Dock inspections will get started after Labor Day, Vern Olafson, lakes and parks superintendent, told members of Bella Vista Village's lakes committee at their regular meeting Aug. 20.
Lakes committee volunteers will help with the project. The city codes division and the Architectural Control Committee will also be involved, although both agencies have limited manpower.
While the city codes now regulate safety issues on docks, the Property Owners Association still has a policy in place that directs the staff to inspect docks, Olafson explained.
The inspections will take place from the water.
When a problem is found, POA staff -- probably the legal department -- will write to the dock owners, Olafson said, and send a copy to either the city codes department or the ACC. The ACC regulates aesthetic issues on members' property.
A subcommittee met with Darrell Bowman, POA lakes ecologist, to talk about how the association can celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015, Bowman told the full committee. They discussed separate events on each of the POA's seven lakes over the coming year. The annual kayaking event, Paddle in Paradise, might be incorporated into one of the events, Bowman suggested.
Both Olafson and Bowman gave the committee updates on their departments.
With the help of the Bella Vista Fly Tyers, a new, solar-powered fish cleaning station was installed on Lake Rayburn, Olafson said. A new pavilion at Granton Park on Loch Lomond also was completed with some funding from the Bella Vista Bass Association. It may be used to weigh catches during bass tournaments.
Bowman reported on a manufactured fish habitat that was sunk in Lake Norwood and Loch Lomond with the help of the Fly Tyers. He has more habitat ready to be placed in lakes Rayburn and Brittany. The Fly Tyers helped pay for the habitat as well as volunteered to place it.
Sports on 08/27/2014