Bill Wisenor (2013)
mrw4w4@wildblue.net
208-839-9930
Dan VanLeeuwen (2014)
sdvanl@hotmail.com
206-992-8472
A Code of Conduct for the Board of Directors,
agreed upon by a majority of the members of the Board on September 21, 2011, and adopted by the Board on January 12, 2012, is available by clicking "Code of Conduct" at the bottom right hand corner of this page.
The Board of Directors meet at the White Bird Library. Except for a winter break, meetings are held monthly. The date of the next meeting can be found in the minutes of the last Board meeting. Guests are welcome to attend.
BOARD MEETING JANUARY 12, 2012
The Board of Directors of the Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association met on January 12, 2012, at the White Bird library. The meeting was called to order by President Randy Olson at 9 a.m. Present were Randy Olson, Lew Thompson, Bill Wisenor, John Urbahn, Mike Wilt, Dan VanLeeuwen, Pat Hurt and Cathy Little. Jared Brake was in Iraq but communicated by email. Absent was Dick Ashcraft. Guest was Annelle Urbahn.
Reading and Approval of Minutes from Last Board Meeting: Bill Wisenor moved that the minutes from the Board meeting held on September 21, 2011, be approved, seconded by Mike Wilt and agreed upon by all present.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Pat Hurt submitted a financial statement for 2011. Assets total a little over $119,000. Fifty-two property owners still have not paid 2012 dues, however, $10,000 was collected in 2011 for dues in arrears after filing small claims on those property owners who have been delinquent for several years. Another property owner, who also is delinquent on property taxes, will be served in March. The holder of a loan on two properties has signed a contract for periodic payments to satisfy outstanding dues on these properties. Non-usual expenditures included legal fees on the withdrawal issue and reimbursement to property owners who overpaid in yearly dues. Pat also reported that since the Nunnallys have resumed taking care of our roads, the cost of road maintenance was reduced by half in 2011. Pat also submitted a cost comparison of expenditures for the past 5 years. Using this, a budget was discussed, eliminating non-variable expenses such as insurance, tax preparation and postage. It was agreed on by all Directors present to allow $6,000 for labor, $4,000 for equipment parts and repair, $1,200 for diesel fuel, $2,000 for weed spraying, $1,200 for gravel and $500 for hauling. Gravel should be hauled at delivery rather than stockpiling it and then having to load it again for spreading. With no need for snow removal so far this winter, there is $650 remaining in the snow-removal fund - $200 was contributed by two property owners at payment of their 2012 dues. John Urbahn moved that the Treasurer’s report be approved, seconded by Dan VanLeeuwen and agreed upon by all present.
Roads and Equipment: Lew Thompson reported that several roads have been either graded or gone over with the rock rake at their steepest points with the ditches at the side of the road cleared. Lew feels that we have a need for approximately 3 to 4 loads of gravel this year which will be spread directly on the roads at purchase. The Board recommended to again use Marianne Carlin for weed spraying and Lew will contact her to get on her schedule. Lew reported that the grader is in good shape but the backhoe still needs a radiator hose and one new tire. It was agreed to take care of that. Randy Olson again volunteered to trim all the overhanging trees and shrubs on Hammer Creek and Pine Ridge Roads as weather permits. Cathy Little moved that Lew’s report be approved, seconded by Pat Hurt and agreed upon by all present.
Lot Owner Construction: Cathy Little reported that there were no new pre-approval plans submitted. The owners of Lot 65, Phase I intend to begin construction in April.
Website: Cathy Little reported an average of 570 visitors per month to the website. There have been two contacts from property owners about the site and both were positive. One realtor requested inclusion of a listing on the properties for sale page. After receiving printed information from the Salmon River Rural Fire Department, the information about fire safety was condensed and included on the This and That page. Information about grazing rights and what to do if stray cattle are on private properties was paraphrased from the Idaho Statutes and put on the This and That page.
Code of Conduct: President Randy Olson signed the final copy of the Code of Conduct as agreed upon by all Directors except Dick Ashcraft at the September, 2011, Board meeting. Additionally, all Board members present signed their acceptance and agreement to this Code. Jared Brake and Dick Ashcraft will be sent hard copies for their signature and return for filing. Randy will file this Code at the Courthouse for inclusion in the TRR Bylaws, and copies will be sent to all property owners in the May mailing.
From the Floor:
· Annelle Urbahn reported that several 4-wheelers have been using the old road that cuts through her property from Shuck Creek to Gregory Creek Roads. She was advised to post a sign, put up a gate or speak to the offenders as it is not the Board’s responsibility to intervene.
· Several property owners have been complaining about the cattle on TRR this winter. It is up to individual property owners to fence their yards and hope that the cows do not get in gardens. As already discussed, the This and That page has information regarding the grazing rights in Idaho and a property owner’s recourse if bothered by strays.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be on Thursday, March 15, 2012, at 10 a.m. in the White Bird library
President Randy Olson moved that the meeting be adjourned, seconded by Dan VanLeeuwen and agreed upon by all present. President Randy Olson adjourned the meeting at 10:22 a.m.
BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER 21, 2011
The Board of Directors of the Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association met on September 21, 2011, in Hoot’s Café. The meeting was called to order by President Randy Olson at 9 a.m. Present were Randy Olson, Pat Hurt, Lew Thompson, Mike Wilt, Bill Wisenor, John Urbahn, Dan vanLeeuwen, Jared Brake and Cathy Little. Absent was Dick Ashcraft. Guests were Jim Georges from the Idaho County Sheriff’s Department, Bob Johnson, Chief of the White Bird Fire Department, and Dennis and Ruby McCollum from the Salmon River Rural Fire Department.
Pat Hurt summarized the events of the September 16th fire on Twin River Ranch. The White Bird Fire Department was the first unit to respond but the fire had already been extinguished by neighbors who responded upon seeing the smoke. The White Bird Fire Chief and the Salmon River Rural Fire Department arrived shortly after, followed by the U.S. Forest Service and two Law Enforcement personnel. Additionally, a spotter plane was seen circling the property involved. Some of the concerns that TRR residents voiced were the delayed response of the fire departments, the fact that the Salmon River Rural Fire Department’s truck never left its parking space at Hoot’s, and the involvement of the Forest Service who were told that their services were not needed when they arrived. The two armed Law Enforcement personnel from the Forest Service extensively questioned the property owner as to the cause of the fire and sent out a representative from the Idaho Department of Lands the following day who removed the lawn mower that was responsible for the fire for inspection.
Much discussion ensued regarding this fire and the protocol for reporting a fire on private property. Unfortunately, a White Bird Resident called the Department of Lands who forwarded her call to the Forest Service at about the same time that a resident called 911. The White Bird Fire Chief was notified by the dispatcher; however, the on-call person in White Bird never received a page as the narrow-band pagers do not work in town. The Fire Chief notified the Salmon River Rural Fire Department by car radio, and the individual responsible for driving the White Bird fire truck was notified in person by someone who saw the smoke from White Bird. The protocol for reporting a fire is to call 911. In turn, the dispatcher will notify, by pager, the White Bird Fire Department and the Salmon River Rural Fire Department. Unfortunately, these two departments currently do not have a service agreement; therefore, no one from White Bird’s department can drive the SRRFD’s truck. Furthermore, the pagers that were put into use (in the guise of Homeland Security) are narrow band and do not work in many areas along the river. It was suggested that the SRRFD and the City Council approve combining personnel from both departments in a “mutual aid agreement” whereby volunteer firefighters can respond to either department and be covered by each insurance policy.
Both local departments stressed the need for volunteers and the possibility of having water tanks on TRR in strategic areas. TRR would have to purchase the tanks, but the White Bird Fire Department would maintain them, keeping them filled and emptying them for the winter. Dennis also said there is the probable availability of a 9000 gallon tank from Riggins that he would look into securing for TRR. Bob Johnson said residents should be reminded to call 911 to report a fire, but an additional call to 983-1100 would go directly to the dispatcher (if there is a recording, immediately press “O” to get to the dispatcher). Volunteer training is available with both the White Bird Fire Department as well as the SRRFD for state certification as a firefighter. The course consists of 85 hours for structural fires and 80 hours for range fires. It was also recommended to call Jerry Zumwalt at the county to complain about the current pager system as not being reliable to reach the fire departments.
Jared Brake suggested we include information for property owners in our November newsletter as well as on our website and have literature available for those who want to plan for fire safety when building their homes. Ruby McCollum will prepare a packet of information that TRR can use.
Vice-President Lew Thompson moved to close this topic, seconded by John Urbahn and agreed upon by all present. Jim Georges, Bob Johnson and Ruby and Dennis McCollum left the meeting.
Reading and Approval of Board Minutes from August Meeting: Vice-President Lew Thompson moved to approve the minutes of the Board Meeting held on August 17, 2011, seconded by John Urbahn and agreed on by all present.
Financial Report: Treasurer Pat Hurt reported no expenditures for the past month and that another lien has been paid. Another property owner who is in arrears on association dues for 6 years most likely will be selling the property in the near future so TRR will collect at closing. All present were in agreement to go ahead with filing in small claims court to satisfy the lien on two other properties. Secretary Cathy Little moved that this topic be closed, seconded by Bill Wisenor and agreed on by all present.
Roads and Equipment: Lew Thompson reported that the backhoe has a flat tire and needs work on the radiator. He also questioned how Cory is paid when he uses his truck to pull the rock rake. Pat Hurt said that we supply gas for Cory’s vehicle and pay him at a rate of $25.00 per hour when using the rock rake. Lew questioned the work request on making an entry onto a parcel from Bear Ridge Road. Cathy Little explained that the property owner was more than willing to pay for a culvert if it is needed, however, they should not assume the cost of lowering the road bed that was once at a level of their property. Pat Hurt moved that this topic be closed, seconded by Mike Wilt and agreed on by all present.
Lot Owner Construction: No new pre-approval forms have been received.
Website: Secretary Cathy Little said that a report of the fire and what transpired at this meeting will be included on the website. The CC&Rs cannot be loaded as the file is too large...still working on it!
Code of Conduct: All present agreed that the Code of Conduct be accepted as written. President Randy Olson moved that the Code of Conduct be adopted by the Board at our January meeting, seconded by Bill Wisenor and agree on by all present. Secretary Cathy Little will prepare final copies by January.
From the Floor:
· Jared Brake brought up the issue of grazing rights on TRR. It was reiterated by Pat Hurt that unless a property is fenced, a property owner has little recourse to get rid of the offending animals. If a property is fenced and cattle break into the property, one should call the sheriff’s office who, in turn, will notify the brand inspector. Once the cattle owner is determined by the brand inspector, the animal owner has 5 days to remove the cattle or they will be picked up by the brand inspector and sold at auction. Many times, however, if the cattle owner is known, a call to them will result in the animals’ removal.
· Jared also reported on the terrible condition of Doumecq Road. Earlier this month, Dan vanLeeuwen was in contact with the Doumecq Road District and it appears that work has been started to repair ruts and washboards in several areas.
Vice-President Lew Thompson moved that the meeting be adjourned, seconded by John Urbahn and agreed on by all present. The meeting was adjourned by President Randy Olson at 11:07 a.m.
The next Board Meeting will be on Thursday, January 12, 2012, at 9 a.m. in the White Bird library. Any issues that need attention will be handled by phone or email until then.
BOARD MEETING AUGUST, 2011
The Board of Directors of the Twin River Ranch Property Owners Association met on August 17, 2011, in the White Bird library. The meeting was called to order by Board President Randy Olson at 1:28 p.m. Present were Randy Olson, Dan VanLeeuwen, Bill Wisenor, Mike Wilt, John Urbahn and Cathy Little. Absent were Lew Thompson, Jared Brake, Pat Hurt and Dick Ashcraft. The guest was Annelle Urbahn.
Reading and Approval of Minutes from July 21 Board Meeting: Director Dan VanLeeuwen moved that the minutes of the last meeting be approved, seconded by Director Bill Wisenor and agreed upon by all present.
Financial Report: Treasurer Pat Hurt submitted a financial report covering January 1, 2011, to August 17, 2011. The hearing in small claims court occurred on July 28 with the ruling that the property owner in arrears reimburse TRR the unpaid dues. $2100.00 was collected from the property owner. A second claim on another property owner to collect over $3500.00 in unpaid dues will be filed within the month. Director Bill Wisenor moved that the financial report be approved, seconded by Director Mike Wilt and agreed upon by all present.
Roads and Equipment: President Randy Olson reported that Pat Hurt resigned from his position as road commissioner. Randy suggested Lew Thompson as Pat’s replacement with backup by Dan VanLeeuwen. The Directors present agreed to this. Pat will provide Lew with the amount remaining in the snow removal fund. Invoices were prepared for Lew to use to record equipment operator use. Randy also applauded Pat for the great job he has done this past year on road maintenance and weed spraying and keeping excellent records. Plans for further road maintenance this year will include grading or use of the rock rake as soon as there is some rain. With no precipitation for the past 4 weeks, the roads are wash boards and pretty dusty. Director Bill Wisenor said he had a call from Tom Cullin about the small section of Gregory Creek Road as not being maintained by Doumecq Road District. As was discussed on July 21, it was recommended that we maintain that section of the road as its use is primarily for TRR residents. Secretary Cathy Little submitted a request from property owners on Bear Ridge Road who would like an entry from the road to their property. With the addition of gravel and grading over the past few years, their once-existing entry is now >18 inches lower than the road bed.
Lot Owner Construction: The owners of Lot 65 in Phase I have submitted a pre-approval plan and sketches of their proposed building. Those Directors present reviewed the plans and gave approval. Construction is well underway on Lot 9 in Phase II.
Website: Secretary Cathy Little reported 965 visitors to the site. The Bylaws, CC&Rs, Amendment, Change of Assessment Fees, and New Registered Agent have been written into PDF and will be put on the website soon. Randy’s neat photos have been added and the This and That and properties for sale pages updated.
Code of Conduct: All Directors present feel that we should adopt a Code of Conduct for Board Members. It was suggested by Randy that we focus on the wording at our next meeting. Since there is an existing clause regarding removal of a non-compliant Director by the Board rather than at a special meeting of the entire association, this clause will either have to be removed or the Code of Conduct, as it now reads, be written as an amendment. All felt that it should be brought before the association members at the next annual meeting.
From the Floor:
· Randy solved his problem with the increased early morning traffic on Hammer Creek Road…fishermen getting an early start.
· Cathy passed around several photos and a narrative given to the Board by a property owner who feels that the owners of the pictured properties are in violation of the covenants, and, therefore, the Board is negligent in enforcing the covenants. Discussion ensued as to “recreational vehicles” being housed on a property which falls under ‘other facilities necessary for the personal, residential, recreational or agricultural use of the property’ (Article 3, Section 3.2). This would include other outbuildings constructed for personal recreational use and not a permanent dwelling. However, all campers or other recreational vehicles must be maintained and not become an eyesore due to broken windows or missing side panels. If such recreational vehicles are not used as a residence (except for the time during construction of a permanent dwelling) and are only occupied for short periods of recreation, they are permitted. Additionally, the covenants state that the exterior of all improvements must be completed within 18 months…there is no restriction as to the completion of the interior of the building. Cathy will prepare a letter to the property owner with the two ‘eyesore’ campers to have them removed.
Director Bill Wisenor moved that we adjourn the meeting, seconded by Director Mike Wilt and agreed upon by all present. The meeting was adjourned by President Randy Olson at 2:35 p.m.
The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be on September 21, 2011, at 9 a.m. in the White Bird library.
