Happy New Year! It sure feels great to finally put 2020 in our rearview mirrors. When all of us look back on the previous year, the coronavirus pandemic will be the dominant memory. Although COVID-19 concerns forced the dedicated members of our Social Committee to eliminate or alter several social events, The Springs adjusted beautifully and kept our community healthy. We even managed to have a successful pool season, thanks to the efforts of the Recreational Facilities Committee.
Because the pandemic has forced the HOA Board to postpone the annual meeting as well as other open meetings for the membership, we thought this message would be the best way to offer an assessment of some of the significant developments from the previous year as well as those to come in 2021.
The biggest improvement involved reinforcing the slope adjacent to the tennis/pickleball courts. For years, the land had slowly slid downhill, which in turn contributed to the deterioration of the court surface. After spending several years weighing options for repair (and being concerned about the considerable expense for some of them), the board agreed to a proposal by local contractor Lee Truell to add a significant amount of soil to reinforce the area. Those of you who have seen it will no doubt agree that the slope, reseeded as it was, looks wonderful. We will continue to take measurements to prove that the erosion has been halted. After about a year to allow for settling, we can entertain ideas for resurfacing and improving the court, something that can happen starting next fall.
We saw several other improvements in the community in the past year, including an effort to repair and reseed shoulder areas in a number of places along our roadways. The effort, led by our Infrastructure and Roads Committee, is ongoing, but the work that has been done already is a big improvement. And speaking of the roads, the IRC also saw to the completion of the task of filling pavement cracks throughout The Springs. We know that some of you might find the repaired cracks unappealing, but the result is that we'll be able to keep costs down by preserving our existing pavement and putting off until later the costly job of repaving.
The Social Committee instituted an exciting new program to produce a welcome binder, Living in The Springs, that will serve as a guide for new residents. The result is a beautiful offering, featuring the photography of Springs resident Dick Getz, that will be a handy reference for those new to our wonderful community.
More is on the way for this year. The efforts of the Firewise Committee will soon result in the placement of a handsome new fire danger warning sign at our entrance. It will indicate the current fire danger in our wooded community in an effort to help keep us safe. Also, The Springs Beautification Group will complete the task of updating the landscaping at our clubhouse.
Two of the biggest projects for the year offer great hope for improved life here at The Springs. First, we are well underway in our efforts to replace our outdated streetlights with modern LED fixtures that will result in significant electrical cost savings. A special thanks is in order to Jim Johnson and Jim Kelley for offering their considerable knowledge, experience, and effort in getting this project completed. If you haven't yet done so, visit the clubhouse at night to see the demonstrator light placed adjacent to the new handicapped parking spaces.
Second, we think we are closer to bringing high-speed internet service to The Springs. Our Community High-Speed Internet Task Force, under the leadership of Board Vice President Jerry Bushey, has had promising discussions with a couple of providers. We know this matter has been a source of frustration for many of our residents, but for the first time we think we can succeed in bringing our service into the 21st century. It's too soon to offer more specifics, or certainly to make any promises, but there is reason to hope.
We are witnessing more real estate sales and home building than at any time in recent memory, which means we'll have more residents, more traffic, and more demands on the many facets of life here. And, it will mean more work for those on the Architectural Review and Security Committees, especially.
All of the above-mentioned developments, and many more, are the result of the work of an incredibly dedicated group of member volunteers. The board and the community rely on all these great volunteers for making The Springs a better place to live, and their efforts also help to keep costs down by making it unnecessary to hire professionals for much of the work. The call went out in the last newsletter, but we want to repeat that the need for more volunteers is always great. We would especially encourage new members to pitch in, even in the smallest way. Don't feel that you are too new. We'd happily welcome your help.
Many of our volunteers bring unique skills and knowledge to the work they do. If you're new to the community (or even if you aren't) and have specialized training or knowledge that would benefit us all, please consider offering your time. Thank you.
We're looking forward to returning to "normal" (whatever that is) sometime this year when we again can have open meetings and social events. In the meantime, if you have a concern, an interest, or an idea that you want to share with the board, please contact us using the "Contact the Board" link on The Springs website under "From the Board."
HOA Board of Directors: Karl Svatek, president
