MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL ASSOCIATION MEETING

SECTOR 2A AT SNOHOMISH CASCADE ASSOCIATION

7:00 PM  WEDNESDAY   MAY 11, 2005

 

CALL TO ORDER / APPROVAL OF MINUTES

  1. Tim Rizzo called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.  Present were Board members Tim Rizzo, Jen Stout, Amy Key, Steve Yandl (with wife Barbara), Bill Steenis (with wife Cindy), Betty Malowney (with husband, maintenance committee chairman, Bill Malowney), and John Patterson.  Also present were homeowners Ron and Nancy Lee, Bob Wells, Trina Coleman, Fayek and Lilian Gerges, John and Joan Schenk, Jerry and Karen Davis and Richard and Judy Tickle.
  2. Steve Yandl informed the group that no corrections had been made to the minutes as they were posted on the web page the previous month and asked to waive a formal reading.  There were no objections.  Jen Stout moved to accept the minutes, John Patterson seconded and acceptance was unanimous.

TREASURER’S REPORT

  1. Amy Key shared the standard set of reports in Excel.  These reports should be considered part of the minutes and will be posted on the web page for all to review.  There were a few questions from John Patterson but no unresolved issues regarding the reports themselves or the financial status of the Association.
  2. Amy also made available the draft audit for last year available for review by attending members.
  3. Amy explained how we are currently showing income from dues collection in the year they are collected for divided evenly over the 12 months of the year.
  4. Amy explained the reasoning for the long term capital reserve fund.  Board members shared the possible consequences of inadequate funding in such an account and Amy reminded the group that creating and supporting this fund was not optional, it is required by the CC&Rs.
  5. Amy reports there are still three homeowners who have not yet paid their dues for this year.

SECRETARY’S REPORT ON ELECTION

  1. Steve Yandl reported on the election for a new Board of Directors which is being conducted by mail and will continue through the entire month of May.  As of May 11, 87 ballots (35% of membership) had been received casting 512 votes out of the 609 that might have been submitted.  Of the 100 proxies awarded for 2005, 52 potentially remain in effect.  So far, votes for listed candidates are: Amy Key (72), Betty Malowney (70), Bill Steenis (71), Jen Stout (75), John Patterson (71), Les Ostermeir (68), and Steve Yandl (78).  Write in candidate Bob Moawad has two votes and we have one each for Kathy Miller, Kelly Morrison, Ian Meldrum, Sitha Chum, and Steinar Mannes.
  2. A roll call vote was taken of the board members for purposes of exercising any remaining proxies on May 31.  All seven Directors and Officers voted that same; that they award one vote each to the seven listed candidates.

MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE REPORT

  1. Bill Malowney reported that we had three significant maintenance projects this year in addition to the routine upkeep of common areas.  The first was to repair, top dress and overseed the baseball field boat park area.  This has been completed.
  2. The second project was to be enhanced landscaping at the termination of Snohomish Cascade Drive around 150th Place just south of where Snohomish Cascade Drive will be intersecting Puget Park Drive as you enter the new Willis Tucker Park.  Timing on this project will depend somewhat on the schedules of county Parks and Public Works departments.  The county will be doing some landscaping in the general area, we plan to do just enough to present an attractive transition from park to our neighborhood.  Bill reported that the latest information from the county suggests roads to be linked up in Spring 2006.  He also reports that 72nd Drive will probably be a through street to traffic and that the entry to the park at Puget Park Dr. and 67th Ave will be controlled with a single stop sign.
  3. The committee also plans to extend the sprinkler system to the common area as we have a few places without coverage.  One of these areas has been watered by the adjacent homeowner for years but they would like this to change. 

ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE REPORT

  1. Chairman Les Ostermeir was at a business meeting and couldn’t attend.  Steve Yandl asked, at Les’ request, to see if there were any volunteers to help with the job of drive through checks to try and spot CC&R trouble areas that might be getting out of hand but where adjacent neighbors had not yet complained.
  2. Ron Lee commented that screening the neighborhood for minor issues that might fall short of a CC&R infraction worth of an immediate fine.  There was a discussion on the merits and pitfalls of various approaches to CC&R enforcement.
  3. Fayek Gerges raised concerns about the low level of maintenance on the detention ponds which results in a troublesome mosquito population as well as large garter snake and other bothersome wildlife that sometimes migrate into his yard.  Board members pointed out that we have restrictions imposed by county government and even if we could do maintenance at the level suggested by Mr. Gerges the detention ponds are only a small percentage of the wetland in the neighborhood and the pest problem would likely remain nearly unchanged.

REPORTS ON VARIOUS PROJECTS

  1. Jen Stout reported that due to lack of participation in her efforts to organize the July 4 picnic event this year, it will not be held.  There was a limited response and supposedly there was interest but not enough committed volunteers to make putting the event together possible.
  2. Bill Steenis summarized the yard of merit program.  He indicated that “grade sheets” had been received for the current month to determine awards for June.  It is anticipated that four or five awards will be made for June.  Bill was also asking for volunteers to cruise the neighborhood in June (and months beyond) to take note of great yards and fill in evaluation sheets.  This program is intended to be entirely positive and encourage nice yards through competition and recognition.  Bill shared the evaluation forms to show how the scoring is done.
  3. Betty Malowney reported on some of the initial research she has done on the merits of roofing materials other than cedar shake or concrete tile.  She had a packet of materials for review.  The goal would be to maintain the quality look of roofs but knowing that cedar shakes currently available might only last eight to ten years without extra maintenance it makes sense to consider other modern good looking more durable materials.  Since the procedure to change CC&Rs requires a super majority (75% or 186 affirmative votes) we may need to establish guidelines for variances as an initial step and amend CC&Rs as soon as possible.  We want to get as much information as possible and get as much homeowner feedback on preferences and concerns before decisions are made or votes taken.  Betty had a copy of Mill Creek’s guidelines that we might consider adopting in some form if they make sense for our residents.
  4. Bill Malowney shared a status report on the county’s progress toward completion of Willis Tucker Community Park and the extension of Puget Park Drive.  Difficulties with a major supplier of components for the new Park Department building have pushed completion dates for Phase I, II, and III back about a year and a half.  The on-side custodian quarters were removed from the final plan.  Phase II should be completed by summer 2007.  Phase III which includes soccer fields, trails and off leash pet area is pushed back to 2008.
  5. Bill Malowney shared some picture samples that we might consider as an enhancement to one or more of the entrances to the neighborhood.  Information was obtained from the sign maker who did the entrance signs for Gold Creek at Snohomish Cascade.  The less substantial sign would cost roughly $2400 plus $1000 more to have lights, the more substantial sign would run about $4200.  Signs could be placed at one or more entrance points; Snohomish Cascade Drive just east of Fire Station 77, 152nd St just west of 67th Ave, or Snohomish Cascade Drive just south of the yet to be completed extension of Puget Park Drive (group tended to favor this last option).  Ron Lee suggested that if we do this the more significant sign was the better choice.  Bill pointed out that the money was not in the current budget but this seemed to be a nice neighborhood enhancement if it could be worked into the budget without causing some future dues increase.

INVITATION TO MAKE COMMENTS OR ASK QUESTIONS

  1. Board responded to a question confirming that a letter had been written regarding cars on blocks at Snohomish Cascade Drive and 150th Place.  Situation had been quickly taken care of by the homeowner involved.
  2. The comment was made that despite some disagreements, the work being done by the Board was appreciated.
  3. Discussion of the detention pond maintenance issue continued for a brief time and Bill Malowney shared the name and number of Nat Washington the contact person with Surface Water Management at Snohomish County.

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:20