Save the Date!
Work Parties by the pool
May 14^th

Board of Directors Meeting

March 15, 2016, 7 pm

Attending: Ken Schiewetz, Makoto Sugiuchi, Heather Salton, Nancy Krueger, Greg Bengeult, Mark Bunger, and Vicki Bengeult

Summary of 2016 Annual Meeting

We had a strong turnout and 47 ballots were cast. We needed a minimum of 40 ballots for a quorum, with 3 families disqualified from voting due to non-payment of dues. (60% of 66 = 40). Of the 47 ballots cast, 29 voted to approve the proposed budget with annual dues of $630 (62%). 18 voted against (38%). Therefore, the budget is adopted with a majority vote and dues will be $630 for 2016.

Results of the survey on whether or not to work towards closing the pool: 22 votes (46% of votes cast) were to keep the pool going. 15 voted to close the pool permanently (32%), 10 did not respond (21%).

Full text of the annual meeting minutes can be found at www.marcheri.org. Sign in to the owners-only area to see the archive of all meeting minutes.

7:00 Executive Session called to bring new board members up to date on stream mitigation proceedings.

General Board Meeting began at 7:30.

Treasurer’s Report

At the annual meeting, the membership voted to approve the annual dues increase to $630. Invoices were sent on March 2. We have received 9 assessment payments so far this month.

Maintenance Report

The new drainage system is not keeping up with the large volume of water. We are looking into getting some berms into position to slow the flow of water so that it will enter the pipe system. Mark has agreed to investigate. We still need volunteers for the maintenance committee.

Pool Report

The chlorine carboys have to be stored in a tub to conform with King County Public Health requirements. Nancy will obtain these. Ray Krueger volunteered to build another partition for storing chemicals. The sand filter has been ordered for installation by May.

Other facilities offering swim lessons cost $75 plus a requirement for joining the pool at $650. We only charge $45 for 8 lessons with 5 to 6 children. The Aquatic Center charges $45 for lessons.

Discussion was held about the price for associate memberships. Our homeowner assessments went up 40% so some board members thought associate memberships should go up as well. Other pools in the area charge in the $600 range. Greg made a motion to increase the associate dues to either $375 or $400 and the $400 fee was passed with majority vote of 4 to 2.

Secretary

Vicki Bengeult is willing to help and/or share responsibilities for the secretary position, but does not feel comfortable having both herself and her husband in officer positions on the Board. By WA HOA law, she remains secretary until someone else fills the position. If you are able to take this position, please let any board member know. The email address board@marcheri.org goes to the entire Board, or contact Vicki at secretary@marcheri.org if you want to some info about what the job entails.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 13 at the Bengeult’s.

These minutes are unofficial. They will be approved at the 2017 Annual Meeting.

MAR CHERI 2016 ANNUAL MEETING

February 29, 2016 at the Federal Way Public Library, 1^st Avenue.

In attendance: The Board: Ken Schiewetz, Mark Moberg, Mark Bunger, Vicki Bengeult, Nancy Krueger and approximately 37 other homeowners.

Ken Schiewetz issued the Call to Order at 7 pm. 2015 Meeting Minutes were presented and approved unanimously. Michelle Egusa and Larry Mahar were assigned as ballot counters.

Ken asked new neighbors to introduce themselves, and Harold Isaacson said a few words in remembrance of neighbors who have passed away.

PRESIDENT – Ken Schiewetz

Ken read the following statement into the record. Because possible legal action is pending, we are unable to discuss the stream mitigation in more detail.

Stream Mitigation is Unresolved

In 2014, the HOA Board authorized payment for cutting and disposal of three diseased and leaning trees located along the stream bordering the pool lot. The owner of the adjoining property at the time, Mr. Sorenson, consented to the cutting of these three diseased and leaning trees. More trees were cut on the Sorenson property, but the Association and its Board were not involved in paying for or authorizing the cutting of any additional trees. The city issued a violation order against Mar Cheri and Mr. Sorenson for cutting trees without a permit and ordered that mitigation be performed. In an effort to comply with the city’s request for mitigation, Mar Cheri paid for a mitigation plan to be developed even though it assumes no responsibility beyond the three trees it paid to have cut. The city has been slow in responding, but this issue has recently become a higher priority with new involvement by the city and push for resolution by the new owner of the adjoining property. The Board has contacted legal counsel for the Association about this matter.

Ken then spoke about the drainage project in the common area by the pool. This area is receiving a lot of water from surrounding slopes and sits in the lowest spot of the neighborhood. The work we had done last year improved but did not completely fix the problems. Water is coming into the property so quickly that it runs over the newly installed drains instead of soaking into them. We will be working with the contractor to add berms to slow down the water. Additionally, the parking lot will be resurfaced with a type of crushed rock that will compress into a solid surface.

MAINTENANCE – Mark Bunger

Mark summarized maintenance issues and submitted the following report for the record.

We started the season with a visit from Rick Powell, a Geotechnical Engineer from Robinson Noble. He met with several board members and neighbors to look at our drainage issues and slope to the East and North ends of our pool property. He gave his opinions and concerns regarding the source of the water and what best to do with it to help improve the drainage on our property. Ken Schiewetz was able to get several bids and go forward with drainage improvements towards the end of the year. The fence at the lower end of the parking lot as well as the parking lot surface are still being discussed and planned

We had several work parties in May, thank you for all who helped.

The drywall in the lifeguard closet and the pump room was taken out and cement board was put in its place. The drywall was water damaged and there had been rats living in several of the walls. The rooms are now much improved. James Rolf helped with this project. We were able to keep the cost under $1,000 by doing this ourselves.

With the help of Makoto & Chiyo Sugiuchi and Larry Mahar we were able to take 3 truckloads of weeds, blackberries and ivy to the yard waste dump and fill the yard waste bin every week from May through the end of August. The playground area, the parking lot area by the drainage ditch and the area to the south of the pool were cleaned out. When the drainage was put in the same crew also cut back the blackberries on the East end of the property and the West side of the fenced area near the drainage ditch.

Heather Salton and Eric Leonheart helped with spreading the large mound of landscape mulch donated by a neighbor.

Several times this summer we had difficulties with water quality, specifically cloudy water due to some level of algae growth. This resulted in several days that the pool was closed to rectify the situation. Water had to be shocked and the pool closed to do so. Cyanuric acid levels rose this year and we tried to switch to a higher quality chlorine tablet but this did not cure the cyanuric acid issue. Cyanuric acid is directly caused by the use of chlorine tablets as opposed to a liquid chlorine. The only way to reduce the acid level quickly is to dilute with fresh water. This required the pool to be partially drained and refilled several times before opening and once after opening to correct the cyanuric acid level. This did delay the opening from our target Memorial day weekend and affected several of the weekend openings later in the summer.

Due to these issues the board approved having Water Mills install an electronic metering system to dispense chlorine and another chemical to control PH levels. This will dramatically improve water quality and consistency in the pool. The fence had to be extended and cement added to accommodate county code requirements. The plastic barrels will still need to be enclosed before the summer of 2016.

The sand filter is not filtering as well as it should, over time the ridges in the sand round over and do not hold particles as well as fresh sand. I did replace the multiport valve gasket, this helped but did not eliminate the problem. We asked The Water Mill staff if this could be serviced and they recommended replacement as a more cost effective option. The multiport valve should be replaced with the filter. The bid from the Water Mill is $2827.57.

The heater will also need to be replaced at some point, it has reached the end of its life cycle. We did get an estimate to replace it but it is still currently working. One of the common complaints is varying water temperature, a newer heater will help address this issue. The bid is $4878.19.

The pool surface will need to be refinished due to chips that are starting to come up in several sections. This issue has been mentioned on the last several years of the King County Health Dept. report issued to us twice each summer. The estimate from 2006(?) was $17k. We currently have two bids of $25,000 and $37,000, each would include putting in a double drain to improve the safety of the drains system and do away with the annoying alarm system currently installed on the drain/pump system. The drain alarm is a common frustration from neighbors near the pool and the people involved in cleaning but is required by law due to our single drain.

The plastic bubble cover for pool will need to be considered for replacement, the necessity of this cover has been debated, we have only been getting 3 or 4 years of use out of it. It can be a challenge to remove and put back on in the evening. This cover is used to hold in the heat overnight in the summer months. I also think it helps deter the ducks in the spring time and does help manage some of the leaves in the fall. The current estimate for replacement is $450.

We have a view complaint regarding several of the trees around the pool building, this will need to be resolved with city approval. The board is considering the proper offsetting tree credits needed and where proper placement and type will be. The tree cutting will require city approval.

The pool showers and building facility will continue to need work over the years. Some of the upcoming expenses not already mentioned will include roof replacement, the trees drop many needles on the roof and moss grows well there. The asphalt shingles are starting to peel up in areas, this is a sign that the roof will need to be monitored more closely. There is a leak at the exhaust for the heater, water drips down the exhaust pipe onto the ceiling in the heater/pump room. This should be addressed when weather permits, this could be a simple repair or upon inspection may be more involved. This may also be repaired when the heater is replaced.

The wiring and pipes in the building are older, some of the lighting should be upgraded and several switches and sockets in the bathrooms should be inspected or replaced. The hot water heater is over 10 years old and will need to be monitored for replacement. I have replaced the thermo-coupler twice in the last 3 years.

The wood sun deck is showing some age, Arv Hess has volunteered for several summers to put fresh coats of preservative stain on it and this has helped. The deck will need to be monitored for repair or replacement but shouldn’t need immediate attention other than staining and spot repairs.

The brick monuments at the Dash Point entrance are missing bricks and the grout is in poor condition. A mason will need to inspect and give recommendations, I suspect the grout will need to be repointed. The light fixtures are getting old and rusty, the bulbs barely turn in them. The iron will need ongoing cleaning and painting. Although not an immediate concern this should be done at some point in the future.

RECREATION – Nancy Krueger

2015 TREASURER’S REPORT – Greg Bengeult

Ken thanked Michelle Egusa for her service as treasurer last year. Greg Bengeult took over this position in November and presented the report on last year’s expenses. He explained budget overages for the drainage work and removal of playground equipment. He then went over the proposed budget in detail, especially breaking out costs of operating the pool and explaining the need for the proposed increase in dues to $630. The proposed budget is attached.

Several owners asked questions about pool usage. More associate members use the pool regularly than homeowners. The attached charts were displayed and included for the record.

ARCHITECTURE – Vicki Bengeult

We received and approved requests for:1 new fence, 1 replacement fence, 1 new deck, 1 replacement deck, 2 roof replacements, 1 exterior paint colors. We also received several inquiries regarding landscaping, window and door replacement which did not require committee approval.

We verified one hedge out of conformance with view covenants and helped owners resolve the issue.

Communicated with several owners about weeds and overgrown lawns. One owner threatened gun violence but eventually mowed their lawn. Others complied without drama. There is one ongoing issue with an absentee owner who does not keep weeds and underbrush down to his neighbors’ satisfaction.

Our attorney recommends clarifying the Bylaws or drafting Rules & Regulations to clarify the landscaping and architectural requirements. Also, he recommends instituting fines for continued non-conformance, because hiring contractors to correct violations and then billing homeowners (as stated in the CC&Rs) is not feasible. Vicki requested volunteers to serve on this committee and passed around signup sheets for various positions/responsibilities.

The HOA also agreed to remove 7 of the 14 spruce trees surrounding the pool building, as they are blocking views and are too close to the building. We will have to get approval from the city, but that should not be a problem.

The committee created a “welcome packet” for new owners so that they are aware of the CC&Rs and Bylaws, and what our expectations have been for upkeep and keeping views clear. This packet was approved by the Board. Also, a series of form letters (friendly reminder to stern warning) for violations was approved by the Board. These should be updated to conform to whatever bylaws and rules changes we make this year.

VICE-PRESIDENT – Mark Moberg

Mark enjoyed serving as vice-president of Mar Cheri and providing his input in discussions at the monthly board meetings. He encouraged others to serve on the board.

SECRETARY – Vicki Bengeult

Vicki presented the results of the ballot. We had a quorum, with 47 ballots received. We needed a minimum of 40 ballots, with 3 families disqualified from voting due to non-payment of dues. (60% of 66 = 40). Of the 47 ballots cast, 29 voted to approve the proposed budget with annual dues of $630. 18 voted against. Therefore, the budget is adopted with a majority vote and dues will be $630 for 2016.

Results of the survey on whether or not to work towards closing the pool: 22 votes (46% of votes cast) were to keep the pool going. 15 voted to close the pool permanently (32%), 10 did not vote (21%).

The new board was introduced: (Number of votes in parentheses). President – Ken Schiewetz (43), Vice-President Mark Moberg (38), Treasurer – Greg Bengeult (41), Board Member-at-Large – Makoto Sugiuchi (41), Recreation Committee Chairperson – Nancy Krueger (35), Architecture Committee Chairperson – Heather Salton (40). The Maintenance Committee Chairperson and Secretary positions are unfilled at this time.

The new Treasurer and President will be added as signatories on the Mar Cheri bank accounts, and past treasurer Michelle Egusa will be removed. A debit card with be requested in the Treasurer’s name.

President Ken Schiewetz briefly spoke and thanked the outgoing board for their service.

The meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm. The time and date of the next board meeting will be set by the new board.

Respectfully submitted,
Vicki Bengeult
Mar Cheri Secretary

Mar Cheri Board of Directors Meeting
January 11, 2016

In attendance:  Ken Schiewetz, Mark Bunger, Greg Bengeult, Vicki Bengeult, Nancy Krueger. Minutes from the December meeting were approved earlier.

Annual Meeting will be held at 7pm on February 29^th at the Federal Way Library on 1^st Ave. Ballots will be mailed 2 weeks prior, along with proposed budget and info about necessary upcoming large expenses.

There are many new owners in the neighborhood – about 7 homes sold in the last couple of years, and there are currently 3 houses for sale. That’s about 15% new ownership, so make sure your opinions and questions are heard – please come to the meeting. If unable to attend, you can return your ballot by mail.

President’s Report

Ken Schiewetz, Nancy Krueger, Vicki and Greg Bengeult attended a meeting with our HOA attorney, David Huhs, of Curran & Curran. Dave specializes in HOA and condo law. The meeting was informative, highlights being:

• The Board should write Rules & Regulations to clarify specifics of the Bylaws and CC&Rs. Current documentation is vague in regards to expectations regarding owner maintenance. He recommends fines for violations be instituted because the current document’s language about non-compliance requires hiring contractors to do work on homeowner’s property and then charging them for it. This is unfeasible. We will be asking for volunteers to review the Bylaws and help with drafting rules.
• The question as to whether the pool can/should remain operational is simply one of budgeting. If the community does not approve a budget sufficient to maintain the pool with high levels of safety and compliance with public health requirements, then the pool cannot open. It is the responsibility of the board to prepare a budget that reflects the true costs and takes into account long term improvements and maintenance. Owners then vote to approve or reject the budget. There is no need for a change to the CC&Rs or Bylaws to close the pool, temporarily or permanently. It is done all the time by HOAs.
• He also clarified actions the board can take against the very few (he was complimentary that we have so few debtors) defaults on dues. We have received notice of one home in bankruptcy and another up for foreclosure at sheriff’s auction. Both of these properties owe past dues and we may be able to collect as part of the proceedings.
• It is illegal to have “adult swim” as this discriminates against families. We can have “quiet swim” or “lap swim” instead.

Most of the meeting was spent discussing the ramifications of lack of volunteers to fill Board positions next year, as well as various options for operating the pool with reduced costs. We talked about running the pool without lifeguards, but this exposes the community to unacceptable risk and would likely cause our insurance to be cancelled. Nancy is unable to volunteer full time managing the pool, so outside management is being considered at additional expense. Mark Bunger has spent many weekends at the pool over the years doing maintenance and keeping the pool systems running past their expected lifetimes. He is retiring from this position and no one has stepped in to fill his shoes, so this will also raise maintenance costs. We thank both Nancy and Mark for their many years of service, which have allowed dues to remain at $455 for over 7 years in spite of rising costs.

We also discussed whether or not to offer swim lessons. Vicki asked that since that none of the children taking lessons actually lives here in Mar Cheri, why are we subsidizing lessons, and also asked whether it’s worth it to operate the pool if mostly only associate members are using it? Nancy says the pool is underutilized, so if we didn’t have associate members or swim lessons, the pool would be idle. She is strongly in favor of having associate members and swim lessons as a service to the larger community. Majority agrees that we should not lose money on swim lessons. Vicki pointed out that the HOA is formed for homeowners and that we don’t have a charter to extend it to public service unless owners vote to financially support that. Owners bear the liability and expense, and associates gain access to the pool at no risk and lower costs. She also suggested a possibility that rather than special assessments or large dues increases, we could close the pool for a season or two to save money towards the resurfacing and equipment replacement. That would allow us to repair landscaping and parking lot this year, both of which have been neglected over the years  and were affected by the drainage work that had to be done.

Treasurer’s Report

Greg will take input from Mark and Nancy about upcoming expenses and prepare a budget for next year.

Pool Report

King County Public Health Department required the pool drain to have been changed by 2013 in order to conform with safety requirements. Nancy and Mark think this was already done, but will verify with Watermills.

Nominating Committee We are still looking for homeowners who want to join the Board. Call Nancy at 253-941-6390 to volunteer. New owners are welcome!

Respectfully submitted, Vicki Bengeult

Mar Cheri Board of Directors Meeting
December 9, 2015

In attendance:  Ken Schiewetz, Mark Bunger, Mark Moberg, Greg Bengeult, Vicki Bengeult, Nancy Krueger, and Ray Krueger. Minutes from the November meeting were approved earlier.

President

Ken presented an update on the drainage project. The contractor had some delays due to personnel health issues, and now the continued rainy weather is interfering. If the project is not completed to satisfaction soon, Ken will find another contractor to finish the work for the same remaining cost (or less). [Update: complete as of 12/30.]

Vice President

Nancy led us through a review of the CC&Rs with the idea that closing the pool might require a change to them. If so, the process takes three years. We are looking for an impartial attorney to review the documents and give a professional opinion. Further discussion focuses on what to do going forward, because our income is not meeting expenses. The options on the table so far:

• Keep pool operating as it has been, with lifeguards and swim lessons, with probable dues increase.
• Operate pool without lifeguards or with fewer hours, and without swim lessons (which operated at a loss last year).
• Initiate pool closure. This is not without its own costs, but they are short term. Thereafter, dues could be reduced.

Treasurer’s Report

Greg Bengeult volunteered to take over the treasurer’s job for the remainder of the year and also to continue filling this role next year. Michelle regretfully surrendered the job due to personal considerations. We thank her for her good work and service.

Greg reports that Labor & Industry taxes have been paid for the prior quarter. Taxes are higher this year due to increased number of labor hours for lifeguards. We spent more than we took in this year.

Pool Report

The Public Health Dept. requires some changes to the way we store chlorine and other pool supplies. Mark and Nancy will work with Watermills to get the storage closet into compliance.

Nominating Committee  We are still looking for homeowners who want to join the Board next February. Call Nancy at 253-941-6390 to volunteer. New owners are welcome!

Respectfully submitted, Vicki Bengeult

In attendance: Ken Schiewetz, Mark Bunger, Mark Moberg, Michelle Egusa, Vicki Bengeult and Nancy Krueger.

Minutes from the October meeting were approved earlier.

President

Ken presented an update on the drainage project. The project is about 80% complete, with final grading and cleanup remaining. The low wall of railroad ties behind the grills has been removed and the ground will be graded to an easy slope. The playground equipment was pulled out due to being in disrepair and unsafe. The board voted to approve a bid of $493 to remove the debris from the railroad ties and playground.

After some discussion, we opted to research the cost of putting wood chips down over the playground area to reduce weed growth, and to further investigate how best to use the area. One low cost idea is to plant low-growing trees and shrubs and possibly grass. We still want to remove some of the tall spruce trees from around the pool house that are blocking views, but the city will want us to replace them with equivalent tree credits, so planting in the old playground area is a good option.

Treasurer’s Report

Michelle presented year to date financial report (attached). Large expenses included the drainage project, clearing of blackberries behind pool and along stream, pool chlorine system, and repairs to the pool house.

Because 3 owners are still deliquent on dues, we discussed ways to prevent loss of income in the future . Houses have gone into foreclosure several times in the past couple of years, and this makes it more difficult to collect dues when the homes are underwater on their mortages. The board will clarify a policy of a series of collection letters with specific escalating actions, interest, and administrative/legal costs, culminating in referral to attorney or collection agency before dues become overdue by more than a year. Michelle will draft a series of letters for the next board meeting and we will seek legal counsel regarding the collection policy and status of current outstanding debts.

Pool Report

Nancy has been in conversation with a pool management contractor to possibly run the pool next year. The position requires approximately 12 hours a week through the pool season. Alternatively, we might use a volunteer (possibly paid) from the community. Duties include managing and scheduling lifeguards, reporting hours for payroll, tracking water quality, etc.

Vicki presented some data on the use of the pool during the 2015 season. In brief:

• 10% of our families used the pool more than once a week. These are primarily during the adult swim hour.

• 9% used the pool 5 to 11 times this summer (an exceptionally warm, dry season)

• 81% used the pool fewer than 5 times.

• 65% never used the pool.

Dividing the expenses for the pool, including liability insurance and payroll, by the number of uses of the pool, we get the cost per family visit of $132. 24 Mar Cheri families used the pool a total of 218 times over 90 days, a little more than 2 visits per day on average.

Through October of this year, pool expenses including payroll ($12805) are approximately $28850. This is $418 per household – .90% of the HOA dues. If only the families who used the pool were to pay (this is not something we propose, just given for purposes of discussion), the cost would be $1202, or about $400/month. Our associate memberships this year were $345 for the summer.

Discussion is ongoing as to the best approach in moving forward. Large upcoming expenses in the next few years for resurfacing the pool, replacing the deck, and purchasing a new sand filter and water heater would almost certainly require an increase in dues. Therefore the board is discussing all options:

• close the pool permanently

• run the pool without lifeguards (and therefore without associate memberships)

• reduce the hours/days the pool is open

No decision will be made without a vote of the community. The Bylaws and CC&Rs seem to allow modifying the use of or selling community property with a 2/3 majority vote, but this needs to be verified with independent legal counsel. Several years ago, a survey was done wherein approximately 2/3 of the respondents were in favor of closing the pool. This will be on the agenda at the annual meeting.

Nominating Committee

We are looking for homeowners who want to join the Board next February. We will need a treasurer, secretary, maintenance chairperson and architecture chairperson. Call Nancy at 253-941-6390 to volunteer.

Respectfully submitted, Vicki Bengeult

Mar Cheri Board of Directors Meeting

October 6, 2015

In attendance: Ken Schewietz, Mark Bunger, Mark Moberg, Michelle Egusa and Nancy Krueger.

Minutes from the September meeting were approved earlier.

President

Ken met several times with Greg Anderson, of Anderson Landscape Service. Greg and his crew have dug trenches to drain spring water and runoff water away from the playground and parking lot following Mark Bunger’s plan. Greg assured Ken that our project was inside the city codes and we did not need a permit. Greg is also going to remove the rotten railroad tie wall at the playarea and smooth dirt to a walkable slope. This will finish our contracted work. Other projects include monthly landscape maintenance and removal of the other rail road tie wall replaced by concrete bricks. The Board has decided to wait on those project.

Treasurer’s Report

Michelle reported on expenditures for the month of September, $6,333.81, which includes partial payment to Anderson Landscaping for the drainage project. As of 10/6/15, the checking account alance is $9274.24. The savings account balance, earmarked for pool resurfacing, is $19,675.13.

The Board talked about next year’s budget and assessments.

Pool Report

The Board decided to hire NWPool and Spa Care of Tacoma to handle a maintenance contract for the next year beginning this month. In the past year and a half, Mark Bunger and Makoto Sugiuchi have maintained the pool. Mark Bunger is leaving the Board at the end of his term and we will need professional help to maintain the pool at acceptable water quality levels.We hope that Makoto will continue to be involved with maintenance projects.

Continuing Business

We still have three families that are past due with their 2015 assessments. Several letters have been sent to the parties, liens filed and we have a small claim judgement on one home. The Board is trying to collect these assessments by the end of the year.

Nominating Committee

We are looking for homeowners who want to join the Board next February. We will need a treasurer and a maintenance person. [addendum added by Vicki – we also will need a Secretary and Architecture Chairperson, and someone to maintain the website and email lists]. Call Nancy at 253-941-6390 to volunteer.

Respectfully submitted, Nancy Krueger

Mar Cheri Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

August 4, 2015

Ken Scheweitz, Nancy Krueger, Mark Bunger, and Vicki Bengeult were in attendance with Michelle Egusa, who had to leave early. A quorum was present. Minutes of July meeting were approved via email prior to the meeting.

Ken led the meeting by focusing discussion of the following items as part of a master plan. We talked about how much time and effort it requires to maintain the pool and surrounding areas, how few volunteers there are doing the work, and that it costs more to maintain as the property ages.

Pool – Nancy and Mark

We have been working hard to keep the pool water healthy. We replaced the UV light in our UV filter and that has made the water cleaner. We are waiting to get the go ahead from King County for the new liquid chlorine system. The meter for this system is installed.

Nancy obtained a bid to extend the wooden pool fence and add doors to house the plastic container for the 15 gallon carboys of chlorine which we will need to run the new system. It will cost $500 to complete this enclosure. Vicki suggested we also have him repair the broken fence leading into the sports court area, and the board agreed.

Mark and Nancy discussed the reasons we need to replace the sand filter for the pool right away, in addition to the new chlorine system. This filter is past its expected life and because it isn’t working properly, Mark has had to drain significant volumes of water from the pool in the middle of the night (required by the water district to be done at off peak hours) to keep acid levels down. Estimates from Watermill are that the installed ion pool filter would cost $2827.57. A new heater installed would run $4,878.19. The board agreed to proceed with the new sand filter and asked Mark and Nancy to obtain additional bids for the heater and pool resurfacing.

The health department will likely require our pool to be resurfaced after next season. The work must be done at the end of summer when the water table is at its lowest, because there is a risk that hydraulic pressure from the water table will push the empty pool out of the ground. Resurfacing will probably cost somewhere around $30,000. We have approximately $20,000 set aside for this.

Swim lessons continue. We also have two families taking private lessons on Saturday and Sunday morning.

We have a request to keep the pool open on weekends only until the middle of September, and have agreed to do so if lifeguards are available, water quality is good, and the weather continues warm.

Architecture Committee – Vicki

We requested bids for maintenance of the common areas around the pool and Vicki met with four different landscape firms. The Architecture Committee believes this area is out of compliance with the covenants with weed and blackberry overgrowth as well as trees blocking views. In the past, volunteers have tried to weed during the spring work parties, but this has not been enough to keep this area in usable and presentable condition year round, so we recommend hiring ongoing maintenance.

The bids were specified in several parts: a) One time cleanup of debris from the tree cutting on the Sorenson/Cheng property. This cleanup would be for our property along the stream, and also cutting blackberries back 3 feet from the fence at the back of the property by the pool b) ongoing maintenance to keep entire common area clear of invasive species, mowed, and weeded; c) the drainage project (rough bid because city requirements are still unknown). 3 estimates were received, and we are expecting the final one within the week, and all will be presented at the next board meeting.

The cost to remove half the spruce trees around the pool house would be $1400. Replacement trees would be required by the city, but trees of more appropriate height would be selected and could be placed out of view lines and to provide shade in the picnic areas. No decisions were made, pending the requirements from the city for the drainage project, which Ken is working on.

Stream Mitigation/Walking Path Project Update

Isaac Conlen, City Planner of Federal Way. wrote to give us the outline of the requirements for extending the trail north of the playground in the buffer zone along the stream. Basically, we would have to apply for regulatory exemptions, which would be expensive and time consuming. This project has been tabled for now.

Vicki attended a public hearing about a stream buffer encroachment application for a property to the north of the pool. She obtained some information that may help us fulfill requirements for replanting the area along the stream. It took this property owner almost 3 years and multiple engineering and environmental impact studies to be able to replace the house on his property, and this was granted in large part because he is removing a culvert and ‘daylighting’ the stream, which the city considers an improvement for stream health. This gives an idea of the kind of work needed to gain permission for a path along the stream.

Treasurer’s Report – July Activity

In light of the major pool expenses this year, Michelle was asked to provide information on year to date budget at our next meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 pm. Next meeting will be at 7 pm on September 9, at the Bengeults’.