Randy Young, TLIA President
I think fall is perhaps my favorite season. The whole neighborhood becomes a panorama of color and change. Animals bundle up for winter while the birds head south. We begin to think about warm fires, apple cider, football and yes, the 2016 TLIA Annual Meeting
See how I did that? Lured you right into the meeting. Here are the headlines
Let’s talk Budget
You have all seen our approved budget for next year. I see a budget that is tight, but manageable. The Board has worked very had to maintain our goals while avoiding the burden of a dues increase. We have spent money where necessary and made cuts where available all in the interest of fiscal management, primary responsibility.
The number one goal, once again is to reduce the percentage of delinquent accounts. Always a challenge. The difficult decision of stronger steps are on the horizon. They are never pleasant, nor easy and we will not take them lightly. But they will be necessary.
A continued SSA
Our Lake Committee has worked diligently over the past five years on the program of silt removal and lake management and the current Lake Special Service Assessment (SSA) to improve our entire watershed has come to an end. Their next steps are designed to continue on the path of lake improvement.
My charge to them at the beginning of this year was to create a plan to continue to build upon the work they have done over the last five years, do it for the same cost and, if possible, less. The new plan that does just that. The 2016 five year lake improvement SSA is designed to continue this necessary work while saving our membership money.
The new SSA is presented at $200 per household per year for five years a net savings of $50 per household per year vs. the previous SSA. This money is dedicated to the lake and can not be used for any other operating expenses. Think of it as a $50 reduction on your annual obligation to TLIA.
The Board fully endorses this initiative and urge you to vote for its passage. It gives our association a beautiful lake while we receive a yearly savings.
Congratulations for a Big Win
The next initiative deserves pat-on-the-back for Andy Hay and the successful completion of the 319 Grant for our Community Rain Gardens. This joint Village/TLIA project has been in development for over a year and we now have signed contracts allowing us to move forward with a request for proposal, awarding of the work, and construction.
This program will develop two rain gardens for Tower Lakes. One in Bays Park and the other in Wagner Park (along E Lake Shore Drive). These gardens will greatly improve our storm water drainage and reduce pollutants that would inevitably flow into the lake.
TLIA has the opportunity to reduce our cash outlay for this program through our volunteerism. We receive a dollar per hour per person credit toward the project for each volunteer hour we log. This is the easiest money we will ever earn, it’s based on our volunteerism, something we are very good at providing!
Informational meetings are planned for the immediate neighbors and a community meeting is being planned for shortly thereafter. These are not “what if” meetings but “when and how” meetings for this exceptional project. Check your email for the invitations, dates and times of the meetings and plan to attend. Every person/hour counts toward our cost share in the project
One Last Plug
We need you to attend for all the reasons we have stressed in the past. A quorum is required for the meeting to be official. Proxy votes, while convenient, do not count toward a quorum. I promise it will be orderly, organized and efficient and informative for all. We will elect a new board, review the budget, hear the plans for 2017, and pass the SSA.
I look forward to seeing you November 6 at the Wauconda American Legion Hall, 515 S. Main Street in Wauconda.
Hey…there is no Bears game that day so I’ll see you there!