Quarterly Newsletter April 2021
Announcements
2020-2021 Sunland North Board of Directors
Homeowners Association (HOA) Office Hours – Monday thru Friday, 9 am – 3 pm
Homeowners Association (HOA) Office Hours should be adhered to by all of us, except in the event of an emergency. Contact information for each Board and committee chair member is on the Sunland North Website: (https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/about-us/); or use the generic “Contact Form” that is on the website (https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/contact-us/).
Keep in mind, we don’t have paid administrative staff, and people may be away from home or otherwise occupied; anticipate at least a few days for a response.
Upcoming Sunland North “Virtual” Board Meetings
- Wednesday, April 14 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
- Wednesday, May 12 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
- Wednesday, June 9 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
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.
Roundabout Coming Soon Near You
The Sequim-Dungeness-Woodcock intersection will soon be getting a roundabout, a project years in the making. This $700K project is slated to start by July 2021 with an expected two-month construction. The project is being funded by a combination of state and federal grants.
A section of Division 17’s greenbelt area will become part of the roundabout. The Division 17 Board is awaiting the county’s offer to purchase the needed section.
Sunland North as an Organization
Sunland Division 17 Owners Association (i.e., Sunland North) is an owner-operated organization. This means that there is no “corporate” office, there are no employees, there is no “they” or “them” who do things. Sunland North is an “us,” neighbors helping neighbors. You can’t visit our corporate office; there is no office. You can’t chat with the receptionist; there is none.
While many homeowners associations (HOAs) are managed by property management companies, Sunland North is managed by volunteers. Some of the volunteers are officers on the Board of Directors, some of the volunteers are committee chairs, and some of the volunteers help with either Board-managed tasks or just things they wish to do to make Sunland North a wonderful place to live. None of the volunteers receive any compensation other than to know they are helping keep assessment costs down for everyone.
Please be gentle with our volunteers. They are your neighbors.
Messages and Reports from our Volunteers
President – Susan Hamman
“Spring has sprung,” the flowers are blooming, trees are budding, and we’re all eager to get back out there to enjoy our social lives once more, now that winter is over and covid vaccines show promise for a more “normal” life again soon.
In the past, we’ve been able to meet new residents through neighborhood potlucks at the Sunny Shores cabana, our annual December holiday party at the casino, and we always had the opportunity to meet up with each other at the monthly, in-person Sunland North Board meetings at The Gathering Place. (Remember in-person meetings, before any of us even knew what a “Zoom” call was?!?)
Thankfully, we do have Zoom to conduct both our monthly Board meetings and keep this community running with its all-volunteer crew of resident owners. We’d like to especially invite all new residents to join us via Zoom at the April 14, 2021 Board meeting (2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.) and introduce yourselves (and we to you!) before the start of the business meeting.
We look forward to meeting you! Happy Spring!
Vice President – Dianne Bresnahan
Hello Neighbors,
It is hard to believe that we are about to celebrate our one-year anniversary in Sunland North! We are so fortunate to be here. Now that everyone is getting vaccinated, and we seem to have the virus somewhat under control, we are looking forward to meeting people face-to-face.
One way we have met people is by volunteering on projects around our beautiful community. I would encourage all of you to join in when you can. It is a rewarding experience, and a great way to get a little physical activity. I will admit, my husband has been doing all the volunteer work, while I still work full-time, but I look forward to when I have more free time to join in. Soon we will be watering the young trees we planted in the fall and repairing the perimeter fencing. There is still an opportunity if you are interested in helping.
So much to be thankful for; a special thank you to our Welcome Committee, led by Sue Purdy for welcoming new owners to our lovely community and Kathy Gross for preparing our quarterly newsletter. Thankful for the great group of people on the Board who are so dedicated to keeping our community looking sharp.
Treasurer – Betty Gwaltney
Second-quarter is already upon us – that happened fast! 1st Quarter expenses are slightly over budget by $3,861 (7% over budget) primarily due to a 2020 landscaping invoice that was delayed and paid in February. Otherwise, we would actually be under budget. Expenses related to the mulch project are paid out of reserves. We very much appreciate receiving the Quarterly Assessments by April 1, as our insurance expense is due in April.
All requests for reimbursements should be sent to: P.O. Box 1655, Sequim, WA 98382; and questions sent to treasurer@sunlandnorth.org.
Secretary — Lawrence Charters
If you can’t make Sunland North Board meetings but would like to keep up with what is going on, Board agendas and minutes are published on our website. And if you have questions, the website also has online forms for asking questions.
Communications Committee – Dianne Bresnahan
Sue Purdy, our Welcoming Committee chair, has called on two new homeowners to welcome them to our community since the first of the year. Even with current COVID-19 restrictions, our Welcoming Committee members continue to reach out to new homeowners to welcome them and provide helpful information about our community and our HOA.
Board Member-at-Large
No report submitted.
Insurance Committee – Jo Anne Estes
We were pleased to receive a proposal for a May 1, 2021 renewal of the Master Insurance Policy for the Association. (The proposal is being reviewed by the Insurance Committee as the deadline for publishing this Newsletter approaches.) No issues are expected and the proposal will be presented to the Board of Directors for approval in the coming days, well in advance of the May 1 renewal date.
Remember you can always find a Certificate of Coverage on the Association website. Here is a link to the page:
https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/ownerinfo/insurance/
The Master Policy provides no coverage for wear and tear, deterioration, damage by insects or animals, settling or cracking of foundation, walls, basements, or roofs. There is no coverage for damage caused by continuous or repeated leakage or seepage from appliances or plumbing. This includes, but is not limited to, leaking from around the shower, bathtub, toilet, or sink. These events are properly classified as owner maintenance items.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the Master Insurance Policy for our neighborhood.
Jo Anne Estes, estesjoanne@gmail.com
Architectural Control Committee
No report submitted.
Exterior Maintenance Committee
No report submitted.
Established Landscape Committee – Eric Mahnerd and Gerry Hatler
SPRING HAS SPRUNG, THE GRASS IS RIZ, GEE, I WONDER WHERE THE FLOWERS IS…
The bark/mulching project is nearly complete. The project was done in stages to allow for the landscape crew to complete within their schedule and to allow for inclement weather days.
The dormant season pruning was completed as scheduled. If you think that more pruning needs to be done at your home, please notify the committee via the link sunlandnorthlandscape@googlegroups.com and we will get it scheduled.
The landscaper has completed a couple of “as-needed” mowings. The regular schedule of mowing once a week with edging done every third week will begin shortly.
The irrigation systems activation is scheduled to take place in May. Systems will be tested; broken sprinkler heads will be repaired and the automatic sprinkler schedule will be activated. Please do not access the sprinkler control boxes on your own.
Natural Habitat/Greenspace – Sarah Miller
Branch Removal – Thanks to several volunteers who have worked over many weeks to load up and remove the branches that have fallen in multiple windstorms over the course of the winter, the tree line along Woodcock Road has been scrubbed of lots of downed branches. This accomplishes a few goals: it improves the ability for our mowing contractor to get closer to the trees when the Natural Habitat Areas are mowed during the summer season; it decreases the amount of potential fuel available to any possible brush fires which could be touched off by careless drivers along Woodcock Road; it recycles ‘clean green’ into mulch and other products at Cascade Bark which can be applied to plantings to enhance soil condition, and it increases the general neatness and beauty of our lovely surroundings. There is still a bit of work to do, which will probably involve a few more truckloads to be taken to Cascade Bark. Some of this work will include a concerted effort to remove the ivy that is beginning to over-run the tree-island to the west of the RV storage lot. If you are interested in volunteering to help with this effort, please contact Sarah Miller at sarah0458@gmail.com.
Native Plant Watering – We have entered the spring season which brings the time that our baby trees and shrubs need to be watered regularly to help them establish good root systems to get them through the dry season in future years. Watering the plants will be necessary for at least the first two years. These trees, most of which have been planted to provide a sound and sight barrier between Sunland North and the future round-about at Sequim-Dungeness Way and Woodcock Road, will need to be watered every few days beginning in March, and on an increasing frequency through September. Volunteers have stepped up for March through July, but we still need someone to water during August and September. We can expect the watering frequency might be as often as every two to three days during the warmest part of the summer months. With approximately 35 plants, this is a significant commitment. If you think you might be up for this challenge, please contact either Sarah Miller at sarah0458@gmail.com or Michael Johnson at member-at-large@sunlandnorth.org.
Poison Hemlock Control – Poison Hemlock is identified as a Class C noxious weed by Clallam County, and the county has identified an infestation in the Sunland North Natural Habitat Areas. We regularly assess the Natural Habitat Areas affected, and are actively working to control this weed, which resembles wild carrot (also known as Queen Anne’s Lace) through various methods. You may see small flags set in the grass of the Natural Habitat to identify the locations of these plants for later application of herbicide, which is most effective when the temperatures are warmer than we have seen so far this spring. All parts of the plant are poisonous, and the toxins remain active even in the dead plants for up to three years. Poison hemlock control is a long-term project. For more information, see http://www.clallam.net/weed/doc/PoisonHemlockWebFactSheet.pdf
Falcon Sightings – The deer fencing enclosures around the native trees planted along the diagonal near the corner of Sequim-Dungeness Way and Woodcock Road have become favorite perches for American Kestrels. Look for these diminutive falcons on the wire fencing, as they hunt for small creatures in the grass. These birds can also be seen hovering in flight above their intended prey. They are beautifully marked and are fun to watch as they make a dent in the rodent population in our Natural Habitat. Their vole removal efforts will help our native trees survive their first years, as voles love to chew the bark of new plantings.
Thank You!
Again, we thank all of our Board members, coordinators, and committee members for their ongoing support and the volunteer time they provide to our community – we couldn’t do it without you.
Kathy Gross, newsletter editor.
