Call to Order
Board Pres. Doug Winter, lot 46, called the meeting to order, held in the upper level of the Clubhouse, at 2:00pm. Board members present were: Terry Nibarger, lot 657, Tom Rice, Lot 343, Tony Gronniger, Lot 2281, George Eshnaur, Lot 505 and Jeremy Lillig, Lot 3041 . Jeremy Lillig led in prayer. Jeff Ferguson, Lake Manager, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Doug Winter read the mission statement of Lake Viking.
Approval of Minutes
Tom Rice made a motion to approve the July 2023 Meeting Minutes. Second by Tony Gronniger. The minutes were approved unanimously.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Handbook Committee
• Tom Rice reported: There were five (5) handbook changes which are being revised.
• Revision one is to approve creation of the Fishing Committee as a standard committee. Committee will consist of three (3) members and will report monthly. They will make recommendations to the Lake Board for betterment of the fishing at the Lake. A motion was made by Jeremy Lillig and seconded by Terry Nibarger to approve adding the Fishing Committee. Motion passed unanimously.
• Revision two will revise the rule for unattended fishing poles. The rule now says that poles may not be left unattended. It is proposed to change this to poles may be left unattended for 12 hours. Discussion from members was why not make the rule 24 hours for leaving poles unattended consistent with Missouri conservation rules. A motion was made by George Eshnaur to approved the 12-hour time limit for unattended poles. Motion was seconded by Tony Gronniger. Motion passed unanimously.
• Revision three concerns the Campground Budget language. The campground committee will be responsible for preparing and submitting an annual budget to the board. This budget will be inclusive and will reflect all campground activities. The motion was made by George Eshnaur and seconded by Tony Gronniger to approve the change in campground budget language. Motion passed unanimously.
• Revision four was to charge an additional fee of $60 if a lot/lots want to add an additional person with access to the Condo system. The lake has a current budget for 1500 users in the Condo application. We currently have 1400 members and will be charged additional if we exceed the allowed number of users. The $60 fee for additional users for a lot/lots will be assessed along with the yearly membership dues for the year. A motion was made by Terry Nibarger and was seconded by Tony Gronniger to accept this fee for additional Condo users. Motion passed unanimously.
• Revision five was to revise the handbook to reflect the new access gate which uses an assigned PIN# to allow owners access to the dump from 7:00am to sundown. This revision will establish a fine for misuse of the pin number (sharing pin number with an unauthorized user). Misuse will be subject to a fine up to a maximum of $500. The trash dumping rules still apply as before. The dump is not to be used as a regular trash pickup. A motion was made by George Eshnaur and seconded by Tony Gronniger to accept this change. The motion passed unanimously.
Tom Rice reported: Donna Redden has resigned as Chair of the Handbook Committee but will remain on the Committee. Mary Miller will be the new Chair of the Handbook Committee.
Finance Committee
Terry Nibarger reported:
• The Finance Committee met August 10, 2023 for the monthly Finance meeting. At this meeting July 2023 Financial Documents were reviewed and it was identified there are numerous lines for Morgan Stanley transactions are on the financial statements. This will be merged into two line items “Invested Funds” and “Money Market Account”.
• Morgan Stanley update: Terry reported this fund is up $18,865 for July 2023 which is a 14.98% return for the month of July 23. Total value of the account is $1,582,222. For the year the fund is up $98,686 for a YTD return of 6.89%. The committee recommended adding $150,000 to the funds stock market sector. Committee agreed to keep Morgan Stanley for long-term reserves.
• Terry reported VVA has sold our dredge to Dredge America for $300,000. Going forward, the Lake will rent a dredge from Dredge America that is better suited for the smaller coves at about the same cost as dredging the coves with our dredge. This is due to the increased maintenance cost to VVA for maintaining our dredge.
• The Finance Committee is getting additional bids for a full audit of the VVA financials. They have received three (3) bids but are having difficulties securing additional bids. They are looking for recommendations for local CPA firms to conduct a full audit.
• Two Lake owned lots were sold in July for a total of $9,500. YTD sales of lots is $47.362.69. VVA owned lots have been sold in June for $15,000. Total for sales this year is at $37,362.
• The Jetty/Dock project start date has been pushed back.
• Finance Committee is seeking two new members with an accounting background. Donna Redden has submitted her resignation after many years of volunteer service. Tony Conforti will be leaving the Finance Committee when his house here at the lake sells.
• The Finance Committee reviewed the 2024 Budget. Going forward non-operational income and expenses will be accounted separately. Membership will note that the 2024 budget is a much more thorough accounting than in the past which provides greater transparency. The budget is calling for a 12% increase approved by the Finance Committee which is being recommended to the board.
• Finance Committee Townhall will be held Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 2:00pm in the Clubhouse.
• Terry made a motion that we accept the proposed 2024 budget for publication. It must be published two times before the annual meeting. Motion was seconded by Tony Gronniger. Motion passed unanimously.
Strategic Planning Committee
George Eshnaur reported:
• Committee met and discussed the Harbor/Jetty Project.
• Committee also discusses the integrity of the dam.
• The Septic System needs were discussed.
• Water testing for the lake was also discussed.
• Next meeting is 8/16/2023 at 7:00 pm
Activities Committee
Mary Hibler reported:
• The Committee met 7/20/2023.
• Planned for August 2023 is a Patio party 8-11pm with a band and a Scavenger Hunt.
• Thank you from the committee to anyone who donated school supplies
• Mary discussed plans to add an additional four (4) shelter houses behind the clubhouse. The swing set will be moved and there would be a fire pit in the center of the group of shelter houses. Two of the shelters would be completed in 2023 with the remaining two done in 2024. All four of the shelters are the same dimensions. A motion was made by Tom Rice and seconded by Terry Nibarger to approve this project. The motion passed unanimously.
Building Committee
Flint Hibler reported: In the past month, the committee has met two times. They reviewed 10 Building Permits. None of the permits were for houses.
Fire Department
Tony Gronniger reported:
• The Fire Department continues to meet monthly.
• The pumper was tested this month by Danko Fire Apparatus Company. The pumper passed the pump test with two minor repairs noted.
• The Department is in the process of registering members and providing state ID badges. They have updated the roster and it has been provided to the Lake Manager. Sirens were tested and all are in good working order.
Safety Department
No report this month
Campground Committee
George Eshnaur reported:
• Campground Committee met July 5, 2023.
• Campground 1 There are 0 empty spaces in the campground.
• Campground 2 There are 28 empty spaces available in Campground 2. Three spots are expected to be opened up in the near future for nightly camping.
• Committee is working on the budget for the campgrounds for next year. Budget for the Campgrounds will be submitted to the Finance Committee next week for their review.
• Campground Committee is holding a get to know your Campground committee members and fellow campers and the work that is being done at the Campground 1 Pavilion. This will be held July 22, 2023.
Lake Committee
Tony Gronniger Lot 2281 reported:
• This month the Committee checked Zebra Mussel detectors and all are ok. We did find some of the detectors are missing and have fallen off of docks. Lake Committee will need to make additional detectors . Volunteer efforts are welcome in this project. Letters and/or emails have gone out to members for non-compliance items ranging from sheds, and boat docks in disrepair, excessive brush on shoreline, weeds, shoreline erosion, insufficient riprap, brush piles that continue to remain on lots, unsightly lots, and missing lot numbers on docks. Some members have been quick to respond and have already made repairs. There are also more and more docks identified with wrong lot numbers. Members are encouraged to monitor their docks for compliance. Also, brush on the shoreline is a problem and can get out of control very quickly.
Infraction Committee
Jeremy Lillig reported:
• Infraction committee met August 12, 2023
• They reviewed Lake Infractions and Campground infractions in the four-hour meeting. The fines for these were $7,430.
Dredge Committee
Shawn Hepinstall reported:
Dredge America Wrap Up
• Dredge America finished our contract on July 20, 2023 with 71 total shifts completed.
• Total silt removed is estimated at 55,440 cubic yards.
• Bathymetric images were reviewed with depths of 6-7 feet in south cove and 5-6 feet in the north cove.
• Estimated that 90,000 total cubic yards have been removed in the past 12-14 months by a combination of Selby Excavating, Lake Viking Dredging and Dredge America.
Silt ponds
• Silt ponds are completely full. All agreed to let them settle and slowly drain off the top water. Maintenance will begin digging channels along the berm edges over to the discharge stop logs and continue to dewater the silt.
Dredge America Proposal
• Dredge America is interested in buying our 7012 dredge.
• Lake Viking proposal to rent a 360 Auger Dredge from Dredge America
During Dredge Committee meeting a motion was made, after financial analysis and evaluation of options for continuing dredging with our old dredge or renting a dredge from Dredge America, by Dave Daniel to sell our 7012 dredge and enter into a rental agreement with Dredge America to continue dredging at Lake Viking. Motion was seconded by Brett Bush. Vote by committee was unanimous yes to recommend the above to the Board of Directors.
Weir Projects
Three large weirs were installed at the south end of the lake in an effort to pool and slow the silt from entering the lake. 196 truckloads of rock were used in the construction of these weirs.
• Big South Creek weir This weir took approximately 122 truckloads of rock. During the recent heavy rains and flooding, this weir held with minor rock movement.
• Parker’s Ditch (south of the silt ponds) This weir took approximately 60 truckloads of rock. This weir did not hold during the recent heavy rains and flooding. The weir was not completely finished with shaping and compacting of the material before the heavy rains. The committee reviewed the design of the weir and with modifications will rebuild a new weir.
• Silt Pond 4 This weir took approximately 14 truckloads of rock. During the recent heavy rains and flooding, this weir held with minor rock movement.
Note: With a 5–6-inch rain in a 2-hour timespan it is nearly impossible to contain the volume of water and/or debris that is entering the lake.
Special Thanks
The Dredge Committee would like to recognize and thank the following members for their help and contributions during this project.
• Jared Hill for his donation of rock, equipment and time during the project
• Will Salmon for his donation of equipment and time in building the weirs
• Dan and Connie Weidmaier for donating electrical service and power for Dredge America
• The Lake Viking Maintenance Crew for the long hours and late evenings throughout the entire project
The generous donations of these members and others have saved all Lake Viking members tens of thousands of dollars to make our lake better for everyone.
Next Dredge meeting is August 24, 2023.
Fishing Committee
Brett Bush reported:
• Signs will be posted around the lake with new length limits and daily catch limits for different species of fish.
• The lake will be stocked in November 23 with walleye and yellow perch. It was reported the yellow perch are thriving and came into the lake with previous walleye stocking.
• The committee is also exploring if we need more grass carp for the lake.
• Question was raised asking where are the new fishing limits posted. They were in the last VVA Board minutes in the Lake Viking paper. They will be put in Condo.
Question was asked as to why a person cannot fish from their dock or from the bank after a large rain when the lake is closed. Jason McTheeney, Safety Manager gave the following reasons:
• Large amount of debris which was deposited in the lake following the large rain
• Electrical problems around the lake where water near docks might cause electrocution
• Debris on the shorelines
• Fish hooks from cut lines
• Safety working accidents that might occur have potential for electrocution. Depending on the debris, rescue might not be possible
• Terry Nibarger reported that he recently installed on his dock an electricity monitor to let him know if the water was charged with electricity. This alarm was sounding continually during the night of the storm. It was discovered that the dock adjacent had a submerged electrical outlet with a cord plugged in. The breaker on the dock did not throw to turn this off.
Tech Committee
No Report
Managing Directors Report
Jeff Ferguson ( Managing Director):
Condo Control
• Payments via Condo are available for member use. Payments may be made using a credit card or an ACH from a checking account. The fees on the credit cards average 3.2% of the balance paid depending on the credit card you use. The fee for using ACH is $2.00.
• Cardpointe, our current credit card processing provider will be discontinued soon and payments will be exclusively through Condo.
• August 1, 2023 Pal-Gate system for the maintenance area dumpsters and burn area was activated and is working well. Lake Members were issued a PIN number they will enter for access to the dump.
Lake Information
• A buoy has been placed in front of Beach 2 dock as boaters are too close to the dock.
• We are evaluating the possibility of obtaining a Liquor License for events at the Lake.
Approval Of Financial Statements
Tom Rice made a motion that the Financial Statements for July 2023 be approved as presented. Seconded by Jeremy Lillig. Motion passed unanimously.
Guest Time
Eight guests presented information at the meeting.
• Mike Toney Lot 910 Infraction appeal Owner received infraction tickets for a guest of his son not being listed in Condo. The infraction committee dismissed one of the three infraction tickets. Board decision to leave the remaining infractions as written.
• Jamie Trimble Lot 1780 Infraction Appeal Owner received four infractions. The board upheld the infractions/fine. Lake privileges will be reinstated May 1, 2024 at the beginning of the next dues period.
• Ken Kremer Lot 213 Infraction appeal Owner received two infractions for not stickering watercraft. The board upheld the infractions/fine.
• Mike Valentine Lot 1571 Modular Home Building Permit Mr. Valentine’s prior request for permission to place a modular home on his lot was denied and he came to the board asking this to be reconsidered. Since the denial, some of the rules pertaining to modular homes have been changed. Mr. Valentine was asked to resubmit his building permit for consideration again to the Building Committee. He indicated he will do this.
• Mike & Benna Easter Lot 1908/2903 Infraction appeal An infraction was issued for property damage because of tire tracks on lot 2903. Mr. Easter produced pictures showing the damage has been repaired and the lot reseeded. George Eshnaur made a motion to remove the infraction and Tom Rice seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
• Dan Minor Lot 190/7088 Infraction appeal Mr. Minor received an infraction when he was participating in the Spring Bass tournament. He stated he did leave the cove and go right but was told he did not go far enough counterclockwise before crossing the lake. Terry Nibarger made a motion to remove the infraction and motion was seconded by Tom Rice. Motion carried unanimously.
• Doug Feigly Lot 2065 Lake Closed and no fishing allowed complaint This issued was addressed earlier in the meeting and is included in the minutes.
• Mike Fieden Lot 243 Road Assessment Mr. Fieden discussed the road assessment and stated it was not created to do all the repair work on the roads here at the lake. Mr. Fieden mentioned Line Item 6250 in the budget which has $225,000 and the Road Assessment line which is $70,000. Discussion of this ensued. Mr. Fieden stated he was bringing this as information for the board’s consideration.
Board Discussion
• The Board discussed there will be two open seats on the Board for next year. Allan Slavin and Tony Gronniger will be rotating off the board should they choose not to run for another term. Interested parties were encouraged to submit the necessary paperwork if they wish to run for the Board.
• Dam Insurance was discussed and this is still being looked into.
• Gala will be discussed in Executive Session.
Adjourn
Motion was made by Tony Gronniger to adjourn to Executive Session at 4:21 pm to discuss legal, personnel, and Board organizational matters. A second was received from Jeremy Lillig and the motion passed unanimously.
Attendance
A sign-in Attendance Sheet is on record at the Office for reference. Let the record show that these minutes are a record of the business transacted at this meeting and are a sampling of the discussions. Comments and discussions are not reflected in whole or as actual quotations in the minutes, nor do they reflect all comments by members.
