Thank you all who were willing to run and were ready to contribute to the Board and the future of the Edelweiss community. We need your participation and contributions and will be calling on you in the near future to help serve on one of the committees.

Meeting was adjourned at 3:30 PM .

A Special “Thank You”

A big round of applause to Linda McWhirter, Edelweiss’ Administrative Assistant. She takes our calls; she takes our comments, suggestions, and complaints always diplomatically and never complaining. I don’t know of another person who would want to step into her position or could do it better - she is totally customer focused and passionate about supporting this community to its betterment.

Please remember Linda does have a personal life and keep your calls to business hours. We want and need Linda for as long as possible!

May 15, 2007 Board Minutes

Steve Cleaves called an emergency meeting of the Board to discuss the following:

• Recommendations from the Long Range Planning Committee regarding Manager vacancy and Job Descriptions
• Preparation for the Annual Meeting - specifically the Road System proposals
• Other issues needing discussion prior to Annual Meeting

 The meeting was called to order by Steve Cleaves at 7:00 PM at Steve’s home. In attendance: Steve Cleaves, Linda McWhirter, Administrative Assistant for Edelweiss, Karen Reneau, Dick Lindblad, Sean McCabe, Carol Volckmann, Larry Goldie, Dick Volckmann, Consultant on Future Management of Edelweiss, and on conference phone: Stan Wentzel, and Leonard Yerkes, Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee.

 March Minutes were not pertinent to this meeting and therefore were not read.

 Recommendations from the Long Range Planning Committee

 Leonard Yerkes - reported the LRP Committee met, reviewed and recommended Dick Volckmann’s proposal in splitting the management responsibilities into two positions: a General Manager overseeing and responsible for the overall managing of the Edelweiss Community reporting to the Board and an Operations Manager for the day-to-day maintenance, reporting to the General Manager.

Steve - asked Dick Volckmann to review his changes/additions he made to his original proposal.

(Please see “Edelweiss Maintenance Commission - Job Description Proposal - if you do not have one please let me know and I will forward one to you.)

Under the General Manager’s position changes include:

§                     Page 2 - the General Manger is responsible to “negotiate, administer and supervise contracts for water system repairs, upgrades and new installation.”

§                     Page 3 - under Community Road System, 2^nd bullet - “Negotiates and administers and supervises ….”

§                     Page 4 - under Community Accounting - last bullet - “Oversees collection of Edelweiss fees -- authorizes property liens against community members whose payments are delinquent.”

§                     Page 6 - under Qualifications for General Manager - 1^st bullet Dick added “preferably university Bachelors degree”

            3^rd. bullet - added “…in contract negotiation and personnel management.”

            4^th bullet - added “…venders and other outside interests.”

Under the Operations Manager

§                     Page 7 - under Community Road System, 2^nd bullet - added “…back-up and emergency snowplowing.

            5^th bullet - added: Performs twice a year chipping.

            Under Qualifications, 5^th bullet added: Ability to obtain certification as a Water        Distribution System Manager as described in the Water Works Certification Program of      the Washington State Department of Health.

Dick V. - recommended that both the General Manager and Operations Manager should be certified.

Dick Lindblad - remarked that EMC should be reimbursed for all costs incurred by John Caesar for Water Certification since he was unable to take the test and become certified.

Steve - this subject can be tabled for the moment and taken up later in the meeting.

Steve then asked Dick V. to go over his Addendum to the Proposal for the pros and cons of a two part management system.  

Dick V. - felt the only “con” to a two part management system for Edelweiss would be the total compensation must increase in order to attract the quality individuals who would have the skills, personality and the long term commitment required. However, choosing the “right” people would, in the long-term, be cost effective - therefore, not a “con”.

Snowplowing issue - Dick V. recommendation is for Edelweiss to get out of the snowplowing business altogether - EMC would keep the black truck with plow for emergency situations. EMC would have saved, according to 2006/07 figures, approximately $14,000.00.

Karen - remarked that $6,000.00 was for Hamilton Farms snow removal equipment rented by Palm and should be charged off to snow plowing.  

Dick V.-  had looked into those figures and they were for tractor rental and repairs to our own equipment and not part of Palm’s total cost of snow plowing and road widening which was $36,096.

Stan - had a question about the General Manager - it appears that the General Manager’s position may be overlapping the Operations Manager as to checking the water system.

Dick V. - explained that the water system is our most critical system in Edelweiss and yes, there is some overlap in checking the system but feels it is necessary.

Stan - OK

Leonard - being a part (the Treasurer) for a community on the West side, he could not overstress enough the value of a qualified water system - it is not an easy task and the State can shut the water off if they see a problem. (Not good)

Karen - wanted to know how we would coordinate with Mel Hartwig.

Dick V. - The General Manager would act as the liaison between EMC and Mel.

Karen - said that would be a savings to EMC.

Steve - mentioned that Mel, EMC and the Coop would be coordinating the dig in our upgrading our roads and the Coop would be paying for ½ of the first 3 feet.

Dick V. - understanding from Ray Ellis of the Coop that the Coop would be paying for ½ of 6 feet or the first 3 feet. Dick will follow up on this with Ray Ellis for clarification.

Dick Lindblad - would like to see in the Job Descriptions on page 5 that “…all major contracts are brought to the Board for Board approval and signature…”

Dick V. - that will be added.

Sean McCabe arrived and Steve brought him up to date.

Steve wanted a motion that the “Edelweiss Maintenance Commission - Job Description” be accepted and approved.

Carol made said motion and Larry 2^nd the motion.

Steve - as it concerns the budget, approving this proposal would mean an increase to our budget by at least $10,000.

Larry - is this an hourly rate or salary?

Karen - did not feel the positions were a 50/50 split that in fact the Operations Manager could be more than 50% - it could be a 60/40 split.

Steve - he saw about 900 hours going for general maintenance.

Karen - felt that for the first year both positions should be hourly.

Leonard - with all due respect suggested there is a motion to accept the proposal and this is not the time to get into hourly vs. salary debate. It is important to move forward then move onto the quality of the candidates and what is appropriate compensation.

Stan - agreed. In approving Dick’s proposal we are approving a cost increase but those details can be left to later discussion. Stan suggest that a rate increase (membership dues) may be in order taking in consideration the growth - up to 151 homes - the upgrading that needs to be in place, and the quality of persons we need to attract.

Leonard - Is this is good proposal?

All agreed - yes.

Larry - do we have a time line?

Steve - yes, as soon as possible.

Karen - we could start advertising right now even though we have not agreed on compensation - advertising “depending upon experience”.

Steve - there may be an increase for the General Manager but paying a salary to the Operations Manager may be a savings.

Steve - called for a vote to accepted Dick V.’s proposal splitting the management of EMC into two positions: General Manager and Operations Manager.

Ayes have it - unanimous

(Recommendation to contract out Snowplowing)

Steve asked Dick V. to run through his analysis of out sourcing the snowplowing.

Dick V. - it is very likely EMC could lock in a contract bid for snowplowing - we would save huge amount of money for repairs, parts, wear and tear on our equipment, and insurance. We would alleviate liability issues and we would have some fixed figures to budget for.

Based on 2006/2007 figures of 151 homes divided by the total cost of out sourced snowplowing it would run about $330/homeowner. A reasonable figure folks would live with and EMC would no longer take funds out of the general fund to subsidize snowplowing.

Karen - said the breakdown is now 60/40 - homeowners/EMC.

Sean - studies in the past find it is difficult to judge from year to year. The costs should remain subsidized by EMC and lot owners should also be paying towards the snowplowing. Also Sean feels we are over sanding and asked what Rich’s view on this is.

Steve - Don’t know - has not asked Rich.

Stan - fears if we rely on one vender are we putting all our eggs in one basket?

Karen - there are others - they come and go.

Steve - Charlie Segale wanted to contract the snowplowing but is in real flux right now.

Dick V. - Jerry Palm is very interested and he did a great job this snow season.

All agreed.

Dick V. - would the Board like him to talk to Jerry and open the discussion further?

Steve - let us table it for now.

Karen - in favor of out sourcing the snowplowing.

Leonard - suggested the Board accept a motion to accept out sourcing snowplowing.

Steve - called for a motion.

Carol - made the motion to accept our sourcing snowplowing

Karen - 2^nd the motion

Sean - wanted to know if EMC would still snowplow in an emergency

Dick V. - yes, that was stated. Dick recommended we keep the black truck, the snow plow and sander - and - get rid of off the other vehicles.

Vote - Ayes have it unanimous

Preparation for the Annual Meeting - specifically the Road System proposal

 Steve - having concerns about being prepared at the Annual Meeting specifically about the best way to handle the Road issues. His idea is to summarize the White Paper and open up the discussion to the floor.

Sean - asked how many votes had come in so far.

Linda - 112 votes out of 288 Lot Owners. There are 151 Homes, 40 full time residents.

Steve - asked Linda to review her numbers and break it down to number of lots, structures, full time, part time, campground owners.

Stan - asked with the 3 options on the table, do we need a majority of more than 50%

Carol - yes - and if we cannot get more than 50% on any one option then we would have to have a run-off vote on the top two.

Stan - what do we do if someone wants to change their vote after listening to the discussion?

Steve - they would have to put it in writing, include their lot number and sign it.

Larry - who will handle the questions?

Sean - whoever leads the discussion needs to guide it.

Carol - Leonard as Chairman of the LRP committee would be an excellent facilitator to guide the discussion and keep people on track. Steve would introduce Leonard  - Leonard would facilitate - and hand it back to Steve for the motion and vote.

Steve - asked Linda to help Carol take the minutes especially during the road discussions. (Thank you Linda!!)

Carol - will have copies of last years Annual Meeting Minutes to pass out rather than take time and read them - some one can make a motion to dispense with the reading and accept the minutes as written.

Other Issues

            Campground Owners

Steve - has been asked by a campground owner if the costs of the Road Assessment could be prorated at 50% for the campground owners? Another asked if we might think about assessing the costs by a percentage based on assessment of property or structure.

Karen - NO - let us stay away from assessments based on property or structure assessments.

Sean - If the campground owners want to only pay a pro-rated figure at 50% then their votes should be counted as ½ of a vote.

Steve - called for a Motion to campground owners to be assessed at 50% for Roads.

Carol - 2^nd. The motion

Vote carries with one opposed.

Leonard - asked if we needed him any longer

Steve - No - Thanked Leonard for all his help

            $3,000 Architectural fees

Steve - If someone decides to remodel - do we charge them $3,000

Karen, Carol and Dick V. - $3,000 applies to new home construction

Much discussion on new, remodel, how many sq. ft. etc. etc.

Stan - cut through the discussion and asked if the Architectural Review Committee (Dick V. is Chairman of that committee) to take a look at this at their next meeting and make a recommendation to the Board.

            John Caesar’s Gift of Thanks

It was decided to do the Presentation to John at the Annual Meeting.

            Water Certification Situation

Steve - Received a letter from the State that EMC was in “non-compliance” and that EMC needs to have a temporary certification. Steve has requested the paperwork for himself. Once we have hired a General Manager we will have that person become certified and the Operations Manager also as a back-up.

Steve - Adjourned the Meeting at 9:05 P.M.

NOTE: After the meeting was adjourned there was some discussion and confusion about the costs of road upgrading and dust control and whether Homestead was test this year or not and the costs only included Homestead . It was decided this would be brought up again at the Annual Meeting and would be made clear to anyone who was confused.

“Thanks” to the Long Range Planning Committee for their work and a special “thanks” to Leonard Yerkes, Chairman of the LRP committee for his continued counsel, and support.

“Thanks” to Dick Volckmann for all his work on the report and proposal for the future management of Edelweiss.

And … to Linda McWhirter … thank you again … you are always there, always willing, always helpful!!

Respectfully submitted by: Carol M. Volckmann, Secretary

March 8, 2007 Board Minutes

The meeting was called to order by Steve Cleaves at 7:00 PM at the home of Linda and Larry McWhirter. In attendance: Steve Cleaves, Linda McWhirter, Karen Reneau, Anna Carver, Dick Lindblad, Sean McCabe, Carol Volckmann, and on conference phone: Stan Wentzel, Dick Carver and Leonard Yerkes, Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee.

November Minutes were approved as printed, as was the Agenda.

Old Business

Weed Control - Linda will not have the time this summer for the weed control program. Anna Carver volunteered her husband, Dick Carver, to take on the task. Dick will need to be licensed and Edelweiss will reimburse him - $170.00 plus the cost of the pesticides.

$100,000.00 Loan from the Co-op for Road Improvements - has been approved and $50,000.00 is already in our Savings account with the balance to be deposited first of May.

Donation of Washing Machine - Thank you Dick Lindblad for donating the coin operated washing machine for the Sod Hut.

New Business

 Management Replacement - Charlie Segale in partnership with Andy Oosterhof have had second thoughts on taking on John Caesar’s position as Manager of Edelweiss.

John will be leaving the position as Manager as of March 31^st. John has an opportunity for a teaching position and will be starting the first of April. John has been a tremendous asset for Edelweiss and we cannot thank him enough for all his hard work, for his commitment to excellence, his ability to implement good business practices and his input for Edelweiss as we move forward. John and his family are still members of the community and his counsel will always be a benefit.

Steve asked Sean if he would talk to Rich Moltz to see if Rich would be will to take over the maintenance on a part time basis.  The Board would handle the management issues for now.

Edelweiss is a growing community and our needs are changing rapidly. In order to meet the needs of the community, the Board recognizes the need to take stock and design an operational management and maintenance programs that will work for us as our needs grow keeping up with the population.

There was a great deal of discussion whether or not Edelweiss should be looking at property management firms, hiring an operations manager and a maintenance/groundskeeper and/or contract out road maintenance, snow plowing etc., etc.

Karen said she would ask Charlie if he would be willing to share non-confidential parts of his contract with Pine Forest to give us some ideas. Steve said he would talk with the Board President of Pine Forest as well.

Leonard Yerkes suggested that we needed a sub-committee to look at the large picture:

1.         to air all issues of what is needed

2.         to solicit counsel from organizations and individuals who have been involved with these issues within other communities and

3.         to report back to the Board within 60 days with the sub-committee’s recommendation.

And further, Leonard recommended Dick Volckmann head this committee as he has had a great deal of experience in property management. Carol said she would ask him.

Motion, seconded and approved to have Rich Moltz come on a part time basis at $25.00/hr. to take care of any maintenance issues.

Motion, seconded, and approved to have Dick Volckmann form a sub-committee to make recommendations as to the management structure of Edelweiss - the time table being within 60 days.

(Update - Sean did talk with Rich and Rich is willing - thank you Sean.)

(Update - Dick has agreed to head a sub-committee)

Karen volunteered to support this committee in working up the financial numbers.

Office Computer - Karen recommended that the Edelweiss computer needs to be with Linda as Linda has been using her own computer which is very slow and the majority of the work on the computer for Edelweiss is done by Linda.  All agreed.

Fire wise - A new proposal has been submitted. This will be a joint proposal with Pine Forest , managed by OCDC with a $54,000.00 grant.  EMC/Pine Forest would have to match - the matching funds, $27,000.00 would come from chipping, timber sales etc.  We will know late in the second quarter of this year for the year of 2008.

Long Range Planning Committee - Leonard Yerkes, Chair

Leonard thanked the Board and Steve for the opportunity to serve Edelweiss in this capacity. To assure himself as to the direction the Board sees for this committee, Leonard stated some key issue he sees:

1.         the tasks of the committee as being responsive to the Board as the Board sees fit.

2.         the purpose is to provide information, investigations into issues as the Board sees fit and further,

3.         to make recommendations to the Board.

The Board responsibility is to make changes as to the above investigations, recommendations for the purpose in improving the life of EMC’s membership and increasing property values.

White Paper - Road Upgrading -  The Board wants to get this information out to the membership as quickly as possible so the membership can vote on one of the options at the annual meeting Memorial Day weekend or shortly thereafter.

Motion, seconded and approved - that a summary of the White Paper on Road Upgrading and Dust Abatement would be sent out to the membership indicating that the full report will be posted on the EMC web site (if a member did not have access to the web site, to let us know and we would mail the compete report out to them) and, there would be vote by mail with a post mark deadline of one week after the annual meeting.

Treasurer Report - Karen Reneau - Thank you Karen for filling so quickly and so adroitly.

Next meeting: set for after the annual meeting

Steve thanked the Board for putting in such a long night - meeting was adjured at 9:32 PM .

Submitted by,

Carol M. Volckmann, Secretary

November 11, 2006 Board Minutes

The meeting was called to order by Steve Cleaves at 4:00 PM . Others in attendance were John Caesar, Linda McWhirter, Jim McDonald, Carol Volckmann, Stan Wentzel (conference phone), Anna Carver, Dick Lindblad, and Sean McCabe

Minutes were approved as printed, as was the agenda.

Budget-

            Branch Chipping- Sean expressed some surprise that more lot owners were not       taking advantage of our chipping service, and it was generally agreed that we could try and promote it more (newsletter, etc.) in order to encourage fuel reduction/fire danger. John mentioned that EMC subsidizes about 35% of the cost.

             Building Fees- raised to a non refundable $1200.00 to help cover costs of road       maintenance. Steve asked John if people seem to be sticking to the arch. guidelines, and John replied yes, for the most part, he checks on excavators etc. And if someone decided to put up vinyl siding, for example, the 150.00 refund for compliance is not a deterrent. Jim commented that based on Mel’s road report, adding proper culverts should be an added requirement in the architectural manual.  

            Interest Income-is less as a result of Karen and Linda reducing Accounts Receivables by around $50,000. FANTASTIC!!! WAY TO GO!!!  

            Snowplowing-Steve asked about the contract with Palm, was it a fixed expense?    John said “no” the contract was on a “call-out” basis. Further discussion centered           around the possible need to have Edelweiss pay less of a percentage for the total          snowplow bill, since Edelweiss costs have increased, while a larger number of          homeowners every year reduce the cost to individual homeowners. Sean asked if we could earmark the increased revenue for road repair. John expressed his desire to get out of the equipment business (our trucks, tractor, etc. are on their last “legs”) and contract out to those with the proper heavy equipment to properly maintain the roads. Dick asked if our equipment problem was due to a lack of  a good maintenance program, and John agreed much of it was that, plus the prior lack of a heated facility in which to work. Frozen sand, etc. took its toll on the tractor, etc.

             Water Fees-Steve asked if the extra funds we are collecting will go into the water  upgrade account or into the general fund. He also wanted to see a complete breakdown of expenses, including labor. John suggested we make a note in the budget to “refer to the water study” for that information. It was mentioned that a significant portion of our interest income comes mostly   from our water and sewer accounts. (We can access our water account interest as that is an EMC created account, Jim was not sure about the interest in the sewer account as that is partially controlled by the county) Steve suggested we leave that ~$7,000.00 off the budget as a sort of “reserve” for capital improvements needed later. Jim said we could show it on the Balance Sheet. Steve asked John  to ask Scott Bessire  as to how we account for interest on the  Budget, P/L and Balance sheet.  

            Washing Machine-Dick Lindblad, is donating a coin operated washing machine to     require a more up to date fee $.75 which he feels would probably generate around $500/yr. which could be used to eventually maybe purchase a new dryer,   though the one we have seems to work at present. MANY THANKS DICK!!!  

            Branch Chipping (again) Steve brought up some questions that Dick Carver had   regarding who the second guy was as mentioned in the budget. John said that it is usually him and Rich, especially when there is a lot of chipping to do. It was again mentioned that we need to encourage more people to participate in the program.

             Office Upgrades-John mentioned that Karen Reneau has been instrumental in helping us upgrade our office systems with a new version of Quickbooks, etc. Scott Bessire had mentioned in our audit that we needed a more up to date set up for an association of this size. Sean asked about whether we had a backup for our files, and John said yes, he has them as well as Linda, plus we have our “memory stick”.

             Pool –Steve asked about the pool filter and housing, and John said we did indeed   need to replace it as it is too small to handle the use (and occasional abuse) that it gets each summer. He added later, that like some other items on the budget, (i.e. campground roof) we could choose to spend the money or not, depending on how   we want to allocate our funds. (Most felt that the campground roof needed to be    addressed.)  

            Road Improvements-Centurytel did not really backfill the edges of the road properly, which is causing the pavement to crumble there. Linda will try and get a hold of the guy who can direct us to the right person to talk to about helping in the repair/camouflaging  of the road/ugly boxes.  

            Weed Control- It was brought up we may have a sprayer deteriorating somewhere   which had previously been used to help control noxious weeds. It may have been         discarded due to the fact that one must now have a license to apply the herbicides          needed for such weeds. Linda commented that she would like to look into getting a license to apply these. A good bladed weed-eater would also help in mowing down roadside weeds before they go to seed (If we don’t have one - we need one).  

            Carol made a motion to accept the budget, as amended which was seconded by     Sean. The motion passed, and John said he would make a few changes that had been discussed.

Long Range Planning- Jim reported that the first four projects to upgrade our water system were the most critical. (see Mel’s water report). The cost would be around $143,500.00. The 5^th priority (Bitterbrush) would be evident when John notices problems. The Coop will help offset some of our costs as they will be laying down 3 phase lines at the same time we upgrade our water pipes, etc., thus saving us some excavation costs.  

Jim moved that we move forward on this, seconded and approved. There was agreement as to the critical nature of keeping our water system functioning, for obvious reasons, as well as fire.  

Jim wanted direction from the board for the second part of our capital improvements, upgrading our roads (dust, etc.) (see Mel’s report for cost breakdowns, etc.)  There was much discussion that followed. Sean met with Jim McCallum about the material applied to Rendezvous Rd. which he thought was very effective. Information was given to Jim and John to look over. Concerns about chip seal (large shoulders bordering 10’ chip seal could cause problems) as well as the cost were brought up. Many in the community are opposed to any type of paving. Steve mentioned, however that the dust issue has been on ongoing and emotional issue that has not been addressed. The necessity of having the roads graded properly was again mentioned. Our tractor is not made to grade our roads properly, and any chemical treatment will be scraped off. The amount of sanding we do each year also contributes to the dust problem. John mentioned that with chip seal, we could have a sweeper remove the sand.

Stan asked what would these road improvements do to help the community. Jim replied that our ditches are clogged and getting worse, that the roads are eroding, etc.

Concerns about the cost of doing either chemical or chip seal treatments were brought up, how would it be paid for, etc. Steve commented it took 3 years to get the roads of Twin Lakes to significantly reduce their dust, etc., at a cost of $20,000.00 a year, and Edelweiss has more roads than they do. Chip seal lasts 10 years. Stan asked if we are prepared to impose an assessment to deal with dust, since it is not an issue for everyone. Steve said if we spent $20,000 a year, it would amount to about a $70.00 a year increase in fees. Sean suggested we do Homestead and Highland every year.

John again brought up the fact that he would not be able to grade the roads without tearing up the treatment. Several thought that we need to actually try using lignin on Homestead to see how it works, but Jim mentioned we still have to pay for it. John mentioned the possibility of getting a loan and just doing Homestead . John suggested we add a new assessment for new construction, to be earmarked for roads in a separate savings account. There was unanimous support for this, especially in light of the fact that so many “spec” homes are being built in the community.  

Steve ended the meeting by going over parts of the agenda that we can postpone until later or do via email. He then made a series of motions:

1. The LRP Committee will provide 2 plans, one for chip seal, and one for lignin (or other chemical treatment) with costs and recommended actions, and that the board will commit to some action for dust abatement in 2007. These plans would then be presented at the annual meeting for membership review and possible approval.

2. Apply for the $100,000.00 interest free loan offered by the Electric Coop (amortized over a 10 year period, which John felt we could repay) to be used for capital improvements for road treatment.

3. Change the building fee to add $3000.00 for a total of $4,200.00 as a non-refundable fee for the establishment of a road account, said fee to be adjusted each year according to the CPI, as are our other fees.

 All motions passed.

 All expressed their sincere appreciation to Jim McDonald for all his hard work, not only as Treasurer of the Board, but as a tireless, efficient chairperson of the LRP Committee, which has made tremendous progress in planning improvements and giving us guidance to improve our infrastructure. Sean commented, and I think most agreed, that Mel’s work was money well spent. Jim will be stepping down as chairperson of the committee due to family obligations.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 . The next Board meeting will be in March, the date to be determined later.

Respectfully submitted, Linda McWhirter, substitute for the Secretary Carol Volckmann, who had to leave early. Thank you Linda - you are always there to save the day!

EDELWEISS BOARD - MINUTES - September 2, 2006

 The Meeting was called to order at 4:30 PM at the home of Linda and Larry McWhirter (Thank You!). In attendance were: Steve Cleaves, Linda McWhirter, John Caesar, Jim McDonald, Stan Wentzel, Anna Carver, Dick Carver, Dick Lindblad, Sean McCabe, and Carol Volckmann. (Dick Volckmann came later to report on his committee) Larry Goldie could not make it.

 It was moved that the minutes of the last meeting be accepted as printed.

 Ann - Suggested that the “Minutes” not be accepted until we had a better understanding of the “chipping” policy i.e., why EMC was now charging for chipping when in the past it was free.

Dick C - Remembered that EMC has free chipping in 1992.

Sean - Remembered between 1994 and 1997 there wasn’t any chipping.

Steve - Suggested the Board discuss the “chipping” policy when we got to the Budget.

The Minutes of the last meeting were accepted as printed.

OLD BUSINESS/MANGER’S REPORT

            Water Meters - John reported he still cannot find at least 10 isolation valves. He bought a metal detector, but it is still very difficult in locating the valves.

Dick C - Remarked he has a 1994 map.

John - Has an up to date map as well as Mel Hartwig.

Sean - Suggested there may be something with in the State’s grant monies that can help subsidize the costs of putting in new water meters.

John - Will have Mel look into this.

            Water Certification - John and Larry McWhirter will take the Certification Test in October.

Ann - Asked if it were necessary for two to be licensed?

John - Remarked how important it is that Edelweiss have a “back up” person as the process is very comprehensive and that our system in Edelweiss is larger than the town of Winthrop .

Jim- Reminded the Board that the Board required John to be licensed.

Dick C. - Asked if it were necessary to have two individuals if Rich Moltz is licensed?

John - Rich is a sub contracted on as needed basis - he looks the “books” spending about 3 hours/quarter, helps prepare tax returns and will help out part time with snow plowing the roads

Stan - Asked if there were a downside to have Larry McWhirter licensed?

Steve - Asked if there was an objected to Larry?

Unanimous: NO (at least I heard to objections!)

            WATER TANK -  John reported the new tank is in place. Doug Haas will complete the excavation - Scott Alexander will fill it, sanitize it, check for leaks then the Health Dept. will come out and certify the tank. It will then be empted and brought on line in the spring.

Dick L - Asked why not keep it filled?

John - Answered that the tank’s pumps would cycle on twice a day when Edelweiss would not need the water would over the winter. But John would ask Mel Hartwig if there was a reason we needed to keep the tank filled over the winter.

Update - 13 September - John received this response from Mel:

“… we have to drain it during winter as EMC does not have enough demand to cycle enough warm water (52°F) through the tank to prevent freezing.  I predict that in 2 years the tank will be left in service year around.”

Mel

Dick L - At the present time Edelweiss has: 38-40 full time residences, 157 part timers and 300 lots.

            MANAGER’S REPORT - John reiterated from his “Manager’s Report” sent out in the “Summer’s Newsletter” that the number 1 priority is Edelweiss’ water system and number 2 - roads: extreme need to rebuild the drainage system, build and or rebuild culverts, and ditch repair. Dust Abatement, traffic calming power & telephone infrastructure upgrades needed etc…The Long Range Committee will take this on and will report back to the Board what needs to be done, when and how it can be financed.

            UPGRADING POWER AND TEL. INFRASTRUCTURE - John that he, Dick Volckmann (Fire and Emergency Notification Committee) met with Ray Ellis of the Co-op and Ray said they would pay up to 50% for the first 3 feet in depth for a new trench for new installation of lines which would completely upgrade our infrastructure.

Sean - Asked if this would increase our property taxes?

John - will follow up on that.

            Snow Plowing - John - Recommended that we contract out the snow plowing to Jerry Palm. John does not feel it would be cost effective for us in that our equipment up to another long wet winter snow as it is predicted for this winter. Our Russian Tractor is not a snow blower and the trucks we have are not heavy duty enough and….. the maintenance would be costly. And… we can not afford “down time” on our equipment.

Jerry Palm has the right equipment - he would keep his equipment here at the sod hut - and has promised to have Highland and Homestead plowed by 7:00 AM . John will work as his back-up.

Jim - Remarked that Edelweiss bills out the costs and his approach seemed reasonable. Jim also recommended the Edelweiss consider increasing membership percentage of the costs from a 50/50% to 60/40 (membership paying 60%).

Much discussion and the subject got pushed to John to put in his budget.

Carol - made a motion to move forward with a contract with Jerry Palm for snowplowing.

Sean - 2^nd the motion.

Dick L - Opposed - he could not vote for Jerry Palm - he had heard there had been problems with an individual who lives in the Lost River area where Jerry was contracted to do the snow plowing.

There was much discussion and decided to make sure we had a strong contract that could be canceled with Jerry and that our issued would be spelled out very carefully and, further that John would monitor Jerry’s work

The vote was carried with the notation of Dick L.’s opposition.

            AUDIT - John - Reports that Scott Bessire is doing one very through job - he still has some questions but we will have a final Audit very soon.

John is training Linda McWhirter with the bookkeeping with the help of Kristy Caesar. It is all going very well - our receivables are already down by $30,000 from last year. Linda is totally customer focused and is a real advocate for the community!!

NEW BUSINESS

            BUDGET - John feels that with everything that needs to be done plus maintaining all our equipment etc. our funds will be depleted very quickly.

Steve - Asked John to make changes to the budget and present a new budget to the Board.

Stan - Asked John to come up with a list of services and amenities that can be offered to EMC owners, i.e. chipping, plowing driveways etc. that could raise funds for EMC’s balance sheet.

Sean - Agrees strongly that the owners need to be more responsible.

Dick C. - Would like to see EMC to give back some services and/or amenities to the owners in a way to thank them.

Jim - EMC does not have the funds - with the future growth of Edelweiss the EMC may find itself it that position.

            Emergency Notification Committee -  Steve asked Dick Volckmann to update the Board as to the findings of the Committee.

Dick V. - (Chairman of the Committee) Reported that he and John Caesar met with Ray Ellis of the Co-op, Don Waller the Fire Chief and Mel Hartwig to help Edelweiss notify the community in the case of an emergency. They talked about the possibility of John having a transponder - but - the only way he could have a transponder would be if John was a Volunteer fireman - but, maybe John’s plate is already a bit full!

The possibility of sirens was discussed - but - not a great idea for the only people it would notify would be the ones who were in Edelweiss at that precise moment!

A phone tree might be effective.

Dick also looked at increasing the community’s escape routes - at the moment there are only 2. Dick talked to Derek Phipps the new owner of 13 Laney Lane to see if the old forest service road that goes just below their home would do if widen. It would not - for if the road were widen it could undermine their home - not a good idea!

After much discussion it was decided that Dick will write up a “white paper” outlines some ideas of dos, don’ts, concerns and the like of what we have learned from the response to the Cedar Creek Fire.

There is no doubt there needs to be more COMUNICATION - via email, phone, newsletters, phone tree etc….where we can get the information out there and hope the community will respond responsibility.

            Fence -  John reported the good news is that Troy’s cows have not come down for a visit this summer (they have been feeding in another area) - the bad news might be they may be in our area again next year - but the fence is fixed - let us just hope no one leaves the gates open!

Next Meeting - Saturday November 11^th at 4:00 p.m.

Meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Carol M. Volckmann

EDELWEISS BOARD - MINUTES - MAY 27, 2006

The Meeting was called to order at 2:30 PM. In attendance were: Steve Cleaves, Linda McWhirter, John Caesar, Jim McDonald, Stan Wentzel, Anna Carver, Dick Carver (dcarver@u.washington.edu), Dick Lindblad, Sean McCabe, Larry Goldie (larrygoldie@gmail.com) and Carol Volckmann.

 WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Steve Cleaves welcomed the new board members and gave them a brief orientation on the Board and the Board’s emailing policy  i.e., when responding to Board business - respond to “ALL.”

 CONFIRMATION OF BOARD OFFICERS

Steve announced that he would be pleased to run again as President unless anyone objected. No one objected therefore Steve Cleaves will be President of the Board. Sean McCabe will be Vice President, Jim McDonald as Treasurer and Carol Volckmann as Secretary.

 MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

It was moved, seconded and approved that the minutes be accepted as printed.

 OLD BUSINESS/MANGER’S REPORT

 Audit - John Caesar reported that Scott Bessire  from Okanogan will come here and meet with John on June 5^th and will stay until the audit is done! He estimates the cost of the audit initially will be $2-2,500.00. In subsequent years to keep it up to date the cost will probably run about $1,500.00.

 Fence - John reported that the cost of the fence is running under budget - total cost about $6-6,500.00. It is important to note unless folks close the gates behind themselves - fence or no fence the cows will come on down. (Let’s keep them cows where they belong!)

 Firewise - Nothing to add. As stated at the Annual Meeting Edelweiss lost the Grant and will have to reapply next year if that is what the community wants.

 Water Tank - John reported that we have the water tank. He needs to coordinate with Mel Hartwig and it will be installed very soon.

 John also reported he had identified some isolation values were in need of replacement. It was agreed by the Board that we should try and deal with them sooner rather than putting it off until it becomes a real problem in the future. Dick Carver said he would talk to a supplier about replacements possible cheaper.

 NEW BUSINESS

 Chipping Fees -  Anna Carver wanted to clarify why Edelweiss was charging now for chipping. This service last year was in connection with the Firewise program. It is also a fact that the wear and tear on the equipment has really taken its toll.

 Maintenance - John reported the high cost of maintaining our inadequate, inappropriate and out dated equipment. Sean McCabe felt that we need to allocate funds for maintenance which we have not done in the past - it has been “catch as catch can.” John is going to bring his recommendations to the Board on what he feels is necessary in changing out and what is needed for a good maintenance plan.

 John is following up with testing some materials for Dust Abatement on the roads and will get back to the Board as to the results.

 Water Meters - Sean pointed out that there are many in Edelweiss homeowners who do not have a water meter - he being one. It was suggested that Edelweiss come up with a meter rate and an un-metered rate for those who do not have a meter. Dick Carver said he would check on the ramifications of charging an “un-metered” rate and/or forcing folks to install meters.

 John plans to move ahead on becoming Water Certified. It does not present an issue at the moment as Rich’s certification is valid.

  Long Range Planning - Jim McDonald is going to schedule the next meeting for June or July to discuss Traffic/Dust Abatement and hopefully will have some concrete ideas for the Board before the next meeting.

 Comments on Annual Meeting - Consensus of opinion was that the Annual Meeting was well received - that the community as a whole realized that there is no simple answer to the dust problem and further, that the Board is working on the problem and WILL have some sound recommendations very soon! (We hope.)

 It was suggested that for the next Annual Meeting we have the meeting first then the pot luck lunch - all agreed.

 DATE FOR NEXT BOARD MEETING - Saturday September 2^nd at 4:00 PM. It was suggested that we have a pot luck dinner following the meeting.

 The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 PM.

 Respectfully submitted - Carol Volckmann, Secretary

Minutes for the Annual Meeting

May 27, 2006

The meeting was called to order by Steve Cleaves at 1:00 PM. There was a count to determine whether we had a quorum, and we had well over the 15 members required. Don Fitzpatrick made a motion to approve the minutes of the previous annual meeting as written.  Someone seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.

President’s Report:

 Steve introduced our new manager and his family, John and Kristy Caesar and their children, Leif, Madison, and McKaylie.

In addition, Steve summed up the accomplishments of the past year:

            1.  The maintenance shed

            2.  The new water tank under construction

            3.  The completion of the Firewise project and the Fire Protection Plan for Edelweiss

            4.  The current fencing project under way to make sure the cattle are “home on the range”, and not home in Edelweiss

            5.  The purchase of a new conference phone to aid meetings when board members can’t attend.

            6.  The boundary line adjustment between the Coe and Hazen property and the             resultant move of an Edelweiss trail

Treasurer’s Report:

Jim McDonald said we have money in the bank but we are running a deficit budget due to the necessity of building the cow fence, as well as numerous equipment maintenance and repair issues exacerbated by the heavy, wet snowfall of the winter.

Manager’s Report:

John reported that the fence, so far, is coming in under budget, and that he was waiting for Mel Hartwig to get back to him regarding finishing the new water tank. John reported that the tractor, AGAIN, had broken down, but he had managed to get most of the roads graded before it did. He also said he had fixed the dust problem (for the weekend….it had rained!)

Long Range Planning Committee Report:

Sewer:   Jim  said we have quite a bit of money in our sewer account, but we are responsible for the upgrading/repair of the drainfield. He was concerned that there may be liabilities with having to manage that much money, and the committee was going to look into the possibility of the county handling the whole thing, including the collection of the sewer hook up fees.

Water:   Jim outlined the new water rate increase that Edelweiss will implement in the Fall. He explained how our expenses for the water system far outweighed the income generated by water fees, and that we would begin metering water this summer in order to eventually start a fee structure based on the average use per family of 7,000 gallons a month, with a 1 cent per gallon charge for going over that amount.

Roads:  There will be no dust abatement program implemented this year due to the numerous cost overruns of this year’s budget. The Long Range Planning Committee, however, in conjunction with an engineer, is working on developing an overall plan for the roads which will include not just dust abatement, but also traffic calming.  Until a plan is implemented, John said individual members could sign up to have their own dust abatement product applied. John said he would make the water truck available to apply the water needed for the treatment, and asked people to sign up by mid June if they want to have this done.

Plowing:  Jim again reiterated the huge snow year we had, and thanked John and Rich for helping Edelweiss keep the roads passable this winter. He also mentioned that the LRP Committee was going to be looking into the possibility of resuming driveway plowing for Edelweiss.

Facilities:  John mentioned how the new maintenance shed has created a nice central space for keeping supplies safe and clean. He and Larry McWhirter have   made many dump trips cleaning debris from many “debris ridden” areas in Edelweiss, so things are gradually getting more organized.

 Old Business:

Firewise:  Steve reported that in our new firewise grant application we were at the lower end of the list to be considered. There was a brief discussion of actions individual lot/home owners can take to reduce fire danger on their property.

Election of Board Members:  The board members running for election / reelection were: Steve Cleaves, Dick Lindblad, Sean McCabe, Dick Carver, Penelope Barnes, Leonard Yerkes, and Larry Goldie. They were briefly introduced, and ballots were passed out for the voting. The new board members elected were:  Steve Cleaves (2 years), Dick Lindblad, Sean McCabe, Larry Goldie, and Dick Carver (1 year).

Trails:  Steve mentioned past interest in reviving the Edelweiss trail system, but when he asked for volunteers, no one came forward.

New Business:

Recycling: Larry McWhirter reported that establishing a recycling program required not only a significant financial commitment, but a huge volunteer effort. Once a program is started it is difficult to stop. Since Winthrop will likely have a recycling center soon, it would make it easier for us to recycle than driving all the way to Twisp.

UPS Packages: Steve mentioned the possibility of a UPS package drop-off area at the garbage facility, but since there were only a few people who needed that, the issue was dropped.

Miscellaneous:  Steve talked about DSL being available with some history of our phone equipment. He also asked if anyone wanted to be on the social committee, but again, no volunteers.

On another note, it was suggested that John’s manager’s reports be put on a “Manager’s Report” site on our website.

There was then a brief discussion of weeds, particularly whitetop, and Blue Bradley brought in examples of some of these weeds for members to identify.    Linda mentioned that the meadows had been sprayed for whitetop, but it was important for the property owners as well to treat their own property to prevent re-infestation of the EMC common areas, and that if everyone got on board to take care of their own property, we could achieve our goal of reducing the amount of area needing to be sprayed.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:15 .

Respectfully submitted:

Linda McWhirter, outgoing secretary

EMC Board Minutes

BOARD MINUTES, NOVEMBER 13, 2005

The meeting was called to order at 9:10 AM by Steve Cleaves. Others in attendance were:  John Caesar, Linda McWhirter, Carol Volkman, Jim McDonald, Anna Carver (conference phone), and Stan Wentzel (conference phone).

The minutes from the September 3^rd meeting were read and approved as amended.

CONTRACT:  John Caesar’s employment contract was discussed. It was changed only in the sense that either party can terminate “at will”. John agreed with it, as he felt that was pretty standard. He felt, however, from an Edelweiss point of view, and given the immense amount of training and information that needs to be given to a new manager, that there should be some provision for a reasonable notice of termination. Steve stressed that it is best to just have a plan in place in the event we were to suddenly lose a manager. John mentioned that Rich is still a valuable back up and we are creating more diversity by training more people, such as Larry McWhirter for the water system. It was agreed verbally, however, to give a one month notice to be noted in the minutes, and the contract was then approved as written.

COMMUNITY MEMBER REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST:  Steve shared the letter that he had drafted to send to the community member seeking reimbursement There were some corrections, revisions, and additions. The gist of the letter was that the request was denied. (See attached letter).

Anna voiced concern that we may be obligated to the schematic, but Steve responded that, according to our attorney, we were not, since there was no wording on the schematic stating that it was accurate. Also, water and power is in the center of the road adjacent to his property. He was aware that he would have to trench. He has 400 feet of property line with water access.

AUDIT:  We haven’t had the yearly required audit since 2002. The process had been started to get the audits done, but after not being able to provide some board minutes, the process stalled. Jim again brought up the point that we can have the annual audit waived if the members at the annual meeting approve. Steve suggested John call Andrew McAllister, the accountant who had done our previous audits, and find out the costs of going back and completing each year’s audit, or starting with 2005, and getting the last few years’ audits waived. John was also asked to find out what the risk is of not having the intervening audits, and can we vote to retroactively waive past audits?

WATER TANK:  It is ¾ finished. The crew had to pull out when rains made the ground too soft, but they can return when snow and ice firm things up. Then they can bring in the boom truck to finish. It will be adequate to provide water storage for total build out in Edelweiss. (Yay!)

BOARD VACANCY: We will miss having Dave McCormack on the board. He resigned due to inability to find the time to participate. Several possible names came up to fill the vacancy. Linda will contact them and keep her ears open for others who are interested.

BUDGET:  John shared the proposed budget. He said since it was his first budget, he primarily used last year’s budget. The need for spending more money on updating and maintaining equipment was discussed, and there was consensus that it is important to have adequate and well maintained equipment, which may cost more initially, but save us more over the long term. John’s base salary was increased to $40,000, and additional money was included for part time help (Rich) as there is the need for Rich to continue helping with the bookkeeping, and overseeing some of the financial statements.

John stressed his concern for the need for some long range planning, as Edelweiss has a number of issues that will require extra funds, most notably the water infrastructure (pumps at the end of their “lifespan”, as well as old and inadequate water mains), roads (dust, etc.), campground facility, fencing (cows), and garbage.

The $10.00 part time annual garbage fee increase was discussed. The increase is to fund the construction of expanding the dumpster area and providing 2 more dumpsters for our increased garbage needs. Anna voiced concern over how long this increase would last. It is supposed to last as long as needed to pay for the construction. (3-4 years, not more than 5). John and others brought up some of the shortcomings of the present system (still not adequate during summer holidays, can’t reach back dumpsters, etc.) The inevitability of having to switch to a large dumpster for everyone was again brought up, and John brought up the fact that the existing garbage shed would then be used for much needed storage for equipment.

It was moved and seconded to approve the garbage rate increase. The motion was approved with one “no” vote.

It was brought up that we need to add $100.00 a year for telephone conferencing, and $200 annually for Karen to update the website.

Steve brought up roads/dust abatement and wanted to know what we will do for 2006, then we can revisit the issue later when we do our long range planning. He thought watering weekly after applying calcium chloride might work. The topic was then dropped and we went back to the budget.

John purchased a new truck which will be able to handle the weight and demands of plowing and sanding. Steve asked John to generate a 5 year history of our savings, and John will amortize the new vehicle and make it obvious in the bookkeeping. Steve requested the budget be presented as a comparison of 2005, 2006.

It was moved and seconded to approve the budget. It was unanimously approved.

FIREWISE:  The present grant is soon to be wrapped up. Steve will meet with Arne and John to see what further action we may want to pursue. Steve will make clear our concerns regarding budget overruns, and other perceived problems with the implementation of the grant. Some options are to see if Arne would write the grant, but we have someone else manage it (Chris Charters?), or do we pay Arne (or Chris) to write and manage it both, or what? Deadline for grant submission is Feb 11, 2006 .

OCTOBER MANAGER’S REPORT: Cattle Problem-Edelweiss is responsible for 1 ¾ miles of missing fence. We have been very lucky that the Forest Service and Troy Accord (permit tee) have been willing to work with us to find a permanent solution to the cattle problem. We will, however, have to come up with around $8,000 for the fencing. (See Manager’s Report for more details).

Where will we get the money? Jim said we could use $5,000 of the surplus money and go into the red for the rest. John mentioned we MIGHT be able to negotiate getting some surplus supplies given to us by the Forest Service, etc. and get volunteers to help put it up. It will be a very difficult fencing job due to the terrain. Jim suggested we amend the budget to include the $8,000 for the fence and approve it with a deficit. This would be a good way for people to realize the money issues we will have to face.

It was moved and seconded to amend the budget by adding the $8,000 expense of building the fence. The motion carried.

OTHER TOPICS: Anna mentioned the need to have more stand pipes for fire. John said we would add that to our long range planning list under “water”.

The next board meeting was scheduled for March 4, Saturday, at 5:00 PM at the home of Steve Cleaves.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 (whew!!)

Respectfully submitted, Linda McWhirter, Secretary

  BOARD MINUTES, SEPTEMBER 3, 2005

The meeting was called to order at 5:10 PM by Steve Cleaves. Those in attendance were:  John Caesar (our new manager), Steve Cleaves, Linda McWhirter, Carol Chace, Jim McDonald, and Stan Wentzel. Also in attendance were Jocelyn and Sheila Coe.

The minutes from the last meeting were read and approved.

RELOCATING COMMUNITY TRAIL

The first agenda item was a discussion of Jocelyn Coe’s and Don/Marsha Hazen’s request to move an EMC community walking trail from its present position (between lot 100, owned by Jocelyn, and lot 101,owned jointly by Hazen and Coe) to the middle of lot 101. This would allow the owners to do a boundary line adjustment whereby Coe and Hazen would each own ½ of lot 101, the trail would be between the newly created lots, and lot 101 would be eliminated. A motion was made to approve the request provided the wording of the approval document was changed to indicate that the owners would own ALMOST ½ of the lot, EMC would lose the original walking trail, and acquire a new one in the middle of lot 101. Motion carried.

CHRIS TRAVIS REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT

The next agenda item concerned Chris Travis’s request for reimbursement for expenses incurred to bring power and water, as well as providing sufficient water pressure to lots 70 and 71. Chris expressed in his request that EMC was responsible to provide power and water to every lot, that the power and water “was not in place”, and he had to install over 300 feet of water and power lines for both lots out of pocket ($2,878.07) plus a booster pump ($369.00). He requests reimbursement for the $2,878.07, plus the $369.00.

Chris also said that “other homes with pressure issues have been helped by the community.”

Rich’s prior communications regarding this issue stated that EMC was required to provide sufficient water to the lot boundary, but not to the house. He tested the pressure at Chris’s frost free faucet, and found it to be within the required limits.

Steve suggested a possibility of splitting the difference between the cost of the pump.

Stan asked if there was indeed water and power at the property line? Jim brought up the fact that electricity is not an EMC responsibility, but a county issue. He also felt that we should not provide funding for things we are not required to do. Linda also felt it would set a bad precedent to provide funding for things that EMC is not required to fund.

Stan asked what laws or regulations govern this; Jim replied that the by-laws say nothing.

John mentioned that all the covenants say is, “Grantor shall provide….adequate water and electric power facilities to serve all such lots. For so long as a community water system is available, …..service to such community water system shall be connected, at each lot owner’s expense.”

Though there was definitely a feeling of empathy for Chris, Steve, and the other board members present seemed to agree that EMC was responsible for providing water with adequate pressure to the property line, and nothing more. It was brought up that buyers need to be aware, for example, that if they build a home to capture the best view, and don’t have a drainfield nearby, they may need to incur additional expense to create a more distant or complex system. Some of us have had to purchase pressure reducers, etc. at our own expense.  It was concluded that we need to answer 3 questions before making a decision.

1. Was water and power at the property line?

2. Has EMC, indeed, provided help to other property owners with low water pressure?

3. What was the pressure at the property line, and what is the adequate pressure range?

Linda will email Rich regarding these questions, and Steve asked John to check with the county to see what the adequate pressure range is, and if we are abiding by the appropriate guidelines.

Linda was asked to draft a letter to Chris stating that we are considering his request but are gathering some necessary information to help us make a decision. We are also asking Chris to provide us with information to substantiate his claim that we have helped other property owners in the past with pressure and/or water issues. We expect to have a decision within the next 30 days, and probably sooner.

BOARD MEMBER TERMS

The board went over the term periods of each member to make sure we stay within the guidelines of when to have re-elections, etc.

1. Steve, 2002-2005 (his term was up this year, we forgot to re-elect him, therefore he was appointed to serve one more year at which point he will be up for re-election for the remaining 2 years.)

2. Linda, 2003-2006

3. Sean, 2003-2006

4. Dick, 2003-2006

5. Dave, 2004-2007 (replaced Phil)

6. Jim, 2004-2007

7. Stan, 2004-2007

8. Carol, 2005-2008

9. Anna, 2005-2008

OLD BUSINESS

A. Roads, Dust: Steve and Linda brought up Chad ’s (Cascade Concrete) recommendation to use lignum on our roads. It is, according to him, better than the envirox that was recently applied. Both are organic products made from tree resin. Envirox posed a bit of a problem by sticking to cars which had driven over it soon after its application. Chad mentioned that lignum has been used in Twin Lakes for several years and each year it takes less material as it builds up to several inches. The question of what happens to the material when road grading is done was brought up. The hope was that using the material would prevent the need for grading the road. Linda suggested use of more signs to remind people of dust, speed limit, etc. Jim felt that creating traffic calming designs in the roads would be another good option. Carol mentioned temporary speed bumps.

Steve proposed we form a committee to look into the issue of roads and dust, with John and at least one board member (Linda volunteered), and some possible community members. Bruce Childs had expressed interest, and other names of people who were concerned with the dust issue were suggested…Sheila Coe, Jerry Palm (works on roads in Pine Forest ), Patricia Woehrlin and Scott Allison, John and Ashley (both homes located on Homestead ). A motion was made and approved to form said committee. Linda will organize this. The recommendations of the committee will be brought to the next board meeting.

B. Audit: Steve asked what is happening with this? Jim said we had sent information to our auditor, but has not heard anything back from Rich. John will find out from Rich what is going on with the audit.

C. Conference phone: Steve asked about this. It was approved, but not purchased. Jim will get info to Linda/John? and s/he will buy it.

Web site: Weed information, Linda is waiting to receive brochures from county on whitetop, knapweed, and toadflax for Karen to scan. The brochures supposedly have pictures, and “methods of control” information which should aid property owners in identifying and dealing with noxious weeds on their properties.

Manager Position notice needs to be removed.

E. Rich’s Going Away Gift: Jim said our current bylaws have nothing that restricts the board from spending money on gifts, so Linda will call Liz to see what Rich might like in the way of a gift certificate ($500-?), and will try to organize a dinner at the Twisp Brew Pub (or suggestion by Liz) where the board members, plus maybe recent past members (Phil, Alex, Adam), can present Rich with said certificate. We will try and get this organized by mid September (weekend of the 17^th).

F. Recycling: Steve asked what Larry had found out about recycling from Betsy. Linda will ask Larry to email that info. to the board.

G. Maintenance Shed: This will be something a committee will continue to work on. Steve has created a preliminary plan, and Alex Hall, Don Fitzpatrick, John Caesar, and Del Schweitzer have indicated a desire to collaborate with Steve to finalize the plan.

(Steve, are you organizing this??...I didn’t catch that info. at the meeting if it was mentioned…Let me know and I will add this to the minutes.)

H. Firewise: John will ask Rich to prepare a final accounting and will also set up a meeting with Chris Charters and Steve White to discuss our next steps.

I. Bulletin Board, and Campground Sign:

Linda will come up with proposed wording for a more visible and specific sign to be placed at the entrance to the EMC campground for board approval asap. Steve will install a bulletin board at the campground/garbage area for EMC use.

OTHER ITEMS DISCUSSED

 Manager Transition: John briefly summarized his first week so far. He started training with Rich in the pool and campground areas, has taken a tour of the pump stations, well, etc., and has gone over the books. He characterized the training as going very well, though the water system will be the biggest challenge. He suggested that it would be money well spent to have Mel Hartwig do a diagram of the whole water system in order to better trouble shoot any problems that may arise.

John has also started the compilation of an Operations Manual and will continue to add information to it as he is trained, etc. When finished, he will have Rich review the information for any necessary editing.

Rich’s comment to Steve regarding John, “We have a winner!”

There was a definite consensus that Rich’s evaluation was correct.

Contract: Rich’s original contract will be the basis for John’s, the details of which will be worked out between John and the board. Steve and John will communicate in the wording, etc. When it is settled and signed, it was suggested by Jim that we have an attorney review it to make sure everything is legal in case employment laws, etc. have changed. 

Sam Lucy Consultation: Sam was to contact Linda in the fall to come and discuss weed issues, and meadow restoration, providing information on controlling weeds without using herbicides, as some lot owners had expressed an interest in this approach. Linda will call him to see if he can come out soon, in case he has suggestions regarding the meadow restoration.

Policies: Steve recommended we review the handouts on policy issues and bring suggestions/opinions to the next board meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 . The next board meeting is scheduled for November 13^th, (Sunday) at 9:00 AM at Carol Chace’s house, 13 Laney Lane .

Respectfully submitted,

Linda McWhirter, secretary

BOARD MINUTES FOR ANNUAL MEETING  MAY 28, 2005

 The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM .

 Linda read the minutes from the previous annual meeting.

 FIREWISE

Sean introduced himself and discussed Firewise. The program is expected to be completed by fall. He mentioned that the piles of wood marked with an E are free firewood for anyone who wants it. Linda mentioned there are also some free firewood logs that have been set aside by the chip pile.

 One lot owner brought up the fact that his lot was treated without his permission and trees were removed that he specifically wanted to keep. Though he will deal directly with Arne regarding this, he wanted to make others aware that this could happen. Others present were satisfied with the way their lots were treated, and some felt that more limbs should have been removed. Alex mentioned that there is a logging crew, and a hand crew, and people should make sure they request them to come back if needed. It was suggested that we put Arne’s email address on the website for lot owners to contact him.

 Sean encouraged everyone to be good stewards of their lots, and do what they can to reduce fuels on their lots if they were not treated, and for owners of the treated lots to continue to maintain the fuel reduction which grows back each year.

 TRAIL SYSTEM

Alex discussed the idea of restoring the walking/running trail system through Edelweiss. He suggested using volunteers to pull weeds and maybe use our free chip supply to spread on the trails.

 WEED CONTROL

Someone asked if we are spraying white top in the meadows. Sean thought we were, but apologized for the fact that Rich was unable to attend the meeting and answer all the questions accurately.

 ROADS

Sean was not sure which of the two products we have been testing was superior, but thought we would continue with the treatment now that we have a water truck. The dusty condition of the roads was again brought up, along with the need to drive SLOWLY.

 SNOWPLOWING OF DRIVEWAYS

Sean again mentioned the rationale for EMC getting out of the snowplowing business. It was suggested that if we could get the names and contact information for the lot owners who want their driveways plowed, that Lucinda McAllister would organize everyone and meet with contractors to see who could provide the best service and then choose one person to do the snowplowing here, making it more efficient for everyone. Linda will request that information in the newsletter.

RECYCLING

Larry McWhirter mentioned he will be meeting with Betsy ( Recycling Center ) to discuss the possibility of having an area in Mazama where people could drop off their recycling. This would need to rely on volunteers. The possibility of having a future recycling area in the Edelweiss garbage area was mentioned.

  GARBAGE FACILITY & FUTURE MAINTENANCE BUILDING

Steve Cleaves shared information on the new dumpster area expansion which now has 2 new dumpsters in addition to the 2 we already have. He also showed the plans for a future maintenance building which includes a shed for maintaining equipment, a sand bunker, and a slab for a future large dumpster (which we may eventually have to have as the community continues to grow). Don Fitzpatrick brought up the point that it didn’t seem large enough to accommodate a tractor, 3 trucks, and a water truck, and that a larger shed could be built for a marginal cost. Alex commented that the plan is a great start, but we should consider future expansion, or making it larger. He also recommended facing the buildings due south to take advantage of the solar heating. Steve said the planned building was pretty much facing south.

 Sean mentioned that no oily rags should be thrown in the garbage due to fire danger. Also, no construction debris is allowed in the dumpster, nor is it legal to burn treated wood. Only natural vegetation can be burned.

 The building funds will come from the money received for the conservation easement.

 WEBSITE

Steve reminded everyone about our new website and went over the information that is provided by it. He mentioned he could get a decent map of Edelweiss to put on the website also. Another suggested addition to the website was information on the noxious weeds we have, with photos of them, etc. This would help some of the new arrivals to the valley identify and remove them. It was also mentioned that including information on burning would be helpful, especially stressing safety measures.

 SNOWMOBILES

Sean reminded people that there are many very close trails and areas where snowmobiles are allowed, and that it is not permitted to drive them on the meadows or roads of Edelweiss.

 BUDGET

Jim McDonald gave the budget report (which is published on the February newsletter). In reviewing the budget over the last 3 years he noted that there has been relatively little change, and that Rich has done a good job of keeping expenses, and income fairly consistent. It was a motion made to approve the budget. The motion passed.

 NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Carol Chace and Anna Carver were elected to the board, replacing Adam Kaufman and Alex Hall, whose 3 year terms were up. Dave McCormack, who replaced Phil Heitman’s place on the board, was also elected to serve the remainder of Phil’s term (2 more years).

Steve Cleaves, in a special meeting of the board on June 8^th,  was appointed to serve in the remaining vacant position until the next annual meeting when new elections can occur.

 BULLETIN BOARD

Lucinda asked the board to consider placing a bulletin board near the mailboxes where people could place private notices, offers of service, items for sale, etc. She volunteered to maintain it.

 The meeting was adjourned at 2:40PM .

 Respectfully submitted,

Linda McWhirter

Secretary

EDELWEISS BOARD MINUTES                                     MAY 28, 2005

 The meeting was called to order at 2:45 PM . Those in attendance were Sean McCabe, Steve Cleaves, Stan Wentzel, Linda McWhirter, Dick Lindblad, Jim McDonald, and Anna Carver.

 RICH’S RESIGNATION

Sean opened the meeting by reading Rich’s letter of resignation. He gave his 90 day notice, but since he is adding his accrued vacation time to the end of the ninety days, his last day will be in August, 2005.

 The need to come up with a job description and place advertisements in papers soon was mentioned. Steve wondered would Rich perhaps wish to be one of our contractors under a new manager. Jim said our first task is to hire a manager, then let the manager create his/her own jobs, hiring whatever personnel he/she deems necessary. We must create a job description, then the manager can set up a contract. Jim and Linda agreed to work on this.

Steve brought up that it might be a good idea to look at other developments and see what they pay their managers for comparison, though it was acknowledged that this is very difficult to do since there are so many different variables among communities which would make a salary comparison difficult. Anna volunteered to find out some general information.

 BOARD OFFICERS

It was moved and approved to maintain the current board officers.

 DUST ABATEMENT

The need to get our dust abatement treatment going was discussed. The issue comes up every year, and the consensus was that we need to get something done soon. Evidently a crane is needed to move the tank on to the other truck. Linda will email Rich to see when that is happening. The result of the test of the two materials is not really known due to the fact that we didn’t have the water truck. It was suggested that we authorize Rich to choose what he felt was the best material and begin treating all the roads. Sean made a motion that Rich would choose the material, get the roads watered, and begin treating the roads as soon as possible, and as needed throughout the summer. The motion was approved.

 CAMPGROUND

In response to reports of unauthorized campground usage, it was agreed that probably the only feasible thing we can do at present is make the sign more visible. Linda will come up with the wording and get feedback from the board, and we will go from there. It is likely an issue that will come up again, especially with the increased growth of the area.

 AUDIT

Jim said that Rich is still in the process of getting information to the auditor. He also said that although businesses, etc. with an excess of  $50,000.00 in income are required to have a yearly audit, that the requirement could be waived with a 2/3 majority vote. Then maybe we could just do an audit every five years, and thus save some money and time.

 CONFERENCE PHONE

Jim had emailed his rationale for purchasing a conference phone that can accommodate 3 people at a time in order to allow board members to participate in meetings that they cannot attend (part timers who can’t always get over here for a meeting). Sean made a motion to approve the purchase of the conference phone. The cost is $520.00. The motion was approved.

 NEXT BOARD MEETING

The next board meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 3, 5:00 PM , at Jim’s house.

 BULLETIN BOARD

Placing a bulletin board by the mailboxes, as suggested by Lucinda, was discussed. Stan stressed the need to make it look appealing. Where to place the board (at mailboxes, at garbage area) was discussed. Steve objected to using the board for just personal use (selling homes, advertising, etc.). Sean said if the true purpose of the board is to be a bulletin board, a way for Edelweiss residents to post information, then a better place for it would be at the community building or the garbage area walls where more people will see it. It was moved and approved that Steve would obtain a bulletin board and place it in one of those areas.

WEBSITE

Stan suggested that we request in the next newsletter on the website, that people send their email addresses to Linda so she can create a group and send out informational  notices to our lot owners, (such as…”The new newsletter is out, check it out on our website”, or, “Don’t forget the potluck and meeting on Sat.”)

Linda will do that.

 The meeting was adjourned at 3:50PM

 Respectfully submitted,

 Linda McWhirter

Secretary

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 February 19, 2005

The meeting was called to order at 4:15 .

Those in attendance:

Rich Molz, Sean McCabe, Steve Cleaves, Linda McWhirter, Dick Lindblad, Dave McCormack, Jim McDonald, and Alex Hall

 Old Business

 Linda reported on her contact with Evergreen  Rural Water regarding information on obtaining grants to help communities fund conversion to water meters. Grants are not given unless the community falls into a relatively low median income level. Edelweiss, with its large number of second homes, would obviously not qualify.

 New Business

 AUDIT

Jim found an auditor willing to do the EMC audit, but the $4,000.00 per year cost seemed a bit high to Rich. Finding auditors seems to be increasingly difficult. Rich suggested he and Linda try to reconnect with the Seattle auditor (Jim McCallister) that had previously served Edelweiss for around $1500.00 per year. With the office help now available, Rich felt it might solve the previous problem he had with being able to communicate effectively due to his busy schedule.

 BY LAWS

Jim had suggested changing the by laws requiring the budget meeting for members, since few, if any, members ever showed up. However, Rich explained it that state law required such meetings. The meeting will therefore be held at the annual Memorial Day meeting where the budget will be presented.

 ARCHITECTURAL MANUAL

Revisions to the architectural manual were first presented to the Architectural Review Committee for the purpose of deleting requirements that Edelweiss had no legal authority to enforce. Dave brought up that it would perhaps be beneficial to include a way to indicate that which is “desirable” in addition to that which is “enforceable”. This could be done in a cover letter on the manual, and/or on the web page. Rich suggested creating a welcome packet for new property owners that would outline this type of information. Steve volunteered himself and wife, Randa, to put together such a packet, and Rich suggested using a web site that tracks sales to identify new owners and send the information.

Sean volunteered to pick up some copies of the Good Neighbor Handbook from the Conservancy. A packet could then be sent to new property owners that would contain a cover letter, the Good Neighbor Handbook, Rules and Regulations for Common Areas, and the Covenants.

It was moved, seconded, and approved that the Architectural Manual Revisions be accepted.

 Firewise

 Rich reported that he received confirmation that our existing grant was extended to Sept. of ’06, though he would like to be finished by October of this year. Then we will know what is left to be done for a new grant. Alex reported that Chris Charters would be interested in doing the type of management that Arne did when, and if, we can receive a new grant. Linda mentioned that she had talked to Leahe Swayze, and Chuck Johnson, who had both mentioned grants that might be available with an application deadline in September. Such a grant, however, would require 50% matching funds. Linda will continue communication with Chris Charters, and/or others, to find out more information.

 Alex suggested we make our goals clear to Arne about what we want done with the remaining $90,000. Arne had proposed we concentrate those funds on protecting existing homes. Linda again brought up the need to restore and repair the common area on Cassal Road . Dave said this would need to be addressed as part of our communicated goals for Arne. Alex suggested we set a date when the grant should be completed and that we include restoration of the common area, ideally that the work would be completed in spring, and the restoration finished in fall. Rich said that “reality” might interfere with this goal due to the fact that if fires occur in the area, the hand crews are often diverted to deal with them. Rich also pointed out that restoration would take more than just reseeding. It would require irrigation as well. This would be “doable”, however, as water is available in the meadow.

Steve proposed making a schedule for Arne and volunteered to help Rich as liaison, if needed, to communicate with Arne.

 Garbage

 Steve presented his plan for expanding the garbage area at an estimated cost of $5200.00, not counting materials. The expansion would double the capacity for part time homeowners. The plans also provided space for when/if we convert to a permanent dumpster, and perhaps a recycling area as well. In addition, tentative plans for a future maintenance building were also presented, much to the delight of Rich. Rich asked Steve to make the presentation for his plans to the membership meeting in May.

Rich thought that we could pay for the larger garbage shed by increasing rates for part time home owners, prorated for 3-4 years, to recoup the money spent from the general fund.

It was moved, seconded, and approved to build the larger garbage shed at a cost not to exceed $8,000.00.  

Driveway Plowing  

There was a brief discussion of the issue of driveway plowing/sanding which had been brought up previously by a property owner who had significant difficulties getting in and out of his driveway this winter. There seemed to be a consensus that it would be opening a Pandora’s box to think about resuming this task. Dick and Sean both suggested that property owners store or carry their own sand and/or come prepared with chains during inclement conditions, as they have both had to do with their own driveways at times.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35

 Respectfully submitted,

Linda McWhirter, Secretary