General Manager’s Update

Dear Landings Association Members,

As we prepare to say goodbye to summer and welcome fall, I am reminded how quickly time moves and how important it is to make the most of every day. The Landings is a great place to practice a little “Carpe Diem”, whether it is taking a stroll along one of our beautiful nature trails, taking in a sunrise at Landings Harbor Marina, or basking in a sunset at Delegal Creek Marina. Our island is quite literally surrounded by beauty, so do yourself a favor and get out there and enjoy some of it today. You will be glad that you did!

I commend our dedicated staff for their tireless efforts before, during, and after Tropical Storm Debby. Even before the rain came, Public Works crews began lowering lagoon levels so the water would have somewhere to go. Those staff were onsite during the heavy rainfall, removing clogs and making needed adjustments to allow the storm drain system to operate as intended. Security staff remained on property to assist as needed. Communications Manager Lynn Lewis pumped out timely communications to keep everyone informed of  TLA updates and the latest from Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA). Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of experience with these tropical events since 2016. Fortunately, that means the team knows how to execute TLA’s Emergency Operations Plan effectively and smoothly. Now we are taking lessons learned, such as updating some lagoon overflow and backflow prevention structures and reviewing whether certain pipes need to be sized larger.

Below are a couple of responses shared by appreciative members. These cheer on the staff who get down and dirty for this community.

“I want to thank you for keeping the drain clean on Franklin Creek Road North. Your worker stood in a foot of water and cleaned the drain by hand until the water was draining properly. You should give him some extra time off because of this work in the middle of a rainstorm and tornado warnings…He was checking and cleaning several times after the initial cleaning as well.”

“Thank you SO much for keeping us apprised of all your work! I was walking my dog up to North Harbor Marina around 10 a.m., and TLA’s crew had smiles on their faces and were working hard to clear the uprooted trees and debris. Yahoo!”

One item identified to help for future weather events is a storm drain vacuum trailer to clear waterlogged, clogged debris. Luckily, we were able to rent one this time, and now we plan to purchase one in next year’s budget. You can read more about the budget process in this month’s Budget Box. I find this one of the more exciting annual processes. Staff work with liaisons from the Finance Committee and with the Board of Directors to determine necessary work for the following year, as well as to estimate the costs. It sounds like a dry exercise, but it really focuses your Association on what is needed vs. wanted, and how we can deliver on those projects and services.

What if I told you there’s a seemingly magic way to quickly detect if you have a water leak at your house, it won’t cost you anything, but only about 40% of your neighbors have signed up? With the free EyeOnWater app, you can view your water usage and receive notifications if you exceed certain thresholds, letting you know you have a leak to address. Click here to read details. We want as many residents as possible to sign up, so that we don’t waste this precious natural resource AND you don’t waste your precious dollars!

Finally, I give a big SkidaWave to TLA’s Communications Subcommittee on Courtesy for reminding us that Courtesy is Contagious and Kindness is Cool. Although this year-long campaign will soon end, I hope that we all will continue to remember to take some time to be kind to each other because we all deserve it.

As always, please let me know how I can help, send in any constructive comments, or drop me a line to say hello (karls@landings.org). It is always great to hear from you!