Author: Webmaster

Mar Cheri Community Club Minutes for the September 24, 2020

Board Meeting Note: This was a Zoom meeting; due to the Covid-19 pandemic guidelines for gatherings.

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM.

In Attendance: Ken Schiewetz, Laura House, Larry Barlow, Lisa Martinez and Anne Mesick. Brenda Busskohl was unable to attend; Anne Mesick took the minutes. Lisa Martinez gave the architectural report for Rod Martinez.

Treasurer’s Report: Larry Barlow Checking account balance: $31,254.59. Savings (Reserve) account balance: $25,072.16. Expenses year to date: $9769.20.

Maintenance Report: Lisa Martinez

For most of the summer, there has been a significant amount of water in the common area near the sports court. At the same time, the pool water level seemed to have been unusually low over the summer. Diagnostic tests were made on the pool systems to determine if there could have been a possible leak at the pool itself. No leak was found. The water bill seemed to be higher than normal, and Lisa will ask the city to run a test to see if we have a water main leak or a broken pipe somewhere else. The blackberries were successfully removed from the perimeter of the pool and park area.

Architecture Report: Rod Martinez

One house painting project was approved and another painting project is pending approval. A driveway plan is pending approval. There was a complaint of a trailer being stored in a driveway, and a letter will be sent to the homeowner. There was a complaint about a fence and the committee chairperson will talk to the homeowner. The tree issue on one property is ongoing. The fence and retaining wall project at another home is ongoing.

Vice President’s Report: Laura House

The maintenance chairperson and the architecture chairperson made the request to switch positions. Anne Mesick made a motion that Lisa Martinez assume the duties of architectural chairperson from Rod Martinez, and Rod Martinez assume the duties of maintenance chairperson from Lisa Martinez. The motion was seconded, and by vote, the change was approved.

The audit committee has been unable to complete the audit because more information is needed. Ken will meet with Laura in the next week to get the audit finished. Laura suggested that we should look into the possibility of hiring a management company to take over the day to day running of the community. If a manager were hired, the board would still meet. Ken volunteered to check on the cost and services provided by a company with which he is familiar.

Recreation and Hospitality Committee: Anne Mesick One welcome packet was delivered to Carolyn and Hugh Lee. The Lee’s moved into the home at 30002 2nd Avenue SW. Anne reported on her study of having the community mail delivered to an open mail box in the cluster mailbox on 2nd avenue. The affected neighbors support the change. If the change was made, the community would have to pay the fifty dollar key fee. Anne made a motion that the money be allocated and the switch be made. The motion was seconded, and by vote, the change was approved. The telephone directory needs to be updated and a volunteer was contacted to possibly do the job. We are waiting for a response.

President’s Report: Ken Schiewetz Buffer zone report of 2014 follow up: The report requested by the City of Federal Way to check on the progress of the reestablishment of the environment near the “minor stream” was finally completed. The information the city needs to make any further decisions about the area is included in the report. Tom Demming who did the study, and wrote the report, indicated that both native and non-native species of plants growing in the area have successfully re-established near the “Ns” stream. We are now waiting for the decision of the city and a letter that we anticipate will close the matter. The cost for the work and subsequent report by Sound View Consultants should be considerably less than the $3900.00 allocated for the job. However, there may be some other costs associated with finalizing the matter. The letter and decision by the city should give the board the information needed to go forward with discussions about ongoing tree issues in that area of the community. The reserve study is coming up in the next month. Ken will work on the study with Larry Barlow.

A motion was made by Laura that the annual Mar Cheri meeting be held on Zoom. The motion was seconded, and by vote, the change was approved. The annual meeting for Mar Cheri will be a Zoom meeting and will take place December 1, 2020. Details, including the time and the Zoom invitation will be forthcoming.

The next monthly Zoom board meeting will be on Tuesday, October 13 at 7 PM. Having no other business, the meeting ended at 8:08 PM.

Respectfully Submitted, Anne Mesick

Dear Mar Cheri Homeowner:

Your Board hopes that you are doing well during this unusual time of “Sheltering in Place” as we all work together to reduce infections of the coronavirus.  We are happy to announce that the 2020 budget was approved and the 2020 dues of $720 have been confirmed by majority vote.  Please send in your dues as soon as you are able.

We are aware of the possibility of financial issues that may occur with some of our homeowners during this time of the economy shutdown.  As a result, we have decided to move the date your dues are due to June 1st.  If you are going to need extra time from then to pay your dues; please notify us by sending in a confidential note.   We plan to do upgrades to the pool and surrounding grounds as soon as we are able to schedule the work.

We will also be mindful of the rules for pools to open and are aware we might have a later start than usual this year.  Once we do open we will still require your signing of the forms so we can activate your keycard.   More communication will be coming as soon as we know our own rules from our Governor.

Sincerely yours,

Board of Mar Cheri Community Club

February 11, 2020 7:15PM  

Meeting was called to order by President Ken Schiewetz.  In attendance were board members Laura House, Rod and Lisa Martinez, Anne Mesick, Brenda Busskohl, and Homeowner Ray Krueger.

PRESIDENT:   Ken Schiewetz       

2020 Budget and Dues:  The homeowner letter has been sent out through PAYHOA and emailed to homeowners.  Voting will be at the March Board meeting on March 10, no objections received at this point.  Additional validating will be done on the reserve study to estimate the amount required to cover upcoming replacement and repair projects.  A homeowner has asked if voting can be done through PAYHOA instead of mailing ballots.

Stream Migration:  Ken is waiting for update from Soundview Consulting representative.

VICE PRESIDENT:   Laura House

Street lights and utility cost:  Laura will need to get PSE account numbers from Larry to isolate the cost of the street lights.  It was suggested that account information be accessible by board members when issues arise.

Audit Committee:  Ken Schiewetz, Laura House and Audrey Isaacson will conduct the audit and report results at the March Meeting.

TREASURE:   Larry Barlow

Larry Barlow was ill, but contacted Ken to say no significant updates regarding income and expenses, but some delinquent dues have been received. 

ARCHITECTURE:   Rod Martinez

Pool House Roof:  A Bid was received for $3000.00; two additional bids will be provided at the March Board meeting.

Homeowner Approved Projects:   A homeowner’s fence project was approved.

Hillside erosion from build site:  Ken will contact Jason with the City of Federal Way to see if they can come inspect the current runoff and drainage issues to see what options the city can provide or recommend.

Homeowner Notifications:  Laura House reported that photos were sent to a homeowner who disputed their trees are blocking the view of other homeowners.  If not corrected, fines will commence.   Laura also notified Brenda Busskohl that complaints have been made regarding trees on her property and not meeting HOA guidelines.  Brenda has requested the board provide the complaints regarding each specific tree and the HOA guidelines so that she has that information before hiring a tree service.

MAINTENANCE:   Lisa Martinez

Pool Chlorinator: Lisa will call The Watermill to get more information on age and lifespan of the current chlorinator leased by Mar Cheri. 

AT LARGE:   OPEN – Please contact the board if interested in volunteering

Pool Lock:  Rod will follow-up with Makoto regarding the pool lock.  Larry Barlow is also checking options for a replacement lock.

NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS:

Prowlers in the neighborhood:  Two men were seen walking through the neighborhood and going through unlocked cars around 4:30am on 2/11/20, Rod and Lisa have them on camera, they were also seen in other nearby neighborhoods.

NEXT MEETING:   Will be on March 10, 2020 at Laura House’s home (29654 2^nd Ave SW).  The 2020 Budget vote will be held at this meeting.

There was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:15.

Respectfully submitted

Brenda Busskohl/Secretary

January 31, 2020

Dear Mar Cheri Homeowner:

We are pleased to let you know our final 2019 results and request approval of your 2020 dues.   After all revenue and expenditures have been combined, we ended 2019 with funds of $ 33,000.30.  Your Board has transferred $ 25,000 into the Reserve fund leaving the rest of the funds for 2020 operating capital.

Our 2019 reserve study was completed just prior to our November 2019 annual meeting.  The recommendation of the reserve study was to increase our dues significantly in 2020 to a minimum of $860 with a special assessment of $ 21,850 or $ 316 approximately per homeowner.  That would be a total of $ 1,176 this year.  This amount was to help us achieve a recommended 70% reserve or $ 75,695 as soon as possible.   Having an ample reserve is the key to being able to maintain and improve our pool and grounds for the all Mar Cheri homeowners.               

However, your Board has decided to recommend only a small increase in your 2020 dues to $ 720.  This will allow us to obtain bids on some critical areas that will need repair in the future to better determine the actual cost. This amount is incorporated into the 2020 budget which was approved by your Board at our January meeting.  Below is the 2020 Budget in broad categories:

Total Revenue:                                                $ 49,680 ($720 per homeowner for 69 homes)

Administration, Taxes and Insurance:           $ 10,305

Pool and Grounds:                                         $ 14,291

Utilities:                                                          $   5,400

Capital Projects and Reserve retention:        $ 16,500

Total Expenditures:                                        $ 46,496

At the bottom of this letter is your ballot to approve the 2020 dues.  If you would like to discuss the budget in any more detail before voting, please come to the February meeting at Anne Mesick’s home on February 11 at 7:00 pm.  Please return your vote (and your check if you approve) to Mar Cheri Community Club, PO Box 25281, Federal Way, WA 98093-2281.  Final approval will come at our March Board meeting.

I especially want to thank all our Board members for their time as we work together to keep Mar Cheri as one of the best small neighborhoods in Federal Way.  Remember that our all-volunteer Board helps keep your dues down!    Thanks for our outgoing Board members:  Audrey Isaacson who served on the Board as our Secretary and Makoto Sugiuchi who leaves us after many years on the Board as an At-Large member.   We welcome Brenda Busskohl as our new Secretary. In 2020 we are hoping to have more of you volunteer to join committees to help out your Board!  So please say yes to being a volunteer!

Your Board is looking forward to a great 2020 for Mar Cheri and all our residents!

Ken Schiewetz     President, Mar Cheri Board

_________________________________________________________________________________________

______________Yes, I vote to approve the 2020 dues of $ 720 per Lot.

______________ No, I vote not to approve the 2020 dues of $ 720 per Lot.

Mar Cheri Community Club November 12, 2019 Mar Cheri Annual Meeting Minutes

In Attendance: 17 households were represented, which does not constitute a quorum.

The meeting was held at the 320th street library in Federal Way and was called to order by president Ken Schiewetz at 7:10 PM. Ken announced that Anne Mesick would record the minutes in place of Audrey Isaacson who was recovering from surgery. Ken asked for volunteers to form a ballot committee. Christopher Willoughby, Linda Craft and Sherry Murchison volunteered.

The minutes from the 2018 annual meeting were read. A motion for approval of the minutes was made by Richard Egusa; a second was made by Ray Kreuger. A vote was called and the minutes were approved.

Treasurer’s Report: Larry Barlow The accounts are looking o.k. Of the $48,000.00 budgeted for the year, approximately $46,400.00 was spent leaving about $1500.00 for the last month and a half of the year. There is $33,000.00 in checking and $5,000.00 in savings so we will have approximately $35,000.00 to carry over to next year. It is expected that $25,000.00 will go into the reserve account leaving $10,000.00 as an operating expense account ( since assessments do not start coming in until April).
There are three households in arrears on their annual assessments.

Architectural Report: Rod Martinez A community walk was made by Rod and Laura House( as a member of the architectural committee), and the neighborhood looks good.
Three letters of noncompliance were sent out; two neighbors responded, one did not. One long-term property issue is making great strides to compliancy and the property is looking much better. One tree issue is unresolved.
One garage door replacement, three fence replacements, one front door replacement, and one painting and roofing project were approved.

Recreation and Hospitality: Anne Mesick Welcome packets and plants were given to three new neighbors: Teresa and Anthony Harris, Gary Zukowski and Christopher Willoughby.

In May we hosted the pool cleanup party, In July we had the July 4th picnic and in August we hosted the Annual Night Out event.

Maintenance Report: Lisa Martinez Four ring cameras were installed to monitor the perimeter of the pool and the gate. The cameras do not monitor any area within the fenced pool area except the primary entry gate. A new pump and heater were installed and some of the pipes in the equipment room were replaced. The chemical feeder was repaired. Two drainage issues, on the property outside the pool fence, were fixed. Springs on the primary pool entry gate and the electronic card reader on the same gate may need replacing.
One family had a non-sanctioned party and a letter was issued concerning the infraction.

Vice President’s Report: Laura House
A by-law review, required every three years, found that no fundamental changes are needed at this time. The amount collected for the annual assessment was the only update made.
As a member of the Architectural Committee, an explanation was given, in response to a letter from a home owner, that was mailed to every household in the association. The letter stated that the sender was lied to by the Architectural Committee.
After meeting with several former residents in the neighborhood who had previously been on the Architecture Committee, it was determined that a common practice for determining one aspect of a tree height infraction, is to see if any part of the tree is higher than the ridge line of the roof. Though this is not written in the bylaws or the covenants, it was the norm. No deception was intended on the part of the committee; they were simply enforcing the norm.
President’s Report: Ken Schiewetz Stream Mitigation: Ken gave a brief history of the situation reminding us that from the onset only five percent of the area in the mitigation zone is owned by Mar Cher. The other ninety-five percent belonged first to Mr Sorenson and then to Dr. Chang. Therefore, Mar Cheri is responsible for only five percent of the cost of any settlement of the plan.
Recently a community member brought the case to the attention of the City of FederalWay which opened the case again. A meeting between officials at the City and Ken Schiewetz, Steve Freeborn and Anne Mesick took place to determine the steps necessary to meet the requirements of the city so that the case could be closed once and for all. Coming from that meeting, Mar Cheri will hire a wetland biologist, who will survey the specific items for which Doc Hansen ,from the City, needs information. The City will make an administrative review, and then issue a letter of finality. The cost for these final steps should be about $2000.00.
The City reiterated that the stream is a minor stream and a letter noting that fact is forthcoming.
In addition to the money spent on the initial study and the legal fees, the land, purchased for the good of the community as a walking path to Redondo, is lost to this cause. And, its expense, added to the total financial cost (not to mention the hours of work and the stress it has caused the community, particularly the board members who are and have worked to mitigate the effects of this unfortunate situation).
New Construction: At the meeting with the City, new construction on the hills above the community was discussed. Concern about proper drainage is a high priority for the board and the City renewed their pledge to look into the drainage and erosion protection measures at the sites.
Reserve Study: In 2017 a state law was enacted requiring condominium and home owner associations to conduct studies of their properties so owners, bound by the covenants of those properties would be protected from sudden special assessments due to unforeseen expenses. The studies are required by law every three years. Our study results came in on Wednesday: a brief overview of the findings revealed that annual dues would be rising, though the amount of the increase is yet to be determined. The board will review the results and keep the community informed on the recommendations.
In Appreciation: Board members Audrey Isaacson and Makoto Sugiuchi were thanked for the generous service to the neighborhood.

Election Results: President: Ken Schiewetz, Vice President: Laura House, Secretary: Brenda Busskohl, Treasurer: Larry Barlow, At Large: Makoto Sugiuchi, Architecture: Rod Martinez, Maintenance/ Pool: Lisa Martinez, Recreation/ Hospitality: Anne Mesick.
Laura house asked all present to consider taking a position on a committee so that we might have all positions on the committees filled. Please talk to your new neighbors and ask them to consider a position on a committee.

All business being concluded, the meeting ended at 8:05 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Anne Mesick