Board Meeting Minutes for TRRPOA

Minutes, Board of Directors Special Meeting

June 24, 2021

Call to Order:  President Pat Hurt called the meeting to order at 5:00 pm at his home on Schuck Creek Road.  Board members present were Pat, Debbie Little, Treasurer; Susan Schubert, Secretary; Cathy Little; Wolfgang Schubert, Road Chairman; and Kristin Donaldson, Webmaster. 

Raising Dues: The purpose of the meeting was to discuss if the Board has the authority to raise dues on lots not served by Association Roads from the current assessment of $75.  Several members at the Annual Membership Meeting had challenged if the Board could do this with one member claiming to have discussed with her lawyer who said we had no authority to raise those dues.

Pat discussed the issue with the Association lawyer, Joe Wright, and presented a letter from Joe.  A copy of the letter will be filed with the minutes.  The letter explained that Idaho Courts typically rule in favor of the property owner’s right to use their property in cases where Homeowner’s Association covenants restrict that use in ways that are not clearly defined in the covenants.  Joe does not feel that raising dues has anything to do with restricting an owner’s right to use their property, and that the Association can raise the dues as stated in the CC&Rs and would win if it went to court or to binding arbitration.   All agreed to proceed with raising all lots’ dues by 20 percent as previously voted on in the event that the $100 increase failed.

Other Business:  Pat requested that the tables be set up different next year and that we use a PA system, limiting comments from the floor to the person currently holding the microphone.

Pat would like some Grading F gravel put down on the roads prior to sending out the statements with the dues increase so owners can see the benefits of spending more money on maintaining the roads.

Alternatives to maintaining the roads by an Association employee were discussed, such as contracting out to a road maintenance or construction company.  The majority voted to keep the current arrangement of having our own grader and employee.

Officers were elected and remain the same as the previous term.

Cathy presented a writeup for the Annual Meeting minutes explaining the election results.  She also gave the voting sheets to Susan along with the tally.

Responding to those not serviced by Association roads who complain that they get nothing for their $75, the Board would like to remind them that they get the protection of the covenants against uses not allowed on neighboring lots.  Other members not served by Association roads do want the protection of the covenants.

The unimproved section of Pine Ridge is the only access to one of the lots.  It is currently blocked in several places by trees and debris.  The Board decided to get an estimate from Robin to open it up enough to get a four wheel drive Jeep or ATV through. 

Adjourn:  The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Schubert, Secretary 

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Minutes, Board of Directors Meeting

June 18, 2021

Call to Order:  President Pat Hurt called the meeting to order.  Board members Pat, Debbie Little, Cathy Little, Wolfgang Schubert, John Urbahn and David Bennett were present.  Susan Schubert, previous board member and secretary, volunteered to take notes.  At this time it was believed and David had won the Board seat previously held by Susan.

No business was conducted.

Adjourn:  The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Schubert, Secretary 

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Minutes, Board of Directors Meeting
April 24, 2021

Call to Order: President Pat Hurt called the meeting to order at 1:12 PM at the White Bird Library as the school was not available. Present were Pat, Cathy Little, Member at Large; Susan Schubert, Secretary; Debbie Little, Treasurer; and Wolfgang Schubert, Road Chair. Kristin Donaldson, Webmaster, was present by phone. John Urbahn, Vice President, was unable to attend. Kelly Lesquereux, Association member, was also present.

Approval of Agenda & Prior Minutes: Both were approved as is.

Road Report: Wolfgang reported. Pilgrim Ridge was plowed; the Shuck Creek Road sign at Hammer Creek was installed; and the two culverts have been purchased. Weed spraying will begin in the next few weeks. Pilgrim Ridge will be graveled when the snow is gone. The grader transmission oil leak was repaired at Robin’s by replacing a seal for a cost of around $400. If this works, it won’t be necessary to take the grader in and have the transmission pulled.

Pat spoke about the roads with Debbie, Wolfgang, and others participating. Hammer and Gregory Creeks are the main arteries with Hammer Creek taking a beating this spring and summer as there are four builds in progress. The steep sections of each will be graveled with Grading F gravel, watered, and rolled this year. Wolfgang will talk to Todd Cullins about hiring him to water the roads during the graveling and rolling as previous experience has shown that the road and gravel must be wet to be effective. Staging the gravel at Pat’s was discussed as it would reduce the wait time during the graveling and would eliminate the scheduling difficulty in getting enough gravel trucks to keep the grader busy. It was moved, seconded, and all approved that we stage the Grading F gravel at Pat’s. Wolfgang will meet with Robin and Pat to set up the staging area. Debbie will talk with Gary about the possibility of staging Grading F gravel on their Hammer Creek property.

Cathy reported there is a dead tree on Gregory Creek which could fall on the road. She will show Pat where it is, and Wolfgang, Pat and Robin will look at it.

It was moved, seconded, and approved to accept the Road Report.

Treasurer’s Report: Debbie reported. With the March and April snow removal, snow plowing will end up around $500 over budget. The insurances for truck, operator and

Board and Association liabilities were paid, and it was about $150 less than it was last year even though the coverage is the same. There is $32K in checking and $83K in savings. We have collected a few more outstanding dues since the last meeting. Accounts Receivable is about $3124, lower than it has been in years. The purchased culverts cost $380, well under the budgeted $700.

Twin River Ranch Website: Kristin reported. She is working on adding a link to the website trr-thisandthat.com that has interesting local articles and where there is a list of properties for sale in the Ranch.

Property Sales and Housing Starts/Finishes: Cathy reported. There are 10 properties for sale; 7 have sold since last month; and there are two new listings. A home on Doumecq is pretty much done. One on Big Canyon and one on Pine Ridge are still building. Two new CCR Approval Forms have been received and approved, one on Hammer Creek and the other on Bear Ridge. A well has been drilled and clearing started for another log home on Pine Ridge with logs arriving in June. A home on Saddle Ridge is still pending, and those buyers will also purchase a lot on Orchard View. Another home on Shuck Creek is pending sale to the renters. An owner with two lots is deeding one to a family member.

Dues Increase: Raising the annual dues for lots serviced by Association roads from $200 to $300 was discussed. There was concern that it would not pass as it requires 75% of the membership to approve, and there are only about 60 property owners who live on the Ranch year round. Pros and cons of just having the affected members vote verses having all the members vote was also discussed. Others felt that those affected would support the increase if they were assured that the money would be used for the expected increases in maintenance and operating costs, i.e., gravel, fuel, equipment repairs, grading, spraying, snow plowing, etc. and a substantial portion to be added to the reserve account.

Pat and Debbie requested cost data from Wolfgang on road maintenance, including graveling, watering, rolling, grading, fuel, and snow plowing, for the 2022 budget showing the increased cost and the increased need for road maintenance because of increased traffic and additional plowing, such as Pilgrim Ridge. This information will be presented to the membership at the Annual Meeting to help make the case for the increase in dues. Debbie and Wolfgang will also prepare a 2022 budget forecast to be presented at the meeting.

It was suggested that we let everyone vote and present a proposal to raise the $200 dues to $300, and if that fails, raise everyone 20%, raising $200 to $240 and $75 to

$90. It was moved, seconded, and approved by all to present the $100 increase to the Membership for a vote.
The Board will continue to move money over and above the operating costs into the reserve account and, if the dues increase passes, will strive for a minimum of 20% of dues at the beginning of the year.

Cathy will resurrect her proposed amendment from a few years ago to put a spending limit of $5000 on the Board without membership approval. She will modify it to exclude budgeted operating expenses and emergencies. It was moved, seconded, and approved by all to present the amendment to the Membership for a vote; however, one Board member did change their vote to “No” at a later date.

Annual Meeting and Picnic: Cathy reported we will be getting the cinnamon rolls from the Confluence (formerly Hoots) at our meeting. She has reserved Swiftwater for the picnic. The Board will provide burgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, bratwurst, deviled eggs, potato salad, pop, beer, and ice. Members are asked to bring a side dish.

Member Forum: Kelly Lesquereux was present and participated in the discussions on raising fees and putting controls in place to limit what the Board can spend without membership approval.

Adjourn: There being no further business, it was moved, seconded and all approved to adjourn the meeting at 3:00 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Susan Schubert, Secretary
Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

March 27, 2021

Call to Order:  President Pat Hurt called the meeting to order at 3:10. Present were Pat; John Urbahn, Vice President; Cathy Little, Member at Large; Susan Schubert, Secretary; Wolfgang Schubert, Road Chair; Debbie Little, Treasurer; and Association member and equipment operator Robin Lipinski.

Update on Board Activity Relative to Covenant Violations: Pat reported that the Court ruled against the Board in its claim to recover money it spent cleaning up damage and obstructions from an owner who purposefully damaged a road, saying that the property owner should have been notified he would be assessed for cleaning it up and given time to clean it up himself. 

Road Report:  The Board discussed with Robin an increase in the road budget and building up the emergency reserves funded by an increase in dues.  Robin cited a significantly higher increase in traffic, higher speeds, and two wheel drive vehicles, but especially increased traffic, as causing roads to require more gravel and maintenance.  The cost of gravel, the Association’s biggest expense, and fuel and hauling have also increased.  The roads will require 40-60 loads of gravel over the next two years.  Snow plowing has also increased and will increase even more if Pilgrim Ridge and Elk Run are kept open all winter to accommodate owners who require access.  Because of the depth of snow on these roads, Robin recommends we purchase a snow blade for the grader instead of using the existing dirt blade.  There are also three potential areas of failure where there could be sloughing, sliding, or a washout: above the pond on Canyon View; a section on the unimproved portion of Big Canyon that provides the only access to several lots; and an area at the top of the S Curves on Hammer Creek.  If any one of these fails, it could be very expensive to repair.  If the money is not available in the reserve fund, then all lot owners would face an emergency assessment to pay for it.

It was decided to present an increase in annual dues, $100 per lot for those paying $200 per lot and $25 per lot for those paying $75 per lot, to the membership for a vote at the Annual Meeting.  Debbie, who has been researching road corrugation, and Pat, who has been researching what other local HOA annual dues are, will prepare a document with Robin’s help to be mailed to the membership prior to the Annual Meeting explaining the need for the increase.

Wolfgang gave his Road Report.  Robin has recently purchased belts, wipers, and chains.  Wolfgang donated a set of chains to the plow truck.  Pat also has a set he will donate.  The folks who would fix the grader transmission leak could make a site call for $200 to assess if it is something they can fix on site.  If so, they will fix it which will save the expense of hauling the grader in unless it is necessary. All agreed to have the grader inspected before taking it in.

In other road business, Robin has not yet purchased the culvert previously approved but will.  The Pilgrim Ridge and Elk Run signs have been stolen again.  There has been more littering on the roads.  Robin attempted to plow Pilgrim Ridge this past week with the grader, but the snow was too deep.  He will try again next weekend.

Treasurer’s Report:  Debbie presented the 2020 final financial statements.  All agreed Debbie should move $10,000 ($5,000 left from the 2020 budget and $5,000 collected from accounts that hadn’t been paid for years – see below) into savings.  The new total in unpaid dues is $3,000, which is the lowest it’s been in a long time.  The snow plowing budget has slightly exceeded it’s $2,500 budgeted amount.

Secretary’s Report:  Susan had nothing to report.

Update on Board Activity Relative to Delinquent Homeowner Association Dues:  Debbie reported we collected nearly $5,000 from two accounts that hadn’t paid for years: a current property owner who finally paid and the delinquent owners that we have been unable to contact.  They sold their two lots, but we had a lien on both so were able to collect the outstanding dues.

Shuck Creek/Hammer Creek Intersection Sign:  Cathy has a metal post.  Robin will get that from her and get the other supplies to install the post, sign, and new warning sign.

Twin River Ranch Website: Cathy said the number of lots on the intro are wrong.  It shows 217 but should be 219 because of lots being split.  Cathy will have Kristin make the change.

Electronic Communications and Billings:  Debbie gave Susan the invoices returned with payment from property owners with their email addresses.  Susan will prepare a document of email address for Debbie and Cathy.

Property Sales and Housing Starts/Finishes:  Cathy reported that since our last meeting seven properties have sold, including White Horse Ranch, six are pending, and there are only seven for sale.

Member Forum:  There were no members present other than Robin Lipinski.

Adjourn: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:38 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Schubert, Secretary, 

Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association