Gem Lakes Recreation Association Board of Directors

January 14, 2006 Meeting Minutes

The Gem Lakes Recreation Association Board of Directors met on the morning of Saturday, January 14, 8:10 a.m. at the home of Dennis Saylor.

Present:

Buddy Brinkley, Gary Bunker, Scott Flickinger, John Kilgo, Gary Marozas, Dennis Saylor, Ed Seufert, and Johnny Spears.

Minutes:

The minutes from the December board meeting were approved.

Treasurer’s Report:

Ed Seufert presented the December 2005 Financial Statement. Membership dues in December totaled $3,025 while expenses totaled $3,954. Total financial assets (checking and money market) stand at $52,546. Seufert reported on his successful negotiations with the Aiken County Assessor that led to a reduction in the amount of property taxes paid by the GLRA. By qualifying for the Homeowner Association provision of state law, the taxes on the 35 acres of lakes and ponds have been reduced to where they were last year and the taxes on the 10 acres of woods and the recreation area have been reduced substantially. Seufert is also trying to locate the two deeds to the property for our records. Seufert reported that the Quicken software is unable to handle the association’s needs, and that something needs to be purchased next year. For this year, however, the invoicing system used by our bookkeeper remains adequate.

Manager’s Report:

Johnny Spears reported on errors in the new signs produced by a vendor. Fortunately, these will be reworked at no cost to the GLRA. Usage of the lakes by residents remains up from last year. Previously unknown duplicates of association keys were discovered, and the board discussed the issue of backup keys. A private animal trap was found on association property with a live raccoon inside, which was carefully released by Spears. There was an issue with sewage bubbling up from one of the manholes, though this was solved when the repair crew restarted the pumps. Spears will attempt to reserve Town Creek Baptist Church for our annual meeting, tentatively scheduled for April 11, 7 to 9 p.m.

Committee Reports:

Lake Valve Repair – Buddy Brinkley reported that the lower (fishing) lake has been partially drained, and may be drained further in support of the lowering of the swimming lake. Contacts have been made with property owners downstream, and the cooperation they have been providing has been greatly appreciated. The new system on the swimming lake will combine flashboards (which can lower the lake by up to 6 feet) and a valve (which can almost completely drain the lake). The new system will be made of aluminum and is expected to last 30 years. The estimated cost from Metts for the job approximately $7,000, and it is expected to commence in February.

Scott Flickinger reported on his research of SCDHEC dam permitting. Flickinger requested that due diligence be done to confirm that Metts will cover any and all required permitting. A motion was passed allowing an agreement to be made with Metts up to $10,000 if additional costs for permitting need to be factored in. Otherwise, the difference between the approximately $7,000 price of the contract and the $10,000 ceiling will go for restocking fish in the swimming lake.

Dennis Saylor discussed this opportunity to restock the swimming lake for bass fishing. John Kilgo stated that in order for the plan to work, then all of the fish caught in puddles as the lake drains will need to be disposed of. Kilgo’s plan is to restock with bass and blue gill, and he pointed out that any plan to introduce catfish would have to be carefully thought out. Brinkley brought up his plan to pull sand back up onto the beach when the water is lowered. Flickinger brought up concerns as to whether or not fish may be caught in the pipe when the lake is drained and questions regarding the dam’s integrity. Seufert motioned for (1) Kilgo to come up with the fish restocking plan and (2) that $3,000 be set aside to cover restocking costs. Both motions were passed. Saylor volunteered to draft a letter to the homeowners explaining the project. Plans for reshaping the lake’s banks have been deferred until next year.

Flickinger brought up the issues of liability and workman’s compensation. Brinkley agreed to check with both Metts and SCDHEC on these important issues. Saylor agreed to contact our insurance agent, Philip Merry, regarding any impacts this project may have on our liability coverage. The board also agreed to a fishing moratorium on the swimming lake for a year to allow for the fish population to reestablish itself. The proposed Spring Fishing Derby for Kids, therefore, will be rescheduled for 2007 instead of the originally planned 2006.

Old Business:

Beaver Trapping – Johnny Spears walked down the property with a local animal trapper. Little activity was discovered, and the trapper recommended no action for now, though there is evidence for a potential muskrat problem. Spears busted two beaver dams on the swimming lake, and to date the industrious rodents haven’t repaired them.

New Business:

Johnny Spears contacted Overhead Doors of Aiken for the installation of a keypad-controlled gate for use by the City of Aiken. Due to the number of calls to Aiken Public Safety on an average night, there was some discussion regarding the retention of the private security contractor on a part-time basis. No decision, however, was reached on this issue. The dumpster is now being emptied by the City of Aiken on Thursday mornings. Additional dumpsters can be easily obtained from the city by request for special events. The decision was made to defer until 2007 the proposed Spring Fishing Derby in order to allow the restocking of fish in the swimming lake to continue uninterrupted.

Next Meeting:

The next meeting will be held at Dennis Saylor’s House on February 4, 2006 at 8:00am.

The meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m.