Meeting was convened at 9:00 a.m.
Quarum Present?
Yes, 88, including those present and proxies.
Treasurer’s Report
Checking Account plus CD—$114,000
Mailbox Account— $995.00
Snow Removal
Dean reported that snow removal for last winter came to approximately $2700—somewhat less than normal. He also reiterated his appreciation for the patience and good spirit widely displayed by residents in the face of initial plowing problems and delays caused by contractor’s equipment breakdowns during the season’s first snowstorm.
Chipper Service
Dean described our latest spring chipper sweat-equity project as another success, with well over 100 cubic yards of woody debris chipped. He noted that the total contractor cost was $6000, which, given the County’s $1000 grant, combined with a surplus of $1300 from the previous year, meant that OWW1 had to make up the $3700 difference from our general funds. He mentioned that this year he hopes that we will have a County grant substantially larger this year (in fact, he has applied for $5000, though at this time the actual amount granted is yet to be announced,)
Dean also discussed how, given our success at promoting defensible space around our homes, we should now add to that learning about “home-hardening”—steps which can be taken to protect our structures, themselves, from the threat of fire. This includes, among other things, removal of pine needles from roofs, clearing debris from beneath decks, replacing older vent screens with finer mesh versions, etc.
He noted one other item: how, as OWW1 is officially a Firewise community, possible extremely minor discounts in home insurance are now available from some insurance companies (in his case, Farmers’, though the discount he received only turned out to be $11.) He mentioned that if anyone needs proof of the Firewise status to submit to their insurance companies, he can provide a copy of the certificate.
Road Paving Project
Bart discussed the likelihood of our needing to do a chip-seal repaving project for all of our roads (excluding Heierman, which was done last year) in summer, 2025. By then, we should have accumulated enough funds to pay for the paving by then, along with enough of a reserve maintained to handle our regular yearly expenses. He noted that if we do the project in 2025, it will have been 10 years since our last repaving—all things considered, a very good number, helped along by last year’s decision to treat certain road edges around the community, in order to extend the road-life before needing repaving until, at the earliest, next year. He pointed out that every additional year of road use without having to repave represents, in effect, a 10% savings in overall paving costs for the community.
Bart also described what the repaving project will consist of, mentioning that residents can see what to expect by taking a look at Heierman, which experienced chip-sealing over a year ago. One of the issues discussed was the amount of loose gravel left on the road surface, which is a normal part of the process, and should improve as traffic on the road causes that gravel to be compacted into it. Some residents asked if it were possible, after a number of days have passed from the initial paving, that much of the loose gravel be swept from the road surface, as its continued presence can become a problem. Bart said that yes, we will definitely evaluate the gravel conditions at that time and make a determination as to whether sweeping the gravel is called for.
Website, Payment Portal
Dean reported that subscriptions to our website have increased (as of today, September 22, the number of subscribers is 91), making it much easier to disseminate information to residents, as each new posting is automatically sent out in the form of email to every subscriber. This is particularly beneficial in the case of posts about fire activity in the region, as this kind of real-time, up-to-date information can be invaluable to residents. Dean encouraged everyone to subscribe and said that posts widely distributed among subscribers in this manner, along with subsequent word-of-mouth among neighbors, will ensure that the whole neighborhood can be made aware of important information.
Dean also noted that our online payment portal is functioning well, and that those wishing to pay their dues in this manner should go to OWW1.com and click on “Make a Payment.” He reminded everyone that payment using credit cards will involve a service charge of 3%, although those paying by debit card will have no such charge (by rule, debit card fees of 1.77% are paid by OWW1.)
Speed Monitor
Dean noted that OWW1 is officially on Deschutes County Sheriff’s rotating list of communities getting use of the County’s speed monitor. This means that for one, unspecified two-week period, we will have the monitor in place in one location within our community. So far, the location chosen has been Big River Drive at Casper, facing southbound traffic. It is by no means the only possible location, but so far was chosen because of the numerous complaints about speeders in that area. We will evaluate the impact each year and determine whether to continue to use that site or move it to another. Again, this two-week period of monitor availability is unspecified and entirely up to the County Sheriff to determine when to place it with us.
Short-term Renters, Possible CC&Rs
Due to complaints from one of our residents about noisy and disruptive Airbnb visitors in homes next door, the subject of restricting or limiting short-term rentals by the creation of strict CC&Rs was brought up. After considerable discussion, it was widely agreed that such an effort to create CC&Rs would be complicated, expensive and not particularly popular among those present, so the matter was tabled.
Mosquito Issues
The subject of mosquitos was discussed, with residents encouraged to contact 4 Rivers Vector (541-593-1689) to report any problems in our neighborhood. It was noted that mosquito numbers this year had been heavier than normal, due to the lengthy, wet spring we experienced. It was also emphasized that 4 Rivers does not respond to individual residence issues, but instead handles neighborhood-wide problems. One resident was concerned that the chemicals used in fogging the neighborhood might be toxic to people and pets but was informed by those familiar with the process that only non-toxic formulas are used.
Election Results
Both Bart Gernhart and Doug Patterson were re-elected to serve three-year terms on the OWW1 POA Board.
The Meeting was adjourned at 10:45 a.m.