CEDAR SPRINGS HOA NEWSLETTER
The intent of this is to let homeowners know that your dues have been crucial in maintaining our community. We have had several incidents where timely response was very important. In two cases VP Alex Taylor was able to get the professional help needed to make emergency repairs. In the first the electrical power to one of the units went out. It was determined that the problem was a broken underground electrical conduit which caused the problem. This work was completed in a timely fashion. The same can be said for a broken water pipe to a residence on the Court side. In this case the area around the underground meter was very wet. The city found that the leak was between the meter and the residence, making it our problem. Prompt service by a plumber found the broken pipe (in an area where a heavy vehicle could have driven over it) and made the repairs.
This fall a Court side resident noticed that a cottonwood tree had grown over their roof and represented a real threat to major roof damage. It was also noted that a nearby cracked Cottonwood trunk was being climbed on by young people. The Board thought that both trees represented problems and contacted our professional tree people to have the branches over the house and the broken trunk removed. In light of recent winds I think we may have avoided some real problems.
The winds did knock down one section of the fence on the Court side. This was repaired in a timely fashion by the Chuck Boyd firm. He was also contracted to clean gutters and make gutter repairs to specific units. I had noticed during one early downpour, that some residents in my field of view had waterfalls covering their front entrance. The cost of this cleaning was in excess of $1400. Over a yard of leaves were disposed of. We need to monitor this to determine if we need to clean gutters around the wooded area twice a year. Of course all of this has budget and dues impacts.
As winter is with us now it is important to make sure we have done certain things. Please check to see that your hoses are disconnected from the faucets. The faucets are self draining and should not freeze but a connected hose might keep them from draining. Be sure the lid that gives access to the ‘crawl space’ under your home is tight. This is the season when rodents want to come in from the cold. Over the years some units have had to call specialists to eliminate rats from their homes. This is particularly true for those near the creek as rats do travel this way. Alex Taylor noticed evidence of rats outside his unit and put a trap out over successive evenings. He eliminated over 20 rats with some evidence that this may have been a family of rats forced out by nearby construction.
To leave you with more positive thoughts, when the gutters were cleaned our roofs were found to be in very good shape due to the high quality of the materials used. The same can be said concerning the siding for our units. Apparently we will be able to put painting off for a few more years than anticipated., though there will be some maintenance in the meantime.
I would like to finish by sharing an addition we made two years ago. At the recommendation of a gas repair man I added a fan to my fireplace. The unit is designed to have a fan and there is an electrical outlet inside. All one has to do is lay on their back for an hour trying to figure out the directions while attaching the thermostat and the fan where it belongs. Or one can have it done. It works automatically when the fireplace is turned on and the box heats up. We tend to use this more than the furnace in the fall. I think it was Anderson Fireplace, out by the malls, where we got ours.
Please mark your calendars for the HOA Annual Meeting, which will be held Feb. 9th starting at 5PM, at the meeting room of the Anacortes Public Library.
Vince Sellen HOA President
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