Kathy Gross, editor, information@sunlandnorth.org
Website: https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1655, Sequim, WA 98382
Business Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 3 PM
2025-2026 Sunland North Board of Directors
President: Susan Hamman, president@sunlandnorth.org
Vice President: Mark Anderson, vicepresident@sunlandnorth.org
Treasurer: Betty Gwaltney, treasurer@sunlandnorth.org
Secretary: Lawrence Charters, secretary@sunlandnorth.org
Board Member-at-Large: Tom Steffen, member-at-large@sunlandnorth.org
Important Messages Regarding HOA Insurance!
Do Your Part! Insurance Claim/Damage Prevention
The Sunland Division 17 HOA helps protect our property values by equally insuring all units. Our master policy is through Community Association Underwriters (CAU), supplemented by your individual HO-6 policy. CAU is one of the largest insurance providers in the U.S. for townhome and condo insurance…and one of the few.
Keeping an insurance policy is not a given in this day and age. Claims on a policy, especially those related to water damage, can lead to cancellation or non-renewal of the policy. It is up to each of us as unit owners to do everything possible to prevent damage that may lead to a claim on our master policy. Here are some tips:
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- Fix leaky toilets, and malfunctioning stoves and ovens promptly.
- If you have an appliance repair technician service your appliance, make sure it works properly before they leave.
- Ensure hot water tanks are within their warranty period and replace all out-of-warranty tanks promptly.
- Inspect and replace washing machine hoses regularly.
- DO NOT leave appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers running while you are not in attendance.
- DO regular inspections of dishwasher and refrigerator supply lines as well as water supply lines, seals, and valves on sinks, tubs, and toilets.
- Regularly clean dryer vents (a major source of catastrophic fires).
- Use water sensor detection devices under all sinks and adjacent to or behind appliances. If any water or leaks are detected, they will emit a high-pitched sound similar to smoke detectors. They are inexpensive (especially in relation to a water damage claim!) and can be found at Home Depot or Amazon.
- Test all water shut-off valves regularly; find the main water shut-off to your home and turn off the water supply when you will be away.
- Please review the Home Maintenance Checklist, available on the Division 17 website: Home Maintenance Checklist
If you have any questions about Division 17’s master insurance policy, contact president@sunlandnorth.org
Save the Date! 📅
Dianna Kaspar, our Community Association Underwriters’ insurance representative, will give her annual presentation to Division 17 on August 28, 2026. It starts at 1:00 p.m. in the Sunland Golf Course Ballroom. Dianna will cover the HOA master insurance policy and what you, as an individual owner, need to consider in your personal HO-6 policy.
Upcoming Sunland North Board Meetings
Homeowner Association (HOA) monthly Board business meetings are open to all owners for attendance. Meetings include a separate “Owner Comment Period” in which owners are encouraged to participate. These meetings are a good way to find out what is happening in the neighborhood and how our volunteers handle different aspects of our shared HOA life. The meetings will be held at The Gathering Place, 135 Fairway Drive.
The Sunland North Board Meeting schedule for the next quarter of 2026:
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- July 8, 2026, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- August 12, 2026, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- September 9, 2026, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Note: Sunland Owners Association (SLOA) is a separate, overarching HOA that includes several other divisions, the pool and tennis courts, and all the individual homes in Sunland; their Board meeting schedule is separate from Sunland North Division 17.
If you haven’t met the individual board members, here is a picture of our volunteer board. You might want to attend a board meeting and show your support for these volunteers, who do so much work for our community.
Scam Alert
This scam has been reported almost daily to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office. You receive a call stating you failed to appear for jury duty and that there is a warrant out for your arrest. They then offer the option of paying a fine, which they claim will be refunded. The caller mimics the Clallam County phone # and identity. If you receive a call like this, Hang Up Immediately! Warrants must be delivered in person – so that is the first clue it’s a scam. Stay safe!
Did You Miss Happy Hour at the Cabana?
This was the first Happy Hour of the summer at the Cabana on June 11th! Don’t miss out on the fun at the next Happy Hour parties:
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- July 16
- August 20
- September 17 (last one in 2026!)
You will receive an email as a reminder for each of the upcoming Happy Hour events, including how to RSVP.
Raffle Items for Annual Holiday Party
Dear Neighbor,
I know it’s early, but as we prepare for Sunland North’s Annual Christmas Dinner Party on December 2, we are reaching out early to ask for your support in making this year’s celebration extra special. Each year, donated raffle items help bring joy, excitement, and a wonderful sense of community to our event.
We kindly invite you to consider donating a gift item for our holiday raffle, and homemade items rock! Previous items that have been donated include a bottle of Bailey’s Homemade Liqueur, homemade chocolates, and homemade Christmas cards. We also received tickets to performances at theatres in Seattle and here in Sequim. If you are proud of anything you have created and are willing to share, really anything that you feel would make a fun and festive prize, please let me know. All donated items will be raffled off during the party, and your creativity and generosity will directly contribute to creating a memorable experience for everyone in our neighborhood.
If you would like to donate, please contact Kathy Mahnerd at (360) 477-1315 at 80 Mount Baker, so we can prepare the raffle lineup. And keep in mind you have LOTS of time to create your item! Your support—big or small—truly makes a difference.
Thank you for helping keep our holiday tradition bright. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Warmly,
Kathy Mahnerd and Renee Jubien
President’s Report – Susan Hamman
Your Community Needs You!
As I near the end of my third term as president, I’ve thought of the many changes I’ve witnessed in Sunland North since 2009. Initially, the developer, Estes Builders, handled everything with little owner involvement. In 2012, he turned over HOA control and management to the homeowners. Several owners volunteered for the newly formed Board and literally built from scratch the processes by which the HOA operates today.
Our HOA would have a difficult time without its volunteer homeowners. An alternative would be to pay a property management firm to run the HOA, but of course, that would mean an increase in annual assessments. And we’d still need a volunteer Board. We prefer to keep costs down and decisions made in-house by the owners who know our community, but this is only possible if more people decide to help.
What unique viewpoints, experiences, ideas, and talents can you bring to the Sunland North Board? There are three Board positions up for election this fall. Please consider bringing your time and expertise to the community as a Board member. We take a team approach, so you can count on assistance from both current and past members to make sure it is a rewarding experience for you.
Contact me at (360) 683-1800 or at president@sunlandnorth.org to discuss participation and/or your willingness to run for the Board. Candidates are needed prior to the July 8, 2026 monthly Board meeting. Thank you!
Vice President’s Report – Mark Anderson
Change continues to impact every area of our lives, including our Sunland North Homeowners Association. Although our history continues to show growth every year, it is mainly our owners who have kept this community engaged, supportive, and thriving. The biggest reason for this success is that we have had many volunteers over the years donating priceless time, energy, and skills, making this one of the most desirable communities in the area.
Today, as in the past, our board members are very open about the latest happenings in our community that impact their duties and our budget. Like most HOA’s, one of these happenings is a growing amount of time pressures put on our board members. How can we ease the time pressures of our board members (you may ask)? The answer is by supporting their activities and freeing up their time.
What kind of support is needed? Well, we have seven (7) Committees and Committee Chairs (all essential to achieve our duties) who regularly report to the board. All these committee and board members need individuals to come and provide needed help, such as skills in writing, editing, web page updating, monitoring buildings and landscape, communicating with vendors, record and bookkeeping tasks, organizing meetings, and social gatherings, etc.
From my perspective, because of these time pressures, our board (like most HOA’s) brings up for discussion the option of ‘contracting’ for the support (that is needed if volunteers are unwilling to participate) by hiring a Property Management Company. I would hope that we will never come to the point of hiring a Property Management Company. Why, because of all the benefits we get individually from participating (even just a little) as a volunteer in Sunland North Homeowners Association. Benefits like: Social connections and community unity, using our skills to support self-purpose, satisfaction of a job well done, provides better mental health, and improves aesthetics and property values – just to name a few.
Because I’m advocating for more support for our board members and HOA, it seems it would be good to have an 8th Committee (and a Committee Chair) that would just support our volunteers. A person who could promote volunteer positions, help provide (if needed) education, skills, teamwork, and oversee workloads.
Please let me know if you agree, disagree, or have a better idea – I’m on the lookout and may be seeing you soon.
Treasurer’s Report – Betty Gwaltney
Wow, did the first 6 months of the year go by fast! Here’s a quick summary of our financial standing near the end of June. Our total expenses year-to-date are $294,665 against a year-to-date budget of $325,595. Although we are under budget, work remains to prepare units for repainting, etc., and to address other identified maintenance priorities. We continue to reap benefits from our certificates of deposit, with almost $14,000 earned as of June 30 – the majority of which goes to the Reserve Accounts. Speaking of Reserves – our onsite Reserve Study was completed in May, which concluded the HOA is 44.4% funded! That is a vast improvement from 2018, when funding was at 16.6%.
Reminder: the 3rd Quarter assessment ($1,256) was due July 1. Late fees ($25) will be assessed if not received by July 31. Thanks to all who are so diligent about paying on time. Feel free to use the Sunland North Drop Box located on Mt. Baker Drive.
Secretary’s Report – Lawrence Charters
Website
The Sunland North website has almost three-quarters of a million words of information, but you don’t have to read them all. Every page has a search box; type in a word or a phrase that describes what you are looking for and, if you don’t find it on the first try, try refining the search. If you still can’t find it, use the Contact Us page to write a message telling us what you want to know.
Among other things, you can read back issues of your newsletter, dating back to 2008, and lots of photos of wildlife. We live in a pretty place.
Project Lifesaver
Project Lifesaver is a tracking system using radio signals transmitted from a wristband. After a 911 notification of a missing person by a caregiver, a team uses equipment tuned to the individual’s specific frequency to search for the missing person. This method reduces a search from hours or days to typically less than 30 minutes.
The program is jointly managed through the Sequim Police Department and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department. If you live in Clallam County, any adult or child who is prone to wander due to cognitive impairment is a candidate for Project Lifesaver. For additional information or to sign up, call 360-683-7227.
Landscaping Report – Tom Steffen
Welcome to summer! Thanks to our professional landscaping crew, our lawns and extensive landscaping look spectacular. And thanks to a growing number of owners who are regularly tidying up their bushes and beds, power-washing their drive and walkways, and looking out for the occasional misguided sprinkler head. Special thanks to the volunteers who continue to beautify the entrance to our little paradise.
Several of our many hedges of escallonia around the power boxes on Blakely, Cascadian Loop, and Mendel are looking pretty good after being damaged a couple of years ago by two consecutive winters of extended low temperatures. If you would like to improve on the hedge nearest your location, feel free to give loving attention by pruning, watering, fertilizing, and speaking kindly to the escallonia attempting to grow. At least monthly, perhaps you would consider running a hose from your spigot and soaking the roots for a few minutes. Most of the hedges do not receive enough water during the summer heat; many live off overspray from lawns.
If you have questions or requests concerning landscaping and irrigation issues, please continue to use the email link prominently displayed on our website. By communicating via our website link, we have a record of requests that allows us a way to keep track of the ongoing issues in our community. Our volunteer landscape coordinator will copy and paste all email requests and forward them to our landscape contractor or irrigation plumber.
Meet Your Neighbors
Tom Raskin and Martha Mulligan moved here from Florida after retiring and are loving the Sequim area. Martha’s sister and brother had been looking for a place that the siblings could all enjoy in retirement. Martha’s sister moved earlier this year, and her brother will be coming in October, so it sounds like there’ll be lots of fun family gatherings on Mt. Baker Drive—well, at least after the furniture arrives, which apparently is being shipped via mule train and is taking a bit longer than planned. In the meantime, they are staying plenty busy hiking the trails, walking the beaches, and enjoying the arts offered on the peninsula. Both commented that they were amazed at the variety and sophistication of the talent and programs offered. Martha enjoys gardening and preparing to volunteer at the nature center. Tom has been a Hospice volunteer in the past and hopes to find those opportunities here, as well as join the Sequim Wheelers. He also mentioned he’s ready to help with small projects around Sunland North when needed.
Meet Susan Rose and Bryce Fauble! They moved here from Durango, CO, last fall but just got into their new home on Blakely in April. Both are retired from public education careers, with Bryce serving as a junior high school principal for several years. Although they are still settling in (new carpet comes this week), all the activities around Sequim have been a joy to discover. Bryce loves to golf, so the short walk out his back door to the driving range is just the thing. The new library is now on their weekly ventures between trips to the YMCA, hiking, and gardening, and the beautiful trails to hike. Susan is anxious to try out her stand-up paddleboard, so if anyone wants to join in the fun, give her a call. Both expressed how friendly the Sunland neighbors have been and appreciated the warm welcome here in Sunland North. It’s nice to be closer to family with two daughters in the Seattle area, plus two sons elsewhere, as well as seven grandchildren.
Homeowners Association (HOA) Office Hours: Monday—Friday, 9 am – 3 pm
New and current Sunland North (Division 17) HOA residents, please note the HOA Office Hours, except in emergencies. Contact information for Board and committee chair members is on the Sunland North website (https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/about-us/), or use the generic “Contact Form” (https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/contact-us/).
Sunland North does not have paid administrative staff, and people may be away from home or otherwise occupied; anticipate at least a few days for a response.
Thank You!
Volunteers are central to the running of Sunland North. While we do hire contractors for landscaping and repair work, the management of the contracts and much volunteer labor go into keeping our homes in proper repair, our landscaping well maintained, HOA insurance researched and renewed, debris picked up from the natural habitat area, and countless other chores. Remember to thank your Board members, coordinators, and committee members for their ongoing support and the volunteer time they donate to our community – we couldn’t do it without them, and you.
A special thank you to Daphne Walters for her assistance in organizing this issue of the newsletter.
Kathy Gross, editor, information@sunlandnorth.org