Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

White Bird, Idaho

TRRPOA
P.O. Box 130
White Bird, ID 83554
Phone numbers available here.
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October 22, 2022 Board Meeting Minutes

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Minutes, Board of Directors Meeting

October 22, 2022

10 AM, Old White Bird School

Call To Order – President JP Goding called the meeting to order at 10:02 AM. Also present were Jerry Bentz, Road Chair; Debbie Little, Treasurer; Susan Schubert, Secretary; Kristin Donaldson, Webmaster; and Gordon Ross, Fire Tree. Wolfgang Schubert, Vice President, was absent. There were approximately 40 guests attending the meeting.

JP, Jerry, and Gordon, being new Board members, introduced themselves and shared some of their background. 

Approval of Agenda. The agenda was modified to first, Fire Mitigation; second, Road Report; third, Business Meeting starting with the Budget.

Fire Mitigation. JP handed out a packet of information on fire prevention and led the discussion. Mike Campbell, Roy Johnston, and others contributed to the discussion. The purpose of the Fire Mitigation Plan is to help ensure that we will continue to get fire insurance and at a rate we can afford. Some states are losing coverage in fire prone and flood prone areas, resulting in the States having to provide insurance. In some cases, coverage has become unaffordable. Some underwriters are refusing to issue new policies in our area. Suggestions for the plan included placing water tanks throughout the ranch where water can be captured by springs or ponds or catchment systems, especially during the spring when water runoff is high. JP will also find out if we can get a permit to draw water from the River to keep the tanks full or during a fire. The Fire Department in White Bird does not respond to fires on the Ranch. Salmon River Rural Fire District (SRRFD) and the Forest Service do respond, but it is also possible that SRRFD would not respond if structures were not threatened. SRRFD fire trucks only carry 500 gallons of water and would need to return to the Salmon River for water unless water is available on the Ranch. Tanks would need to be purchased and volunteers needed to allow placement of the tanks and help provide water. Areas would need to be flat and have enough room for the water trucks to turn around. Water could be used in the fall, after fire season, to water the roads for grading. Volunteers would be needed to build boxes for fire tools and pulaskis, placed at various locations. Mike Campbell and others at his location have firefighting and EMT experience and also offered the use of their water truck but hoses and a pump are needed. Maps showing the locations of water tanks and toolboxes could be placed on the Association website, twinriverranch.com.

Roy Johnston thanked the Board for inviting the membership to participate in the meeting. He gave a presentation on the Federal Grant money available through the Fire Mitigation office for Idaho County. He and several others have had the land around their homes cleared at no cost to them. The recommended area to clear is 300 to 500 feet. Full time residents qualify for 100% coverage. Part time resident coverage is prorated. The property owner is required to burn the piles left by clearing once it is safe to burn. Roy stressed that it is each property owner’s responsibility to reduce fuels on their property, and all should take advantage of the grant money. He will send information to Kristin to put on the website.

JP talked about how difficult it was to get information on the Jones Creek Fire this summer and how he was never able to talk to the incident commander. The problem is that our area is under the Wallowa District, but with the increased number of houses and home values, it should be moved to Slate Creek so current information is more readily available. He urged everyone to contact local politicians to try and get it changed.

Roads. A new grader operator has been hired and will grade roads starting next week as the roads are wet enough. Jerry explained why we couldn’t grade when the roads were dry as the rocks disintegrate or turn to roller balls, which is dangerous. The plan going forward will be to grade the main roads, Gregory, Bucks, Hammer, and Shuck, four times a year with side roads being graded once a year or more if needed. Currently side roads are in reasonable condition. Jerry asked that members respectfully notify him of any problem areas. We will need a water truck and a source for water for year around grading. Jerry will also check on permits for getting water from the river. Gordon said he has water rights to Otter Creek, and we might be able to get water from it. Mike Campbell volunteered the use of their 2500 gallon water truck. He volunteered to run the water truck during grading and suggested the use of handheld radios to keep in contact. John Urbahn said that the Slate Creek District has a retired water truck we might be able to get cheap. He will get information on it and give it to JP. 

There was a discussion on having a secure package drop off area and having delivery trucks put packages there instead of driving on our roads. There is heavy delivery truck traffic, and in general they speed and are two wheel drive. Perhaps a local business could be a drop off location or we could build a secure shed or something. Using the drop off locations would not be required but encouraged. The discussion on drop off locations will continue at the next meeting. 

Snow plowing will initially be done by several residents, including Roy Johnston who has extensive plowing experience, on a rotating schedule until we can find a snowplow operator as the newly hired grader operator will not be available to plow. 

Implementing some of the ideas for fire mitigation and better road maintenance will require more money.

Al Bolden talked about ambulance response in the winter when there is snow on the roads. Last year an ambulance went into the ditch responding to a medical emergency on the Ranch. Al said that the State of Idaho does not require ambulances to respond if there is risk to equipment or personnel, and that he has been told ambulances will not respond to emergencies on the Ranch in the winter. There is an available Quick Response Unit (QRU) in White Bird that was purchased to respond to rural areas, but it is not being used. Perhaps we could place that on the Ranch to treat and transport residents during the winter and keep it chained up and ready. There are several residents with medical training who could assist during transport. The Good Samarian law was discussed, and it was agreed that those who helped would be protected by it. Purchasing an AED was also discussed, and Mike Campbell volunteered to store it as his place, deliver it when needed, and also to host training on how to use it. Snowmobiles could also be used to transport residents down the hill if conditions are too treacherous for the QRU.

JP will order diesel fuel from Prime Land to fill the tank for the grader. The 500 gallon tank is low but has some fuel left in it. Jerry would like to purchase a regular blade for the grader in addition to the rock rake blade. Debbie said we will have to wait for the next budget year to start. Jerry estimates the blade will cost $1,500 to $2,000.

Communications. Better communication would help with both road maintenance and fire prevention. Kristin is implementing sending notices out using email and has 140 addresses to date but needs the rest. Roy Johnston suggested she add several forums to the website such as one each for roads, fire mitigation, and anything folks need help for or help that folks can provide. Mike Campbell asked where on the website the CC&Rs are, and Kristin explained. She said she would make them a little easier to find. Brooke Myers suggested a property owner’s contact list be made available to owners that included name, phone number, and email. Owners could opt in or out of being on the list and could indicate which information they are willing to share. Another member present suggested that information be added to the list indicating what each member could help others with. Eileen Bentz suggested that the list include any medical training a person has had. There is some contact information available to those that help with the Fire Tree. Susan will send the file to Gordon, who will be the new Fire Tree Coordinator.

Committees. Susan suggested that we form two committees, one for Roads and one for Fire Mitigation, or at least one for Fire Mitigation. She suggested Mike Campbell chair the committee on Fire Mitigation. Kristin can possibly add a Committees tab to the website or add a Fire Mitigation tab and put the committees under Roads and Fire Mitigation.

Member Forum. Nothing additional was said as members were allowed to ask questions during the previous discussions. Members were dismissed prior to the business meeting.

Business Meeting. Debbie reported $4,439.74 in checking and $78,611.39 in the reserve account. She reminded folks that the gravel event during the summer exceeded what was budgeted and resulted in the reserve account being decreased by $9,000 to cover the overage. 

She presented the 2023 Budget Worksheet which she based on a 20% increase in dues on lots serviced by Association Roads, from $240 to $288, and no dues increase on lots not serviced by Association Roads as the dues increase will be used solely for road maintenance and administrative costs have not gone up. A copy of the budget will be filed with these minutes. The increase will add another $8,000 to the income. A motion was made and seconded to raise the dues on said lots by 20%. A discussion followed. Debbie reported that we have spent more than our income in four of the last five years and to continue at this rate will mean the Association will be out of funds in a couple of years and will be insolvent and be dissolved. At that point, there will be no road maintenance or plowing. After much discussion, a vote was taken, and the motion passed. The invoices being sent out in November for 2023 dues will show the increased dues. The increase will be posted to the website, included here in the minutes, and mentioned in the November newsletter which is sent with the invoices. 

Debbie also requested that the Association sign up for Quick Books online so that she can transfer the bookkeeping from her professional account to the Quick Books account, making it possible for someone other than her to perform the Association accounting duties in the event that she is no long a property owner in the future. She could still be available for a fee to perform accounting duties that the new Treasurer cannot do. Debbie will pass on her 30% discount on Quick Books to the Association. The cost is $700 per year. We are currently paying for a third party system to do our payroll at $30 per month. Payroll is included in Quick Books, so that service would no longer be needed. The new treasurer would not need to know anything about accounting or payroll as Debbie would set everything up for us. All agreed Debbie should proceed with purchasing and setting up Quick Books online. Debbie can still help us with Payroll functions for free if needed.

Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:18 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Schubert, Secretary

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Filed Under: Board Meeting Minutes

October 22, 2022 Board Meeting Agenda

Agenda, Board of Directors Meeting

October 22, 2022

10 AM, Old White Bird School

Call To Order – President JP Goding

Approval of Agenda

Approval of Prior Minutes

Reports:

Treasurer – Debbie Little

Secretary – Susan Schubert

Road Chair – Jerry Bentz

Website – Kristin Donaldson

General Member – Gordon Ross

Old Business

New Business

Fire Mitigation Plan. All Association members are encouraged to attend and participate in the discussion. From the President:

CC&Rs Review of Submitted Forms

Member Forum

Adjournment

Filed Under: Agendas for Board Meetings, Special Members Meeting

September 8, 2022 Board Meeting

Minutes, Board of Directors Meeting

7:00 PM White Bird Library, September 8, 2022

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by President JP Goding. In attendance were Board members Wolfgang Schubert, Vice President; Jerry Bentz, Road Chair; Debbie Little, Treasurer; Cathy Little, Fire Tree; Kristin Donaldson, Webmaster; and Susan Schubert, Secretary. Guests wereEileen Bentz and Brooke Myers.

Approval of Agenda. The agenda was approved with the addition of an update from JP on a recent Fire District meeting he attended.

Reports: Treasurer – Debbie Little presented the Income Statement for the eight months ending August 31. We were over budget due to being over budget on the graveling event by approximately $10,000, not allowing her to make the annual $5,000 deposit into the reserve account and requiring her to move $5,000 from the reserve account to checking. Budgets for the 2022/2023 cycle are due in October.

Secretary – Susan Schubert reported she had sent out several welcome letters to new property owners.

Road Chair – Jerry Bentz reported he was working on a road plan and would present more information as he had it available. Current road conditions were discussed but no action taken as the Board will wait for Jerry’s plan.

Website – Kristin Donaldson has published the road report from the Annual Meeting to the new Road Work Updates tab of the website.

Fire Tree – Cathy Little reported on the cooperation and communication among members in notifying members living on the Ranch of the Jones Creek Fire and its status.The fire perimeter came within 5 miles of Pilgrim Ridge.

New Business – Membership List Available for All Members. Members will be sent a form to return with their annual dues payment if they wish to be included on this list and have their phone number and/or email address added to a contact list made available to all members.  This contact list will only be available upon request of a property owner and be sent only by email.

Change in Annual Meeting – Friday to Saturday. Reasons why the meeting is held on White Bird Days weekend and why it is held on Friday were given. White Bird days activities are held on Saturday, so the meeting is held on Friday. This will be discussed at the 2023 Annual Meeting. No action was taken, and no change was made.

Fire District Meeting Update. JP reported that he and Mike Campbell, among others, attended a meeting at John Urbahn’s to discuss fire preparedness on the Association. Suggestions included volunteers to make boxes containing firefighting tools which would be distributed around the Ranch; staging water tanks around the Ranch; getting permission from those with ponds to withdraw water in the event of a fire; getting permission to put in fire lines on properties; having more folks trained to operate the water trucks and heavy equipment owned by Mike Campbell that he has generously made available to the Association; and getting more folks to remove dead trees, brush and other fuels from their property. A Board meeting will be held at 10 AM at the Old White Bird School on October 22 to discuss a fire prevention/fighting plan.  All members are encouraged to attend and participate. 

CC&Rs Review of Submitted Forms. There is one form requiring Board signatures, but the Secretary forgot to bring it. The property owners were already notified by letter than they were approved.

Property Sales and Housing Updates. There are 11 properties for sale and only three sales since the June meeting. Sales have definitely slowed down and prices are being reduced.

Covenant Violations. JP reported that he talked to the property owners about the two violations. The first, fencing on the edge of an association road, was temporary to allow livestock to graze the right of way and has since been removed. The construction of what appears to be a residence is an art studio and not a house.

Member Forum. No discussion was held. 

Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 9 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Schubert, Secretary, Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Filed Under: Board Meeting Minutes

September 8, 2022 Agenda

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Agenda, Board of Directors Meeting

September 8, 2022

7:00 PM, White Bird Library

Call To Order – President JP Goding

Approval of Agenda

Approval of Prior Minutes

Reports:

Treasurer – Debbie Little

Secretary – Susan Schubert

Road Chair – Jerry Bentz

Website – Kristin Donaldson

Fire Tree – Cathy Little

New Business

Membership List Available for All Members

Change in Annual Meeting – Friday to Saturday

CC&Rs Review of Submitted Forms

Property Sales and Housing Updates

Covenant Violations – Executive session

Member Forum

Adjournment

Filed Under: Agendas for Board Meetings

2022 Annual Members Meeting

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Annual Members Meeting Minutes

June 17, 2022

The Confluence Resort, White Bird, Idaho

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 10:30 AM by Vice President John Urbahn as Pat Hurt, who had been President, resigned on March 22. Also present were Debbie Little, Treasurer; Susan Schubert, Secretary; Kristin Donaldson, Webmaster; Wolfgang Schubert, Road Chairman; and Cathy Little, Fire Tree Coordinator. There were approximately sixty-five plus members and guests in attendance.

Announcements:  John welcomed the members to the meeting and introduced the Board members, invited everyone to attend the picnic at Swiftwater after the meeting, asked everyone to please update their phone numbers for the fire tree, and announced how the meeting would be run: the meeting will be conducted using a PA System with one microphone for the Board members and one for the audience; discussions will be limited to two minutes; no denigration of Board members, property owners, or the equipment operator will be allowed; concerns and complaints must be submitted to the Board in writing and will be addressed during the Member’s Forum; a second voting sheet will be used in the event that the first vote does not elect candidates (candidates need majority (51%) of the total vote to be elected – as per TRR Bylaws); and there will be a short Board meeting after the Annual Meeting to elect officers.

Secretary’s Report. Susan reported on data Cathy has been tracking. This past year, there are twelve new property owners: four houses and eight lots sold. One house is coming on the market in July. Another is still on the market since last year. Six homes are under construction and expected to be completed this year. Two new homes are planned to start soon. Two lots with building pads and shops should start soon with the possibility of an additional two lots getting shops built or started.

Communications this past year included welcome letters to the twelve new owners; five owners have submitted CC&R Review Submittal forms, all approved and notified but one pending awaiting confirmation on thirty foot property line set back. A sixth owner has submitted plans but needs to submit the review form yet. There are ongoing discussions and communication with two property owners disputing the increase in dues from $75 to $90. One demand letter from an owner’s lawyer was received, demanding the dues increase be repealed. Our lawyer responded and there’s been no response from the member’s lawyer since. A second property owner requested no spray along their road frontage. A reminder to all is that there is a “No Spray” form to complete. Contact any Board member for a copy. We will see about putting the form on the web site. Several letters were received complaining about roads and other issues, but no action was requested, and no response was given.

Website Report. Kristin reported that the main goal and priority of managing the website is to provide a platform where Membership can have easy access to the happenings on The Ranch. Kristin regularly posts Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes and Newsletters. A couple of times a year, she works on a special website project to meet the growing needs of our Membership. An example of a special project would be our new Roads Updates page, which was rolled out the day of the meeting. In terms of the Roads Update page, anytime there is new work completed on the roads, she will update the page. This is an excellent resource to stay up-to-date on road maintenance.

Kristin has been the webmaster for the past 3 years. She works about 50 hours per year on our website. If we hired out the work she does, it would cost over $6000. Kristin is always looking to add talent to our Helpful Resources page, so please feel free to email her with any names and businesses you recommend. Kristin thanks you for your continued support. She has been happy to do the work.

Treasurer’s Report. Debbie presented the May 31 2022 and 2021 balance sheets and the 2022 Income Statement through May 31. You may contact Debbie for a copy and if you have any questions. Debbie pointed out that the expenditure for gravel was nearly $11,587 over budget, a result of the graveling of Gregory and Hammer Creek Roads with eighty loads of Grading F gravel purchased this year. We are down $25K in our checking account from last year due to the gravel expenditure. We had a loss of $2,700 this year due to extra road work. An additional $6,000 will be incurred in expenses this year. We will need to move $8,700 from the reserve account to cover that. The cost of diesel is way up, and the cost of weed spray has increased between $400 to $500 over last year.

Debbie also presented figures showing that, excluding the cost of road maintenance, those residents who now pay $90 per lot are actually paying less per lot for nonroad expenses than those who are now paying $240. Administrative costs were actually less than last year.

She also presented a dismal state of affairs if we were to have any major road damage as we would not have the funds for repair. The annual dues we collect at the current rate are insufficient to maintain the roads as they require and do not provide any excess to save towards a major road catastrophe. She stressed the need for continued increase in dues. Our current income from dues and expenses for road maintenance are not sustainable. The Board welcomes ideas on saving money on maintaining the roads.

Debbie reported that a few members were still outstanding on their dues, but that there was less outstanding than in past years.

Road and Equipment Report. Wolfgang reported that ninety-eight dump truck loads of grading F gravel were laid down this spring. Eighty loads were delivered and spread over two days. The eighteen loads we had stockpiled last year were spread a few weeks later. The timing was good as both the gravel and the roads were wet. The majority of the gravel went on Big Canyon, Hammer Creek, Bucks Boulevard, and Gregory Creek; the rest went to problem areas throughout the ranch.

The unimproved section of Pine Ridge was cleared of brush and rocks for access by firefighting equipment and property owners. A sign was placed at the beginning of the unimproved section indicating that the property was private and that this was an unimproved road.

Grading was done as needed and weather permitted. Snow plowing was done from November through April as needed. Pilgrim Ridge was plowed this winter until the snow drifts got too deep. It was cleared this spring when enough snow had melted to allow equipment to get in. If we need to keep this road open throughout the winter, some other type of equipment, such as a large snow blower, will need to be purchased.

All roads were sprayed for weeds last August, and the lower roads again in late May of this year. The upper roads will be sprayed later in June. 

Maintenance of the grader included replacing the starter, some of the carbide inserts on the blade and repair of the air brake system and air lines. The brakes continue to lock up at times, but we have been able to get them unlocked each time.  One of the grader tires was replaced due to sidewall damage.  All of the tires will need to be replaced within the next few years. Future repairs will include an engine rebuild, as it has numerous leaks and is burning oil.

Maintenance of the truck included repair of the 4×4 actuator, installation of front brakes and a wheel bearing and new rear tires. The pump on the weed sprayer was also repaired and will most likely need to be replace soon.

Introduction of Board Candidates – Three three-year were terms open. Seven candidates were running: David Bennett, Debbie Little (current Board member and Treasurer), JP Goding, Jeff Dickson, Gordon Ross, Mark Frayser, and Jerry Bentz. David Bennett was unable to attend the meeting due to illness. Mark Frayser was also unable to attend due to illness, but Shelly Frayser was present on his behalf. Debbie, JP, Jeff, Gordon, and Jerry were given time to speak. Shelly spoke on behalf of Mark. There was no one representing David. Each spoke about their ideas for improved road maintenance, the value of the CC&Rs, and what they would bring to the Board. There were no nominations from the floor. There were no questions from the floor for the candidates.

Voting and Election Results. Debbie Little and Jerry Bentz were elected in the first round of voting. The next two candidates receiving the most votes were JP Goding and Gordon Ross. A second round of voting was held, and JP Goding was elected. Three members from the audience and one Board member performed the counting.

Member’s Forum. There were three items brought up for discussion. One property owner was concerned about the damage to trees from pine beetles and wondered what could be done. A second property owner, Shelly Frayser, suggested that more general membership meetings be held. A third owner, Megan McQuillin, shared an unfortunate incident with their dogs and their neighbor. No action was requested on any of the items and no action was taken.

Meeting Adjourned: John adjourned the meeting shortly after noon so folks could get to the picnic. The picnic was well attended, and, as always, the food was delicious. The Board thanks those who attended and those who brought side dishes.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Schubert, Secretary

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Filed Under: Annual Meetings

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