Sitting in for his first open meeting with the Seven Lakes Landowners Association [SLLA] Board of Directors, newly-hired Community Manager Ray Sohl offered a short list of his priority projects.
Sohl took the reins in mid-September as part of a new management contract with Community Association Services, Inc [CAS]. Joining him in the SLLA office are Assistant Community Manager Stephanie Cook, who was hired to continue in that position from Talis Management, and longtime front office staff members, Alice McPheeters and Brenda Massimo, who will fill in as needed. In addition, Bianca Pratt was hired.
“I am grateful to be here . . . Seven Lakes is similar to other communities I have managed in the past,” Sohl said.
Sohl singled out the existing collection policy as needing some revisions to bring it in line with the NC Planned Community Act. He added that he noted a slight budget variance; but, based on his cursory review he felt Association finances appear to be on track. He also prioritized developing a template that would ensure all key components included when issuing contracts.
Turning his attention to infrastructure needs, Sohl said it would be prudent to purchase a remote backup for the computer server and reported that the maintenance shed building has roof issues and may need to be razed rather than renovated.
SLLA President Bob Darr said he has been pleased with the management contract change to CAS.
“We are already seeing good things happen,” he said. “From a Board standpoint, he is very receptive to what we have been talking about and also coming back with his own proposals.”
Board seeks new member
One chair is vacant at the Board of Directors' table following the recent resignation of Director Dave Buckingham, and the near future will bring more uncertainty, as a majority of seats on the SLLA Board will need to be filled in next year’s election.
“We are vacant one director and looking for someone to fill the spot. If there are any volunteers, please come forward,” Darr pleaded. “While the vacant member was in charge of Communications, that is not necessarily the job. If you have some expertise or some interest, we could probably accommodate you.”
Looking ahead to March 2013, Darr was hopeful that a full slate of candidates will be identified.
“It is a difficult task to find candidates,” he said. “There is the potential of four openings, and I believe it would be helpful to the community if we had more candidates than openings.”
Darr himself has not announced whether or not he will seek a second term, nor have the three other Board members whose terms are expiring: Treasurer Conrad Meyer, Secretary Bob Racine, and Director Don Fentzlaff. All four were seated in 2010 during a rancorous election that was immediately followed by the resignations of two more Directors; a seismic shift that repopulated the seven-member Board with six newcomers.
“I think the four of us who came in a year and a half ago would agree that it has been a hell of lot of work,” Darr said, noting that with the transition to CAS, the Board, as a collective group, intends to delegate more day-to-day operations to professional management.
“That was what we anticipated when got a management company in the first place," Darr said, "and I feel, with CAS, we will be able to reduce workload and have the Board spend their time looking at other things more in depth.”
Lakes & Dams
There was more bad news at the Echo Dam but work has been progressing and the valve replacement project is nearly complete, reported Director Don Fentzlaff.
As initially planned, the upper valve of a pipe connecting Lake Echo to Lake Sequoia had to replaced; but, it was later discovered, the lower valve also had to be replaced. He anticipated an additional cost of $4,700.
Fentzlaff said the new valves will need to be regularly “exercised,” by opening and closing them manually, and should last at least thirty years.
Offering a summary of the work, Fentzlaff said the lower valve was replaced first -- which delayed the scheduled lowering of Lake Echo -- and then the upper valve followed. During the lowering process, the flow of water between the lakes was substantial -- and was carefully monitored to ensure no erosion occurred.
Continuing the Lakes & Dams Committee report, Fentzlaff said the pumping program developed this Spring to distribute water more equally among the community’s lakes has worked fairly well, adding that a problem with the Little Juniper Lake pump was corrected.
Water testing has been scheduled for October 17, to include chemical composition -- measuring iron and sulfates to determine the quality of water -- plus dissolved oxygen, clarity, and temperature tests, all to be conducted by Lakes & Dams Committee volunteers.
Stables and liability
Questions over the placement of jumping equipment in the equestrian ring and a handicap ramp at the stables were raised by former SLLA Treasurer John Paulson, during public comment.
“Under the rules of the Association, there is no jumping -- so can someone please tell me why there are jumps in the arena?" Paulson asked. "I brought this up last month and nothing was done. If they are not allowed to jump, why are they still out there?”
Paulson also questioned the Board about the liability policy with Prancing Horse and the handicap ramp installed at the Seven Lakes Stables.
“Who authorized it and who paid for it?” he demanded. “Who assembled it? Because, if a contractor did it, then they have liability. But if our people did it, then we are liable if it ever breaks.”
SLLA President Darr responded that the ramp was owned, installed, and provided for by Prancing Horse.
“In terms of liability, the Board has done a lot of work and we are comfortable with the insurance coverage we have and the insurance they have,” he said. “We are satisfied we are covered.”
Regarding the jumps, SLLA Treasurer Conrad Meyer said Paulson had a valid point and Recreation Director Bob Racine agreed to take up the issue.
Speaking with The Times, Stables Manager Kate Pennington explained the jumping equipment has been in place at the arena for a long time and that, rather than being used for jumping, the low-lying beams are used during riding lessons as barriers to guide the horses around.
Mailroom trash receptacles removed
During public comment, Northsider Bob Cook expressed concern that the large trash receptacles were missing from the mail room.
Darr responded that they were removed for a good reason.
“Every three or four days those barrels are so full the maintenance guys can’t even lift them!" Darr said. "And we are short-handed in that department, so we made the decision: when you go get your mail, it is your trash. Take it home and get rid of it.”
He agreed that the trash cans had been placed in the mail room to collect junk mail waste, but said it is a cost and a service the Association can no longer afford.
“We are way down on our ability to do all kinds of maintenance work, and that is one item that we decided they didn’t have to take care of,” Darr said, noting his frustration that some landowners have taken to throwing their junk mail waste on the floor or leaving it on the mail room tables. “I don’t get it! Just take your mail home and sort it.”
Nuisance animals
Any animal that repeatedly chases, snaps at, threatens, or attacks will be considered a nuisance, Director Racine said, also calling attention to animals that bark excessively or annoy other property owners.
“These animals shall be considered a public nuisance, and any violations will fall under the regular judicial process,” he said.
Under action items during the September 26 Open Meeting, the Board unanimously approved a deletion within Rule 5.2.10, eliminating a reference to transportation of animals by SLLA staff.
15 minute parking zone
Noting that some may consider it trivial, Director Racine said he is frustrated by community teenagers who use the North mailhouse parking lot to access a nearby school bus stop. He reported that efforts to curb the behavior by speaking to the families have not corrected the problem and instead recommended a fifteen minute parking zone be established at the location.
In addition, Racine and Darr also said the students are smoking in the mailhouse while they wait for the bus.
However, the Board voted down the parking zone proposal when questions arose over how the rule would be enforced and whether it would be more effective to relocate the bus stop.
“No one will be out there with a stop watch," Racine responded. "The rule would be enforced using common sense. We asked them not to park there last year; and it will stop for awhile, but then it the cars start creeping back up.”
Speaking from the floor, David Miller suggested working with Moore County Schools to have the bus stop moved.
“I am the one who helped get these stops put in the neighborhood," Miller explained. "And, when we laid out the route, SLLA had the privilege to select where those stops were placed.”
Finance
“We continue to press on with collections, and are making progress,” reported SLLA Treasurer Conrad Meyer. “Now that CAS is on board, there will be more attention to this process in the future.”
Continuing the Finance Committee report, Meyer said several entries were adjusted for the annual audit report, and that Talis Management and SLLA records are “now in agreement with the reserves balances and members’ equity balance.”
He anticipated the audit would soon be finalized and those adjustments would be noted on the balance sheet. Meyer also reported that the transition of financial systems from Talis to CAS is continuing and that all bank accounts will be transferred.
Grounds and Maintenance
Two contracts were approved for maintenance projects at community buildings.
A $19,100 contract with Elite Roofing includes asphalt shingles at the North Clubhouse and new metal roofing at the Lake Sequoia pavilion shelter and the pool pump house.
A $6,875 contract with Cheek Brothers includes installation of vinyl wrapping of all exposed exterior woodwork at the North Clubhouse and installation of new gutters and downspouts.
Director Chuck Leach reported that the Maintenance Committee will be discussing any additional infrastructure needs during their upcoming meeting.
Community Standards
Violations are being noted, but the Community Standards Committee has been unable to follow through with letters, since their files were not received in a timely fashion from Talis.
“I am trying to keep positive, but we can’t do anything on violations until our files are transferred,” said Director Bob Racine.
Recreation
The S’Mores Party at Sequoia Point beach held on Sunday, September 9, was very well-attended, reported Racine. “We ran out of graham crackers, but all the kids had a great time,” he said.
The next community event is a children’s Halloween Party planned for October 31 at the North Clubhouse. Volunteers are needed to decorate and assist with the event. Please contact the SLLA office if interested.
During public comment, former Director Andy Lowe expressed concern that illegally parked cars had been a problem at a recent swim meet held on Lake Echo.
Darr agreed.
“We need to give better directions to organizers when our facility is used for events," he said. "When they hold the big swim meet, it has been better controlled. I agree that this smaller meet was a near disaster, with cars parked all over the dam.”
Architectural Review
Two new members of the Architectural Review Board [ARB] were approved by a vote of acclamation. Jane Leach and Brett Siebenhar were appointed to serve, effective immediately.
Director Fentzlaff reported that the committee approved one new home construction in Seven Lakes South; in addition, approval was granted for projects including new trim, deck replacement, installation of new water lines from the street to an existing home, a new roof, a reconfigured driveway, and replacement of driveway gravel with asphalt.
He also reported that a request was received to remove diseased trees from a yard. Fentzlaff said a request in that type of case is not necessary, but that the ARB does appreciate when such applications are received.
Security
Director Steve Ritter reported that he met with the new onsite supervisor for The Budd Group to discuss several ongoing security issues.
He said recommendations include evaluating cameras at the gates to determine how they are tied in and whether there any redundancies. That evaluation will extend to the camera contract, which needs to be updated.
Ritter also reported the new supervisor has had trouble identifying some houses, particularly at night, and recommended that homeowners consider purchasing reflective address signs from Seven Lakes EMS. Order forms are available at the SLLA office.
Andy Lowe also suggested that property owners can have a blinking light installed at their home which can be activated in the event emergency services are needed.
Turning attention to other security issues, Ritter said the Security Committee has recommended that only barcode stickers be issued to renters, because the codes can be turned off on demand, unlike windshield stickers, which can remain active and in-use throughout any given fiscal year.
Darr agreed. “The Association is not notified when renters leave, so it is a problem,” he said.
Road repaving project
Road repaving work is now complete in the community, at least for the next few years. Based on a sixteen-year plan approved earlier this year, road repaving work will be conducted every four years -- which will allow reserve accounts to build up in between projects. Roads have been prioritized and will be paved according to plan.
Expected to cost $576,000, the work completed this Summer came in under-budget at $508,766; however, road striping work must still be completed.
During public comment, Northsider Dillard Colvin said unstriped roads, particularly where Firetree Lane crosses Lake Echo, are dangerous.
He also said he had noticed that traffic in the mornings make it difficult to exit the Northside gates and suggested that a second exit gate could be established closer to the Stables area. Darr said he would take that recommendation to the Long Range Planning Committee for discussion.
Northsider Peg Anderson also expressed concern that the paving on Millstone Road was becoming rougher as the new asphalt settled in. Darr promised to take a look at that section of roadway.
During public comment, former Director Andy Lowe complimented the Board.
“I want to thank you for the work you did on paving,” he said. “We talked about it for years, and it is good to see some paving finally got done.”
Other business
In other business conducted by the SLLA Board on Wednesday, September 26:
• Northsider Les Sommers asked if the Association had met with the Seven Lakes Country Club, presumably to discuss the renegotiated agreement over future development on the old driving range. Darr responded that no meeting had taken place.
• By a vote of acclamation, Loren Swearingen was appointed to serve on the Judicial Committee.
• A formal motion to accept the resignation of Director Dave Buckingham was approved.
