April 1st , 2012
Changes to Timing on Some Yearly Maintenance Services
Each year in May owners are offered services for their individual condominium units. When done as part of a large scale project, owners are provided cost savings for these services as compared to doing them individually. Chimney cleaning and dryer vent cleaning are two services that require contractors to access the roof. The contractors have requested that their activities be rescheduled in the fall when the cedar shakes are dry to make their services safer for themselves and their employees. May can be a wet month and the shakes are often very slick at that time of year. Carpet cleaning, interior window cleaning and propane fireplace servicing will still be done in the spring as in the past. If owners would like to move more of the services to the fall instead of the spring please let us know.
Building Repair Projects
The carpentry crews have finished the back decks of the 200 building and they have moved on to the 1100 building decks. Extensive rot affecting the safety of the 1207-1210 decks has been discovered and this has prompted the crew to shift schedules slightly. Work will begin on those decks around April 1st ahead of the 400 and 500 building entries set to start the 1st of May. The crews have purposely avoided entryway work during the busy ski season to limit serious disruptions to owner usage. All scheduled work on the 400, 500, 1000, back of 100A, and back of 1100 has been or will be completed before painting begins in July and August.
MCH Bubble Caps for Douglas Fir Beetle Control
Early in 2011, as many as sixty large trees were blown down on Snowater and adjacent US Forest Service property. As a result of this event, the Forest Service expects an outbreak of Douglas Fir Beetles which lay their eggs in newly downed large trees. To protect Snowater’s remaining healthy Douglas Firs from attack you will see small bubble packets (at left) attached to numerous trees around Snowater this April. These packets give off a pheromone telling the beetles “no vacancy” so that they will move out of the area to lay their eggs. Please do not disturb the bubble packets. They will need to remain in place for 60 days, after which the Snowater staff will remove.
Water Shut Off Valve Replacement
Management was asked by the SA Board to inquire with our local plumber for the cost to change individual unit main water shut off valves if done as a large project. The idea being that the cost would be lower per unit if done as a large project as compared to that of individual basis. Also, and most importantly, the condition of each condominium building’s plumbing is deteriorating and if owners could be encouraged to shut off their water when leaving the unit unoccupied for lengths of time, serious water damage could be diminished. Many owners have already changed out the old valves gate type valves that regularly become stuck in the open position for newer ball type valves. We will keep owners informed as to the development of this project.
Individual Project
Main Valve $303.80 $271.25
Main Valve +Hot Valve & Supplies $379.75 $347.20
Carbon Monoxide Alarms Required by Washington State Law
Effective April 1st, 2102, RCW 19.27.530 requires the seller of any owner-occupied single family residence to equip the residence with carbon monoxide alarms in accordance with state building code before a buyer or any other person may legally occupy the residence following the sale. Since 1990, over 1,000 Washington State residences have died from carbon monoxide poisoning and only a few years ago two persons lost their lives across the fence in the Snowline development. Whether state law requires CO alarms or not, it is a good idea for owners to consider installing the devices in their units to protect family and friends. The Timeshare Association has had all of its units equipped since shortly after installing propane fireplaces. The cost of an alarm is about $25.
David Franklin
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February, 09, 2012
Snowmageddon 2012
The most snow that we have seen in many years at Snowater began falling Friday the 14th of January and totaled 24” in total, with about 18” of that coming Monday the night of the 16th. The crew worked hard to keep up
We have been removing snow from the stairs to the units this winter as well. In the past, this has not been the practice and that duty was left as a homeowner’s responsibility. Over the last several years, and as highlighted in my fall manager’s report, case law has consistently not seen it that way. The Managing Agent has a responsibility to exercise “reasonable care” when it comes to maintenance and safety of the property and the stairs outside the unit are clearly Snowater’s responsibility.
During this event it became evident that the Snowater Association is not as adequately prepared to handle these large scale snow storms as some of our neighbors. The Rim, Snowline, the Glenn at Maple Falls and Black Mountain Ranch all have pickups with plows, granted they have a lot more pavement to manage, but when replacing the current Snowater ¼ ton pick-up, the Association should consider upgrading to a larger truck capable of being equipped with a plow. The bobcat has its place, in and around cars, and in tight places, but it doesn’t do what a truck and plow is capable of. A larger truck also has other useful advantages, like hauling materials and equipment that we currently must pay someone else to do for us. The crew worked the bobcat for 10 hours on the 17th and couldn’t get to it all. In the mean time, I am looking to see if there is any private contractors who might be willing to assist in snow removal during these larger scaled events.
Water Proof Decks and Deck Furniture
Since this summer, we have found two upper condominium decks and the south sun deck outside the Clubhouse (below) severely damaged by unprotected leg ends of deck furniture. A common patio furniture style is made with aluminum tubing that forms the legs of chairs and tables. Most have a plastic or rubberized glide inserted into the hollow tube of the leg to protect the deck surface from damage. When one of these $0.50 glides goes missing and is not replaced (above), and someone sits on a chair or table, their weight on the bare metal leg acts like a cookie-cutter and punches a whole into the deck membrane. Once the membrane is compromised, water begins to damage the structure underneath. All owners of upper units should check their deck furniture, of any type, to ensure that the contact point of all legs are not sharp or in a condition as to cause damage to the deck surface.
Updated Clubhouse Siding Project Issues
Our major capital project for 2012 was to replace failed siding on both the north and south aspects of the Clubhouse. Back in 2009-10 when cutting in new vents for the upgraded HVAC system, we found water on the backside of siding and sheathing on the north side and large runs of cupped siding that had deteriorated on the south side. We tore off the North side this winter and found badly deteriorated sheathing, studs, and in some places roof sheathing. The rotten roof sheathing, we believe was again the result of poor workmanship from Barge Roofing during re-roofing done in 1997. The majority of the deteriorated studs and sheathing on the main north wall seems to be from condensation resulting from the previously inadequate HVAC/Humidifier system. Only small patches of the wall still had active leaks and that was due to failed siding, most of which rotted from the inside out. This was the main reason paint would never stick to this wall the two times it has been painted in the last 13 years. Framing, sheathing and all siding were replaced on the north wall (above left.) Deteriorated roof sheathing above kitchen (above right) and at peak of lower roof (at left) were unanticipated. Unfortunately, we had planned to replace the siding on both the north and south sides of the building this year, starting with the North side thinking it would be in better shape of the two. But we may have to wait on the south side considering the approved expenditure of $12,000 for 2012 has been exhausted just on the north side wall. Additional concerns on the south side of the Clubhouse are the large picture windows in the pool area. If framing for these windows is in similar condition to what was discovered on the north wall, the windows would more than likely not survive the repairs. Estimates for replacing these large single pane picture windows are around $20,000 alone.
Building Repair Projects
The carpentry crews finished the back decks of the 400 building in January and they have moved on to the 500 building decks. The next set of projects on the schedule will be the 200 building decks starting mid February. The crews are purposely avoiding entryway work until the busy ski season has ended to avoid serious disruptions to owner usage. April, May, and June will be devoted to repairing entries on the 400 and 500 buildings before painting begins in July and August.
Building Crawl Space Inspection
Starting a few years back, management suggested that the maintenance crew crawl underneath the buildings during our highest occupancy times in summer and winter and perform visual inspections. The idea being that they might spot water leaks or other little problems before they become larger scale problems. Since then, we have found problems during every inspection and this one was no exception. The crew found dryer vents disconnected in the crawl spaces, bathtub drain leaks, and a plumbing leak in 1413 that appears to be leaking from a corroded fitting and cleat in the wall. Management reported to the building chairs in December of 2011 that this type of failure is becoming more frequent at Snowater and is indicative of plumbing systems that are reaching the end of their useful lives. These failures also seem to corroborate with the component life cycle cited for copper plumbing systems in the individual reserve studies of all condominium buildings. Possible actions include, full scale plumbing replacement, chemical relining treatments (i.e. http://www.curaflo.com/Home.aspx) as referred to in December), or repair bad sections as needed.
A repair as needed or ad hoc approach is initially the least expensive remedy, but it has its drawbacks. First, when a leak is repaired, only a small percentage of the plumbing system is replaced. The remaining pipe is still 35 years old. Second, consideration should be given to the negative effect that increasingly frequent water damage claims could have on our insurance. Snowater’s current insurance policy has better coverage and is $60,000/yr less expensive than our previous carrier could offer. In recent discussions with our current agent, she eluded to the fact that if a history of similar claims develop, such as water damage, our coverage could be dropped and our only alternative would be to shop in a high risk market.
David Franklin
January 1st, 2012
Building Repair and Painting
With the addition of two more carpenters this past spring, we have increased the rate of repair to the buildings by a factor of two, reducing the current remaining project duration from 3 years to 1.5 years. Below are projects scheduled for 2012.
401-402 Entry 403-406 Entry 415-416 Entry
405-408 Decks 413-416 Decks 401 Window Box
403 Window Box 405 Window Box 407 Window Box
409 Window Box 411 Window Box 503-506 Entry
501-504 Decks 505-508 Decks 501 Window Box
503 Window Box 505 Window Box 507 Window Box
901-904 Decks 909-912 Decks 207-210 Entry
211-212 Entry 201-204 Decks 205-208 Decks
209-212 Decks 1101-1102 Deck
Revised Snowater Rules and Regulations
You will find a new revised version of the Snowater Rules and Regulations in your unit after January 1st, as well as a version posted on the Snowater website at www.snowater.us. Please review the rules and encourage your family and guest to do the same. We have added a list of the most commonly violated rules in the front of this version for easy reference.
Forest Management
The Forest Management Committee surveyed the grounds in early December of 2011 and listed trees of concern following criteria in Snowater’s Forest Management Plan. Of particular concern are the remaining large Douglas Fir trees adjacent to the 300 building that are in a know Laminated Root Rot area. This disease severely weakens Douglas Fir root systems that keep these beautiful giants anchored to the ground thus making them susceptible to blow down. Early in 2011, as many as sixty large trees were blown down on Snowater and adjacent US Forest Service property. As a result of this event, the Forest Service expects an outbreak of Douglas Fir Beetles that lay their eggs in newly downed large trees. To protect Snowater’s remaining healthy Douglas Firs from attack you will see small bubble packets (at left) attached to numerous trees around Snowater this spring. These packets give off a pheromone telling the beetles “no vacancy” so that they will move out of the area to lay their eggs. Please do not disturb the bubble packets. They will need to remain in place for 60 days, after which the Snowater staff with remove.
Wi-Fi Capacity at Snowater
Acting in response to the Owner Survey, the Board will be evaluating the emerging options of increasing broadband internet access. Options may include:
Wild Blue satellite system at the clubhouse. This system can be available after early January and allows 17,000 MB per month.
Frontier DSL is rumored to be headed up to Glacier this year.
NoaNet wireless Broadband will be extended to Kendall in 2012 and could be to Glacier by 2013 if funding for relay towers is secured.
Please Update your Contact Information
Ease of communication is a vital component of a well informed community. Please take the time to update your current email address and phone numbers with our office so that we can relay current information to you regarding the Snowater Association.
Lighting at Snowater
Having spent some evenings at Snowater this winter, I was struck by how dark it is here at night. Even with all of the path lights and street lights, it is still very dark to me. I am curious if owners feel the same way. I recently put up Christmas lights at my own home and noticed quite a difference around the yard at night. It seems that we could do the same at Snowater during the darkest of the winter months. We have struggled at Snowater for the last few years with Christmas displays (snowmen, reindeer, etc.) We buy them and they work for a year and they cost more to restring than to but new, it just seems like a waste. But lights, especially the new LED type, seem to be very durable, efficient and don’t go into a landfill after one use. They provide a use beyond celebrating the Holidays by fulfilling the age old need of bring light to the darkness. Please let us know if you would like to see improved lighting at Snowater and whether you would like to see more Christmas lights.
Parking
During the winter months we have increased numbers of cars on the property and the need to move snow in and around them. Please try and park close to adjacent cars to allow for other owners to park close to their units and to help with snow removal. We intend to increase the number of parking spaces by the 1400 building in 2012 to ease congestion in this area.
I hope this report finds you and your family in good health and spirits and that 2012 be filled with peace, love and joy.
Warm Regards,
David Franklin
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Oct. 1, 2011
Please Update Your Contact Information
Recently, we have had many emails returned to us. If you opted to have your quarterly statements sent to you by email and have not updated your address, you could incur late charges and interest. Please notify the office of any changes.
Graham’s Restaurant Re-Opens Under New Ownership
As noted in the newsletter, Katie O’Donnell has taken over the management of Graham’s restaurant. She has completely remodeled the interior as well as upgrading the menu using local and natural products. Expect lots of live music and fun.
Clubhouse Pool Remodel- We have received rave reviews on the Clubhouse Pool remodel. Honestly, anything would have been an improvement, but many people have voiced their approval to the office. The next step will be to deal with the ceiling possibly this fall.
Log Cabin Tennis Courts – We completed the thinning project around the Log Cabin Tennis Courts in early July in preparation for re-surfacing the tennis court. A great deal of overhanging branches were removed from the courts which will reduce the amount of needle fall on the court. The crew already reported significant time savings when cleaning of the court for the weekend. Owner should notice the difference in improved footing and drying time on the court. At the request of a growing number of owners, Pickleball lines were included on one court.
Building Repair and Painting- The crew has completed repairs on both the 300 and 600 buildings. Currently, we are working on the back decks of the 900 building and the 100A. Both chairpersons of these buildings were very active in lobbying for repairs. The 900 because the decks were braced off and were a safety concern and the 100A building because the back was the only part of the building not repaired before painting last year. We didn’t want the painting to be of too different in vintages to insure proper maintenance in the future.
Next we will be working on the two remaining entryways on the 1000 building (1005-1008 & 1009-1012). The owners of this building have elected to cover the remaining entryways. The crew will have to retro fit the updated but uncovered entry (1001-1004) at the very end of the project. Other buildings that will see work preformed between now and next summer painting season are:
- 400 Building Decks, remaining entries and window boxes.
- 500 Building Decks, remaining entry and window boxes.
- 900 Building remaining decks.
- 1100 building decks.
We will be contacting owners shortly to work out scheduling that will minimally impact individual owner usage.
Labor Day Party
The weather was good (two parties in a row at Snowater without a tarp! Has to be a record, the party was well attended and the new DJ was very well received. Many of the owners expressed their pleasure with the rebuilt picnic shelter. Please contact the office if you wish to participate in organizing the social events at Snowater.
Responsibility to Maintain Common Areas
A TSA owner fell on the steps of 1208 (uncovered entry) hurting himself enough to seek a doctors attention and asked that the Board reconsider covering the entries. This brings up an interesting point: SA has always considered maintenance of entry steps to be the owner’s responsibility and not that of the Association, but case law takes a contrary view. The latest case, Association Responsible for Sidewalk Snow/Ice Removal Rivas v. Reade House Condominium Association, No. 101260/2006, N.Y. Supr. Ct., June 29, 2010Risks and Liabilities: The court dismissed a personal injury claim against owners of a commercial condominium unit, finding that the condominium association was responsible for removing snow and ice from a sidewalk outside the tenant sports club where a woman slipped and fell.
This along with other cases in court found that an Association has to show “reasonable care” in maintaining the common elements of the development. This leaves TSA in an interesting place. If the Snowater Association were to start the practice of maintaining unit entry steps, TSA would be paying for that labor plus 15%, even though the majority of timeshare owners have paid additional assessments to cover their stairways, which would not require additional labor to maintain. On the other hand, if someone falls on a set of Fullshare steps or uncovered TSA steps and there is a suit, TSA owners could be affected by that suit.
If the Board determines that entry maintenance is to be the responsibility of the association, especially in winter, then we will need to budget additional labor for that activity.
Shop Addition – We have completed the shop addition including the new metal roof. The addition will supply the much needed space for vehicle storage, painting materials and special projects.
Time Share Maintenance Building Roof- As with the shop, the new roof was put on just in time. The sheathing under the cedar shakes was beginning to show signs of moisture intrusion. The new metal roof looks like it belongs with the original architecture.
Snowline Fence- Sometime in late spring a 100 foot section of the fence between Snowater and Snowline collapsed onto the cedar tree in the center of the photo. The fences weight was entirely on the tree and, if it failed, would topple onto the walking path. The section was replaced including the emergency exit gate by a local contractor.
Condominium Unit Door Maintenance
We have begun repairing and weatherizing exterior condominium doors. For years, the doors were considered the responsibility of the owners and many fell into disrepair. Recent opinions from our attorney made clear that the doors belong to the building association and are therefore the responsibility of the Snowater Associations. Tom put together a survey of doors by priority need and we have begun to work on the worst cases first. Some will require being removed and re-skinned, stained and then sealed. Others will need some veneer repairs and resealing that can be done in place. It will take quite a bit of time to address all of the 348 doors, especially since we will need decent weather for application of the varathane.
New Year’s Eve Party
Because of lack of interest and the opening of Chair 9 across the street, Snowater will not be hosting a New Year’s Eve Party as in past years.
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December 24th, 2010
Recent Car Prowl and Theft at Snowater
Late night on Sunday the 19th of December, a single individual broke out a car window by the dumpster and stole a snowboard from a guest. The hatchet pictured was used to break the window and left by the car. We believe the hatchet was stolen too. Does it look familiar to you? Please report to the office if so. That same evening, the same person also stole a pair of snowboard boots off the front landing of a 400 building unit and stole a snowboard out of the back of a truck at the 1200 building. We were able to follow footprints in a recent snowfall, but were not able to determine whether that person came in from off-site or was staying at Snowater. Though this type of incident is very rare at Snowater and we ask that everyone help reduce the risk of future crimes of convenience by always securing your valuables in apartments, trunks or storage boxes. The Board of Directors and management are currently discussing the issue to determine what measures can be taken to improve security on campus.
Snowater Association Annual Meeting
The Snowater Association Annual Meeting was held Saturday December 4th with all resolutions brought before the ownership passing. Three Director positions were up for election this year and all were filled. We owe departing Board member Tana Aardal much appreciation for all of her hard work on behalf of the Snowater Association though the years. We also welcome Lorne Valensky (805) to the SA Board as a new director.
Wind Storm
On November 15th, Snowater experienced one of the worst wind storms in recent years. Close to twenty large trees were downed in the area located by the 300 and 400 buildings and the children’s playground. Many more trees were downed on the adjacent Forest Service property. Amazingly, no persons or property were affected. The Forest Management Committee will be meeting to discuss this event in the context of the overall Forest Management Plan. The feeling is that we may not be so lucky after the next storm.
Smoke Detector Recall
Thanks to Herb Mara (908), we have discovered that the new smoke detectors installed last year are part of a recall. Snowater staff will be replacing the last part of December and the first part of January of next year.
Meeting Schedules
Snowater Board of Directors Jan 22nd, 2011
Chairpersons Jan 22nd, 2011
Have a safe and Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.
David Franklin, General Manager