Board of Directors Meeting

Date

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Time

7:00pm- 8:30pm

Location

Zoom

Minutes

Attendance: President Jordan Moore, Secretary Brynn Graham, Treasurer Erin Floersch

HOA owners in attendance via Zoom: Mitchell Blakney, Susan & Joel Mott, Tom Gonzalez, Lowell Klaver, Mark Christel, David Hwang.

Meeting called to order at 7:06 pm.

Old Business

Jordan summarized two significant projects that were completed in the HOA Open Spaces this past summer:

• The Department of Natural Resources awarded a micro grant ($4,500) that was used to remove several fallen/at-risk trees and flammable debris from the Open Spaces.
• The Pierce Conversation Corp created a fire break in Open Space A.

Special thanks to Susan Mott and the rest of the Landscape Committee for their efforts on these projects.

Pond proposal

The landscape committee (composed of Susan and Joel Mott, Cecilia Blomberg, Howard Cushner and Lowell Klaver) wants to see the pond slope better maintained to help keep visibility of the water and keep the blackberries away and the overgrowth maintained. The Landscape Committee also has concerns about the Tansy Ragwort and believes it is critical to remove.

The committee previously proposed via an email to the board removing all the blackberries on the slope of the pond and the Tansy Ragwort and then putting down landscape cloth and rocks to cover to keep plants from growing back. Estimated cost could be up to $2,500.

After further review, the volunteer-led committee determined the original recommendation may not be the best option. They are now creating a list of native plants they want to plant in place of the invasive species. For the number of plants they want to put in, they estimate the cost could be closer to $3,000.

The idea is to start with three different plants in one area.

Jordan asked about the involvement of the city to make sure the work is being done in accordance with city code. Brynn shared that the City of Gig Harbor suggested getting in touch with the city’s principal planner before any work was done on the pond shoreline to ensure what is done is in line with city code and the city’s critical areas ordinance for its sensitive areas. The city has confirmed the pond area falls under its critical areas ordinance as a sensitive area.

Jordan suggested reaching out to the city first to find out what CAN be done in the space before spending a lot of time coming up with a potential solution that can’t be done due to regulations. The board agreed to reach out to the city in the coming weeks to get a better response about what can and can’t be done in the designated critical area. Once this information is known it will be shared with the Landscape Committee.

The board shared with the committee representatives that before any plants are purchased, or anything removed or work done, the HOA board must first have a proposal in writing from the Landscape Committee with cost estimates. The board must approve any purchases before they are made.

New business

During the summer, resident Tom Gonzalez donated a wooden bench he made to the HOA open space by the pond at the bottom of 36th Avenue. The board thanked Tom for his donation to the HOA and for creating a space to sit at the pond.

Brynn provided a quick update about a plan for HOA owner Jay Becker to host an emergency preparedness meeting for people to learn more about what they can do to help each other during an emergency and how they can prepare before an emergency happens. A separate meeting will be coordinated with Jay to offer a chance for people to learn more.

Jordan shared that the HOA board will conduct a survey of all homeowners to determine what the landscape priorities are of the neighborhood. This would include how to move forward with future maintenance of the neighborhood and landscaping, and gauge people’s support for potential cost implications.

The board will include the survey in the dues notices that go out in December in an effort to get more responses. The survey will be online but will also include a paper component for those who want to fill it out and mail it back.

Budget update

Erin provided the following budget updates:

There is currently $6,498 in the HOA bank account.

Remaining payments still to be made in 2024: $302 PO Box rental (this went up slightly from 2023) $57 reimbursement for landscape removal of trash and mileage to be paid to Susan and Joel Mott. $1,000 for next 2 months of landscaping service for Zentinos Landscaping

Once those payments are clear, the year-end balance is $5,138.

Erin reported that there are still 4 owners who need to pay their dues for 2024. There was some confusion over whether they were informed that they still needed to pay after the Treasurer role was transferred from the prior Treasurer to the new treasure. The total amount still due to the HOA is $814.

Erin will reach out to the remaining owners to get those payments. Once received, the final year-end balance will be: $5,952.

Susan asked if the unspent balance allocated to the landscape committee by the board in 2024 would be carried over to 2025 or if they have to spend the money by the end of the year.

It was agreed by the board that the money would carry over to 2025 and wouldn’t be lost. The money is for reimbursement requests for work parties and before purchases are made by committee members they must first be approved by the board. It was noted that if an emergency arose like the need to remove a tree, the board may need to pull from the allocation to help with that cost.

Susan asked if the board would be earmarking money for the landscape committee requests for the pond maintenance and other requests.

Joel asked whether the board would be considering another dues increase to increase the amount of funding the board has available.

Jordan noted the budget was thin going into 2024, but the micro grant that was awarded from DNR helped bolster the budget’s reserves because it reimbursed the cost to cut multiple trees that needed to be removed, saving the HOA money.

Due to this, Jordan said he did not see a strong need to increase dues unless the board created a reserve account or created a set aside for approved landscaping projects. He suggested including in the survey to residents a question about whether people want to see a budget line item to set aside money to cover future landscaping projects.

Susan said she would like to see the dues increased minimally every year to try to keep pace with inflation and slowly build up a deeper reserve. Susan asked what the board’s preference was for the increase in dues.

Brynn shared that she did not support a dues increase in 2025 due to the big increase that was enacted in 2024 and with the feedback some residents shared who were unhappy with the increase. Brynn suggested discussing a dues increase for 2026. Erin and Jordan agreed.

Setting the May 2025 General Meeting Date

The board agreed to hold the 2025 General Meeting on Thursday, May 15, 2025 via Zoom at 7 p.m. Susan shared it would be good to hear back from people about their availability to join a meeting with Zoom to see if people aren’t able to join how they can access the information discussed. It was shared people can attend via Zoom by calling a phone number and not by using a computer.

Open the floor to owner comments

Mark cited concerns about the work done this summer in the 5 acres of forested land that created the firebreak trail. He asked if the HOA Board has anything in the works to prevent people from directly accessing his yard from the trail, which has already happened. This summer after the trail was widened and access improved it made it easier for people to walk onto the neighboring properties of the open space and Mark had a person walk onto their property, along their house line and into the street. He is concerned about safety and people trespassing on his private property.

Jordan responded that the board does not have current plans to put in fencing to restrict access to only the open space. He noted the board did put up no trespassing signs - though the person who trespassed on Mark’s property ignored those and still went through. Jordan noted a neighborhood wide survey will inform the board about the wants of the neighborhood and provide a more well rounded viewpoint of how some of the work being done is impacting the neighborhood.

Mitch said he recalled the original plat had a requirement that the board maintain the trail around the periphery of the platted development. But he noted it’s important to walk the line between security and the plat map.

Brynn noted that what was platted 40 years ago is much different than how the neighborhood is now. Vegetation has filled in and some people purchased their properties with the greenbelt screening potentially unaware that at one time it was cleared to allow people to walk along the border of their property. She noted that’s why the board wants to hear from the neighborhood about the priorities of the majority to determine how to move forward.

Mitch agreed and also noted the concerns of safety and the need and want to have the vegetation as a screen.

Susan said all 57 property owners, under how the development was platted, have access to the 13 acres of HOA-owned open space. She requested the HOA board send a “Notice of consent to use land” to all properties in the HOA who may be encroaching on the open space.

Mitch asked for clarification about who was currently impacted from using the open space?

Susan showed the plat map for the HOA. She said she thinks it is important to be neighborly and share with owners who may have encroachments into open space that they are impeding into HOA-owned property.

Erin asked for clarity on specifically which areas Susan was referencing. She also asked Susan what she wants to see happen in those areas and how she foresees people using them.

Susan said as one of 57 owners in the HOA, she wants access to open space, including the trails outlined on the plat map that are currently overgrown, “without someone coming out and yelling” about them being on their property. She said she wants the perimeter trail open and accessible. She said the trail is one of the reasons why she bought in the neighborhood.

Joel said it is unfair to the rest of the owners if people are using the open space for their exclusive use.

Mitch asked if the HOA board was receiving a lot of complaints from owners about this or if people were upset about it? He noted “it’s been like this for 30 years” and asked why do anything if no one is bringing it up?

Jordan responded the board has not received complaints from anyone about this since he’s been president (4 years), except for what was shared by the Motts.

Joel noted just because it’s been done for 30 years doesn’t make it right.

Erin asked for more clarification about what access they want that they don’t already have with the network of existing sidewalks and current trails. She asked if they wanted to walk between the houses?

Susan said she wants to work toward bringing access back to the land and believes that it is one of the top duties of the board to do.

Jordan suggested with the survey the plat map should be included so people know how the neighborhood was originally designed and to help them understand what is being requested.

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.