Note: Washington State’s Stay Home-Stay Healthy directive places limits on all but very small gatherings. Sunland North’s normal meeting place, The Gathering Place, can only accommodate a fraction of the normal attendance at our Board meetings and still meet social distancing guidelines. SLOA, which operates The Gathering Place, has elected to keep the facility closed at this time.
The Sunland North October 14 Board meeting was held virtually, via Zoom.
Sunland Division 17 Owners Association
Call to Order
Verification of Quorum
Review and approval of minutes
Old Business
Newspaper tubes on mailbox posts
The inventory of unused mailbox tubes has been completed. Mike Johnson will remove the unused newspaper tubes.
In discussing the issue of damage to our mailboxes and mailbox posts, a member asked why only Mt. Baker had a community mailbox kiosk with locking boxes. Mike Johnson moved that we form a task group to look at mailboxes in Sec. 1-5. The Board approved this motion.
Moss treatment
Ten of 33 homes slated for moss treatment were treated.. The remaining homes will not get treated this year because the contractor cannot get the required chemicals. There is a sense the contractor does not seem eager to continue doing moss treatments.
New Business
Committee vacancies
- Communications and Outreach Committee Chair, Welcome representative
- The committee is in need of a chair, and the current welcome representative will be leaving that role at the end of the year.
- Exterior Maintenance Committee Chair
- Michael VanDiver volunteered to take over as chair, and his appointment was approved by the Board.
Meeting dates for 2021
Lawrence Charters asked if we should continue with our current schedule for Board meetings, or do something different for 2021. The Board decided to continue meeting on the second Wednesday of the month, at 2:30 p.m.
Sunland Water District backflow preventer checks
Sunland Water District (SWD) sent out a message to all residents in Sunland, stating residents needed to perform backflow preventer checks if they had an underground irrigation system. This confused many residents in Sunland North, as Division 17 operates the underground irrigation system and not the individual homeowners. The Board decided a message should be sent to SWD, asking that future notices be sent to the Board rather than homeowners.
Pressure washing homes
A discussion on pressure washing homes was postponed to next month.
Member directory for owners
Several association members have requested a directory of Sunland North owners. The Board discussed possible privacy issues, and voted that a PDF directory of names, addresses, and phone numbers of owners should be emailed to all residents.
Mulching project
Developed Landscaping requested funds for starting mulching. The Board authorized spending up to $25,000 from reserves to pay for mulching. Cascadia Loop, Mendel Drive, and Blakely Blvd. will be done in November, and Mt. Baker in February (subject to weather). Owners may opt-out of mulching if they’ve done their own mulching.
Association bank accounts
Susan Hamman asked that the Board close out the Association account at Washington Federal and move the funds to Sound Bank. This change is to simplify our accounts, keeping them at three banks instead of four. The motion was approved.
Officer, Committee, and Coordinator Reports
President Update — Susan Hamman
Susan Hamman gave a brief history of the Cascadia Loop restoration project, and explained that the ad hoc advisory committee for the restoration was still active, dealing with some outstanding details.
Secretary Update — Lawrence Charters
The October 2020 newsletter was created by Kathy Gross, our new newsletter editor, and emailed out to owners as well as posted on the website.
Association email accounts (@sunlandnorth.org) have been set up for all Board members. In the coming month, association email accounts will also be set up for the Architecture Control Committee, Exterior Maintenance Committee, and Developed Landscaping. These accounts should make it easier to reach these critical committees, and provide for more continuity over time.
Treasurer Update — Betty Gwaltney
Monthly Expense Report: The preliminary September monthly expense report shows our total operating expenses for the month were $22,661 which brings our total year-to-date expenses to $241,113. There were heavier than normal expenditures this month with external maintenance and irrigation repairs.
Fourth Quarter Assessment: The fourth quarter Division 17 assessment of $710 is due before or on October 1, 2020. Checks are to be made out to Division 17 and sent to Division 17, P. O. Box 1655, Sequim, WA 98382. Please do not send your check to SLOA!
2021 Budget Approved: The 2021 budget was approved by the unit owners on September 9, 2020, at the Annual Meeting. The yearly assessment will rise slightly on January 1, 2021, to $2,968 or $742 a quarter. Complete budget detail is found on Sunland North’s website: www.sunlandnorthownersassociation.com under the Owner Information tab.
Welcome Letters: One new welcome letter was sent to new Division 17 homeowners.
Susan added that there was a slight delay in the deposit of some checks to our checking account. Our accountant was swamped with delayed tax returns.
Vice President — Dianne Bresnahan
Board Member at Large — Mike Johnson
Mike is the liaison with exterior maintenance and landscaping, which is keeping him busy. One project: changing light bulbs on security lights, and battling with misbehaving light sensors.
Mike showed a photo of the intersection where a traffic circle is proposed. Mike wants to plant trees — donated by the Clallam conservation district — along the border of what would be the edge of the completed traffic circle. He also wants to put bushes or trees in gaps in the greenery along Woodcock Road.
The county wants about 3,500 sq. ft. of Sunland North property, currently part of the greenbelt, for the traffic circle, with similar easements in the other three quadrants of the intersection. The phone and cable boxes located in that area also need to be relocated as part of the traffic circle.
Architectural Control Committee — Richard Helmenstine
Things are quieter for the fall season. The only project is a free-standing stove for one unit.
One ongoing concern is how the ACC interacts with SLOA. Division 17 has a memorandum of agreement with SLOA that allows the ACC to review projects, but final approval is still in the hands of SLOA. Some other divisions can review and approve projects, without waiting for SLOA’s review. Would it be possible to streamline the process and eliminate the extra review and approval?
Insurance Committee — JoAnne Estes
Nothing to report.
Developed Landscape — Gerry Hatler / Eric Mahnerd
Fall fertilizing is done. Mowing is almost done. Pruning will take place as soon as plants go dormant.
This season, over 80 requests flooded into Landscaping. Eric thanked Mike Johnson for his help in the flood. Gerry Hatler is ready to take over in a week.
Exterior Maintenance and Inspection — Mike Johnson (acting)
Nothing further to report.
Natural Habitat — Sarah Miller
Nothing to report.
Communications and Outreach — Lawrence Charters (acting)
Nothing further to report.
Sunland Water District Update — Al Frank
Nothing to report except to note that the state moratorium on utility shutoffs has been extended..
Homeowner Comment Period
One member asked about planting trees in the natural habitat. How will they be watered, as the irrigation system does not extend to the natural habitat area? The conservation district recommends the trees be planted during the wet fall and winter, and let rain water them. Concerns were also raised about what deer and voles might do to the juvenile trees.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 4:12 pm.