LAKES MANAGEMENT REPORT: Harbor Dock and Dredge has completed the grout work for the Keatons Lake Dam Spillway repairs. The grout will need to cure before it can be inspected, AMT will inspect the spillway on Monday, January 29. If the work passes inspection, then LOWA can lift the Level 1 Dam Emergency (unusual event, slowly developing, monitor situation).

CLUBHOUSE RENOVATION/REFRESH PROJECT UPDATE: The Clubhouse Facelift
renovation project is projected to be completed on budget. The Clubhouse will open for normal operations on Wednesday, January 31. There has been one change order to replace a plaster portion of the ceiling in the Grill Room with drop ceiling tiles, but the project is still on track to come in at or below the $547,694 budget.
 
We invite members to come out to the Clubhouse and experience the new aesthetic featuring neutral colors that are designed to reflect and embody nature. Contractor Hann and Hann has completed installing all flooring and LOWA Buildings Crew has installed all new lighting fixtures.
 
The furniture is expected to arrive mid-March; until then, LOWA will continue to use the existing furniture. LOWA will host a combined Clubhouse Deck Grand Opening & Clubhouse Facelift Full-Reveal on Saturday, April 20.
 
REFERENDUM UPDATE: The GM and AGM have incorporated the most recent feedback from Board members into the draft referendum business case language. The legal language is largely complete; however, we are waiting to hear from LOWA Attorney Jerry Wright to clarify the wording regarding existing contract considerations for Question #2 Short Term Rentals.

 
 
BUDGET UPDATE: The Finance Department continues its support of the annual Budget process. The February 3 meeting is intended for the Board to vote on amendments. The February 21 meeting is when the Board will formally adopt the budget.
 
A. MORTON THOMAS (AMT) STAFF KEVIN UTT: The GM has signed an agreement with AMT to provide onsite services from Senior Environmental Scientist Kevin Utt on a
part-time basis to fill in for the Environmental Resources Manager. Kevin will spend an average of 1-2 days in LOWA a week. His duties will center around dam and lakes work. This includes working on the LMIP Capital Projects from the 2022 AMT Lakes and Stormwater Study and assisting with recruitment for the Environmental Resources Manager. This is in addition to the services AMT is already doing under contract for items related to the Main Gate Traffic Congestion Project, Keatons Run Dam Spillway repair, and annual dam inspection and emergency action plan (EAP) services.
 
EQUESTRIAN CENTER FENCE: Contractor Joe Phillips Fence Co. has completed the installation of the paddock fences as well as the fence for the Show Ring. Philips is waiting for the delivery of the new gates so that they can finish the project.
 
FERRIS BUILDING: LOWA will be scheduling contractor Helping Hands to do the final remediation work at the Ferris Building. Helping Hands will remove the old crawl space insulation, hang new R19 insulation, and install a reinforced vapor barrier. The cost for this work is $2,860, and LOWA is working with the Clubs to establish a cost sharing agreement.
 
GROUNDS/INTERNATIONAL GOLF MAINTENANCE (IGM): The GM has signed a
short-term agreement with International Golf Maintenance (IGM) to provide three employees on Tuesdays and Thursdays to supplement the Grounds Crew. The Grounds Crew currently has two employees out of an authorized seven full-time slots. The IGM employees being provided for the Grounds Crew assignment are not currently assigned to golf maintenance work. In other words, the IGM work on the golf course will not suffer. IGM will provide hourly labor capable of performing tasks like those completed on the golf course such as: trimming, mowing, leaf and debris cleanup, trash pickup, etc. IGM and LOWA have a current agreement, effective May 1, 2022. The additional contractual services will be offset by the 503 Grounds Budget salaries and benefits expense line. The term is January 23, 2024, to March 28, 2024, weather dependent, at which time the IGM employees will be needed for their golf course maintenance duties.
 
MAIN GATE PROJECT: LOWA Maintenance will work in conjunction with AMT Engineering to pre-purchase and install new light poles at the Main Gate in the April-August timeframe. The lighting plan is Dark Sky compliant. The entire project is still under peer review by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

 
INTERNAL CONTROL: The Finance Team implemented two significant internal controls over the past two weeks. On January 26, LOWA in partnership with First Citizens Bank, activated First Citizens’ Positive Pay tool as an ongoing process to reduce the potential for check fraud. Positive Pay allows LOWA to electronically upload to the bank the list of vendors check payments issued by LOWA each week. The bank then verifies each payment presented for payment against the uploaded list, matching amount, date, check number, and payee. If there is any exception, the check is not processed for payment unless a member of the Finance Team approves it.
 
Finance also worked with food & beverage management and staff at Fareways to implement a cashless tip out program, after a successful pilot program with select employees. Tips paid to servers from customers using a credit card are now directly deposited into the bank account of the server rather than paid by cash. Implementing this new process significantly reduces the amount of cash required to be held on hand at both restaurants, cash handling requirements, the amount of time spent by staff reporting and reconciling daily tip out payments, and the opportunity for errors in tip payments, taxes, and reporting. January 23 was the first day that employees saw cashless tips deposited in their bank accounts.
 
PLAYGROUND UPDATE: On January 26, the Campground’s swing set was installed and opened for member use. The Hollyfield Park swing set will be installed the week of January 29. Still awaiting parts for Pondo Bouncer for the Campgrounds.
FAREWAYS HOURS: After a successful trial period during the Clubhouse closure, LOWA will be continuing with the extended hours at Fareways for the foreseeable future.
 
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER: The GM is pleased to announce that Cheryl Costa has been hired as the Human Resources Manager effective January 29. Cheryl recently moved to the area from California where she worked as the Office/HR Manager at The Commons at Elk Grove, a senior living community. Prior to that Cheryl worked as the Human Resources Manager for Hallsten Corporation, a manufacturer of structural aluminum products. Cheryl comes to this new role with 25 years of Human Resources, Office Management, and Payroll Administration experience. Cheryl studied at West Valley College/College of San Mateo.
Please join me in welcoming Cheryl to LOWA!
 
CAPITAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR (INTERIM): The GM is pleased to announce that he has appointed Barbara DiMiceli as Interim Capital Project Coordinator, effective January 29. This is an interim role while we advertise the Capital Projects Manager position. Barbara has 11 years of project coordination experience assisting project managers and design coordinators with Brown and Caldwell, a water/wastewater engineering firm. She currently works in the LOWA Finance Department/Member Services.
 

KEATONS LAKE DAM SPILLWAY REPAIR: On January 29, Harbor Dredge & Dock completed the grout injection work on the spillway. On January 30, Dam Engineer David Krisnitski (A. Morton Thomas and Associates) confirmed the work meets the engineering requirements.
 
The GM immediately notified the State Dam Safety Office, Orange County Emergency Services and Spotsylvania County Emergency Services that LOWA ended the Level 1 Dam Emergency as of January 30.
 
KEATONS LAKE DREDGING PILOT PROJECT: Keatons Lake is once again at full pool. On February 1, LOWA Maintenance relocated our dredge to Keatons Lake to begin dredging coves that are hot spot locations for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
 

• The purpose is to dredge in the cold weather months on an off cycle of the months the HAB spores are active.
• This is a pilot project to see how much dredging work can be done with the off cycle approach.
• This was a discussion point last spring during the 2023 Love the Lakes Speaker Series with Stantec and SOLitude Lake Management.
• The first cove to be dredged is the one fed by Keatons Run at the boat launch. Ed Rossi, our operator, will pick up where he left off with the land-based dredging late last year.
• We will be testing the dredge materials we remove.
• This means the Main Lake dredging will be suspended for the time being. The Main Lake program has not yet been completed.
• We will be prepared to discuss a more precise timeline once we see how quickly the cove dredging operation goes.
• Stantec’s Josh Running believes dredging February 1 to April 30 will give the water column time to settle before HABs become active with the warm weather.