AUGUST NEWSLETTER
NEXT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 10, 2005 BOWER’S CENTER 317 W MAIN ST
(printable view)

CONTACTS
Email cglakeassoc@yahoo.com
Chairman: Dave Baker, E-13 767-6403 Vice Chairman: George Forester, D-39 767-8194
Treasurer: Vernon Hay, J-9, 767-8701 Secretary: Andy Hutter, C-42, 767-6561

WELCOME NEW NEIGHBORS
E-25A Roger and Shyrll Hoffman CW-3 Joni and Aaron Breitenbach
C-11A Patrick and Patricia Johnson J-1 Mary Wright
R-1 Patrick and Cathy Ziegler H-S1 Scott and Elizabeth McGinn
B-11 Joseph and Shirley Bogner

MEET THE NEW CITY LAKE CARETAKER
Justin Richardson comes to us from Great Plains Manufacturing, where he was a metal fabricator. He has worked in metal fabrication since graduating from Council Grove High School in 1996. Justin, his wife Kimberly, and son Dawson reside in the caretaker’s house. They are enjoying the hometown and being close to family. In his spare time Justin works on small welding and metal fabrication projects. If you see a maroon and silver customized Harley around the lake, it might be Justin enjoying some time off.

EMAIL
The Lake Association now has an email address; hopefully a web site will follow soon. Our email is currently web based and has some limitations, but is doing a good job of improving communications. We need your comments and suggestions so send them to cglakeassoc@yahoo.com. To receive the current lake news, newsletters, reminders, etc. Send your email address to the same address. For now we plan to continue the regular postal mailings to every one.

CITY ANNEXATION

Status

• Mayor Montgomery continues to push his proposal to annex the lake into the city. He has proposed a “deadline” for the annexation decision before the 2006 city budget is set, i.e. with in the next two months.
• On August 8, 2005, The Lake Association Board sent a letter to the mayor and copies to the city council and planning and zoning members. Our letter asks several specific questions about his proposal and stated our concerns about his proposal. We have not received a reply from Mayor Montgomery.

Legal Action

• At this point the Association Board feels that a legal challenge to city annexation would not be prudent. Our goal is to work cordially with the city government to establish long-term goals and plans to help both the city and the city lake prosper.
• For those individual leaseholders that are proposing individual or class action legal movement, we feel at this point at least, the board should not engage in a legal confrontation. We understand your concerns and we will not impede any individual efforts you choose to pursue.
• State annexation Statues can be found on line at http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-statutes/getStatute.do?number=3069

Effect on Lease Holders

• The Mayors proposal is not detailed enough to accurately or completely answer this question.
• With annexation will come city taxes. In a draft budget distributed at the end of the 8-15-05 Council meeting the mayor proposed two different annexation budgets, one with a 41 mill tax rate (no extra expenditures at the lake), and one with a 44 mill rate ($50,000 extra expenditures at the lake) Assessed value is 11.5% of appraised value.
• To arrive at an educated quick guess at your new tax obligation, if annexation occurs, your new additional city tax should be just a little less than half of your current property tax—or approximately a 40% tax increase.

City Provided Services

• Until the mayor responds to our written request with specific answers, we don’t know what services he is, or isn’t, proposing. Although on several occasions he has indicated no significant increase in service.

Representation and Voting

• If annexed, lake residents who’s primary residence is the city lake will have the same voting and representation opportunities as all city residents.

What Can You Do?

• The City Council will probably make the final decision to annex or not.
• Every one concerned, pro or con, should seek answers from, and express opinions to elected officials.
• Be respectful and courteous, in your communications. We are striving to work with the city toward a positive future for the City Lake and Council Grove, regardless of the outcome of the annexation initiative.
• Elected Officials: Mayor Dick Montgomery, Council Members, Cynthia Engle, Judy Mulig, Anita Thomas, Steve Shepard, Council Lake Committee Rick Evans, and J.D. Jones Jr., State Senator Jim Barnett and State Representative Shari Weber.

City Lake Master Plan
Over the next six months, members of the Lake Association are invited to work with the executive committee on developing a “Master Plan” for the City Lake. This will include both short term and long-term lake area improvements. This document will be used to guide the association, cabin owners and local governing boards as they make decisions about future improvements. Curt Brungardt (I-21) has volunteered to lead the association through this process. The first orientation meeting will be immediately following the regularly scheduled association meeting on Saturday, September 10, 2005.