Creekside Village Newsletter -- February, 2020
Message from the Board of Directors: The Board elected officers for 2020: Kathy Anderson will assume the duties of President, succeeding outgoing President, Dick Walsh, who retired after four years of outstanding service. Craig Illman, will continue as Vice President, Norm Culbert as Treasurer, and Peg Noetlich as Secretary. The Association owes a great deal to Dick Walsh, whose leadership established a new era of open communication, transparency in governance, and objectivity in decision-making. The Board of Directors for 2020 is committed to maintaining these principles as Creekside moves forward, and we invite each of you to join us. Thank you. Kathy Anderson, President
2019 Major Achievements:
1.
Painted eight
buildings on Creekside Lane,
including the triplexes,
2.
Leveled and
restored 9 concrete drive or walkways
that were trip hazards
3.
Landscape maintenance
comprised 54% of the total operating expenses
(32% of total revenue) in 2019 to fund:
·
Grounds and sprinkler
maintenance and repair
·
Pruning and
mowing
·
Irrigation,
water, and electricity
·
Fertilizing and
controlling disease and insects
·
Plant replacement
4. Welcomed 13 new homeowners and hosted 7 social events
5.
Revised Rules
and Regulations updated information,
clarified maintenance responsibilities, and added an appendix of forms and
helpful information. Large print versions are now available to anyone who wants
one.
6.
Condition
Assessment: In anticipation of the
2020 Reserve Study, the BOD assessed the general condition of each
building and common areas, which it combined with owner reports of needed
repairs. Here’s what we learned:
·
Building
foundations are sound, and we found
no cracks.
·
Roof systems are in generally good condition, but about 17 require
some routine maintenance and repair to restore soffit vent screens, repair or
replace flashing, soffits, and fascia boards. Most are experiencing intrusion
by trees and shrubs, and some collect more tree debris and moss than others.
·
Concrete: Only two driveways or walkways have more than ¼” lift
or separation.
·
Drainage
systems: All but a few buildings have
gutters and downspouts that leak, are cracked, or are in general need of major
maintenance or full replacement—a priority project.
·
Lattice, deck
rails, and posts: All buildings
exhibit some deterioration that will require repair, restoration, or
replacement within two years.
·
Windows: 13 windows and six skylights require replacement.
·
Siding: We found 18 instances of siding deterioration which require
painting, resealing, or other repair. There’s some rotting fascia board,
exposed bare wood, and failed caulking. Trees or shrubs located too close to
buildings are likely to compromise structures.
·
Garage doors: 18 exhibit some form of damage or deterioration,
such as buckling and sagging panels.
2020 Tree Removal Update:
Creekside
has contracted with a certified arborist to remove trees, including vine maples
located too close to buildings. Consistent with the association’s primary
responsibility to manage risk and preserve assets, the Board decided to remove dead
trees and those located closest to buildings that are most likely to cause
damage. After consulting industry professionals, considering options, and
talking to homeowners, the Board arrived at a unanimous decision to move
forward. In January Board members hand-delivered
notices to each unit adjacent to trees selected for removal and spoke personally
to nearly all residents. Thanks to all who contributed to this effort.
Mark
your Calendar for the March Workshop 9
am, Tuesday, March 10, Boyd Hall, Anacortes United Methodist Church, 2201 H
Avenue. The Board encourages owners to attend workshops and participate by listening,
asking questions, and providing constructive input, verbally or in writing, on
priority issues. This is your opportunity to learn about and contribute to
important decisions that affect your property’s value and your quality of life.
Discussion
Topics:
1.
Project: Gutter
& Downspout replacement
2.
Project: Inspect
roofs for moss and removal
3.
Project: Renovation
pruning and coordination with building painting
4.
Rule revisions: Establishing
a minimum contribution requirement to reserve accounts and contracting controls.
5.
Develop a mission
statement to use as the basis for future decision-making.
6.
Enforcement
Issues
7.
Other topics as
time permits.
What’s
New? Creekside has a Web Site! Kudos
to neighbor Dave Wenning for developing Creekside’s first web site, on-line
access to Creekside’s governing documents, request forms, calendar of events, meeting
minutes, newsletters, budget and financial reports, reserves study, and answers
to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Although we haven’t added all the
information, yet, you can preview the site at csvanacortes.blogspot.com
Fiber Optic Internet Access:
Over the next few years the City of Anacortes plans to expand Anacortes Fiber
Internet, public high-speed internet access, into every neighborhood.
Neighborhoods with the most pre-orders are likely to be considered first. We encourage
Creekside residents to place non-binding pre-orders by completing an
order form at https://www.anacorteswa.gov/984/Access---Anacortes-Fiber-Internet. To learn more, contact ianh@cityofanacortes.org, www.fiber.cityofanacortes.org, or call Ian Houben at the City of Anacortes, 360-588-8361
Creekside
Weather: Neighbor Dave Wenning maintains the most up to date
and accurate weather information for Creekside Village at http://www.fidalgoweather.net/p/current-weather.html
Lawns
remain “squishy.” Don’t
get stuck. Avoid rolling wheelchairs and other adaptive vehicles into grassy
areas.
Rats! Public Health Alert: Pick up after
your pet, and don’t feed deer or birds—except hummingbirds.
Glad
you asked that:
At
the annual meeting an owner asked about the fees Creekside charges to use the
Recreational Vehicle Facility. The Board wanted to respond to this question and
share the answer with everyone.
Question: Is it fair to charge
Creekside residents the same fees
it charges non-residents for using the Recreational Vehicle Facility? Don’t owners’
monthly maintenance fees already contribute to maintaining the facility? Shouldn’t
"outsiders" pay more?
Answer: No portion of the monthly maintenance fees paid by all
homeowners is used to fund the maintenance and operation of the RVF. The RVF is
completely self-supporting by the fees it charges.
Earthquake
Damage Prevention Option: Seismic
shut-off valves are safety devices that automatically shut off and reset natural
gas flow if a pipe breaks or if there is an earthquake of significant magnitude.
Although it is possible to shut off the natural gas supply manually, not
everyone is able to do this, and there is a charge to restore service once the
emergency has passed. The primary benefits of safety valves are fire prevention
and potential insurance cost savings; however, to realize the benefit, all
connected owners in a building would have to participate. Initial inquiries
suggest the cost to install valves that automatically shut off and reset would
be from $500 to $700 per unit. Kathy Anderson is willing to explore the issue
in more detail and contact licensed installers to find out if Creekside owners
could realize significant cost savings by contracting for installation as a
group. If you think you might be interested, please send an email to creeksidevillagepres@gmail.com
Next
Monthly Board Meeting: Thursday, March 19, 8:30 a.m. at the Senior Center