“Road Committee Update: Leveraging Resident Expertise – Road Committee, a standing committee mandated by our By-Laws, is expertly chaired by Tim Gravlin, whose leadership remains invaluable, even while residing in Texas half of the year.
Committee members Hal Cosgrove, Brian Wilkerson, Jeff Moore, John Davidson, and Don Leven bring a wealth of diverse expertise to the table. Hal and Brian’s road construction experience, Don’s operational business acumen, Jeff’s executive committee insight, and John’s large-scale project management skills have been instrumental in planning, bidding, and contractor oversight.
This committee’s ability to leverage resident expertise has been crucial in controlling costs and ensuring quality road infrastructure. We extend our sincere gratitude to this vital group.” In future articles I will highlight each phase of our road, culvert and ditch improvement efforts this construction season.
Executive Committee – each year at the April meeting the board elects the officers for the following year. This year the office slate is me returning as President, Mike Miller moving from Sergeant of Arms to Vice President, Jeff Moore continuing as Treasurer, Bruce Fate will be new to the committee as Sergeant of Arms along with Susan Troester joining for the first time as Secretary replacing Amy McVay. I look forward to working with the Executive Committee and the full Board of Directors in another year of big projects.
Lake Vegetation – as we approach swimming temperatures, please be aware of blue-green algae blooms as well as other grassy clumps that may harbor water born irritants. As you may recall we did have some members impacted last year by lake vegetation and parasites. We are already seeing in the back of many cove and along seawalls algae and moss blooms, so be on the lookout, especially when water is not flowing or still. Even if the vegetation clears out with wind, the area may still be harboring irritants.
Dam Spillway Update – did you know several decades ago the association did major work on the dam to raise its height, improve the slope of the earthen side, expand the spillway capacity and update the spillway crossing. That project was a major investment and enabled the dam to be classified with a Class 2 certification. The classification is based on historical data regarding flooding and drives requirements for the dam structure along with what structures can be downstream of our lake. Did you know we own properties east of the dam purchased to ensure the number of downstream structures in the West Sni-A-Bar Creek watershed did not exceed the Class 2 dam designation. In addition, working with Jackson County restrictions were put in place limiting any new construction in the flood plain. Our operations crews continue to maintain these properties with annual mowing and the infrastructure committee will be looking at our long-term plans when we look at all our property owned.
Stafford Field Revitalization: Preparing for Habitat Enhancement – As previously announced, we are moving forward with the Stafford Field revitalization project to create a thriving habitat for bees, butterflies and other wildlife. The detailed plan is available for review on our website.
Weather permitting, we anticipate applying herbicide to the field within the next few weeks to prepare the land for seeding. To ensure everyone’s safety, we will send out a text and email notification 24 hours in advance of the herbicide application, requesting that residents remain off the field for 24 hours following treatment.
Silt Basin Update – with the good weather the crew has been back up at Silt Basin #3 for the past month making great progress. They were able to remove a large brush pile and trees along the east perimeter as we started to build a new berm around the basin. The goal is to create a dirt drying area to help with quicker turnaround of the basins to facilitate a more regular dredging operation. Also, Allstate Engineering is finalizing plans for a new basin drain system along with the new route for the dredge and drainpipes to be permanently installed removing the need to haul dredge pipe each season and reducing drain maintenance.
New Excavator Acquired: Enhancing Silt Basin and Project Capabilities
The Association has purchased a new Caterpillar 336 excavator from Foley Equipment, with delivery anticipated before the end of April. This acquisition will significantly enhance our ability to perform silt basin cleanouts, tree clearing, and other large-scale projects. The new excavator offers more than double the bucket capacity and significantly increased strength compared to our existing long-arm excavator. This upgrade will allow for more efficient loading of trucks and handling of larger loads, reducing strain on the long-arm excavator, which is primarily designed for reaching silt in challenging areas like the back of coves and the center of basins.
To further expedite the silt removal process, we will also be renting a high-capacity off-road dump truck. Our experience last summer demonstrated that utilizing such a truck significantly reduces the travel time for both the bulldozer and excavator, leading to more efficient dirt removal and allowing us to maintain our silt basin cleanout rotation effectively. This strategy also minimizes unnecessary wear on our owned equipment, supporting our goal of long-term asset preservation.
Water Patrol Update: Welcoming New Supervisor and Policy Changes for 2025
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Jen Stafford as our new Water Patrol Supervisor. Jen will be working closely with Dave Cooley and the Water Patrol Committee to manage the hiring of our seasonal staff.
Please note a recent update to our hiring policy: due to insurance requirements, all equipment operators, including boat operators, must be 21 years of age or older. For the 2025 season, our patrol strategy will involve two personnel per boat, along with adjustments to the patrol schedule. This will allow us to continue hiring younger individuals for training and safety roles, while also enhancing observational capabilities by separating driving responsibilities.
The Water Patrol Committee is also reviewing patrol hours to better align with peak activity times, such as late afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Additionally, patrol staff will assist the office with permit confirmation checks during slower periods.
Strategic Investment in New Lawn Mower for Enhanced Operations
The LLA has invested in a new lawn mower to effectively manage our growing annual mowing obligations and ensure uninterrupted service. This acquisition will work in tandem with our current mower, which has experienced considerable wear over the past two seasons.
This purchase reflects our proactive approach to improving operational efficiency and implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan for all equipment. We commend Larry Haight, our Mechanic/Operator, and the operations team for their exceptional work in maintaining our equipment to a high standard. Their collaborative efforts ensure the reliability and longevity of our operational assets.
Gate 1 Building Progress – The new building shell went up quickly and it’s now almost complete.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clemow
President