Hello Team LMOA!

CalTri is coming to town! Be prepared for the hundreds of athletes who will be in and around our community this Sunday (4/28). Athletes 8 to 87 years old from 23 states and Canada will be racing this weekend. Please share the roadways, respect traffic controllers, and expect crowds at the Ashlawn Clubhouse. The event will be over by 1 PM on Sunday. Please continue reading for more official news:

April Board Meeting: At last night's board meeting, we welcomed the Fluvanna County Administrator Eric Dahl. We also received reports from our Facilities & Operations Director, Tracy Chandler, and Finance Director, Mike Warner:

Facility & Operations Report:

• Pool: Tracy shared with the Board that Aqua Virginia has informed LMOA that we can no longer backwash into their sewage system, a practice that has been permitted for many years but is not in compliance with “Tarif Rule #25”. F&O will work with an engineer to design a discharge system near the pool. LMOA plans to construct the system in-house to save money. As a temporary fix, our staff will pump discharge into a trailered container and transfer the water into dechlorination tanks. Dechlorinated water (about 750 gallons per week) will be released safely onto a drain field. Additionally, new pool furniture is ready for the new season and the zero-entryway has been painted.

• Roads/ESRI Software: Earlier this year, the Board approved the purchase of ESRI software that helps streamline work done by F&O. The software captures historical data, providing metrics for future projects. It also saves significantly in time which reduces cost. F&O used the software while surveying our 62 miles of road. Tracy reported that the average score for all LMOA roads is 6.3 out of 10. 53 locations were identified in need of repair which will cost $230k - $305k. This cost has been planned for in our reserves.

• Dredger: A 90-ton crane lifted our dredger out of the water at the Marina yesterday morning (04/25). Chad Lese from Aquarius Systems inspected the dredger and did not have good news for us. We expect a full report from him in the next week or two, but it was immediately clear the dredger - which has been experiencing mechanical failures - needs some significant repairs and overhaul due to the age of the equipment. Our Facilities and Operations Director Tracy Chandler will review the report and provide a recommendation to the Board at the May Board meeting. His recommendation will likely be the replacement of the dredger.

Finance Report:

• Adams, Jenkins, and Cheatham is conducting an external audit of LMOA’s finances.

• LMOA continues to turn old delinquent accounts over to Chadwick Washington, a law firm that specializes in HOA collections. They have collected approximately $150K in delinquent dues to date.

• LMOA’s focus continues to be revenue up and cost down.

• The lease model with RocDun Hospitality limits LMOA’s exposure to losses and is expected to eliminate losses in 2025.

• Troon and LMOA continue to focus on improving golf operations with a target to break even.

Eric Dahl: The County Administrator gave us an update on the County’s participation in Aqua Virginia’s rate case. “The Board of Supervisors,” he said, “wanted to do more than just provide comments to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) so Fluvanna County filed a Notice of Participation along with the counties of Accomack, Caroline, Botetourt, and Culpeper. This means these counties will participate in the hearing. Fluvanna County is the only locality to file testimony and submit a witness (Tom Diggs).” Eric Dahl also reported that SCC received nearly 2000 comments [about 1775] and a petition from Lake Landor with an additional 539 signatures. The formal case hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at 10 AM at the State Corporation Commission in Richmond. Eric Dahl also shared that the county is running behind on the Comprehensive Plan, but a new Planning Director has been hired and will start next week. He did say no major changes will be made to the Comprehensive Plan, mostly updating data that has changed over the last five years such as population etc.

Computer Pop-up Scams: Chief Wells has seen an increase in reported pop-up scams lately and wants Lakers to be cautious. A pop-up scam is when hackers send you a fictitious pop-up notification. A pop-up notification is when a small window pops up on your screen. In these scams, the window often warns that your computer has been hacked, locked, or infected. It will direct you to either click on a window or more commonly, call a number. It may appear to be from a law enforcement agency, Microsoft, or your bank. Once you call, they will try to scare you into providing banking or personal information or try to get you to pay a fine or “unlock fee”. Recently they want payment in the form of gift cards or crypto currency. Do not click on the pop-up or call the numbers. Close your browser immediately. If you ever have concerns about your banking account, call your bank using the number on the back of your debit or credit card, not a number messaged to you. Please remember, no legitimate bank or law enforcement agency will want you to wire money or send gift cards to pay fines or clear your account.

Memorable Videos: Our Broadcast Group works hard to stream and broadcast our Board meetings live. When they have enough volunteers, they also record events at the Lake, capturing fun memories for our residents. In April, they produced videos of the UVA rowing event and the opening of the golf practice facility. They will also be covering CalTri and the Wildlife Committee’s tree program this weekend. Thank you, Broadcast, for all you do! Check out the LMOA YouTube channel and be sure to subscribe!

Candidate Forum: In addition to the tasks mentioned above, Broadcast Group volunteers interview the board candidates every year. This year, they are also bringing back the Candidate Forum which will take place on May 20 or 21. All four candidates will join interviewer Ron Krauss for a Q&A-type discussion. Residents are encouraged to attend. We will email the details once those have been solidified. Meanwhile, Broadcast requests residents email their questions for the candidates to [email protected]. Ron will incorporate as many as possible during the forum, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions in person. Be on the lookout for an email invite, and send Marieke Henry your questions by May 13, 2024.

Upcoming Events:
April 27 Social Services Fair: The Fluvanna County Department of Social Services is hosting a free informational resource fair on April 27 from 10 AM - 12 PM at Carysbrook Elementary School. There will be free activities, giveaways, and snacks for Fluvanna County families, children, and caregivers.
April 27 LMCF Talent Show: A Lake Talent Showcase is scheduled for 6 PM featuring a half dozen local groups, including F.O.G. and Jefferson Speedboat. Villa Nova pizza, Three Notch'd beer, wine, and soft drinks will be available at the event at Sts. Peter & Paul Church. Tickets available on their website: https://www.lakemonticellocommunityfoundation.org/
April 28 Celebrate Arbor Day: The LMOA Wildlife Committee Presents “A Program About Trees & Wildlife” in honor of Arbor Day. Join Tree Steward, Kathy Nepote, for an informative program at 2 PM in the Fairway Clubhouse to learn why trees are important.
May 1 Fluvanna County Chamber of Commerce Women’s Refresh Event: This is a yearly event held at Camp Friendship. Tickets cost $25 for Chamber Members and $35 for non-members. A day to connect and refresh with women in business. Includes panel discussion, mindfulness discussion, fun camp activities, and lunch. There is imited space, so please register on their website: https://fluvannachamber.org/. 

Have a great weekend!

Tom Schauder
LMOA General Manager