As the final article for 2024 I’m keeping it short. When you read this edition of the Lotawana News everyone will be actively enjoying the various holiday celebrations traditional to this time of year. We will see the flock of snowbirds starting to head out by year end, and the lake will be at its quietest point of the year (minus geese squawking if the ice comes). Like every end and start of the year, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on all that transpired in 2024 as we look forward to 2025. I decided not to try and cover that in this article as a lot was presented at the November meeting. I can say overall we accomplished a lot of objectives for the year with a long list still ahead of us. Like you and your family, every new year brings its set of challenges, so it’s good to take a little down time over the holidays to recharge, reset and get ready to take on all those new challenges. My wish is everyone can get that time for themselves and families celebrate their year of accomplishments as they look forward to another year ahead.
FYI, the board did not meet in December and January is still up in the air as we typically do not have a lot of topics to address over the holidays. These months are more behind the scenes administrative and preparation efforts. Committees and the staff are preparing for the first quarter. Operations is performing maintenance and winter projects.
The one topic I do want to address is the Low Water Crossing. I received a few inquiries this month regarding status of the bridge/culvert project. To clear the confusion, we will be replacing the crossing. I can also report that after reviewing the submitted bids, we have selected our contractor to do the project. Next steps are to complete the final planning with utilities and our selected contractor.
Unfortunately, we still have an unknown with Spire our local natural gas utility. They have two gas lines that run parallel and under our existing crossing. Their engineering department’s decision on how to proceed will be the long pole in the tent. They will have to relocate their 4” low pressure main lakeside of the crossing and are considering moving the high-pressure line on the west side. Spire’s work schedule will determine start and completion dates, which will be communicated as soon as finalized.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clemow
President