May 4, 2019
Mt. Index Riversites Community Club, Inc.
Annual meeting of property owners
Board members present: Mark Bollman, Carrie Byrne, Brent Corey, Lora Cox, Rebecca Davis, Kathleen EckartLove, CJ Holmes, Don Larsen, Dave MacFarlane, Earl Van Buskirk, Mat Williams…and introducing Michelle Griffin.
Absent: Gary Johnson
Announcements & Opening Remarks
The meeting began with a welcome from Mark Bollman, President of the MIRCC Board. Bollman said he was glad to see such a good turnout and thanked Erika Palmer for hosting the coffee hour that preceded the meeting.
Owners with discussion questions or issues of community-wide interest were invited to sign up for an opportunity to speak during the meeting. Owners with specific questions or concerns about lots or accounts were directed to speak with board members individually after the meeting.
Five Nominees for Five Positions
Mark Bollman stated that for the new fiscal year, there were five nominees for five open positions. Mark Bollman, Brent Corey, Rebecca Davis, and Kathleen EckartLove all volunteered to continue on the Board for the next three-year term. Michelle Griffin volunteered to fill the remaining empty seat.
Bollman said that when nominees are equal to or fewer than the number of seats available, no follow-up mailing of ballots is done, since the results of the board election are a foregone conclusion; nominees simply occupy the open seats.
Carrie Byrne said that the issue of nominations equal to or less than the number of open seats was resolved by a bylaws amendment that was passed by Board motion and adopted in January 2018. The amended bylaws are available on the website and the updated bylaw content is a follows:
Paragraph 4.2 of the corporation’s bylaws: In situations where nominations for board seats are equal to or less than the number of open seats, it shall not be necessary to mail ballots to property owners and those nominees shall be appointed to serve three-year terms.
Financial Report for 2018-2019 Fiscal Year
Earl Van Buskirk recapped what the Board has accomplished financially this year.
The corporation brought in a total of $203,287 from May 2018 through April 2019. Collections have been increasing because of vigorous collection efforts.
Expenses incurred by the corporation over the same period totaled $77,526. Net income was $125,770.
Van Buskirk drew attention to the Balance sheet as of April 30, 2019, which reflected the fact that MIRCC’s books are in balance and that the corporation has no long-term debt. E-Section’s bridge is paid for; A-Section’s equipment is paid for.
Van Buskirk also noted that despite collection efforts, A-Section still has $81,523 in arrears; E-Section has $166, 687 in arrears. He encouraged owners with past due road dues to clear their accounts, as collection efforts by the board will only become stronger.
Budget Planning for 2019-2020 Fiscal Year
Bollman explained that in determining the budget, board members estimate the year’s coming expenses, then determine each person’s share. He shared a handout breaking down each owner’s assessment by expense category. He noted that A-Section owners may not have received their invoices for 2019-2020, since they were only mailed two days ago.
Bollman reminded the audience that each month, the financial reports are reviewed at Board meetings. Property owners are always welcome to attend and hear the latest update.
Collection Efforts
It was explained that Earl Van Buskirk has been working with Inslee Best attorneys to collect past-due monies. Before accounts were referred to the attorneys, Carrie Byrne contacted individual property owners who had expressed an interest in paying. Byrne said these efforts were successful. Several owners chose to clear their accounts, resulting in a win-win. Van Buskirk specified that seven or eight past-due accounts are now either paid up or almost paid up; five lawsuits are in process.
Van Buskirk stressed that when an account is turned over to attorneys, the property owner can then only deal with the attorneys and the Board is prohibited by the MIRCC Collections Policy from being involved. However, before an account is turned over to attorneys, property owners can contact the Board to explore the possibility of paying in full with a credit card and setting up their own payment plan to pay off the balance on their credit card. He reminded property owners that this year’s road dues are due by the end of May. Dues received after that will have a 25% late fee tacked on, per the Collections Policy.
E-Section Road Committee Report
Dave MacFarlane said E-Section roads are holding up just fine, apart from one spot on the access road that needs work. He said roads are graded to keep a crown on them—this is preventive maintenance that keeps the roads in better shape.
A-Section Road Committee Report
Mat Williams said that anyone who drives A-Section roads is aware that the section from Highway 2 to the Yellow Gate has been in abysmal shape. This is the result of the fact that A-Section’s maintenance agreement with the Forest Service had expired, and the Forest Service had declined to renegotiate the agreement in a timely fashion.
Van Buskirk noted that negotiations with the Forest Service are underway and rapport between MIRCC and the agency is improving. A maintenance agreement for summer is expected to be signed shortly.
Brent Corey asked A-Section owners to let him know about any side-road concerns. He said he would be working on Paytan Creek Road after the meeting.
Community Comments and Open Discussion
Phil Reichel suggested that the Board votes on a motion to resolve the issue that there were no ballots sent to owners. Carrie Byrne reminded Reichel that the vote was unnecessary due to the bylaws amendment in early 2018.
Ernie Walters of Fire District 26 reported that the Fire District’s name would be changing in September to incorporate the two districts served. Decals and lettering on vehicles will be slowly changing to reflect the district’s new name, Sky Valley Fire, but it will still be the same department.
Walters also noted that the district has acquired a new water tender, which means that fire insurance rates may go down for anyone within a five-mile radius of the fire station. He encouraged owners to contact their insurance carriers to see if the rate reduction applies to them.
Walters was asked about the rules for campfire and burning brush. He said that mid-July through mid-September there is an automatic burn ban for brush, but typically you can have a campfire. Permits are needed for both; Walters said he could issue permits after the meeting. Mark Bollman said that anyone with questions about the permissibility of having a fire can call Snohomish County’s burn ban hotline at 425-388-3508.
Walters said that the Fire District sees a lot of personnel changes, as volunteers come and go. He encouraged MIRCC owners to come visit the fire station, meet the volunteers, and ask any questions. “You invest in us, so come see us,” he said.
Anita Shultz asked whether the Board gave permission for eco-blocks to be placed on MIRCC’s easement past the Canyon Falls Bridge. Mark Bollman said no permission had been given and told her to talk to him after the meeting.
Russ McCracken asked why the administrative portion of owner road dues is about the same as the road maintenance portion. Mark Bollman explained that some of the administration dues go to pay the collections attorneys who actually bring in money. He said it’s not that administration costs are high; it’s that road dues are low.
Julia Akin asked if it’s true that once you have a lien on your property, you can no longer make payments. Earl Van Buskirk explained that once the account is turned over to attorneys, payment details must be worked out through the attorneys. “It’s not that you can’t have a payment plan. It’s who you deal with,” he said. Carrie Byrne said she would put a link to MIRCC’s collections policy in the minutes from the meeting; the Collections Policy is on the website.
Doug DuMas asked if the board had discussed the possibility of paving MIRCC roads. Earl Van Buskirk said that it would be more feasible to talk about paving once we catch up with past-due collections. Mark Bollman said the idea had been discussed, but no one had come up with a plan to move forward. DuMas asked if the plan had to originate within the board; Bollman replied that it did not—owners are welcome to study the idea and give input.
Closing Remarks
Bollman introduced Michelle Griffin, the new member joining the Board. He said that the next meeting is Saturday, June 8 at 9am at the Index Fire Station.
Respectfully submitted by
Rebecca Davis
Absent: Gary Johnson
Announcements & Opening Remarks
The meeting began with a welcome from Mark Bollman, President of the MIRCC Board. Bollman said he was glad to see such a good turnout and thanked Erika Palmer for hosting the coffee hour that preceded the meeting.
Owners with discussion questions or issues of community-wide interest were invited to sign up for an opportunity to speak during the meeting. Owners with specific questions or concerns about lots or accounts were directed to speak with board members individually after the meeting.
Five Nominees for Five Positions
Mark Bollman stated that for the new fiscal year, there were five nominees for five open positions. Mark Bollman, Brent Corey, Rebecca Davis, and Kathleen EckartLove all volunteered to continue on the Board for the next three-year term. Michelle Griffin volunteered to fill the remaining empty seat.
Bollman said that when nominees are equal to or fewer than the number of seats available, no follow-up mailing of ballots is done, since the results of the board election are a foregone conclusion; nominees simply occupy the open seats.
Carrie Byrne said that the issue of nominations equal to or less than the number of open seats was resolved by a bylaws amendment that was passed by Board motion and adopted in January 2018. The amended bylaws are available on the website and the updated bylaw content is a follows:
Paragraph 4.2 of the corporation’s bylaws: In situations where nominations for board seats are equal to or less than the number of open seats, it shall not be necessary to mail ballots to property owners and those nominees shall be appointed to serve three-year terms.
Financial Report for 2018-2019 Fiscal Year
Earl Van Buskirk recapped what the Board has accomplished financially this year.
The corporation brought in a total of $203,287 from May 2018 through April 2019. Collections have been increasing because of vigorous collection efforts.
Expenses incurred by the corporation over the same period totaled $77,526. Net income was $125,770.
Van Buskirk drew attention to the Balance sheet as of April 30, 2019, which reflected the fact that MIRCC’s books are in balance and that the corporation has no long-term debt. E-Section’s bridge is paid for; A-Section’s equipment is paid for.
Van Buskirk also noted that despite collection efforts, A-Section still has $81,523 in arrears; E-Section has $166, 687 in arrears. He encouraged owners with past due road dues to clear their accounts, as collection efforts by the board will only become stronger.
Budget Planning for 2019-2020 Fiscal Year
Bollman explained that in determining the budget, board members estimate the year’s coming expenses, then determine each person’s share. He shared a handout breaking down each owner’s assessment by expense category. He noted that A-Section owners may not have received their invoices for 2019-2020, since they were only mailed two days ago.
Bollman reminded the audience that each month, the financial reports are reviewed at Board meetings. Property owners are always welcome to attend and hear the latest update.
Collection Efforts
It was explained that Earl Van Buskirk has been working with Inslee Best attorneys to collect past-due monies. Before accounts were referred to the attorneys, Carrie Byrne contacted individual property owners who had expressed an interest in paying. Byrne said these efforts were successful. Several owners chose to clear their accounts, resulting in a win-win. Van Buskirk specified that seven or eight past-due accounts are now either paid up or almost paid up; five lawsuits are in process.
Van Buskirk stressed that when an account is turned over to attorneys, the property owner can then only deal with the attorneys and the Board is prohibited by the MIRCC Collections Policy from being involved. However, before an account is turned over to attorneys, property owners can contact the Board to explore the possibility of paying in full with a credit card and setting up their own payment plan to pay off the balance on their credit card. He reminded property owners that this year’s road dues are due by the end of May. Dues received after that will have a 25% late fee tacked on, per the Collections Policy.
E-Section Road Committee Report
Dave MacFarlane said E-Section roads are holding up just fine, apart from one spot on the access road that needs work. He said roads are graded to keep a crown on them—this is preventive maintenance that keeps the roads in better shape.
A-Section Road Committee Report
Mat Williams said that anyone who drives A-Section roads is aware that the section from Highway 2 to the Yellow Gate has been in abysmal shape. This is the result of the fact that A-Section’s maintenance agreement with the Forest Service had expired, and the Forest Service had declined to renegotiate the agreement in a timely fashion.
Van Buskirk noted that negotiations with the Forest Service are underway and rapport between MIRCC and the agency is improving. A maintenance agreement for summer is expected to be signed shortly.
Brent Corey asked A-Section owners to let him know about any side-road concerns. He said he would be working on Paytan Creek Road after the meeting.
Community Comments and Open Discussion
Phil Reichel suggested that the Board votes on a motion to resolve the issue that there were no ballots sent to owners. Carrie Byrne reminded Reichel that the vote was unnecessary due to the bylaws amendment in early 2018.
Ernie Walters of Fire District 26 reported that the Fire District’s name would be changing in September to incorporate the two districts served. Decals and lettering on vehicles will be slowly changing to reflect the district’s new name, Sky Valley Fire, but it will still be the same department.
Walters also noted that the district has acquired a new water tender, which means that fire insurance rates may go down for anyone within a five-mile radius of the fire station. He encouraged owners to contact their insurance carriers to see if the rate reduction applies to them.
Walters was asked about the rules for campfire and burning brush. He said that mid-July through mid-September there is an automatic burn ban for brush, but typically you can have a campfire. Permits are needed for both; Walters said he could issue permits after the meeting. Mark Bollman said that anyone with questions about the permissibility of having a fire can call Snohomish County’s burn ban hotline at 425-388-3508.
Walters said that the Fire District sees a lot of personnel changes, as volunteers come and go. He encouraged MIRCC owners to come visit the fire station, meet the volunteers, and ask any questions. “You invest in us, so come see us,” he said.
Anita Shultz asked whether the Board gave permission for eco-blocks to be placed on MIRCC’s easement past the Canyon Falls Bridge. Mark Bollman said no permission had been given and told her to talk to him after the meeting.
Russ McCracken asked why the administrative portion of owner road dues is about the same as the road maintenance portion. Mark Bollman explained that some of the administration dues go to pay the collections attorneys who actually bring in money. He said it’s not that administration costs are high; it’s that road dues are low.
Julia Akin asked if it’s true that once you have a lien on your property, you can no longer make payments. Earl Van Buskirk explained that once the account is turned over to attorneys, payment details must be worked out through the attorneys. “It’s not that you can’t have a payment plan. It’s who you deal with,” he said. Carrie Byrne said she would put a link to MIRCC’s collections policy in the minutes from the meeting; the Collections Policy is on the website.
Doug DuMas asked if the board had discussed the possibility of paving MIRCC roads. Earl Van Buskirk said that it would be more feasible to talk about paving once we catch up with past-due collections. Mark Bollman said the idea had been discussed, but no one had come up with a plan to move forward. DuMas asked if the plan had to originate within the board; Bollman replied that it did not—owners are welcome to study the idea and give input.
Closing Remarks
Bollman introduced Michelle Griffin, the new member joining the Board. He said that the next meeting is Saturday, June 8 at 9am at the Index Fire Station.
Respectfully submitted by
Rebecca Davis