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 One demand letter from an owner’s lawyer was received, demanding the dues increase be repealed.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