25 minute read
BUILDING A STRONG FUTURE
Our Momentum and Future
By Tony Gody, Board President
What does it take to meet our mission to be a market leader for those seeking a lakeside gated community in the southeastern United States with its all-inclusive amenities, active healthy lifestyle, vibrant social fabric, diverse arts culture, modern facilities, financial stability and affordability? It takes an organization of talented managers, staff and volunteers motivated by a supportive community. These combined create amazing momentum.
Keowee Key has developed real momentum for success based on a history of solid governance, well-managed finances, frequent communications and consistent operations. Keowee Key Property Owners Association provides management excellence with a dedicated staff who truly care about our community and member satisfaction. We enjoy a wellmaintained infrastructure and completely modernized amenities. We have well established replacement reserves and an updated strategic planning process plus we have added a new operating reserve. All this provides a solid foundation for the future.
What does our future look like? Keowee Key will continue to have the modern, well-maintained amenities we currently enjoy. We will continue to have financial stability through effective finances, reserves, and strategic planning. We will weather the short-term economic challenges we face today with smart financial decisions and finesse. Our staff and member volunteers will continue to work together as a stronghold.
Our five-year plan includes funding for a road and drainage plan, developing and funding a forest management plan, updating the Fitness and Racket Center master plan, the consideration of a golf practice facility and numerous other smaller improvements to the community. I foresee a vibrant community continuing into the future and I believe that our future is bright.
KKPOA 2022 Board of Directors L/R: Director Jack Baringer, Treasurer Joanne Heintz, Secretary Richard Lotspeich, President Anthony Gody, Administrative Assistant to the Board Jo Keah Teague, Community General Manager Kevin McCracken, Vice President Charles Gouge, Director Bill Howell, Director Kevin Minton
Joanne Heintz, Board Treasurer
Strong Financial Basis
IIn Keowee Key, we have a set of unique advantages that will help us continue to prosper well into the future. There are four advantages that distinguish us from other homeowner associations, presented here.
1. We are a member-owned community.
Keowee Key is owned entirely by us, the members. This means that our interests as members are aligned with the owners of the amenities, ourselves. In contrast, most other homeowner association amenities are owned by the developer or separate corporations, who have profit incentives built into the business of owning and managing the amenities. The corporation owning the amenities has incentive to make a profit by keeping maintenance expenses low and fees high. This misalignment often leads to conflict between the corporation and the members, along with dissatisfaction among members as the amenities age and fees increase to maintain corporate profits over time.
Our mission is to offer all-inclusive amenities, active lifestyle, vibrant social fabric, diverse arts culture and modern facilities balanced by financial stability and affordability. Affordability is a key component, and it endures over time as spending on amenities is carefully considered by the members themselves. The natural tension between wanting nicer amenities versus the desire for affordability is balanced by the members, through our committees and elected Board of Directors, all of whom are volunteers. We also express our views on spending every year, when we vote on the operating budget, capital purchases and assessments.
Our ownership structure is unusual and requires much volunteer work from its members, but the advantages of aligned interests lead to better affordability and more of what we love for the money spent.
2. Our residents support all of our amenities as a package.
The cornerstone of our financial stability is the Single Amenity Support (SAS) concept, in which improved property owners and amenity lot owners equally pay for the net operating costs of all the amenities. This broad support ensures adequate funding to maintain the amenities in line with our expectations.
Our SAS approach stands in stark contrast to those HOAs that have an a la carte approach to paying for amenities. hey often have tiered memberships. For example, the least expensive social membership may come only with dining and fitness privileges; a more expensive membership might add tennis/pickleball; and usually the most expensive membership adds golf as well.
The most important disadvantage of this a la carte structure shows up as the community itself and its members age over time. The structure tends to work well early in a community’s life, when amenities are new, and the members are younger and willing to pay for the more expensive memberships like golf. The problems arise as the amenities and members both age. Longtime residents stop using and paying for the expensive memberships and downgrade to social memberships. The financial support for the amenities dwindles, which forces the corporation to increase fees for the remaining active players. This can lead to a detrimental financial spiral and lack of maintenance.
In contrast, at Keowee Key we are fortunate to share the costs of all our amenities across the entire broad base of over 1,850 resident households. We benefit from a mix of longtime and newer residents, all of whom share the costs of all the amenities and provide a solid financial base.
3. We have a diversified portfolio of amenities.
We are somewhat rare in that we have a diversified set of revenue earning amenities: full-service dining, bistro casual dining, boating and marinas, golf and a fitness center. We think of each amenity as different from the others, with its own unique set of challenges, opportunities and competitive environment.
In contrast, most other HOAs either do not own the amenities themselves or if they do, have just one amenity (say golf) in addition to their dining club. They do not benefit from one amenity being able to have a strong year to help offset another amenity that may be facing challenges.
Our experience during COVID-19 is a wonderful example of how the diversity of amenities helped us. Like most restaurants, our club had to severely curtail its operations for months. We were able to pivot toward takeout from the Bistro, which helped us a lot. An even greater benefit came from golf and boating, both of which experienced huge increases in demand, along with strong revenues. This diversification was a very important part of our ability to weather that difficult time as well as we did.
4. We have modern well-structured reserves.
We have set up reserves for both operating contingencies and capital assets, all of which have designated assessments and cash on hand for their purposes. Our operating reserve, for example, is dedicated to unexpected expenses that may exceed insurance proceeds from natural disasters. Our major projects reserve repays the debt incurred recently to renovate our club, and golf course, as well as to build pickleball courts, shuffleboard courts and walking trails. Our capital replacement reserve relies on professional reserve consultants for a reserve study that is updated annually. This reserve pays for the replacement of capital assets as they reach the end of their useful lives.
We distinguish ourselves from many other HOAs that have few to no established reserves. They often must resort to high special assessments to cover replacing costly assets. Our funded reserves help us to avoid spikes in assessments often endured by HOAs that have not planned for future needs. We are in a strong position as we look toward the future and our members have the comfort of knowing that we plan ahead.
Summary:
We are a unique community of dedicated member volunteers who manage our destiny. We own our assets, set our assessments, fund our reserves and plan for the future. Our community is what we make it – special and wonderful. All of this comes from the dedication and hard work of our member volunteers who give their time and expertise to committees, serving on the Board of Directors and to staffing the many special ad hoc committees that work to resolve our specific challenges in the best way possible. It is we the members who have created this strong financial basis that will serve us well into the future.
Margaret Eldridge, Past Board President
Strategic Planning
The Key to Maintaining our Lifestyle
Adream comes true. Recognized as a well-managed membergoverned community, Keowee Key is financially sound and filled with up-to-date amenities, delivered at excellent value. These attributes both enhance the lifestyle of current members and are very attractive to potential owners, which is important for a large community that normally experiences annual attrition exceeding 150 properties. A governance culture that values well executed strategic planning has produced this advantageous position.
Looking ahead from the beginning.
Thoughtful long-range planning was a core element of Keowee Key’s governance philosophy from the beginning. In 1988, when the LKA (KKPOA’s predecessor) assumed control from the developer, its first Board President Dr. William Jones set the stage. “The first thing we need is a planning committee… to see what we want for goals five and 10 years from now… to marshal people’s opinions…. to find out what they want to make of this community… and then …accept responsibility and make decisions.” This sentiment is preserved in the bylaws, which direct the board “to maintain a planning process that identifies future needs of the KKPOA.”
Continuity makes a difference. Strategic planning at Keowee Key is an ongoing process. While the current year’s strategies are being implemented, out year plans are being developed. While the current year’s budget is being spent, future needs are being analyzed and funding sources identified. In this way, the board can proactively balance financial stability and affordability with maintaining our lifestyle, amenities and facilities. For example, because of an eight-year sustained focus on Keowee Key becoming a financially stable market leader, we now enjoy a campus replete with upto-date amenities supported by affordable assessments that also contribute to wellfunded reserves.
Planning is a community conversa-
tion. Preserving our wonderful lifestyle requires an engaged community thinking collectively how to maintain: what we’ve built – our financial strength – our strong management team – our skilled volunteer leadership – strong member satisfaction/ support – our property values – our competitive advantage – our ability to weather economic storms.
Annually determining Keowee Key’s Vision, Mission and Values and updating the Strategic Plan are top Board priorities. Soliciting feedback from all property owners about how to enhance the Keowee Key experience begins the planning cycle. Then the board, standing committees and various task forces work with management to develop and implement feasible strategies and projects. Members serving on the Planning Advisory Council provide administrative support, and the Finance Committee offers guidance on making the plan financially feasible. This is indeed a cooperative community effort.
Focusing on the future. As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary by enjoying our beautiful amenities in our uniquely affordable community, the evidence is clear-- a sustained professional and member driven approach to strategic planning is assuring that Keowee Key will remain “more of what we love.
2022 KKPOA Vision and Mission
Keowee Key is a market leader for those seeking a lakeside gated community in the southeastern United States with its all-inclusive amenities, active healthy lifestyle, vibrant social fabric, diverse arts culture, modern facilities, financial stability and affordability. Deliver superior member satisfaction through excellence in customer service, management, communication and value.
By Kevin McCracken, Community General Manager
Keowee Key Utility Systems
Perhaps the single most important community asset responsible for enabling us to be what we are today is the Keowee Key Utility System. It is often overlooked, but without it, we would not have been able to develop at the housing density we have. Lots in Keowee Key would have been sized to accommodate septic systems and individual wells. And, without the density, it is very unlikely we would have been able to afford the vast array of amenities we enjoy. Imagine spreading the cost to maintain Keowee Key across half as many members.
More importantly, our density gives us perhaps our biggest competitive advantage over neighboring clubs; we have people! And, because we have people, we can fulfill one of the central tenants of our mission to provide a “vibrant social fabric” to those seeking a lakeside gated community in the Southeastern United States.
Keowee Key is the only community developed on the lake with its own wastewater treatment facility and water distribution system. The water is processed and purchased from the city of Seneca, and our pipes deliver it to your property. High tech water meters located at every home are read remotely when staff drives by your property, and an above ground water tower, located just off Anchorage Lane, helps to maintain water pressure to the community.
Of course, such a valuable asset requires maintenance, and in 2014 the membership approved spending $6 million dollars to replace aging waterlines on the south side of the community. This project was incredibly successful in reducing our water loss to below the national average, whereas before the project, it had increased to around 50 percent.
The wastewater treatment plant is a critical component that has an enormously important environmental impact. Not only does the presence of our plant eliminate the need for individual septic systems on the shores of Lake Keowee, but the water we treat and ultimately discharge into the lake is cleaner than the existing lake water. The use of ultraviolet light to kill bacteria is but one way we’ve used technology to improve water quality. Prior to its use, we injected chlorine into the water, which was ultimately discharged into the lake. And while that still is an allowable means of disinfection, we opted for the safer, less environmentally impactful method.
Stringent State regulations and advanced treatment processes like this one ensure the protection of our wonderful lake asset. In addition to the treatment plant, our topography necessitates several pump stations located throughout the community to pump the waste to the treatment plant. Satellite monitoring located at each station ensures staff is notified if systems begin to fail, so staff can respond before problems occur. And it is this staff that are critical to our success. Led by utilities director Jason Collins, the KKUS team is a dedicated group, helping to ease your mind with every turn of the faucet or press of the handle. Without the vision to provide KKUS services onsite to our community our landscape would look completely different. Upgrading and maintaining these assets allows us to economically serve the needs of the community and preserve the environment surrounding Keowee Key.
By Jason Collins, KKUS Director
KKUS Facts and Figures
You may have heard someone say that “Keowee Key is larger than most of the towns in South Carolina,” and we are. And like many small towns, we have our own water and sewer system, Keowee Key Utility Systems, or KKUS.
Our wastewater treatment plant handles about 300,000 gallons per day but is permitted to handle up to 900,000 gallons per day. KKUS maintains over 50 miles of sewer lines. Our facility treats the wastewater, utilizing technology that ensures that the water that is discharged into the lake is as clean if not cleaner than the lake itself. The EPA estimates that we have about 3,400 people using our system. That makes us larger than about 75 percent of the municipalities in South Carolina.
The other job of KKUS is to oversee the distribution of water to the Community. There are 1,705 live water taps scattered throughout Keowee Key. We have about 30 miles of water lines and 19 ½ miles have been replaced in the last five years as part of the program to upgrade our facilities.
Unlike municipal water and sewer systems, KKUS is a completely private entity, owned by our members. This gives us the flexibility to set our own rates and fee structures. KKUS is supported by revenue generated from user fees, there are no assessments.
Our dedicated staff is on call 24/7 to address any emergency repairs that might occasionally be needed. KKUS has its own vehicles and specialized equipment to help maintain this important infrastructure.
We are truly fortunate to have this level of control over our infrastructure, and not be dependent on someone else.
By Mary Belcher, Compliance and Construction Manager
CARE Committee for Architectural Review and the Environment
One of the advantages of living in a community governed by Protective Covenants is the existence of standards and guidelines related to our homesites, which serve to maintain property values. The CARE Committee and associated staff are chartered with implementing, administering and enforcing provisions pertaining to exterior improvements and use of property. The CARE Office assists with helping members get things done within the boundaries of our guidelines. CARE works hard to make it easier for members to proceed, and much of the application process is online. Subcommittee members are available to meet with members to assist in understanding community rules and the application process.
Over 50 Keowee Key members serve on CARE and its nine subcommittees. The CARE Committee meets twice monthly on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday in order to review and approve requests, and manage property use issues.
CARE Subcommittees include; New Construction, Site Inspection, Major Renovation, Compliance, Drainage, Landscape & Shoreline, Paint, Repair & Improvement, and Trees.
CARE
We can help you get things done!
Mary Belcher, Compliance and Construction Manager with Phil Epstein, Repair and Improvement Committee Chair
By Christine deVlaming, Marketing Director
Maintaining What We Have
With all of the amazing renovations made to our amenities, the work to maintain them has become even more important than ever. Keowee Key operations and maintenance teams have well-developed systems and schedules as well as the specialty equipment to do this. As you can imagine, this behind-the-scenes work is key to Keowee Key’s future success. Our CARE Department also has an amazing role to fill as they help owners manage their property within community guidelines.
By Josh Sawyer, Golf Course Superintendent
Golf Maintenance
The Golf Course at Keowee Key went through a major renovation in 2018 to include completely redesigned tee complexes with additional forward tees, improved drainage and re-shaping of fairways to help handle storm water. The renovation included a new irrigation system, as well as installation of new grasses on greens, tees, fairways, and the natural areas on hillsides.
Since the completion of the renovation in 2019, the improvements seen to the infrastructure have allowed for better playing conditions for golfers, and that means higher expectations for maintaining those improved conditions. The increase in expectations can be a challenge to achieve in the difficult labor market we are currently experiencing. A great group of veteran staff complimented by enthusiastic new staff members is rising to the challenge.
Due to the compact nature of our staff structure, individuals must be cross trained into many different jobs. This allows for the various needs to be addressed as they arise, regardless of which staff member is available. With the high number of rounds and tournaments experienced on the golf course at Keowee Key, the Golf Course Maintenance staff has become proficient at preparing the course for events and attempting to keep the course “tournament ready” at all times. The work and dedication of the Golf Course Maintenance staff to achieve this professional goal is part of what makes Keowee Key golf such a quality experience.
By Mark Dahill, Operations Director
Operations
Keowee Key Operations Department has grown since we began Keowee Key’s renovations program about seven years ago. We have been a key part of many of the updates, with skilled builders and renovators on staff making significant contributions. Operations did much of the initial clearing for smaller projects and did most of the prework for the new shuffleboard courts. Operations constructed the covered picnic area and the storage shed for shuffleboard equipment and competed the bocce courts at Chestnut Point, for example.
The operations crew consists of 29 employees broken down into several separate areas of responsibility. The Roads Department maintains the roadways and the road shoulders that run throughout Keowee Key. They do the mowing, blowing, snow clearing, tree removal and drainage along the roads. They also assist with Firewise chipping days and are responsible for maintaining the leaf dump and the limb yard.
The Landscaping Department installs and maintains the landscapes throughout Keowee Key. This includes mowing and blowing all lawn areas that surround our facilities such as the Club, Administrative Building, Fitness and Racquet Center and all the main entry gates that lead into our community. They install colorful annuals at the amenity and gate entrances seasonally.
The Parks and Recreation Department takes care of our community parks including Laurel, Chestnut, Spinnaker Cove Beach, South Marina and the Dog Park. They maintain the Southside Trail, the Northside Trail and the most popular outdoor amenity at Keowee Key which is the Leisure Trail. They take care of the North Marina and Southside pools during the season and provide residential and commercial trash services yearround.
The Handyman Department is a service that Keowee Key provides to complete small jobs for our residents. These jobs consist of landscaping, leaf blowing, pressure washing, spreading mulch, odd jobs and in some cases blowing off roofs.
Finally, the Facilities Department provides carpentry, electrical work and repair, plumbing and painting. These individuals helped build many of our small shelters and covered areas such as at the Dog Park and South Marina. They even completed remodeling at the operations building, adding some muchneeded office space.
Operations is fully equipped to handle all the daily maintenance tasks that come along with a community of this size. Recently we have made a couple of key acquisitions that have increased the efficiency of our staff. These include a Mt 100 mini skid steer and the bobcat excavator, which has improved our ability to efficiently remove trees and distribute mulch on some of the hilly lots. We are also capable of doing small trenching for irrigation installations. We have modern equipment that allows us to accomplish more tasks with fewer people.
A typical day in the Operations Department is very busy. There is a weekly schedule of regular work, and monthly checks on a preventative maintenance schedule. We also respond to items reported by our residents. Every day there are numerous work orders that must be completed. In the operations department, the work never stops but the result is the pristine visual appeal that makes Keowee Key look like a part of nature. Keowee Key has never looked better, and we are here to maintain that.
Looking to the future, we plan to meet even higher expectation levels, and we are working with the Facilities and Grounds Audit Committee to improve our green spaces and road shoulders. We are also focusing on forestry management.
— MARK DAHILL, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR —
By Kevin McCracken, Community General Manager
Building Resiliency
Resiliency is the ability to recover or bounce back after an upset or an unplanned event. It is the ability to respond quickly and act. Keowee Key has developed its resiliency over time, learning from a variety of challenges we have faced over the years. Most recently we have been tested with unforeseen challenges, yet we have been able to act quickly. And with new challenges, we shore up our plans for future possibilities.
Here are some examples. On July 8, 2022, Keowee Key experienced a lightning storm that resulted in some damage to our infrastructure. Among several other things, two gate control boxes were struck by lightning and failed. We had only one spare. Keowee Key IT staff determined the cause of the failures and disassembled the spare to repair both units. These dedicated staff worked diligently on their day off late into the afternoon to get both units back into operation.
In January 2022, a winter storm was predicted at Keowee Key beginning Friday night. Keowee Key staff set up berthing in operations and weathered the storm. The storm produced a considerable amount of ice, felling trees and making roads unsafe. Some homes did not have power restored for days. Dedicated Keowee Key staff worked for three days to clear debris and roads. Members were seen helping each other cope with ice and the loss of power.
In 2020, COVID-19 became a pandemic across the globe. In South Carolina, businesses were shut down and people quarantined at home. This was a first. Keowee Key management responded quickly to put processes in place for employees to continue to serve the community while maintaining safety. The Club shifted to take out meals for months. When amenities could be reopened, safety protocols were put in place to include cleaning and safe distancing.
The golf course began using one cart per member and washed the carts down after use. Fitness created videos to help members stay engaged in activities and many classes were held out of doors. A committee made up of retired medical professionals was established to provide advice to management, the board and the community going forward.
Resiliency is part of the Keowee Key culture. Each new issue and response helps us to build policies and procedures to keep us sound and we continue to look at the trends. The board now anticipates potential issues and develops contingency plans for things such as cyber security, severe weather patterns, environmental changes, and economic stress. Keowee Key will continue to be resilient because we have built it into our culture.
BEFORE
By Christine deVlaming, Marketing Director
Thanks
When I embarked on this special magazine project in early March of 2022, my vision was to tell the story about Keowee Key today, with the inclusion of some of its rich history. I organized the sections and began inviting members, management and staff to become our writers. This fantastic network of individuals lit up the content with their passion. The 50th Anniversary magazine reflects the heartfelt dedication of so many of you at Keowee Key. Thank you for your support in its production.
To celebrate a Golden Anniversary, we needed a logo that inspired the momentous occasion. The 45th Anniversary Logo originally created by Kathy Ellis, was a starting point. Our local sign-maker, Allen Loudermilk, at Lexigraphics, actually came up with the new 50th Anniversary Logo revision including its golden glow. When I saw the logo, I fell in love with it and that’s where it all began.
“In her seven years as Marketing Director for Keowee Key, Christine deVlaming has professionally shaped the imagine and brand for Keowee Key. Her focus on effectively communicating all that Keowee Key has to offer has played a critical role in our success. Because of her efforts, Keowee Key is recognized on the national stage as a market leader. Her vision and tenacity are reflected in this publication, and I cannot thank her enough.”
KEVIN MCCRACKEN
Community General Manager
L-R: Alice Guzick, Mike Witteveen, Debra Swift and Donna Buchanan Created the 50th Succulent Display.
I dreamed of a magazine cover featuring a Blue Heron. Discussing it with photographer Russ Carlson, we knew it would be hard to find a Heron to photograph and he began an online search for a possible image. Then one day, Russ was out with his camera for other photos when he spotted the Heron sitting on a nearby birdhouse and he captured it standing and taking off. I was overjoyed! It seemed like the bird heard our request – what an inspiration.
Thanks to my teammates on the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee who have done an outstanding job making 2022 a special year of celebration. There have been regular communications about our history by our 50th Chair, Judy Griffiiths. These have drawn us in and helped us learn about the foundation that Keowee Key is built on.
Beyond the outstanding events calendar involving all of our amenities, the team members have gone beyond the basics to organize some very unique celebration memories. These include original mural paintings by our member artists depicting the member experience, a creative 50th Succulent plant display, and the Lakes & Hills Garden Club Beech tree planting. The team had a vision to celebrate those who have lived and worked here for over 25 years at a very special luncheon, and of course we put a great deal of planning into the amazing Gala Celebration at the Club in September. Enjoy what we have!
Keowee Key 50th Anniversary Events Calendar
April 23 Community Relations Meet & Greet June 25 Boating Beach Out and Picnic July 4 Family Connection 4th of July Parade July 5 Keowee Big Band Practice at the Club July 9 70’s Disco Party at the Club July 22 Pickleball 50th Social “Go for the Gold” August 12 Grease Movie Night at the Club August 20 Mutt Strut at the Club August 22 Golf 50th Event “Golden Shotgun” August 26 Tennis 50th Event “Love 50” August 27 Thanks for the Memories Golden Girls Ladies Luncheon at the Club September 9 Beech Tree dedication by the Lakes and Hills Garden Club September 13 70’s Themed Trivia Night at the Club September 14 Club Luncheon for 25+ Tenured Members, Employees and Past Board Presidents September 18 Dance Club “Keowee Key is Golden” September 21 FRC Triathlon “Golden Edition” September 23 Golden Gala Celebration at the Club
