The RomeRock Association held their January meeting on Saturday, January 8th via Zoom with the following members present: Scott Soble, Rory Marshall, Bob McClintock, Cheryl Fain, Rick Brothers and Nadine Pope. Also present was Pat Sowry.

President, Scott Soble called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. Cheryl gave the invocation. The December minutes were approved. The November and December Treasurer’s reports were also approved. Scott welcomed the residents who had signed in and explained that due to the increase in Covid-19 cases, the board felt it would be safer to hold this meeting remotely. He also thanked Jen Addair for setting up and monitoring the zoom meeting.

Scott also reported that construction of the Entertainment Pavilion is well under way and construction will be completed as soon as weather allows. Three concerts have already been scheduled for next summer.

Under Legal, Scott reported that there are no current legal issues

Under Financial and Collection, Nadine reported she would be meeting with Pat to compile a list of delinquent accounts that will either be contacted for collection by our board or our legal counsel. She is pleased with the progress that was made in 2021 and will work with Pat and our legal counsel to continue the collection process. It is unfair to those who pay their dues and assessments to allow some members to not contribute to maintaining our lake community.

Dave Ernes reported for Lake Management that the RFP for the fish survey is being reviewed and will soon be sent out to potential vendors for quotes. The survey will evaluate the fish population as to numbers, species and health. The final water quality report is being reviewed and Dave will be reporting results through articles included in the weekly eblast.

Under Lake Safety, Rory reported that the committee would be meeting with Police Chief Roskos  to discuss the availability of training for police officers, so we can finally have a police presence on the lake next summer. The safety committee will be meeting on Thursday, January 20^th, hopefully at the clubhouse. This will be determined and announced prior to the meeting.

Under Board of Review, Yvonne Gibson reported that the board has no current appeals to review.

Under Building and Facilities, Bob reported final numbers for the bathroom updates at Pool 1 and 2 should be available by the end of the month and is hopeful that construction can be completed by Memorial Day when the pools open. Rory reported that there are still leaks around the clubhouse chimney that need to be repaired. Scott reported that Randy is researching options for a different type of stone to be used in the 2022 chip seal project. It packs better and creates less dust. The areas of loose stone are being cleaned up and the contractor will be meeting with Randy to discuss improvements.

Under Administration, Nadine reported that interviews were held last week to hire a new maintenance employee. This is being done in order to be proactive before the retirement of any current employees.  All of our employees must be trained to operate many types of equipment, do equipment repair, landscaping, dredging and plowing; just to name some of their many tasks. We feel it is important to be sure that time is allowed for proper training.

Under Amenities, Nadine reported that Randy Ruebel has already been meeting with contractors for quotations for the Pickle Ball courts. Quotes should be in by the end of the month so a contractor can be chosen and resurfacing can begin in early spring.

Steve Kaufman reported that the Strategic Advisory Committee will be meeting soon to discuss their assistance to the board with setting and achieving both our short and long term goals. As a new member of our Village Council, Steve also stressed the importance of the maintenance of our lift stations. He explained the much time is spent trying unclog the lift stations due to residents continuing to flush items such as baby wipes. These wipes say they are flushable, but they definitely are NOT. Please help us maintain our sewage system by only flushing toilet paper. Repair of these lifts stations is very time consuming and very expensive. He also noted that the third reading of the dog ordinance will be on the 18^th of this month and water tower updates will be discussed.

Fishing Club , Jim Fell reported that dues will be raised $5.00 per year to an annual fee of $25.00. Jim also reported for the Neighborhood Volunteer Club that they will begin helping our maintenance department stain picnic tables after they have been pressure washed and dried.

Polar Bear Club president, Mindy Fier reported that the club would be meeting later that day to make plans for this year’s Polar Bear Plunge. They are also discussing starting a scholarship program for students of A-Tech in memory of Tom Zirkle.

Marie Kaufman reported that the Pickle Ball Club has remained active until our recent snow event but will pick up again as soon as the snow is gone. They will have their Spring Social on Friday, April 29.

The board then opened the meeting for Members Comments.

Dawn Longo asked the board about plans for dredging in 2022. Dave Ernes said that the dredging season will be expanded to include targeted areas during the summer season and the effect on lake health will be monitored. The final plan has yet to be determined.

The meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.  Again, our thanks to Jen Addair for all of her hard work and expertise at setting up and monitoring this meeting. Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, February, 5^th. We will advise members as to whether it will be in person or via zoom.

Nadine Pope, Secretary

The RomeRock Association held their December meeting on December 4^th at the clubhouse with the following members present: Scott Soble, Rory Marshall, Bob McClintock, Louise Lisac and Nadine Pope. Also present was Pat Sowry. 

President, Scott Soble called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. Louise gave the invocation and led us in the pledge. The November minutes were approved. The November Treasurer’s report was not completed and will be available for review at the January meeting. Scott welcomed the large group of residents in attendance and assured them that there would be time during the meeting for their questions and concerns to be addressed. 

Under Legal, Scott reported that our legal counsel will prepare a final report as to whether lot #275 could be sold, should the board find it necessary to do so.  It is a matter of concern to many residents that an RL lot could possibly be sold, but Scott assured those present that the board was only researching the possibility of selling one lot should the need arise financially. 

Under Financial and Collection, Nadine reported that she was pleased with the response to our efforts to collect past due member accounts and that the board would continue to make this a priority in the New Year. Members who pay their fees should not be responsible for carrying the debt of those who do not. 

Dave Ernes reported for Lake Management that the final report of the flow study should soon be available. Once completed, Dave will write articles for the weekly eblast explaining the results. Testing procedures for next year may be changed. We are working with AquaDoc to have a larger presence on the lake so they can monitor it more closely and are considering having them do the weekly testing. He also explained that he is preparing a RFP (request for proposal) to be sent out to potential companies for the fish study to be done next spring. Dave also briefly discussed biomanipulation, which could naturally help the lake rid itself of algae by having the food chain of the lake allow the zooplankton to eat the harmful algae. Many ideas are being considered for the long term health of our lake. 

Under Lake Safety, Rory reported that the committee would be meeting with Chief Roskos  to discuss the availability of training for police officers, so we can finally have a police presence on the lake next summer. A resident questioned safety on the lake due to overcrowding and that many unregistered boats were on the lake. Jim Fell, who worked on Lake Patrol, assured the resident that both RRA employees and Lake Patrol had canvassed the lake and issued citations to members without current stickers. Members who allow friends to use their key fobs contribute heavily to unregistered boats on the lake. Rory also felt having a gate guard at the ramp entrance deterred unregistered boats. This was done last July 4^th and may become a more common practice in the future. Rory also reported that a Boater Safety Course will again be offered next spring. 

Under Board of Review, Mike Peterson reported that the board heard one appeal last month and that it has be settled. 

Under Administration, Nadine reported that the board will conducting interviews along with Darren and Randy for a new maintenance employee. The maintenance department has begun servicing equipment and has many projects to complete during the winter months when not plowing snow. It is their plan to refurbish many of our picnic tables so they will be available once the new entertainment pavilion is completed. 

Under Amenities, Bob reported that some quotes are coming in for the remodeling of the bathrooms at Beaches 1 and 2. As we know, contractors are running severely behind schedule due to lack of availability of materials. This was the case last year when we contracted to have the tennis/pickle ball court resurfaced. This project will be requoted early in 2022 to make sure it is part of the contractor’s schedule early in the year. 

Steve Kaufman reported for the Strategic Advisory Committee. He will no longer be co chair once he assumes his duties on Village Council, but will still be a member and hopefully liaison between the village and the board. The committee is gathering information for a 10 year plan and beyond, but find it difficult to get many members to respond to their attempts to gather input necessary to make recommendations. 

Fishing Club president, Dave Emick approached the board about the possible installation of a handicap dock near the clubhouse. He would like to raise the club dues $5.00 per year to start a fund for the construction of this dock. The board agreed that this is a good plan but because it involves ADA, we need to research what it entails before any construction can begin. We will get back to Dave at our January meeting with more information concerning this project. 

There were no other club reports. Nadine, however, wanted to be sure to thank Friends and Neighbors, the Polar Bear Club and all those who helped decorate the clubhouse for Christmas. They did a wonderful job. 

Under New Business the board passed a motion to suspend theThree Meeting Rule for anyone who wishes to run for the Board of Directors in 2022. Because of the pandemic, many residents were unable to regularly attend board meetings. 

The board then opened the meeting for Members Comments. 

There was concern at the possibility of selling an RL lot, which Scott explained was only a possibility should the need arise. There was also concern about the lack of maintenance of RL lots, which are not being mowed to provide a buffer zone for run off into the lake. The board will look into modifying this procedure so the lots will be more usable for members. 

Residents of Flame Lake are concerned about low water levels. Maintenance Manager, Randy Ruebel will address this concern. 

There was concern about lack of signage on the take back lots that are for sale. The board will be replacing the signs in the spring, so they are more visible and include the necessary contact information for interested parties. 

Residents were also concerned about the short dredging season this past summer. They were made aware that this was done to be able to properly evaluate the treatment of the lake for blue green algae. Scott assured them that although the dredging plan has not been finalized, there will be a longer dredging season in 2022. We are working with lake management to determine the final plan. 

Scott thanked everyone for coming today and hopes everyone realizes that the Board listens and is trying to address their questions and concerns in a timely manner. 

The meeting adjourned at noon. Our next meeting will be January 8^th at 10 a.m. at the clubhouse. 

Nadine Pope, Secretary  

Just a short recap of November’s RRA Board Meeting. I wasn’t able to be there, so thank you to Pat Sowry and Cheryl Fain for filling me in on the details. Scott Soble, Cheryl Fain, Rory Marshall, Louise Lisac and Rick Brothers were present, along with Pat Sowry.

The October Minutes and Treasurer’s report were approved as presented. In his President’s Report, Scott welcomed back Louise Lisac from her leave of absence. She and husband Chris have just returned from their adventure touring across the United States in their RV. We are so happy that they have returned safely and that we once again have Louise’s expertise and dedication on the board. Scott also congratulated all those elected to Village Council, Mayor and Fiscal Officer. The board looks forward to continuing a close working relationship with the village. Scott also advised us that our legal counsel has completed title searches on RL lots that could potentially be sold and we should have his legal opinion by our next board meeting.

Dave Ernes gave us a report for Lake Management concerning this year’s program for algae control. We will also soon have data from the stream entries and their impact on our lake. The completed reports are being finalized and will be shared with members as soon as they are available. In 2022 we will also be compiling data from a fish survey to determine the health of the fish in our lake. Chris Lisac also reminded everyone NOT to put grass and leaves in the lake.

Rick Brothers discussed the remodeling of the pool bathrooms, as well as installation of Vending Machines at both pools. We are also scheduling several summer concerts to be held once the construction of the Kathy Crandall Memorial Pavilion is completed late next spring.

The 2022 RomeRock Association Budget was approved as well as an increase of fines for putting leaves and grass in the lake. The first offense will cost $500, second offense, $1000 and third offense $2000. Please avoid these fines by being a good association member and Not blowing your leaves or grass into our lake. We are all working very hard to improve the health and appearance of our lake. Assessments and late fees for 2022 were also approved.