Annual Meeting October 22, 2024 & Budget

Annual Meeting, October 22, 2024

The meeting was held in person at Tudor Oaks Auditorium. Board members attending in person were Steve Fabry, Kostas Lazarides, Debbie Lambert, Jeff Spoerk, Nate Ziarek, and Wendy Fisenne. Representatives from 32 lots were in attendance. Each attendee received a copy of the LBHOA Budget. Scroll to the end to see the Budget handout. The meeting was called to order at 7:06pm.

Welcome Message from Steve Fabry

Introduction of committee members
- ECC Nick Conner , Chairman
  - Members: Bruce Berry, Shari Berry, Ed Stukas and Dave McCoy
- ACC Mike Lambert, Chairman
  - Members; Dave Fisenne, Donna Vanness and Jeff Spoerk
Introduction of new residents
- Brian and Rachel Revolinski Lot 17
- Jacob VanFleet and Amy Witchgers Lot 58
- Hailee Komorowski Lot 7
- Nicholas and Mollie Vranes Lot 77
- Steve and Mollie Lescamela Lot 50
- Zach and Nina Davis Lot 82

Secretary’s Report

Wendy Fisenne reporting

Reading of the Minutes from last year’s Annual Meeting was waived

Treasurer’s Report

Kostas Lasarides reporting

Balances as of 10-22-2024

Checking		7,642
Savings including Money Market and CD		44,650
Operating Reserve	25,700
Capital Reserve	10,800
Project Reserve	8,150
Total – Checking & Savings		52,292

Historicals:
- Checking and savings YE 2022 $36,008
- Checking and savings YE 2023 $31,409
A copy of the 2024 Budget was handed out to all in attendance.
Anticipating being under budget by approximately $17,000 for year end 2024 based on current information on 10-22-24. This could change as circumstances and needs arise and/or change.
Currently there are three lots with liens.
If you are not using ACH to auto pay your dues, please do so. ACH saves time and money. Fees are charged to the Association for processing handwritten checks.
Dues paid past the due date will incur late fees.
All homeowners can ask to see the books per our Bylaws. Please contact the treasurer to set up an appointment.

Architectural Control Committee (ACC)

Mike Lambert reporting

When the subdivision was being built, the ACC received a copy of each home’s plans. There is no reason for the ACC to hang on to these plans. If you would like your plans, please contact [email protected] and arrangements will be made to get them to you.
Several homes had projects done this year.
- Lot 2 siding project
- Lot 3 roof project
- Lot 13 deck project
- Lot 17 roof project
- Lot 23 siding project
- Lot 48 deck, pergola, and painting project
- Lot 50 project is on hold
- Lot 63 painting project
- Lot 69, whole home generator
- Lot 99 garage addition is tentatively scheduled to begin around April 1st
Several homes had projects and improvements done without prior ACC approval, but all were within ACC compliance.
Please get ACC approval before beginning projects by sending an email to [email protected] or to [email protected] with pertinent plans and project details. It is requested that homeowners be in compliance with our Covenants and Bylaws. It makes things go smoother and helps to insure a cohesive and beautiful neighborhood.
Light poles and light sensors for lamp posts can be purchased at Menards, lamp heads can be purchased from Amazon or BBC lighting.
Lamp posts take a 60 watt cool white LED bulb. Before installing the LED bulb, the ballast must be removed.

Environmental Control Committee (ECC)

Nick Connor reporting

The ECC will finish out 2024 under budget. This does not mean that this will be the case every year. There are four reasons for being under budget this year:
- No major storms requiring significant budget resources.
- Lower than expected costs for payroll. Radek did not use all of his allotted hours this year.
- Shoreline maintenance (see below) has not been conducted yet.
- Aquatic herbicide was not needed as frequently as in other years.
Areas of management are divided into 4 categories: lawn, trees, lake, and shoreline.
- Lawn
  - No outstanding mowing concerns or complaints.
  - Cost of mowing is $695 per visit.
  - There may be one or more mowings yet this year.
  - The cost for fall cleanup is $2,800. This service was declined.
- Trees
  - No trees fell down this year.
  - A tree was cut down on Canterbury Court. The fallen needles from this tree clogged the storm drain and forced water to divert and washed out the path during heavy rains. The goal is to keep storm sewers free of debris.
  - Tree on the west beach was pruned in an effort to get more sun on to the west beach. Additional trimming will be assessed.
  - Several trees were removed by the shed because if they fell, they would crush the shed.
  - Several trees were removed by the rock wall in the southwest corner of the lake because they dropped nuts that posed a tripping risk on the path.
  - The ECC endeavors to keep healthy trees wherever practical.
- Lake
  - According to Aquatic Biologists, the weeds were not as bad as budgeted for this year.
  - Razor raked for weeds and 1 chemical treatment this year.
  - It is not advisable to treat areas larger than the beach and boat areas due to currents and winds knocking the chemicals off of the aquatic weeds.
  - Discussion continues about cutting aquatic vegetation in certain areas 5 feet below the water surface. The goal is to maximize the benefits for both swimmers, fishermen and the lake.
  - The aquatic vegetation can be cut, but the contractor will not clean up the cut weeds. It is requested that those who see floating weeds, please gather them and place them in a pile on the shore for Radek to remove.
  - Cutting weeds is more economical than chemical treatment. Results are the same without putting chemicals into the lake.
  - No Milfoil this year. Please let Nick know if you see any and its location.
  - Water quality testing parameters are looking good. The only exception was one test that was high in phosphorus. The main source of this is the farm field. The farm field is addressed below.
  - We use nutrient bags but the absorption is reduced during heavy rain when water is coming into the lake fast.
- Shoreline
  - Positive feedback on the shoreline pruning last fall.
  - The ECC is evaluating different shoreline maintenance strategies and will decide on a course of action in the coming months.
  - Information considered for shoreline habitat and health evaluation:
    - If left unmaintained, the shoreline will eventually be trees (buckthorn, black walnut, box elder, etc.).
    - If maintained periodically through selective pruning, it will eventually be all shrubs (sandbar willow, dogwood, etc.)
    - If maintained annually through mowing, it will be approximately 30% shrubs and 70% grasses and flowers.
    - If maintained annually through selective pruning and chemical treatment of invasive species, the shoreline diversity will remain as it is now.
    - Erosion control is about the same for both grasses and shrubs.
    - The shoreline is relatively stable. The lack of wakes and waves helps slow erosion.
  - The ECC will conduct a cost benefit analysis to determine a course of action that maximizes the health of the shoreline with the most cost effective strategy. These strategies include:
    - Option 1 – Keep using Legacy Landscaping and Marek Landscaping to manage the shoreline annually. This would include:
      - Selectively pruning shrubs throughout the shoreline as was done in 2023 (approximate cost: $11,000 – $12,500 annually).
      - Selectively treating invasive species chemically, twice a year (approximate cost: $3,000 annually).
    - Option 2 – Contract shoreline maintenance to a restoration company that specializes in shoreline habitat maintenance. This would include:
      - Mowing the entire shoreline annually. This won’t kill the shrubs or plants, but will force competition with grass and non-native plants.
      - The mower will mulch the shrubs and other vegetation. The debris will biodegrade.
      - All vegetation will be forced to compete for survival. Little trees will not be able to compete with mowing and will die. The aim is for diversity and abundance.
      - This will change the shoreline appearance in the short term (3-5 years to establish new community diversity). In the long term, the shoreline will have less shrubs (~30%) and more grasses and flowers (~70%). The shrubs will be interspersed throughout the shoreline, not clustered along certain sections.
  - Option 1 and 2 can be conducted in the fall or spring depending on how aggressive we want to be. Selective pruning or mowing in spring after shrubs start growing is a more aggressive approach than fall and will slow shrub growth more.
  - Preliminary proposals indicate that option 2 is likely more cost effective than option 1 by approximately 40%.
  - Please forward your comments on this initiative to the ECC at: [email protected].
The last item is the farm field. Talks are still underway, but Tudor Oaks is considering taking it out of agricultural production and restoring it to a grass prairie. This is not final, and should not be broadcast outside of our community.
- Runoff from the farm field travels down a swale, moves over a residential yard, to a culvert and finally into the lake. The runoff contains sediment that ends up in our lake. The farm field is the single biggest point of nutrient loading into our lake. The consequences of leaves in the lake are secondary to the runoff from the farm field.
- The ECC helped Tudor Oaks secure an NRCS grant to solve this problem.
- The grant will fund, design and build a new swale as well as restore the farm field to a grass prairie. The cost share of the grant is 70-30, meaning that the grant covers 70% of the project and Tudor Oaks/LBHOA is responsible for 30%. The 30% cost share is what Tudor Oaks would be asking the LBHOA to help cover.
- Legally, we do not have to share in the costs of planting the field. If we don’t, the project may not move forward and nutrient loading from the farm field into the lake will continue. It is likely that our share may be in the range of $7,000-$15,000. This is a preliminary estimate for planning purposes only.
- NCRS may want to do the new swale as early as spring of 2025.
- This project will help with the long term health of the lake in terms of nutrient loading and sediment.
- We are not able to determine if there will be a cost saving benefit of the farm swale as it relates to lake management (e.g. increased aquatic vegetation treatment costs); however, the culvert is definitely contributing to sediment and phosphorus loading into the lake. This is highly correlated with sedimentation and increased aquatic vegetative growth and could trigger algal blooms.
- This project will improve lake health but it is not a monetary decision as much as it is a long term lake health decision. Our stewardship of the lake, and the degree to which we want to protect the long term health of the lake for future generations should be the main consideration.
The ECC will be making a decision on the farm field as the project progresses and will keep the LBHOA informed. Please email the ECC with comments and thoughts.

Old Business

There have been 3 dog on dog attacks on the path this year.
Reminder to dog owners to please keep your dog on a leash and under your control.
Please keep your dogs secured in your yard.
If a dog bites another dog or a person, or causes damage, at your discretion, contact the non-emergency number for the Muskego Police. 262-679-4130. This is something that is between the involved parties and the board will not be involved in the resolution of damages.
Watch your pets. Coyotes have been active lately and a picture of a coyote resting just off of a homeowner’s property is on the Lake Brittany Community Facebook Page. Be cautious for your small dogs and cats. Coyotes have also been known to lure bigger dogs and attack them.
Please pick up dog waste and dispose of it at your home.

New Business

Laurie Kontney and Zack Davis are the new members of the LBHOA Board. Congratulations to them.
Nate Ziarek and Kostas Lazarides did not run for another term this year. We are sad to see them leave the board. Their knowledge, time, and talents have been greatly appreciated and invaluable to the board and the community as a whole. The changes made by Nate with technology and Kostas with money management and financial tracking have streamlined our procedures and have brought us forward in efficiency and cost savings. Thank you again, Nate and Kostas.
Discussion on procedures and uses of guest passes
- Some options:
  - Electronic guest passes where the homeowner would sign in on a google spreadsheet with the names, dates and car ID of their guests.
  - Every guest must have a guest pass. This becomes problematic with larger groups of guests.
  - Guest passes would be good for a particular time frame. For example, good for 1 day or 1 week then void.
  - Homeowner must be present with a guest, thereby removing the need for guest passes. This too comes with problems such as unworkability for homeowners who are not able to walk on the path due to physical constraints and other issues.
  - Changing pass colors every year. This will avoid legacy passes and expired passes.
  - If a guest is asked for a pass and cannot present one, the guest must leave the common grounds immediately.
Problems we would like to resolve:
- Pet sitters and child care providers (related and unrelated) using the lake and common grounds when homeowners are not at home.
- People coming from a few blocks away and using our common grounds and lake.
- Guests who are offended or confrontational (or worse) when asked for a pass.
- People using guest passes that are not current; legacy passes.
- Identifying legitimate guests from a distance so no interaction needs to happen.
The goal of reworking guest passes is to help recognize trespassers and remove them, not to infringe on homeowners, and to avoid confrontations and conflicts.
When questioning someone on our lake or common grounds, avoid being confrontational. If you don’t want to confront someone you suspect is a trespasser, contact a board member or call the non-emergency Phone number for the Muskego Police. 262-679-4130.
Guests who are questioned by a resident should have a pass and be able to show that pass.
It would be nice to let the board and/or neighbors know if you are having a large gathering as it is not expected that all your guests would have a pass.
Tell your guests that they may be asked for a pass. Tell your guests to be respectful to the homeowner who is questioning them.
It has been Steve Fabry’s experience that about 50% of those he’s questioned have a pass and guests are often offended by being questioned.
In past experience, those who are trespassing are less likely to return if they are questioned.
Please send an email to [email protected] for a new pass. Current passes expire in January 2024.
Ice fishing flags are available from Pete or a board member can get one for you. The purpose is to identify homeowners and guests from a distance. Homeowners are requested to use these flags as well as guests.
Please remember, and remind your guests, that fishing is catch and release only. Please be gentle with the fish you’ve caught and return them quickly into the lake.
The Bylaws and Covenants are being looked at for updates. Several of these are out of date and cumbersome; eg: wood piles and garbage carts, and others need to be updated and clarified such as the prohibition on home rental. The board feels that language can be tightened up for clarity or relaxed for ease of daily living.
The Board is asking all homeowners to read the Bylaws and Covenants and be familiar with them. Please email your thoughts, ideas and suggestions about any changes to [email protected] as soon as possible.
The Board can change rules, but cannot change Bylaws and Covenants. A special meeting is required for changing Bylaws and Covenants and is not a fast or easy project. It would be very helpful to get as much homeowner input as possible as soon as possible.
Anyone interested in helping with this project is asked to email [email protected].

RESIDENT COMMENTS

Lucy Spoerk thanks those who signed up for the Social Committee. The more help and ideas the better. If you are interested in helping on the Social committee, please email Lucy at [email protected].

A suggestion was made about placing a footbridge over the concrete knubby swale by the west beach. It was stated that it is difficult for some older residents to walk over. The raised pieces can cause the walker to feel unsteady. Another resident added a bit of history and observation to this issue as follows: the Root River Watershed paid for the concrete swale way back when and it was designed by professional engineers. Part of that swale has been broken for quite a while. Water flows over the grass then onto the swale. The water is slowed by the grass before it gets to the swale. This item will be looked at further.

Meeting adjourned at 8:55pm.

Next Board meeting TBA

October 22, 2024 Operating Budget