Hickory Lake Campground Cooperative Association

Good evening from the HLCCA Board,

We are sending out a quick reminder that we do not have a Kayak Beach at Hickory Lake.  The purpose of the beach is for the enjoyment of those wishing to be in the water or on the beach.  As the pool is closed the beach has seen a lot more activity this season.

Please be mindful that this is a common area and not for the storage of personal Kayaks.  We ask that you be respectful by moving your Kayaks off to the side of the beach or if it is too crowded already bring them to your site or to overflow.  

Another alternative is to rent one of the kayak/canoe racks.  Currently one spot is open on the North side by the beach and two on the South side by the boat launch.  The cost is only $35 for the season.

Also, you may have noticed that four additional boat slips were added this season and are already being utilized.  Please send an email to the board if you wish to be put on the waiting list.  

Regards,

HLCCA Board

JPB

Just a few things to pass along about Request For Lot Alterations forms. 

We try our best to get forms back to you as soon as possible.  We try to shoot for a 7-10 day turnaround.  Governing documents give us up to thirty days to get some kind of response back to you on your request. 

As stated on the form,  The more detailed you are with the information you provide the better we can understand and make an informed decision.  When placing items on your site (ex. sheds, decks, platforms,etc.), an accurate drawing with the real dimensions of what you are doing and where it lies from the boundaries is most helpful. 

Most of the time we are more so looking at making sure you are staying within the guidelines and what conflicts there may be with Aitkin County RCA placement. Pictures are very helpful at times also. 

The more information you provide the faster we can get your request back. 

Also stated on the form is that approval of your request is required prior to commencing the work you are requesting to do. 

Recently the board has been having discussions on imposing fines for those that start before going through the process.

Thank you,

Hickory Lake Campground Board
EFG

The Board would like to wish you all a happy 4th of July!  May it be safe and fun.  We are sorry to say that with the current COVID conditions, we will not be having any of our large group fun social activities this year that the social committee usually organizes. We are hoping for a more normal year next year.

As we have been talking we wanted to put a few reminders out there for this busy weekend:

FIREWORKS

• Fireworks are prohibited; the exception is on the  Fourth of July
• Fireworks are allowed on the beach area only with the exception of sparklers
• Those who participate in the use of fireworks are required to clean up debris by noon the following day

VISITORS – With Covid restrictions of not gathering in groups of more than 10, we would like you to keep that and the interest of the safety of our community in mind when thinking about visitors and keep the numbers down.

DOCKS – Since Memorial weekend we have added a considerable amount of new dock space to our new docks by the boat landing.  we added twenty-eight feet to the north dock and twenty-eight feet and two twenty foot wings to the south dock.  On the south dock, the south side of it where the twenty foot wings were added is reserved for paid boat slips.  With the added sections we have created spots for about 5-6 more boats than Memorial weekend.  Common sense would  say it takes less water to float smaller boats.  Be considerate, smaller boats should be tied up closer to shore and leave the deeper water for the larger boats. 

PARKING – Every spot is a commodity on these busy weekends.  You are expected to use the one parking spot on your site for your vehicle before utilizing the overflow. Parking on common elements really is not allowed.

OVERFLOW – Every trailer should have a tag on it to identify the owner and what site they are at.  Every vehicle should have a card in the window with the owner’s name, site they are at , and their phone number.  There are supplies in a plastic container on the side of the Gathering room to aid in this task.

Be safe. Covid is out there and exists.  More head injuries and water accidents happen on the Fourth of July than any other day.
Have a Safe and Fun Fourth!

Hickory Lake Campground Board

EFG

Greetings All,

Last year poised a lot of interesting scenarios/challenges with storage unit language.  The board has been work on and off on this for a while, and I was going to get this out about a month and a half a go but there has been to many higher priorities to deal with, other than I wanted to get this out before the Owners Special Meeting.

Please check your email for the proposal.

During a special board meeting on May 5, the board addressed the Owners Special Meeting that we have left on the calendar.  The board members all felt safe enough to go as planned with the meeting, weather permitting. The time and date has not changed, Sunday, May 24, at 10 AM.  COVID-19 has directed a few changes.  The location will be in the grassy area in front of the pool, west side kind of by the fire pit. You will need to bring your own chair.  There will be socially distanced spaces marked out for you to place your chair.  Attendance is limited to owners on site application.

As I pull an agenda together for this meeting, please let me know if there are any certain topics you would like addressed.

Thank you

Ed

COVID-19 

Our Covid-19 policy will be getting amended to coincide with the current “Stay Safe MN” order.  You can gather as a group of 10 or less WHILE practicing social distancing at your site.  Yes you can have visitors.  We understand a few, lets keep it minimal to be smart, considerate and safe.  Rules and regulations numbers of six for seasonals and fifteen for owners is unacceptable at this time. Do to Covid -19 no Community meals or activities are planned for the weekend as in years past.

PARKING

EVERY site is to have  parking provisions ON their site for one vehicle. USE it.  No boats and trailers on sites. Them and extra vehicles belong in the overflow.  Parking is not allowed on unoccupied sites with out permission.  Parking is not allowed on campground(common element) property.  On busy weekends if and only if the overflow is full we can make exceptions.

OVERFLOW LOT 

With almost every site being occupied now, there will be changes to the overflow rules and use.The overflow lot is for parking extra vehicles(after parking one on your site), boat and boat trailer parking, and trailer parking specific to use during your stay.  Trailers are to be tagged with name and site number.  Extra vehicles are to have a card in the window with name site and phone number on them.  The supplies we have for this are currently locked up in the gathering but by Saturday they will be out side in a clear weather resistant container on the outside of the gathering room for your use.

CLEAN UP 

Please help keep our campground beautiful, and clean up after yourself.  Not only dose it help keep the campground neat, but in today’s atmosphere it helps in preventing the spread of Covid-19 by someone else having to pick up or move your unsanitized personal property.  At the lake front we understand if you leave your kayak or canoe on the shoreline while your are there using it.  When you go to leave please make sure it is either on a rack  spot you have rented or under your RV or up in the overflow.

QUIET HOURS 

As a reminder to be considerate of your neighbors in the community, quiet hours are from 10 PM to 8 AM.  Some don’t care to hear your camp fire chatter and people/children running thru sites and campground at midnight, while others don’t care to hear equipment roaring at 6 AM.

Have a fun and SAFE weekend,

Hickory Lake Campground Board

EG

Good morning everyone,

A few things I wanted to remind you about:

COVID-19 Policy – In your email you will find the new edited version of the policy.  It will also be available on the home page of our website, where it is accessible by everyone, including seasonals.  You will find a drop down on the top for COVID-19.  When selected, you will  find the policy and protocols for communal spaces as they become available.  The policy is in effect as written until health restrictions are eased and the Board feels comfortable making changes. Owners who have seasonal renters, please make sure they have a copy of the policy.

AED – With the Laundry room current closed the AED got moved to the garage.  As you go in the first overhead garage door to the west(closest to the gathering room) it is hanging on the wall above the light switches just to the left of the door way.

Overflow – As a reminder, the overflow is for boats and boat trailers, extra vehicles, I would say visitor vehicles but at this time there  should be no visitors. It is not intended as a personal storage area.  It also is not your personal  dumping grounds.  Last spring there were no tires up in the overflow they were all disposed of in 2018. Now there is around 18 of them up there. If they are yours please dispose of them.  If you happen to use them to set your pontoon on in the off season them keep them with your pontoon and trailer.  This is a cost in time and money to the association to dispose of the these. Last I checked $5 minimum per tire.

Parking- One vehicle per site.  No Trailers  to be parked at sites. No parking on campground property or roads, that is what the overflow is for.

Lake Time –  Usually that phrase means things  are a little more laid back at the lake.  Relax, what is your hurry.  Slow down.  There is a 5 mph or less speed limit in the campground. 

Have a great and safe weekend,

Ed

Check your email for information on WiFi access.

Good Evening HLCCA,

I wanted to let you all now that the water is on to all campsites now; And all the docks made it in the water on Sunday. Thank you to all that helped.

If you happen to find yourself at the campground to connect your water and maintain your personal property during the current Stay at Home Order, that is your decision(this applies to both owners and seasonal renters). The Board can not advocate that you travel during the order.

While at the campground please keep in mind social distancing practices are to be observed as outlined in our COVID-19 Policy emailed out this past Friday.

Protocols are being written and cleaners, disinfectants and PPE are being acquired to be able to open communal areas. Fish Cleaning house should hopefully be ready by sometime this weekend at the earliest. Laundry to probably follow shortly after.

To be compliant with Minnesota Campground Code and County Ordinances all trailers/campers have independent water and sewer services available to accommodate the use of their own bath rooms until such time that we are ready to open the shower house. Pool, Arcade, and Gathering Room will remain closed until the MDH eases the lock down of those facilities and give guidance on how we can open them.

See you soon, be safe

Ed

Good Morning HLCCA

First to expand on my earlier email on the water. Saturday some needed repairs and improvements to the water supply system were able to be completed to enable us to be able to turn the water on once weather permits. While there, seeing how much frost was still evident in the ground and taking the extended forecast into consideration (how about that white Easter), the decision was made to push out turning water on to the weekend of 4/25/20. Again this is a target date. We will keep you posted as to its progress and when it actually is on.

I know some are used to opening sooner but this year we are fighting with a couple of factors, weather and COVID-19.

COVID-19 is the biggest factor in not opening the shower house earlier than water on to the sites. If the shower house were to be open, COVID-19 has made it necessary to enforce routine and extra cleaning of those facilities. To do that we need our staff on site, which they live at campsites, which need to have water. Keep in mind with no functional rest rooms by our licensing we are not an open campground yet.

Once we have water on and functional restrooms there is not a current executive order to keep us from opening on time the beginning of May. The MDH stance so far on private campgrounds and seasonal mobile home parks is as follows:

“The state recognizes that some campers/trailers in campgrounds and seasonal mobile home parks are permanent residences for some individuals, and does not intend to cause harm by evicting them. However, offering sites for recreational purposes is discouraged at this time.”

What I can tell you is we don’t want to be doing things to jeopardize that. With that in mind we are working on a Social Distancing and COVID-19 policy for the campground. You should be seeing that in a couple of weeks.

And in the current “stay at home” executive order 20-33 section 6 Exemptions-critical sectors, jj, Minimum Basic Operations does allow us to mobilize staff to perform tasks to take care of, fix and maintain our campground.

On Saturday, there still was a sheet of ice out in the middle of the lake covering just over a third of the lake. It looked like something that will dissipate in a week or so. That now gives me a better time line to work with Larry to get the docks in. Later this week, once I get him locked in I will confirm with you when the docks are to go in.

After the last update I was asked about WIFI. This is what I can tell you so far. Currently we have an active system waiting to be taken out of vacation mode. The new service got activated 10/13/19 then we put it in vacation mode the next day after testing it out, with the plans of MLEC setting up the mesh network system, that they said they could offer, in the campground right away in the spring. When it first gets turned on reception is limited at this point to up by the house, gathering room and fire pit area.

The problem we have been having is MLEC hasn’t been following up with Jim Apple to well lately, and with every thing going on with the coronavirus at the Mayo Clinic, Jim has been very busy. He actually had a little time recently to follow up with them and talk with the MLEC project manager, who basically told him that MLEC at this time can not offer us the services they first laid out with him last year.

So currently we are seeking bids from outside contractors/businesses that MLEC recommended for setting up a mesh network system. Until the bids come in we don’t know much more. We really were counting on MLEC to follow thru with the service plan they talked about last year and getting it implemented right away this Spring.

Stay Safe
Ed