Sunland North Newsletter April 2025
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
2024-2025 Sunland North Board of Directors
President: Gerry Hatler, president@sunlandnorth.org
Vice President: Mark Anderson, vicepresident@sunlandnorth.org
Treasurer: Betty Gwaltney, treasurer@sunlandnorth.org
Secretary: Susan Hamman, secretary@sunlandnorth.org
Board Member-at-Large: Beverly Stern, member-at-large@sunlandnorth.org
Announcements
Upcoming Sunland North Board Meetings
Homeowner Association (HOA) monthly Board business meetings are open for all owners to attend. The Board meetings always include a separate “Owner Comment Period” in which owners are encouraged to participate. The meetings are also 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 first quarter of 2025 is as follows:
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- Wednesday, April 9 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
- Wednesday, May 14 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
- Wednesday, June 11 (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.
Owners Who Lease/Rent
Do you lease or rent your unit? If so, Sunland Division 17 requires owners to inform the HOA of any lessee/renter’s name and contact information in case of an emergency. You can email Betty Gwaltney, Treasurer at treasurer@sunlandnorth.org or call 907-382-0848 about this requirement.
Homeowners Association (HOA) Office Hours: Monday—
Friday, 9 am – 3 pm
We want to remind all new and current residents that we should adhere to the Sunland North (Division 17) Homeowners Association (HOA) Office Hours, except in 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” on the website (https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/contact-us/).
Remember that 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.
Spring Maintenance Tips
Maintaining Smoke Detectors
Spring is an excellent time to change out the batteries in your smoke detectors throughout your unit. By doing so you can avoid those 3:00 am beeps that are hard to deal with in the dark!
While replacing smoke detector batteries is the responsibility of the Owners, it has been brought to our attention that the Clallam County Fire Department, if available, does offer assistance to the elderly or disabled for battery changes to smoke detectors.
Also, it is noted from the Fire Department that 10-year batteries are now available so that you are not changing batteries all the time!
If you need assistance with batteries, please phone John McKenzie, Fire Code Technician, at 415-577-8331.
Flushing Water Heaters
Sunland North has hard water, which is chock full of minerals, chiefly calcium. While hard water poses no significant health hazards, it is hard on plumbing and household appliances (dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators with water lines, etc.). It is especially hard on water heaters, as the minerals coat the heating elements, degrading their efficiency, coating and corroding the inside of the tank, and leading to failure to heat water at all, and possible catastrophic failure and flooding.
You can increase the life of your water heater by installing a water softener system (expensive, and requires a contract for replenishing chemicals) or by flushing your water heater twice a year. (Some sources say “at least yearly,” but twice a year is more effective.) There is a nice YouTube video that explains the process: https://youtu.be/GkVS6MKu8iE
These are the simple steps:
1) Shut off the electrical power to the water heater at your electrical panel in your garage. The video also suggests turning off the water supply, but this is not necessary.
2) Attach a hose to the outlet valve on your water heater, and use either a short garden hose to drain water into a large bucket (3 gallons or larger) or extend a full-length hose out of the garage to drain outside.
3) Use a flat-bladed screwdriver to open the valve. When the valve screw is perpendicular, the valve is closed. When you turn it parallel to the hose, it is open.
4) The water will be hot, and if you drain it into a large bucket, be ready to quickly close the valve with a screwdriver.
5) If you flush the water heater twice a year, you don’t need to empty the tank; one or two buckets of water will be enough.
6) Remember to switch the power back on at the fuse box when done.
Running a 30-foot hose the length of your garage, draining the hose when done, and rolling it back up again is a lot of work. You might wish to ask a neighbor, friend, or relative for help. Similarly, if you use a short, 5-foot garden hose and a bucket, it is less work, but three gallons of hot water weighs about 25 pounds. If the idea of carrying 25 pounds of hot water in an open bucket sounds like a bad idea, ask someone for help.
Of Special Interest
Sunland North “Happy Hour” at the Cabana – Save the Dates
June 19, 2025 (time is 4-6 PM)
July 17, 2025 (time is 4-6 PM)
August 21, 2025 (time is 4-6 PM)
September 18, 2025 (time is 4-6 PM)
For those of you who are new to Sunland North, this is an opportunity to gather and meet your neighbors and take in the lovely views from the cabana!
The cabana is located at the end of Serpentine Avenue on the east side of the street, at the intersection with Jamestown Road. I will send out a reminder two weeks prior to the date with a request to RSVP.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Lisa Parise, lparisemsw@gmail.com
Neighborhood Puzzle Exchange
Pam Leininger is the manager of the puzzle exchange for Sunland North. She wants to let everyone know that she now has a collection of 500 and 750-piece puzzles available. The exchange offers a nice variety of puzzles for anyone looking for a jigsaw puzzle challenge!
If you would like to donate and/or borrow a puzzle from the exchange, please contact Pam at pamleininger@gmail.com or you can give her a call at (970) 317-1070.
Messages and Reports from Our Volunteers
President – Gerry Hatler
I frequently ask for volunteers to assist in the running of our HOA. Here, for your consideration, is an excerpt from an article from the American Management Group website about the personal benefits of volunteering in your Homeowners’ Associations.
The benefits of volunteering in your homeowner’s association may include health and well-being
It’s no secret that volunteering in your homeowner’s association can be a time and energy-consuming endeavor. The role of the HOA board member is often a thankless one, but that’s not to say it can’t also be rewarding. It is also a necessary role.
There are great health benefits to volunteering in general. Volunteering and helping others can help you reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. While it’s true that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day. Giving in even simple ways can help others in need and improve your health and happiness.
Another benefit of serving in an HOA is the ability to protect your investment. One of the top priorities of every homeowner is to protect the value of his or her home. Being involved with an HOA will put you in a better position to make and implement rules in your community. Some of these regulations will directly affect property value, especially if they require decisions about the association’s budget or routine maintenance.
Everyone needs to have a sense of belonging, and volunteering can meet that need. An HOA meeting is the best place to meet your neighbors and to know more about them. It gives you a chance to socialize and make friends with others living in your neighborhood. If you’re new to the neighborhood, getting more involved can be an effective way of meeting new people. Not only are you getting acquainted with how the HOA is run, but you’re also able to put together names and faces when you see people around. Depending on what committee you volunteer for, you have the opportunity to interact with a wide range of HOA members and community organizations.
Perhaps the biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community.
Vice President – Mark Anderson
Getting the most out of being a part of our HOA
- Get out and enjoy what our community has to offer.
Living in our HOA community isn’t free; we have our dues, but it does have some perks. Our pedestrian-friendly roads, walkways, open space, waterfront beach, ball courts, golf course, and golf range, summer and winter socials – just to name a few.
Although one of the common reasons I hear, about why we live here in Sunland North, is because we enjoy having our landscape and outdoor building maintenance cared for all the while having the option of having personal changes made (to make our own personal residence a home) through our Architectural Control Committee, ACC.
Getting out and enjoying the extra things our community offers will likely improve your sense of community and make your experience of living here far more enjoyable.
- Be a good neighbor.
Knowing and following our rules helps keep good relationships going.
All you could want to know about our rules (and more) is online at: sunlandnorthownersassociation.com
If you suspect our rules are being ignored, like parking or noise violations, don’t jump to any conclusions. It may be wise to talk with your neighbors face-to-face and even come to our monthly association meetings to ask about the applications of our rules before ever reporting them to your association. Either way, keeping open lines of communication is always a good idea. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to your neighbor and invite them to HOA meetings and activities even if you haven’t gone lately or been to one!
- Actively participate and volunteer with your HOA.
If you’re looking for additional ways to get involved in your community, then HOAs provide many volunteer opportunities. Start by attending your association’s meeting and getting to know your current board members. Often, your board will have additional committees for activities or welcoming new members that you can help run. Likewise, you may want to consider volunteering on the HOA board.
- Stay connected and communicate often.
Check out the Sunland North webpage throughout the month and stay informed about activities planned. Minutes of the board meetings and the newsletter are both good sources of up-to-date information about our neighborhood. Then, if you still feel like you may be missing out on the news around Sunland North, please come to our monthly meetings and visit with one of our board members or attendees afterwards.
Our HOA, like most, is always changing and adapting to meet the needs of our residents. While the board does its best to keep you informed, it’s also a good idea to do all that you can to stay connected.
Treasurer – Betty Gwaltney
As this year gets fully underway, I thought it might be helpful to give a bit more detail on how we manage the assessment payments you so faithfully make. We have 2 overall categories of funds – operational accounts and reserve accounts. Assessments are initially deposited into the operational accounts (at First Fed). Any approved reserve expense (such as planned exterior painting) is paid from reserve accounts. By the end of the year, we transfer $$ to the reserve account, both for budgeted contribution and any excess $$ not spent from operational expenses to maximize our reserve funds. For the last several years, we have opened several CD accounts at various banks with reserve funds to add interest income to the reserve fund. In 2024, this added a little over $30,000 to our reserve fund! However, since there’s a large balance in the operational checking account from the January assessment payments, the Board approved purchasing a short-term CD with operational funds to take advantage of improved interest rates. This was done in January with a $100,000 3-month CD, and by the end of February, this had already earned over $200 in interest! While we may not always be able to have CD earning power with operational funds (we use operational funds for monthly expenses), every little bit helps to pay for any unexpected expense or reserve contribution at the end of the year. Tracking all these CD’s keeps me busy, but anytime our funds can grow without tapping owners for higher assessments is a win for all.
Exterior Maintenance – Mike Johnson
The landscaping in our neighborhood continues to be exceptional, thanks in large part to the efforts of Landscape Coordinator Tom Steffan. His work has a direct and positive impact on the maintenance of our homes.
The HOA board, led by Gerry Hatler, is making significant progress in improving our financial stability. Mark Anderson, a new board member, has been particularly active in assisting the Exterior Maintenance Coordinator, and John Lewis also remains an active contributor. We are grateful for the many other volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to our community.
Painting and Concrete Repair
This year, Lopez Painting will be painting six buildings (12 homes). Since 2021, we have been painting approximately 6-7 buildings annually. The board has proactively adjusted our painting schedule to avoid a backlog of painting needs later in the decade. We are now working towards repainting our buildings every 12 years.
Additionally, we have scheduled 10 concrete repair jobs for 2025 and are signing a contract with Greenworks (formerly Matvey) to complete these repairs.
Exterior Maintenance and Reporting
I continue to work diligently to identify, find contractors for, and correct exterior building faults. As a reminder, Sunland North has 67 buildings and 139 homes. Residents can report building problems by submitting a form found at this link: Sunland North Exterior Maintenance Request – Sunland North.
Roof Moss and Rain Gutter Cleaning
For the past five years, we have been on a four-year schedule for roof moss treatment and rain gutter cleaning. We have also identified several homes that require annual rain gutter cleaning.
Repair Actions
In the last 12 months, we have taken steps to correct 120 repair actions in our neighborhood. Over the past 20+ years, we have addressed more than 2300 repair items.
Insurance – Susan Hamman
Scam Insurance Letter
A resident reported receiving a scam letter, stating that Division 17 would no longer insure the exterior of the buildings. It indicated that the unit owner would be responsible for this insurance. This letter is not only a scam but is a solicitation to sign up with an insurance company to get the exterior covered. Do not fall for this scam! It may be targeting people who have cell phones with area codes from Texas, Oklahoma, and California, where insurance changes are happening as a result of recent disasters and/or state changes.
Division 17 is in the process of its annual insurance renewal with Community Association Underwriters. The renewal date is May 1, 2025. Unit owners will be notified as soon as the renewal takes effect.
Developed Landscaping – Tom Steffen
Signs of spring and new growth are all around us! Our contracted landscaping crew is already busy with early spring lawn care.
- Mowing and edging has begun and will soon move to weekly as weather permits. Edging will continue to be every third week.
- Irrigation testing and repairs will begin in mid April. Water activation will begin when needed. As we have requested before, please do not access sprinkler control boxes on your own. A dedicated effort to conserve irrigation water will be made this year. Depending on the type of sprinkler heads, lawns will be watered 3 times a week for between 10 and 20 minutes; planting areas will be watered 3 times a week for between 6 and 8 minutes.
- Pruning plants/bushes/trees is typically done in fall, winter and spring. Our crew has our HOA in great shape for spring and summer. If, however, you want more pruning/trimming at your location, please complete a request via our website.
If you have questions or requests, please reach out through our website. We do our very best to reply promptly. It is our plan to circulate via email by May the schedule for fertilizer applications. To report an irrigation emergency, please text Tom Steffen, Volunteer Landscape Coordinator, at 206-473-7177.
Natural Habitat – Sarah Miller
The last several months have seen a lot of volunteer hours dedicated to building debris piles along the Woodcock Road tree line. This work helps to minimize risk of fire due to carelessly discarded burning material from vehicles travelling Woodcock Road. Each year we remove downed branches from this tree line after winter windstorms, but this season has been a much larger effort thanks to the cadre of volunteers including Barry and Diana Burns, Elaine May Starz-Brown, Steve Romberg, Greg King, Gary Jubien, Mark and Julie Anderson, Gerry Hatler, Allan Alana, Tom and Susan Hamman, Bill Murphy, Gerry Busch, Teresa Frank, Jim Jansen, Dianne Bresnahan and John Meyer. Please forgive (and correct) me if I missed anybody by name! We have been cleaning out the tree wells of materials that have accumulated over many years, some since initial construction of Sunland North. It has been rewarding watching these piles grow week by week, until we realized it was a much bigger result than we could cart away in a few pickup truck-loads! Fortunately Paul West, our regular Developed Landscape Contractor, was willing to assist for a very reasonable cost, and he and his crew along with a few volunteers made short work of those big piles.
Warming weather brings plant growth and that includes growth of poison hemlock, our least favorite plant in the Natural Habitat. With the temperatures approaching 50 degrees, it’s time to ramp up our spraying program to control this noxious weed. As a Class B Noxious Weed, we are required by Clallam County to control its growth and spread. This is best done by catching the plants early, before they have a chance to flower and produce seeds. You may see orange flags popping up in the natural habitat areas as we mark the locations of young poison hemlock plants. Please leave the flags in place so we can locate the plants quickly when it’s time to spray. Special thanks to Barbara Brooner who provides me with ‘PH sightings’ when she notices new plants popping up!
With every newsletter update I includes thanks to ongoing volunteer efforts and this one is no different. Barry Burns’ regular litter patrol is going on three years now, month after month after month. I threaten to create a calendar of the photos he provides of the accumulated trash he picks up each month. Barry also keeps an informal tally of the tips he gets while doing this work – I believe he’s found a $5 bill in there. He also tracks seasonal libation consumption habits based on the containers he’s found along the ditch line on Woodcock Road and on Sequim-Dungeness Way. Interesting hobby, and one I appreciate very much. All of Sunland North residents benefit from the work Barry does to keep our development looking sharp.
April 21st will be an upcoming work party to clean up the area near the postal kiosk on Mount Baker. We will be raking up small branches and cones, and pressure-washing the concrete circle which has developed quite a mossy ecosystem. Bring your leaf rake, a kneeling pad and three-tined weeder if you have them, and please join us at 10:00 am at the kiosk. I will provide the tarp to gather the debris.
Thank you to all of the volunteers past, present, and (hopefully) future. Remember, more help is always appreciated, and doing it with volunteers helps keep our HOA dues increases to a minimum. Please contact me if you’d like to assist with any of these efforts.
Meet Your Neighbors!
Note: This is a new feature to the Sunland North Newsletter highlighting a few of our many amazing residents. If you have suggestions for a neighbor to “spotlight,” contact Betty Gwaltney at treasurer@sunlandnorth.org
Linda Roberts – Blakely Blvd
Linda moved to Sunland North in January 2024 from Bend, Oregon, where she had a wonderful life for 35 years. She taught music and classroom multiple subjects for High Desert ESD and Bend La Pine and Redmond School Districts and had her own music school, Bend Academy of Music. She also organized a Rock ‘n Roll band and jazz band (Pizzazz) and played various instruments at Bend’s First Friday Art Walks in various art galleries.
She was inspired to follow a new dream in Sequim to participate in more musical endeavors on many instruments and a wide variety of genres. “There is so much talent on the Olympic Peninsula in the Arts and Music. I have already been “fruitfully rewarded.” And being an avid cyclist and having ridden on the Olympic Discovery Trail every year while attending the acoustic blues workshops at Centrum she was introduced to the incredible natural world that Sequim has to offer.
She’s looking forward to meeting more neighbors and helping to support our community by volunteering.
Lyn Fiveash and Steph Ellyas – Cascadia Loop
Steph and Lyn are a couple of feisty neighbors you really should get to know. They moved here almost from the beginning of Sunland North in 2009 from Colorado. Lyn has a daughter who lives in Olympia. During one of their visits, they stopped in Sequim on route to Victoria – they found the “friendly place to live” that they had been looking for – Sequim has not disappointed them. Both had varied careers -Lyn in catering and food service, among other things and Steph worked in the court system and “Seniors in Your Home” service. Ever since they’ve been here, they have been giving back to the community in all sorts of ways – volunteering at the Sequim Museum before it moved, as well as the Serenity Store.
Both Steph and Lyn work at Clallam County NW Veteran Center in Port Angeles: Several days a week Steph puts in several hours helping out Veterans who need supplies and clothing. They have a great passion for helping our vets. This hard work was recognized by Clallam County in 2024 with the “Community Service Award” presented by the Soroptimist International! Congratulations!
When they are not working hard, you’ll see them out planting and gardening or sitting in the garage waiting for the Clallam Paratransit bus to pick them up for some other kind of adventure. Stop by and say “Hi” they’ll put a smile on your face for sure!
George and Roni Bannon – Mt Baker
George and Roni Bannon have lived in Sunland North since 2014. Roni grew up in Port Angeles and they have lived in the PNW all their lives – except for some full-time RVing adventures for a couple of years and snowbird time in Arizona. They’ve traveled all over the US twice, so they are a good resource for any of you planning a road trip! But after all that travel, they settled here, close to their roots, to enjoy the friendly neighbors, quiet living, and the things Sequim has to offer.
George had a long career with the telephone company and helped start the “Telephone Pioneers” volunteer team to assist those in need. Roni found work as they moved to various work assignments with George’s career. Now, Roni stays very busy – walking with the “Breakfast Club,” a dog walking group – I’m sure you’ve seen them out and about, and with caretaking duties – helping a sister with extensive care needs in Mill Creek. Of course, there’s taking care of George as well.
Speaking of George, when he can’t get a cribbage game going, you might see him in the yard trapping voles – said he wanted to make Roni a fur coat – what love!
Military Service: George served in the Marine Corps from 1958-62 (between the Vietnam and Koren wars). Thank you for your service!
Calling all Veterans
We have many residents who have served their country in the Military. We would very much like to recognize you and say a heartfelt “Thank you” to all the veterans in Sunland North. If you have served in the military, please email Betty Gwaltney at treasurer@sunlandnorth.org with the following information:
Name
Military Branch
Years of Service
Awards/Medals
Thank You!
It takes a great deal of time and effort to keep our HOA operational and maintained, so as always, we thank all our 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 you.
Kathy Gross, editor, information@sunlandnorth.org
