The RomeRock Association Board of Directors held their June board meeting on Saturday, June 5 at the clubhouse with Scott Soble, Nadine Pope, Cheryl Fain and Rick Brothers present.  Director Bob McClintock was present via telephone. Also present was Pat Sowry.

This was the first monthly meeting open to members since the beginning of the pandemic.

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m. and opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

The minutes of the May meeting were approved and Nadine Pope advised the board that collection of dues and assessments were on track with the 2021 budget.

President, Scott Soble thanked our staff and all of our committee volunteers for all of the hard work they continued to do during the pandemic under extremely difficult conditions. Covid did not stop all of their hard work and dedication. He explained that the first Saturday morning of the month at 10 a.m. will be the new meeting time for our regular board meetings. This has been a request from members for quite some time and we are trying to make meeting times easier for more members to attend. Please note that the July meeting will be on July 10^th due to the holiday. Location will be announced. Scott also explained that we are short staffed this summer. Even with advertising in every possible area, we still need summer maintenance help and help for our lake patrol. He also urged everyone to be patient. We are trying to get things done as efficiently as we possibly can. Scott also wanted everyone to know that the board will respond to all questions and concerns. It will be done by letter, email, telephone call or even through our weekly eblast. The board, however, will not respond on social media. The board often has to research what the appropriate answer to a question is and discuss it as a board. We respond as quickly as possible, but often, unless it is an emergency, it is after our next regular meeting.

Under Legal, Scott explained that we are working with our legal counsel concerning a resident request from outside of the shores.

In our financial update Nadine Pope reported that our legal counsel is reinstating expired liens and placing new liens on properties with delinquent dues and assessments. Residents with delinquent accounts are being contacted by both the RRA and our legal council. Residents should all share the expense of taking care of our community.

Lake Management – Dave Ernes, chairman of our lake management committee, explained the process being done to deal with algae on our lake. He explained that residents who have noticed that the algae is present early and looks to be of a different species are correct. The algae treatment that we will be using short term, VodaGuard, is EPA approved and we are just waiting for our permit application to be approved. He also explained our weekly water testing procedure. Please note that EPA approval was received on June 7, 2021.

Lake Safety – Rick Brothers reported that we are seeking more help for our lake patrol this summer. Chief Roskos was disappointed that there are no classes being offered this year for his deputies so they can be certified to be on the lake. A Boater Safety Course was held at the clubhouse on May 15^th and the 11 people present all passed their test. We ask that anyone operating watercraft on our lake take a boater safety class. If you were born after January 1, 1982, you are required to have taken the class to operate watercraft 10 hp. and over.

Another area of concern is guests on the lake. Please remember that the member is responsible for making sure their guests are properly instructed in the operation of any watercraft that you allow them to drive on our lake. We had two serious accidents on our lake last summer and certainly don’t want to see that happen again. Please be sure to read our rules and regulations, especially our 10 Commandments of Boating, before you let anyone operate your watercraft.

 Buildings and facilities – Nadine Pope reported that Maintenance Manager, Randy Ruebel has been researching ways to make our road improvement dollars go further. This year we will be chip sealing entire roads instead of just patching the asphalt. We have budgeted $120,000 for road improvements this year and will be able to chip seal approximately 14 roads. This will also help to improve the road base. Roaming Shores has 26 miles of roads.

 Amenities – Nadine Pope reported that repaving of the tennis court could not be budgeted for in 2021. We will have the tennis court cleaned, all cracks filled and the court finished with an acrylic sport court surface. It will be striped for one tennis court and two pickle ball courts. The basketball court next to the tennis court will be ground down and repaved this year.

Marie Kaufmann urged everyone to get involved with pickle ball and will make sure information about times and locations will go out to members who are interested.

Our Strategic Advisory Committee provided those present with the results of the amenities survey. Dave Castlegrant reported that over 290 members responded to the survey and members felt the pools, beaches and western reserve greenway were the most often used amenities. Many members would like to see more walking trails in the shores, food trucks on weekends and outdoor concerts. There are many items on the survey for the board to review for next year’s budget.

Cheryl Fain reported that the Roaming Shores Community Preparedness Club enjoyed volunteering at the Community Clean Up Day on May 1. They are hoping to offer more in person events in the near future.

 New Business – The board voted to approve food trucks on association property as long as they are registered with the association and provide proper health department documentation. Owners will need to schedule their time of operation at the association office.

Another item of new business is the outdoor concert pavilion that we are hoping to see built near the lake. It will be built to honor the memory of Dennis Crandell’s wife Kathy. This will be built with independently raised funds and more information concerning the fundraising efforts should be available soon.

The RomeRock Association Board of Directors held their April board meeting on Thursday, April 1 at the clubhouse with Louise Lisac, Rory Marshall, Scott Soble, Nadine Pope, Cheryl Fain and Rick Brothers present.  Dave Emick was unable to attend. Also present was Pat Sowry.

The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. and opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

The minutes of the March meeting were approved and Treasurer, Scott Soble advised the board that collection of dues and assessments were on track with the 2021 budget.

 At 6:15 Barb Buckley joined the meeting to discuss opening of the pools for 2021. The pools will open on Memorial Day weekend. As COVID regulations are still in place as of this meeting, there will currently be no changes to our pool and beach operations that were implemented last season. However, as the State of Ohio’s mandates are revised and rescinded in the days leading up to the pool’s opening, these operations will be revisited.

Barb advised us that the 2021 Fireworks will be held on Saturday, July 3^rd with a rain date of Sunday, July 4^th. We will again ask that all residents maintain social distancing and wear masks where appropriate.

The fireworks are funded by our STARS Club under the leadership of Barb Buckley. Barb has done an amazing job of fundraising for the fireworks for many years. Last year no fund raisers could be held. The club funds the fireworks with donations and fund raisers when possible. Donations can be sent to the RRA office. The marina has donated an Aqua Lily Pad to be raffled off to help fund the STARS Club. Tickets are $5.00 each and can be purchased at the RRA office or Marina. Thanks Jennie and Sandro for helping us find a way to raise funds.

Our Roaming Shores 5K will be live this year on Saturday, July 3^rd with staggered starts to allow for social distancing. Thanks to Jen Addair for her work organizing this event.

The annual shores Garage Sale will be held on Friday, June 18th and Saturday, June 19^th.  (Father’s Day Weekend) Be sure to sign up with the RRA office so your address is included in the list to be made available. More details will follow.

In our financial update Nadine Pope reported that we are currently reinstating expired liens and placing new liens on properties with delinquent dues and assessments. We have made quite a bit of progress since starting this collection drive and it is an ongoing process. We have tried to reach out to all of these property owners to let them know that these funds are extremely important to the association. They fund all areas of our community and it is unfair to those who pay on time to have to carry the load of those who do not.

Under Lake Management Louise explained that EnvroScience has submitted short term plan recommendations to improve the health and appearance of our lake by dealing with the harmful algae blooms and lowering phosphorous levels. Their recommendations will be taken under consideration and reviewed by a steering committee consisting of club representatives and board members before a decision is made. Please remember this is your lake and it is everyone’s responsibility to be sure they are doing everything they possibly can to keep it clean by not using harmful fertilizers, leaving a buffer zone between your property and the lake to prevent run off and never putting leaves or grass clippings in the lake. We all need to do our part.

Lake Safety – Rory Marshall reported that new buoys have been purchased to replace those that were damaged and all buoys will be relabeled to specifically reflect their purpose – i.e. NO WAKE, or HAZARD AREA. When members come to the office to purchase their boat usage stickers, they will be given a key chain with both the Marina and Lake Patrol telephone numbers. This is a joint project with the Marina to help boaters to be able to contact someone in case of an emergency on the lake. If you purchased your sticker before they were available, you can stop in and pick up your key chain. These key chains are to assist our Lake Patrol if you see unsafe behavior on the lake. The marina number will assist boaters with mechanical issues. In case of accidents on the water, always call 911 for help. We need to remember that our lake is a private lake and sharing of key fobs for entry to the lake is not permitted. These will be closely monitored this season, so please do not share with non members.

Another area of concern is guests on the lake. Please remember that the member is responsible for making sure their guests are properly trained in the operation of any watercraft that you allow them to drive on our lake. We had two serious accidents on our lake last summer and certainly don’t want to see that happen again. Please be sure to read our rules and regulations, especially our 10 Commandments of Boating, before you let anyone operate your equipment. The RRA will sponsor a Boater Safety Course to be held at the village hall on May 15^th. Look in  our weekly E-Blasts for more details.

Under Amenities Jim and Sally Fell presented their ideas for a new Village Volunteer Club that would be manned by residents interested in beautifying the shores. Some ideas for the group are to sponsor planter boxes along the boulevard, spruce up the picnic tables by the club house, plant flowers by the club house and restain the covered bridge. This group is just in the planning stages and we want to thank Jim and Sally for taking the lead on this. There are many small jobs that our maintenance crew just can’t get to in their busy summer season. We’ll keep you posted on plans for this club.

Also under amenities, we are looking into the repaving of our tennis court and basketball courts. The tennis court would also be striped to use as a Pickle Ball Court. This will be another new club in the shores under the leadership of Marie and Steve Kaufman.

Our Strategic Advisory Committee is working to give the board input and future guidance by evaluating our amenities. What needs improvement, what are we doing right, what needs to be changed. We really want to make sure that we get the most benefit from the things we already have in place.

Cheryl Fain reported that the Roaming Shores Community Preparedness Club will be volunteering at the Community Clean Up Day on May 1.

Under New Business The board voted to approve the Pickle Ball Club and to move forward with plans for an Entertainment Pavilion by the clubhouse that could house concerts and family movie nights. This effort will move forward after plans are approved and funds can be raised for its’ completion through donations.

The meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

The RomeRock Association Board of Directors held their March board meeting on Saturday, March 13th at the Village Office with Louise Lisac, Rory Marshall, Scott Soble, Nadine Pope, Cheryl Fain and Rick Brothers present.  Dave Emick was unable to attend. This was a zoom meeting available to all members to attend virtually. The meeting was attended by approximately 35 residents.

The meeting opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Louise Lisac began the meeting with the President’s comments. She is hopeful that we will be able to meet in person in the near future, but at this time, we still must follow Covid guidelines. Our Annual meeting will be held virtually this year on Saturday, April 24^th.  The meeting will be held at the Village Hall and a small audience will be allowed to attend in person. Details concerning this will be published in future eblasts. Louise also addressed clubhouse rentals which are still currently on hold due to Covid guidelines. Our clubhouse does not fall into the classification of a restaurant or banquet hall, so those guidelines do not apply. Louise thanked members of the Polar Bear Club for finding a way to hold the plunge on a limited basis, because the funds raised are so important to our local students.

The February meeting minutes were approved, as were the January and February Treasurer’s reports. Payment of dues and assessments decreased substantially in February and  treasurer Scott Soble urged everyone to be sure to pay them before the May 1 deadline.

Randy Ruebel, our Maintenance Manager, was present to give an overview of what our maintenance department has been doing over the winter. In addition to snow plowing, maintenance and repairs are being done on much of our equipment. Roads are being cold patched and roadsides cleaned up from snow plowing. Plans for early spring are to remove the bathroom located at Lunar and Sunset and to put a new roof on the bathroom at the site of old pool 4. This building is now being used for storage. The seawall by the clubhouse will be replaced in early spring as well as some tree removal and stump grinding by the clubhouse.

Under legal Louise reported that the association has used the expertise of our legal counsel, David King and that of Kaman and Cuismano, a legal firm that specializes in homeowner associations, to be sure that we are correctly following Covid guidelines. It is much safer to reach out to experts to be sure we are handling things appropriately.

In our financial update Nadine Pope answered a question concerning delinquent accounts sent in by a resident. We are unable to provide an exact amount of delinquent dues and assessments because the 2021 payments are technically not past due until after May 1 and the total due is reflected on the bills. We are currently compiling a list of delinquent accounts that will have liens placed on their properties and reinstating liens that have expired. Our legal counsel is contacting some delinquent members as well. After May 1, we will be sending out collection letters. We have made a good deal of progress with collection over the past two years, and it is an ongoing process. These funds are extremely important to the association. They fund all areas of our community and it is unfair to those who pay on time to have to carry the load of those who do not.

Under Lake Management Louise explained the process taken to decide on hiring EnviroScience as our lake advisor. They have a long history with and a wealth of knowledge about our lake. They also do not sell product, but just recommend what is needed. They are currently reviewing past studies and will come up with a short term plan to treat symptoms and a long range plan to bring our lake back into a healthy balance.  A steering committee representing the RRA Board with two board members and representatives from Lake Management, the Fishing Club and the EAC will review all suggestions that will ultimately be sent to the board with the steering committee recommendations. Louise also noted that RL lots will need to act as buffer zones for our lake and will no longer be mowed by the association.

Dave Ernes advised us that it is up to all of us to help. Our properties. both on and off lake, have to act as buffer zones for things that go into and affect our lake. Our water testing procedure will remain the same this year with results being posted on the web site as soon as received and included in the following Monday’s eblast.

Lake Safety – Rory reported that new buoys have been purchased to replace those that were damaged and all buoys will be relabeled to specifically reflect their purpose – i.e. NO WAKE, or HAZARD AREA. When members come to the office to purchase their boat usage stickers, they will be given a key chain with both the Marina and Lake Patrol telephone numbers. This is a joint project with the Marina to help boaters to be able to contact someone in case of an emergency on the lake. They will be available after next week. If you have already purchased your sticker, you can stop in and pick up your key chain. We need to remember that our lake is a private lake and sharing of key fobs for entry to the lake is not permitted. These will be closely monitored this season, so please do not share with non members.

Another area of concern is guests on the lake. Please remember that the member is responsible for making sure their guests are properly trained in the operation of any watercraft that you allow them to drive on our lake. We had two serious accidents on our lake last summer and certainly don’t want to see that happen again. Please be sure to read our rules and regulations, especially our 10 Commandments of Boating, before you let anyone operate your equipment.

Louise thanked Dave Emick for his service to the board. He will retire from the board at the end of April but will still be active as president of the Fishing Club. Rory Marshall will continue to serve on the board for another three year term and he will be joined by Robert McClintock. Mr. McClintock told us he is looking forward to becoming involved in his community and hopes to make it his full time residence in the near future.

 Louise also welcomed Wendy Carley, our new part time office employee. Wendy will be helping with the operation of our office and serving as back up for Jen and Pat when they are not able to be there. Welcome Wendy.

Under Amenities Rick reported that we will be discussing pool openings and any changes in restrictions at our April meeting. We are hopeful that by then there will updates in Covid guidelines. We are getting information for resurfacing the tennis and basketball courts and will be looking at creating pickle ball courts. Rick is also planning to begin having New Member Orientations quarterly once restrictions are lifted. This will allow people who are new to the shores to meet with current residents and get information about our clubs and amenities.

Under the EAC (Environmental Advocacy Club), Dawn Longo is the new president and the club will have a report at our annual meeting. Thank you to Chris Lisac for leading this group during his time as president.

Our Strategic Advisory Committee is working to give the board input and future guidance by evaluating our amenities. What needs improvement, what are we doing right, what needs to be changed? We want to thank Joe Eardley and Steve Kaufman to leading this group. It’s still brand new but already a great benefit to our community.

Cheryl reported that the Roaming Shores Community Preparedness Club will be meeting virtually on Monday to discuss future programs.

Louise reported that a new club is being formed. It doesn’t have an official name yet, but we’ll call it the Neighborhood Cleanup Club for now. Jim and Sally Fell are heading this up to help make our community more beautiful. Help with painting picnic tables, weeding flower beds – things of this type that there isn’t always time for our maintenance crew to do in the summer when they’re busy with mowing and taking care of the pools and the lake. More information will be available soon.

Under STARS club – we are hopeful that we can have our annual Fireworks over the 4^th of July weekend. Thanks to all who have donated. No association funds are used for the fireworks. Please donate if you are able. Jen Addair is coordinating this year’s 5K Run and it appears it will be held in person with staggered starts. More information will follow soon.

Under New Business, upon recommendation of our lake advisor, the board voted to allow RRA members in good standing to contract with AquaDoc for invasive weed control in 2021.

The question was asked about having a Spring Clean up Day. The village has let us know it will be held on May 1 in the clubhouse parking lot. More information will follow.

Please remember that the Board takes your questions and comments seriously and will respond.

The meeting adjourned at 11:20.

February 4, 2021

The meeting was called to order by Louise Lisac at 6 p.m. Cheryl Fain gave the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Secretary, Nadine Pope called the roll. Louise Lisac, Rory Marshall, Scott Soble, Nadine Pope, Cheryl Fain and Dave Emick were present. Rick Brothers was unable to attend.

Police Chief Will Roskos joined the meeting to discuss lake safety and police presence on Lake Roaming Rock. Once again, due to Covid, the chief feels that water safety training classes for his officers will be cancelled in 2021. Until the officers are certified in water safety, we will not be able have a police presence on our lake. Having police on the water is extremely important to both the chief and the RRA directors. In the event that the classes are once again cancelled, we will spend 2021 doing all necessary preparation, so once the training can be completed, we can have officers on the lake. The Lake Patrol boat will need to be fitted with special radios, signage and lights. We will need to have an agreement between the village and association outlining the use of the Lake Patrol Boat and determine the funds necessary to be budgeted for this project.

The chief also wanted to discuss updated parking regulations in a proposed village ordinance. He reviewed the areas of concern with the board and advised them of the need to ensure that vehicles parked on the side of the roadway allow room for emergency vehicles and normal traffic and that all construction zones are well identified and use cones and flaggers when necessary. The board agreed that these safety measures were necessary. The chief will continue to keep the board posted.

Motion: by Scott Soble, seconded by Cheryl Fain to approve January minutes – all approved

Motion: by Dave Emick, seconded by Louise Lisac to approve the December, 2020 Treasurer’s Report – all approved.

Scott Soble also reported that collections for the month of January were higher than those of January 2020. The board feels the Early Bird Drawing is a huge motivation to pay dues and assessments early.

Legal – Louise Lisac reported that the contract for EnviroScience to act as our Lake Advisor will be signed and returned to EnviroScience on Friday. The board, our maintenance manager, Randy Ruebel and representatives from various committees will meet with EnviroScience via zoom during the week of February 15^th.

Financial update – Nadine Pope reported that our legal council has been given an updated list of collection letters to be sent to some members with delinquent accounts. He will also reinstate liens on some of the properties where previous liens have expired. If these properties are sold, then the RRA can recoup some of the delinquent dues and assessments.

Lake Management – Our plan for improving lake health will be formulated with our new Lake Advisor, EnviroScience.

Lake Safety – The next meeting will be February 18^th at 5 p.m. Louise advised Rory Marshall that Randy Ruebel will contact him regarding relabeling the buoys appropriately and placement of extra buoys at hazardous curves.

Amenities – No current report but the board would like to schedule a meeting in the near future to discuss items such as the resurfacing of the basketball and tennis courts and upgrading the appearance of areas, such as flower beds and signage.

Personnel and Compensation – The committee met with maintenance manager, Randy Reubel earlier today to review pricing for culvert installations, fees for tree removal from the lake and probable succession of equipment replacement over the next several years. The committee also met with our office staff to discuss scheduling interviews for hiring a part time office employee.

Dredging – The plan for 2021 will be discussed and implemented with our Lake Advisor, maintenance manager and directors.

There were no club reports.

Old business:  none

New Business: Dave Emick suggested installing an ice rink to provide some winter recreation. Better use of open land, not currently being utilized in any way, was also discussed. The board will follow up with this discussion during an upcoming meeting of the Amenities Committee.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

The RomeRock  Association held their January meeting on January 7^th at the clubhouse following social distancing.

The meeting was called to order by Louise Lisac at 6 p.m. Cheryl Fain gave invocation, followed by Pledge of Allegiance. Nadine Pope called the roll – all directors were present except Treasurer, Scott Soble.

 Cheryl Fain made a motion, seconded by Rick Brothers to approve the December meeting minutes, which were unanimously approved.

Financial update – Nadine will reach out to David King to see if he has sent out collection letters to the list of members with delinquent accounts that were sent him in November.

Lake Management – Dave Ernes called into the meeting to explain the Lake Advisor Survey results and advise the board regarding making the choice between the RFPs received to choose a company to serve as Lake Advisor. Mr. Ernes explained that we need to look for a company that has the management experience to help us determine both short and long term goals for the health of the lake. The board will discuss this further with Mr. Ernes and those present at the Lake Health Strategy round table to be held Saturday, January 9^th before a final decision is made. Proposals were received from EnviroScience, AquaDoc and Princeton Hydro. Princeton Hydro, however, is not local and would require our testing to be done in house and then sent to them.

Lake Safety – Louise Lisac advised the board that Police Chief Roskos will attend our February meeting to discuss a strategy for having a police presence on the lake this summer. Our plans last summer had to be postponed. The training class that our officers were to attend last April was cancelled due to covid restrictions.

Rick Brothers has ordered samples of key chains that will be given out with boat registrations. These will have both the Lake Patrol and Marina telephone numbers on them. This will enable members to have these numbers at hand in case of an emergency.

Amenities – Rory Marshall reported that the Polar Bear Club is looking into alternative ways to raise their scholarship funds because the plunge cannot be scheduled as in the past due to COVID restrictions.

Rick suggested that the board sponsor quarterly “New Member Orientations”. He feels it would give new members a way to meet residents and club members as well as learning more about our lake and our community. He will take the lead on this as soon as COVID restrictions are lifted.

Personnel and Compensation – will meet next week and discuss a job description for the part time office employee to be hired this spring. We will also meet with our maintenance manager and office staff.

Dredging – the board will hold a meeting with our maintenance manager, Lake Management representatives, EAC, our Lake Advisor and others from the Strategic Advisory Committee to discuss the dredging plan for 2021.

There were no club reports.

Old business:  none

New Business: Dave Emick introduced a motion that chemicals can only be used in the lake every other year.  Louise and Nadine explained to Dave that we need to wait to formulate the plan for the health of our lake with our Lake Advisor. There was no second to the motion.

Nadine discussed an email from a member who recently purchased a lot at 496 Eagle Point. The lot is lakefront with about 41 feet of frontage. Both neighbors have boardwalks and it appears  that there would be no room for him to get a boat out into the water if both neighbors had their boats at their docks. Rory will meet him at the lot to review and discuss the situation.

The meeting adjourned at 7 p.m.

The RomeRock Board of Directors held their November board meeting on Thursday, November 5th at the clubhouse with all directors present. Both Pat Sowry and Treasurer, Scott Soble attended via zoom. Louise Lisac called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. The meeting was held meeting social distancing guidelines and was closed to the public due to COVID-19 meeting guidelines.

The meeting opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the October meeting were approved. Treasurer, Scott Soble, reviewed the September financial statement. He again explained the importance of collection of past due accounts and their impact on our ability to meet our financial obligations. Nadine Pope advised the board that 20 registered letters were sent to delinquent property owners, as well as another group of letters sent regular mail as reminders to property owners who still have not paid their 2020 dues and assessments. Pat is compiling a list of delinquent accounts to forward to our legal counsel for review and recommendation as to our next step in securing collection of these accounts.

The board further discussed dues and assessments for 2021 and the cost for boat registration fees in 2021. This is all part of the budgeting process which is currently taking place. Our Maintenance Manager is compiling a list of potential equipment replacement and necessary repairs. We know these items will need to be prioritized over a period of time, but we are dealing with seriously aging equipment, some of which was already used when it was purchased. Another area of concern are our aging roadways, which haven’t been paved for 20 years.

Louise discussed plans to implement a new Strategic Planning Advisory Council to help the board plan for our lake community’s future. Several more residents came forward showing interest after last week’s article in the eblast.  We need a plan for the health of our lake, dredging, our pools, paving of our roads, equipment replacement and many other areas. Our community is too important to leave all of these details to chance and hope that they take care of themselves.  We have to plan for the future of our infrastructure and how to maintain and pay for it. Louise will be scheduling the first meeting in mid November.

Louise also advised the board that Maintenance Manager, Randy Ruebel has begun the interview process to add a new member to our maintenance team. He was very pleased with the response to our ad and hopes to have a decision very soon.

Lake Management – The committee has been extremely busy reviewing possible solutions for our lake’s battle with algae. They are looking at many natural remedies that will help filter unwanted toxins from entering our lake, such as buffer zones and RL lots not being mowed, especially along the waterfront, which will allow the grasses to help filter what enters the lake.  We have listened to many possible solutions for increasing the health of our lake, while controlling invasive weeds and algae. The most important thing is to be sure we do it right. Therefore, the board will be sending out Requests for Proposals to several companies to hire a Lake Advisor to help us sift through the possibilities and come up with the right solutions for us.

The response to the Aqua Doc survey was extremely positive and this too will be looked at as part of our overall plan.

The board is also planning to have a dredging planning meeting for 2021. Several questions have been asked as to how it is determined where and when to dredge each season. The board, along with the maintenance manager will be meeting to come up with a plan to share with our property owners.

Lake Safety – Rory Marshall reported that all citations issued this season were paid. The most important thing though is that the person committing the violation learns from the experience and does not repeat the same behavior. We all need to look out for each other on the lake. If you see something unsafe, say something. We are hoping to have police presence on the lake next summer. The continuing pandemic is still making our plans unclear but we will be meeting with Chief Roskos to come up with a plan that we hope will be viable for next boating season.

Fishing Club – The Fishing Club has pulled the fountain by the clubhouse for the winter. Thanks to Dave Emick for finding a way for the fountain to efficiently operate this summer. Josh Baitt won the award for largest Bass caught this season. It was 5.36 pounds and 21 inches long. Congratulations Josh!

Our next meeting will be held Saturday, December 12^th at 10 a.m. This meeting will be open for members to attend via zoom. Details for joining the meeting will be published in our eblast in the beginning of December.

The RomeRock Board of Directors held their October board meeting on Thursday, October 1 at the clubhouse with all directors present. Louise Lisac called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. The meeting was held meeting social distancing guidelines and was closed to the public due to COVID-19 meeting guidelines.

The meeting opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the September meeting were approved. Treasurer, Scott Soble, did not have the September Treasurer’s report available for review as yet. He again explained the importance of collection of past due accounts and their impact on our ability to meet our financial obligations. Nadine Pope is compiling a list of delinquent accounts to turn over to our legal counsel for review. These members will be sent letters and given one last opportunity to either pay their accounts in full or make payment arrangements before legal proceedings are implemented.

Louise reviewed plans to implement a new Strategic Planning Advisory Council to help the board plan for our lake community’s future. We need a plan for the health of our lake, dredging, our pools, paving of our roads, equipment replacement and many other areas. Our community is too important to leave all of these details to chance and hope that they take care of themselves.  We have to plan for the future of our infrastructure and how to maintain and pay for it. We are pleased that several of our community members have volunteered to take on this responsibility and the council will be meeting in the near future.

We want to thank everyone who came to help out with Community Clean Up Day on September 26. A special thank you to maintenance employee Darren Savel for his assistance manning the frontend loader. He made everyone’s job easier.

Lake Management – The committee has been extremely busy reviewing possible solutions for our lake’s battle with algae. They are looking at many natural remedies that will help filter unwanted toxins from entering our lake, such as buffer zones and RL lots not being mowed, especially along the waterfront, which will allow the grasses to help filter what enters the lake. Lake Management is creating a survey for residents who participated in the Aqua Doc invasive weed treatment program this year. LMC is also looking at limiting dredging during July and August which should help to keep phosphorous levels from skyrocketing during the hottest months. Aeration is also extremely important and the many fountains that are popping up around the lake are helpful.  Please be sure to read the information that LMC posts in the eblast. It contains valuable information for all property owners. The decision was made not to lower the lake this year. Several factors were considered. Currently the lake can only be lowered a foot per week due to EPA requirements. It has not been successfully lowered in several years. Lake Management recommended not to lower it in order to better control algae blooms for next year. Finally, with Covid being such a stealer of activities, keeping our lake available for as long as possible for recreational use is a priority. Discussions will be scheduled for all pertinent parties to determine how a real lake draw down, like the ones that longtime residents remember, might be achieved.

Lake Safety – Rory Marshall reported that he was very pleased with the Lake Patrol performance this summer. They tried to educate those they stopped and explain what they were doing wrong. Some residents were not receptive, but for the most part, those who were issued citations at least understood why. Our hopes for next season are to have a police presence on our lake. This year the pandemic put a halt to our plans due to the necessary training for our police department being cancelled.

Our next meeting will be held Thursday, November 5^th. Unless guidelines are changed, this meeting will not be open to the public. Our December meeting, however, will be held via zoom for members to attend virtually.