June 10, 2006
Meeting Minutes
The Gem Lakes Recreation Association Board of Directors met on the morning of Saturday, June 10, 8 a.m. at the Pavilion.
Present:
Buddy Brinkley, Gary Bunker, Gary Marozas, Bill Mathison, Bob Mell, Vicki Murray, Dennis Saylor, Ed Seufert, Johnny Spears, and John Kilgo.
Minutes:
The minutes from the May board meeting were approved.
Treasurer’s Report:
Ed Seufert presented the preliminary numbers for the May 2006. Receipts totaled $24,632, as dues are now coming in, while total expenses for the month were $11,643. The largest items of expense included the Memorial Day picnic, the fish restocking program, and various maintenance activities. Total financial assets for the GLRA stand at $42,830. The itemized expenses for the Memorial Day picnic were $4,750. Seufert reported that the bank service charges would be credited off.
Manager’s Report:
Johnny Spears reported that
swim lessons were going well. The lifeguards
are handling the usual issues at the beach, including drunks and smoking. $100 was authorized for a new wireless phone
for the lifeguards. Two options were
discussed for the sprinkler system: replace the pump and/or install new
zones. Spears is planning extended the
split rail fence, and at some point add to both sides of the boat ramp. Dennis Saylor suggested something similar
around the fishing docks. Spears and Bob
Mell will work in leveling some of the stumps in the recently cleared section
of the woods.
Security Report:
Dennis Saylor is the new
security manager for the GLRA. Spears
reported the names of two suspects possibly involved in the recent rash of
vandalism. The items stolen during the
latest break-in included boots, waders, a megaphone, and two rescue tubes. Buddy Brinkley strongly cautioned those
involved in the evening patrols to go unarmed.
Wildlife Manager’s Report:
John Kilgo reported that
the gravel bed in the lake is functioning well.
Also, a young hawk was found dead near the pavilion.
Lake Management Report:
Buddy Brinkley reported on
the plan to raise the intake on the swimming lake by 8” in order to return the
lake to its original depth. There should
be no cost to the association for this modification.
Old Business:
Memorial Day Picnic – Dennis Saylor reported that 351 tickets were handed
out versus 377 last year. However,
Saylor noted, many continue to attend without signing in. Gary Marozas will work on a revised beverage
list based on this year’s consumption.
The board discussed minor modifications to the food orders. The board plans on buying additional tables
for the desserts and another small tent.
Bob Mell will build a larger storage container for drinks. Buddy Brinkley appointed Mell to be the new
“Party Manager” and recommended that next year’s planning assume 400 in
attendance for the Memorial Day picnic.
Beaver Policy Discussion – John Kilgo stated that this is a policy issue, not
an environmental management issue. He
suggested that the problem may subside during the summer. It was also reported that the cost to trap
the beavers last year totaled $1,350.
The board decided that the GLRA would not get involved in nuisance
animal control issues (including beavers) unless the animals are creating a
disturbance on association property or destroying or otherwise degrading
association property. The board advises
property owners that they need to address animal issues on their own property
themselves, and that further assistance should be sought from either the City
of Aiken Animal Control or Aiken County Animal Control depending on the
particular jurisdiction they live under.
Key Control Update –
Buddy Brinkley will address this at a future board meeting after Metts
completes the modification to the overflow.
New Business:
New Lawnmower Proposal – Johnny Spears will make a recommendation to the
board at the July meeting for a replacement mower.
Workday Tools Policy Discussion – Gary Marozas prepared a detailed policy regarding
the use of equipment at the Work Days.
After discussion, the board decided that equipment purchased should be
for routine upkeep only. Work Day
equipment should still be provided by the volunteers. Damaged equipment, however, will be
reimbursed for repair or replacement by the board. The board approved the reimbursement for Gary
Marozas’ damaged equipment.
2006 Projects and Ideas Brainstorm – The board engaged in a prioritization exercise
regarding new projects to be initiated in 2006-2007. The top five projects, in descending order by
number of votes received, were as follows: (6) Install hand rails on the
concrete steps between the pavilion and the beach, (5) Install a French drain
along the beach retaining wall, (4) Fix or replace the walkway from Springwood
to the bridge, (3) Add additional picnic tables for small parties with
umbrellas and grills, and (2) Add an additional grill to the pavilion to allow
parties to reserve only half of the facility during busy times. The following other ideas were also kept on the
list, though they didn’t receive enough votes to make the top five: install a
step walkway down to the Fishing Lake, build a moored raft or float in the
Swimming Lake, build additional split rail fences along the parking area,
replace the basketball and soccer goals, and add fencing along the lake for
safety purposes.
Discuss Security Lights, Signs, and Cameras – A variety were discussed, including stickers on the
shed doors, signs, video cameras, and motion-activated cameras. The board voted to purchase the signs and
made a modest investment in surveillance cameras.
Discuss Lowering the Swimming Lake by 10’ – Buddy Brinkley led the discussion on this
proposal. The rationale is that more
water is needed in Waters Edge, and since they were cooperative when we lowered
our lakes, in Brinkley’s opinion the GLRA board should show some consideration
to their needs. On the other hand,
residents on the Fishing Lake would like to capture some of the water coming
off of the Swimming Lake as they, too, have been negatively impacted by the
lowering of their lake level. Brinkley
opposed any capture on the Fishing Lake, and stated that boards will be added
to the Fishing Lake once a sustainable flow is achieved across the entire
multi-lake system. To date, the raising
of the various lake levels has been exceptionally slow due to the lack of
rain. Dennis Saylor responded that the
board needs to investigate the situation at Waters Edge and Gorman Ridgely’s
lake some more before making any decisions.
Saylor believed that the board needs to satisfy the demands Gem Lakes
residents on the Fishing Lake before the communities downstream are
helped. The board split between
advocates of three different alternatives: (1) lower the Swimming Lake and
capture nothing on the Fishing Lake, (2) lower the Swimming Lake and capture
some of the flow in the Fishing Lake, and (3) do nothing for the time
being. The board passed a motion to
release no water from the Swimming Lake until a meeting has been held with the
other interested downstream parties in order to assess the situation in greater
depth.
Information Items:
Update on Spray Field and Lagoons Properties – It has been determined that the spray field
property will most likely be developed by the bank that owns the land. The lagoon, on the other hand, is surrounded
by GLRA property and the future disposition of it is uncertain. It was reported that Bill Busser will be in
touch with the developer regarding these issues. A concern was raised regarding how these
developed properties will be integrated into the GRLA, especially if the only
access is through roads (Huron and Moultrie) that transit through the Gem Lakes
subdivision.
Next Meeting:
The next meeting will be held at the Pavilion on July 8, 2006 at 8:00 a.pm.
The meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.