Seven Lakes West held a Board Meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd at 7:00 PM.
Board Member Duane Coppeler announced that no salt was put on the roads due to the run-off into the lakes. Snow plows are brought in if the community receives three inches of snow or more.
One woman approached the Board with the concern of a dog that has been running loose in her yard for several months. She said she had called animal control and was told that they would not come out unless the dog attacked or was aggressive.
“We can do an investigation into this,” Coppeler said. “The more detail you can give us, the easier it is.”
The Board passed a motion to have the Lake Auman Sports Club “implement and supervise the Volunteer Lake Patrol for [the] 2018 boating season.”
The Board also passed a motion to “Request a yearly permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service for control of the resident geese population.” They have been controlling the birth of geese on pine island for ten years and have destroyed over 1,300 nests.
The Board passed a third motion to address the Canadian geese problem at Johnson Point.
Coppeler repeated the proposed changing of the by-laws which takes the Board from having seven members to having only five. The Board proposed the related by-law change as follows:
“In 2018, one Director position will be elected for a period of three years. In 2019 three Directors will be elected, two of which will serve three-year terms, and one of which will serve a two-year term… In 2021 and going forward, the yearly cycle of election for the Directors will be two, two, and one – each of which will serve three-year terms.”
The by-law change passed but may be revised later to have more clarity regarding the two and three-year terms that take place until the Board consists entirely of three-year terms.
The Board introduced the Temporary Community Manager, Jonathan Stone.
“Don’t get too used to me, but I’m happy to help out while I’m here,” Stone said.
Stone announced that the Board received no emails or comments on the message board in reference to the proposed budget.
Board Member Bert van Domselaar invited the community to the New Comer’s Reception that will take place on Sunday, January 28th at 4:00 PM. This event is especially for new residents within the community.
Jim Pieman gave a presentation on the new security systems in the community: Eagle Eye, and Brivo. Both systems are cloud systems based off-site.
Eagle Eye consists of cameras at five locations: front gate, back gate, Johnson Point, pool, and mail house. These cameras are hi-resolution and record continuously throughout the day and night. Eagle Eye cameras are installed and working.
Brivo is used for access control and consists of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Each vehicle will receive a plastic strip with an embedded electronic chip with a unique signal. There will be a $25 fee for new vehicle or new sponsored tags. The community has begun installing RFID tags.
Board Member Art Wieland joined the Board in December and is in charge of infrastructure.
“For those of you thinking about joining the Board, I would encourage it. My first month has been great,” Wieland said. “People help you out and… keep you on track… Maggie and Samantha always have chocolate, and you meet neighbors you’ve never met before.”
The ARC is currently working on about thirty-five projects.
The Board held a second reading and passed a motion from by-law Section 8, from 8.1 to remove “see and” where it says that members must “see and hear each other” at meetings. Due to technology, it is no longer required that members see one another.
Stone provided the community with the Manager’s report. New cushions and umbrellas have been ordered for the pool. Ten violation letters and two speeding letters have been issued. Four new construction projects and nine new ARC projects have begun in the community.
Herdrich questioned the existence of the Ad-Hoc Committee which was composed for the purpose of gate analysis. She suggested that the community instead give that job to the Safety and Security Committee as the project moves forward.
The Board passed a motion to dissolve the Ad-Hoc Committee.
Herdrich stated that the resident’s front entry gate was broken. A review of the front and back gates brought the realization that two gates need repairs at a total cost of $2,500. She suggested replacing all five gates with industrial gates at the cost of $31,200. The new gates will have a two-year full warranty and will last six to eight years.
“These things are so much better than what we have,” she said.
The Board decided to see if they could get a discount to get all five gates replaced. If not, then only the two gates needing repairs will be replaced. The Board may also consider removing the exit on Lakeway Drive.
The next Seven Lakes West Board Meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 27th at 7:00 PM.
