Links to past articles.
This past month was one of the most enjoyable months for our part of the world with Mardi Gras and our GREAT New Orleans Saints winning their first Super Bowl. All I can say is “Who Dat”!!! The community as well has had lots going on. Here are some action items from last month.
Our yearly audit has now been completed by Whitfield and Company. You can review the actual final financial numbers on page 9 of this month’s Echoes. I would like to thank our office staff for a job well done during this audit review. This audit was the best on procedures since I have been here and I attribute its successfulness to the longevity of our current personnel, their attention to detail and proper procedures as well as their overall dedication to the Hide-A-Way Lake Community.
The following capital improvement projects/purchases were paid for with monies from the Capital Reserve Account.
· Road striping of the newly repaved roads and some additional re-striping was completed last month. Robbie Robinson, Inc. was paid $4,982.28.
· A new water heater booster was purchased for our restaurant from Grover Brothers for a total cost of $1,717.89.
· A new Yamaha 25 hp boat motor was purchased from Mid Stream Marine for a total cost of $4,538.58. This capital purchase was necessary to replace the old motor on the security boat since it was no longer operating and had become too costly to repair.
· The lake valve was closed as of February 26th. During the time the lake was down, we inspected our spillway and dam. In addition to some annual preventative maintenance, we discovered some minor erosion along the spillway and dam. All of the repairs were completed by our Maintenance Department. A total cost of $2,515.00 was paid to HSI Ready Mix and Farris Concrete Pumping, LLC for the materials and equipment used.
· A backup water system chlorinator kit for our water system was purchased from Coast Chlorinator for a total of $1,503.35.
As stated last month, the Southgate usage hours have been extended to Monday through Friday 6:30 am-8:30 am and 4:00 pm-7:00 pm (excluding holidays). Both time slots are for exit and entry (Please note that ONLY property owners with a valid Hide-A-Way Lake decal will be allowed entry). Vehicles only i.e. cars, pickup trucks, motorcycles (with current decals) will be allowed; trailers, boats or towed vehicles of any type are to use the main gate. There will be no exceptions in this regard as this is the agreement made with the City of Picayune per court order. We are currently in the planning stages of building a guard house at this location with a timeline for completion by year end.
The big project of installing centralized sewer is underway. This is a long-term project for which the plan is 14 months to complete pending weather. The contractor is starting in the back area on the east side by the stable area this month. We have allowed the contractor to store equipment and materials at the old airstrip location; therefore, during the time this project is ongoing we will not allow anyone to use the airstrip area.
Please note that effective with this month’s billing statement, the new garbage rate is now $13.55 for Coastal Waste’s Services, which is based on the Consumer Price Index for this year.
A new 4-way stop has been added, for everyone’s safety, at the intersection of Hide-A-Way Lane and Tanglewood Drive. This is warranted due to safety issues caused by having a major curve within a main intersection that could cause a head on accident. There has been numerous “near misses” for both vehicles and pedestrians at this location. Also, this intersection is located near our west playground.
I again thank you for your patience and your consideration during our time of growth. It will be well worth all the headaches once the sewage work has been completed. And as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at the office.
Bruce Devillier
General Manager
