Maintenance and repair activities, both interior and exterior, continue to keep Sun City’s officials very busy.
Work began on the $489,000 rear waterfall project behind Prairie Lodge earlier this fall, and work on the installation of additional gravel on the eastern shoreline of Wildflower Lake is pending approval by the Village of Huntley and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The shoreline work will probably be done next spring.
Work on waterfall finally underway behind Prairie Lodge, where a gravel road has been laid to provide access for construction vehicles. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
Contracts for several other projects totaling more than $100,000 were approved by the board recently: A contract for removal of 54 ash trees and planting of 41 replacement trees by Landscape Concepts will cost $32,845. This is part of an ongoing plan to remove diseased ash trees and replace most of them with other kinds of trees.
The latest study of association reserves by a qualified financial vendor was approved at a cost of $19,240. The board believes a reserve study every three years is an integral part of planning for maintenance and repair of common area items and attached product common area maintenance/replacement items. The vendor chosen is Association Reserves.
The board also has asked the Facility Advisory Committee to research the feasibility of moving this study from three-year increments to five. KDI Design has been contracted to remove, dispose of, and install new furniture, cabinets, counter tops, table tops, and side shelving in the Ceramics Room at Prairie Lodge at a cost of $38,720.
Part of the work will be done by on-site maintenance staff. The Millgrove Woodshop flooring will be re-coated to repair cracks and pock marks. Industrial Flooring and Restorations Inc. will do the work at a cost of $7,600.
The waterfall at the front entrance to Sun City needs repair to the concrete and stonework. The board awarded a $9,700 contract to Fruin Construction to complete this project.
In addition, the proposed 2017 master reserve budget identifies dozens of projects that are tentatively scheduled to be done next year in many areas of Prairie and Meadow View lodges, exterior sports and recreation sites, and other common areas. Total costs of these projects for 2017 is estimated to be about $1.7 million, with funds provided in the community’s reserve budget.
In a significant policy decision, the board decided not to pursue a change in the “residents only” rule at the Meadow View outdoor pool. During an experiment this past summer, the board and staff said there was minimal guest attendance during the trial period, and there also was unfavorable feedback regarding the change from the community.
Finally, the board approved the appointments of Jim Gaudette and Mary Fiala to one and two-year terms, respectively, on the Facility Advisory Committee. Also approved were appointments of Eugene Harrison and Judith Frazier to two-year terms on the Election Advisory Committee.
