What a beautiful time of the year this is…with its brilliantly blue sky and the trees wearing their fall finery. There is a difference to the feel of the air which gives anticipation of the seasons to come: deer hunting and football. (Bet you thought I meant Thanksgiving and Christmas.) Let me encourage everyone to get out and enjoy all the autumn activities.
Last month, Huey Stockstill, Inc. completed our big capital improvement for this year. The project covers two miles of roads and the lodge parking lot. It looks great. We have repaved over nine miles of our roads over the past two years… and what an impact it has made on the road conditions and the looks of the community. The striping will follow in November on the newly repaved main roads and the parking lot at the lodge.
We now have a paved road to a small parking area at the lower level of the Lodge for handicap parking which gives easier accessibility to the office and lower level. I encourage those individuals (with handicap permits) for whom the stairs provide an obstacle to utilize this parking area.
Our fiscal year ended on September 30th. The new fiscal year started October 1, 2007 and will continue through September 30, 2008. Kent Whitfield, CPA of Whitfield & Company PC will begin an audit on last year’s business and complete our tax returns. The new budget for this year was approved by the Board of Directors last month; you can review it on page five of this Echoes. I would like to thank Mr. Ed Ennis and his Finance Committee for their knowledge and for helping me prepare the budget. The process went very smoothly with the committee’s involvement.
This month HAWL is conducting a poll with property owners on the proposal to install sewer collection lines in our community. The cost for the lines to come in is $2,000 per lot owner. If the property owner chooses to connect their home to the lines, it would be an additional $5,000 (worst case scenario as per the UA). Last month the Pearl River County Utility Authority (PRCUA) informed HAWL that grant funding would be available to cover the wastewater treatment plant cost associated with our sewage system. This funding would save each property owner approximately $2,000 should the property owner elect to connect to the actual sewer system. Should this poll show that the majority of the community is interested further information including final cost, financing options and system questions would be pursued. The PRCUA has given HAWL the okay to conduct our own vote, so there will be no worries or uncertainties about their (PRCUA) rules or a non-returned ballot being a “yes” vote. This vote would be done just as our elections are held in the community, and the majority would determine the outcome.
As stated last month in the debate of septic tanks versus a sewer collection system, with a septic tank the liquid waste goes to a drain field or seepage pit on your property and eventually percolates down to the groundwater. With a sewer collection system, the liquid waste will be removed from your property and treated with a sanitation process before it is discharged. It has also been stated by many knowledgeable sources that just by having the sewer lines in front of your property (with the option to connect), your property value increases by a minimum of 10%. For example, if your property/home is worth $150,000 today, your property value would increase $15,000. If the lines cost $2,000 and you connect to the lines, paying the additional $5,000, you still have increased the value of your home by a minimum of $8,000. There is much to think about during this process, and these speculations may help you make your decision on what is best for you and for our community.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at the
office.
Bruce Devillier
General Manager
