Blog Open and Key to Happiness...

Dear Fellow Neighbors,

We communicated to you recently that Blue Angel Lake HOA has created a "blog" for our community which will formatted by neighborhood volunteer Matthew Rings. A blog, by its purest definition is a website containing a writer's or group or writers'  experiences, observations or opinions. Our intent is to have us all share in information that others in the neighborhood may find interesting or even valuable; i.e. a recent break-in, the health of our lake, a new hybrid grass that is more tolerant of Florida summers, or even that killer recipe for banana pudding. Therefore, the community blog is open to all to contribute and articles will not be approved by the Board or anyone else. We do however ask that if and when you post information, it be in keeping with the spirit of cooperation and free of any offensive language in order to help foster a communal spirit in Blue Angel Lake.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the happiest people are those who pursue a purposeful life, who volunteer their time and contribute to the communities that they reside in. People simply need to be  valued and needed, and we here in the HOA are no different. We have a number of volunteers who silently and willingly contribute to the betterment of our neighborhood. You may have seen them planting flowers at our front entrance, repairing a sprinkler head or pressure washing the curb in the common areas of our streets. These folks are the heart and soul of what makes us tick and we truly appreciate them. We likewise appreciate your written thoughts and ideas on our blog that the rest of us may find informative or beneficial.

Our blog web address is   blueangellake.blogspot.com

We look forward to hearing from you.

Blue Angel Lake Board

Blue Angel Lake Report
Hello again Blue Angel Lake friends and neighbors!  It’s been some time since the last report due, in part, to media and communication changes which have taken place.  Now that the new community website is live, we wanted to use that platform to provide the latest on the lake.
We certainly appear to be out of the dry climate cycle which may have been a result of the strong El Nino weather pattern which persisted over the past couple of years.  The lake levels have been consistently higher than average since last fall.  So, our lake pump has had some well-deserved R&R in 2017!  Outside of maintenance fees to the Lake Doctor, no additional funds have been spent from the committee budget.  That’s always good news!  Hopefully, this will continue until we enter the dry season in Oct and Nov.  See the spreadsheet attached for detailed information and measurements.
Detailed current weather data for Blue Angel Lake available at http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KFLPENSA61

Will the rain continue to keep the lake level high through 2017?  It’s extremely difficult to predict in this area due to the pop-up nature of our summer storms as well as the gamble with tropical systems.  However, there are a few broad weather patterns which remain consistent over the years.  Without boring you too deeply with meteorological forecast models, my guess is we will see moderate rainfall through August and September.  Though, fewer will likely be heavy rainfall events.  October and November are very likely to be quite dry as they traditionally are.
Considering the above, I’m predicting no more than 2 pumping sessions may be required for the remainder of the year.  To estimate costs, consider a session to last 4 days (average from last year).  If the cost to run the pump is $24/per day, then we may want to allocate $192 for pumping this year.
LAKE HEALTH - Overall, I’m happy to report the lake remains in optimal health and remains suitable for swimming!  That said, the Lake Doctor did observe a few minor concerns.  Regular treatment of invasive aquatic weeds have been reported.  Small algae patches, bladderwort, spike rush, and floating shield lilies have been listed over the months.   The main contributing factor is the increased inflow (rain run-off) bringing higher than average nutrient loads.

         
While we can’t completely prevent excess nutrients from entering the pond, we can limit it by following a few suggestions on the application of lawn fertilizers.  The chemicals in fertilizer (primarily nitrogen) act like red bull for aquatic plant life.  So, it’s important we limit the amount that enters the water.

Follow the instructions on any fertilizer packaging, of course.  However, being mindful of weather forecasts before application will significantly reduce runoff risks.  Periods of 3 or more days with little to no chance of significant rainfall are preferred.  Consider watering your lawn within 24 hours of application so the chemicals become more soluble.  The goal is to allow time for the fertilizer to seep into the ground before periods of heavy rains.  Avoiding application to known water run-off areas and within 25’ to 50’ of the shoreline will dramatically reduce risks as well.

A potentially serious concern about the increased use of boats on the lake was identified in the Lake Doctors July report.  The biologist warned about the hazards of accidentally contaminating the lake with invasive plant-life.  The shield lilies were reported as being highly uncommon here and potentially difficult to manage.  They generally spread by adhering to boats used in contaminated bodies of water.  It’s recommended to thoroughly clean any boat, used elsewhere, before reintroducing it to our lake.  The same is true for rafts and even tubes.

AQUATIC LIFE – The marine life, and ecosystem in general, continue to remain healthy.  Earlier in the spring, I took a GoPro camera, a long selfie stick, and a kayak (thanks Randy) to survey a large swath of the pond.   I was interested in the quality of deeper breeding sites and found 4 different sites suitable for protecting young fish.  These included a couple of discarded Christmas tree structures still intact, the rock beds lining the run-off culverts, along with a larger pile of natural debris from trees branches in the deeper portions of the pond.  Shallow grass beds and sections of brush overreach exist providing prime breeding areas for the minnow population as well.

The sunfish (bream) and bass population appear steady and a healthy supply of minnows are evident.  So, no concerns to raise in this arena!  Of course, the turtle population is still a little excessive but no negative impacts have been reported.  I’ve personally noticed more snakes than I have in years past.  However, with the exception of one cottonmouth, the majority have been non-venomous rat snakes.
     

Please also remember to avoid feeding with bread and other table foods.  Instead, consider pond pellets.  Barnes Feed store has large bags for under $20.  However, be careful not to overfeed as the lake’s ecosystem should be self-sustainable and we want to avoid the aquatic life becoming fully dependent.

That wraps up your mid-2017 report!  If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback you’d like to provide, we’d love to hear from you.  Articles you’d like to contribute to the newsletter are certainly welcome as well!  Please send your comments to cecarlson1@gmail.com for review.  Thanks for your time and hope to see you around the lake soon!

New Entrance Sign

All,

 

Good evening. I would like to thank the sign committee and all others who helped with the preparations and installation of the new entrance sign. Thank you for your time and a job well done. The new sign is beautiful and a great addition to our front entrance.

 

Michael Clarke

Current HOA President

At last year's annual meeting, the membership approved funds for two projects this year; pressure washing the fence along Gulf Beach Hwy., which was completed in early summer, and replacing our entrance sign. Many thanks to our Sign Committee members Lora Jones, Shelley Maniscalco and Donna Aberg for their diligence in getting this in front of us. This handsome new sign comes at a greater cost than what was budgeted – cost is approximately $3200. However your Board felt that it was important enough to improve this asset of our community, such that it needed to try and find a way to fund this. In a budget review session at the end of October we've determined that this is possible. 

President's Letter: December meeting, new signage, update of Bylaws

Dear Fellow Blue Angel Lake Neighbors,

Attached you will find several documents of importance that require your attention. As we had previously indicated to you, your Board of Directors had several initiatives that it wanted to accomplish for 2016, and the following is a summation of action taken in that regard which will ultimately require your vote for approval.

The first document is a revision of our Covenants, Bylaws and Rules and Regulations which govern our Association. Blue Angel Lake HOA is now 20 years old, and as such it became apparent that much of the language (mostly in our Covenants) was outdated. Much of this proposed change is simply "housekeeping" items to bring our governing documents current. As you read through these Covenants, note that outdated language has been stricken through and, where applicable, new language has been inserted in red italic print.

Our Bylaws required very little change, so we have listed only those few edits to them so that you can refer to your copy of the Bylaws and see how this reads within the context of what currently exists.

One new category that has been added to our governing documents is "Rules & Regulations", and there is a single item listed here as advised by our legal counsel. This is a result of a legal challenge presented by one of our owners as it related to the ability to park one's boat, camper or RV in his/her driveway for a period of time to prepare for trips, unload from trips, or conduct maintenance. All of the above will require approval of the membership and will be presented for vote at our annual meeting.

The second attachment is a rendering of a proposed new sign for our front entrance. At last year's annual meeting, the membership approved funds for two projects this year; pressure washing the fence along Gulf Beach Hwy., which was completed in early summer, and replacing our entrance sign. Many thanks to our Sign Committee members Lora Jones, Shelley Maniscalco and Donna Aberg for their diligence in getting this in front of us. This handsome new sign comes at a greater cost than what was budgeted – cost is approximately $3200. However your Board felt that it was important enough to improve this asset of our community, such that it needed to try and find a way to fund this. In a budget review session at the end of October we've determined that this is possible. We have the funds initially budgeted for this, as well as unused funds from our landscaping budget, and it appears that at year's end we will finish under budget in our operations so that we can complete this project with no additional cost to our members.  Any expense exceeding $500 does require a majority approval of owners, so this too will be presented for approval at our annual meeting.

In closing, I want to note that this coming week you will receive a notice of our annual meeting on Tuesday, December 6. The agenda will include a presentation from Lake Doctors, the election of new Board Members, committee reports and of course approval of the two items listed above. This is an important meeting and we hope that you can attend. If not, we encourage you to get your proxy in so that we can continue to operate our Association within the constraints of our regulations. If you have any questions prior to next month's meeting, feel free to contact a Board Member. Thank You.

Please send a reply to this e-mail when you receive it.  We want to make sure that everyone receives this important e-mail.

For the Board of Directors,

Randy Delaney, President

Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting

MINUTES

Board of Directors Meeting

September 19, 2016

The Board of Directors of Blue Angel Lake HOA met on Monday evening, September 19, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. In attendance were; Randy Delaney (President), Mike Clarke (Vice President), Jackie Callahan (Treasurer) and Bob Stott (Board Member at large). No other HOA members requested the opportunity to attend.

Randy called the meeting to order and brought the Board up to date on the pending legal issue before the HOA. He noted that a mediation session was scheduled for September 30 between representation from the HOA and a member of the Association who has chosen to remain non-compliant with specific restrictions as stated in the HOA bylaws.

Annual Meeting - Randy noted that the Annual Meeting of the Homeowner's Association is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, at 7:00 p.m. at Sullivan Hall. He thanked Mr. Jim Olson for sponsoring this through his association with Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church and for making the arrangements. Notice of that meeting will go out in November to all homeowners in good standing, and will include a proposed slate of Directors for the coming year as well as a number of proposed bylaw changes for the members to vote on.

Nominating Committee - Mr. Bob Stott agreed to Chair this year's Nominating Committee and head up a team to select candidates for the Board for 2017. Anyone interested in serving or with a suggestion for an appointee should contact Mr. Stott directly.

Proposed Declarations & Bylaw revisions - One of the projects that the Board took on this year was to clean up the HOA's 20 year old Declarations and Bylaws, and bring forth any proposed changes to reflect how the Association operates today. Funds for this were escrowed several years ago in anticipation of this and the Board has been working with an Attorney who specializes in HOA laws. A number of proposals were discussed, and a complete copy of this will be circulated to all members of the Association for their review before being presented at the Annual Meeting for a vote.

Financial Update - Jackie Callahan presented an updated financial statement for the Board's review and noted that, other than legal expenses, all line item expenses were holding to form. She reported that the HOA is in good shape financially and she does not anticipate any variances to budget. Randy observed that the Sign Committee continues to work towards the replacement of our sign at the front entrance, but is finding it difficult to locate an acceptable one within the constraints of its budget. He noted that $500 had been budgeted for plants in the common areas this year and that only $35 has been expended thus far. Since it was now late in the year and the growing season is coming to an end, he suggested that perhaps the Board should contact the Landscape Committee and request permission to reallocate those funds to the sign project. The Board was unanimously in favor of that idea and Jackie said she would speak with the ladies on the Landscape Improvement Committee.

Other - Three properties in the neighborhood were identified as appearing neglected; one was in foreclosure and the other two were rentals. Randy said he would contact the owners of the two rental properties of note. He also said that he was aware of someone who is interested in buying the home in foreclosure and that they are currently going through the process. Jackie added that she had contacted the previous owner and that he had sent her money to have the lawn taken care of for the next two months. That will done within the week. In closing, Randy noted that Barbara Horton had sold her home to a couple from New Hampshire and that the closing was set for October 6.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Randall K. Delaney

Autumn 2016 Newsletter

Blue Angel Lake Newsletter

Autumn 2016 Edition

Dear fellow neighbors,
Your Board of Directors will hold its next meeting on Monday evening, September 19, at 6:00 p.m. Topics of discussion will include a financial review of our operations, an update on our community-wide projects, a bylaw review and any other subjects pertinent to
discussion at that time. Minutes of that meeting will be circulated following the meeting, but
owners are welcome to attend the meeting, provided that they contact a Board Member to make us aware so that we can provide adequate space.
In the mean time, the following is a brief recap of operations -

FINANCIAL REPORT
Income for the year is $15,408, almost all of which is derived from annual dues. This is about $2000 better than budget, in part, because we have collected some delinquent dues and a lien payment from a property that was in arrears.
Overall expenses are tracking close to budget or better than budget as well. Of the fourteen different line item expenses that we maintain in our HOA budget, twelve of them are under budget year to date. One exception is a $450 expense that we incurred in August to have the well and pump on the "island" at the front of our community repaired so that can
adequately maintain and improve the landscaping. We did however budget $500 annually for repairs so, barring any unforeseen expenses in the last four months of this year, we should be in good order. The only other variance is in legal fees, of which we have
expended $1088 to date. $400 of this was for our attorney to review our 20 year old bylaws, make recommendations for change, and insure that they are up to code. The balance was for an on-going legal issue that we are currently dealing with and which we expect to
resolve very soon. We did however anticipate an expense to bring our bylaws current, and therefore we escrowed funds in a reserve account to cover the bylaw review expense.

The Lake Committee gets the kudos for doing an exceptional job this summer. It has seen to it that Mother Nature has provided us with substantial enough rain to maintain a full lake throughout July & August - no small feat. There have been a few rare occasions where we needed to turn on the lake pump in the extended absence of rain to maintain the accepted level, but we remain below budget in utility costs. A special nod to Board Member Mike Clarke who has assumed the task of upgrading and maintaining this lake pump for us so that it performs flawlessly when needed.
The Architectural Review Committee held several meetings this summer to review a request from an owner for a variance to a specific covenant. The committee practiced due diligence in its review and did not approve that request. Please be reminded that there is a process in place to maintain the integrity of our neighborhood and that process works very well under the guidance of Chairman Curt Jones. Any additions, fences, signs, mailboxes, sidewalks or other structures that any owner may be considering need to be submitted to this committee.
On a final note, there have been several reports of pets straying through the neighborhood, creating issues between some owners. The rules are simple; keep your pet confined to your property or on a leash when off your property. Pet waste must be removed and disposed of promptly on public and private property. Report any "found" animals to the Animal
Regulation & Control Office at 595-3075. If bitten, contact the Environmental Health
Department at 595-6700.

Board of Directors
Blue Angel Lake HOA

Neighborhood Watch Committee  
You are invited to Neighborhood Watch Academy #34 on 9/20/2016. how to be more safe and secure at home and away. meet at 5 PM for a free meal and then the class continues to 9PM. ’s at 1700 West Leonard Street. main administration building for the Sheriff’s Office.

Sign up is easy and online at: 
http://www.escambiaso.com/index.php/crime-prevention/ neighborhood-watch/neighborhood-watch-academy/

It’s free and a great way for anyone to learn how to not be a victim. fill out the online form linked above and click subscribe and you are all signed up! Whether or not you want to know how to safely and effectively run a neighborhood watch the seminar is packed with information that can save your life and protect your possessions. Included now: Situational Awareness and Street Survival training.

We hope to see you on the 20th of September, 2016 at the Sheriff’s Office. questions about this event can be answered by
David Craig / Coordinator
or ECSO Community Services at 436-9281.

   

ECUA Recycling Facility Ready for Kick-Off

Neighbors,

  You may have received the monthly ECUA newsletter in your mailbox this week.  It announces the opening of the Interim Materials Recycling Facility (IMRF).  Collection of recyclables will begin again after test loads are completed.  For more information on what is recyclable and not recyclable go to:
http://www.livegreenecua.com/

www.ecua.fl.gov/green/recycling
  

BLUE ANGEL LAKE REPORT

 Hello Blue Angel Lake friends and neighbors! 
Summer’s wrapping up on the lake and boy was it a warm one!  Heat indexes climbed over the triple digit mark for almost all of July and August.  That heat, coupled with long stretches with no rain, left our lake a  little parched.  The water level dropped below the low marker on three different occasions which prompted pumping.  Below is a summary of the data collected as well as a few other topics noted this quarter.  Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or recommendations.

LAKE HEALTH has remained in good shape.  No water quality concerns or algae blooms have been reported.  Though, the lake doctor noted a rapid increase in the growth of weeds around the        shoreline in his July report.  This was mainly a result of the lower water level.  When this occurs, the lake floor is exposed promoting unobstructed and excessive weed growth.  However, recent heavy rains quickly filled the lake back to capacity which effectively wiped out most of the evasive growth.  

AQUATIC LIFE continues to appear quite healthy.  Overall, no concerning population changes have been noticed.  I’ve personally come across a few more snakes near the shore compared to previous years.  Though, almost all were the non-venomous type such as black racers, grey rat snakes, and small     garden snakes.  These varieties are generally harmless and can be surprisingly beneficial in controlling rodent populations such as the moles who have been graciously decorating our lawns with tracks of dead grass from their constant tunneling!  

FISH STOCKING - Two informal inquiries arose related to stocking the pond with different varieties of fish.  Unfortunately, the committee budget isn’t currently sufficient to cover this type of expense.  However, it has been privately funded and carried out in the past.  That being said, the committee is  certainly open to further discussion related to the topic.  Should any individual or groups be Interested in another privately funded project, please reach out to us.  We’d be happy to help provide related resources as well as assistance seeking any necessary approvals by the board and HOA in   general. 

LAKE PUMP - As mentioned above, several extended periods of little to no rainfall resulted in three separate sessions running the lake pump.  Specifics related to these sessions are listed in the attached spreadsheet.  The collected data provided a better understanding of summer evaporation & seepage rates as well as costs related to maintaining water levels.

July resulted in largest rate of water loss since the committee began recording.  This was evident  during the last session when we noticed the lake pump adding under ½” to the water level per day!  We previously learned the pump is capable of adding 2 inches per day.  So, we can roughly estimate the maximum total water loss rate at 1.5 inches per day. 

This info may occasionally require special discussion regarding how effective pumping is during  significant drought events as well as the costs to do so.  If the dry spell continued into August, then it would require running the pump 8 consecutive days to reach the agreed “shut off” level.  It would then take less than 3 days for the water level to hit the low mark again.  That method could  significantly impact the lake budget.  Though, these conditions are likely to be rare and relatively short-lived.  

From a financial perspective, 1,535 kWh were used to run the pump this summer.  This equates to an additional $175.94 in power consumption costs (not including the monthly base rate.)  A special thank you to Mike Clarke for his help in managing maintenance costs.  His electrical expertise certainly came in handy fixing an issue which caused to the pump to repeatedly trip the power breaker.   

Many thanks for your time and efforts there Mike!           
WATER LEVEL & WEATHER DATA
Detailed current and historical weather data for Blue Angel Lake available at:  CLICK HERE

Board Initiatives for Blue Angel Lake Neighborhood

Dear Fellow Neighbors,

We wanted to bring you up to date on our latest Board initiative; that of reviewing our HOA bylaws and CC&Rs to insure that they are current, relevant, and still accurately reflect the needs of our community. When the Blue Angel Lake neighborhood was formed 20 years ago (Oct. 30, 1996), our Articles of Incorporation stated that "This Association is organized to create an entity to provide for the maintenance and architectural control of the properties and the residential lots within these properties and to promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents within the subdivision".

Getting all to agree and comply with those specified controls of course is the challenge herein, because we can all have slightly different interpretations of the rules, or in fact may not be at all aware of them. In that regard, each of us on the Board has committed to reading through our HOA bylaws and CC&Rs again thoroughly in order to have a better understanding of what our guiding principles are and to see what has changed in twenty years in order to perhaps facilitate any amendments. This is not strictly a Board function, but one which should involve every home owner, as ultimately amending any bylaws and CC&Rs will require a majority approval. Therefore we invite you to read your copy of the bylaws and CC&Rs and contact any member of the Board on issues that you feel needs to be reviewed. Jackie Callahan can e-mail you a copy of the bylaws and CC&Rs if you are unable to locate yours.

Fortunately, forward thinkers on previous Boards in Blue Angel Lake recognized that the time would come when our bylaws would need to undergo just such a procedure, and therefore funds have been sitting in escrow for about 5 years for that very purpose. This is an appropriate time to address this. We encourage you to become familiar with the bylaws and CC&Rs and be prepared to meet as a community at a future date to discuss any proposed amendments that may come up for a vote at our annual meeting in December. In the mean time you should be aware of some of the most often overlooked or unknown of the CC&Rs which we have listed below.

1. Article V, Section 1 of our Declaration (CC&Rs) states that no one may erect any building, wall, fence, mailbox, shed, pier or any addition to their house without having approval from the Architectural Committee, currently headed by Mr. Curt Jones.

2. Article VII, Section 5 states that we all must maintain the exterior of our properties in a neat and sanitary condition.

3. Article VII, Section 6 limits the number of pets one may have per household.

4. Article VII, Section 14 states that no trailers, boats, campers or RVs are allowed on the street or on the lot, except in a closed garage.

5. Article VII, Section 15 reminds us that state and federal agencies have jurisdiction over common areas of our community, specifically the 20' buffer surrounding our lake. This area must be maintained in a natural and unaltered state, and the Association has the obligation to the Florida Department of Environmental Control and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect this.

6. Article VII, Section 10 restricts watercraft in our lake to non-powered vehicles not over 14' in length.

Our governing documents have served us well over these 20 years and helped us maintain the integrity of our neighborhood. However, as noted above, the opportunity is before us to review them as a community to consider any revisions.

Blue Angel Lake has many retirees within our community, and a number of others with one eye towards that goal. The happiest retirees, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, are those who pursue a purposeful life, who volunteer their time, contribute to their communities, and who foster and maintain a deep connection to family, friends and the community they reside in. People simply need to be valued and needed.

It's time to focus on our communal kinship and direct some of our energies toward more positive ventures. To that end, this Board wishes to recognize those who have already been involved in enhancing our neighborhood. Thanks go to Lora Jones and the sign committee that she has recently organized to look at new signage for our front entrance.  Thanks also to Michael Clarke who took it upon himself to brace up the privacy fence along Gulf Beach Highway once the pressure washing was completed. Thanks as well to Eric Carlson who was seen pressure washing the blackened curbing at the culvert along Westgate Circle, hundreds of yards from his own home. Many good things are happening right here in our neighborhood and committees such as the Landscape Committee, the Lake Committee, the Architectural Review Committee, the Neighborhood Watch Committee and other volunteers who do the little things, often which go unrecognized, show great promise of what our neighborhood can become.

Board of Directors

Blue Angel Lake HOA