SUNLAND DIVISION 17 OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors Meeting January 13, 2016
Location: Sunland’s “The Gathering Place” Ground Floor Meeting Room
Approved
Homeowner Forum.
There were approximately 16 homeowners in attendance; two signed up to speak, but at the close of the meeting.
Call to Order. The regular meeting of the Sunland Division 17 Owners Association board of directors was called to order at 2:30 by Tom Steffen, secretary.
Roll Call and Quorum. Tom Steffen, who presided in the absence of a President, confirmed that four of the five members of the board were present. In attendance were Tom Steffen (secretary), Jim Jones (treasurer), Jill Hummel (director-at-large #1) and Gene Ross (director-at-large #2). Absent was Richard Edes (president), who had resigned since the previous meeting.
Review and Approval of Minutes.
The minutes from the December 1, 2015 meeting, distributed to board members in advance, were approved with no changes.
Selection of New President.
Tom reported that Richard Edes had resigned effective January 10, for health reasons, leaving the position of president vacant.
MOTION: Jim Jones moved that Gene Ross serve as president through September 2016 (the end of the board position to which Gene had been appointed); the motion was seconded and approved.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Four-way stop request (Sequim-Dungeness & Woodcock):
The board discussed the request received from a homeowner at the previous meeting that they write to the county commissioners about safety issues at the Sequim-Dungeness intersection. The board was reminded that county representatives at the Nov 12 group meeting with Sunland residents had encouraged Sunland to speak with one voice on the traffic issue, through SLOA, and that SLOA had established a safety committee; the county representatives had also said at that time that traffic data collection was expected to begin within a few weeks. Div 17 homeowner Fritz Field said that he serves on the SLOA traffic committee.
MOTION: Jim Jones proposed that he send a letter on behalf of the Division 17 board, to be reviewed first by the other board members, to Randy Skoglund, SLOA president, urging him to in turn urge the county to begin the traffic data collection which the county had said was the first step in addressing such traffic issues. The motion was seconded and approved.
2. Exterior Maintenance/Items Covered and Not Covered (prev. tabled at Dec 1, 2015 meeting)
Gene stated that the adoption of this item, drafted as Appendix A, would be as an amendment to the Division 17 Rules & Regulations. However, several items on the list had been
challenged as potentially contradictory to the Division 17 CC&Rs. Discussion included the most cost-effective way to have a legal review.
MOTION: Jim Jones moved (1) that the board have an attorney review both the proposed Appendix A and proposed Appendix B to ensure they are consistent with the Division 17 CC&Rs and (2) that the board approve funding for attorney fees of a maximum of $1,000. The motion was seconded and approved.
3. Landscape Maintenance Guidelines (prev. tabled at Dec 1, 2015 meeting):
This item, drafted as Appendix B to the Div 17 Rules & Regulations, will be reviewed with legal counsel along with draft Appendix A (see #2, above).
4. Ad Hoc Committee Report on Architectural Control Committee (prev. tabled on Dec 1, 2015)
Discussion was postponed.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Nominations for board vacancy.
Gene stated two candidates had been nominated to fill the board vacancy created by Richard Edes’ resignation. They were Roger Briggs and David Jelin. He called for any additional nominations from the floor, and there were none.
ACTION: The board voted by secret ballot and Roger Briggs was elected to complete Richard’s two-year term (i.e., through September 2017), in the position of director-at-large #2.
2. Water (roof) leak at 241 Mt. Baker Unit.
An apparent roof leak at 241 Mt. Baker Drive has caused interior water damage; Richard Helmenstine (Exterior Maintenance Coordinator) had two separate roofers try to determine the specific source of the leak and prepare estimates for repair. The board concurred in Richard’s recommendation to implement the necessary repairs as part of routine HOA maintenance, at an estimated cost under $1,000.
3. Excess excavation dirt placed on the berm between Mt. Baker & Woodcock Road
Tom reported he had been contacted by the excavator for Estes Builders, working at what will become units 81 and 91 on Mt. Baker Drive, about placing the excavated dirt on the berm behind construction site or elsewhere in Division 17. The board decided there was no benefit to the association, and asked Kevin Estes, in attendance at the meeting, to have his excavator remove the dirt from the division completely.
4. First read of proposed insurance deductible amendment to CC&Rs (Gene Ross)
A proposed amendment to the Division 17 CC&Rs would clarify who would pay the required deductible, in the event of a claim against insurance carried by the HOA, and would require approval* by the owners. There was wide-ranging discussion, including whether the current proposal is inconsistent with how other, more routine maintenance and repair is accomplished.
MOTION: Jill moved that a working group, to include members of the existing insurance committee, develop alternative language for consideration by the board. It was seconded and approved.
5. Recommendations from Insurance Committee (Lindsay Busch)
Lindsay could not be at the meeting, so consideration of the insurance committee’s recommendations was deferred to the Feb. 10 board meeting.
OFFICER, COMMITTEE AND COORDINATOR REPORTS
1. Secretary (Tom Steffen) reported there were new owners at 380 Blakely (Dvorak) and on Mt. Baker. He said there doesn’t appear to be any units for sale (aside from new units for sale from Estes Builders). It was also noted that 18 owners now request meeting notices be sent to them via USPS, which is done via postcards, and Jill Hummel (Board Member-At-Large #1) had volunteered to handle this from now on.
Gene Ross asked Tom to check the calendar for the date the association needs to file its annual report with the Office of the Secretary of State.
2. Treasurer (Jim Jones) reviewed the November 2015 Monthly Expense Report, which had been revised December 29 and was distributed to board members in advance. In addition, he stated December expenses had been $7928, for total 2015 expenditures of $211,284, which brought the association in $910 under budget. Unanticipated expenditures in several categories had been offset by savings in others. He reported that as of Jan 12, Div 17 had $118,440.13 in its checking account; Jim felt $20,000 was sufficient to cover expenses to be incurred in the first few months of 2016, and recommended moving a portion of those funds temporarily out of checking and into a money market account, where they would accumulate a small amount of interest.
MOTION: Jill moved that the association transfer $80,000 from checking into its money market account; the motion was seconded and approved.
3. Board Member at Large #1 (Jill Hummel): Jill reported on the December 15 SLOA meeting, which she monitored. Reminders from that meeting included always reporting crimes to the sheriff’s office for statistical purposes (justifies enforcement coverage) and to SLOA; and that a SLOA committee is still trying to find a site for a cell tower that would provide better coverage for Sunland residents.
4. Insurance Committee (Lindsay Busch): Lindsay had submitted a written report in advance of the meeting, but discussion was postponed until the Feb 10 meeting.
5. Architecture/Exterior Changes (Barbara Ross): Barbara reported that a water feature and privacy fence had been approved for 250 Cascadia.
6. Developed Landscape (Valerie Holland): Valerie has noticed tire tracks on the lawn, but has been unable to determine the source; she said the landscape contractor is proceeding with winter pruning; and she flagged two problem trees that will likely need removal. She had received two bids, one for $1270 and the other for $2500.
7. Exterior Maintenance & Inspection (Richard Helmenstine): Richard noted that cars parking on the lawn can damage the sprinkler heads and needs to be discouraged, whether the lawn itself is damaged or not. He also discussed deteriorating perimeter fences, that individual mailboxes are having to be periodically replaced, and that security lights are also deteriorating, with parts harder to get. It was noted that Division 17 has been developed over time, in six different phases; some units have perimeter fencing and individual mailboxes, some do not; some perimeter fencing is deteriorating, other parts are newer and still okay. The board was encouraged to review the association’s Reserve Study, which documents estimated repair and replacement costs. The need to communicate with owners, to get a sense of how important retention of the mailboxes and perimeter fence might be to them, was also raised. MOTION: Roger moved that he in coordination with Dick Helmenstine develop a proposed email to owners that would both provide context on the issue and also informally “poll” the owners to determine if they would object to having the perimeter fences, as they deteriorate, removed. The motion was seconded and approved.
8. Greenbelt (Tom Steffen): Tom had nothing to report beyond the earlier questions he got from the excavator.
9. Newsletter (Renee Jones): Renee plans to publish the division newsletter early in February, and will be contacting board members and committee chairs for input; she reminded the group the newsletter was another opportunity to provide reminders and information to owners, such as why they shouldn’t park on the grass, etc.
10. Welcome Committee (Barbara Gruner): Barbara had delivered a packet to new owner Janene Piecuch (311 Blakely) and would be reaching out to the new owners in 380 Blakely (Dvorak), once they seem moved in and settled.
11. Sunland Water District (Gary Fortmann): Gary reported that SWD believe their year-end finances are in a good cash position. They are going to set up a “rate-payer” meeting, TBA; and Gary also reported that water rates are expected to go up in 2018. He said SWD is trying to think through equity issues related to various situations, and that the requirement for water meters is a mandate that came from the state, not something the SWD initiated.
HOMEOWNER COMMENT PERIOD: Several homeowners offered comments.
ADJOURNED: The meeting was adjourned at 4:38 PM.
Prepared by Barbara Brooner
Volunteer Recorder
On behalf of the Board Secretary