From The Covenants and Maintenance Manager, Travis Fincher
I would like to thank each of you who have moved your boats and trailers from your parcel. Those who have not
moved theirs yet, please do so as the ten day grace period has expired. Last month I listed places in the area
where you could store your boat trailers. I have just found out that the parking lot at the conference center is
being prepared to accept storage of boats and trailers on a daily, monthly or annual basis. This lot is supposed to
open May 1st. Don Torelli will be representing the owner and can answer any questions that you may have. He
can be reached at 256-825-4275.
FROM APRIL ARTICLE: The StillWaters boat storage is full and there is a waiting list.
However, Lake Martin Boat & RV Storage on Civitan Road off County Road 34 has spaces
available for an annual fee or a monthly fee. Give Sonny Hodges a call at 205-678-8337 or
205-908-5095 to make arrangements for storage. In the Blue Creek bridge area you can call Donnie
McDaniel at Lakeside Marina. His Numbers are 256-234-9300 or 256-825-9286. At the intersec-
tion of Barron’s Bridge Road and County Road 34 Bill & Patti Maxey have both covered and open
storage. Call Joey Darby for information at 256-825-2922.
Thursday, May 1 is the first day of the swimming pool season. We have installed a new picnic table and benches
for your use. Also, there is a small barbecue available. Please do not move the table or the barbecue up on the
pool deck and do not use your own barbecue on the pool deck. Help us keep all of the trash picked up and placed
in the refuse containers. If you have any complaints or ideas on how to make the pool more enjoyable, please call
me at theMember.
Have you seen the improvements at the Gate 34 area? The Gate House has been completely rebuilt and the
landscaping is being cleaned up and old plants are being replaced. I have been asked why we did all of the work
on the gate house since there is not a gate attendant on site. First of all, the old gate house was infested with
termites and was in danger of collapsing. This building contains the equipment that runs the gates and also the
computer for the video surveillance. This building is also the first thing that people see when they enter
StillWaters, so we wanted it to look nice as well as be a environmentally controlled shelter for all the equipment.
Now that summer is almost upon us, a little reminder about using the park. Last year there was a
misunderstanding about who could play games in the park which was my fault due to my poor communication
with the residents. The park is for all residents and their guests to use. The misunderstanding last year centered on
playing rough team sports. The ruling was meant to prohibit the adult ball games that were damaging the split
rail fence and the lamp posts around the walking trail. Children are welcome to use the park for games with adult
supervision. If any damage occurs, you will be asked to cover the repair expenses. Please call me if you have any
questions or want to report any thing amiss about the park or the restrooms.
Our pine straw operation is now complete and it really looks great. Look for new flagpoles at the gate house at
the 49 Gate and also at the SWRA Executive building. We are ordering a StillWaters flag and it will also fly at
both gates and at the SWRA building.
It has been brought to my attention by the condo managers that residents who do not live in the condos have been
dumping their personal garbage and trash in the various condo associations’ trash dumpsters. The residents who
live in the various condo buildings pay for this service and would appreciate it if no else uses the dumpsters for
their personal trash. Please respect this request.
Beginning May 1, we will change the business office hours to allow Susan and Travis time to complete
their administrative requirements in the given five-day work week. As modified, SWRA staff will plan to an
swer questions and service residents and contractors on the following schedule:
9:00 - 4:00 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
9:00 - 12:00 on Wednesday
9:00 - 5:00 on Friday
We are pleased that both Susan and Travis now can plan their work schedules to ensure the highest priority
issues are addressed first. Both will take lunch, usually on alternate hours around noon, thus making one of
them available for walk-in business over the lunch hour. We hope you are pleased with these changes. Note
that we will be available until 5:00 on Friday afternoons to accommodate weekend residents.
Key Points to be made: Susan Thames and Travis Fincher will continue to work from 8:00 to 5:00;
however, the new “business” hours will provide time periods when they can work without interruption,
which will help them tremendously. For out-of-towners, Susan and Travis often handle things over the phone,
fax or via email. They may leave items for weekend residents at Gate 49. We aim to please and will work
with you any way we can! Of course, Travis and Susan will be available to meet with residents during other
hours, if scheduled. The main goal is to give them some time to organize, plan, and concentrate on the tasks at
hand and to improve the efficiency of the office and staff. Yes, limited office hours equals improved service!
Drainage Problems Being Addressed
We contracted with Daniel Environmental and already completed the repair of the drainage ditch along
Vista Wood from Deer Hollow trail to Fawn Lane, and then down Fawn Lane. We also completed some
stream work and power line work including hydro-seeding the affected areas. Work has been to recommended
ADEM standardsimprovements!
Other Notes
• The April 1st SWRA Board meeting was changed in order to allow Board Members to attend the
Alabama Power Relicensing Meeting concerning future lake levels. It was very worthwhile, five of your
Board Members and many StillWaters Residents attended the session.
• SWRA has been notified by the Probate Office that the Secretary of State has taken the ballot issue of the
StillWaters legislation that would authorize the sheriff to enforce the traffic rules enacted off the June
ballot—most likely it will be on the November ballot.
• New Telephone Directories should be available by the end of May.
Weather Siren Adds to Safety & Warning for StillWaters
Some in SW have voiced concern about not hearing the weather siren. Weather sirens are not designed to
be heard in-doors, according the Tallapoosa County Emergency Management Agency and Sheriff Jimmy
Abbett. The sirens are intended to warn people who are outdoors to allow them to take shelter and tune into
TV or radio stations for details. Residents should purchase and use the specially designed weather alert ra-dios.
Concerns, Questions, Recommendations
Please contact any Board member or send a letter or email to if you have concerns, ques-
tions or ideas to improve our community. We are ready, willing and able to listen and respond to you! Please
take the time to let us know what you think. We do appreciate it. (Contact information is on page 3 of the May 2008 newsletter or under Board Members button on this site - go to home page.)
'74 Solutions Committee
This committee will be working on bringing our community together under the 1987 Covenants. If you
are willing to volunteer to serve on this committee, please contact Tom Handley. (Contact information is 256-825-7505 or email at )
The Covenants –
• 1987 has 1312 # of properties, which are the governing set – they pay annual fee & can be assessed.
• 1974 has 373 and Waters Edge has 11. Both of these pay the same as ‘87 but cannot be assessed.
• 1971 has 53. But only pay $100 and cannot be assessed.
• Last three years the Boards have assessed $100 per year. They have no authority to assess anyone
except those owners under the ’87 Covenants.
• 25-35% pay the assessment voluntarily.
• ‘71, ‘74 are not members of the SWRA and cannot vote,
• This creates problems in covenants enforcement. Maintenance fees are limited by documents, almost
politically impossible to change the covenants in order to increase the fees.
• The Board budgets with limits on income. Other fees and an assessment make up the deficit.
News Release: SWRA Board of Directors (March 24, 2008)
Over the past couple of months SWRA has conducted an audit and review of its property records
with focus on deeds resulting from the Baptist Foundation bankruptcy auction in September 2003.
Some of these auction deeds subjected the property to the 1987 Covenants, which a few owners now contend was improper. SWRA and this Board were not involved in any way in those transactions.
One of the primary jobs of the SWRA Board is to treat all the residents equally. The Board, while
fulfilling its responsibilities to enforce the 1987 Covenants, has no authority to deal with those issues
regardless of the merits.
Due to the complexity of the issues, the Board, on the advice of counsel, filed an action in Circuit
Court in Dadeville asking the court for a “Declaratory Judgment”, which will resolve these issues. This
is a procedure where when the parties don't agree they allow a judge to resolve the conflict. Unlike most court cases, where the plaintiff asks for damages or other court orders, the plaintiff in a declaratory judgment case simply wants the court to resolve an uncertainty.
This method is the least confrontational way of handling this issue for the best interests for all StillWaters residents and, by joining all parties in the ruling, it will expedite and simplify the matter so we can get back to the day to day business of the Association.
Due to the complexity of the legal issues, counsel for the Board has instructed individual Board
members and staff to refrain from answering any questions of a factual nature or engaging in open
forums to discuss the matter further.
Goals of SWRA
* Improve communication with property owners. Besides printed newsletters and the website, information
is available by direct emails of newsletters and minutes.
• Contact Board member directly via phone or email or through the SWRA office, the Board will not respond tit for tat on the open forum.
• Conduct a campaign to unite 74/87 covenants the 74 solution – more later – idea came from the Board
meeting that was held with the condo association leaders.
• Maintain infrastructure and assets that we as property owners have inherited.
• Consistently ensuring the quality renovation and maintenance of assets throughout StillWaters.
• To be good stewards by developing and staying within a reasonable and responsible budget.
• Continue to repair and pave roads in StillWaters within our limited resources.
• Plan for the future by setting up specific earmarked Reserve Funds.
• Budget for a Contingency Fund for emergencies and unknowns.
• Maintain or increase property values and protect SWRA fixed assets.
If you wish to send information to the Board of Directors or to contact them, please do so by sending an email
addressed to the Board at or by mailing a letter to the office @ 1816-B Stillwaters Drive,
Dadeville, AL 36853.
If you wish to be on the agenda, please contact Susan Thames, Community Administrator at
or 256-825-2990.
You may add your email address to the SWRA list and receive the monthly newsletter emailed directly to you
or you may download it and other SWRA information from the SWRA website at
http://www.stillwatersra.com
If you have information that you would like to go out to property owners that is informational please email to
and ask that it be sent out. This is not a place for advertisements. Please be conscious of
privacy issues when submitting articles or announcements.
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Board News 
