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NewsletterSnohomish Cascade Homeowners Association
Coming Events
Neighborhood Online ForumOur Homeowner Association's website (www.the-falls.org) now has a community forum to allow our homeowners to discuss neighborhood/community/HOA issues as well as a place to discuss contractors, offer services, and place classified ads. We have had a significant number of homeowners request such a forum so we sincerely hope you find this useful and that the forum remains active. To access the forum, click on "Community Forum" on the left side of the web page.New EmailThe Homeowners Association has a new email address! Please contact the Homeowner's Association at board@the-falls.org. This is the most efficient way to get in touch with the Homeowner Association's board. Our previous email address will continue to be monitored as well for a period of time.If you are interested in receiving email communications from the Association, please send us an email asking to be added to our list. This is a low-traffic distribution list with periodic meeting reminders, Block Watch notices, electronic newsletters, and other neighborhood-related communications. Board Member ResignationCary Ecker has resigned as President of the Homeowners Association. We thank Cary for his dedicated work for our neighborhood and we wish him the absolute best. Tiger King will fill in as President while Brian Stern will perform both the roles of Secretary and Treasurer. Although the CC&R's allow for this dual role, this is not an ideal situation and we are hoping to elect another volunteer to fill either the role of Treasurer or Secretary at our Annual Meeting in November. If you are interested in the position or in becoming involved in our neighborhood, please in touch with us. This is an excellent opportunity to have a hand in shaping and improving our neighborhood!Good Bye Howard MathesonWe have to say good bye and thank you to Howard Matheson. For many years Howard has supported the Association as an advocate of keeping our common fence in good repair. He has helped the board with finding parts of the fence that needed maintenance as well as coordinating between the board and fence contractors. He has also helped with coordination between the board and our landscaper.Howard and his wife will be moving to eastern Washington near the Columbia River where he can continue fishing. We will all miss Howard and wish him well in the future. Totem Falls LandscapingA group of parent and neighborhood volunteers have been helping the school district with maintaining the landscape maintenance for Totem Falls Elementary School. The school district's budget can only afford two landscapers for ten schools. There has been some improvement over the past year due to the efforts of these local homeowners.Projects that this group has accomplished include:
Vandalism Along Our TrailSignificant damage has been done to our greenbelt trail by mountain bike riders. They have dug 3 foot deep by 3 foot wide holes in several places to build jumps and create a terrain park. It has created a serious liability issue for our Association. The playground equipment in the South park area has been destroyed and the picnic tables have been damaged as well.Please ask your children to keep their bicycles off the trails. They are for walking only. If you encounter anyone riding on the trail, ask them to stop riding on the trail and report them to the homeowner's Association by phone and/or email. DuesThe Board is considering raising dues. Electric expenses have tripled and water expenses have almost doubled in the last year. Also, the board is planning major landscape improvements and expects to take on a major replacement of the fence that will cost over $100,000 in the next few years. If the Board does raise dues, this will be the first increase in 9 to 10 years.RoofingThe Board is planning to revise the “approved” roofing list. A knowledgeable roofing broker who represents most roofing companies in our area made a presentation to the Board at its September monthly meeting.CC&RsRecently, a notice was given to all homeowners with RV's, trailers, and boats that did not appear to be in compliance with our covenants. Most homeowners have taken corrective action. Those who have not will be subject to the violation fine schedule. To find out more about the fine schedule go to http://www.the-falls.org/FineSchedule.html.LandscapingOur landscaping company, Glenbrook Services, has been working hard this summer to repair our sprinkler system throughout the neighborhood. In the past, Board members decided not to utilize the system and the inactivity led to significant decay. The system is back to almost 100% and will continue to be used in the future.As soon as the repairs to the sprinkler system are complete, bark dust will be applied to all planting beds in the common areas to improve the appearance. The two large trees that are missing in the South median of Sno-Cascade Drive will be replaced in October. We continue to work towards landscaping the North median. FenceThe common area fencing is our biggest concern. Recently, a bid of $100,000 was obtained to replace the entire fence. As a result of the large cost for replacement, the Board has decided to continue to keep the fence in good repair.One of the Board members recently inspected the entire fence along Puget Park Drive (West of Sno-Cascade) and the West side of Sno-Cascade down to the school trail. There are several fence boards that need to be replaced and a few sections that need to be repaired. The remainder of the fence will be inspected to determine what repairs are needed. Once the fence's condition is determined and the repairs are made, we will seek bids to repaint the entire fence with a more natural color. Board MeetingsPlease note that the frequency of board meetings has changed to bi-monthly. The time and location remains the same.Totem Pole UpdateEarlier this year, one of our totem poles at the waterfall was stolen. The board has contracted a carver to carve a new totem pole. This is being done now. The new pole should be in place in the near future. Also, the carver will carve an attractive design in the stump of the stolen totem pole.Vandalism at Totem Falls Elementary SchoolSince at least August 1 a series of vandalism incidents have occurred at Totem Falls Elementary School. These incidents include:
WaterfallYou may have noticed that the waterfall has not been operating. Several weeks ago, the waterfall was extensively vandalized. Significant amounts of dirt and broken glass and many of the large and extremely heavy stones have been thrown down to the bottom. Additionally and perhaps related, the sewer drain has become plugged. Repairing this damage will take some time and significant expense. Please be patient while these repairs are made.In recent weeks the drain has been unplugged and the waterfall has been pressure washed. In the near future the loose rocks will be glued to the waterfall with epoxy.
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