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Dear OLCA Neighbors,

More Coyote Sightings

The Board has recently been informed of more coyote sightings.

We suspect that the coyote sightings that began last year coincide with the placing of our trash and recycle bins outside of our garages the evening before scheduled pickups.

The Board has also become aware of instances in which food waste was not properly wrapped prior to being placed in trash bins.

The combination of these circumstances allows food odors to widely spread throughout our community, thereby attracting unwelcomed animals around and within our homes.

As a remedy, the Board is asking everyone to follow these steps:

• Trash Bins
  1. Remove the remaining food from boxes, wrappers and packets and double wrap it in plastic prior to placing it into the bin.
  2. Thoroughly rinse the boxes, wrappers and packets prior to placing them into the bin.
• Recycle Bins
  1. Thoroughly rinse recyclable metal, glass and plastic food containers and re-fasten the lids prior to placing them into the bin.
• Trash and Recycle Bin Lids
  1. Be sure the lids are securely placed on your bins while they’re inside and outside of your garage.
• After Scheduled Pickups
  1. When John’s Disposal Service has collected the trash and recyclables from your bins, bring them into your garage as soon as possible.

John’s Disposal starts the pick-ups in our community very early in the morning, which is why they suggested that we put out our bins the night before; however, if you can delay putting them out until 6AM the day of pickup, please do so as that action, too, may discourage the unwelcome attention of the wildlife in our community.

Walking After Dark? Keep Yourself Safe

If you’re walking Westlake or Woodbridge Drives after dark, even if it’s only to check your mail, give yourself the ability to alert motorists of your presence by considering 1) wearing a reflective vest, 2) wearing reflective arm bands and/or 3) carrying a flashlight. A combination of these measures is the best way to keep yourself safe.

Local stores, such as Walmart, Menards, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware and bicycle shops offer a variety of reflective clothing and flashing lights.

We’re also asking everyone obey the 25MPH speed limit on Westlake and 20MPH Woodbridge Drives and to observe ALL stop signs in our community.

Ice on Driveways/Sidewalks/Rain Gutters

Although we’ve had a mild winter so far this year, snow melt from roof and gutters can create icy conditions on driveways and sidewalks. This is not unusual in our climate-changing environment – we get a day or two of above-freezing temperatures and snow and/or ice melts. Then, the temperatures drop below freezing and driveways and sidewalks can become icy again.

This does not happen on all driveways and sidewalks. It seems to depend on whether or not the building faces the sun (when it DOES come out), and the slope of the driveway/sidewalk.

The best recommendation we can make is to buy a bag of salt to keep near your front door or garage door and sprinkle it liberally if/when that happens at your condominium; however, it is important to use the right kind of salt on the sidewalks.

Villani uses a standard salt mix on our driveways so owners wanting to salt a part of their driveway – especially if their garage door faces north – can use a standard salt mix there.

However, on the sidewalks, Villani uses a non-caustic ice melt like Calcium Chloride or or an ice melt similar to ACE Hardware’s “Safe Step 6300.” Unfortunately, this type of ice melt costs almost twice as much as regular salt but is the appropriate salt to use on our sidewalks, as a number of them were replaced last year at a significant cost so we should do what we can to maximize their serviceable life and use the least caustic ice melt available on the sidewalks.

Another option could be to adjust our snow/ice removal contract with Villani when it comes time to renew it. Right now we have a “1-inch trigger” for them to address snow and ice. It could be lowered to a “half-inch trigger.” However, we would have to pay significantly more for this level of service.

Thank you for your cooperation.
OLCA Board of Directors

The Board of Directors recently adopted the 2023 annual budget and approved new HOA monthly fees starting with the payment due on January 1, 2023.

Download the 2023 OLCA Budget

All of our fees will be increasing a total of 28.00 per unit per month. The 8-unit buildings will increase from $318 to $346 and the 4-unit buildings will increase from $343 to $371.

We are aware that this is on top of the $19 per month increase that took effect this past May to fund the abrupt changes in our trash and recycling service. This increased funding for 2023 is to meet increased needs, primarily in our operating budget. We offer these clarifications:

1. Operating budget expenditures show little sign of leveling off during this highly inflationary time. The cost of getting things done is as challenging for our association as it is for your households. Rising costs simply cannot be avoided. The Association incurred increased costs in the following categories: 1) irrigation system maintenance, 2) lawn maintenance & landscaping, 3) general building repairs and property maintenance, 4) snow removal and supplies and 5) legal expenses.

2. Maintaining a healthy RRF balance is needed to fund major projects, including paving, sidewalk replacements and our buildings’ tuck-pointing and caulking needs. The current RRF balance is definitely enough to meet all shorter term foreseeable needs, but the fund must accommodate major projects that will come due 5 to 10 or more years from now. The $28.00 per month increase includes a $9.00 increase to the RRF. This amount is consistent with the recommendation from “Reserve Advisors” following the results of their evaluation of our property earlier this year.

To keep the 2023 increase as low as possible, the Board examined each of the operating expenses and decided to postpone some things in 2023. We are, for example, postponing dryer vent cleaning and the annual building painting until 2024. We will also be taking a second look at the number of driveways to receive asphalt sealing next year.

If you are paying your monthly fees via direct debit from your checking or savings account, this change will be made automatically. If you are still paying by check, you may wish to automate your payment by using this convenient service and forms are available for this purpose on the OLCA website should you wish to do so.

Do not hesitate to contact us by email anytime you seek or want to share information (). More detailed information, as always, will be shared in person at our annual meeting in early May of 2023.

Sincerely,
OLCA Board of Directors

The Village of Greendale has contracted with Midwest Testing to replace water meters in all of the condo buildings beginning in early December.

Replacement of the meters is required, but it’s being done at no cost to the OLCA or the condo owners.

There is one meter per building, and only the condo owners who have the irrigation controls within their condos will be contacted by the Village of Greendale via U.S. mail.

The notice from the Village will have instructions on how to schedule an appointment with Midwest Testing to have the meter replaced.  Appointments can be scheduled Monday through Thursday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

The Board of Directors asks condo owners who are scheduling the appointments with Midwest Testing to please email the date and time of the appointment along with their address to .

Replacement of each meter will take about 25-45 minutes, and during that time the water for the entire building will briefly be shut off.

If the Midwest Testing technician determines that the meter replacement isn’t possible due to an unforeseen issue, which we’ve been told is unlikely, the appointment will have to be rescheduled and a plumber will be present at the next scheduled appointment.

Given that only the condo owners who have the irrigation controls within their units will be scheduling appointments, it may not be practical to notify all of the other owners in each building of the date and time of the meter replacement and the water shut off.

Please direct any questions you may have to .

OLCA Board of Directors

For the next couple weeks there will be crews from a WE Energies contractor, MEADE, onsite at Overlook Lakes to perform work on behalf of WE Energies. The majority of the work will involve upgrading the transformers (the large green boxes). Owners should not be alarmed if they notice personnel accessing the transformers. The crews will notify the individual condo owners of any planned power outages ahead of time.

Halfway through fall and getting ready for winter. The following points are all things that are good to know and to begin preparing for before the snow begins falling.

Our landscape contractor will finish up their fall clean up during the week of November 14-18. Those owners who maintain their own “limited common area” can set their yard waste at the curb and the crews will collect it when they are onsite.

Read Entire Article 

After much work and deliberation, the Board and Property Management have found a solution to our short and long-term trash and recycle issue. This solution will be implemented on the apartment side as well.

Read Entire Article 

As you have probably noticed it has been a busy summer around OLCA and we ain’t done yet. This article is to update you on some actions on issues that the BOD feels will be of interest to all unit owners.

Topics include:

• Driveway Replacement/Seal Coating
• Building Maintenance: Painting, Concrete, Insulation, Wood Replacement
• OLCA Contacts
• Owner Q&A Sessions
• 2022 Budget Decisions

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Topics Include:

• Buildings & Grounds Budgeting for 2021
• Owner Requests
• Help Us Out!

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Once again, the geese are using the area in and around the quarry as a “rest stop” while on their migration back to the warmer temperatures awaiting them south of Wisconsin. And once again, they are making a mess in and around the quarry and our development. Residents closest to the quarry are impacted more than others in our development, but we have likely all driven or walked over, in and/or around “goose poop”.

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A property map of Overlook Lake Condominium Association is now available for viewing and downloading.

The map shows all 28 OLCA buildings by number and the building designation type, A, B, or C. Owners will need to know their building number for the annual meeting and for OLCA request forms. In addition, building designation types carry different monthly fees.

  Download Property Map