President Steven G. Hastie’s

Address to the Membership

August 19, 2007

Dear Members,

Welcome to the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Highland Lakes Country Club and Community Association.

Thanks to the support of our membership through financial donations and the efforts of our volunteers who organize the fundraising events, I am pleased to announce that the Good Will Fund helped 5 families who suffered severe financial problems. In these cases, the Fund provides payment of the current year’s dues for members who suffer catastrophic events. Information about eligibility and or how to donate can be found in the Newsette or by calling the Club Office. Again, my thanks go out to the committee members, the volunteers that provide fundraisers, and the members who have donated to the fund.

The Road Committee deals with both road paving and drainage issues. The committee studies the current road system and develops lists of the work that need to be completed. Road resurfacing projects are probably the simplest tasks to schedule since little or no engineering effort is necessary. Small drainage projects can also be completed without a great deal of engineering. Large drainage projects usually require engineering work and sometimes approvals from the local, county or state government agencies. This year, the Road Committee has not been able to address several large drainage projects that require approvals from the Highlands Commission. We experienced a significant delay as well by the resignation of our design engineer. The Club must select a new engineer to carry these projects forward, and will do so in the fall. While these projects are on hold, the committee has concentrated on getting more paving completed, and some small drainage projects. I thank the committee for all their hard work.

The restoration of the dams in Highland Lakes continues. Four of the five dams have been completed. The fifth, Indian Lake, is scheduled to be completed next fall. The committee has worked hard for many years to assure that our dams up to the State requirements. Rehabilitating the dams does not end our responsibilities. We are also required to conduct periodic inspections of the dams every two years, and three of these inspections will take place this coming year.

We made adjustments in our water safety and clubhouse staffing levels this year as a result of the increase of the minimum wage to $7.15 per hour. Beach hours at certain beaches were minimally reduced, and swim lessons were combined where appropriate. You are aware that our expenses for summer garbage services increased significantly last year, though the Voting Board has determined that the Club will exercise its contract option with Waste Management for next year’s service. Garbage services is an issue of debate within the Voting Board, and I am sure they will continue to work on this issue.

As you now know, I have announced that this year will be my final year as the Club’s President and member of the Voting Board. This decision did not come lightly, and as I look back on my years of service to our community I must say thanks to all I have met and worked with for this opportunity. I will continue to contribute whenever I can and assure you that your community is in good hands.