MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING
SECTOR 2A AT SNOHOMISH CASCADE ASSOCIATION
7 P.M.   TUESDAY   MARCH 5, 2019
 
 
CALL TO ORDER / PRESENTATION OF MINUTES
  1. Nicole Klages called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.  Present were Nicole Klages, Steve Yandl, Bill Steenis, John Alleman, John Parkin, Matt Hale and Tim Day.  This was enough for a quorum; all board members were present for this meeting.  Also attending was member, Tanya Edwards, who was invited to share her ideas for improvements to our deteriorating tot play areas.
  2. Minutes of the February 2019 meeting were reviewed and approved.
TREASURER’S REPORT
  1. Steve Yandl reported on current financial status. 
    1. Currently $116,488 in the checking account (operational funds), plus 39 checks ready to be deposited which will add $15,600. 
    2. There is $16,902 in the long-term reserve.
    3. We have $5,706 in operational reserve. 
    4. We have 28 members who have not yet paid the 2019 assessment.  They will be charged at least one-month interest.
    5. A transfer of $31,025 will be made from operating fund to the long-term reserve.  After long term expenses made in 2017 there should have been a transfer of $12,500 to the long-term reserve but funds were left in checking to facilitate spending on new mailbox units (which has not happened).  There is also a transfer of $18.525 for the 2018-year contribution to the long-term reserve.  The total is $31,025 which will be partly spent on mailboxes; the remainder to be moved to the CD.  In addition, once 2019 collections are complete, an additional $12,500 transfer is due although it may be reduced if we complete playground upgrades with funding from the reserve account.
  2. The budget ratification vote was 106 yes votes to ratify the budget and 7 no votes.  The board has been awarded 149 proxies.
  3. The reserve analysis was revised and posted to the web page.  If we opt to spend reserve funds for playground upgrades/repairs the analysis will need to be reviewed and adjusted accordingly since extensive repairs on playground equipment was not anticipated soon.
MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
  1. We’re behind on our mailbox upgrades but existing old boxes are holding up for the time being.
  2. Tanya Edwards distributed handouts and spoke regarding options to repair/replace/improve the tot play equipment at the boat park and play area on 72nd Drive SE.
    1. We are past the expected lifespan of 15 years for the type equipment placed by the developer.
    2. The proposal the developer made to the county to ask that he be allowed to create the play areas in lieu of paying a mitigation fee to parks and recreation included an option to turn the play areas over to county parks after 10 years.  Consequently, the HOA was not encouraged to include the play equipment in our long-term capital expense plans.
    3. There is budget money to do significant maintenance at the play areas but replacing the toys would require either a significant special assessment or a rework of the long-term reserve study and a delayed replacement.
    4. Handouts included some replacement options, approximate costs and some money saving options by obtaining community construction grants.
    5. Tanya will be writing an article for the second quarter newsletter to inform the membership of our options a build interest in lowering costs through community involvement in the project.
  3. Whatever options we retain, we will ask for a vote of the membership since this is a significant budget increase.  In the interest of efficiency, the vote will be included with the vote for a new board of directors to be mailed prior to our annual meeting in May.
  4. The board reviewed the proposal for the boat park from Kyle Woods.  Kyle’s proposal would address the drainage problems in the play areas, inadequate height of the surrounding timbers, replacing wood chips with an adequate volume of Soffal type wood chips and repairs to the existing equipment to make it safe right now.  The approximate cost was $38k.  The board was in favor of moving forward soon but we will take the next month to make sure what we do is compatible with any longer term plans we come up with based on Tanya’s presentation.
  5. There was consensus that we could get rid of the small trash containers at the boat park and rely exclusively on the Waste Management owned container in the parking area.
  6. We discussed the hazardous tree concerns raised at the February meeting.  It was agreed that we would insist that members concerned with what they perceived as a hazardous tree obtain a supporting statement from a certified arborist of forester unless the tree was obviously an imminent danger to everyone on the board.  In the case of the tree issues mentioned last month, board members could understand the concerns of impacted neighbors but there was no consensus on how dangerous any of the trees might be.  In such cases, as directed by the CC&Rs, we need the owner to get a certified arborist to tell us the tree poses a danger.
  7. A vandal or reckless driver spun a truck on Snohomish Cascade Drive during the recent snows and damaged multiple fence panels.  Town and Country Fence completed the repair.  The cost was roughly $1,200.
  8. Steve Yandl shared that several homeowners and requested that the HOA consider doing snow removal on side streets not plowed and sanded by the county.  The primary obstacle in doing that is liability for any properly licensed and insured contractor.  Such contractors may be able to clear parking lots and other private property but their insurance carriers typically object to them clearing roadway considered public right of way, particularly when they would end up pushing snow from the right of way onto private property, potentially blocking driveways and paths previously cleared by the property owner.
ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE REPORT
  1. Homeowner request for projects.
    1. Randolph – Paint request, same as existing color scheme was approved.
    2. Wise – Roof replacement with Presidential shakes was approved.
    3. Final vote on Hughey request for a permanent decorative light installation.
      1. ACC was in favor of granting the variance with conditions.
      2. The variance letter can be seen here.
      3. The key conditions are professional installation as described in the request and limiting times when the lights are on to the Christmas season, the week prior to Halloween and short duration displays on holidays were decorative lighting is customary.
  2. Complaints, CC&R violations
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:35PM.
 
 
                                                                        __________________________
                                                                        Steve Yandl, Secretary