From the Parks Recreation Committee Chair, Lake Winnebago
Please note that the Lake Winnebago park playground/shelter/basketball/baseball diamond/exercise equipment/ etc. shall not be used for the time being. Restrooms and drinking fountain will also remain closed to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
Trails will remain open and available for patrons to exercise and maintain physical and mental well-being during this challenging time. When using these amenities, patrons should comply with the Cass County Public Health Emergency Order, requiring social distancing and also follow personal hygiene recommendations as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control. Patrons showing symptoms should not use any of the available HOA amenities.
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak and the safety of its employees to include the HOA employees. The City has closed the Community Center/City Hall to the general public. If you need to drop something off you will need to contact the HOA office or the City prior coming to the building.
To contact the HOA please call (816) 537-7273 or by email at LakeWinnebagohoa@comcast.net
To contact the Lake Winnebago City office please call (816) 537 6778
We will publish more information as we receive it.
-HOA Administrator
The following are the assigned Committee Chairs for 2020:
Parks & Rec - Scott Joling
AYC Liaison - Nancy Scott
Ways & Means - Craig Brandon
Signal - Scott Joling
City Liaison - Greg Grant
Planning - Scott Majercik
Legal - Mark Tatum
Insurance - Doug Brendel
Silt - Ron Ott
Lakes & Dam - Ron Ott
Fish - Steve Phillips
Docks - Steve Phillips
Architectural - Craig Brandon
Boats - Mark Tatum
The developer has begun the process of removing the existing dam. This is expected to take several weeks, weather permitting. During this time, the developer will have a variety of personnel and equipment along the dam and spillway. For the safety of that and our residents, buoys will be placed to protect the worksite area. No boats or other activity should enter inside the buoys or otherwise near the dam area while any work is in progress. At all other times, no-wake speed should be observed near and inside the buoys. As the dam is excavated, the two lakes will equalize, creating a causeway between the lakes. No one should pass through while any work is in progress. We ask that the community not attempt to use the new lake or pass through at any time work on the dam removal work is in progress for everyone's safety and so that the dam removal can continue unimpeded. We also recommend that any boating on the new lake be done with caution until it is properly marked and buoyed. In particular, there should be no boating near the spillway. Large buoys and NO BOATING signs are on order and will be placed at the new spillway. -- HOA Board
Friendly Reminder:
HOA membership dues are due in January of each year and are delinquent after March 1st. Dues for 2020 are $1170.00. A $100.00 late fee will be added to all accounts not paid by March 1. Remember, you may not purchase boat and dock permits unless your dues are paid in full.
Mohave Storage invoices were sent out early this year and payments were due by 31 Jan 2020. If you have not made payment or signed a 2020 contract, please come by the office to complete the contract and pay for your storage space.
For your convenience, the HOA has a black locked drop box outside the Community Center on the lake side of the building. Please feel free to use this to drop off any payments to the HOA.
Congratulations to the following newly elected HOA and AYC Board members:
HOA
Scott Joling 3 year term
Greg Grant 3 year term
Mark Tatum 3 year term
AYC
Leslie Mullins 2 year term
Doug Brendel 2 year term
Thank you to all the candidates who ran for Board positions. This community succeeds because of all the volunteer efforts of our residents!
If you would like to volunteer for a committee please click on the Documents tab, select the 2020 Sign Up Sheet For 2020 Committees tab for a printable. Feel free to email the form back to us or drop it by the HOA Drop Box located next to the Community Docs on the East end of the Community Center Building.
Also, please don't hesitate to call the office and we'll put you in touch with the Chair of the committee you are interested in. Thank you!
lakewinnebagohoa@comcast.net
Steve Phillips-
At the January Board meeting, I reported the HOA had commitments and/or signed consent forms from 601 property owners of record in favor of amending the Declaration of Restrictions to re-classify the existing spillway from Common Area to Area available for Development once the new dam is certified and the existing dam is removed. The Declaration of Restrictions requires that 2/3 of the property owners of record grant their consents to allow amendments to the Restrictions. Currently, 880 lots, tracts, and parcels fall under the requirements of the Restrictions. Two-Thirds of 880 is 587, the threshold to allow amendment of the Restrictions. When the commitments are confirmed as consents, the threshold will be met. As you read this article, I expect that all commitments will have been transferred to consents.
Following some discussion and comments from residents who were in attendance, the Board voted that once the consents are confirmed, the HOA attorney should work with the HOA Administrator to file and record with Cass County any and all documents necessary to memorialize the consent process and amend the Declaration of Restrictions.
The HOA attorney did receive a letter recently from an attorney who represents a resident indicating that their client is of the opinion that Lake Winnebago II residents should not be allowed to grant consents. On the advice and counsel of the HOA attorney, The Board disagrees with this opinion and believes it is without merit.
As a precautionary step, and because of the potential for legal challenge, the Board encourages any property owners that would like to grant consent but have not done so to do so as soon as possible. The HOA office will continue to offer notary services and will work with any property owner to provide notary to them if they cannot come to the office.
Notary hours to sign consent forms at the HOA Office are Monday through Friday, Noon to 7:00. Thank you.
CLARIFICATION ON PLANS MATERIAL IN THE EXISTING DAM - - I have recently been asked to clarify what happens to the dirt from the existing dam once the dam is removed and the new dam and spillway control the water elevation in the combined lake.
As part of the original Development Agreement the Developer agreed to cover all costs associated with removing the existing dam and disposing of the material. Material will be removed to an elevation 12.5 feet below normal water elevation of the lake. In exchange for completing this work at no cost to the HOA there are no stipulations in the Development Agreement on the use of the dirt or how or where the Developer disposes of the material.
The Developer has committed to place the dirt in the existing spillway if the two-thirds consents required to amend the Declaration of Restrictions to allow development in the spillway are achieved. Placing the dirt there is an integral part of the agreement reached earlier this year between the Developer and the HOA Board to construct a roadway at no cost to the HOA to connect the existing community with the new development, create a green space within the spillway, and to make 9 lots available to the Developer. The 9 lots in the spillway are not additional lots, the total number of lots allowed by the Development Agreement remains the same. If the required consents are not achieved the Developer will dispose of the material at a location or locations of his choosing.
-Steve Phillips
FOURTH AMENDMENT OF DECLARATION OF RESTRICTIONS – CONSENT FORM OPTIONS (2020):
Restrictions Amendment Consent Facts
The HOA would like to clarify some of the information that is being handed out throughout the community concerning the Consent to 4th Amendment to Lake Winnebago Subdivision Restrictions. Please see below for actual facts concerning this matter. We thank you for your support.
The Restrictions were last amended in February 29, 1988.
The 1988 Amendments changed the 1974 Restrictions.
Both the 1974 and 1988 Restrictions have a specific article on the “Amendment and Duration of the Restrictions”.
The Restrictions recognize that the HOA will have “By-laws” to establish rules for the conduct, regulation and/or management of its affairs and business.
The By-laws do contain rules for “voting”, proxies, quorums, etc…
The By-laws were last amended February 9, 2013 by a “vote”.
The HOA By-laws do not, and cannot, override, or change the Restrictions.
In 1988, due to challenges by residents on the Restriction amendment process, a legal opinion was obtained from the firm of Freilich, Leitner, Carlisle & Shortlidge. In a 10 page February 5 letter from this legal firm to the HOA, the following statements were made:
“The current Restrictions, may be amended by instruments in writing signed and acknowledged by the record owners of fee simple title to two-thirds of all the lots in the Subdivision. It is not a vote but a consent by a sufficient number of lot owners to amend the Restrictions.”
“Again, amending the Restrictions is not a matter of voting. If property owners agree that the amended restrictions will apply to their land, they will sign counterparts so declaring. Their signatures must be notarized. However, in order for the Restrictions to be amended, the written consents of the record owners of fee simple title to two-thirds (2/3) of all lots in the Subdivision are required. Thus, if an owner holds fee simple title to five lots (5), that owner may consent to the change of restrictions for each of his five (5) lots.
Every multiple owner has the opportunity to approve the amendments for each lot owned.”
The 1988 amendment to the 1974 Restrictions changed the article on “Amendment and Duration of the Restrictions” from “…fee simple title to two-thirds of all the lots …” to “…fee simple title to two-thirds (2/3) of the Lots, Parcels or tracts of land …” .
In order to insure the HOA was properly following the Restrictions, it asked the law firm of Oswald, Roam & Rew, LLC. (OR&R) for its legal opinion regarding the proposed 4th amendment to the Restrictions process. In a November 12, 2019 memorandum from the OR&R firm to the HOA the following statements were made:
“Yes. Consents to change the Restrictions should be obtained from fee simple owners of each lot, parcel, or tract of land with the Subdivision, even if that lot, parcel, or tract of land’s owner, owns more than one lot, parcel or tract within the Subdivision.”
“The process followed when the HOA amended the Restrictions in 1988 in what became the Third Amendment followed this opinion as it was clear by analyzing the consent forms that many individual and entity lot owners sign consents for multiple lots.”
“It is also important to note, during the 1988 Amendment process all property owners who owned multiple properties and the Land Development Company (the predecessor to LW Holdings) were counted in the numerator and denominator of the consents and overall lot count when determining whether the 2/3 requirement is met.”
“Thus pursuant to Article VI of the Restrictions, a property owner is entitled to one consent for each lot, parcel, or tract of land they may own within the Subdivision.”
“Finally, during the 4th Amendment process the HOA should count all lots owned by owners with multiple properties, including lots owned
by the HOA, LW Holdings, developers, builders and other entities, pursuant to the precedent set in the 1988 Amendment process. “
“Yes, Lake Winnebago II property owners may consent to the 4th Amendment to the Restrictions.”
A recent posting by a Resident on the HOA Face Book (FB) page relative to the Restrictions Amendment process is incorrect. The process being used by the HOA for the Restrictions Amendment process is NOT “flawed” as claimed by the resident. The amendment process is not a “vote”. The By-laws cannot, and do not, override or change the Restrictions requirement for amendment by the “consents” of the owners of 2/3’s of the lots, parcels, or tracts of land being granted.
