Minutes of Owners' Special Meeting

Cedar Springs Homeowners’ Association Special Meeting

September 30, 2006

Presiding were Board members Don Lapworth, Kippy Strandberg, Susan Miller, and Art Shotwell. Allen Souders, Attorney, sat with the Board to respond to questions about the CC&Rs.

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. in the large meeting room of the
Anacortes Library.

1. Revisions to the CC&Rs

Don Lapworth, President, introduced the Board members and Allen Souders, the attorney the Board has worked with on the revisions to the CC&Rs. Don announced that upon approval of the revisions, the new CC&Rs will be distributed to all homeowners.

Allen Souders explained the reasons that covenants have come into being for homeowners’ associations. They protect the developers and give buyers some assurance of what they are buying into. They are somewhat short term in nature and need to be revised from time to time.

Three Washington State laws set forth mandatory requirements for CC&Rs, while providing latitude for different homeowners’ associations to make their own adjustments. Sixty-seven percent of homeowners must approve changes to the CC&Rs according to the laws.

Allen Souders has reviewed our revisions to make sure that they comply with the law and that they make sense according to his extensive experience with CC&Rs and homeowners’ associations.

Don Lapworth explained one change to the CC&Rs regarding financial penalties for property owners who do not comply with the regulations. If necessary, liens may be put on the property and collected at resale. The financial penalties and conditions will be presented to the homeowners’ association by the Board. As Allen Souders explained, it is more efficient to rely on conversations between the Board and a homeowner, along with fines, if necessary, than to go to court over a disagreement.

There was discussion of whether to amend section 11.9 of the CC&Rs to allow for real estate signs when homeowners want to sell their property. The members present voted to allow such signs with Board oversight and voted to add this language to 11.9: “The Board shall provide, by house rules, for the display of certain signs for real estate marketing.”

There was discussion about the last sentence in 11.6.1. Some people felt that there needed to be room for flexibility regarding what expenses are a homeowner’s responsibility and to what extent the Board should approve paying for damages, especially when pests are concerned and may cause damage both inside and outside of units as well as in between the walls and underneath and across units within a single building. Members present voted to omit the word “sole” from the last sentence of 11.6.1. The members present then voted on their paper ballots whether to accept the new CC&Rs as proposed (and amended during the meeting). As of Saturday afternoon, September 30, 17 units voted to accept the revisions as discussed in the meeting. One unit was against, and one abstained. The revised CC&Rs will therefore go into effect.

2. Revision to Section 11.7 of the CC&Rs

The members present voted on their paper ballots whether to accept 11.7 for inclusion in the CC&Rs up to the word “owner.” The last sentence, which begins with “The Board…” will be part of the House Rules but not part of the CC&Rs. As of Saturday afternoon, September 30, 19 units have voted to accept 11.7 for inclusion as written above.

3. Earthquake Insurance

Susan Miller presented what she had learned about earthquake insurance for the homeowners’ association. Members voted on their paper ballots whether or not to have the association purchase earthquake insurance. As of Saturday afternoon, September 30, 8 units have voted to purchase the insurance and 10 have voted not to. We won’t know the outcome until the proxy ballots have been turned in.

4. Landscaping and Sprinkler System Proposal

Kippy Strandberg, Landscape Coordinator, gave background regarding the problems with the creek, the sprinkler system, the plants, and the soils. John Childs of Simply Yards had written a proposal for improvements to our landscaping and sprinkler system, but it was incomplete and did not provide enough detail. Kippy recommended that we postpone discussion and voting on the proposal until we have adequate information.

Art Shotwell, Treasurer, discussed payment options if we accept John Childs’ revised, detailed proposal. The options included a one-time assessment per unit or a $25 to $35 increase in monthly homeowners’ dues, depending on whether $10 per month was included for earthquake insurance if the homeowners vote to purchase it. Even if the members reject both earthquake insurance and the landscaping proposal, Art will propose a $10 per month increase in monthly dues to keep up with rising expenses.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 noon.

The next Board meeting will be November 7th at 7:00 p.m. at the Lapworths’ house,

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Miller

Upcoming meetings

The Board will hold a work session to prepare for the upcoming owners' meeting. The work session will be held at Don Lapworth's house on 39th Court on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7pm.

A meeting of all homeowners is set for Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10am at the Anacortes Public Library.

Board Minutes - August 31, 2006

Board Meeting Minutes for Cedar Springs Homeowners’ Association
August 31, 2006

Present were Board members Don Lapworth, Kippy Strandberg, Susan Miller, and Art Shotwell. Guests attending were Jan Berry and Eloise Brookman.

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. The minutes were approved as read.

President’s Report

1. The revised CC&Rs will be available for review by homeowners as of September 20, 2006. Please call Don Lapworth to get a copy.

2. Landscaping of the common areas:
While owners may put in plants around their units without getting Board approval, the Board agreed that before planting anything in the common areas (such as near the mailboxes or in other areas not immediately adjacent to a unit), people should first consult with the Landscape Coordinator (Kippy Strandberg) to choose appropriate plants. The wrong kinds of plants can cause extra work for our landscaping people, and they have asked us to exercise some control over what is planted in the common areas.

3. Kitchen cabinets:
If your kitchen cabinets have a color finish (as opposed to a varnish or clear finish), the finish might be Thermo-foil, a plastic that can blister from heat. Take a look at the edges of the drawers and cabinet doors near ovens and toasters to see if there is any blistering. If there is, please call Strandberg Construction to order replacements.

Treasurer’s Report

1. Our account balances are as follows:
$ 2,900 in the operating account
$ 2,900 in the insurance account
$40,650 in the reserve account

2. We are allocating $ 10 per unit per month for the roof replacements, which will be started 30 years after the first unit was built.

Landscape Representative’s Report

Kippy Strandberg’s landscaping report is enclosed with these minutes. We thank Kippy for keeping us well informed about sprinklers, plants, grass, and other related issues.

New Business

The Board agreed to call a meeting of all homeowners on September 30, Saturday morning, at 10:00 in the large meeting room of the Anacortes Public Library.

At the homeowners’ meeting, we will consider proposals for the following items and vote on them:
a. landscaping proposal by Simply Yards
b. approval of the revised CC&Rs
c. earthquake insurance
The Board discussed postponing the re-painting project by one year (beginning in 2008 instead of 2007) to accommodate more urgent expenditures. Units were scheduled to be repainted every seven years. The first units would ordinarily be repainted next year, but we may postpone the project one year, pending discussion with the homeowners.

The details of a proposed earthquake policy will be distributed the last week of September so that homeowners will be familiar with the issues when they come to the meeting of all homeowners on September 30th.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 p.m.

Reminders

• It is requested that if homeowners have questions or concerns, they put them in writing and send them to the Board. If the matter is urgent, please indicate that it is, and indicate a date by when a response is needed. Someone from the Board will respond.

• The minutes can also be found at http://cedarspringshoa.blogspot.com/

Next Board Meeting will be October 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at the Susan Miller’s house at 1804 Cedar Springs LANE.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Miller

Board Minutes - August 7, 2006

Board Meeting Minutes for Cedar Springs Homeowners’ Association
August 7, 2006

Present were Board members Don Lapworth, Kippy Strandberg, Barbara McClendon, Susan Miller, and Art Shotwell. Guests attending were Jan Berry and Malcomb McClendon.

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. The minutes were approved as read.

President’s Report

1. The revised CC&Rs will be distributed to members of the Board at the next Board meeting, August 31. A copy will eventually be distributed to each homeowner and a copy will be filed with the county. Homeowners who have renters occupying their units are asked to make sure their renters get a copy of the by-laws and read them.
2. The resident who has not cleaned up after their dog will be moving soon.

Treasurer’s Report

1. Our account balances are as follows:
$4500 in the operating account
$1800 in the insurance account
$39,400 in the reserve account
2. One homeowner is over sixty days delinquent in paying dues. Art will speak to the homeowner.
3. Earthquake insurance for the entire 28 units, up to a maximum payout of $5,625,000, would cost each homeowner approximately $10 per month, which would be added to the monthly homeowners’ fee. Details about the earthquake insurance will be sent to homeowners within the next few weeks. When the information arrives, please review it and let Susan Miller know if you are in favor of getting earthquake insurance coverage for our association or if you do not want us to get it. If enough people are interested, we will invite the insurance agent (who handles our association insurance) to appear at a general meeting to answer questions before taking a vote. Please call Susan at 299-8900 and let her know your thoughts. You may leave a message if no one answers.

Landscape Representative’s Report

1. A few people have expressed concerns that some areas are getting too much water and some are getting too little. Kippy will speak with Javier about correcting the situation.
2. People have asked why we still have so many weeds. Kippy will speak with Ken about what can be done.
3. A few small landscaping projects have been deemed necessary. Simply Yards gave an estimate the Board found reasonable, so the projects will be done soon.
4. Kippy and Don will meet with the owner of Simply Yards about some concerns people have. If they are responsive to our concerns, we will then consider whether to have them undertake some larger projects, such as amending the soil and moving misplaced shrubs and trees.

New Business

Barbara McLendon needs responses from homeowners and renters regarding whether or not they will be coming to this Sunday’s potluck (August 13) at 3.00 p.m. on the patio behind the Lapworths’ house, 1806 39th Court. All homeowners and renters are invited. Please bring your own chair, something to drink, and a plate and utensils. Let Barbara (293-2828) know what you are planning to bring so that she can make sure we don’t end up with too much of the same thing. Don Lapworth is offering his barbecue if anyone wants to bring something for the grill.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

Reminders

• It is requested that if homeowners have questions or concerns, they put them in writing and send them to the Board. If the matter is urgent, please indicate that it is, and indicate a date by when a response is needed. Someone from the Board will respond.
• The minutes can also be found at http://cedarspringshoa.blogspot.com/

Next Board Meeting will be August 31st at 7:00 p.m. at the Lapworths’ house.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Miller