Q3 Board of Directors Meeting

Date

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Time

7:00pm- 8:30pm

Location

Moore Residence, 4324 36th Ave, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Minutes

In attendance: President Jordan Moore, Treasurer Steven Hopkins, Secretary Brynn Graham, HOA members Susan and Joel Mott, Kylee and Tim.

Meeting began at 7:11 p.m.

The following update was provided by the Landscape Committee:

Riding lawn mower recommendation

Susan Mott provided background on the HOA purchase of the riding lawn mower and that it’s been stowed at Greg Wolfe’s residence. Greg formerly did the landscaping maintenance of the HOA open space and the owned areas. He has retired and the riding lawn mower needs a new home. The Landscape Committee met to review options for what to do with. Options:

• Donate to Greg as appreciation
• Sell it used $500-$800 range
• Keep for the Landscape Committee to haul water for new plants and tools for work parties, goods, etc. If choosing this option it would require a place to store the mower and add a hitch to pull a trailer, which has an added cost of about $350.

The committee had a unanimous decision to donate the mower to Greg Wolfe. Greg said he would allow the landscape committee to use it with pre-determined times and scheduling. He would also continue to mow his neighbor’s yards who are unable to do it for themselves. Howard Cushner said he would store the trailer that would be used by the committee to hitch to the back of the mower to haul water. Another committee member offered to install the trailer hitch.

Accomplishments

• Transition of contact with the landscaper hired by HOA board from Susan as main point of contact to the board being main point of contact now that Susan is no longer on the board.
• The June work party saw 12 volunteers show up. They used the chipper to chip large branches/debris. The group spread the wood chips at the lower sign on 38th and Briarwood. Majority stayed on after 12 pm to help chip the remaining pile at lthe ower area.
• City of Gig Harbor cleared the right of way along Briarwood, cutting back blackberries. Susan spent time clearing the remaining blackberries that were on HOA-owned property. This used up the remaining money from the $200 allotted to Landscape Committee for dump runs to remove noxious weeds.

Requests to Board:

• Have the landscaper take care of items within the scope of work. Susan removed blackberries from the 15 miles per hour sign and asked the landscaper to pick up.
• Lower sign has a lot of weeds, requesting the weeds be removed. Jordan will follow up with the landscaper to make sure they weed around the sign.
• Tansy Ragwort has taken over the shoreline of the pond where the blackberries were removed. In year’s past members who now volunteer on the Landscape Committee removed it. The question is whether to have someone remove it or have it be a neighborhood cleanup project. There are concerns about the risk of exposure because it is a toxic weed. The landscape committee doesn’t want to do it because it wants to focus on other areas. Steven noted that if going to remove it, then need to replace it with something so that it doesn’t return and grow back even worse.
• The committee requests the board send a notice to two properties that appear to be dumping yard waste into a common area. One is dumping on 38th Street. The other is on 34th Ave CT. They are dumping into open area. Also requesting a general reminder to all owners no dumping in the common areas.
• Budget request for next year:
  • The committee is requesting $500 to $1,000 to have available as the board reviews future budget allocations and potential due increases. Dump fees spent this year that were allocated by the board covered $200. Susan noted volunteers could easily use up a lot of money on dump fees if they made an effort to clean up. Susan & Joel took 15 dump loads with their personal vehicle.
  • Joel noted that trees are leaning toward the road. If falls in the road the city will cut, but will throw back into the property. Jordan suggested looking at the cost for the landscaper to take a trailer load worth of debris, vs. personal vehicle which can’t handle as much.
  • $350 for trailer hitch for the lawn mower if it’s determined the HOA will keep but donate to Greg Wolfe, per the Landscape Committee recommendation.
  • The committee also requests the purchase of refreshments for work parties.
• Landscape committee is overwhelmed by the pond and its maintenance. Susan asked for the former board members or those with knowledge of what transpired to share information about the pond, its maintenance and the determination lawyers hired by the HOA gave about who owns it and is responsible for its clearing.. Susan is asking for more information to be shared so everyone understands what transpired.
• Next neighborhood cleanup: Saturday, Sept. 30. The plan is to remove invasive Hymalayan blackberries, and other invasive species.
• The committee learned that tree companies will chip trees they fell and offer the chips for free. The committee hopes to use these free chips for other open areas to help keep weeds down.

Steven noted he recently saw grass clippings dumped in the open area by the pond. He asked if the landscaper agreement allowed that. It was confirmed the agreement says they should remove the clippings and not be dumping in the open space. Jordan will check with the landscaper and the crew to make sure they are not leaving behind clippings.

Increasing Annual Assessment for HOA

Jordan provided background on the survey the board conducted earlier this year to determine whether there was support among HOA members to increase the annual dues assessment.

42 members responded (out of 57).

• 81% respondents supported an increase in dues to $181/year
• 64% respondents supported an increase in dues $213/year

Jordan ran through the process to increase dues more than 5%, noting that a meeting must be held in person and if two-thirds of the membership is not present then the vote is postponed 30 days and the meeting held again. The process is repeated until the required vote threshold is met.

Based on the majority of people supporting the minimal increase of $5/month to total $181/year, Jordan recommended going with this option. This option would cover the current costs of insurance, PO Box rental and cover the cost to hire a landscaper to continue the maintenance work currently being done of the open space areas, sidewalks and signs.

Jordan requested discussion on what dollar amount we should propose. Steven asked for a review of the budget to see what we are budgeting for. He noted he found duplications in his review of past budgets and wants to review again.

Susan requested an opportunity for Steven to share his ideas for ways to keep the dues down. Steven asked what the landscaper will do during the months when there is less need for maintenance, like winter months when nothing is growing.

Susan shared that when researching landscapers, in her conversation she learned they prefer to make annual agreements so they can guarantee employment vs. month to month which is more expensive.

Currently the landscaper company is supposed to be cleaning up both sign areas, trimming along Briarwood, blowing the sidewalks, removing weeds along the sidewalk strips, keeping the pond area clean, clearing the path, and keeping the vegetation trimmed.

Steven cited concern that they aren’t doing the work that they were hired to do.

The discussion returned to the proposed dues increase.

Jordan reviewed the survey results, noting the majority of the people that responded are interested in increasing the annual dues assessment.

In light of this, he proposed a vote be held among membership to see if there is support for a dues increase. If approved the budget will be amended to reflect the addition of landscaping services for 2024. If denied, the board will need to review the budget and plan accordingly.

Jordan motioned to hold a special meeting of the HOA board for the purpose of holding a vote of the membership to increase annual dues to $181/year.

Jordan called for the vote.

• All in favor: 3 aye.
• All opposed: none.

The motion passed.

The board set a special meeting date of Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. Time and date to be determined. A written notice will be sent to members, per HOA bylaws, notifying of the vote. Members who are unable to attend in person can vote by proxy. The board will create a system to allow for people to mail in their votes to the PO Box, then open the votes the night of the meeting in an attempt to meet the two-thirds quorum requirement.

Howard’s Garden Sign

Brynn made a motion to authorize Susan and Joel Mott to donate a sign that says “Howard’s Garden” to be placed in the open space area on Briarwood Lane that Howard Cushner maintains. The authorization to place the sign is pending approval of the Architectural Control Committee.

Jordan seconded.

• All in favor: 3 aye.
• All opposed: none.

The motion passed.

No trespassing sign/private property sign

The board previously approved placing a sign on the HOA-owned walking path off Briarwood Lane that goes into the 5-acre wooded area to note it is private HOA-owned property, similar to what is done at the entrance to the pond.

The cost is $330 for 3 large signs.Due to the budget being unknown for 2024 until the membership votes on the due increase, the board was hesitant to spend the money on the signs. Instead the board will purchase significantly cheaper “No Trespassing” signs and post them around the property border to make it clear the property is private.

Jordan said he would purchase the signs.

The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.