Neighbors in the Know

Welcome to our new segment “Neighbors in the Know” where we will be sharing information that you might not know about our neighborhood. Feel free to post questions about this topic or if there are other areas of the neighborhood you are curious about. Be sure to use the following feature of this blog to be notified of additional posts.

The pond or “the lake” as we lovingly refer to it is the most popular of our common areas. It is a flood control lake which means we get to enjoy it’s beauty and benefits as well as receive a little help maintaining it from time to time. Last year, thanks to Gerald Horn’s coordination efforts, The Payne County Conservation District cleaned up the dam and emergency overflow areas at no expense to the HOC, which was a huge savings to the HOC budget.

Water is great fun but can also be naturally destructive at times. Where there is water, erosion is natural and in a limited area like ours we need to be aware of it. Gerald and I were able to meet with The PCCD and USDA for advice on ways to help preserve the banks of our lake and it’s wildlife. They provided useful information that the HOC will be reviewing over the next few years.

Algae is another naturally occurring issue with water. Algae is healthy for lakes when in balance with the lake environment but keeping the balance sometimes takes extra effort. Many years ago the HOC hired a pond service company to help keep the lake healthy and clean. There are several ways they keep our lake looking so great but one of the most noticeable ways are the circulators. There are two circulators installed in the lake to keep the water flowing during the summer months to prevent algae overgrowth. You might notice water swirling and bubbling in the areas where the circulators are. They are turned off during the cooler winter months when algae growth is inhibited which saves the homeowners on expenses. Fishing by around the circulators whether running or not is discouraged as they are expense and time consuming to repair.

This leads us to our next topic, fishing. Catch and release fishing is available to residents and homeowners of the neighborhood. Please refrain from allowing friends who do not live here to fish without being accompanied by a homeowner. Fishing isn’t the only thing to enjoy at the lake. There are many species of birds and fowl. Although hunting is not allowed bird watching is encouraged. Beautiful sunsets can also be enjoyed from the top of the dam. Please be responsible when using the lake area so that everyone gets to enjoy it by keeping things out of the lake that doesn’t belong such as trash, grass clippings, or chemicals (gasoline, oil, fertilizer, etc.).

Did you know that small boats with paddles or small electric motors with life jackets are allowed on the lake but swimming is not. When taking a boat out please do not leave unattended boats on the shore.

Enjoy the lake as you walk through the area by yourself, with a pet, or family.

Remember to follow this blog and keep up to date with your community.

Door to Door Soliciting

Please help our community by referring to the no soliciting sign posted at the entrance and ask them to leave our neighborhood.

Typically we have groups of solicitors come through our community several times per year. Most of the solicitors going door to door will say they are doing work in the area but they are not. They can also be rather demanding and try many things to keep your attention. When asked to leave they might try to show that they have a permit from the city. The city can issue soliciting permits however it’s up to each neighborhood policy if it is accepted or not. The last group of pest control solicitors had at least 4 people going door to door. It is important that each one is informed of our policy and asked to leave. When we all do our part in asking them to leave then they will have no reason to be here.

If you are uncomfortable with asking them to leave and you suspect a solicitor please feel free to simply not answer your door.

Update on Dam

Between the weather, some equipment issues and general issues the cleaning and mowing of the dam has been delayed. We are still on the list and Gerald is keeping in touch with them. If you have any questions please contact the board via the Let’s Talk option on this web site.

The Lake, Dam and Spillway

Please be aware that The Payne County Conservation District (PCCD) will be doing maintenance work on our pond, dam, spillway and plunge basin area. They hope to complete their work this week (June 14-18). They plan to mow the dam and emergency spillway, as well as remove and grind some trees that area. This is at no cost to the HOC. The PCCD has a very limited budget and we are grateful to be on their list for maintenance this year.

New Board Members

The annual HOC meeting was held last Sunday, May 23. The topics discussed are listed below:

The shoreline of the lake is experiencing some erosion. This years increase in dues is in an effort to start building the funds needed to address this. These funds are being set aside and we are starting the process for finding a solution.

The bushes and trees in the center median of the entrance were impacted by the cold weather and will need to be significantly trimmed back.

There is a tree on the north side of the lake that is dead and a few others that are broken and needing trimmed. These will be attended to as soon as the weather permits.

The trees and fencing at the edge of Lakeview Road were brought up. The trees need to be trimmed up and the garbage underneath them needs to be cleaning up. Some of the fences are in disrepair and there was some discussion on how to improve the appearance of the area. A work day will be announced soon and there will be further discussions about the resolution.

New board members were elected. Find the new list of board members on this website by hovering the mouse over Let’s Talk tab on the upper right side of the home page then selecting Board Members drop down.

Feel free to contact the board through the Let’s Talk page on this website with comments or questions.