Road Closed: Rome Rock Creek Rd at Callender

Please note that the County is installing a culvert at the intersection of Rome Rock Creek Rd and Callender. The road will be closed until the completion of their project (Estimated to be on 10/16/14). Please plan an alternate route.

Fall OLCA Meeting

F14 OLCA

Last month, Directors Rick Gainar, Ed Baitt, Ron Morris, and Tom Sopko along with RRA employees Dan Mullins, Jen Addair, and Pat Sowry attended the Fall 2014 OLCA (Ohio Lake Communities Association) Conference at Apple Valley POA outside of  Mt. Gilead, OH.

OLCA conferences are an opportunity for Lake Associations from all around Ohio to come together to share ideas, information, and attend informative sessions.

In addition to attending these sessions, the RRA was able to share its progress this year with our Dredging Program. RRA Maintenance Director gave a brief presentation and answered audience questions.

F14 OLCA (2)

Below is the OLCA Fall 2014 Meeting Summary Report that Tom Sopko delivered at the 10-9-2014 Board Meeting. It is a report of observations of how other associations operate and not a statement of recommendations or how RRA should operate.

  1. Apple Valley (AV), host
    1. $2m budget
      1. Annual dues $205
      2. 50% of income comes from dues & assessments
      3. Other 50% of income comes from operations like marina, pool passes etc
      4. Marina was the largest source of income after dues
      5. Indoor pool and rental facility was a losing proposition
      6. Compliance officer is a paid position
      7. 9 Board Positions, each with a 3 year term.
      8. Revenue from
        1. Marina
        2. Campground
        3. Publication advertising, $70k per year
        4. Annual bazaar brings in big $
      9. Photo id are passes. Magnetic card passes.
    2.  Facilities
      1. Video security used extensively
      2. Passes available for a fee for entry before 2 pm to pools etc
      3. Office space 3400 sq ft.
      4. Shelter rental, $25/4 hr increment
      5. Fitness membership $45/yr
      6. Roads were maintained by the county.
        1. Roads were not as good as those at RS.
      7. Architectural Committee existed
        1. Handle footers, setback and design (including color)
      8. Water & Sewer costs about $50/month
    3. Lake front properties were 50% to 100% & greater in value compared to RS
      1. Their lowest value structures = to our highest value structures
      2. 6600 lots
      3. 2600 homes
    4. Boats
      1. Limited to 2 power, 2 non-power and 1 jet ski.
      2. Marina packed with boats, probably 5+ times the size of RS marina.
    5. AV may have a weed harvester to rent or sell
    6. Licensed to hunt geese
      1. Control geese population
  1. AV Lake (330 acre)
    1. Water appeared cleaner than RS
    2. AV did some dredging. Mechanical. Lowered lake and brought in bulldozer type equipment. Only dredged north section. Cost $750,000.
    3. Algae blooms followed dredging. Attributed to stirring up the bottom. Comment offered not asked.
    4. Lot owners are allowed to use an approved weed & algae treatment company. At AV it is Aquadoc. It used to be another company that closed due to owner retiring.
    5. AV does an annual draw down to control weeds.
    6. AV did no annual broad water treatment other than lake lowering.
  1. Dredging
    1. Any association dredging was using the mechanical method citing cost for not doing hydraulic dredging.
  1. Security handled by County.
  1. ADA Federal Regulations require that ADA compliance if facilities are used by non-members only. If a member brings in outside people its ok to not have ADA facilities.
  1. Other Lakes use a paid Compliance Officer to ensure collection & prosecuting fines.
  1. Other Associations seemed tougher on collections. Used collection agencies. They recommended:
    1. Clean up non-collectable debt.
    2. Establish a rigorous policy using third party collection.
  1. Volunteerism and Club Memberships
    1. Participation is down.
    2. Some used some form of recognition for volunteers, dinner, etc.
    3. AV biggest club was 55 members, the Fishing Club.
  1. Rules and Regulations
    1. More handled thru rules and regulations rather than By-Laws
  1. Disaster Management Plan in place at AV.
    1. They rotated meeting invitations to key stake holders like Fire Chief, Police Chief
    2. Suggested having a list of sources for available equipment like:
      1. Snow mobiles
      2. Generators
  1. Recommended having strict rules put in place before a problem occurs.
    1. Membership fees for rentals.
      1. Only allow one home to be rented at a time, prevents owning and renting many homes. Legal to restrict to one home rental.
    2. Rules for ham radio towers
    3. Lighting
    4. Architecture
  1. HB-572 would allow for priority lien status following taxes. Mortgages are third after taxes and dues.
  1. Jen Addair is an OLCA Board Member.

Tom Sopko, 9-30-2014

Donation Drive

dog and cat

At the RRA Office, a local Boy Scout, Tyler, is having a Donation Drive for the Ashtabula County Humane Society.

Items Requested are:

Cat and Kitten

  • Dry cat food
  • Cat toys, cat nip, USA only treats
  • Kitten milk replacement
  • Cat towers
  • Scratching posts

Dog and Puppy

  • Portable, folding cages
  • Dry dog food (Purina, Dads, Retriever)
  • Toys, bones, biscuits
  • Dog shampoo, collars, leashes

Thank you!

Fall in the Shores is a beautiful time of the year

Residential Stewardship
By: Pam Hoover, Lake Management Sediment and Nutrient Control Subcommittee

Congratulations on owning property in one of the loveliest communities in North East Ohio! Whether you are a full time or seasonal resident, living by the water provides a special opportunity to participate in water-related recreation, such as boating, swimming or fishing; to observe wildlife in its natural habitat; or simply enjoy the beauty of watching a sunset over the lake and experience the serenity and sense of well-being experienced around water and nature.

When you own property in Roaming Shores, you do have certain riparian (near the water) rights and privileges. Along with those rights also comes the responsibility to protect, improve, and enhance the quality of the water for your enjoyment and that of future generations to come, keeping in mind that the water itself is a public resource for everyone to enjoy. That’s called stewardship: the individual responsibility to manage one’s life and property with regard for the rights of others. The lake is a living ecosystem and part of the larger ecosystem of all living plants and animals to which we also belong.

ALGAL BLOOMS FEED ON KEY NUTRIENTS!

ALGAL BLOOMS FEED ON KEY NUTRIENTS!

One of the objectives of the Lake Management Sediment and Nutrient Control Committee is to provide ongoing education for residents and to provide you with basic information on good lake stewardship, which if practiced by you and collectively by others around the lake and in the watershed, will help to keep the lake healthy to protect your investment in Roaming Shores property (healthy waters=higher property values), your enjoyment of the lake, and also preserve its ecological integrity.

As you may know, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) are key nutrients needed for aquatic plant and algae growth. Excessive P and N that reaches the lake fuels the overgrowth of aquatic plants and algae. Excessive plant and algae growth decreases water clarity, decreases lake health, interferes with the recreational use of the lake, and diminishes oxygen for fish in the water, generally causing declining water quality. Here are steps you can take this fall to reduce the amount of P and N getting into our lake:

  • Leaves, Grass Clippings & Aquatic Waste
    • Burning leaves is NOT permitted in Roaming Shores. When organic matter is destroyed this way, key nutrients are released and washed into the lake.
    • Collect and compost leaves and grass clippings to haul them away from the lake. The Village Compost Site on Rt. 6 is open during daylight hours on weekends (call Village office or see website for updates). If we allow excess plant matter to end up in our lake, the build-up and decay adds to our water quality problems.
    • Rake up aquatic plants, leaves, and other organic matter on the shore land and dispose away from the lake. Hint: It makes great mulch on the garden and can later be worked in as a soil amendment.
  • Pet Waste
    • Collect and dispose of pet waste away from the lake, if it enters our lake it can jeopardize water quality and increases risk of serious health issues. Pet waste contains these key nutrients and may also contain disease-causing organisms, creating unsafe conditions for water recreation.
    • Picking up your pet’s waste and disposing of it properly safeguards you, your neighbors and your lake.

Enjoy this most beautiful time of year at the Shores!

Next Stage for Dredging: Fisherman’s Cove

With our crew becoming more acclimated to the new dredging equipment in Plum Creek, plans are moving forward to begin digging in Fisherman’s cove. This cove was determined to have the most sedimentation, according to a study by Enviroscience. In order to remove spoils from this problem area efficiently, our crew put in a 350ft access road, the process only took a couple of days.

2014 Lake Lowering

At the Board of Directors meeting in September, it was decided to begin lowering Lake Roaming Rock on November 1st.

Boaters, please note this date and plan to have your boat off the water shortly after the lowering begins.

Note: The Village has completed their lowering of the lake for dam repairs.

Association Meeting Highlights – Sept 2014

by Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Secretary RRA

The RomeRock Association Board of Directors met on September 4, 2014 with all Directors present. Approximately 22 residents were also in attendance.

President Dell Rogers reminded us of the changed date for our next Board meeting on 10/9 and asked residents bothered by weeds to remain patient, as the new weed harvester is less efficient. Dell also requested a review of the pool heaters to determine if they need replaced. Tom Sopko reported that, unfortunately, the county’s Land Bank office cannot breakout a list of distressed properties at Roaming Shores from all distressed properties in Ashtabula, but residents interested in a particular property can call the county to check it availability. All liens on Land Bank properties are voided.

Maintence Director, Dan Mullins, reported that we finally received the permits from the Army Corps of Engineers necessary to begin our dredging project. The equipment is currently operational and is moored in Plum Creek where the maintenance crew has made a few practice runs. The staging area will need additional reinforcement. The Crosby-Cook Rd. dewatering site, designed by the Army Corps of Engineers, has be prepared by our maintenance crew and is ready-to-go. Repairs were made to a pool heater and the Skagg lawn mower in addition to installation of 140 feet of new culvert pipe.

The Lake Management committee reported that the HAB algal toxin test results sampled before the holiday weekend continue to be well under the Ohio EPA’s warning limit. The Sediment/Nutrient Control Sub-Committee’s Tim Langer, described the “backyard clean-up” campaign designed to make residents aware of things they can do to improve our lake water quality. A brochure and monthly newspaper articles are currently being planned to start the campaign.

Legal Committee Member Tom Sopko requested review of current billings from the Association’s law firm. Changes were made in the Building & Facilities Committee replacing Rick Gainar with Ron Morris and adding Jim Tatalick under Chairman Jim Swartz. The Committee continues its investigation of options available for a permanent RRA Office.

Promotion Club’s Sally Flash reviewed the month’s activities including the very successful Cardboard Boat Race and invites all to the 10/8 planning meeting and workshop to support next year’s fireworks. The Promotion Club is sponsoring an evening of music with Tom Todd on 9/19 from 7-10:00pm and hopes to see all residents and their families there. Marge Morris reminded us of the last potluck dinner (amazing chili) of the summer at the Clubhouse on 10/3, and Ed Baitt described the Fishing Club’s Annual Clam Bake on 9/14.

In the business segment of the meeting, the Board approved to again attempt lowering the lake until freeze beginning 11/1 with all Directors voting in favor except Dell Rogers.

Member comments and questions included changing the date of the annual Clean-Up Day to follow the annual Garage Sale date, rain barrel promotion, dock set-backs, state registration and lighting on dredging equipment, Board response to Member comments at meetings, sites for a new RRA Office building near the Clubhouse, and the order that coves will be dredged.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:43pm. Association Board’s next meeting will be on October 9. Hope to see you there!

Lake Erie Ecosystem Priority (LEEP) Report

by R.D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee Chairman

The Lake Erie Ecosystem Priority (LEEP) International Joint Commission recently published their summary report of key findings and recommendations. This US and Canadian commission’s function is to understand the sources of excess nutrients and the measures required in order to reduce them. The report can be found on our website (www.roamingshores.org) and is yet another important work provided in follow-up to the 2011 algal bloom, the largest in the history of Lake Erie. Like the Lake Erie Phosphorus Task Force Final Report, Lake Erie Phosphorus Task Force II, Strategic Plan for the Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Commission, and several others (also on our website), this report is critical of the primary problem: flow of sediment and nutrients into our rivers and streams from the watershed and the current efforts to contain them in the fields.

The Commission writes: “Although eutrophication [a process akin to aging due to excessive nutrient enrichment] is again a serious threat to Lake Erie water quality, the sources and remedies are different from those of the 1960s and 1970s. While sewage plants still contribute some phosphorous to Lake Erie, diffuse runoff from rural and urban lands is a leading factor in eutrophication. Of particular concern is runoff of dissolved reactive phosphorous (DRP), which is highly bioavailable and thus a primary cause of renewed algae blooms. Addressing runoff requires strategies tailored to particular land uses, rather than controls on sewage plants alone.“

Among the Commission’s recommendations was that existing and planned incentive-based programs immediately shift to a preference for agricultural Best Management Practices that are most likely to reduce DRP by reducing the amount of phosphorous applied to fields, slowing the movement of water to the field drainage system, and detaining flows at field drainage outlets.

I encourage residents interested in understanding the facts of our water quality and clarity issues to read at least the executive summary of the LEEP Report. And remember, residents at Roaming Shores are a powerful political force especially when we voice reasonable requests to elected representatives. If you are interested in taking action to reduce HABs in our lake, please consider writing and calling your elected state representatives including Gov. Kasich and let them know that you support strong action to ensure that nutrients and sediment are controlled and limited so they do not enter our waterways.

2014 Cardboard Boat Races

2014CardboardBoatRaces

2014 Cardboard Boat …
2014-09-04, 160 images

The Cardboard Boat Races were held on Saturday, August 30th at Beach 1. This was the 5th Annual Cardboard Boat Race at the Shores with 10 children and 3 boats participating. Great weather, and smooth paddling made for a fun time by all.

Out rigger Boat one: Mary Kate Griffin, Sean Griffin, Leyna Rumpler

Purple Boat two: Brooke Cirigliano, Sam MacCurdy

Green Flash Boat three: Team A: Dalton Bowyer
Team B Alexis Damiano, Kirsten Berkes
Team C: Olivia Damiano, Ariana Berkes

Trophy winners:
Best Design: Out rigger Boat One with Mary Kate Griffin, Sean Griffin, and Leyna Rumpler
Best Sinker: Purple Boat Two with Brooke Cirigliano, and Sam MacCurdy
Fastest Time: Dalton Bowyer at 1:16 seconds!!

Many thanks to the Rome Water Rescue Team, Gil Kandrac with Lake Patrol, the workers at the Refreshment Stand, the Promotion Club Members, and the Parents and their children who participated. There was a good, appreciative audience that always makes this a fun affair, too. See you all next year!

(Photos courtesy of Sally Flash, Jen Addair, and Ramona Nelson)

Kudos to Some of Our Boaters Who Tow!

Lake Safety Committee
By: Bruce C. Bower

I want to commend MOST of the people who tow for using their red flags when a person is in the water. The majority of people use the flag correctly, which is that when a person is in the water, put up the flag. Any other combination that is possible has been noted and at least these people are trying, they just don’t have all the pesky details mastered yet. Keep trying neighbors, you will get it sooner or later.

Speaking of towing, the people that were towing TWO tubes appear to have gotten the message that only ONE tube or TWO skiers are legal, per the written rules of boating that you all receive every year. I was informed that some creative boater was towing ONE tube and ONE skier! I have no idea on how to say any other way that you may tow ONE tube or TWO skiers, no other combination or version of the above. I always am available for questions, just call me or the office and we will get back to you and clear up your questions.

I have to address the jet-ski people who tow. You must have a THREE (3) person jet ski to tow a tube or skier. The driver, the observer and the one being towed must have a seat on the jet-ski! Apparently another difficult concept to absorb, but maybe, once again, reasonable thinking will prevail. I only wish I could read the numbers on the offending jets so that we could mail a letter from the office reminding the rule breakers of their potential safety situation.

Only one more reminder about pontoon boaters who navigate at night, those two bright lights on your bow (front end of your boat) are called docking lights. They are for docking ONLY, not to be used as headlights on a car. If you have these lights on while under power, you are blinding the boaters coming the other way, it seems simple, but there are a lot of boaters violating this simple rule of safety and courtesy.

Our safety team will be meeting in September in order to make recommendations to the Board for the 2015 season. Call me if you want to chime in.

Bower out 216.906.2301

Office Info:

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 8, Rome, OH 44085

Located at 1875 US Route 6, Roaming Shores, OH 44085

Hours

Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm
Saturday
9am – 1pm

Email Us.

Office: (440) 563-3170
Fax: (440) 563-5667

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