Help With Our Web Page

Our request for help building a web site was answered by one of our home owners. Phil Thompson volunteered to step up and designed this web site for our association. Phil is a Front End Web Developer. You can check out his qualifications and his online portfolio at  www.thompsoncs.com. If you need web services, Phil is your man. Thank you Phil. Nice work!

ESHA Elects New Board

In September a new board took office for a 2 year term. The position of Pond Treatment Coordinator was made a board position bringing the board to five members. The first agenda item was to thank Andrew Callinan and Cathy Knight for serving as ESHA president and vice president for 9 years.

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Left to right: Secretary Jayme Artisensi, Treasurer Debra Masters, President John Wolke, Vice President Gary Verke, Pond Treatment Coordinator Jim Wilkinson

ESHA Budget

Starting Balance 11/01/2013    $       268.50
Projected Expenses
    Pond Treatment    $    6,442
    DNR Permits    $    1,125
    Chara Treatment    $    1,750
    Fish Stocking    $       500
    Newsletter    $       250
    Association Insurance    $       450
    Facility Rental  for Annual Mtg    $         33
Total Projected Expenses    $  10,550
Projected Deposits    $  11,100
Expected Balance  11/01/2014    $       818.50

Maintaining Your Ponds Maintains Your Home Values

Guy Nelson is a Shoreview resident and real estate agent. Guy understands the value of having a home on the water.  Guy states, “Homes on Kerry Lake and surrounding lakes and ponds are valuable and in demand…maintaining the pond’s natural state and beauty will maintain your home’s value”.  Nelson emphasizes we can all do our part by being aware of day to day activities that can affect the water quality and integrity.  Phosphorus is one of the most troublesome pollutants in storm runoff.  Preventing leaves, lawn clippings, animal waste and fertilizers from entering the storm sewers will decrease phosphorus in our lakes and ponds.  Phosphorus causes algae growth, ruins water clarity and deprives our fish of much needed oxygen.  “We are in a high water valuing population and having a well cared for lake or pond maximizes aesthetics, beauty, recreation and overall views and of course, value.  Not to mention that clean water attracts fish and wildlife that makes your property unique and makes it attractive and valuable.” Let’s all do our part to continue to make our neighborhood and ponds the best they can be.

Bucher Park Renovation

For those of you that are long-time Evergreen Shores residents, you may recall that Bucher Park was last updated in about 1990.  This past year our City Council approved a budget of $580,000 to again renovate most of the park.  The primary improvements completed this summer were:

  • New plazas and picnic shelters at the park entrance and adjacent to the baseball and soccer field areas.
  • All new playground equipment
  • Rebuilt trails and new trail connections
  • Much improved drainage of the baseball and soccer fields
  • An expanded infiltration basin to treat storm water runoff into Kerry Pond.

Two “observation openings” were also created along the pond edge to allow for a more scenic view from the park area.  They will be completed next spring.  There will NOT be fishing docks placed on those two sites.

Having this beautiful park located adjacent to our neighborhood is great for our families’ ongoing use, and of course adds to the value of all of our homes!

Bucher Park Sign

Pond Update

2013 was an interesting spring, as winter hung on as long as possible.  The late spring, combined with ample amounts of rain, led to a rather weedy spring and summer.  To add to the perfect weed storm, our permits to the DNR were delayed due to a mandatory pre-treatment inspection by a DNR representative.  This pushed back our treatment about 3 weeks, so weeds didn’t actually start to regress until late July.  Once the weeds died down, the ponds were more pleasant to all of the users.

Lake Restoration was once again the company we used. They were helpful throughout the process by facilitating the DNR permitting and answering any questions we had regarding treatment.

Regarding finances for treatment, there seems to be a constant need to raise revenue annually by the DNR, and permit fees for lake treatment is a line item that they want to increase.  With that said, we need to be proactive and plan for a possible increase in the coming years, along with the usual 2-3% annual inflationary increase that the treatment companies pass along to the homeowners associations.

For budget year 2013, we did not collect money from homeowners on the waterway because there were ample funds in the ESHA checking account to take care of all ESHA business activities including the treatment of all ponds.   For this 2014 budget year we are asking for a $15 increase from the 2012 dues to rebuild our account and continue all ESHA business activities including treating the ponds and keeping our shorelines and waterways beautiful in order to maintain our property values.

Block Captains

The block captains perform a vital job for the homeowners association. Contacting all 149 pond properties owners is a daunting task. Help make their job easier by signing the weed treatment application and paying the dues in a timely manner. There are 4 areas that correspond with the 3 permits required by the DNR for lake spraying. The block captains and their assistants are: Marty Masters assisted by Andrew Callinan, John Buck and Mike Engelen for Kerry Pond; Patti and Lyle Johnston for Sherwood; Dan Walseth for Evergreen; Hal Voges for Daniel Court. Thanks to these volunteers. Their efforts allow us to keep our ponds healthy.  If you are interested in helping, please email us at evergreenshoresha@gmail.com.