The President's Message

Dear Fellow Lake Hills Residents,

Happy New Year! As we begin a new decade with well meaning resolutions and gym memberships, and the Samp Mortar dam enters its 120th year, it’s a great time to reflect on the LHA year that was and our plans for 2020.

2019 was a banner year for the Lake Hills social scene. Aided by an intrepid crew of volunteers the LHA spirit committee raised the bar for what it means to be part of Lake Hills. Starting with the Cabin Fever Reliever and the Easter Egg Hunt to the spectacular Rock The Sand concert and Fall Festival, each event was more memorable than the last. This is only possible due to the incredible LHA community that has stepped up to generously contribute their time, energy and resources making this one of the best places to live in Fairfield. And judging from the many inquiries on association membership by prospective homeowners and LHA neighbors, what was previously a well kept secret is increasingly well known.

As most people know, the key assets of the community are the Samp Mortar Dam and the lake it protects. While over a century old, our dam remains in great condition. We continually invest in lake and dam maintenance to keep them that way and these investments constitute the largest fraction of association spending. As part of our continued efforts to be good stewards of the lake, in 2019 the LHA board embarked on a long overdue evaluation of the upcoming capital needs of the association. In addition to the needs of the dam and the lake this includes work to maintain our beaches, playground and ball field. These inputs were consolidated and prioritized to formulate a 10 year Capital Improvement Plan that we look forward to sharing in our annual meeting on February 7th. The LHA facebook page will also post explainers on the plan for review in advance of the annual meeting.

Evaluating how we can best fund these needs is the logical next step in this exercise. Like all conversations involving money, these discussions can be challenging but are necessary to ensure the continued health and vitality of our community. With thoughtful engagement and participation from the membership, we are sure to arrive at an equitable and sustainable solution to ensure we can all enjoy this oasis for decades to come.

I and the LHA board look forward to your active participation, as we work on these challenges.

With Warmest Regards, Sudhi Balan