SUNLAND DIVISION 17 OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Quarterly Newsletter – July 2014
Email: sunlandnorth@gmail.com
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1655, Sequim, WA
98382 Website: SunlandNorthOwnersAssociation.com
President’s Message –Susan Hamman
This is my first term as Division 17’s President and my first President’s message. I look forward to working for and with the community for the remainder of my term!
Thanks to the community for passing the amended Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) for Division 17! My personal thanks to Cindy Meek, Tim Paschal, Cindy Rhodes and Gene Ross, volunteers who researched and amended the CC&Rs over the course of a year. Another thank you to Dave Froula and Terry Main, volunteers who monitored and certified the balloting process.
I want to emphasize the following point: the day-to-day running of our neighborhood is primarily accomplished by resident volunteers, people who are your neighbors and friends. Our homeowner’s dues do pay for the following services: landscaping and greenbelt maintenance, bookkeeping and tax services, insurance, and the cost of routine repairs and maintenance. However, we would be paying significantly more if not for the hard work of our resident volunteers. Many landscaping and maintenance issues are handled on a daily basis by the landscaping and exterior maintenance committee chairs (Eldon Dennis, Landscape Coordinator and Dick Helmenstine, Exterior Maintenance). The county requirement to eradicate noxious weeds in our greenbelt has been diligently fulfilled by another volunteer (Tim Paschal, Greenbelt Coordinator). Your Board of Directors (Cindy Rhodes, Judy Field, David Jelin and myself) provide long term planning for the community and we work to resolve issues that come up on a day-to-day basis. These volunteers carefully and politely listen when residents bring up community issues. Residents in turn have the responsibility to treat volunteers with courtesy and respect when discussing any issues.
Two Board position are open for the 2014-2015 timeframe. Renee Jones and Barbara Ross (both volunteers) are soliciting nominations for the Board. When nominations were solicited last year, I was a reluctant candidate for the Board but I am glad I did. While there have been many challenges this past year, I’ve come to appreciate the experience of being a part of this community by being on the Board. It is easy to be an “armchair observer” in the community. But if you really want to know and understand what it takes to keep our community the beautiful and vibrant place in which we’ve chosen to live, then volunteer for the Board or for any of the committees that help make that happen for Division 17! We have a wealth of expertise and knowledge in this neighborhood so become part of the solution for our neighborhood by volunteering as a Board Member, Committee Chair or being part of a committee!
I want to encourage everyone in our neighborhood to come to the Division 17 Annual Election and Meeting on September 9th, 2014, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm at the Sunland Golf and Country Club, Poolside Room.
Thank you,
Susan Hamman, President (Volunteer)
Treasurer’s Report-Cindy Rhodes (Volunteer)
Sunland Division 17 Owners Association Treasurer’s Monthly Report
Financial Status as of 30 June 2014
BANK ACCOUNT STATUS
| Checking Account | $ 62,603 | First Federal Savings & Loan |
| Reserve Fund Accounts (3 Accts) | ||
| #1 Money Market Savings (0.25%) | $ 152,256 | First Federal Savings & Loan; $12K transferred to Reserves 3/11/2014. $2K additional transferred on 4/30/2014. Second transfer to Reserves of $14,248 to occur before Dec 2014. (Total amount budgeted for annual Reserve Contribution for 2014 is
$28,248. |
| #2 CD- 17 month (1.01% APY) | $ 20,152 | Purchased Aug 2013; Sound Community Bank; Matures 1/29/2015; Amount shown as
of 26 June; Monthly interest to be paid on 30 June (approx. $15) |
| #3 CD- 9 month (0.89% APY) | $ 20,134 | Purchased Sep 2013; Sound Community Bank; Matured/cashed 6/13/14; New 12-
month CD to be purchased at promotional rate of .77% APY |
| Total of Reserve Fund Accounts | $ 192,541 | Reserve Fund expenditures in 2014 will exceed the 2014 Reserve Fund contributions.
(See Notes under Routine Maintenance & Reserve Fund Accts) |
| TOTAL ALL ACCOUNTS | $ 255,145 |
2014 OPERATING FUNDS STATUS Period Covered: 1 January thru 30 June 2014
Overview for 107 Completed Units ( $ ) = Exceeds Budget Plan
|
Expense Category Administration, |
June2014 Expenditures |
2014 Approved Operating Budget |
Expended / Spent YTD (6 months) |
Variance |
% of 2014 Op Budget |
Comments May= $2690 paid for on-site professional Reserve Study to be conducted in July to establish Association baseline/goal. Approved budget allocation (Sept 2013) was $399 based on cost of prior self-conducted review. April 2014 = Annual payment (2014 is last year of 3-year policy period; rates to increase in 2015). No other insurance costs anticipated for 2014. March 2014= $16,592 spent for mulch/bark replacement for ALL units; 2014 Budget included only $6000 (1/3 cost of 3 year cycle) of total cost.
NOTE: Routine maintenance expenses do not include $41,029 for 2104 unit painting (16 units) to be paid from Reserve Funds in late summer / fall 2014. |
| Accounting & | $ 362 | $ 6,420 | $ 5,323 | $ 1,097 | 82.9% | |
| Taxes | ||||||
|
Insurance |
$ 0 |
$ 43,656 |
$ 41,983 |
$ 1,673 |
96.2% |
|
| Developed | ||||||
| Landscape | $ 6,889 | $ 98,868 | $ 57,471 | $ 41,451 | 58.1% | |
| Greenbelt
(Undeveloped Areas) |
$ 1,984 |
$ 7,704 |
$ 3,366 |
$ 4,338 |
43.7% |
|
| $ 15,408 | ||||||
| Routine Repairs & | $ 3,941 | $ 5,719 | $ 9,689 | 37.1% | ||
| Maintenance | ||||||
|
TOTAL ADMIN & |
$ 13,175 |
$ 172,056 |
$ 113,807 |
$58,249 |
66.1% |
|
| OPERATING COSTS | ||||||
| Total Annual
Contribution |
Contribution YTD | Variance | % of Annual Contribution | Comments | ||
|
Reserve Contributions (Including Water Setters) in Approved Budget |
$ 28,248 |
$ 14,000 |
$ 14,248 |
49.6% |
Reserve Maintenance Fund = $25,680; Water Setter Contribution = $2,568Total
$28,248. $14,000 deposited to account in Feb 2014; $14,248 deposit due in Nov -Dec 2014. |
|
|
TOTAL 2014 BUDGET |
$ 200,304 |
|||||
OVERDUE ASSESSMENTS: 0 YTD Non-Assessment Income: Document Fee = $200; Interest = $149
External Financial Review
Washington Statutes require homeowner associations to have an independent review/audit of their financial records each year. Division 17’s financial records for 2013 are being reviewed by Duane Wolfe of Burwell & Wolfe, CPAs of Port Angeles. The results of the review will be discussed at the annual meeting in September and posted on Division 17’s website under the Owner’s Information page.
Reserve Study
In addition to an annual operating budget, each homeowners association is required to have a Reserve Study performed annually. The Study recommends the amount of funds the association should have in its Reserve Account to cover significant maintenance, repair and replacement cost of major items (painting, roof replacement) that will occur during the next 30 years. Every three years, the Study must be conducted by a certified Reserve Study professional and include a visual site inspection and photographs to document the findings. Association Reserves, Inc. is conducting the Reserve Study for the 2015 budget year. The results of the Reserve Study will be presented at the annual meeting in September along with the proposed 2015 operating budget. It will also be posted on Division 17’s website under the Owner’s Information page.
Secretary’s Report-Judy Field (Volunteer)
Currently, there are six occupied units for sale, two units have sold and fourteen are rentals. Two units on Mt Baker are being built. Look for correspondence from me this summer regarding the Board elections, new construction and water setter/water meter issues. Let me know if you have changes to the Owner Contact Form you submitted a while back and let me know if you would prefer to receive notices via regular U.S. mail instead of e-mails. My number is (360) 797-1275.
Architectural Control Committee Report – Cindy Meek (Volunteer)
We remind all owners that any exterior change to your unit must be submitted in writing to the Division 17 Association for approval prior to any work beginning. “Change” means any exterior modification, including the addition or modification of fences, gates, storm doors, or porch rails and modification to patio surfaces. If you have any questions, please contact me via email: meekcyn@gmail.com.
You will find the Exterior Change Proposal Checklist under the “Forms” button on Division 17’s website: www.SunlandNorthOwnerAssociation.com. Please send the completed checklist and paperwork by mail to: Sunland Division 17 Owners Association, ATTN: Architectural Control Committee, P.O. Box 1655, Sequim, WA, 98382. Requests will be reviewed and responded to within 30 days of receipt.
Landscape Report – Eldon Dennis (Volunteer)
I thought owners might appreciate knowing more about the details of our landscape contract and how that relates to each owner’s individual cost. The 2014 contract with Parsinen Landscape does not include such things as mole control, irrigation parts or major irrigation repairs, cost of replacement plants or the three-year rotation of bark application. These items have separate lines in our 2014-operating budget. The maintenance of the green space surrounding Division 17 is also a separate budget item. The current contract with Parsinen is strictly for the maintenance of our developed landscape areas in Division 17.
The 2014 landscape contract (including 8.4% sales tax) with Parsinen Landscape is almost $81,000 per year. The number of owners currently paying HOA dues=107. The number of weeks per year=52.
$81,000/(107 owners x 52 weeks)=$14.56 cost per owner.
For $14.56 per week each owner receives the following services:
- Lawn mowed weekly during growing season
- Edges trimmed every third week during growing season
- Grass clippings blown from sidewalks and driveways
- Weekly monitoring and routine adjustments of sprinkler heads to keep turf green
- Fertilizer applied approximately three times per year
- Broad leaf herbicide applied by spot spraying lawns 3 times per year to control weeds
- Pruning shrubs and Heaviest pruning is done during dormant season.
- Plant beds cleaned of leaves, each fall. Pruning clippings and leaves hauled away.
- Herbicide and hand weeding of plant beds except in areas of owner plantings
- Weeds and grass sprayed in driveway cracks as needed
- Maintenance of our mini parks and entrance
- Free labor for removing and replacing dead plants (HOA pays for plants).
I believe our Association is getting very good value for the money that we spend on landscape maintenance. We aren’t paying, nor receiving personal gardener service, we are however paying for and receiving service that keeps our area well kept and neat in appearance. Many visitors to our area comment on how pretty the neighborhood looks.
Undeveloped Common Space Report – Tim Paschal (Volunteer)
Mowing and spraying is part of our “noxious weed control agreement” with the County. The Greenbelt has been mowed for the second time this year and nearly all of the Poison Hemlock is gone, but it will be back in 2015. Spraying for Thistles is well underway and will continue through the summer. There has been a change from last year regarding the spray agent that is being used. Looking for a non-toxic agent, I found Vinegar was the first choice but because of its cost it has been replaced with bleach. Using bleach will reduce the cost by 60%. Since the spraying is now non-toxic, members won’t receive e-mail alerts, and areas being sprayed won’t be flagged. In addition, the Blackberries will be safe to eat in August.
Exterior Maintenance & Inspection Report- Dick Helmenstine (Volunteer)
Below are some tips for better, safer and healthier living:
Your bathroom fan can become clogged with dust over time. Periodic cleaning is necessary to maintain the manufacturers recommended airflow through the unit. Dust and moist air combine to fill the internal squirrel cage fan with a sticky substance on the fan surfaces decreasing its ability to move air out through the vent. If your bathroom seems to be a little foggy, get mold/mildew on the walls or takes a long time to remove the moist air and unpleasant odors, this could be the culprit. Here are a couple of options to deal with this issue. One is to remove the fan and dissemble it for a thorough cleaning or purchase a new one.
Don’t forget to check the dryer tube and vent. Over time these items become clogged with lint and decrease the efficiency of the dryer and could even cause a more serious tissue, FIRE! . Even though your dryer has lint filters or traps, there is a certain amount of lint and dust that gets trapped inside the tube and not be vented out. Cleaning or replacement is necessary to maintain a safe and efficient drying cycle.
Your microwave over the stove exhaust fan can also become less efficient and will not function at all if not properly maintained. The inside flapper that keeps outside air from coming back into the kitchen has been known to stick in the closed position and not allowing any exhaust to be vented. This will require that the assembly located in the cabinet above the stove be removed and modified to allow it to open and close freely. Be sure and to check the carbon filters in the unit too.
Painting around Division 17 is in full swing at the time of this publication. We are also trying to make a conscious effort to remove old, unused satellite dishes from our homes. If you have one of these on your home that is not in use, please contact us to remove it.
In addition, I want to remind homeowners not to attach trellises and grow vegetation against the siding, fences, trim or brickwork of your home, this includes climbing vines or other plant matter. The vegetation encourages mold growth, rotting trim and makes it difficult to paint. Please keep all vegetation away from siding and trim. We all pay for this problem in the long run. Everyone is encouraged to improve the beauty of their home but it needs to be done in a responsible manner. Our Landscape Contractor has been instructed to be more aggressive in his pruning to help us in this effort. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Governing Documents Review Report – Gene Ross (Volunteer)
According to the State Attorney General’s office, neither the Secretary of State’s office nor the Attorney General’s, office or any other state agency “has been granted any regulatory powers under the Homeowner Association Act, RCW chapter 64.38 to control HOAs. The property owners’ self enforcing law of RCW 64.30.50 is used to make sure the HOA boards are obeying the chapter’s mandates.”
Those mandates include the Association’s revised Bylaws, adopted in September 2013; the amended Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), approved by vote of the membership in May 2014; and the Rules and Regulations by which means the CCRs are enforced. Division 17 owners are to be congratulated for their outstanding support of their Association in the May balloting.
The committee is scheduled to recommend to the Board the Association’s first R&R document at the August Board meeting for adoption at the Annual Meeting in September, thus completing the committee’s charge by the Board to review, revise and update all Association governing documents. The committee, now in its 18th month of work, will likely finish the editing and proofreading of the R&R’s in early July.
Coordinator of the Resident’s phone list (social)-Susan Helmenstine (Volunteer)
The Division 17 Resident’s list is being updated for release in July. This list includes: names, addresses and or alternate mailing addresses, e-mail addresses and phone numbers. If you have any questions, changes or additions to the list please contact Susan Helmenstine at parodux@gmail.com or by calling (360) 504-0019. If you don’t have computer access to print the list, let me know and a printed copy will be provided for $1.00. Please do not share the list with non-residents. This list is provided for personal use only within the Division 17 neighborhood and being on this list is voluntary.
Additional information:
The Division 17 Holiday Party is December 11th, 2014. The party will be at 7 Cedars Casino again this year. More information, along with a sign up sheet will be distributed in November. The volunteers arranging this party are: Susan Helmenstine, Nancy Follis and Renee Jones. If you have any questions please call Renee Jones, 582-9683.
As a reminder, all pets must be leashed when outdoors. Please pick up any waste from your pet.
People who live in the deveopment have found pet waste in the landscaped and greenbelt areas.