2024 Maple Hills Annual Board Meeting Online Questions and Answers
Questions are categorized by topic, and if the question is not answered underneath the question itself, the summary at the end should answer all of the questions. Please reach out to the Board of Directors or Windermere Property Management, if you have follow up questions.
LANDSCAPE
Is there a list of the landscaper responsibilities
can we explore hiring a different landscape contractor?
is there a write-up / job description for the landscapers? Area, frequency, sprinklers etc.?
Can we negotiate the new amount of the contractor?
Landscaping Contract can be requested from the Budget Committee
Have we considered a lower maintenance option for landscaping along 204th/L100 (e.g., just filling with rocks - no vegetation)?
All options for landscaping along 204th/L100 are on the table, we do want to make sure we maintain property values but also want to be forward thinking because of the cost of maintenance and water.
Has an arborist evaluated all of the trees considered for removal for health and viability?\
Arborist Report does cost money, but we were given a heads up on a few trees we should keep an eye on, so we monitor areas through the neighborhood during the windy months.
MOLE REMOVAL
· 4k for mole removal that’s insane. We need a better company to manage our HOA
This is what the mole removal entailed, yes, the management company sent over a pest control person, but a Board member was there to meet them. After discussing the issue the pest control company said they no longer are allowed to trap moles in Washington State, they must use gas and leave poison. With this company that Windermere sent, you had to sign a minimum of a 12-month contract but could cancel anytime. Of course, I thought that was a little strange, but after speaking with the first company, we immediately called around to see if there was some way to do this cheaper or with a different company. After calling 2 other pest companies, this was unfortunately the best option. So, they came and did their initial spray and poison and ended up coming back for 6-months before canceled because there was no longer activity in that area.
FDIC
Wade to Everyone:
Replying to "I must have
that is rather alarming then. first, there are ways around the limit, which any competent management should know. second, even if theyre above the limit, they shouldn't be paying additional insurance for it? third, even if the bank fails, fdic has never failed to pay out depositors, so its a non issue anyway
Hello Wade, I’m not sure what the issue is with putting this money away in a CDAR? Can you provide us with more insight on the dangers or risk of putting the money away in the CDAR for a 6-month term and a 12-month term? As the BOD we thought we would do this while the interest rate were higher than normal and since this money is already allocated through our Reserve Study, we thought this was a low risk option to make a little bit a money to lessen the burden on the community in the future. If you think this is an incorrect approach please let the BOD know at our next Board Meeting. Thank you.
BOARD MEMBERS
Nothing was included about new board members
Hello, we did also address this on the Community Facebook page, but there was some confusion regarding what board members were up for re-election. There technically should never be 3 Board positions available at one time. There is a 1-year term, a 2-year term, and a 3-year term. The confusion came with Windermere and the BOD was if there is no quorum which there hadn’t been at the last 2 annual meeting (before Nov. 14, 2024) do the selected board members obtain a temp status. After consulting with the lawyer, temp status is not a thing and if no one calls for a special meeting after 20 days, the remaining BOD are able to appoint someone to those positions at the 1-year, 2-year or 3-year term. So that is what happened in 2023, and Jolen Bleistein was selected to the 1-year term, and was up for re-election this year in 2024. PJ will be serving at the 3-year term, and Thomas Grissom will be serving as a second 2-year term. Tammy Fierst did not want to take away a Board position but be added, so she is going to take a committee role and create a budget committee for now but the BOD has also committed to amending the By-Laws to which currently says only 3 board members are allowed on our board and changing the By-Laws to say “at least” 3 board members have to be on the board. This will allow additional board members to be added in the future. Changing the By-laws does take a 75% community vote, so we will most likely have to go door to door again to change those By-laws, so the BOD will have discussions to see if anything needs to be changed in the By-laws as it is a lot of work going door to door and it costs $300 to update.
NEW PROJECTS
Every new project would require a lot of upkeep going forward. As I see we’re already resource strapped to maintain what we already have.
We definitely understand that things take upkeep, but we live in the community and would like to make it the best community it can be, for our kids to grow up here and to make sure everyone feels safe in their community. Upkeeping what we have doesn’t make anything any cheaper but cutting corners and not doing things the right way make you have to repair things sooner and more often which is going to cost more money in the long run.
MAPLE HILLS V
Some increase is warranted but paying for special projects in parks that will be used by 100+ new homes is unfair
I wonder if our HOA could bill their HOA for a share of community park upkeep.
How is this going to be enforced??
How are all of the new homes that are going to be built in Maple Hills V and other places going to pay their fair share for using the parks that will be improved by us?
Ermin Ciric - Counsel to Everyone:
I just want to find out HOW WILL THE NEW HOMES BUILT IN MAPLE HILLS V and other homes be paying their fair share for the $60k+ projects that we will be paying now if the budget is approved
There is some confusion regarding Maple Hills V, and people have heard different things. There are 22 new homes going into the new community and as of right now they are not going to be part of the rest of Maple Hills, which means we will not be collecting dues from this community. Our hope is residents can be hospitable to our new neighbors, and not let money, or paying their “fair share” come between a harmonious community.
But we were working with a company called Brookfield that bought out OakPointe to finish the development of the Lake Pointe Community, which includes Maple Hills V and the development down the hill. When we first approached Brookfield about annexing Maple Hills V and bringing them into our community, they told us that it wouldn’t be an extra cost to the community and there would be a pickleball court. Well, we got work from a conversation from Windermere and the City of Covington that Brookfield had built a water treatment facility, and that the BOD was aware and onboard, that wasn’t the case. So, we have multiple meetings with Brookfield to discuss the reason the city wouldn’t be maintaining the water treatment facility, like they do the other retention ponds. The maintenance required to maintain the water treatment facility, and even where this new facility is located. They also informed us that instead of getting a pickleball court as promised, we would be getting another “tot lot” playground, which we already have 4 of. So, with the cost of quarterly maintenance of this treatment facility being $11,000.00 a year, Brookfield suggested that we have the 22 new homes pay for their water facility which makes sense. This would mean the BOD would have to manage sections of the neighborhood differently at different cost levels. So, we settled on that, until the city notified the BOD that Brookfield was being very shady in their dealings with the city and we should watch out for them trying to potentially get out of their purchase. So, we reached back out to Brookfield to demand that this water treatment facility be brought up to code with the city, even though the City of Covington wouldn’t be managing it. Brookfield then gave us an ultimatum of take it or leave it and gave us 2-days to make a decision, so we decided to leave it, and they could come back if they brought the treatment facility up to city code.
It is not final that Maple Hills V will not be part of the larger Maple Hills community, and their HOA dues will be at least $500 higher per year than the rest of the community because of the water treatment facility. This could also lead to resentment, so we will take it as it comes.
WEST SIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
On this topic of light poles, there are 0 light poles on 203rd Ave SE west of the water tank. How can we request getting some more lighting in our part of the neighborhood?
We are looking into this for 2025
FINANCIAL
Let’s see how our budget will be with the new house added
Just to be clear again, currently there are not additional homes being added to the community. Maple Hills V has stalled, you can read about it in the Maple Hills V section of this document.
yes the 'line items' are just vague ideas grouped in broad buckets, there are not any specifics on how these huge increase of dues would actually be used in the spreadsheet
I think an increase is inevitable, with the increase of costs of everything. I am just trying to better understand what the budget is supposed to be spent on if it doesn't include everything discussed.
The budget should reflect operating costs and maintenance, not improvements.
So you strategically put everything you could in the budget to justify the rate raise?
we can fix our financial health by not taking on excessive new projects and cutting down on costs. increasing dues is just an excuse to spend more
There are a lot of financial questions, and I would like to start with give you the BOD rational for increasing the dues to $1025. As Board Members we get a lot of requests for improvements, and all of them being interesting ideas we take those down and things we could do in the future. Also, at the Board Members we hear complaints from the neighbors that things should be fixed. So, we then do all the research, getting initial quotes on all the items that have been suggested and compile a list of fixes and improvements that neighbors that have spoken with us want to see. We then set a budget to knock out a few of those projects a year, no matter what they were, then planned to go over that list with the neighbors and determine a priority list. We fully intend to get feedback from the community to determine where to start, but there are different priorities for different community members. Residents with kids might prioritize drainage in the park so their kids can play. Or lighting in the park because it gets dark at 5pm, and their kids still want to be able to play at the park. Obviously, this wouldn’t be a priority for a resident that doesn’t have young children that play at the park. So, there are definitely challenges with different priorities. Our plan is to send out a ‘2024 Maple Hills Community Survey’ to determine the priorities of the neighborhood and to plan for the future. There are a lot of things coming up with the opening of 204th St and access to Highway 18, that will bring a lot more traffic to the community, so we must prepare and look forward in anticipation of what to come and not just year by year. This allows dues to be more stable, plan accordingly, and be prepared for the unexpected like a bomb cyclone.
I hope in our presentation during the annual meeting showed that saving on cost is one of our top priorities. All these estimates and costs are that we hope to diminish so we can work on other projects but we have to know where to start and what we are starting with.
What accounting software is used for our HOA financial statements?
Caliber
Our HOA does not currently have a finance committee, but maybe the BOD would be interested in establishing one.
A finance committee has been established and the head of that committee is Tammy Fierst. As the finance/budget committee we have defined their role as being responsible for reviewing and overseeing the financial aspects of the community. Reviewing the annual budget for the HOA, which covers expected income and expenses, and asking any direct questions to the board during our monthly meetings. They should also help estimate our future financial needs, reviewing the reserve study budget in anticipation of major repairs or improvement, including planning for unexpected expenses. This committee would also be responsible for reviewing due assessments and if dues are meeting the needs of the community. They will also monitor current expenditures to ensure they align with the approved budget and identify any overspending or cost savings opportunities. They will also ensure adequate reserve funds are in place and provide transparent financial updates to the HOA Board and community members. They can also offer any guidance on financial matters, such as prioritizing projects based on available resources or whether there is a need for a special assessment.
RESERVES
How much do we have in reserves and what are we reserving this money for?
is there a list of what our reserve is supposed to cover?
How was the reserve amount determined? Is this based on a study? Do we have access to the study?
What are the conditions or circumstances that would need to occur in order to tap into the reserve account?
Reserve Study Executive Summary is attached
As homeowners, when reserve money is invested, are we notified?
Do you have the permission of the homeowners as to how you are investing the reserve money. we have a say about how our retirement is being invested.
As the Maple Hills Board of Directors, we were elected to represent the community and do what we think is best. This was the first time we ever purchased CDs for the community, and even though it was captured in the meeting minutes, I suppose there is a better way to notify the community. We have created a Finance/Budget Committee, that will be sure to help use communicate where the community is financially. And we have designated someone in the committee to do a monthly newsletter, so we will be sure to add things like this, we will also be opening up more board meetings to the community, like we have done in the past. So items like this can be addressed on a larger forum.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
If dues are raised, is it possible to have dues payable monthly, quarterly, or twice a year, rather than all at once in January? I'm guessing a lot of people, right after the Holidays may not have an extra $1k sitting around.
respectfully, I don't think paying $525 twice a year is much better than paying 650 just once. But in general, yes giving homeowners the option to pay twice is a good thing
I think a big point of contention is that HOA dues is a lump sum required right after the holidays. It's a challenging time for most people. And only being able to break it into 2 installments is a problem. I would love to see some options for a monthly payment option. And if our current property management can't figure out how to make that happen, then it would be another great reason to find a new company.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Have we researched more cost-effective options for property management? Amount paid to Windermere seems high.
When moving to a new Property Management company for the 2023 year, we did do an RFP for 3 or 4 management companies, and I believe Windermere who resided close-by in Kent were one of the more reasonable options. It has been suggested that we look for additional options for management companies and have a couple of individuals in the neighborhood setting up meetings. We will be sure to keep everyone updated on any progress made to find a new management company.
Lengyel and Coulbertson Lot 94 to Everyone:
But we were harassed and threatened by the management company when we made regular monthly payments
Hello, Lengyel and Coulbertson, Lot 94, I’m sorry that happened to you, can you please get in contact with the BOD regarding this harassment and the threats made by the property management company. Normally, you would notify the management company that you would you are going to make monthly payments, so I’m surprised of this behavior.
LIGHTS
Adding lights to the main park encourages loitering after dark and invites non-HOA members to be hanging out.
I believe the BOD disagrees that adding lights encourages loitering, the main park is for residents only, and currently we are pretty isolated so I’m not sure who or why there would loiters or non-HOA members at the park. But we believe safety should be first and foremost so if there are loiters or non-HOA members at the park, it would be better to be able to see them and not allow them to hang out in the shadows.
Why do we have such a high electric bill? If it's a rental fee for streetlights, is there an option to purchase?
The BOD has not looked into this option, but we will and maybe we could do a special assessment and potentially save money in the long run. We will present this at a board meeting after getting the amount to purchase.
CAMERAS
3 cameras for 10-30k, which cameras cost 10k a camera.
We don’t agree that the camera is not a deterrent, but I do agree that it should not be highest on the priority list. Ring cameras are a good starting point, but as we saw with the most recent instant, everyone had to file a separate police report to share their videos. Common area cameras will enable the HOA to deal with the police directly and be a point of contact.
Cameras, yes, this has been brought to the attention of the board a few times. The first being 2021, we initially did an initial conversation with a company called Verkada, this company has a cellular gateway that is allows you to work their cameras using cellular service and designed for hard to wire places. This company would be the cheaper option, the installation of 3 cameras at each of our entrances, if we don’t include Maple Hills Trail, would be about $10,000 and a data plan. It was recently brought our attention by a neighbor who works in security, that Verkada has proprietary equipment, so if we ever weren’t happy with them the equipment would then be worthless.
So, there was a 2nd suggestion that we look into a different company, because the cameras would be the same no matter what company you used, and you would have the infrastructure in place. Unfortunately, the infrastructure is the expensive part. It would entail installing power and data hubs at each camera location, so these cameras would be hardwired to make sure they were always reliable, but this option would cost in the $30,000 range. During the annual meeting we wanted to present both options to the residence.
I also was approached by a police officer from the neighborhood, and even though he thought this could be a good deterrent he said the reality is that the police are probably not going to follow up, and it should be up to the community to make sure they are being alert and a good deterrent for bad actors.
Additional questions, I have received on the issues of cameras is, who is going to manage it? It has been discussed that the property management company would manage the footage, and a member could only access the footage with a police report. These cameras are sophisticated enough to scan license plate and bring up anyone in a red shirt. So, you can find what you are looking for quickly. Just another suggestion for the residence around safety in our community, there are no timelines on any of these projects but something the BOD wanted to bring up to the community.
DRAINAGE ISSUES
Regarding the areas with drainage concerns, have we evaluated potential impacts if nothing is done?
Is 256th still going to be used by everyone into our neighborhood? Why are we paying for main entrance drainage issues for a city road
The question has been asked regarding the necessity of some of the drainage issues. What happens if nothing is done? We really need to focus on things that are an absolute priority. There is nothing wrong with doing budgets annually.
These drainage issues have been brought up multiple times by multiple residence, the drainage issues at the main park prevent people’s children from playing in the grass or they are constantly muddy. Or if your dog wants to play fetch, it is always muddy. We watered less this summer, and it got dry right around August, so it has been discussed multiple times with people that congregate at the main park.
The drainage at the main entrance is not only about the sidewalk, where people walk their dog and go on regular walks around the neighborhood. These areas can be treacherous during cold weather where ice patches have formed but as the video showed this is also about water washing the bark away, which is something that we must replace and manage. If we can control the erosion of that area that is less the community must spend replacing bark and dirt.
I understand different residents have different priorities, but to do nothing on an issue that has been brought up multiple times throughout multiple years would cause more discontent. The BOD is obligated to do budgets annually, but there it is never wrong to make a plan and assess that plan annually, to make sure we are still on the correct path.
· We pay $15k sewerage and capacity charge tax. Why do we need to pay to fix storm drain issues?
These are separate issues, capacity charge it to link into an existing line. Storm drain issue is to resolve water draining properly off your existing property.
BABY PARK
Now we have to add improvements to the tot park since the picnic tables were removed. Should be of similar value that was removed from the park.
Could have bought tables for the main park instead of devaluing the tot park.
So, the BOD has a vision/proposal for the baby park/tot lot, this is by far the least used park in the neighborhood and the BOD would like to propose moving the tot lot structure to the main park, and potentially using the space as a sport court. The reason for this is because when Maple Hills was developed in sections, and the City of Covington has a clause that said if you build more than 20 homes you must include a tot lot, so there are currently 4-phases of Maple Hills and 4 parks. If you go to any other park in the city, there is never a 2–5-year-old lot by itself, but because it was required by the city the developer could put something cheap to cut corners, this structure could be better suited in the main park, so siblings can play together. Then other kids and adults could have a sport court to maybe play soccer, or we could have our own pickleball court. Obviously, it would take the community coming together to decide but the BOD was thinking this would be a great option since a sports court was something that could be used for all ages.
· Maybe kids wouldn’t climb on the roof to sit if the tables were still there?
There are still two benches for sitting at the tot lot
GATE
Replace the gate that was stolen. End of concern/issue.
Does it make sense to have only one entrance for a neighborhood with over 200 homes? Thankfully, not everyone drives to work these days, but if they did, it would be a traffic nightmare.
This was discussed at the beginning of the Annual Meeting, but only half the gate was stolen, the other half of the gate was removed by the city. It was in the building plan contract to remove the gate with the opening of Roma Meadows, because Roma Meadows technically would use the public streets through our neighborhood to access their homes. I believe as they have advanced negotiations with the builder that the builder has obtained rights of the private road on 260th St, and Roma Meadows will be paying higher HOA dues to help maintain that road.
Regarding only one entrance for Maple Hills, what the BOD has discussed in the past is that the city technically states, that in an emergency situation that both sides of our current main entrance count as “two entrances”. But now with the gate removed, in a true emergency situation, I believe people could use 260th street.
260th STREET
I missed - who holds the other part of the assignment (i.e. who else is mutually responsible) - why don't we just offer to buy out the assignment/agreement?
When I originally heard the gate was coming down, I requested to the City of Covington to purchase the road because it was going to be impossible to manage. I really did not receive a response. I would not know how to buy out the agreement for this issue, but we can investigate if there are any options, but I’m not sure how much that would be and if the community would be interested in that, but again we will capture that and add it to the agenda when we get more information.
VOLUNTEERING
I think we could also have people volunteer for specific projects without people having to join a committee.
A community day in which we all get together to do work in the community
It has been suggested that we create a calendar of events, once the ‘2024 Maple Hills Community Survey’ is completed we will determine the communities’ needs and determine were the community can get together and pitch in.
Also, just because you join a committee doesn’t mean you have to participate in everything, we know people have lives outside of Maple Hills, but so you can always join the committee and commit to what you can. You are not obligated to participate in every event, but joining the committee you are able to give your ideas and stay informed.
Please reach out if you would like to hear more about what we have available.
VOTING ON COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
What’s wrong with staying at 650? we even still have a reserve... if the management cannot do its job properly, lets bring in people who can we vote yes for the increase, do we have an opportunity to vote on items like the gazebo before that money is spent?
I think an increase is inevitable, with the increase of costs of everything. I am just trying to better understand what the budget is supposed to be spent on if it doesn't include everything discussed.
yes the 'line items' are just vague ideas grouped in broad buckets, there are not any specifics on how these huge increase of dues would actually be used in the spreadsheet
Any “projects” should be voted on by the members and paid via special assessments, not rolled into the main budget for the HOA. Only those items that are necessary to maintain our current amenities should be included.
Almost doubling our dues is too much. There are still so many unneeded costs in this proposed budget... and not all these additions seem necessary?? Our first reaction should not just be to accept increased costs, we should look to do more with what we're already paying
We understand increases are sometimes necessary to maintain common areas. If we have a long list of maintenance items, it doesn't seem like the right timing to add discretionary projects like sport courts and pavilions to the list until needed maintenance is complete. We recommend a one-year budget cycle (rather than a 5-year) and prioritize projects as needed to minimize impact to homeowners.
These items were always designed to be determined by a vote or discussion with the community and the communities’ priorities. These items were captured during the year from the community, obviously not being able to do every project but we wanted to make sure the community knows we heard all of their request, but there is still need discuss the priorities in the community. We believe that maybe the entire community isn’t aware of the cost of the items that they are requesting, or they don’t know all of the areas that we need to maintain. So, we made a comprehensive list for the community, and we believe there is nothing wrong with having a road map, but by law we are required to present an annual budget so we have every year where we can assess the year priors work and work we have to do in the future.
FUTURE MEETINGS
Juliette Marshall
My vote will be no simply because those on zoom were not given adequate opportunity to provide input and ask questions.
Hello, I hope this document makes up for not being able to get your questions answered at the annual meeting. I did have Virtual Town Hall the next day after the meeting, to try and address some of the outstanding questions. I will do more of the Virtual Town Hall meetings as things arise. Please make sure you regularly check the website, and that we have your email address, and if you are on Facebook please look for events and more information coming your way.
Thinking we should eliminate zoom and have in person only - would eliminate any issues yes?
This was discussed, but we think it is important that everyone attend that is able, which means offering an in-person and online option. The BOD knows there were issues, and we will be sure to address those issues in our next meeting.
To the BOD - is this meeting recorded? If not, who is keeping the minutes?
For the Annual Meeting, Windermere and the BOD both keep meeting minutes. The last two annual meetings there was not quorum and no meetings we captured.
ROBERTS RULES
***Please follow the Roberts Rules of Order for this meeting***
POINT OF ORDER - there has been a motion made and a second made that needs to be addressed. Please stop the discussion so that issue can be resolved.
Hello, as for Roberts Rules, we do apologize for not monitoring the chat more closely. After reviewing the chat logs, we are indeed looking at other options for a management company, but I would like to inform all the members of the community that you will indeed still get letters, which are just reminders, regarding your trash cans. The BOD tries to monitor the management company to make sure that no one gets fined for leaving their trash cans out unless repeated corrective action is not taken. The CC&Rs do state that you need some cover for your trash cans so they are not insight from the front of your home. I know this upsets some, and is an inconvenience to others but this is to avoid having trash can blow away, making sure trash isn’t visible for your neighbors.
CEDING TO CITY OF COVINGTON
Have we looked into ceding that area to the city of Covington so the HOA is not responsible for maintenance?
The BOD has tried multiple times to cede multiple areas to the city of Covington and they have not once taken on any of the owned property of Maple Hills, I’m sure they don’t want to maintain these areas with the rising cost of landscaping either.
Can this presentation be emailed or shared on the Facebook group? Seems to have the breakdown of budget everyone is expecting
We will put at much as we can on the Maple Hills website, www.maplehillswahoa.com
