Holidays – One of the greatest parts of the holiday season is spending time with family and friends. It’s also one of the biggest shopping cycles for most and of course time for giving. I’m so thankful for all those that give their time to the community, and wanted to note how much giving I see throughout the year from lake residents beyond the holidays. My hats off to all those that give throughout the year.
I wrote this article on the plane as Janie and I head to Maui for a week. It was quite the sight to see the dividing line between snow and no snow as we crossed the plains. A reminder that Winter is eventually going to happen, and that many around the lake will migrate down south. For some like our family, they spend time in the mountains swooshing down on skis. The white caps in CO look so good; can’t wait for those trips.
The recent snow and cold gave our road crew their first test. In owning our roads we have control of how we manage. As usual I saw and heard from many what a fine job our crews did and my thanks to their dedication to quality work.
Also, in support of the operations crew be aware its ditch cleaning time. Please watch out for the crews along the road as they move very slowly, and on corners narrow the road.
This is a great time to work with your neighbors to help with snow and ice removal. Also, if you are not full time, on vacation or enjoying a few months down south remember to winterize your home and ask neighbors to check in or watch for package deliveries. Better safe than sorry.
Did you know – if your first winter at Lotawana, the lake does freeze over most years. If the conditions are right the ice boats will be out and skating is common. Four inches is a good minimum rule of thumb, but please be very careful and make sure you are not alone. Warning, the geese and ducks will many times keep areas of the lake free of ice. Keep a wide berth! It’s not uncommon to see a fox out on the ice and watch for the eagles this time of year.
Also, with long cold periods the expanding ice can damage docks, lifts, etc., especially with heavy winds that will move ice. Look for bent mud spuds or broken anchor wires. When the ice thaws we do see on occasion docks and boats get loose. Last, the use of an air bubble machine to keep ice away is against the rules. It creates a potential unsafe scenario for unsuspecting neighbors, especially kids.
2025 LLA Invoices – the office staff has been busy sending out registered watercraft notices, so remember to respond as the dues, watercraft, storage lot and golf cart registration renewals along with dock fees will be coming on a single invoice in January. You’ll avoid issues and help the office if all your information is current. Did you know – several years ago in an effort to make paying invoices easier while reducing clerical work, the board approved covering the credit card (CC) fees assessed on transactions. This is a pretty sizeable cost item in the budget. The reality is in 2024 86% of the dollar value of all invoices was paid by CC. I think the convenience is worth it! Let us know what you think.
2025 Outlook – we have a lot on the agenda for the new year with the ongoing road, silt basin and dredging plans. In order to keep members informed, it is key the office has your most current email and cell phone information. The office leverages both text and email depending on the topic and timing, but you would be amazed how many times I hear I didn’t know. If you’re not receiving text or emails, check your spam folder and call the office at 816-578-4272 to confirm your contact information or email [email protected].
With the approval of the budget, we are in good shape financially to meet the year’s objectives. Each month we will communicate what is planned in the near term, while highlighting any issues seen. As you keep up with the LLA efforts, continue to provide feedback as it helps guide us on improving, policy, process and service. For the next few months operations will focus on ditch cleaning, equipment repair, warehouse cleaning, demo of our Gate #1 building, silt basin work and engineering designs for future road and silt basin projects. The office will focus on first of the year registration renewals, revenue collection, record retention (scanning old records, cleaning out old paper records), and updating policy – procedure documents.
Silt Basin – the operation team successfully hydroseeded the outside berms of basins #3 and #5. As weather permits you will see basin #3 work with the start of the drain replacement and relocation. We will be establishing a new earth berm around the base perimeter and building a silt drying area east of the basin. The long-term goal is a faster turnaround on the basin use to keep up with increased dredging schedule and volumes. As we change our dredge strategy, we are gathering information on new techniques and how that impacts future equipment needs. Do we have the optimal equipment combination (long-arm, dozer, excavator, off road dump truck, skid loader, etc.)? Should we own or lease is always the debate, so more to come on the topic in future articles.
Courtesy Reminders –my articles are posted to the LLA website if you want to read online. If you have questions or topics you would like discussed regarding the Association, please feel free to drop me a note at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Jeff Clemow President