Today in
The Lakes
,
Vote Result Announced
Vote Results Announced
A special meeting was held prior to the regular March 26 board meeting where the results of the current Lakes-wide vote were tallied and announced.
The vote was held to determine whether The Lakes will retain the authority to regulate the public roadways within our community and the alility to enforce parking restrictions within The Lakes. The vote process was handled by Lakes attorneys from Vial Fotheringham.
There was a robust voter turnout to confirm that we are keeping our CC&Rs intact and The Lakes will continue to enforce parking restrictions over streets within The Lakes community.
LCA Vote Results
| Yes votes | 519 |
| No votes | 20 |
Christine
Community Manager's Report
Christine Baldanza
April 2025
A big thank you to everyone who voted in the community. A record number of homeowners voted to confirm that we are keeping our CCRs intact to retain enforcement rights for inoperable vehicles, boats, RVs and commercial vehicles within the Lakes community. The results were as follows: Yes votes 519; No votes 20.
I think that the record number of homeowners who voted was probably due to the volunteers who walked each and every street and talked to other homeowners about the importance of keeping our original CCRs and encouraged them to vote.
I want to thank Maureen Harrison for organizing the volunteer walkers. I also want to thank the following homeowners for walking and talking to their neighbors about the importance of this vote: Jean Di Ross, Suzanne Reddie, Georgi Hagerty, Robert Garcia, Allison McClelland, Cheryl Nay, Nate Hoffman, Jack Herbert, Anne and Steve Brown, Dan Rossi, Scott Leffler, Colleen and Gary Dehler, Alecia Kindgren, Leslie House, Roz Lloyd, Janet Corrigan, Holly Solberg, Monique Taetle, Jim Ramsey, Becky Huff, and Ann Etheridge.
The success of our vote was due to the coming together of our community, realizing the importance of our CCRs and maintaining our beautiful community while upholding our property values.
I want to remind all homeowners who have watercraft of any kind that they have an obligation to register them and display current Lakes watercraft stickers and their lot numbers on their boats. I have previously asked for all boat registration to be in by March 1. It is now April and I have seen a large number of unregistered boats. Please come to the Clubhouse to register your boats or be prepared to receive a notification and a fine.
Last week, while I was irrigating the greenbelt along Southshore, opening the cistern where water is delivered from the canals, someone saw the water flowing and bubbling and called SRP to report it, not knowing that this is how our long stretch of greenbelt gets watered. SRP does not flood irrigate our property. I am responsible for the greenbelt irrigation. I schedule the delivery with SRP, I open the gates to let in the water in and I shut the gates when the flooding is complete. When a call is made to them, they call me and charge the association for having received the call.
I know Lakes homeowners want to be good citizens and don't want to see water wasted, but we do not waste water. This has been the method used to water the greenbelt and the trees for the last 54 years. I am very mindful of our water usage and I monitor it hourly while we do our flood irrigation. I know that seeing the water bubbling out of the cistern structure and the bubblers along the greenbelt can be alarming to newcomers, but this is the method used to keep our greenbelt green. I do not irrigate in the winter months since the bermudagrass is dormant, but I do occasionally add water for the trees while I am filling the lake. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any concerns versus calling SRP or the police. I will continue to be mindful of our water usage while keeping our community looking lush and green.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me; 480-838-1023.
Christine
Friendly Reminders
- Please remember to travel the waterways as you would drive a car. Stay on the right side of all channels and make sure you have working boat lights: green on your port side (your left), red on your starboard (your right) and a white light at the stern. Please follow basic boating rules to keep our lake safe.
- Please be mindful of the no-burn days that Maricopa County Air Quality Department issues. This means no outdoor fire pits and no fireplace fires. Please check Maricopa County Air Quality Department for up-to-date no-burn information.
- When you walk your dog, please be courteous and pick up after your dog. The Lakes has many doggy stations with bags, please use them.
- Please be respectful of your Lakes neighbors and don't throw garbage over walls or into the lake.
- Homeowners, please remind your landscapers not to throw bush and tree trimmings, leaves or grass clippings into the lake.
- Don't forget, starting in March you need to prep your lawn for the warm growing season. Lawns in the Lakes must be green and lush from April through September.
- The city bulk trash and green pickups are scheduled for the second Monday of every other month. Please put out your bulk trash items and yard trimmings no earlier than the Thursday before the Monday pickups. The dates are included on the Lakes Calendar.
Christine
The Lakes held the annual Poker Regatta on Saturday sponsored by the Activities Committee.
Recycle those treasures and GO Green! The Lakes Spring Garage Sale will be held on Saturday, April 12 from 7:30 AM to roughly 1 PM. Sign up at the Clubhouse and get your official Lakes Garage Sale Day permit.
Dudes, it's time break out your parachute pants, leg warmers and hairbands, brush up on your Valley Girl-speak and flash back to the 80s. Join us at The Lakes Spring Fling! Saturday April 26 starting at 4 PM. The Valley's most rad 80s cover band will be jamming out with us again this year. Watch this spot to find out who that is.