The following Roads & Maintenance update was prepared by Gary Campbell, ILPOA Roads & Maintenance Chair. If you have any questions you can reach Gary by email at bod.gcampbell@ilpoa.org.

1. The donated Patrol boat has been repaired by the Marina and will be ready to go into service.
2. We have looked into Containment tank requirements to provide a measure of safety for our gas/diesel tanks. Ken Saake has graciously offered a 700 gal containment tank and some fuel to help in the normal costs associate with our maintenance requirements. Thank you, Ken.
3. 3/18 Josh Davis provided materials and some labor toward redoing the venting at Community Ctr. Our hope is this will help keep our pancake cooks and others using the griddles at the Community Center from overheating. Thanks, Josh.
4. There are quite a few water leaks lately, seems we experience quite a bit of that when the pipes expand and contract during temperature changes from winter to spring.  I spent half a day driving around the lake on Friday, 3/13/20 and identified 15 leaks.  Remember, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to call the water company to report leaks and it seems that the squeaky wheel gets taken care of first.  The City of Cuba or ILPOA has nothing to do with the water company.  I did make a list of my findings that day and sent some to the water company, and the response I received was that they intend to fix all leaks in the month of April.  Keep calling them to get updates on your particular leak and if that leak is causing road damage, you might stress to them the urgency needed. The phone number to call is (866) 747-0493 or (314) 736-4672. Thank you.
5. We are also out identifying ILPOA association culvert issues and will attempt to start replacing those that are most severe as soon as the weather cooperates and more pressing issues are behind us.
6. I want to remind all property owners who have culverts under your entry drives, that you own those. I ask you to please inspect your culverts to ensure they are clear of debris and leaves to allow a proper flow of runoff during rainy weather. It doesn’t take long for them to get blocked and this could potentially cause a more significant issue and potentially costly repair for you. Given the current situation, we want to work with you. Our bylaws stipulate that you have 30 days to comply once we send you a letter. Since many may find themselves temporarily out of work if you receive a letter and are unable to comply for any reason (Physical restrictions, financial reasons, etc.) let us know so we can work to assist you. I have asked the maintenance department to survey the community for areas of concern and I will be sending letters in accordance with Section 26 or our Rules & Regs.  This requirement is important to prevent road degradation and possible flooding of neighboring property. Thank you.
7. We are currently out doing potholes, repairing docks, preparing for buoy placements, clearing brush on some of the ILPOA properties, clearing leaves from culverts that are ILPOA owned, etc
8. We have also identified funds for the Tennis court repair and will be facilitating that once the weather warms just a bit (To allow the epoxy to cure properly). And we will be developing one of the courts into a pickleball court.
9. We are also currently evaluating potential options for ensuring individuals are kept from trying to illegally use the dam for off-roading. The DNR frowns heavily on damage to the backside of the dam caused by individuals running up and down the dam. I ask everyone to help us police this. If you see or hear anyone on the dam with a 4-wheeler or motorbike, notify security right away.
10. We are also very pleased to have Matt Eaton back on board. He has been busy doing maintenance and preventive maintenance on our equipment and restoring them so that we will be ready for the upcoming season.
11. I have been exploring speed control options for the community including speed humps and radar signs. More exploration needs to be done. I have a few communities to touch base with who have put into place these options and we want to check the effectiveness of the same and some of the pitfalls or obstacles they may have encountered.
12. The Booster Club covered the cost of a new salt spreader and that was a huge help in keeping the roads safe and free of ice in the last couple of snow events. Thanks, Booster Club!
13. The guys installed LED bulbs at the community center to brighten things and cut costs. A LED bulb uses about a tenth of the energy. 10 – 60-watt bulbs would cost about $105 per year where the equivalent in LED lighting would run about $10 annually. You might consider upgrading if you haven’t already done so.
14. The guys have also installed new street signs and signage at the office in their spare time.
15. They installed cable and no trespassing signs to restrict entry to off-road vehicles from trail road.
16. And finally, we continue to have gate issues. One of these is the exit gate hanging open. If you fail to heed the stop sign and closely follow another car out the gate, it causes the gate not to trigger properly. Please get in the practice of stopping at the stop sign (Both on entry & exit), even if there is no other vehicle in front of you. This will alleviate a lot of issues.
17. I support our constitution and the right to freedom of speech, but I am dismayed with individuals who utilize that freedom to constantly portray negative messages without having taken the time to get the whole story. Case in point, when I joined the board, I made a commitment to improving our pothole situation. I asked the guys in maintenance to put 2 or 3 days every week, if possible, to repair potholes in hopes we would be a little further ahead at the end of the week. This alone is a huge task for the size of our workforce to maintain our 15.25 miles of road, even if this were the only job they had. Add in rain, snow, inability to get and apply asphalt patch in the winter and past degradation, it becomes really difficult. Then, we add in all the many other areas requiring time and attention, such as equipment repair, periodic maintenance, gate repairs, sign placement, buoy prep & placement, culvert replacement, mowing, and the list goes on. I ask you to consider finding a positive format & method to convey your message and to take time to thank the maintenance guys for the significant accomplishments they do for our community. I think if you take a drive around you will find an overall improvement in the pothole situation and yes we still have lots to do. It did not occur overnight and won’t be fixed overnight but we will continue to fight the battle!!
18. Also, keeping you safe is our first priority. If you see anything that may be a safety hazard (Including potholes), please take the time to stop by the office to fill out a Work Request form. And along these same lines, dam closure is a necessary evil to ensure your safety. Please be patient and we will attempt to minimize the length of the closure. Thank you!
19. Thank you all for your patience, help, and support to make this community better! Y’all have a great Spring & Summer at the lake!!

GARY CAMPBELL – ILPOA ROADS & MAINTENANCE CHAIR