Below is an update on various lake association topics.

Please respond if you have any questions.

GRAVEL LAKE ASSOCIATION – 2011 CALENDAR (TENTATIVE)

• Saturday, July 16th at 10am (Porter Township Hall)
• Saturday, August 6th at 10am – Membership Meeting
- Location – Raab’s pole barn on Gebhard Beach
- Officer elections
- 50-50 raffle
- Buy Gravel Lake paraphernalia
• Saturday, September 10th at 10am (Porter Township Hall)
• Saturday, October 8th at 10am (Porter Township Hall)

Fourth of July Activities: Saturday, July 2nd – Monday, July 4th
• Fun Run – Saturday, July 2nd at 10AM – Willow Beach Resort
- $4 per person
- All ages
- Prizes and refreshments
• Kids Games – Saturday, July 2nd at 1PM – Willow Beach Resort
- Ages 1-12
- Prizes for all participants
• Paddle Boat Regatta – Saturday, July 2nd at 6PM
- Location - Channel
- Register at 5:45PM at the Public Access
- All participants MUST have certified flotation devices
- Divisions
1-person kayak
2-person kayak
Youth paddle boat (both racers under 12)
Adult paddle boat
• Boat Parade – Sunday, July 3rd at 2PM
- Theme: Christmas in July
- Register via email with Judy Semplinski by Friday, July 1st
semplinski@comcast.net
Include FAMILY NAME, THEME (description of boat), BEACH
- Prizes!
Fundraisers:
• Gravel Lake Bowling Outing – Saturday, July 9th (Tentative date)
• Gravel Lake Social – Saturday, August 6th (Tentative date)
**All times are indicated in Eastern Standard Time

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FEMA Flood Zone - In November, FEMA designated Gravel Lake as a Level A flood zone. This change now requires residents with a mortgage to carry flood insurance. The township does not participate in the FEMA program, so insurance is costly. Members of the board plan to meet with the FEMA representatives and Wightman & Associates to determine how to proceed. We would like to have the designation eliminated, changed to a lower risk level, or have the township participate with FEMA to get a lower insurance rate. If you do not want to wait, and feel that you are above the flood level, you can have a survey completed by an engineer for $500-$750, and have your property exempt from requiring insurance. There will be more information on this topic, as we get it, posted to the website.

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Here's an update regarding the FEMA situation.  Below is a resolution from the Van Buren County Commissioners.  I'm not completely certain if this will keep you from having to get flood insurance in the short term.

RESOLUTION REGARDING FEMA FLOOD PLAIN MAPS

A resolution to set forth the request of the Van Buren County Michigan Board of Commissioners to the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") to take every available action to rectify errors in flood plain maps that may impose undue burden and expense upon County property owners to rectify on their own.

WHEARAS, FEMA, contracting with a private firm in the State of Kentucky, recently updated the Flood Plain Maps for Van Buren County, MI;

WEAREAS, those maps are incorrect.

WHEREAS, the Flood Insurance Program allows properties in the flood zones to obtain insurance through FEMA programs, presumably at a lesser rate than traditional insurance companies;

WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated that the interpretation of the maps by mortgage lenders or FEMA have frequently been incorrect thereby requiring those property owners to acquire flood insurance when their property is not,in fact located with a flood zone;

WHEREAS, property owners facing this situation must rectify the problem at great expense by seeking to have their property exempted from the flood plain insurance requirement by having elevation survey performed and requests to be excluded, typically at a cost of ~ $1,000.00;

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners is of the opinion that it is wrong that the burden of correcting this problem upon the owners of the properties incorrectly designated as lying within flood zones, when it was the error of FEMA or its subcontractor in not completing accurate flood plain maps; and,

WHEREAS, this failure on the part of FEMA to ensure the accuracy of the flood plain maps demonstrates just another of what has been a long list of failures on the part of FEMA to demonstrate accountability to the people it is designed to protect.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Van Buren County Michigan Board of Commissioners encourages the FEMA to take every available action to revise and rectify ann and all errors in flood plain maps at no expense to the subject property owners thereby relieving the property owners of the undue burden and expense of having to correct a situation for which they have no responsibility.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this request is made in the interest of holding FEMA accountable to the property owners that the flood insurance programs is designed to protect, as well as those owners whose properties fall outside of flood zones who rely upon the maps created by FEMA to demonstrate that they have no obligation to carry such coverage.

Dated: April 13, 2010               VAN BUREN COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS
Motion by Hanson, Second by Toth.                             Tina
Leary COUNTY CLERK

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Storm - There has been significant damage from the hail and wind storm that swept through Lawton. Many homes had windows broken and siding damaged. There were also a lot of trees downed. Contractors are circling the lake. Be aware though, some are asking for claim numbers and they will take care of everything. Speak with your insurance companies and have construction completed before giving out claim numbers. Otherwise, they can take your money, and not do the work.

The Gravel Lake Association