From fire hy-drants to culverts, from dam repairs to a new mailhouse, over the past four years, the Seven Lakes West Landowners Association [SLWLA] has invested nearly $2.6 million in community improvements. Speaking during the Association’s Sunday, March 17 Annual Meeting, outgoing President Mick Herdrich concluded a review of the past year with a look back at four years of investments in the community.
• In 2010, the $580,000 remediation of the Lake Auman Dam accounted for the lion’s share of $693,000 in capital improvements.
• The $242,000 spent in 2011 included $123,000 for culvert repairs and $46,000 to install new piezometers to monitor the health of the dam.
• In 2012, major project funding totaled $722,000, including $249,000 for repairs to the Lakeway Mall pond dam and $194,000 for culvert repairs.
• $923,000 in 2013 projects included $353,000 for the new mailhouse, plus $300,000 for repairs to pond dam #3.
Herdrich noted that some of these repairs were planned — like the mailhouse — while others — like pond dam #3 — were the result of poor original construction by the developer.
“This time, these things were done right,” Herdrich said, “and they won’t have to be done again.”
Looking forward, he said major projects planned for the coming year include reconfiguring the front entranceway and exploring the possibility of building walking trails around West Side Park.
Milligans win Fellingham Award
Betty and Ronnie Milligan were named the 2013 recipients of the Fellingham Community Service Award during the Annual Meeting.
Making the presentation, former Fellingham Award recipient Bud Sales explained that the award was established to recognize Association members who made a “significant contribution to the community over a sustained period of time.” The Milligan’s contribution is on daily display to all who use the front entrance and enjoy the landscaping on Lakeway Mall.
The Milligans moved to Seven Lakes West in 2001, Sales said, and immediately volunteered to serve on the beautification committee. Betty Milligan became chair of that committee in 2003; and, in 2005, along with Roger Brooke, she approached the Board with a request for $40,000 in funding to landscape Lakeway Mall.
Noting that the entire SLWLA budget was roughly $300,000 at the time, Sales said the Board managed to come up with $3,000, while the Milligans raised $20,000 from private contributions. After hiring a landscape architect to develop a long range plan for the mall area, the Milligans put their backs into the project, laying irrigation pipe, planting, mulching, pruning, and weeding.
When the Community Center was finished, the Milligans spearheaded the planting of roses around the building. And, picking up on an idea forwarded by former resident Ruth Van Lehn, they pushed for the recent project to clean up the face of the lower Lakeway pond dam, providing residents and visitors entering the community a view of Lake Auman from Lakeway Drive.
“This is really a big surprise, but one that we will cherish,” Betty Milligan said, accepting the award. “We love our community here, and we want it to be the best it can be. Lakeway Drive is our front door and we want it to be the best that we can be. She credited the work of “many volunteers as well as supporting Boards.”
Distinguishing himself as first among those volunteers, Ronnie Milligan said, to the amusement of the crowd, “Betty is the one who deserves this award. I only did what I was told to do.”
Budget approved, Directors elected
Westsiders vote each year on the budget proposed by the Board for the coming fiscal year. A budget is considered approved unless a majority of all members vote against it.
President Herdrich announced that 549 members had cast votes for the FY 2013-2014 budget — 339 in favor, and 210 opposed.
Secretary Jane Sessler announced the election of three new Board members: Brian Benjamin, Dale Erickson, and Chuck Watkins. She did not reveal vote totals. Sessler, Herdrich, and Treasurer Don Freiert are retiring from the Board.
Director Jack Stevens told The Times that the Board will elect officers during its next regular meeting, on Tuesday, March 26.
The Nominating Committee for FY 2013-2014 will include Jane Sessler, Ed Silberhorn, Jim Ballew, Kathy Kirst, Pat Land, Ron Shepard, and Ron Sickenberger.
Year in review
In addition to highlighting investments the Association has made in major capital projects over the last four years, President Herdrich provided a review of key accomplishments during the past twelve months.
The Board has accomplished many of the goals it set for itself at the beginning of the year, Herdrich said, including:
• Completing a road management plan.
• Forming an Amenities Committee to focus on upgrades throughout the community.
• Continuing to transfer day-to-day responsibilities to Community Association Services [CAS] staff members.
• Completing the mailhouse.
• Developing plans for reconfiguring the front entranceway.
Herdrich then reported on accomplishments in each Director’s area of responsibility.
Architectural Review issued permits for eleven new houses of major modifications, as well as 178 smaller projects. The permitting process was streamlined, and a number of policies were clarified.
The Events Committee offered a wide range of community events, including concerts and picnics, as well as classes in self defense and gun safety.
Lake & Dam selected a dam engineer to replace the retiring Dr. Dan Marks, completed a survey of the Lake Auman Fishery, and began updating the Lake Auman master plan. A new gate was installed at the boat and trailer storage area, and work on road and drainage issues at Johnson Point is underway.
Legal Affairs worked to limit use of the Association’s outside attorney by relying on members of the Legal Affairs Committee and CAS legal counsel, as well as by developing templates for contracts in order to minimize attorney review.
Infrastructure completed a major remediation of Carriage Park Pond Dam #3, selected a consultant to prepare a comprehensive road repaving plan, completed a maintenance building, and installed fire hydrants.
Communications continued development of the SLWLA website, which has reached 880 registered users. Weekly emails are sent to those who have signed up and have become a preferred means of Association communications. The SLWLA Handbook is now available online, saving the cost of printing and distribution, and ensuring that members have ready access to an up-to-date copy of the rules and regulations.
Safety & Security switched security vendors to US Securities and added a professional roving patrol. New security cameras were installed at the gates. Association members responded rapidly to news that Moore County had, without warning, changed the protocol for handling emergency medical calls within Seven Lakes West, leading the County to reverse that decision, at least temporarily.
The Finance Committee updated the ten-year financial projections, implemented new quarterly financial reports, and completed a reserve analysis and capital expenditure tracking.
Volunteers honored
As part of the printed agenda for the Annual Meeting, the Board listed the scores of volunteers that contribute time and effort on community projects.
Secretary Sessler praised those “who contribute their time and expertise to keep Seven Lakes West a community that is moving forward.”
She noted that many members serve on more than one committee, and many serve year-after-year.
“Some have referred to this Board as a clique,” Sessler said. “If it is a clique, it is a ridiculously large clique, with plenty of diversity, extending across a number of years.”
Sessler closed her remarks by noting that the Board would be looking for new volunteers in the coming year.
Other Business
In other business during the SLWLA Annual Meeting:
• Betsy Mikula was applauded for her dozen years of service as the editor of the Westside Newsletter and the originator of the SLWLA website. Mikula has announced that the March edition of the newsletter will be the final issue.
• Builder Bill Reaves thanked the Westside community for allowing him to build the new mailhouse, noting that the project created a large number of jobs.
• During Member Comments, Gayle Mace expressed dismay that her lot number was not allocated a box in the new mailhouse. President Herdrich explained that Westsiders who had no box in the old mailhouse would not be able to have a box number corresponding to their lot number in the new mailhouse.
• George Reynolds asked about the clear cutting of a large acreage that lies outside of Longleaf Drive, in the Anchor Point area. Director Stevens said he had responded to questions concerning the timber cutting in the comments section of the SLWLA website.
