January 12, 2019
Mt. Index Riversites Community Club, Inc.
Board of Directors Meeting
Board members present: Mark Bollman, Carrie Byrne, Brent Corey, Lora Cox, Rebecca Davis, Kathleen EckartLove, CJ Holmes, Gary Johnson, Don Larsen, Mat Williams, Earl Van Buskirk
Absent: Dave MacFarlane
Owners and guests:
Gale Williams, Duane Cronkrite, Julia Akin, Anita Shultz, John Sharf, Pete Rainey, Phil Reichel, Gary Hubbard, Lynne Kelly, Thom Boullioun, Kristin Kosiewiecz, Nadine Vanderlip, Jerry Bement, Katherine Berg, Patricia Brager, Linsey Budden, Dan Harrison, Mike Herman
Introduction & Announcements
There is no new business to vote on this month but lots of news to report.
Committee Reports and Information
Executive Committee
Executive Committee members include the corporation’s president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. Thanks to Earl Van Buskirk and Carrie Byrne, who have devoted several hours of their time this month to collection efforts we’ll hear about later on the agenda.
Budget & Finance
Earl Van Buskirk shared the December financial statement.
Following are the highlights from the financial review:
Julia Akin inquired about Swizznet charges being higher than they have been in the past. Van Buskirk explained that the charges have remained steady at about $150 per month and cover the expense of bookkeeping software that our accountant uses, plus hosting in the cloud.
Collections
Carrie Byrne has been working with property owners who plan to get their accounts paid up by end of this fiscal year, and Earl Van Buskirk has been working with Inslee Best attorneys on accounts that need liens, lawsuits and foreclosures.
Byrne said that after the last Board meeting when past due owners were urged to contact the Board to make payment arrangements, personal calls were made to offer a payment plan. Some owners have accepted the plan and are making monthly payments to be paid up by April, thereby avoiding unnecessary lawyer fees.
Earl Van Buskirk reported that Inslee Best has sent demand letters to owners who already have liens, have equity in their property, and have no consistent payment history.
Van Buskirk reported that $49,252 has been collected from past due accounts since September 1; eight significantly past due accounts have been paid in full. One was a significant collection from a sale of property for back dues – it brought in ~$10k.
Legal/Ethics/Bylaws
Gary Johnson said there was nothing to report.
E-Section Roads
Dave MacFarlane was absent. Mark Bollman said Paul Hery and MacFarlane have been filling potholes.
A-Section and USFS 6020 Roads
Mat Williams said the roads are in pretty good shape.
Priority Business
December Meeting Minutes
Rebecca Davis circulated the minutes from the last meeting via email.
Rebecca Davis: “Move to approve the meeting minutes for December.”
Approved: Yes – 10; No – 0
December Expenditures
Earl Van Buskirk: “Move to approve the Check Detail report for December expenditures.”
Approved: Yes – 8; No – 0; Abstained: 2 (EckartLove, Johnson were absent)
Invoices detail
Charges and Invoices to be paid:
A-Section Checks:
New Business
There is no new business this morning.
Discussion Topics
Letter from Rudolf Mueller
Rudolf Mueller sent a certified letter about assessments and provided copies for each board member. Mueller wants the Board to produce a settlement agreement he asserts was reached between MIRCC and Mueller, Wyrick, and Methot in 1999 or 2000. He maintains that the agreement releases him of the obligation to pay assessments.
Mueller requested that the Board produces a copy of the agreement for him because he cannot locate it. Mueller further asked for a written explanation if no agreement is produced.
The Board does not have a copy of such agreement nor is the Board aware that any agreement with Mueller exists. Because this fact is recorded in the minutes, the Board agreed it would be unnecessary to respond to the request for written explanation. Note: Mueller is named in Exhibit B of Judge Wynne’s 2009 Class Action Decree Affecting Title to Real Property and Judgment.
Letter from USFS
In December, the USFS sent a letter to the Board disputing its right to have a gate (the Yellow Gate) at the entry to A-Section. The agency contends that the gate violates its easement rights. MIRCC’s position, which was conveyed to USFS in a Jan. 2, 2019 letter from MIRCC’s attorney Ken Hart, is that the agency has continually enjoyed full access to the road, which is owned by MIRCC. No response has yet been received from the USFS, which was closed due to the government shutdown.
Earl Van Buskirk recommended that A-Section board members arrange a meeting for A-Section owners to gather feedback about next steps.
Access Road: Highway 2 to Canyon Falls
Earl Van Buskirk reported that PUD has reached out to him to discuss the access road from Hwy 2 to Canyon Falls. The political landscape has changed with new members on the PUD Board. Van Buskirk said we need to have committee work before we respond.
2019-20 Assessments
Mark Bollman said assessment invoices need to be ready to mail by April. One of the first steps each year is for board volunteers to look up assessed values for about a thousand 14-digit parcel numbers on the county’s web site. Bollman asked for volunteers and said everyone should also start thinking about what 2019-20 budgets should include.
Earl Van Buskirk said we’re probably going to be looking at similar assessments from last year.
Lightning-Damaged Gates
Mark Bollman reported that Paul Hery had bought parts needed to get lightning-damaged gates up and running. He noted that someone had mentioned that it may be worthwhile to submit an insurance claim; he said he would look into it.
Bridge Insurance
Mark Bollman said that when E-Section was making payments to Acrow, it had to maintain insurance on the bridge. The insurance is fairly expensive with a high deductible. E-Section needs to determine if, in the new fiscal year, it wants to add this to the assessment budget. Last year, the insurance premium was $5k.
Bridge Inspection
Bollman said that the Canyon Falls Bridge has been in place for over 4 years, and Acrow now has offices in the area. MIRCC will inquire what they recommend in terms of an inspection and what the cost would be.
Closing Remarks
Jerry Bement asked if the Green Gate is working. Bollman said that it’s working and the keypad and motherboard have been replaced.
Julia Akin asked about the red light that’s out on the Green Gate. She wondered whether it would be replaced. Bollman responded that we would like to replace it.
Akin also wanted to know whether, with the bridge paid off, assessments would be reduced. Van Buskirk pointed out that E-Section assessments have already been significantly reduced in the current fiscal year, and that E-Section assessments will likely remain at the new, lower level in the coming year.
Linsey Budden asked about how the Green Gate functions; there is concern that the gate arm could push on and damage a vehicle. Budden also asked whether the gate would open automatically upon exit. Mark Bollman responded that gate access devices are needed to both enter and exit. When the gate arm closes, there is a stall force in place; however, the gate is a large, heavy piece of steel. It should stop after it makes contact with a vehicle, although may take a moment due to the weight.
Williams said the Yellow Gate works similarly, but that its stall force is a little less. He reported that A-Section has trouble with tailgaters—people without a device who follow owners in, trying to get through the gate before it closes.
Brent Corey added that the Board needs to make it known that we request one vehicle at a time through the gate. There have been accidental visitors who tailgate to get in and then cannot get out.
Lora Cox added that having each owner close the gate behind their vehicle is best.
The next Board meeting will be at 9am on February 9th, 2019.
Respectfully submitted by Carrie Byrne & Rebecca Davis
MIRCC Treasurer & Secretary
Absent: Dave MacFarlane
Owners and guests:
Gale Williams, Duane Cronkrite, Julia Akin, Anita Shultz, John Sharf, Pete Rainey, Phil Reichel, Gary Hubbard, Lynne Kelly, Thom Boullioun, Kristin Kosiewiecz, Nadine Vanderlip, Jerry Bement, Katherine Berg, Patricia Brager, Linsey Budden, Dan Harrison, Mike Herman
Introduction & Announcements
There is no new business to vote on this month but lots of news to report.
Committee Reports and Information
Executive Committee
Executive Committee members include the corporation’s president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. Thanks to Earl Van Buskirk and Carrie Byrne, who have devoted several hours of their time this month to collection efforts we’ll hear about later on the agenda.
Budget & Finance
Earl Van Buskirk shared the December financial statement.
Following are the highlights from the financial review:
- A-Section is at 102% of collections for the $~73k budgeted; we collected finance charges of $2,381 from past due assessments.
- E-Section is at 107% of $~99k budgeted; we have collected finance charges of $7,854 from past due assessments.
- Total income for YTD after expenses for for A-section is $58,642; for E-Section it is $85,677.
- The corporation is in balance between assets and liabilities & equity.
- Monies in the checking/savings accounts are $76,712 higher than a year ago; total account balances for the corporation are $234,266.
- We are in good position for road emergencies.
- Past due accounts in A-Section total $91,843; past due accounts in E-Section total $178,753.
- In both A-Section and E-Section, the accountant moved money to pay off assessments from MIRCC-owned lots; these amounts were shown in check details.
Julia Akin inquired about Swizznet charges being higher than they have been in the past. Van Buskirk explained that the charges have remained steady at about $150 per month and cover the expense of bookkeeping software that our accountant uses, plus hosting in the cloud.
Collections
Carrie Byrne has been working with property owners who plan to get their accounts paid up by end of this fiscal year, and Earl Van Buskirk has been working with Inslee Best attorneys on accounts that need liens, lawsuits and foreclosures.
Byrne said that after the last Board meeting when past due owners were urged to contact the Board to make payment arrangements, personal calls were made to offer a payment plan. Some owners have accepted the plan and are making monthly payments to be paid up by April, thereby avoiding unnecessary lawyer fees.
Earl Van Buskirk reported that Inslee Best has sent demand letters to owners who already have liens, have equity in their property, and have no consistent payment history.
Van Buskirk reported that $49,252 has been collected from past due accounts since September 1; eight significantly past due accounts have been paid in full. One was a significant collection from a sale of property for back dues – it brought in ~$10k.
Legal/Ethics/Bylaws
Gary Johnson said there was nothing to report.
E-Section Roads
Dave MacFarlane was absent. Mark Bollman said Paul Hery and MacFarlane have been filling potholes.
A-Section and USFS 6020 Roads
Mat Williams said the roads are in pretty good shape.
Priority Business
December Meeting Minutes
Rebecca Davis circulated the minutes from the last meeting via email.
Rebecca Davis: “Move to approve the meeting minutes for December.”
Approved: Yes – 10; No – 0
December Expenditures
Earl Van Buskirk: “Move to approve the Check Detail report for December expenditures.”
Approved: Yes – 8; No – 0; Abstained: 2 (EckartLove, Johnson were absent)
Invoices detail
Charges and Invoices to be paid:
A-Section Checks:
- $26. 68 – Bank of America (bank/merchant fees)
- $60.90 – Swizznet (office supplies)
- $42.32 – Mountain D (tractor fuel)
- $1,450.40 – Inslee Best (legal services)
- $120.00 – SLK Accounting (accounting services)
- $33.62 – Verizon Wireless – (office supplies)
- $17.82 – PUD (utilities/street lights)
- $44.31 – PUD (utilities/street lights)
- $38.98 – Frontier Communications (office supplies)
- $7.98 – Bank of America (bank/merchant fees)
- $1.20 – Bank of America (bank/merchant fees)
- $380.00 – Eastham Foster-- (CPA services)
- $40.03 – Bank of America (bank/merchant fees)
- $91.33 – Swizznet (office supplies)
- $9.18 – PUD (utilities/street lights)
- $2,175.60 – Inslee Best (legal services)
- $180.00 – SLK Accounting (accounting)
- $23.33 – Premier Wireless (office supplies)
- $11.97 – Bank of America (bank/merchant fees)
- $1.80 – Bank of America (bank/merchant fees)
- $570.00 – Eastham Foster (CPA services)
- $1734.47 – Paul Hery (Green Gate)
New Business
There is no new business this morning.
Discussion Topics
Letter from Rudolf Mueller
Rudolf Mueller sent a certified letter about assessments and provided copies for each board member. Mueller wants the Board to produce a settlement agreement he asserts was reached between MIRCC and Mueller, Wyrick, and Methot in 1999 or 2000. He maintains that the agreement releases him of the obligation to pay assessments.
Mueller requested that the Board produces a copy of the agreement for him because he cannot locate it. Mueller further asked for a written explanation if no agreement is produced.
The Board does not have a copy of such agreement nor is the Board aware that any agreement with Mueller exists. Because this fact is recorded in the minutes, the Board agreed it would be unnecessary to respond to the request for written explanation. Note: Mueller is named in Exhibit B of Judge Wynne’s 2009 Class Action Decree Affecting Title to Real Property and Judgment.
Letter from USFS
In December, the USFS sent a letter to the Board disputing its right to have a gate (the Yellow Gate) at the entry to A-Section. The agency contends that the gate violates its easement rights. MIRCC’s position, which was conveyed to USFS in a Jan. 2, 2019 letter from MIRCC’s attorney Ken Hart, is that the agency has continually enjoyed full access to the road, which is owned by MIRCC. No response has yet been received from the USFS, which was closed due to the government shutdown.
Earl Van Buskirk recommended that A-Section board members arrange a meeting for A-Section owners to gather feedback about next steps.
Access Road: Highway 2 to Canyon Falls
Earl Van Buskirk reported that PUD has reached out to him to discuss the access road from Hwy 2 to Canyon Falls. The political landscape has changed with new members on the PUD Board. Van Buskirk said we need to have committee work before we respond.
2019-20 Assessments
Mark Bollman said assessment invoices need to be ready to mail by April. One of the first steps each year is for board volunteers to look up assessed values for about a thousand 14-digit parcel numbers on the county’s web site. Bollman asked for volunteers and said everyone should also start thinking about what 2019-20 budgets should include.
Earl Van Buskirk said we’re probably going to be looking at similar assessments from last year.
Lightning-Damaged Gates
Mark Bollman reported that Paul Hery had bought parts needed to get lightning-damaged gates up and running. He noted that someone had mentioned that it may be worthwhile to submit an insurance claim; he said he would look into it.
Bridge Insurance
Mark Bollman said that when E-Section was making payments to Acrow, it had to maintain insurance on the bridge. The insurance is fairly expensive with a high deductible. E-Section needs to determine if, in the new fiscal year, it wants to add this to the assessment budget. Last year, the insurance premium was $5k.
Bridge Inspection
Bollman said that the Canyon Falls Bridge has been in place for over 4 years, and Acrow now has offices in the area. MIRCC will inquire what they recommend in terms of an inspection and what the cost would be.
Closing Remarks
Jerry Bement asked if the Green Gate is working. Bollman said that it’s working and the keypad and motherboard have been replaced.
Julia Akin asked about the red light that’s out on the Green Gate. She wondered whether it would be replaced. Bollman responded that we would like to replace it.
Akin also wanted to know whether, with the bridge paid off, assessments would be reduced. Van Buskirk pointed out that E-Section assessments have already been significantly reduced in the current fiscal year, and that E-Section assessments will likely remain at the new, lower level in the coming year.
Linsey Budden asked about how the Green Gate functions; there is concern that the gate arm could push on and damage a vehicle. Budden also asked whether the gate would open automatically upon exit. Mark Bollman responded that gate access devices are needed to both enter and exit. When the gate arm closes, there is a stall force in place; however, the gate is a large, heavy piece of steel. It should stop after it makes contact with a vehicle, although may take a moment due to the weight.
Williams said the Yellow Gate works similarly, but that its stall force is a little less. He reported that A-Section has trouble with tailgaters—people without a device who follow owners in, trying to get through the gate before it closes.
Brent Corey added that the Board needs to make it known that we request one vehicle at a time through the gate. There have been accidental visitors who tailgate to get in and then cannot get out.
Lora Cox added that having each owner close the gate behind their vehicle is best.
The next Board meeting will be at 9am on February 9th, 2019.
Respectfully submitted by Carrie Byrne & Rebecca Davis
MIRCC Treasurer & Secretary