SCHOA BOARD MEETING MINUTES

JANUARY 28, 2025

Members present: Gordon Baldwin, Chick Barcellona, Jeanne Englert, Mindy Ewing, Laurie Kirschner, Tracy MacMillan, Brett Sevruk

The meeting was called to order at 7:06 p.m.

• The appointed offices for 2025 are:

President – Gordon Baldwin

Vice president – Brett Sevruk

Treasurer – Tracy MacMillan

Secretary – Mindy Ewing

Architecture – Gordon Baldwin and Brett Sevruk

Maintenance – Brett Sevruk

Landscaping – Laurie Kirschner and Jeanne Englert

• Tracy gave a finance report. Fifteen homes have paid their dues so far. All bills are up-to-date and paid in full for South Cove. Tracy has contacted State Farm insurance, which holds the policy that covers South Cove, to make sure it is full coverage sufficient for the neighborhood’s needs. The State Farm representative will provide the Board with an updated copy of the policy.

• Recently, two young individuals were seen taking the riprap rocks from around the drainage pond and throwing them into the pond. John Ewing saw this and confronted the two, explaining that the rocks were there for a specific reason and that they were not to be tampered with. The young people did not realize the purpose of the rocks and apologized. To clarify: the riprap rocks are specifically and carefully placed to support the drainage pipes and prevent the erosion of the bank surrounding the pond. Please do not disturb them.

• The Board discussed the need to be more proactive in overseeing the upkeep of individual residences in South Cove. Some homes in the area are showing some signs of improper maintenance as outlined in the CC&Rs. The Board does have the right to bring issues of improper upkeep to the homeowner’s attention. It is suggested that residents take a good look at their property and make sure it is adhering to the neighborhood’s requirements. Residents are also welcome to bring any requests or concerns about the neighborhood to the attention of the Board.

• Laurie gave a landscaping report. The bushes that line the path to Yelm Hwy. from the Loop are massively overgrown and are encroaching on private fences along the path. Samuel will begin cutting back the bushes on both sides of the path, but the bushes are so overgrown that the process will take some time to complete. Also, at previous meetings it had been suggested that Laurie explore other bids for landscaping companies to take care of the neighborhood to try to reduce costs. She did receive one other bid, but it was more expensive and did not provide the same amount of services that Samuel currently provides. South Cove will therefore continue with Samuel’s company. The Board also discussed the possibility of slowly replacing some grassy areas with more landscaping and native plants. This would reduce the amount of mowing needed and be more attractive. The numerous mole hills on South Cove property were discussed. Laurie reported some of the mole repellers are solar, which don’t work as well during the winter months. Tracy offered to treat the worst areas with bait.

• As discussed at the Annual Meeting, most residents want to keep the appearance of the perimeter fence consistent with how it looks now. As the Board continues to explore the option of gifting ownership of the fence to individual residences that are bordered by the fence, it was decided that it would be prudent to start setting aside $1,000 a year as an ongoing cost for fence maintenance as part of the Reserve Study Plan. The Plan would be reworked to reflect this change. There would still need to be specific language added to the CC&Rs to address appearance and maintenance standards for the fence. It was also agreed that future repairs to the fence could be done in small sections instead of replacing the entire fence, as was done last time.

• Gordon will revisit the Reserve Study Plan and use it to draw up a more realistic Reserve Study Plan for South Cove, one that is more individualized for the specific future needs and requirements of our neighborhood. This Reserve Study Plan will meet all the requirements as set forth in the new law established by the State of Washington that requires all HOAs to be able to show they are fully funded and financially stable.

• All boats should have been removed from the boat rack months ago. There is still one boat on the rack, which should be removed ASAP. The Board is now accepting requests for spots on the boat rack. If you would like to request a spot on the rack, please send your request as soon as possible to Mindy Ewing (mindy.ewing@gmail.com). Please include your name, lot number and the kind of boat you would like to store on the rack. The size of the boat will help us determine how many spots are ultimately available. According to the new regulations passed last year by the Board, if there are more requests than there is available space, a lottery may need to be held. Boat owners who are approved for a spot may replace their boats on the rack on March 1. Please remember that all boats must be secured to the rack, and must be identified by owner and lot number.

• The next Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Ewing home, 6718 Mirror Ct., at 7:00 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Mindy Ewing, Secretary, on February 1, 2025