From the General Manager

January

From the General Manager, Mark Reid

Beginning a new year is always exciting. I always start the year hopeful. Just like Missouri weather we are always navigating frequent changes and making the best of it. This year, one of my fondest hopes is that America can get inflation under control. Last year’s inflation rate has caused a significant dues increase that is now showing up on your billing statement for the first time this month. If you are an avid reader of the Ripples magazine, you would have known it was coming because we started discussing it in April of 2022. What I dislike so much about inflation is that a significant dues increase gains nothing. It just keeps the Association at the same financial status in terms of purchasing power and reserve level. It is fortunate for members who are receiving social security that the SSA raised Social Security COLA by 8.7%. It gains the recipients nothing, but they are not falling behind either, just like the Association.

As of November 2022, the US City Average Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 7.1%. This is encouraging and allows for a little bit of New Year hope that it will continue to decline through the year. We have a modest amount of work to do in 2023 in terms of improving the Lakewood Community. There will be no big projects this year as our focus is on debt reduction as the Federal Reserve Board trend has been to rapidly increase interest rates to tame inflation at the risk of sending the country’s economy into recession. Obviously, in any community, a recession can bring a whole different subset of problems to navigate.

So once again, we begin the year with hopes for the best and plans in place should things not go the way we had wished. We will continue to share our thoughts along the way.

In This Issue

5 From the General Manager 6 From the Boardroom 6 Board Meeting Minutes 8 Calendar of Events 10 Welcome New Residents 11 Dues Increase Information 14 Multi Artist Exhibition 16 LAC Holiday Festivities Recap 17 LSPD for Winter Safety 18 Clubs 19 Resource Directory 22 December Maintenance Update 22 November Community Service Report