If it's approved at the Open Meeting later this month, a $31,000 paving contract to repair a damaged section of Firetree Lane near Echo Dam will be the Seven Lakes Landowners Association's [SLLA] first tangible step towards major repaving — a massive project that has dominated financial discussions and decision-making for years.
One of four high priority repairs identified, the roadway near Echo Dam was cleared for work earlier this year when it was classified non-jurisdictional by the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Using plans drafted by Southsider Mike Cummins, a retired civil engineer, three bids were solicited, resulting in one proposal.
“It is a very good figure,” Community Manager Alina Cochran told the SLLA Board at their Work Session on Monday, September 13.
Treasurer Denny Galford agreed, noting that original estimates suggested the work could cost $80,000. He said the proposal was reviewed by both Cummins and another Southside resident, Tom Clark, who is employed by the State of Virginia as a road construction supervisor.
“This is not our practice -- to accept one proposal -- but three bids were requested," Galford said. "Mike [Cummins] will provide surveying for the project and Tom Clark was very complimentary of his drawings. He said they are the reason we have a very detailed breakdown on bidding.”
“I feel comfortable that even with only one bid, we’ve confirmed it is reasonable; and I recommend we approve it and move forward with this repair,” he concluded.
Frustrated by the slow overall pace of the repaving projects, the Board briefly considering scheduling a Special Open Meeting which would allow for a more timely vote on the proposal; however, at the urging of Director Kent Droppers, a decision on the contract was tabled until the Wednesday, September 29 Open Meeting.
“We won’t lose that much time by waiting until the meeting to vote. Let’s bring it out for discussion and avoid any issues that we’re trying to ramrod it through,” Droppers said.
Zielsdorf tries to speed up process
In a related discussion, SLLA President Randy Zielsdorf pushed for more information on loan sourcing and planning for the overall repaving project.
“I don’t see a solid plan we’re shooting for,” said Zielsdorf. “How do we want to move forward with securing a loan?”
Going around the table, the Board was surprised to learn that only Director Bud Shaver had, thus far, received a copy of a road report drafted by former Community Manager Dalton Fulcher. Shaver said he had reviewed the report but, along with Director Melinda Scott, encouraged Zielsdorf to delay discussion on borrowing money until after the Reserve Study is completed.
A comprehensive review of all Association assets, including roads and buildings, the Reserve Study will be conducted in late September. Results are anticipated in October.
“We’re all in agreement that road repair is a top priority, but the Study will give us a foundation to make a plan,” argued Scott.
Shaver, Scott and Director Bruce Keyser, Jr. agreed to meet on Wednesday, September 29 with the consultant who is conducting the Reserve Study
Master Calendar
The new Talis-based SLLA website includes a master calendar of Board meetings and recreation, but Director Droppers argued that it should also include recommended timelines for committee planning.
“Now is the time to start thinking about next year -- the next twelve months. When is the pool going to open? What day does it need to be inspected?” he said. “This year I felt like we were chasing the ball. We need a master calendar, so we can always look to see what is ahead in six months, twelve months.”
Droppers said the calendar should also reflect the results of the Reserve Study.
“If we know, in 2020, we will need new stables, we start looking back to determine how much money we’ll need to accrue in the years prior to get there. The master calendar will be skinny to start but it will grow,” said Droppers.
Scott agreed, stating the improved calendar would have a two-fold purpose; to steer the Board on timeline decisions and to notify the community-at-large as to what is going on.
Vandalism = more cameras?
A report that increased petty vandalism, including graffiti and stopped-up commodes, is driving up maintenance costs prompted a lengthy discussion on whether new camera technology could provide better resolution and results than previous incarnations.
“The old camera system was expensive and didn’t work well,” said Zielsdorf. “I like the concept of wireless [cameras], but I want to see confirmation that it’ll work before we invest any money.”
Going around the table, it was noted that security contractors are reluctant to set up a test site, which prompted Northsider Donna Fentzlaff to offer her home -- which is already rigged for wireless connectivity. She explained that her property overlooks the back gate along Holly Grove School Road, and said she frequently witnesses trespassing and other violations.
Another Northside resident, Bob Racine, offered his son’s remote camera as another potential testing device. Installed at a hunting blind, this type of digital camera is motion activated.
However, Director Chuck Mims said the cost of the cameras is not the only problem. The Board must also consider the expense of infrastructure and then monitoring.
“What we don’t know is, do we have one bad kid doing vandalism over and over or do we have ten kids vandalizing the community?” Mims stated.
Always quick to advocate for youthful residents, Galford argued that even a good kid could make a bad choice and questioned whether the cost of vandalism was enough to warrant a new camera system.
Zielsdorf suggested that adding more streetlights to common areas could be a less costly way to control crime.
Shaver agreed and asked Cochran to provide a summary of the cost of additional lighting, the impact on neighbors, and also a detailed report on how much the Association is spending to repair vandalism and to remove improper items from the yard debris site.
“There’s no sense spending money on cameras if the cost is prohibitive to what the damage is costing,” Shaver said.
Boating violations
Picking up on an earlier discussion about whether additional buoys could prevent boat operators from weaving in and out of ‘no wake’ zones, Community Manager Cochran said she believed the boaters were aware of the rules, but simply choose to ignore them.
“It’s getting out of hand and will only get worse,” noted Keyser, who said he had recently been contacted by Sgt. Mark Dutton, a NC Wildlife Resources Commission [NCWRC] officer, who has asked to meet with the Board.
Mims argued that Boat and Roving Security officers do not have enough boat speed or authority and do not garner enough respect to control the problem of repeated and flagrant violators.
“We need to bring in Wildlife [NCWRC] to enforce laws before someone gets hurt,” said Mims.
In addition to enforcing boating laws, NCWRC would also bring in the Corps of Engineers — which is why many residents are opposed to allowing them jurisdiction, explained Mims.
Shaver reported there are 213 motor boats currently authorized to use the SLLA lakes.
“With a large number of registered boats, sooner or later there is going to be an accident," Shaver said. "We have people out there not paying attention and doing dumb things. The question comes, are we liable? What have we done to prevent it?”
Droppers said it would be prudent to take an interim step: allowing Security to warn, cite, and fine operators using the Judicial Committee process, rather than taking the giant step towards state enforcement.
Noting that a significant problem is that Boat Security cannot catch the violators, Mims suggested amending the rules to state that, if Security attempts to approach and the operator does not heed, the boat will be identified and permanently removed from the lake -- regardless of who is operating it at the time of the violation.
Zielsdorf asked Mims to draft the amended rule for discussion and vote at the September Open Meeting.
In addition, Directors Keyser, Mims, and Scott agreed to meet privately with NCWRC Sgt. Dutton.
Finance
A proposed collection policy will be reviewed a second time by the Finance Committee, this time including one minor change recommended by Community Manager Cochran.
“We’ve gone over this before and I’m very comfortable with actions taken this year," Galford said. "We do need to be sure we have a formalized policy.”
He anticipated the document would be ready for Board review and vote at the September Open Meeting. If approved, the policy will become part of the Association’s standard rules.
With the budget complete, Galford said the Finance Committee is now reviewing the current fiscal year and looking at the overall scheme of fees with an eye toward simplifying the process for next year.
“We want to send meaningful invoices to residents and not have all of these smaller items [for example, the $3 dog registration] that residents must come into the office [to pay],” Galford explained.
Recreation
Lake water testing was conducted on August 12 and all lakes tested within limits, reported Cochran. Lake Ramapo had a higher reading but was still within safe parameters. The lakes will tested again in October.
Northside Pool operating days were extended for two weeks, through September 19. Hours were also adjusted to 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm on weekdays and 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm on weekends.
Once the pool is closed for the season it will go to the dogs -- literally.
"Dogs Day of Summer," a special swim day at Northside Pool just for dogs, will be held Saturday, September 25, from Noon until 5:00 pm. All residents dogs are welcome to splash and play; owners are responsible for picking up after their pets.
A bus trip to the NC State Fair in Raleigh has been scheduled for Thursday, October 21. Exhibits this year include antique farm machinery, Ark Animals, Village of Yesteryear, plus many others.
Admission to the fair is free with four cans of donated food and the cost for transportation is $32. Participants will depart from the First Bank Seven Lakes parking lot at 8:30 am and return at approximately 5:15 pm. Kirk tours is handling reservations at 295-2257 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Community Standards
A Fall Clean-Up Day will be held Saturday, October 2. Volunteers are needed to help collect and deliver yard waste to the debris site. Residents with trucks or yard trailers are particularly needed.
Fall is the perfect time of year to tackle landscaping projects. If you are unable to effectively maintain your yard due to health or physical limitations, this is a great chance to let your neighbors help out. If you need assistance, please contact the SLLA office at 673-4931 to schedule a pick-up.
Regarding a question over screening of a propane tank, Droppers said the rules were vague and that he would be proposing an amended rule that more clearly states what is considered a satisfactory screening material.
Other Business
In other business on Monday, September 13, the SLLA Board:
• Accepted the nomination of Director Melinda Scott to chair the 2011 SLLA Board of Directors Nominating Committee.
• Asked Cochran to distribute monthly management reports electronically with an agenda, summary, and attachments, to reduce paper consumption and cost.
• Heard from Cochran that an insurance check for $3,970 has been received in response to a theft report filed on July 9.
• Heard from Cochran that the Association was cited for failures in tracking and management of firearms. Three handguns and several shotguns dating back to the SLLA Community Police Department were located and surrendered to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.
• Tentatively scheduled a meeting on Friday, October 8 with Galford, Zielsdorf, and Cochran and three representatives of the former Lakes & Dams Committee.
