Water Authority Trustees Working w/Shumway Fire District on Firehouse Expansion Plans

Effingham Water Authority trustees have approved the sale of two lots to Shumway Fire Protection District.

The fire district trustees plan to construct a larger building and have permanent crew on staff at the station at Lake Sara. The plan is for the new structure to have additional amenities that would be beneficial to Lake Sara.

Water Authority trustees followed a recommendation from their attorney Tony Siemer to have the fire district purchase the two lots, which are currently zoned residential, then convert them to commercial with the stipulation they be for the use of the fire department. Siemer also suggested the lots be incorporated into the current Shumway Fire Protection District lease and that was agreed to, as well.

Water Authority trustees heard from Susan Dunlap regarding a drainage issue along Blue Point Trail. Dunlap said that straw bales and concrete slabs put there by the farm owner did not address the problem. Discussion continues as to where the water is flowing. The wet summer has made for a larger problem. Lake Superintendent Mike Dirks is setting up a meeting with Summit Township officials and Effingham Asphalt to discuss further options.

The Board awarded a bid for road maintenance materials to Larry Heuerman Trucking.

Trustees listened to information from Deb Holschbach about a first annual Leon's Legacy Boat Run on Saturday, September 17 from 12 noon to 4:30pm. The boat run will involve seven docks, a silent auction and an event at Pinky's at 5pm to conclude the day. The event will be held in memory of Deb's husband, Leon Holschbach, who died from Lou Gehrig's Disease. The proceeds will stay in Effingham County and be used to defray the cost of in-home care for those with ALS. The event is being promoted through Facebook and Friends of Lake Sara. The organizers plan to keep Dirks in the loop concerning the event.

Brad Hastings of the Water Authority Boating Committee reported on recommendations including:

--regulation of personal buoys--they must be within 50 feet from the shore and must be relocated if they obstruct the flow of traffic

--directing the Board to a website regarding wake/surf boats and boaters responsibility for wake

--reducing the number of committee members from five to four, following a recent resignation from the committee

The Board also heard from Dirks that the recent rains resulted in the lake being up 2 to 2-1/2 feet above normal pool...the highest he had seen it in his tenure as superintendent.