[Two corrections have been made to this article since it was first posted; they appear in boldface below.]
Wake surfing seems, when you first see it, physically impossible: A surfer, on a board, pulled along solely by the wake of the boat, with no ski rope connecting the two.
But Seven Lakers won't be seeing any wake surfing on Lake Sequoia; the Seven Lakes Landowners Association Board of Directors voted unanimously during the Wednesday, June 27 Open Meeting, to ban wake surfing on community lakes.
A relatively new watersport in the Eastern US, wake surfing places a rider with a very short ski rope on a surfboard behind a heavily-ballasted powerboat throwing a significant wake. Once up on the wake, the rider can drop the rope but continue to ride along, propelled by the wake itself. The heavy ballast, often several hundred pounds of water added via "ballast bags," allows the boat to produce a wake several feet high.
Director Don Fentzlaff explained that Lake Sequoia and Echo are too small to allow such a wake to dissipate by the time they reach docks and bulkheads on the shore. The result of a wake surfing on SLLA lakes would likely be property damage over time, he warned.
On motions from Fentzlaff, the Board banned wake surfing, non-factory ballasting, and the use of a ski rope shorter than 30 40 feet.
In other boating-related action, the Board also approved a change to Rule 8.4.1.2.1 making it clear that both powered and non-powered boats must carry a personal flotation device for each passenger. A change that would have required stickers on all boats and trailers on Association property was tabled, without explanation.
Penalties Stiffened for Unauthorized Work
Director Fentzlaff presented and won approval for two rules modifications that clarify the penalty for landowners who undertake improvements to their property without first obtaining the approval of the Architectural Review Board [ARB].
A change to Rule 13.1.6 makes clear that management will notify both owner and contractor in event of a rules violation, giving them 15 days to take corrective action.
A new rule, 13.2.10, sets a maximum an immediate $100 fine, plus a stop-work order, for improvements begun without ARB approval. Ignoring the stop-work order subjects the owner to an additional daily fine until work is stopped. If the ARB refuses to approve the project, the owner is required to restore the property or building to it original condition, before work commenced, or face additional daily fines.
New website up and running
Director David Buckingham reported that the newly-redesigned SLLA website is up and running at www.sevenlakesnc.org. Landowners are encouraged to visit the site and register as users. The Association plans to use the database of registered users to do blast emails on items of interest to the membership.
Instructions for registering are available at the top of the website home page. The first time members use the site, they must register as a New User. Once registered, most landowners will already have a record in the database that can be linked to their username.
"If you have any trouble logging in, I want to hear about it," Buckingham said.
Now that the new site is up and running, Buckingham said, he is looking for volunteers to help build out the website.
Finance
Treasurer Conrad Meyer offered only a brief report, but indicated he would have more to talk about in the July Work Session and Open Meeting, as the Finance Committee is wrapping up work on its annual inventory of capital assets, developing a policy for SLLA reserves, and developing support material for a potential dues increase.
Manager Cochran reported that, as of May 31, the Association had $1.8 million in cash accounts and $1.1 million in reserve funds. She noted that the financial reports had been modified to allocate salaries and personnel-related costs by "cost center." A line item has also been added for income derived from stables operations.
Grounds & Maintenance
Director Chuck Leach said the Maintenance Committee had identified seventy items that need attention and decided to focus on nine of those to start with. Among those projects is an analysis of the roofs on Association-owned buildings, four of which need to be redone by 2017. Leach said three companies have been asked to evaluate the work needed, adding that the work will be phased over a number of years. As the buildings are roofed, venting will be added and gutters and downspouts will be replaced.
Other projects on the committee's short list include:
• Painting bathroom doors, and shower walls and floors in the pool area, a task which has been mostly completed.
• Installing landscape timbers to facilitate parking at Lake Sequoia.
• Power-washing and painting of the Landowners Office.
• Power-washing the pool area.
• Removing a tree near the pool.
Leach thanked the community for their patience while the yard debris site was closed for repairs that included improving drainage, adding additional gravel, and cleaning up the site.
Resident Bob Cook asked whether any progress had been made in developing a cadre of volunteers who could man the debris site, to help prevent unauthorized dumping. Leach and Security Director Steve Ritter will be working on implementing that idea. President Darr noted that it may be necessary to shorten the hours of operation at the site in order to provide coverage by volunteers.
Lakes & Dams
The recent hot weather and lack of rain mean lake levels are beginning to recede, Director Fentzlaff noted. He explained that the Lakes and Dams Committee has developed a formula for pumping water from one lake to another in order to maintain levels.
"Any lake that becomes four inches lower than the lake that supplies that lake, we will turn on the pump," Fentzlaff said, with the caveat that a foot of water must be maintained over the intakes of the dry hydrants used by Seven Lakes Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
"We don't want anyone's lake looking like it is going to be a mud puddle," Fentzlaff said. "We will keep the lakes as full as we can."
He added that the lakes would be tested for e. coli and total coliform on Thursday, June 28, with results to be posted on Monday July 2.
Community Standards
Director Bob Racine expressed considerable frustration that registration-related duties and other work imposed by the Talis office in Raleigh had left the Seven Lakes Talis staff unable to devote any time to Community Standards and ARB enforcement issues.
"The Committee is fed up!" Racine said. "To go forward, I will jump start this on July 1," he said, pledging to check on known violations every day and to schedule two meeting of the Judicial Committee during the month, if necessary.
"If I haven't reenergized the Standards Committee by the Open Meeting in August, then I will resign," Racine said. "However, if I have been obstructed by management, then I will see that any problems there are corrected before submitting my resignation."
Recreation
Racine said the Wednesday, June 20 meeting of the Recreation Committee had attracted eleven participants and focused on the reinvigoration of programs at the stables. "We had a fantastic meeting,' he said.
A "wish list" for the stables has been posted in the mailhouses, and new sign-in forms are in use at both the stables and the pool that will provide the Board with better data on the usage of those amenities.
"What's going on out there at the stables is blowing me away," President Darr added. "The horses look good, and the place is getting cleaned up. The folks that were in here voicing their support are out there volunteering. I want to applaud Alina for the great choice of a manager."
Fourth of July
Cochran announced that the traditional July 4th boat parade would begin at 11:00 am. Boaters are to gather at Sequoia Island.
The Independence Day fireworks display, launched from Sequoia Point, is scheduled for 9:15 pm. Sequoia Dam will be closed from 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Access to Sequoia Point will be restricted, by law, once the fireworks crew begins setting up for the display.
Architectural Review
Directory Fentzlaff reported that the ARB Committee, during the past month, had approved a new deck, two deck resurfacings; a concrete pad at the base of a driveway, four new roofs, one aluminum and one split rail fence, the renewal of a gravel driveway, the installation of a drain line from the road to lake, the application of vinyl siding, one new dock, and renewing a railing on one front porch. The Committee denied four applications based on inadequate information.
Security
Director Steve Ritter reported that he is continued to work on "retooling" access policies based on discussion and input during the June 11 Work Session -- as well as repairing some of the "technology" at the gates, including the monitors and intercoms that connect the North and South gates.
Ritter said he hopes to establish the second Thursday of each month at 2:00 pm as the regular time for the Security Committee to meet, with the first meeting scheduled for July 12.
Other Business
In other business during the June 27 SLLA Open Meeting:
• The Board approved a change to Rule 5.1.1.1 which make clear that renters, as well as owners, are not allowed to park commercial vehicles on their property or SLLA streets except for loading, unloading, or other temporary needs.
• The Directors approved the minutes of the May 30 and June 11 meetings.
• Manager Cochran reported that work on the Sequoia island bulkhead has begun and is about one-third complete.
• Cochran thanked new stables manager Kate Pennington and Dana Olds for finding a new home for Bonnie, a member of the SLLA herd who was lame and could no longer be ridden. She thanked volunteers from the community for pitching in to clean up the stables.
