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New: You can now check your HLA tax bills online just like your Haddam tax bills. Click here

Have a question about your tax bill? Contact our tax collector via email hlataxcollector@gmail.com

Latest News:

2/22/19: BOG Meeting change of location. The next meeting of the Board of Governors will be held on Monday, February 25, 2019, 6:30 pm. The place of the meeting has been changed to the Old Town Hall (the old building on the left on the road up to the Town Office Building).

President's newsletter (click here) Includes past issues.
(Note: opinions expressed in the President's Newsletter do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Board of Governors.)

CAES Survey: The 2018 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station survey of Hidden Lake weeds is available on the CAES website link. A copy of the reports for both 2018 and 2005 in PDF format is available for download from this site. CAES 2018 Survey

From the Connecticut Federaiont of Lakes - RE: Proposed House Bill No. 6637 – AN ACT REQUIRING AN INVASIVE SPECIES STAMP FOR THE OPERATION OF A MOTORBOAT ON THE INLAND WATERS OF THE STATE: (Editor's note: this would include Hidden Lake). Last week the CT General Assembly’s Environment Committee voted to draft detailed language for this bill. We anticipate that the drafted bill will establish a mechanism for generating sustainable funding for AIS prevention, control, management, and monitoring. If passed, this bill has the potential to generate as much as $600,000 a year, which would go into the dedicated non-lapsing Connecticut Lakes and Ponds Preservation Account established last year by the "Save Our Lakes" license plate bill. Once drafted, a public hearing on the bill will be scheduled (with a maximum of only 5 days’ notice!) and testimony sought. We will need active support, oral and written testimony from you, our members, your town leaders, and State legislators.

How can you help?

1.      Begin thinking about testimony you might want to provide either orally at the public hearing in Hartford or in writing. Think about how you would tell your Aquatic Invasive Species story and how a sustainable funding source would help. To help shape your input, we provide you with a template letter here.

2.      Make your local and State elected leaders aware of the bill and your desires that they support it with testimony.

3.     Stay apprised of developments on the bill. CFL will help with that. Information on the bill on the Connecticut General Assembly's website can be found by clicking on the following link. CGA’s website

Cathy Serino

12/27/18: It is with regret that we inform you of the sudden passing of Catherine Serino, past vice president and longtime member of the HLA Board of Governors on December 24th. We offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends. She will be sorely missed. Here is a link to her obituary. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lake Drawdown to end March 15: The lake has been lowered for lakeside cleanup per our bylaws as 2018 is an even year. The lake committee recommended that the lake remain lowered throughout the winter until March 15th to help with weed control. It was the committee's opinion that the draw down last year was successful in limiting weeds this past summer.

Bylaws change allows electric trolling motors: A special meeting to consider a bylaws change to allow the use of electric trolling motors on the lake was held Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 3:00 at the Town Annex building on Jail Hill Road. The amendment passed, 53-14. Electric trolling motors are now permitted on the lake. Motors are limited to 55 ft-lbs of thrust and only sealed batteries are allowed for power. State law requires that vessels that have a motor must be registered with the DMV and display the registration numbers on the bow along with the current date sticker. The vessel must also display an HLA sticker on the bow.

The contents of our safe deposit box were retrieved from Citizens Bank due to its closing. It includes the original deed for the lake, clubhouse, beaches, roads and rights of way. Other deeds include tax sales by the Town of Haddam, and property transfers of lots to HLA. To view these documents CLICK HERE.

Click Here to see pictures of the 2018 Hidden Lake Tractor Parade

7/5/18: Tax bills have been mailed and are due by August 1. Late payments are subject to interest charges of 1.5% per month by state law, and the property is also subject to a tax lien, lien fees, and collection fees if required. If you have any questions about your taxes, you may contact our tax collector at hlataxcollector@gmail.com.

7/1/18: Contact Form/Boat Sticker Request (click here)
All HLA members' boats on the lake must be registered with the Association.The purpose of the registration is to monitor boats on the lake and at our beaches. Boats left on our beaches that do not have a sticker attached are subject to removal by the Association. Click on the link above to obtain additional copies, which can be mailed to HLA, PO Box 401, Higganum CT 06441. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Septic Pumping
The septic pumping list for the year July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 is now available on the Septic Pumping page. Each homeowner is required by ordinance to have their tank pumped once every four years on the schedule determined by the Association. This scheduled pumping is paid for by the Association. Homeowners due to have their tanks pumped this year will receive a postcard in July notifying them to contact Cahill Septic Service to make arrangements. Failure to comply could result in a fine of $25 per day after June 30, 2019. Just a reminder that the Association does not pay for septic tank pumping required for any reason between Association-required pumpings.

Boats on HLA Beaches
From our Bylaws: Section 44. Only such owners not in possession of lake shore frontage may moor their boats at these beaches. Persons who are not owners of property or lessees of cottages by the Season or month, shall not keep a boat on the lake or store it on the land for use on the lake periodically. All boats at the beach or on the lake must have a Hidden Lake Association registration sticker attached.

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Concerning motors on the lake
Reminder: Motorized recreational vehicles, including snowmobiles, jetskis, or boats, kayaks, canoes, etc. not permitted on the lake except that small vessels may use an electric trolling motor with a maximum of 55 ft-lbs of torque, powered only by a sealed battery, and must be registered with DMV and display the registration numbers, date sticker, and also the HLA sticker on the bow. The lake itself is owned by the Hidden Lake Association, Inc., and use of the lake by members of the association is subject to the bylaws. Please read below:

Motors. 
Section 41-A. The propelling of boats or other recreational vehicles (year-round) on Hidden Lake by a gasoline engine, Diesel engine, a steam engine, an alcohol engine, a kerosene engine, whether of portable type or built in, is prohibited.
The use of electric trolling motors is permitted, with a maximum of 55 lb. thrust and the Battery accompanying the electric motor must be a sealed cell system. This shall not prohibit the use by the Association of any power engine in a utility boat or a police boat.

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A reminder that dogs and other pets are not permitted on the beach at any time, per our bylaws.

There have been reported incidents of non-members accessing the lake with kayaks, canoes, and boats brought in by car or truck. Besides the fact that these people are tresspassing on our lake, these incidents increase the risk of our lake becoming contaminated with invasive weeds such as Eurasian milfoil. Invasive weeds can take over a lake in a short period of time and are difficult and expensive to eradicate. If you witness an occurrence, try to obtain the registration number, vehicle description, and location, and notify the State Police that there are tresspassers on the lake (the lake is posted against tresspassing). We advise against confronting the violators yourself, based upon past experiences of some lake members. We would appreciate it if you would also notify the Association via the email link at the bottom of this page. Thanks for your help.

The Meeting Minutes and Annual Meeting pages are now password protected. If you would like a username and password to access these pages, please email the webmaster at the link shown near the bottom of this page. In your email, please include the property owner name, property address, and your name and address. Upon verification that you are a HLA member, we will send you the username and password to access these pages.

The Hidden Lake Association Board of Governors Meets monthly on the last Monday of the month (except May and December), 6:30 pm at the Town Annex Building on Jail Hill road. Meetings are subject to cancellation or date changes depending upon BOG members' availability to meet a quorum. If you would like to bring a matter before a meeting, or are interested in the time and date of a meeting, email us below.

Welcome to the website of the Hidden Lake Association. This site was created to help share information of interest to the residents and taxpayers who reside within the limits of the Hidden Lake Association boundaries.

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