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I say that with hope because last year was not too happy for us what with the flooding, Mountainside Security Gate issues, and, just at year-end, Mountainside’s water loss. But keep the faith. There is some good news in here.

First, the flooding; the cost for repairs and the results. During the flooding we managed to keep the road open, though just barely. When the flooding was over, Roads Chairman Jim Cavin quickly repaired and vastly improved the damaged portions. That cost significant money. And he improved some other areas so that the roads now resist the thunderstorms (the gully washers) quite well. This year he will continue to improve the roads. The roads improvement program that has been in place that last few years has vastly upgraded the road quality. Our past and current Road Chairs have done marvelous work.

Regarding the flooding repairs, although expensive, the federal government, through the Summit County Engineering Department, picked up 75% of the costs to put the river back in its banks and elevate the parking lot to prevent it from coming through the lot again. We were fortunate to obtain permission from three property owners upstream to let the construction contractors get into the river to do the required work. No easy task, but with help from Garl Fink, I was able to get the permissions in time to qualify for the federal money. HLA did provide 25% but thanks to good management in the past the Capitol Reserve Fund is healthy and had the money for both the flooded road repairs and the river project.

The HLA Security Gates last year were both a mix of good and not so good news. The good news is that the Riverside Security Gate, with some minor repairs, has operated very well. Some fobs still do not work but Public Safety Chair Troy Carr expects to solve that problem in the Spring.

The Mountainside Security Gate has been an operational nightmare. It stems, in my opinion, from the fact that the gate was the wrong size from the start. And, instead of demanding a properly sized gate from the factory, we allowed the manufacturer to make modifications. It worked for the first few years but we are now paying the price. However, Troy (and I) believes there is a solution. He will discuss it at the upcoming budget preparation meeting in March.

On the good news side, you may have noticed that I have referred to the gates as “Security Gates.” I do so because that’s exactly what they are. They provide security for each and every one of us and are the primary reason we have had very little criminal trespass, vandalism, thefts and burglaries. As all owners know the gates operate by fobs and codes. Under normal circumstances, fobs are used to gain entry to the association. That way, HLA knows that those who use a fob are lawfully entitled to enter. Codes are used only for special events such as an owner holding a party or gathering, construction contractors and service providers. A code issued for a party or gathering is only good for the time required and construction and service codes are routinely changed. (Nobody is entitled to a code for their own personal use or to have one permanently. An unregulated code quickly destroys security: a code can be given to anyone and can quickly proliferate.)

So why this dissertation? Because last year we experienced many unauthorized entries. As a result, the Public Safety Chair has removed all existing codes from the Security Gates and issued new codes as required. So, if any owner wants a temporary code for a gathering or construction, the owner must make a timely request. (And that doesn’t mean the day before or just before one is going to their cabin.)

Also, Troy will soon be asking you for your fob serial number. Our tracking program crashed and he must rebuild it. Once everyone has provided their number(s), remaining numbers will be removed for security purposes. We will try to make fobs more readily available for purchase.

Finally, related to the Security Gates and security in general throughout the association, Troy has installed cameras in strategic locations to address some of the complaints we have experienced and provide leads to police in the event of criminal activity.

Now to the loss of water in Mountainside! In my judgment, it was caused by the lack of snow. A good early snow provides a blanket that protects the water line from the cold. We didn’t get it. Water Chair Garl Fink, assisted by Verl Moyar, Mike Everett and several others, have tried to get the water going again to no avail. Garl has a couple of ideas yet to try but if he is unsuccessful Mountainside will have to do without until Spring. Because the line from the Well to the Lake Tanks is out of service some cabins located in the high areas will probably experience no water. Garl has switched most of the rest of the section to the Middle Tank. The Middle Tank is still in service and some will still have water until the tank empties. The Middle Tank has a 6,000 gallon capacity with about a 3 gallon per minute fill rate at this time of year. That means that those who still can get water must conserve their use. If not, nobody will have water.

Remember, HLA does not guarantee water year-round. We work hard to provide water in the Winter but sometimes…. The good news? Riverside is unaffected and has water.

In March, the Board of Directors will meet and prepare the budget for the coming year. Do you have comments or ideas or suggestions? Go to www.hiddenlakeutah.com and write to the Administrator. We want to know what you’re thinking. Everybody should participate.

Last Site Update: 02.05.12

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