Lake Carroll News, October 2014
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Lake Carroll News A publication of the Lake Carroll Association and its members The Lake Carroll News is online! www.golakecarroll.com News & Events>Newspaper October 2014
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Prez Sez
What’s Inside...
LCWC was Kathy Chinouth, Yoga instructor from Bittersweet Yoga in Lean. See page 10A
The winner of the Fishing Club’s painting raffle was drawn. See page 2B LAKE LEVEL As of Sunday, September 28 - 738’ 10” Pool Level is 740’ ADMIN OFFICE CLOSED: Thurs-Sat Nov 27, 28, & 29 – Thanksgiving 2014 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE: Oct 24, Nov 21, Dec 7 (Annual Mtg), Dec 12 (if needed) 2015 BUDGET INFORMATION PrezSez – 1A Dollars & Sense – 5A Proposed Preliminary Budget Documents – 12A, 13A, & 14A 2015 Budget Update by Finance & Steering - 15A MEET THE CANDIDATES CANCELLED There will NOT be a Meet the Candidates forum on Oct 25th due to the “No Contest” election this year.
Welcome to October, for some we think of fall and making use of the Golf Course or Lake as much as possible before winter sets in. To some it is preparing the house for winter and to get ready to move south for the season. However; I fall into the group that stays all year and takes a break now and then. My fellow Board members and I, October is crunching of the numbers time, when we propose a budget for our Norm Hoffman next year, 2015. Now, the ideal would be Board President not to raise dues and keep everything we currently have, that is easier said then done. As I mentioned last month, we have a rise in costs that we have no control over. Our Association Insurance has raised about 16%, maintenance fees for our amenities and equipment, wages, operation costs, and a few unexpected items such as the dam which needs grouting for approximately $500,000. Now, fortunately we have a great deal of volunteers that have poured over the books and have come up with several creative ways to solve the 2015 budget. My objective is to have the members choose which would be the best alternative for this next budget year. As of this printing, the Finance/Steering Committees have met and discussed their proposal to the Board on September 5th. At the September 26th Board Meeting, an approved proposed budget will move on to the budget hearings held for the membership’s benefit. The dates are October 9th (7pm, CHLL) and 11th (9am, CH). After the hearings the Board will re-group for discussion, and consider a possible other approach to the proposed budget. On October 24th the Board will approve the final budget that will be mailed to the membership for their vote. This outlines the next portion of the process and I encourage all members to try and attend one of the hearings. There will be more professional articles of information given in the paper concerning the budget that will do a much finer job of detail explanation than I am capable of giving. However; I would like to remind everyone of some of the details that have to be considered when proposing the 2015 budget. • Number one is the steady decline of dues-paying members. This decline, obviously, has an impact on our income. We are currently working on various approaches to handle this situation. One being our Marketing Committee headed up by Don Aleksy. In 2009, the budget was proposed with 2,336 dues paying members. The 2015 budget will be proposed based on 2,240 members. • Number two item to consider is the recommended changes proposed to the Operations Budget, which basically keeps everything running as normal. • Number three consideration is the Fixed Asset Budget which will
include replacement and maintenance items along with consideration of new requests from our Standing Committees. Number four consideration is if we replace the $17,000, 2013 Operations deficit. Number five consideration is if we propose the 4th year of $16. for the pool loan payment. Number six consideration is a method of how to pay for the $500,000. Dam project. And last but not least, number seven if we have any proposed Fee Schedule adjustments. All of the recommendations and modifications will be considered and decided as a proposal for the membership to vote yes or no. Believe me when I say, the final outcome will not be of any one person’s input but the input of many people and a final decision made by the membership. The August Board Meeting went well from some people’s perspective, but not well for others. Two controversial topics took place with decisions made by the Board. The first being the recommendation to mandate the conversion of all current septic systems to an aerobic treatment system. This recommendation was made by our A&E Committee with a strong belief that this is the direction Lake Carroll should follow. Doug Lieb, the County Health Dept. representative, attended the meeting and gave a short synopsis concerning the advantages and disadvantages of anaerobic/aerobic system. After his explanation and advice not to mandate, but leave it as a volunteer choice and approval by the County on a case by case situation would be best. The Board voted 0-7 not to approve. Our A&E Committee will continue to research information to continue in the direction of a recommendation. The second controversial topic was the expenditure of $16,256.29 for the extension of waterlines and electric service for the addition of (10) more campsites. This request was voted down by a vote of 2-5. Two reasons for failure given was by law we cannot approve a non-budgeted project unless we have members’ approval. Projects that were not approved because a shortage of fund are listed on an unfunded list approved by the membership. If money were to become available we could select projects off the unfunded list since the members voted for this list while approving the budget. The campsite expenditure was not on the unfunded list. The second reason was the addition campsite request did not have full hook-up on their request. Modernization of new campsites should consider full hook-up. Let me say a deep sincere thank-you to Lisa Vanderheyden for her help preparing materials for our presentation of the budget. If you do not know Lisa, she is our Finance Director who is buried in her office with all forms of paper work. There is no way the Finance/Steering Committee or the Board could study and prepare a proposed budget for the membership without the input and help of Lisa Vanderheyden. So, speaking for the Board, I tip my hat for your persistent hard work and cooperation putting our budget together. Thanks Lisa, you’re doing great! You’re the best!
LCA Election of Directors is a “NoJoanne Contest” This Year Perez, LCA Board Secretary
NICOR 15B: Janille Miller-Wasting Energy? 2014 ANNUAL MEETING 11:30am - Regisgration - Bring your LCA Photo ID Card to register. 12:30pm - Meeting Begins
REMINDER: ALL BOATS, DOCKS, PIERS, SWIM PLATFORMS, AND WATERCRAFT LIFTS must be removed from the lake BEFORE November 1st each year.
Vol. 42 No. 10
Jeff Howe 27-27
Overnight parking on the Lake is prohibited Nov 1-Mar 31
Jim Ogborn 25-55
Due to the number of declared and approved candidates (two) running for the LC Board of Directors this year plus the fact that number equals the number of vacancies on the Board, the normal protocol of electing Board directors as specified in the By-laws Article VI. Section 4 is modified per Article 5. Article VI. Section 4 is changed during the forthcoming election and the provisions of the “No Contest” Election of Directors shall be invoked. Furthermore, “the Board shall thereafter at a regular meeting put forth a resolution designating that the candidates standing for election to the Board of Directors are to be considered elected filling the vacancies created by the expiring terms. What does this mean? Jeff Howe and Jim Ogborn, will be (re)introduced and sworn in during the forthcoming Annual Meeting of the Association on December 7, 2014. Their term will begin immediately following the adjournment of the Annual Meeting.
Enough is Enough!
FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS By Donna Beyer
I can hardly believe LCA still has to address this issue in October! Fireworks are illegal in the State of Illinois. Some members obviously believe since Lake Carroll is privately owned, they can do whatever they want…not so. Lake Carroll supports and enforces the State of Illinois laws. We even included specific guidelines in our Rules and Regulations regarding fireworks (Chap IV. Sec. C.). There were citations issued for illegal fireworks in August and more in September. Over the July 4th weekend there are obviously, and unfortunately, too many fireworks being set off for Security to catch them all. Don’t misunderstand, that does not make it ok just because you may get away with it. At any other time of the year, Security does their best to track down the violators and put a stop to it. Since the July holiday weekend, there have been fireworks set off almost every weekend and even some during the week. Security receives many complaints from Members, both weekenders and full-timers. What you think is fun is causing a major interruption in the peace and calm atmosphere that so many come to Lake Carroll to enjoy, not to mention the added annoyance to the pets that either become upset or aggravated upon hearing the firework noise. Bottom line… FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL at Lake Carroll and if caught, you will be subject to the appropriate penalties.