pass by that imposing dirt mound, remember that it represents both the challenge and the savings we’re achieving as we work to improve our basin infrastructure.
Surcharges
As an association our funding comes directly from the members. This can come in the form of dues and various fees like dock and boat registrations. We also collect fees like the road impact fee for major construction projects and a real estate transfer fee.
We also added in 2023 the ability for the office to charge additional surcharges for a variety of non-compliance activity. For example, in the last edition my article included a discussion of proper silt fencing during construction where we can issue both points and a $100 surcharge.
The Association does not like to issue these surcharges, however, like so many things in life, it’s not fair to those following the rules and adhering to annual requirements when others do not. The old adage of “A few can ruin it for the many” applies and surcharges and points are our tools for enforcing compliance with established rule. Please spread the word around the lake to read and know the Association Rules and when in doubt ask your District Director or call the LLA Office.
Water Patrol
Keep an eye out for our two new Water Patrol boats (White Whalers) as we break in the motors this spring and start training employees for the season. If you know anyone that would be interested in a summer job as Water Patrol, please have them reach out to the office to apply. Chris Rhoades, our Water Patrol Supervisor, is starting the hiring process so we are getting a good start this season.
Stafford Field
There are three platted parcels that represent what we call the Stafford Field behind the Lake Lotawana Association building. In conjunction with the City and Parks and Recreation the Association is moving forward with rezoning the east parcel of the field. This parcel incorporates the runway and all the land east. The “Parks” zone was recently created and more closely represents the use of the field than Agriculture the current zoning. Our goal with this change is to add as many protections as possible we can for this land going forward.
The second plotted parcel is west of the runway where we have Silt Basin #4. We are going to work with the Parks and Recreation group on updating the Deed Restrictions such that we can rezone this parcel potentially down the road. The Parks Zoning does not convey the Silt Basin operation. The Park Zoning together with updated Deed Restrictions will allow us the continued use of the Silt Basin and protect all the surrounding natural grass.
The third plotted parcel is where the association building is located. One interesting note is that the association parcel is within in Jackson County unincorporated area versus the City of Lake Lotawana. The City has reached out to see if we would be interested in joining the City through an annexation process. We need to do our homework before and develop a proposal to the full board for approval.
Future Topics
Please send any topics you’d like to hear about to my attention at president@lakelotawana.net.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clemow
President