Links to past articles. 
Events planned for July went extremely well. I hope everyone enjoyed the activities/amenities over the last few months and will continue to do so as we move into the second half of the year. Summer break for the school year came to an end this month so please remember to use caution around school buses on our roadways. We, as drivers, must watch out for the children since they are not always watching out for us.
Last month, our Lake Quality Committee, working with the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal, and Plant Health Inspection Services-Wild Life Services (USDA), performed a “round-up” of the Canada geese and we had fifty removed from our lake. Over the last six years this has cost our community over $4,000 to remove these birds. These geese are a major health issue to our lake and community due to the fecal material deposited all over your property and our common grounds. Those individuals working with the USDA recommend that no one feed the geese as this will cause them to stay in the area and continue to be a nuisance. Property owners who are feeding the geese, please STOP! This is such a big problem that there has been a $50 fine (first offense) put in place for those individuals who are caught feeding the geese. Also, the USDA is recommending that we work with other local community lakes/ponds who are having the same problem with the Canada geese and do round-ups at the same time. These round-ups must be done during the molting season as the birds cannot fly at that time. Please help us with this issue. I cannot count the number of property owners who have called about the fecal matter everywhere. I am hopeful that this approach will help to fix this aggravation for not only our property owners but our Maintenance Department as well who are having to clean up after the geese in the common areas.
The first phase of the culvert and drainage work at Southgate and Woodlawn and the turn-around at the end of Woodlawn was completed last month. A payment of $23,827 was paid to Heritage Homes, Inc. for this capital project. The second phase, which is currently in progress, is the construction of the new Southgate Guardhouse. Please remember, during construction phases there will be lane closures and gravel (not pavement) at the Southgate. Use caution and patience during this time.
Last month part of our preventative maintenance on our water system was completed. We hired Utility Service Co., Inc. to perform inspections and washouts of both our pressure tanks located at Wells #2 (13,000 gallons) and #3 (20,000 gallons). This has to be done every five years. Both internal inspections indicated the tanks to be in good condition. The exterior of the tank at Well #3 needs painting this year. We are getting cost estimates now. The cost of the inspections and washouts was $2,300 for both tanks.
The pool has been extremely active the last few months - as it is every year at this time. Even with all the activity, the condition of the pool water has been the best I have ever seen. Our Maintenance Department has done a great job focusing on this amenity for you, but no one has worked harder than our maintenance associate, Mark Leleck. He has a passion for making it right for you. Our residents, and I would like to thank Mark for a job well done. Next time you see Mark out in the community, or out working at the pool, congratulate him for his outstanding service.
In an effort to control abuse of our pool amenities by ineligible individuals, we will require a picture ID or HAWL card to verify the resident upon pool sign in. Pool hours this month will be adjusted according to usage. Please call the office or check the website for hours of operation.
Thank you for your continued patience as we experience the growing “pains” of change...and as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at the office.
Bruce Devillier
General Manager
