Nearly half of Seven Lakes West is receiving weekly “e-blasts” Secretary Jane Sessler reported during the Tuesday, May 10 Work Session of the Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] Board of Directors.
The number of households receiving the emails has nearly doubled — to 450 — since March, Sessler told The Times, adding that a bug that has some households receiving multiple copies of the email updates is still being worked out.
She noted that the SLWLA website itself continues to grow as more community organizations utilize it to get the word out about their activities.
One major “disappointment” with the website, Sessler said, is that more people are not communicating directly with Board members on matters of concern. “We are trying to make it easy to communicate,” said Sessler, who encouraged individuals to reach out to the Board by email or phone.
To keep members informed the website is also being utilized to add minutes of the Board’s work sessions within 24 hours of a meeting.
Area Reps are trying to help with the communication process by compiling a list of individuals without access to a computer, so the Board can better communicate with them.
A meeting of the Area Reps is scheduled for May 9 with a website “tour” on the agenda.
Also on the communications front, the Area Reps will be hosting a wine and cheese party on Monday, June 13 for newcomers to the community and are assembling an emergency contact list.
Board Approves Culvert Repairs
The Board voted during Tuesday’s Work Session to move forward with repairing eight additional culverts, as requested by Infrastructure Director, John Goodman. The project is estimated to take four weeks for completion.
Aside from the cost, estimated at $200,000, the Board’s major concern was to avoid imposing a large inconvenience on the community. In the end, it was agreed that the community can better deal with a “burst of chaos” as Lake and Dam Director Adam Wimberly put it, rather than prolonging the project.
Goodman said he will try to make the project as “painless as possible” by posting detour maps online, placing signage around the community and informing the gate guards. Goodman told The Times that now is the best time to tackle such a project.
When the culvert repairs will begin has yet to be determined, but Goodman told The Times he will get the information out to the community as soon as it is available.
Treasurer Freiert told the Board not to “worry about whether culverts are budgeted for,” since capital improvements projects are not budgeted as a line item and can be taken from the Reserve Fund if necessary.
Preparations for Boating Season
Boat patrol on Lake Auman will begin this weekend and will be “out in full force,” reported Lake and Dam Director Wimberly. Three members from the Lake and Dam Committee — Wimberly, Charlie Flinchum, and Don Smith — will be accompanying the new patrol officer for the first few scheduled patrols.
In addition to checking for rules compliance among boaters, the patrol officer will also be checking docked boats to make sure they have current stickers.
Boat safety rules and regulations will be posted on the community website for review; and Wimberly is asking that boaters comply with speed limits, specifically around Pine Island, where children may be swimming.
All boats on Lake Auman must have a North Carolina Wildlife Registration and tickets for not complying “will not be waived this year,” said Wimberly. A missing NC Wildlife Registration can result in fines from both the Association and the Wildlife Resources Commission, he added.
Wimberly reminded the community that subleasing your Johnson Point boat slip can result in a loss of boating privileges and your slip for a year. Director John Hoffman echoed this saying “We have residents on a waiting list for a boat slip,” and this type of subleasing is “not fair” to them.
Stickers on the boat must match that on the boat slip. Boating stickers must be obtained by June 2 and fines will be issued to those not in compliance, Wimberly said.
Other points covered by Wimberly included:
• Lake Auman Sports Club will have a bass fishing event on Saturday, May 21.
• Fishermen should consult the rules on the number and size of fish that can be taken from Lake Auman.
• Community Manager Joan Frost is obtaining estimates on the cost of repairs to the fishing dock at Johnson Point. Other repairs around Johnson Point are being estimated at $400.
Evening Classes Offered
Community Events Director Jim Ferguson reported that many of the day time classes offered in the community are being considered for evening classes, as long as, “instructors are willing to teach and enough community interest is shown.”
Andrea Schmidt will continue her daytime art classes and has agreed to hold a two-hour evening class if enough interest is generated. Other evening classes being considered are Tai Chi and Yoga.
Ferguson said instructors for those classes have yet to be contacted, but information regarding evening classes will be posted on the community website.
The summer season opening concert was “well received,” said Ferguson, with the next one to be held on June 3 featuring “The Musicians.”
The Board approved the following members for the Events Committee: Cathy Martinez, Joyce Freiert, Theresa Clark, Patti Patullo, Debbie Fee, and Cathy Baldwin.
New Yard Waste Hours
At the request of Community Manager Frost, the Board approved opening the Yard Waste Area from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, May thru October, with Mike Ellison manning at the site. The new hours will begin on Wednesday, May 18. If demand warrants, the Board may consider adding additional hours of operation.
The estimated cost is less than $600, which Treasurer Freiert said would “be worked out” in the budget.
Archiving of Community Documents
A new computer tower for archiving community documents is expected to be delivered on May 23, Frost reporter.
Legal Director Jack Stevens is continuing the process of having all the Associations current and past documents archived and categorized for easy look up. In order to speed up the archiving process, Stevens has been reaching out to local companies who deal with archiving to determine whether it would be cost-effective to outsource the process.
Pool Repairs
Repairs to the pool fence are underway and should be complete by May 13, Frost reported. The Southern Landscape Group will be repairing eroded areas behind the pool.
The pool inspection is scheduled for May 17, and passes will be distributed on May 15, Frost said.
Community Center
Power washing of the West Side Park Community Center is complete and has shown that the paint is “in bad shape and will need work,” said Frost. Estimates for the repairs are being evaluated.
Entrance Codes to the community center are in full operation and the Board has agreed to give the cleaning crew a code to be used during cleaning hours on Mondays and Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.
Manager’s Report
Other items covered by Community Manager Frost during Tuesday’s work session included:
• Members are adjusting “quite well” to new payment options such as automatic drafts. Frost reported that more payments are being sent to the lock box, which is helping CAS to be more “efficient” and “effectively control costs” for SLWLA.
• Boat Registration forms are arriving daily, and the CAS staff is making sure that insurance forms and requests for decals are all signed and attached.
• CAS administration is developing a new way to categorize compliance letters, which will be available at the next Board work session.
Safety and Security Report
After extensive review, the Safety and Security Committee has decided to withdraw their proposal for speed humps as a means of speed control in the community, Director of Safety and Security Jim McCarthy reported. He explained that, on roads without curbs, drivers tend to swing to the right and bypass the hump, which then creates damage to the road shoulder.
The Safety and Security Committee is looking into the possible installation of a gate on the Beacon Ridge side of Seven Lakes West. Four areas under consideration include: Banbridge Drive, Grace Court, Paula Court, and Finch Gate Drive. McCarthy said he believes the best option is Bainbridge Drive.
The vehicle stickers of Seven Lakes Landowners Association members will be expiring soon but the black stickers will still be honored by the gate guards for thirty more days reported McCarthy.
Finances in “good shape”
Treasure Don Freiert reported during Tuesday’s Work Session that cash disbursements for April were $127,500. Freiert has received dues payments in excess of $200,000 from dues paid by homeowners and is investigating a safe option for depositing the excess cash, because deposits are only insured by the FDIC up to $250,000.
Current cash checking is $300,000 and long term investments are at $1.1 million for a total of $1.4 million for the quarter ending April 30, Freiert reported. About $140,000 is in long term CDs, which are callable and marketable with no penalty accrued if money is removed early.
However, if the money remains in the CD it will gain the designated interest rate. One of the CDs is with Bank of America at a three percent interest rate while the other is with JP Morgan at a two percent interest rate.
Two CDs are expected to mature within the next two quarters, Freiert said, the first for $147,000 and the second for $200,000.
Architectural Review
Each new home, remodel, or other project under the jurisdiction of the Architectural Review Committee [ARC] must be recommended and approved separately with a description for that specific project, ARC Director Hoffman told his fellow Directors during Tuesday’s Work Session.
Luci Hadlock from the CAS staff will be reviewing project applications. Currently, there are seven homes under construction and thirty other ongoing projects in the community. A review of the three-year-old ARC Standards has begun and is being cross-checked with the rules and regulations.
Hoffmann said ARC has received a request from homeowners Robert Weich and Suzanne Wilson to recombine lots 3031 thru 3038 on Gibbon Drive in order to build a garage/workshop adjacent to the existing home. ARC has no opposition to the request, Hoffmann said, but are awaiting adequate plans for the total area before it can be approved.
On May 23, the Army Corp of Engineers will be stopping by Seven Lakes West to meet with Hoffman and discuss bulkheads on shoreline lots, installation of docks, and the area around the dam.
Hoffman said he is awaiting recommendations from ARC members regarding dock length extension from 20 feet to 22 feet 8 inches, which is the longest allowable length of a boat. Some concerns regarding dock extensions have included: safety, access limitations, and navigation and channel congestion in narrow coves. Recommendations will be brought to Hoffman within the next two weeks.
ARC Members
Joshua Haire and Bill Carl are new members to the ARC committee. Ed Shemp and Dick Williams were assigned as co-deputy chairs to the ARC committee to “deal promptly” with questions about ARC.
Bob Williams is responsible for review of all new construction; Ray MacKay is responsible for all site evaluations; and Sam Narayan is responsible for architectural review.
Long Range Planning
Treasurer Freiert reported that the Long Range Planning [LRP] committee will meet on Wednesday, May 11, to discuss results from a recent survey of the community.
A priority for the LRP is to update the mail delivery proposal from last year. LRP also wants to work with the Board and community members to take Seven Lakes West from “a group of mergers and annexations, into a Planned Community,” Freiert said.
President’s Goals
Though goals weren’t a topic of discussion during Tuesday’s Work Session, the packet prepared for the meeting included President Mick Herdrich’s three primary objectives for the SLWLA in the coming year, including:
• Improve communications within the community especially by using the website.
• Finalize a decision on the new mail house and front entrance project, and
• Take Seven Lake’s West from “a group of mergers and acquisitions to a Planned Community.”
The packet also included objectives for each director’s area of responsibility.
Public Comment Period
After hearing from Ed and Betty Zebley, as well as Sheila and Ray Sibiga and Bill Erickson during the public comment segment of Tuesday’s meeting, the Board approved a request from the Zebleys for an additional $775 to complete repairs to their property, which was damaged as a result of the culvert repairs in February.
The Board has already paid $1,000 in repairs to the Zebley’s property. However, Star Ridge Aquatics, a company that specializes in bogs and wetlands, recommended additional planting, in particular to re-stabilize a creek embankment.
Erickson said the Zebleys “have set the tone” in landscaping in the community, which has helped Westside property values.
The Board vote in favor of the reimbursement passed 6 to 3 with Sessler, Herdrich, and McCarthy opposed.
