Sunland North Newsletter October 2023
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
2023-2024 Sunland North Board of Directors
President: Gerry Hatler, president@sunlandnorth.org (returning member)
Vice President: Mark Anderson, vicepresident@sunlandnorth.org (newly elected)
Treasurer: Betty Gwaltney, treasurer@sunlandnorth.org (returning member)
Secretary: Lawrence Charters, secretary@sunlandnorth.org (returning member and former position)
Board Member-at-Large: Warren Husman, member-at-large@sunlandnorth.org (returning member)
Welcome to our new Board member, Mark Anderson. A big thank you to our continuing Board members, Gerry Hatler, Lawrence Charters, Betty Gwaltney, and Warren Hussman. We also want to thank Shirley Legg for her two year term as Vice President and Secretary.
Announcements
Homeowners Association (HOA) Office Hours: Monday—Friday, 9 am – 3 pm
We want to remind all new and current residents that the Sunland North (Division 17) 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 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.
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 third quarter of 2023 is as follows:
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- Wednesday, October 11 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
- Wednesday, November 8 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
- Wednesday, December 13 (2:30 to 4:30 pm)
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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.
Who’s Managing Your Investment? Part III
You’re a shareholder in the overall corporation we refer to as Sunland North—literally. The 139 Owners in Sunland North are jointly responsible for the entire neighborhood, through the elected Board and the budget that owners approve each year. Corporations are required to have an annual shareholder meeting, and ours was Wednesday, Sept. 13. Were you there?
A dozen of your neighbor volunteers–the Board members and the various coordinators and committee chairs–gave concise and interesting recaps of the year’s activities, and what they see coming down the road for the neighborhood. It was a quick one-hour-plus series of short presentations, with opportunities throughout for owners to ask follow-up questions and raise points. There was even some good-natured kidding among the attendees!
When ballots to approve the budget and elect new board members were tallied, there were a total of 75 votes cast, out of a possible total of 139. That’s barely half the owners participating, and significantly fewer at the meeting itself. If you didn’t vote because you have total confidence in how things are running, that’s great; but the corporation, and the neighbors who are volunteering their time to keep things running, still need your support. Please thank them for a job well done, and ask how you can help. We hope to see you at one of our monthly board meetings!
Of Special Interest:
At the end of this newsletter, there is an article published by Clallam County Fire District #3 regarding Earthquake Emergency Preparedness. Gerry Hatler, President of the board, thought it would be of interest to many of our residents.
Annual Sunland North December Holiday Party
The Sunland North Holiday Party is an unofficial (non-HOA) event with a long history of fun for Sunland North members and their guests. This year’s dinner will be held on December 7th, starting at 5:00 p.m. with no-host cocktails, and dinner at 6:00 p.m., at the 7 Cedars Hotel. Volunteers will distribute flyers with more information to Sunland North front doors on October 18.
A Friendly Reminder from the Maintenance Committee:
We are starting to see more rodent activity around our buildings. With that in mind, please be aware that feeding the critters results in encouraging the rodents to hang around. Eventually, they find their way into our buildings and cause damage.
Little Library on Mt Baker
Did you know that Sunland North has a little library on its premises, available to all Sunland North residents? Handcrafted by Eric Mahnerd, the library is located behind the Mt. Baker mailbox kiosk. It has a good selection of both fiction and nonfiction books, rotating in and out throughout the month and periodically culled by Kathy Mahnerd to donate to Sequim Friends of the Library. Have books that you no longer want? Bring them to the little library and select others to take with you (no magazines please!). Happy reading!
Messages and Reports from Our Volunteers
President – Gerry Hatler
We held our Homeowners Association Annual Meeting on September 13. Of the 139 units in the Association, 75 submitted ballots. The budget for 2024 was approved as were both of the Board candidates and the use of a Financial Review.
Shirley Legg’s term concluded. Mark Anderson was elected the newest Board member and I chose to run for a second two-year term. The Board held an organizational meeting following the Annual Meeting and assigned the following roles: President – Gerry Hatler, Mark Anderson – Vice President, Warren Husman – Member At Large, Betty Gwaltney – Treasurer, and Lawrence Charters – Secretary.
I would like to thank all the volunteers that have made our association successful. We have folks who have been volunteering since they moved into the community and have served on the Board as well as Committee Chairs and Committee members.
We have a volunteer form you can complete on our website:
(https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/sunland-division-17-community-volunteer-202012.pdf). You can send the form to me at president@sunlandnorth.org or mail it to me at:
Sunland Division 17 Owners Association
P.O. Box 1655
Sequim, WA 98382
The Board has made progress in a couple of areas since I reported in June.
We have engaged a law firm in Seattle, Apex Law Group, to review our Homeowners Association governing documents for current language as well as to make sure we are in compliance with current Washington State law. They are in the process of reviewing our governing documents and will be reporting to the Board their recommended plan of action for any needed revisions.
For people who have moved in recently, welcome to our community and for everyone else, thanks for making this a welcoming place!
Treasurer – Betty Gwaltney
Thanks to all owners for the overwhelming support for the 2024 budget. We know that budget increases can be challenging but planning small increases now helps to avoid large special assessments in the future. Our investment strategy of moving Reserve $$ into higher-yielding CDs is paying off – and will likely result in over $16,000 in interest versus the $1,700 we earned in 2021. We will continue to carefully evaluate any future opportunities while keeping sufficient $$ readily available in case a capital expense is needed.
Insurance Committee – Susan Hamman
The HOA insurance policy with Community Association Underwriters or CAU was renewed for the year 2023- 2024 in the amount of $95,641. This was a 5% increase over the previous year’s policy of $90,413. With changes in the insurance industry and disasters around the globe that continue to multiply, the premium is expected to rise significantly for the 2024 – 2025 policy.
In August, divisions 7, 11, 16, and 17 had CAU’s representative, Dianna Kaspar, come to our associations to give an insurance presentation (all four are insured through CAU).
The HOA had one personal property damage claim this policy year after four years of no claims. The claim was investigated by CAU and a check was issued, minus the deductible.
October is National Fire Prevention Month. It is a good reminder to check your smoke detectors and electrical appliances to make sure they are in good operating order.
Have the external dryer vent checked and cleaned at least once a year. Check and clean out the dryer filter each time you use the dryer. Dryer lint is one of the most common sources of home fires.
While checking for potential fire hazards, also check for any water leakage around or under your sinks, toilets, showers, etc. Faucets, gaskets, and grout may wear out. Unless you check around those areas on a regular basis, you may have a leak that you are unaware of.
Architectural Control Committee – Eric Mahnerd and Mark Anderson, Co-Chairs
As a reminder, if you are thinking of making any exterior changes to your unit – stair railing, screen door, privacy fence, etc.- you need to fill out the forms found on our website –https://sunlandnorthownersassociation.com/homeowners-forms/exterior-changes-architectural-control/ – and submit them to the committee for approval. The easiest way to do this is to give me a call -360-477-1314 – and I’ll meet with you to go over your request. I will then submit your request to the committee for approval. Usually, it takes only a day to two to approve your request.
Fall has arrived so be sure to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!
Exterior Maintenance Committee – Michael Johnson
It is time to begin preparing our homes for the fall and winter seasons. Please remember to remove the hoses from your outdoor hose bibs. If possible, install hose bid covers. Please check your neighbors and encourage them to remove their hoses this fall. We are all in this together.
I have recently had my dryer vent cleaned by the ‘Naturalist’. He has the proper equipment for performing the task. The fire you prevent may be your own.
In 2024, we have six buildings, and 12 homes, that are being painted. They are as follows:
150/160 Mt. Baker
201/211 Mt. Baker
250/260 Blakely
270/280 Blakely
290/300 Blakely
310/320 Blakely
The painting contractor will do their best to match the original color of your unit based on the Master List of paint and corresponding paint numbers as maintained by Eric Mahnerd, Architectural Control Committee Chairman. If you desire to change the color of your unit, it must be agreed upon by your adjoining unit owner (neighbor) and then submitted to the Architectural Control Committee for approval. Read the Change Request carefully regarding the details of a change to exterior paint.
Please complete a copy of the Architectural Control Committee Exterior Change Request form, which can be found at:
And then forward it to: archtecturalcontrolcommittee@sunlandnorth.org
If you have any questions regarding the painting of units in 2024, please contact me at: maintenance@sunlandnorth.org
Developed Landscaping Committee – Tom Steffen
Beauty is all around us as we move into the cooler temperatures and shorter days of autumn. For the past several weeks, our crew has been busy pruning and removing debris; we hope to wrap things up before the end of November.
Cooler mornings and evenings allow us to conserve irrigation water usage. All irrigation systems have been dialed to 50% and will be shut off for the winter and spring in early November.
As leaves begin to fall, they will be mulched whenever lawns are mowed; all remaining leaves will be collected and removed before winter. A final fertilizer (granulated) treatment will be applied before the end of the year.
If you have questions or want to report a concern that relates to developed landscaping, please contact me via our website at landscaping@sunlandnorth.org. Unless I’m traveling, I’ll do my best to reply within 48 hours.
Here’s to a great fall!
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.
Earthquake Emergency Preparedness
Approximately 1,000 earthquakes occur in the Pacific Northwest every year. While there is little we can do to avoid earthquakes, there is much we can do to prepare for them. Here a few things you can do before, during and after an earthquake:
Before the Quake:
Get together with the members of your household and put together a disaster plan.
Assemble disaster supplies and store them in an easy-to-get to location.
Identify safe spots and danger zones in each room.
Know how to shut off all utilities.
Ensure your house is firmly anchored to its foundation.
Anchor overhead lighting fixtures.
Store breakable items on low shelves or in cabinets that can fasten shut.
Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
Fasten shelves to walls.
Brace high and top-heavy objects.
Repair defective electrical wiring, leaky gas and inflexible utility connections.
Securely fasten water heaters and gas appliances.
During the Quake:
If indoors – Take cover under sturdy furniture or against an inside wall, and hold on, “Drop, Cover and Hold”. Stay away from the kitchen!
If outdoors – Stay there. Move away from buildings, street lights and utility wires.
If outdoors near tall buildings – Step inside a doorway, drop down and cover your head and shoulders to protect yourself from falling glass and other debris.
In a high-rise building – Take cover under sturdy furniture away from windows and outside walls. Stay in the building on the same floor. An evacuation may not be necessary. Wait for instructions from safety personnel. Do not use elevators.
In a vehicle – Stop as quickly as safety permits, and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses or utility wires.
After the Quake:
Check yourself and others for injuries.
Prepare for aftershocks.
Wear shoes to prevent injury.
Use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns if the power is out.
If you smell gas or hear a hissing sound – open a window, leave the building and shut off the main gas valve outside.
If water pipes are damaged, shut off the water supply at the main valve.
Check your home for structural damage to include the chimney.
Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, and flammable liquids.
Visually inspect utility lines and appliances for damage.
Do not flush toilets until you know that sewage lines are still intact.
Open cabinets cautiously. Beware of objects that can fall off shelves.
Use the phone only to report a life-threatening emergency.
Listen to the radio for the latest emergency information.
Stay off the streets and avoid damaged areas, unless you have been asked to help by proper authority.
Source: Clallam County Fire District #3