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Kachess Community Association PO Box 3214 Bellevue, WA 98009
Kachess Board of Directors Meeting Directors Absent: None As each resident arrived at the meeting, they signed in and received ballot(s) for their vote. Once all members received their ballot(s), the board held an open Q&A session. Below are the discussions, questions, and the board’s responses. Q: How many assessments have been collected to date? A: 154 total collected as of 8/29/09, which is $154,000 Q: How are all residents’ votes represented if some are not able to attend the meeting to vote in person? A: Proxies were sent to all residents, so if they can’t attend the meeting, they can designate someone to vote on their behalf, with the option of outlining each vote item or allowing the designated party to vote as they choose. Q: What is the % requirement of votes to each item to pass or not pass? A: The budget will pass unless a majority (51%) of total votes reject it. The remaining items to vote on will be determined by majority (51%) of votes cast to pass. Q: Are there separate dues for water service? A: The association is separating the accounting for Operating Accounts into two categories; Water System Operations and General Operating Accounts. In addition, we are showing the Special Assessment funded Water System Upgrade accounts separately, so there will be dues or assessments associated with each set of accounts. This does not increase the dues, it merely separates the accounting for income and expenses accordingly. The separation of the Water System Operations from the General Fund Operations is a requirement by the Department of Health. Q: What are the total dues with the proposed budget? A: $801.99 is the total amount of dues on the proposed budget. Q: Why is the garbage cost increasing? A: Waste Management charges by the weight of the container, which has a grated top. This allows snow to fill up the dumpster in the winter, which increases the cost. There are no containers available with solid lids in the size that the community needs, so the board researched alternate options. The options are to have several small containers with solid lids, which will cost more overall, individual garbage cans for each resident that will be emptied each Wednesday. However, that service is limited to Via Kachess only in the winter months due to snow. The cost of this service is approximately $10 - $12 per month for each resident. Another contributing factor is the amount of heavy construction materials being dumped. The board is researching surveillance cameras to deter this. Due to the history of on and off service with Kachess Ridge, many Ridge residents still dump their garbage in our dumpster. A solution for abuse of the dumpster is to build a covered shed, has stairs to reach the top of the container. For this option, the shed would need to be large enough to hold 2 containers so that it can accommodate Waste Management’s needs. A resident suggested the board send a reminder to residents to flatten boxes, reduce waste, and not climb in or around the dumpster. Q: Why was the Annual Clean Up not performed this year? A: The Annual Clean Up was not performed this year in an effort to reduce costs to the community. Discussed was changing the timing of the clean up, and it was suggested that the community vote on whether or not to have an Annual Clean Up at the 2010 annual meeting. Q: Why is there now a line item for a 15% bad debt expense and how was that number determined? A: HOA’s typically budget for 13 ½% bad debt, and usually placing a lien on a lot provides leverage for collection. However, given the current economic situation, the association has seen an increase in foreclosures and bankruptcies. In this environment of decreased property values, the association loses leverage for collection. The board of directors handed out copies of the amended Collection Policy and amended By Laws. The targeted revisions were policies and procedures to increase the board of directors’ ability to fine, assess, and collect more effectively. Q: If board members are volunteers, why is the Secretary/Treasurer a paid position? A: the Secretary/Treasurer is currently a contractor, not a board member. As the number of homes in the community increase, the workload increases for this position and the board of directors. The board is currently reviewing this position, taking action to reduce costs by taking back some of the workload, as well as researching other options. In the next 2 months the board should have options available for review. Discussed was the history of the board positions, the decrease in volunteerism, and the increase in homes and activity. Q: If the clubhouse is shut down in the winter, do we risk damage occurring to the structure? A: There is no danger to the structure. The clubhouse isn’t insulated, so other options to reduce long term costs are insulating it, installing an on demand water heater, or placing a timer on the thermostat. If the clubhouse is closed during the winter months, the water will be turned off and the bathrooms will be locked. It will essentially be a structure in which you can build a fire in the stove. Q: How did the board come up with the $8,000 figure for estimated savings from closing the clubhouse in the winter? A: Since the propane costs haven’t been billed separately or tracked, the number is truly just an estimate. This was based off savings from electricity and propane during the time in which they are used the most. Q: How did the board come up with the $18,000 budget amount for the Secretary/Treasurer position? A: The $18,000 figure is based on the annual contract amount for that position. The position is paid hourly, which is why the figure varies. The board is currently dissecting the role and trying to have board members directly handle more of the work to reduce costs. Q: Has the board considered having more members? A: The CC&R’s would need to be modified in order to change the maximum number of board members allowed. Currently there are 7 board members serving. Scott is looking into an outside entity to handle more of the workload. The vote was called at 11:30am, all ballots were collected and there was a short recess while the board tallied and verified the votes. The vote results are as follow: 80.52% in favor of approving the Proposed 2009 – 2010 FY Budgets
Respectfully Submitted, Marisa Angrisano Kachess Community Association Secretary/Treasurer |
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