April 1, 2015
Attendees and Approval of Minutes
Ken Schiewetz, Nancy and Ray Krueger, Michelle Egusa, Mark Bunger, Mark Moberg, and Vicki Bengeult were in attendance. A quorum was present. March minutes were approved via email prior to being distributed to owners last month.
Old Business
Drainage problems in pool/playground area Mark is still waiting to hear from the water drainage specialists but will keep trying to reach them, since they are the recommended resource from Lakehaven Water District (LWD). The amount of water coming down the hill into the pool/playground area is substantial. LWD says that they are no longer releasing water from Mirror Lake, and that the natural aquifer level is at the level of our pool area, therefore the increase in flow to our low-lying land. No assistance is available from them to alleviate the problem, so we have to solve it in order to maintain the property in a usable state. Once we have a plan from the drainage specialists we will present it to the city for approval. We had a brief discussion about the possibility of removing the playground, but nothing was decided.
Work parties for getting the common areas ready for pool opening will be on May 2, 9, 16. We will need a lot of help this year. If these days don’t work for you, please contact Mark Bunger, who will be happy to offer you some choices for things to do. (maintenance@marcheri.org). $50 rebates go to anyone contributing at least 3 hours of time. Please help us bring the neighborhood back to a vibrant, well maintained state with lots of owner involvement. There is sure to be a task that fits your skills and abilities.
Yard Waste The board approved adding yard waste pickup service at the pool area with a 96 gallon bin at $10/month. This could also be used for the two entrances.
Pool Opening Preparations Nancy reports that 3 lifeguards are already signed up and she is in conversation with others who may return. 7 to 9 guards are needed to cover all the hours the pool is open. The mailing to nearby neighborhoods inviting them to become associate members will be sent this month. We have capacity for about 5 additional associate members. The pool will be open from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends.
Stream Mitigation Project Update
Ken reported that he met with Steve Freeborn to find out where we stand with regards to the financial obligations in the stream cleanup relationship with Mar Cheri/Sorenson/Cheng. According to Steve, the contract he and Don Deighton entered into with Mr. Sorenson states that Sorenson will have no financial responsibility for the tree removal. The issue at hand is that the Board agreed to pay $2300 for removal of a few trees, but many more trees were cut down than board members agreed to, most of which are not on our property, and now we have a complicated and time consuming mitigation plan to implement which has an expected cost of between $15-16,000. As a board, we are all in agreement that the cleanup and replanting must be done, and are willing to take on necessary the work, but we are unclear about who is responsible for paying for it. [amended May 5 at Board of Directors Meeting: Mr. Sorenson established an escrow account for the new owner to cover mitigation expenses. The extent to which this will cover costs is unknown.] Ken and Nancy will meet with Dr. Cheng (new owner at the site) this coming weekend. We at least need his permission to go on to his property to begin clearing the brush, and we are hopeful that we can share the cost with other involved parties. Once complete, the stream area will be beautiful, but it is going to be a long process to get there.
New Business
Architecture Committee Two requests for house paint colors were received and approved, and one shake roof will be replaced with 30 year architectural shingles. After being contacted by a neighbor and the architecture chairperson, the owner of one home has removed an abandoned vehicle from the street and begun cleanup of the overgrowth on the property. Also, the board received a letter from one homeowner to another requesting tree trimming (arborvitae hedge), and will follow up on that as necessary.
Drainage EasementsVicki has noticed that water is pooling up at the back of one of the lots that have drainage easements (these are homes along 1st Ave). She will contact the owners of those properties to have them help investigate what is keeping water from draining properly into the storm drain. The bylaws include maintenance of these drainage easements as the responsibility of each household. If you have a drainage ditch/channel at the back of your lot, please ensure that it does not become overgrown or blocked in any way. Debris should not accumulate in these trenches. They drain into city-placed storm water catch-basins.
Future Projects
We will be creating a list of upcoming (multi-year) projects and expected budgets. The pool, deck, and other common areas are aging and will be needing substantial attention in order to maintain them to levels of safety and beauty that we all expect. This obviously takes money and helping hands. We are developing this list so that everyone knows what to expect in the next few years. We need volunteers, not only to keep costs down but also for the pleasurable benefit of having a community that knows each other and works together.
Treasurer Report
Michelle has been learning QuickBooks and becoming familiar with the treasurer position. Federal tax information was not sent to the accountant at the beginning of the year, but an extension has already been filed and she will get the information to the accountant right away.
Annual assessments We currently have 4 owners who are a year or more in arrears. Michelle will contact each of them to try to arrange for payment plans. If that doesn’t work, we will file in small claims court, and interest and court costs will be charged.
Next Meeting
7 pm on May 5, at the Bengeults’ (29816 2nd Ave SW)
Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.