HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, August 27, 2020 7:00 PM
Unapproved
Board members, committee chairs, club representatives, employees, and a limited number of residents were present.
Board of Directors Members Present: Dave Hafner, Patricia Hawkins, Scott Giska, Robert Starks, and Donna Yetzer
Board of Directors Members Absent: None
Community Manager Present: Bruce Keller
Assistant Community Manager: Dave Wismann
August 27, 2020 Motions:
- Approval of July 2020 Minutes — Board Secretary
- Approval of Bond Returns—Architecture Committee
Call to Order: Patricia Hawkins
President Patricia Hawkins called the Board of Director Meeting to order at 7:00pm
Pledge of Allegiance:
The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance.
President’s Report: Patricia Hawkins
On September 1, the Hidden Valley Lake Fitness Center will reopen to members. This is an important milestone for us. The Fitness Center has been closed since March when the pandemic shutdowns began and remained closed even as we reopened other spaces and amenities. Its reopening means that all our spaces and amenities, albeit with some limitations, are once again operating and we look forward to returning to some state of normalcy.
The coronavirus, however, is loath to let go and has claimed yet another casualty namely the fall 2020 Ohio Lake Communities Association (OLCA) meeting. Hidden Valley Lake was going to host this event which would have brought in representatives from lake communities in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania and given them the opportunity to discuss common problems and potential solutions. The association cancelled the meeting given on-going virus concerns and mandates.
We had asked our Future Planning Committee to lead the strategic planning for this event and they have performed admirably. We thank them for their efforts and want to assure them that their efforts are not in vain. We will resume planning once the event has been rescheduled.
This is Bruce Keller’s second to last board meeting. Bruce will be retiring the first part of October. The board will be planning a community celebration farewell and will be sending information and an invitation out to the community.
Secretary’s Report: Scott Giska
- Approval of July 2020 Minutes
Motion made by Robert Starks and seconded by Donna Yetzer to approve the July 23, 2020 meeting minutes. Motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: Robert Starks
All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Financial Position as of the end of July 2020
Our Cash Position on June 30, 2020, $651,798.00
Ending Cash on July 31, 2020, $1,228,039.00
Notes:
- All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.
- HVL POA plans annually for a balanced budget. (i.e., anticipated annual expenses are planned to not exceed anticipated annual income).
- Some infrequent expenses are predictable such as replacement of vehicles, maintenance of our roads, the many lake dams, swimming pool liner, lake dredging, etc.
- Funds are escrowed each year to cover those future expenses and are included in the totals. Projected cash at year-end is generally equal to zero dollars plus escrowed funds for above mentioned expenses as well as necessary reserves. Reserves include two months of operating capital, capital for asset purchases, and Architecture bond payments to be refunded.
- All financials are audited by an outside auditor annually.
Golf Club Report: Dave Hafner
The Golf Club currently has 228 members. We are hoping to get up over 230 members. Green fees and cart rentals have been up and going strong. On Monday’s, we have been seeing a lot of support from HVL residents. Thank you!
August numbers look good. We expect to be up to 3,000 rounds this year. Today, we had the Elder Outing which is a very big outing for the club. Elder, Oak Hills, Lawrenceburg, and other school districts use the course for practice and matches which attract a lot of boys and girls from other local schools.
The year-to-date cash balance for this year (which includes the PPP loan) is $142,000 compared to $23,000 at the same point in 2019.
Julie Mason, Lot 2224, asked if the schools coming to practice at the club was new this year. Dave said that this has been going on for a while.
Community Manager’s Report: Bruce Keller
- Request approval for Deer Cull, October 15 through November 25, 2020.
Motion made by Robert Starks and seconded by Donna Yetzer to approve the deer cull. Motion passed 4-1.
Bruce went over the rules for the deer cull. Please visit our website for more information on the rules.
Grant Landry, Lot # 2830, wanted to know if this was limited to HVL residents only. Anyone with the necessary qualifications can hunt.
Jon Dutton, Lot # 1854, asked if there was a cost to hunt. There is no cost to hunt in HVL.
Bridget Talent, Lot # 2162/2163, wanted to know if there was a map for the hunting locations. There will be a map posted on our website.
Visit our website at www.hiddenvalleylakeindiana.com to learn more about the deer cull.
I received two questions this month:
Q: When are we opening the Fitness Center?
A: September 1, 2020.
Q: When will the dips on Alpine near the VRUC be repaired?
A: The road will be drag patched the second week in September.
Q: Will we be building a wall at the marina?
A: No, but parking blocks will be installed very soon.
Assistant Community Manager’s Report: Dave Wismann
Marina and Upper Beach Parking Lots
We have paved a portion of the marina parking lot to provide accessibility to the docks by the sluice gate. This project also created clearer parking spaces along the wall and marked off walk-through areas to each ramp, while providing enough accessible parking spaces for the lot. We have to remark the van accessible area near the sluice gate, but the rest is complete.
The newly paved upper beach parking area has also been striped, including accessible spots.
Pool
Miranda has been able to schedule lifeguards to keep the pool open, offering afternoon hours from 4-8 until Labor Day. The pool will be open throughout September on the weekends and there are some daytime opportunities as well. These times are available on the website.
Kayak Racks
The kayak racks have been rented out and we have eight on the waiting list.
Covid-19 Response
We are tracking the governor’s orders, which are subject to change, and attempting to comply. Obviously, this has affected all aspects of our community and safety is our number one priority.
Trimming the Right of Way
Maintenance staff has been trimming the right of way this month. This is an annual event as buses return with the new school year.
Willie’s Dumpster
We have a contractor who will be replacing the dumpster area at Willie’s. Maintenance has cleared the area around it and along the path to the dock area. We plan to install gates to the structure and lights both on the structure and along the path to the marina area.
Crystal Lake
Maintenance is completing final touches to the Crystal Lake dam, including a spillway. The material has arrived and we will complete when the schedule and weather permits.
Tom Cross, Lot # 1573/1574, asked about the brush along Alpine. Tom wanted to know if they will be removing what they trimmed. Dave said that it will sit and compost into the soil.
Ken Horn, Lot # 4790/92, wanted to know if there was a permanent skimmer for the pool. If so, is the skimmer broken? Dave said that they have been doing the skimming on their own. We will investigate the cost of getting a new skimmer for next year.
To hear more discussion, visit our website and listen to the audio portion.
COMMITTEE AND CLUB REPORTS:
Architecture Committee Report:Tom Cross
Lot # 0524H Gary & Melissa Bright
Property Address 1194 Skyview Circle Bond Amount $500.00
City, State, Zip Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 Dues Owed $0
Fine/Fees Owed $0
Lot # 1705H Frederick & Linda Lehmann
Property Address 1318 Cliftmont Circle Bond Amount $500.00
City, State, Zip Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 Dues Owed $0
Fine/Fees Owed $0
Lot # 2368H Lon & Lisa Koressel
Property Address 1474 Golfview Court Bond Amount $500.00
City, State, Zip Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 Dues Owed $0
Fine/Fees Owed $0
Lot # 1540H Thomas & Gina Armbruster
Property Address 848 Ryan Court Bond Amount $500.00
City, State, Zip Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 Dues Owed $0
Fine/Fees Owed $0
- Approval of Bond Returns
Motion made by Donna Yetzer and seconded by Scott Giska to approve the Bond Returns. Motion passed unanimously.
The bond return documents were signed by Tom Cross, Jesse Jones, Dave Wismann, Phil Heitz, and Dan Tester.
Finance Committee Report:Kyle Packer
- Approve December 2019 Internal Financial Statements
- Approve May 2020 Financial Statements
- Approve June 2020 Financial Statements
- Approve July 2020 Financial Statements
Motion made by Robert Starks and seconded by Scott Giska to approve the December 2019, May 2020, June 2020, and July 2020 Financial Statements. Motion passed unanimously.
Future Planning Committee:George Lortz
No report
Lakes & Parks Committee Report:Dave Patterson
- Approve of Jon Dutton and Cody Janszen as new members of Lakes & Parks Committee
Motion made to approve Jon Dutton and Cody Janszen as members to the Lakes & Parks Committee by Scott Giska and seconded by Dave Hafner. Motion passed unanimously.
There were complaints about high waves on the lake and a need to identify which boats were causing them. Whether a wave is too large or dangerous is a subjective call. Dave said he would establish a task force to review the high/dangerous wave issues. This task force will include committee members and non-committee members.
A resident was concerned about the first missed lake treatment and felt that a second treatment did not get much of an announcement.
There will be low-level lighting for the walkway from Willies down to the docks.
HVL will have a blood drive very soon. Look for information on date and time in September.
Rip Rap will be added to the ends of the coves to reduce silting. This will occur in October when the dredging crew is on the lake.
The Fish & Game golf scramble will be September 26, 2020. There are still openings for players and sponsors.
The Kids Fishing Derby will still be held this year. Fish & Game is still checking on the availability of catfish for stocking.
There will be four slot tournaments scheduled for this summer. These are opened to the entire community. Contact Ken Horn or any Fish & Game member for details.
Paul Rolfes reported that they have issued three more citations. Many of the kids driving the boats do a better job than a lot of the adults on the lake.
Gerry reported that the lake continues to be in excellent shape with oxygen at or greater than 5 ppm down to 10 ft. Ph. did not get recorded because the meter was broken. Another has been ordered. Adam asked when the small lakes were going to be studied. Bruce will contact ATA and get the schedule.
Crystal Lake emergency spillway is not complete yet due to resources being put on other projects.
Current /Active Business
Boat lifts and shore screens – Jill reported on her visit to Elk Creek and distributed a few pictures. She felt they looked nice. She felt we should still visit at least one other lake, probably Lake Santee.
Bruce Keller, Dave Wismann, Dave Patterson, Kathy Patterson and Jill visited Lake Santee. It was suggested that information should be passed on to the Architecture Committee and agreed with a suggestion that we have a survey to get additional input. The make-up and scope of the survey is still to be determined. Whether it occurs before or after going to Architecture is still to be determined.
Marina Shelter Update – Will be replacing paper towel dispensers with air drying devices.
Marina Dock Replacement – Still need to install the boards to prevent the pontoon tips from gouging the cubes.
Ramp Etiquette – This still needs additional distribution. Adam suggested that it be handed out with boat sticker applications, like the rules card.
Task Force Updates
Walking Trail Improvements – They still need some clean up and fix up.
Mechanical Harvesting of Weeds – Bruce has information in his office. It was suggested that he contact other members of the Ohio Lake Communities Association to see if they used mechanical harvesting and what their comments might be.
Prohibiting Fishing from All Docks – This was a re-visit as the board did not vote on it at the last meeting. There is no change in the position of the committee.
Issues from Safety Committee
Incorrect Lake Patrol Phone Number in the Directory – The number in the 2020/2021 phone directory is correct (812-584-9997).
If there is a problem on the lake or there is an issue on the lake that needs attention when the patrol boat isn’t out, the deputies should be called. The person making the call would need to be specific regarding the boat description. The numbers on the stickers will be significantly larger next year. The deputies have all received instruction on how to operate the boat should it be necessary.
It is not required that boats carry distress flags on our lake. All a boat needs to do if they have a problem is to call the Lake Patrol. They will come and tow them in. Typically, if the lake patrol isn’t available, boaters just wave down a passing boat and get a tow to the marina. If there is no Lake Patrol or there are no other boats passing by, a distress flag wouldn’t do any good.
The committee didn’t feel that requiring distress flags was necessary.
Pickup/Drop Off From the New Handicapped Dock – The committee feels that the configuration of the outer dock needs to be modified to make it easier to pull in with a side door at the dock. Currently, a boat must nose in to pick up or drop off passengers. This isn’t acceptable if a passenger uses a cane or a walker, not to mention a wheelchair.
To hear more discussion, visit our website and listen to the audio portion.
Safety and Elections Committee Report:Steve Siereveld
Committee met on 8/4/20 with four members in attendance. We also had one guest in attendance.
We are in the process of rewriting part of the POA board election procedures. Specifically, we will be addressing the deadline date for nominations and how the election will be advertised. This is being done to ensure that most residents are aware of the board elections. We are recommending that the process be advertised starting in November at the board meetings, in the Echoes, on List Serve, and with the January bills. We are suggesting moving the deadline up to the first Friday in February to allow for the candidate bios and other information to be published in the February and March Echoes. We will be meeting to finalize the changes and submit them to the board for approval.
DRAFT CHANGES
1-3-6. HVL POA Board of Directors Election Procedures
- The nomination forms for the HVL POA Board of Directors shall be made available on-line at the HVL web site or at the POA office. A notice of the registration deadline will be made public via the following methods and dates at minimum:
- Home page banner on HVL webpage from November thru application deadline
- Minimum quarter page ad in the November, December, and January issues of the Echoes
- Monthly List Serve message from November through February
- Announced at all HVL board meetings from January thru application deadline
- Election notice placed in first billing of each year which goes out in January
- Posted on exit signs at least one month prior to deadline
- Nominations shall be closed, and forms received in the HVL POA Office by the deadline, which will be at noon on the first Friday in February. In order to be valid, a current photo, résumé of the nominee, and the Candidate Résumé Outline must accompany the Nomination Form. The above four items shall be submitted to the HVL POA Office by the candidate or a representative of the candidate, if the candidate is unable to submit them in person.
- After the nominations are closed, the candidate nominations shall be validated at the HVL POA Office to assure that each candidate is qualified to run for election. The candidate’s resume and photo will be placed in the February and March issues of the Echoes.
- A ballot, ballot return envelope, and candidate résumés shall be mailed to all HVL POA members by the third Monday in March. All ballots in their signed and sealed ballot return envelopes shall be returned by mail or in person to the HVL POA Office by the third Monday in April.
We also had a visitor at our last meeting who came to us with concerns about fireworks in the community. We discussed her concerns, which mainly dealt with proximity to structures. We discussed this separately as a group and agreed to do some research about safety standards and proximity to buildings. This will be discussed at future meetings.
Civic Club Report:Steve Siereveld
- Approval of September 5, 2020 Labor Day Event
Motion made to approve September 5, 2020 Labor Day Event by Donna Yetzer and seconded by Dave Hafner. Motion passed unanimously.
- Approval of September 11, 2020 Pool Party
Motion made to approve September 11, 2020 Pool Party by Robert Starks and seconded by Dave Hafner. Motion passed unanimously.
8/29/2020 float on the main lake from 3:00 pm – 11:00 pm Lake goes no wake at 3:00 pm. DJ will be set up on maintenance pontoon in front of the beach. DJ’s will play from 3:00pm – 11:00pm. Watching the storms to see what happens.
9/5/2020 Labor Day Bash is cancelled but working on having a band at the pavilion from 8:00 pm to midnight. Band will be Last Call, which is a rock/country band that is family-friendly. Plan has been submitted to POA, which is being sent to Health Commissioner for approval. Need approval from board to hold this event contingent upon Health Commissioner’s approval.
9/19/2020 Pool Party. We wound up having a scheduling conflict and are working with Bruce, Dave, and Miranda to reschedule the party to Friday 9/11/2020 with a rain date of 9-18-2020.
10/24/2020 Halloween Dance at Golf Course. Need approval to move forward with this. This will be revisited at the next Board Meeting.
Old Business:
None
New Business:
None
Adjournment: 8:21 pm
Motion to adjourn made by Donna Yetzer and seconded by Dave Hafner.
Minutes Prepared by Gina
Minutes published in this paper are abbreviated and a full account can be heard online at www.hiddenvalleylakeindiana.com.