HOA Board Meetings

As discussed at the December meeting, the HOA board is welcoming neighbors to sit in on meetings. The meetings are conducted via conference call and are held on an as-needed basis.

When a meeting is put on the calendar, I'll notify neighbors through email and post the time/date on the blog. If anyone is interested in dialing in, please email me at grandfirs@hotmail.com so I can send you the phone number and dial-in code.

Just a couple of quick requests from the board: we ask that neighbors who dial in refrain from speaking until the end of the meeting (conference calls can be a little confusing with so many people). And if you have something you'd like to bring up, please notify me ahead of time so Mark can add it to the agenda.

Thanks :) Hope everyone had a nice Christmas!

Bulbs Replaced

I was excited to see MCE outside yesteray replacing our light bulbs. So excited in fact, that I took a picture :)

Christmas in Grand Firs

A sampling of our homes, all beautifully decorated for the holidays!
Personally, I love how a couple of neighbors have decorated the lamp posts. We should do all the lamp posts next year :) Merry Christmas to all!

Dec 9 Voting Results

Grand Firs homeowners voted on several items at the Dec 9 meeting. The results are as follows:

2011 Budget - Approved
Homeowners Yes: 32
Homeowners No: 5
Banks/Builders Yes: 290
Banks/Builders No: 0
Total Yes: 322
Total No: 5

Amendment to change quorum requirements to 34% - Approved
Homeowners Yes: 29
Homeowners No: 8
Banks/Builders Yes: 290
Banks/Builders No: 0
Total Yes: 319
Total No: 8

Amendment to change meeting notice requirement to 14-30 days - Approved
Homeowners Yes: 28
Homeowners No: 9
Banks/Builders Yes: 290
Banks/Builders No: 0
Total Yes: 318
Total No: 9

Amendment to ban BB guns in all association common areas - Approved
Homeowners Yes: 34
Homeowners No: 3
Banks/Builders Yes: 290
Banks/Builders No: 0
Total Yes: 324
Total No: 3

Amendment to delete provision for vinyl lap siding - Approved
Homeowners Yes: 35
Homeowners No: 2
Banks/Builders Yes: 290
Banks/Builders No: 0
Total Yes: 325
Total No: 2

Speed bumps along 231st (opinion poll) - Rejected
Yes: 17
No: 19

Dec 9 Meeting

Huge thanks to those who attended last night's meeting, to those who sent in proxy votes, and to those who brought cupcakes and cookies to share. We had two great hours of discussion and debate. It's clear that we've put the Mastro mess behind us and we're all excited about moving forward.

I'll post meeting notes within the next week.

Year In Review

As we inch closer to the end of 2010, I find myself thinking about all that has been accomplished in our neighborhood. Some of the items are visible and speak for themselves, but many things have happened behind the scenes. I've tried my best to pass these accomplishments along via the blog, but I thought I'd list them all again:

1. Mastro is no longer associated with our community.
2. We were able to take control of our HOA.
3. We created a Board of Directors and elected officers.
4. The board hired a property management company.
5. The board developed a budget.
6. The property management created and distributed a Good Neighbor Policy and sent out letters to collect 2010 HOA dues.
7. A landscape company was hired and has done a phenomenal job of restoring our common areas.
8. We re-established water and phone service and kept the lights on (just barely!). We're all caught up with our bills.
9. We are insured.
10. Both gates are running and fully functional.
11. Sections of the Phase 3 lighting have been fixed. Sections of our entrance lighting have been fixed. Light bulbs for all of Phase 1 and 2 fixtures will be replaced soon.
12. Our CCRs are being enforced.
13. A neighbor is working on getting a Neighborhood Watch program started.
14. Quality homes are being built/sold by two builders.

I'm sure I'm leaving some things out, but these are the items that come to mind.

Hope to see everyone at the next meeting! If you can't make it, remember to send in your proxy form so you can still vote. Also still looking for a couple of people to bring some snacks.

Fun in the Snow

Here are a handful of pictures I took of the neighborhood kids (and a few adults) enjoying this week's snow.

Construction Vehicles

During the last board meeting, construction traffic became a topic. We're hearing from many neighbors that construction vehicles are ignoring the sign requesting that they use the south entrance.

Scott from Freestone has done all he can to ask that they use the south entrance. His solution:

If you see a Freestone-affiliated construction vehicle use the north entrance, Scott will fine them $100. He will then donate that money to the HOA fund. He asked that you take note of the date, time, and a description of the vehicle and pass it along to him (email me at grandfirs@hotmail.com and I can forward it to him).

Lights

MCE will be repairing our entrance lighting beginning tomorrow. Once that project is complete, they will be replacing all of the bulbs in the Phase 1 and 2 street lights.

Sections of the Phase 3 lighting have been repaired but there was some type of mix-up involving the power being turned on. MCE and Freestone's superintendant are supposed to be working this out. When I drove back there two nights ago, the lights were still off.

The board recently voted to go ahead and fix the remainder of the Phase 3 lighting.

Personally, I'm thrilled. We've have dark streets and a dark entrance for too long. This will be a nice change :)

Dec 9 Refreshments

Would anyone like to bring refreshments to our next meeting? Cookies, brownies, etc. Email me or just leave a comment with what you can bring. Thanks!

Annual HOA Meeting

Our next HOA meeting will take place on December 9 at 7pm at the Graham Fire Station. There are several items on the agenda. By now, all homeowners should have received a notice from JC Higgins. If you haven't received one, please contact Lindsey.

There are several things that will be voted on, including a potential increase in HOA dues. If you can't make it to the meeting, you can arrange to have a neighbor vote on your behalf (see the proxy sheet in your letter from JC Higgins).

Hope to see lots of people there!

Quick HOA Update

The board will be meeting next week to discuss a handful of issues as well as the 2011 budget.

One thing in particular that will be brought up is entrance lighting. Many people in the neighborhood (myself included) have asked about improving our dark entrance.

We hope to get a date on the calendar soon for our annual meeting.

As always, feel free to email me with questions, concerns, ideas, etc. I'll do my best to help.

CCR Enforcement

Just a reminder... JC Higgins is now enforcing our CCRs.

By now everyone should (hopefully) be familiar with the Good Neighbor Policy that was mailed out in September as well as the Grand Firs CCRs.

If you have a concern or question about the CCRs, or if you spot a CCR violation, please contact Lindsey at JC Higgins (lindsey@jc.higgins.com). She will need a description of the violation as well as the address it's occurring at.

Vehicle Break-In and Broken Gate

Dani left this comment on another post, and I wanted to re-post it here so everyone is aware. Her comment is dated 10/22:

Today was our unlucky day! One of our vehicles was broken into this am.I am offering a REWARD of up to $500 for any information leading up to the individuals. I am trying to understand why at most times the gates are left open during non-working hours???? As I came home last night around 8pm the gates were open for a good hour?? It's a portal of unwamted guests. I am dazed and confused. HELP!

Dani, thank you for the heads-up. To respond to the gate being open... right now our gate is broken. Someone tampered with the bolts on the arms, causing the motor to trip its breaker every time the gate tried to close. Now the motor isn't working at all.

In the meantime, at least one arm will be ajar. Chris is in contact with the HOA to get it fixed as soon as possible. We're hoping the motor isn't destroyed.

Items For Sale

Our neighbor Debbie has the following 10-piece furniture set for sale:

Couch & Loveseat
2 Rockers
2 Lamps
2 End Tables
Coffee Table
Sofa Table

Asking $950 for the set. If interested, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com and I will put you in touch with Debbie!

Coyotes

The following message is from Lisa:

Just a heads up... Would you please let folks know that coyotes are entering the neighborhood in Phase 1? These pups are out at all times of the day. The pups may seem harmless but they are not. They are hunting! If you do not have a fenced yard for your pets, please keep them on a leash when you take them out to go to the bathroom. They love cats! Coyotes killed our dog when we moved into this neighborhood. We would hate to have someone experience what we went through.

Ballot Results

After receiving and tallying our recent ballots, JC Higgins has announced the following:

The proposal to remove front yard irrigation in Phase 3 was not approved.

The proposal to remove the word "declarant" from the CCRs was approved.

Thank you to all who sent their ballots in! I don't know how many ballots were returned or what the official numbers were. If I receive that information, I will pass it along.

Rebuttal From a Neighbor Regarding Kids

The following is a letter from Dawn James, who asked that it be published on the blog. Dawn, thank you for sharing your thoughts. It's a good reminder that there are always two sides to a story.

I have tried very hard to be a part of this neighborhood, we tried to help out with the Grand Alliance movement with what little time we had available and I even offered my notarial services for free. My son (yep one of the accused) even spent hours upon hours trying to mow the parks when the community didn’t have the money to hire a landscaper last spring. I can’t thank Jim enough for all of the work he did (and has done) for our neighborhood, and don’t mean this to be a personal affront to him, but would like to provide the “other side of the story”…

In response to the “Grand Firs kids stole lumber from a building site”, and the further insinuation that surely anyone whom would steal lumber would paint vulgar words on the mailbox, here are the following TRUTHS:

1. Two of the three kids involved in this were my boys.

2. The lumber was not stolen, it was scrap. The nails they used were also thrown on the ground for scrap. To prove this point, when my boys (and I) visited with the builder bright and early the following morning (yes, contrary to belief we do discipline our kids and they had a consequence), he confirmed that it was indeed scrap and could they please take it all to the nearest dumpster after tearing their fort apart. In addition, I got a call from the agent who sits site in Phase 3 (Lena) that afternoon telling me how pleasant it was that they took responsibility for their mistake and if they (the boys) would like lumber in the future for their building endeavors to call her and some would be set aside for them! Really sounds like the builder was horribly upset with them huh?!? Now had he been upset, and since he had all of my contact information in addition to my boys being there for a few hours that day throwing the “stolen” lumber away, don’t you think he would have been in contact with me further? I am willing to bet no one would have thought to give another human being the benefit of the doubt that (a) they actually knew what scrap was and (b) that they had acknowledged their mistake to the rightful people the next morning.

3. Now, indeed, the police officer did respond and then came to my house as well as the house of the other child. I personally spoke with the officer whom told me that my boys were nothing but respectful and had willingly offered to tear down their fort the very next morning. He, however, was under the impression that the materials were stolen also. I did not question him much on that until we could speak with the builder the next morning…

I am more than offended that in Jim’s same sentence he insinuated that the very same kids who “stole” the lumber would be so inclined to write on the mailboxes. Like there hasn’t been any vandalism or other problems at all in Phase 3, PLEASE. It’s been a sore subject since we moved here, and multiple problems have been brought up at countless meetings, blog entries, etc.

Just because three neighborhood kids used poor judgment on where to build a fort, they are automatically vandals? That is almost as bad as Pak86 assuming that the kids who broke the real estate signs which, by the way were already broken, would be the very same ones whom would break into their car. Again, I remember a time in the not so distant past where car break-ins were a subject of discussion because our gates weren’t working. Seriously, have you all forgotten what it’s like to be children? Glad there are several people living here that never made a stupid mistake!

My husband and I did see that those signs were broken on Sunday morning and assumed that our boys’ friends had broken them. They were hitting them (NOT SHOOTING THEM) and we promptly woke all of the boys up and sent them out there to repair them. Which at least one neighbor applauded their efforts with and told them they had done a good job repairing them. Again, those two signs were already broken, BUT we didn’t let them off the hook in the least! A message for the agent was left on Monday, but I never heard back and they brought all new signs within a day.

They do indeed play airsoft, have for years, and they have played in the sunken field area by the tree park where other children had also played and made bunkers out of the overgrown weeds there. This area in sunken down, I have walked around in there with them. They all use safety goggles as they are well aware of the injuries that can occur and have not been shooting anywhere near a home or outside of that gulley. However, now that I see that is such strong area of disdain I will have to find somewhere else for them to have their airsoft wars. I’m pretty sure they don’t allow air powered guns at Paul Bunyan, we are members there and I will ask, but the joy in airsoft is not shooting at a target anyway – it’s shooting each other, hence, the safety goggles and thick clothing. Now before someone goes off on me about that, remember I said the area where they have been shooting is in a gulley not towards a house or a park or anything remotely like that. They know the rules, and don’t want to risk losing their $100-$200 worth of guns that they saved up to buy for themselves. I will no longer allow them to play airsoft down there because I see that it is nearly impossible for someone to see them walking down there with their airsoft guns in preparation for their battle without adults assuming that they surely must be up to no good.

So, let’s talk about the adults around here who think it’s fun to bully kids by driving at them full speed while all the while yelling F@$* YOU at the top of their lungs when they get close to my kids outside. Yep, heard it with my own ears, I was outside with them watching them skate. Sorry, that’s not about worrying about the safety of kids there, that’s outright bullying! A little background here about my kids, they love to skate! They are good at it. It’s a sport, no different than baseball, hockey, basketball, etc. that also needs to be played in the street while doing your best to watch out for oncoming traffic…I enjoy having my kids nearby enjoying their chosen sport and they love having me around (pretty rare for teenagers, and definitely not how I felt about my mom at their age). My daughter plays volleyball, would you be so inclined to come at her full speed ahead and swearing at her if she is out there passing a volleyball with a friend? How about all of the kids who like to ride their bikes and do tricks with them? Are you going to come at them like that just because it’s more mainstream? Now, I will admit that my kids should be a bit more attentive and get out of the street faster sometimes, but I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of being a driver (having to watch out for everything going on around you) while being a kid means learning and developing common sense to get out of the way faster. Of course I am concerned about their safety, pretty ridiculous for anyone to suggest that I might not but with all of the assuming going on around here, you never know! I try my best to help them be aware of their surroundings and to pay attention to when a car is coming – sometimes I am more successful than others. Again, I’m glad there are several perfect people living among us that probably have never had such issues.

If you have a problem, why not come knock on my door? I have had one person let me know that the kids were out too late at night one night this summer. The kids weren’t in her yard or anything, they just didn’t realize how badly their noise carried down the street and haven’t been out that late in the front yard making noise since then. I find it refreshing that she actually tried resolving the issue with me as opposed to making accusations and spreading untruths via our blog….

Another thing, in my anguish upon reading the blog yesterday, I spoke with several of my friends about what had been printed publicly. Two of those friends have taught my kids in the local schools and several of them have just known my kids for all of their lives. While they all acknowledge (as do I) that they are not perfect, they are far from criminals that would do the things they are being accused of!

Seriously regretting our move into a neighborhood that passes such vast and degrading judgment without all of the facts! At least there’s all those perfect adults living around here to make it all better!

Dawn James

Keys Are Ready

If you were affected by the damaged mailbox, your key is ready to be picked up. Just take a piece of ID (to prove your address) to the post office :)

Neighborhood Watch & Mailbox Keys

Pete McFadden has generously stepped up to get our neighborhood watch program started. I will be sure to pass more information along as I learn it. Thank you, Pete! The board and the neighborhood appreciate this.

Rob has been in contact with the post office supervisor regarding keys for the replacement mailbox. If your household has been affected by this, please hang tight. The following is from Rob: "Once the supervisor labels and pulls keys from the assigned boxes, he will call me. Then we can go get our keys with proof of address (photo ID)." As soon as I have an update, I'll post it on the blog.

Mailbox Replaced

Jim and Chris replaced the broken mailbox today. Rather than purchase a new box, they simply exchanged it with another Phase 2 box that was not in use. The post office will take care of distributing the keys to the affected households.JC Higgins received a bid to replace the mailbox for almost $1900. This included a new box, pedestal, shipping, tax, and labor. I personally didn't want to see our HOA pay that amount. I found the same box online for $1189 (no tax, free shipping and free pedestal) and asked the board if our neighbors could install the box ourselves. JC Higgins was not interested in this plan for whatever reason.

Jim approached the board and asked about just exchanging the box (with another box from Phase 2) for now. He checked with the post office who gave their approval. Mark, Rob and I decided to go ahead with this plan.

We will have to replace the mailbox eventually. But for now, we can keep our money in our HOA fund and worry about it later.

Thank you Jim for a great idea and for doing the homework! Thank you Jim and Chris for the manual labor!

Ideas to Fight Vandalism

Jim has suggested getting our Neighborhood Watch program started. Is anyone interested in taking this task on? Mark, Rob and I are busy with HOA board responsibilites. It would be wonderful if a fellow neighbor could handle this.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to handle the vandalism?

Regardless of what the sheriff's department says when it comes to reporting crimes not in progress, please continue to dial 911 if you see anything that IS in progress. Even if the police can't respond in time, the call is still logged and a statistic is created.

Mailbox Damage - Vehicle Description

Chris took a look at the mailbox today. He has extensive training in traffic collision investigation and based on what he observed, he believes the following type of vehicle is responsible for the damage:

Burgundy 2000-2007 Chevrolet Tahoe or Suburban, or possibly a Chevrolet pickup. The paint is flat, not metallic. Damage would likely be on the front bumper (center and driver's side) and possibly on the front quarter panel (driver's side). Part of the bumper will be missing, as well as a fair amount of paint.

Chris doesn't believe it was an "accident". He also doesn't think we'll see this vehicle in the neighborhood again. But please keep an eye out for anything suspicious and gather as much information as you can for the police.

Street Lights

If you notice that a street light is burned out, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com or leave a comment letting me know the nearest address of the light. Lindsey from JC Higgins will pass this information along to MCE, who will be able to replace the bulbs. Thanks!

Mailbox Damaged

A mailbox in Phase 2 was damaged today between the hours of 1-6pm. It appears to have been hit with a red vehicle (see paint chips, below). A neighbor filed a report with the sheriff's department. It's unknown if any mail was stolen.

As always, please continue to report any suspicious vehicles, people or activity to the police.

Thank you to Chuck and Michelle for sending pictures.

Guest Post - BB Guns and Airsoft Rifles

Jim Ehnborn wrote the following letter and asked for it to be published on the blog:

DO WE CONSIDER A BB GUN A FIREARM IN GRAND FIRS?

Several children in Grand Firs decided to have target practice with BB guns on Saturday evening, Sept. 11, 2010. They destroyed two real estate signs on 85th. It is at least the fourth time real estate signs have been destroyed. Several neighbors know who destroyed the signs.

Section 10.31 of our CCR’s is very clear: “NO FIREARMS OR FIREWORKS OF ANY KIND SHALL BE DISCHARGED WITHIN THE PLOT. “

Do we consider a BB gun a firearm in Grand Firs? What is your opinion?

New Jersey and a couple of other states consider BB guns a weapon and require them to be registered. Several cities prohibit them from being discharged within the city limits. BB guns are considered a weapon to kill small game. There are many excellent articles on the internet.

Louise and I are not opposed to people owning firearms including BB guns. I used to shoot at targets with a BB gun when I was growing up in Chicago. Hard to believe, but we had empty fields at the end of our block. I qualified as a "Marksman" with my rifle in the Marine Corps. Louise and her girls grew up owning guns. Louise used to belong to a trap shooting club. Her girls still own guns. We had a good time trap shooting last year on her daughter’s ranch.

It is a different situation today in a close community without open spaces. There is too much danger here to fire guns of any type.

Paul Bunyon Rifle and Sportsman’s Club is just up the street from us at 176th and Meridian. The dues are $50 per year and they offer junior shooting program for ages 11 to 20 years old. It is the largest privately owned shooting club in the Pacific Northwest. See their website http://pbrsc.org for more information.

Louise and I believe that Grand Firs must classify BB guns as a firearm in the CCR’s and prohibit their discharge inside the community. We have a zero tolerance on this issue and we will file charges with the Sheriff for anyone discharging a firearm in our community. We believe that the names of the children should be published on the web and in the local papers.

Also, Grand Fir kids stole lumber from a building site on Sunday eve, August 29th. A neighbor caught the kids and notified the Sheriff. That week, someone used bright orange paint to write in large letters “Fu_ _ U” on the mailbox by the park in Phase 3.

Maybe it is time to implement the “Neighborhood Watch program” that a representative from the Pierce County Sheriff explained to us during our meeting on March 10th. They are willing to help us organize it, but we must take the first step. The ball is in our park.

Insurance, GNP, Lighting

The board has decided to go with Farmers for insuring our neighborhood. JC Higgins sent an email out yesterday letting the board know that the check would be written and picked up today, and the policy will go into effect as of today.

The Good Neighbor Policy (GNP) will be mailed today or tomorrow. It's a great reminder to us all that we live in a community and it's important to be a good neighbor. Also, enforcement of our CCRs will begin on October 10. If you still need a copy of the CCRs, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com for a PDF copy.

MCE is taking a look at our entrance lighting and will provide the board with an estimate. If I remember correctly, several of the fixtures beneath the trees are broken. There are roughly 22 fixtures, so once they are repaired our entrance should be lit very well at night. Won't that be nice! :)

Phase 3 Vandalism

Apparently a few of the septic meters in Phase 3 have been vandalized. I'm not sure when this happened, but I was notified about it last week.

The board, along with JC Higgins, is currently discussing insurance policies. The board is also throwing out ideas to hopefully put an end to all of this vandalism. Luckily, the trespassing and damage has been greatly reduced since we've been allowed to close our gates at night. But things are obviously still occurring.

Some of the ideas include:
1. Repairing the lighting in Phase 3.
2. Repairing the lighting at both entrances.
3. Cameras.
4. Signs warning about cameras.

Neighbors, do you have any suggestions? Please share, and I can pass them along to the board.

Good Neighbor Policy and ACC

The Good Neighbor Policy should be mailed this week or next. Our management company will give us 30 days to read it over and make sure we are in compliance of the CCRs. After that point, they will begin to enforce the rules and send reminders to those in violation.

Our ACC committee hasn't been formed yet. A couple of neighbors have already expressed interest in serving on this committee (are you interested too?). I'm not sure when we will go about a formal election, but in the meantime the HOA board is serving as the ACC. Items such as fences and sheds will need approval prior to building. Email Mandy at grandfirs@hotmail.com to get a copy of the form to fill out.

Dishwasher Recalls

Jim sent the following letter and asked me to share it on the blog:

Dishwashers in Grand Firs homes may be recalled due to serious fire hazard.

The dishwasher in Jim Ehnborn’s home is being recalled by Maytag. He received the notice on Friday. Maytag is recalling about 1.7 million Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef, Performa and Crosley dishwashers that were sold to home builders, department and appliance stores from February 2006 through April 2010. An electrical failure in the dishwasher’s heating element can pose a serious fire hazard.

It is easy to check the recall list at http://www.repair.maytag.com or call toll-free any time at (800) 544-5513. Maytag will either repair the dishwasher or send you a rebate toward a new dishwasher.

Maytag will be replacing the heating element on Sept. 13th. If other people have a recalled dishwasher, we may be able to coordinate a Grand Firs recall day.

If your dishwasher is on the recall list, Maytag is recommending immediately turning off the power to the dishwasher and not using it until the repair is completed.

Wanna Share Your Opinion?

If anyone is interested in writing a guest post (as Lisa just did) please email it to me at grandfirs@hotmail.com

Her post has sparked a great discussion and I think it's nice to see that several neighbors are participating.

So please, if you have something on your mind that you'd like to share, let me know! Jen and I monitor all comments to keep it clean and I promise that we won't let anyone attack you :)

86th Avenue Blog Author Wanted

Wayne, who writes and distributes the wonderful 86th Avenue Newsletter, is interested in creating an 86th Avenue Blog. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the time to maintain it, nor do Jen or I.

Is anyone in Grand Firs interested in creating a blog for 86th Avenue? It might be a nice task for a retired person or a high school student (possible community service project?). If you are interested, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com and I can put you in touch with Wayne.

Quick HOA/CCR Update

The HOA board is currently working with JC Higgins to write up a Good Neighbor Policy, which clarifies some of the CCRs. The policy will also include a fine schedule (should that become an issue). After the policy has been distributed and the neighbors have had a chance to become familiar with it, then the CCRs will be able to be enforced.

Don and Lindsey from JC Higgins have been working very hard with the board to get us up and running. We're on our way! Thank you for your patience :)

Letter From a Neighbor

The following is a letter written to the blog by Grand Firs resident Lisa Collier:

Dear Neighbors;

By now we should have all received our mail-in ballots regarding the changing of the Covenants, Codes and Restrictions to exclude phase three from being required to install a sprinkler system on their lots. I know that some of you may not care to hear my opinions regarding this neighborhood, but that has never stopped me from doing so in the past...so here goes again.

I personally feel that voting to give phase three the right to not install the sprinkler system will only harm this community. I understand that the builder needs to make money, but I feel he can pass on this fairly small cost to the buyer if he chooses. We have already seen how difficult it is to maintain lawns that already have sprinkler systems. Our lots are just too large to not require one in the front lawn. It will be a constant headache for the ACC to keep up with violations regarding unkempt property and the sprinkler will make it easier for homeowners to maintain a nice lawn thus improving the look of our neighborhood.

For this change to pass only two votes from us are required (**see correction below**). If you also feel, as I do, that this would not be for our good, please spread the word to other neighbors and encourage them to vote and to vote no.

Thanks so much,
Lisa Collier

Note: Lisa emailed the following paragraph to clear up some confusion...

Clarification:

Oops..I made a mistake (not the first and sure it won't be the last). All the votes are needed, but only 16 yes votes (not 2) will pass the changes to the CCRs. Two of our neighbors may have already voted yes so if you feel this is important to stop these changes from going through do you think we need to put something on the mailboxes so others can be more informed? I know not everyone reads this blog. Suggestions? I hope everyone feels the need to vote no for the betterment of our neighborhood.

Thanks again,
Lisa

For Sale...Gently Used Turkish Area Rugs

Hi neighbors! Im trying to get rid of a couple Turkish rugs that no longer go with my new home furnishings. They are in EXCELLENT condition, and were both handmade in Turkey ten years ago while I was stationed there. I wish I could use them, but like I said, they no longer go with the new furniture we bought when we moved into Grand Firs. Here is a couple good pictures of the rugs...the larger one is roughly 8x11 feet...and the smaller rug is roughly 7x9 feet in size. If you are interested in seeing them, just contact me, Jennifer, through the community e-mail at www.grandfirs@hotmail.com. Im selling the large rug for 150.00 and the smaller rug for 100.00. These rugs are priced to sell and the quality is just unbelievable!

Jennifer, Lot 41

National Night Out

In the spirit of National Night Out (http://www.natw.org/nno) please join us for a neighborhood potluck in Grand Central Park on Tuesday, August 3 (6pm). We'll start small since it's our first year, but in future years we might try to plan bigger events.

We're in need of main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. Please bring your own beverages. I will provide plates, napkins and utensils.

Please leave a comment with your food item as well as how many in your family will be in attendance, or email Mandy at grandfirs@hotmail.com

Vehicle break-In on 228th Street

Just a heads up...we got an e-mail from a neighbor living on 228th street advising us that his vehicle was broken into last night. The car was parked in his driveway, and whoever commited this crime made off with quite a few of his personal belongings. Unfortunately, crimes like these do happen often, and even though we all reside in a gated community...we are not impervious to incidents like these. Safest thing to do would be to keep vigilant, not only of your own home, but of your surrounding neighbors...as often as you can. And remember to keep all your doors locked in your cars, and your homes.

Trees and Grass on 228th

Finally heard through Mark that Renaissance said it's okay to hook hoses up to their vacant houses, so if anyone has a few minutes to help water the dead trees and dead grass, that would be nice. (Of course, this should really be done by Renaissance.) It's probably too late for the trees. The grass might green up if it gets lots of water.

Dying Trees and Grass

Neighbors, as some have probably noticed, the new planting strips and trees on 228th are thirsty and in severe need of water. Jim brought this to my attention a couple of days ago. I emailed Melinda from Renaissance Homes asking for permission to hook hoses up to the vacant homes, allowing us to water the trees and grass. I have not received a reply.

I wonder if a few volunteers along 228th could "adopt" a planting strip/tree. Some of the trees may be too far gone but it's worth a shot to save them. They need deep soakings every couple of days in this heat. It would be a shame to lose them.

I am taking care of the planting strip and tree next door to my home on 229th. The grass is looking a little brown but the tree is doing well.

Found Keys

A neighbor found a set of keys (they appear to be mailbox keys). If you're missing a set, please send an email to grandfirs@hotmail.com with a brief description. If they match, I can put you in touch with the neighbor who found them!

HOA Board Meeting Notes - June 17

Grand Firs Board of Directors Meeting: June 17, 2010 (via conference call)

Present: Mark Jones, Don, Tyler Sang, Mandy Johnson

(Experienced technical difficulties with conference call. Some were unable to dial in.)

Tyler received tax info from Ken, will forward to Don (who is with JC Higgins).

Tyler reviewed JC Higgins’ contract, asked Don for a couple of clauses to be written in. Per CC&Rs, if we hire a property management company, there must be a termination clause allowing us to terminate in 30 days (in order for the contract to be valid, this provision must be written in). Don will add this clause to the contract. Also per CC&Rs, we need a clause that states the HOA will not be held liable for actions done by the property manager. Don will check on this but thinks it will be okay.

Tyler asked Don if she could see a budget/expenses from a similar-sized development for comparison. Don said he can arrange that.

Hope to approve and sign a contract ASAP. Don will have budget and info to Tyler tomorrow. Possible meeting next Monday or Tuesday.

Discussed a couple of landscape bids that we can't afford.

Gate: Higgins doesn’t provide gate services. Most gated developments will have a homeowner volunteer to take care of the programming. There is a man in Orting who programs gates for a cost. For now, Mandy will continue to manage the programming (for Phases 1 and 2) on a volunteer basis. Did not discuss who would program Phase 3.

Mark mentioned that bills will start coming in, so it’s important to get signed with Higgins soon so we can begin collecting dues. Mark will put an introductory letter together, letting neighbors know that dues are coming. Board would like to see the letter prior to it being sent. Don has an example letter which he will send to Mark.

Mandy will provide Mark with the master gate list (which contains names and addresses) for mailing purposes.

Meeting adjourned.

Speeding on our streets...

Now that summer is apon us, and children are out playing in the neighborhood, please remember to slow down when driving on our community roads. Let's make an effort to keep all our kids safe!Have a great summer!

HOA Board Meeting Notes - June 10

Grand Firs Board of Directors Meeting: June 10, 2010 (via conference call)

Present: Tyler Sang, Ken Paauw, Mandy Johnson, Mark Jones, Rob Ihrig

Vote on property management company: group unanimously voted to hire JC Higgins (Ken has Scott’s proxy). Mark will meet with Higgins tomorrow.

Tyler needs tax ID for the LLC; Ken has contacted the bankruptcy trustee to obtain that.

Tyler/WA Federal has paid the Tacoma Power bill, lights still on.

Budget will be set up when Higgins is hired.

Mark brought up the south gate and asked if/when it will be operational. South gate has been closed, resulting in construction vehicles using the north gate. Ken emailed Scott to ask. UPDATE: During the meeting, Scott emailed Ken, said south gate is operational but has yet to be programmed.

Ken received a landscape bid but hasn’t looked it over, will forward it to Mark. Ken requested we obtain a bid from Blue Sky. Mark said Higgins may know of a couple businesses we could ask.
Mark will look into a master insurance policy (general liability policy in $2 million range). Tyler will look at her other properties and see who/what they use.

Mark brought up a bank account; Higgins will be able to assist in that area. Ken suggested we sign a contract with them first, then look into opening an account.

Mark discussed possible amendments to CC&Rs (example: pets/animals). Changes should be kept to a minimum due to costs for recording the documents each time.

Rob brought up Renaissance dumping construction debris on lots owned by WA Federal.

Mark asked about gate remotes: who will provide them to new homeowners? Mark will discuss this with Higgins.

Mark brought up a treasurer: should we appoint someone from within the community? Tyler said the treasurer would need to be on the board, has concerns about board being too large.

Mark would like a maximum of 7 on the board. Tyler said once Higgins in hired, we won’t need a treasurer.

Group agreed to another phone meeting on June 17 at 4:30pm.

HOA Board Meeting - June 3

Grand Firs Board of Directors Meeting: June 3, 2010 (via conference call)

Present: Tyler Sang, Ken Paauw, Mark Jones, Rob Ihrig, Mandy Johnson

Mark: Received bids from three property management companies: VIS Group ( $5.62/developed lot per month, $2.62/undeveloped lot per month, $500 start-up), JC Higgins ($5.50/developed lot per month, $2.00/undeveloped lot per month, $2000 start-up which may be deferred until we have funds rolling in), and Sureco (out of the running, price is triple of what the other companies charge).

Tyler has no experience with Higgins, Ken appears to favor Higgins.

Tyler has experience with VIS (large development in Lacey is using them).

Decision on property management company tabled for now. Will vote next week.

Tyler: Tacoma Power will not accept payment from WA Federal, so we need to register with the Secretary of State ASAP (registration set to expire soon). WA Federal willing to foot the bill (almost $4000, to be credited that amount on their dues) but Tacoma Power will not accept WA Federal’s credit card, nor will they send invoices because we are not an official HOA. Power may be cut off on June 7.

HOA officers: bank representatives not interested in being officers, makes more sense to have homeowners as the officers.

Mark Jones nominated and elected HOA president, Rob Ihrig nominated and elected HOA VP, Mandy Johnson nominated and elected HOA Secretary, Tyler Sang nominated and elected HOA Treasurer at 4:42pm.

Tyler: No need for treasurer when property management company is hired.

Ken requested another meeting to discuss bylaws and vote on a property management company. Next meeting: June 10 at 4:30pm via conference call.

Mark: property management company will want to make sure that all lots are having dues paid on them, asked if banks are okay paying $250/lot. Tyler and Ken see no problem with that.

Ken: biggest component of budget is landscaping, offered to collect a couple of bids (including Blue Sky). Mark will collect bids as well (will talk to property management company to see if they have recommendations).

Meeting adjourned.

Meeting Notes To Be Published

Hi Neighbors. The HOA Board of Directors has been meeting weekly since June 3. The board elected officers at the first meeting (Mark Jones/President, Rob Ihrig/VP, Mandy Johnson/Secretary, Tyler Sang/Treasurer). Notes from the meetings will be published on the blog.

We are really starting to make some progress! We are about to sign a contract with a property management company, meaning that dues notices will be mailed out shortly. Mark plans on writing a formal letter to the neighborhood soon to get everyone up to speed.

May 26 Meeting Notes

May 26, 2010, 7pm, Grand Firs Annual Board Meeting, roughly 50 in attendance.

Mark Jones, Grand Firs Homeowner: Welcome; purpose of meeting to build good relationship with banks/builders; dispel rumors; vote to eliminate Mastro; will vote on HOA board and officers.

Introductions: Ken Paauw from WA Trust, Scott Griffin from Freestone, Tyler Sang from WA Federal, Kim Carter, Jerry Mahan.

Mr. Ken Pauuw, WA Trust (Phase 3): bank forced to collect, wants to make the best of the situation; wants to take part in making a functioning HOA; WA Trust is WA state headquartered bank based in Spokane, obtained 202 lots in March thru foreclosure; Ken and superiors at bank motivated to sell homes; introduced Scott from Freestone.

Mr. Scott Griffin, Freestone (Phase 3): currently constructing 10 homes in Phase 3; building for 25 years in Puget Sound; building 1500-3100 sq ft homes, need wide range for people to afford; same style as Phase 1 and 2 homes but no requirement on rock siding, all have 3 car garages; helped with landscaping as an effort to contribute; acknowledged they are willing to help with power and water in order to be a good neighbor; knows rumors are going around but thinks we will be happy with homes he builds; neighbors thanked Scott for landscaping; Scott invited neighbors to contact him with any questions or concerns; said he’s asked construction vehicles go thru south gate; realtor will be on site soon (Lena), invited people to come visit her; neighbors let Scott know about vandals and crooks, he will look into ecology blocks back by retention pond where most of the problems take place.

Ms. Tyler Sang, WA Federal (Phase 2): owns 84 lots in Phase 2; planning on doing nothing at this time, in “hold mode”, trying to see where market trend is going; aware of problems and are doing what they can to help; Tyler familiar with dealing with HOAs (specialty); invited neighbors to contact her with questions/concerns; question from neighbor: are you trying to make our roads public? Ken: public streets are impossible because lot lines go to middle of street, Tyler countered that roads can go public if entire neighborhood agrees; bank has received several offers from builders to buy all 84 lots, bank didn’t think the builders reflected the way this community is going, don’t want to destroy values; Ken said they get lowball offers all the time that are rejected.

Mr. Jerry Mahan & Mr. Kim Carter: four Renaissance homes sold; 2000-3000 sq ft range, average 2400 sq ft; plan to be sold out by end of the year; question from neighbor: are you going to buy the rest of the Phase 2 lots from WA Federal? Jerry: hope to; question from neighbor: can construction trucks use south entrance? Jerry: will talk to workers about that; invited neighbors to view his website (www.jerrymahan.com); neighbors thanked Jerry for installing planting strips and trees; Ken: Phase 3 can’t get occupancy permits from Pierce County until planting strips are complete; Scott: board will identify everything that needs to be taken care of in the neighborhood and will help with what they can.

Mark: Need to vote Mastro off the board; however we have unsigned bylaws, bylaws not in public records, so we are going from 80 percent rule from our unsigned copy; Jim Ehnborn: WA law allows us to vote Mastro out; formal motion was made by a neighbor under WA state HOA laws to vote to remove current officers/board members (Mastro, possibly Mastro’s wife, Selden), no opposed, all in favor (unanimous vote by those in attendance at 7:42pm). UPDATE – Total votes: WA Trust (202), WA Federal (84), Mahan (23), Grand Firs homeowners (48) = 367 of 402 (91%).

Mark Jones: Must nominate individual board positions; the following were nominated: Tyler Sang (WA Federal), Ken Paauw (WA Trust), Melinda Rowan (Winterwood Green), Scott Griffin (Freestone), Mark Jones/Rob Ihrig/Mandy Johnson (Grand Firs homeowners); question from neighbor: if we have 3 homeowners on board how would voting work? Tyler said homeowners would represent 93 votes total; a rep from the board must be on the ACC; motion made by a neighbor to nominate all, motion seconded at 7:59pm, votes later cast by paper ballot turned in after meeting (UPDATE: all members approved); question from neighbor: how will officers picked, appointed or elected? according to Tyler we don’t even need to have nominations and vote on officers; neighbor recommended we adopt the board and operate the HOA from the board, and elect officers for purpose of filing with secretary of state; another neighbor worried about the board being stacked against homeowners (if we don’t have officers), everyone assured in best interests of all parties that we work together.

Nomination/election of HOA officers tabled.

Ken Paauw: asked neighbors to vote on gates being open 9-6 (added modification that south gate will be designated as a construction entrance), would require simple majority (UPDATE: this was passed); asked neighbors to vote on flag placement, discussion about flags and who will get to put what where, neighbors asked that flags be kept in good shape, would require simple majority (UPDATE: this was passed); side discussion about a speed limit sign to be placed on 231st to deal with increased traffic on that street; asked neighbors to vote on builder’s request for removing front yard sprinklers from CC&Rs, would require 75%, however Jim says we can’t change CC&Rs at this meeting, so for now the vote is simply considered an opinion poll (UPDATE: 8 homeowners approved, WA Trust approved, WA Federal approved, 294/402 = 73%).

Mark Jones: introduced Pierce County Deputy (also a Grand Firs homeowner) to explain what the police can and can’t enforce within Grand Firs (private property).

Deputy: since we are private property we won’t always get a response, depending on why we’re calling; Grand Firs is covered by the mountain detachment which has jurisdiction from 224th to Alder lake (3 deputies); South Hill precinct (7 deputies) will respond to priority calls; Grand Firs must have a private property signs and signed agreement with pierce County in order to remove trespassers; okay to call for crimes such as trespassing, vandalism, etc; accidents are considered a civil matter; if we call to report crime, it creates a statistic so that deputies know when/where crimes are occurring, so keep calling.

Mark Jones: invited open discussion; neighbor brought up that HOA doesn’t have insurance and said individuals can get an umbrella policy from our individual insurance companies in the event we are sued, once HOA is established we can get insurance; neighbors reminded to leave completed ballots by the door.

Meeting adjourned at 8:34pm.

Tacoma Power- Close Call

Mark knocked on my door today with bad news and good news. Bad news: Tacoma Power issued our neighborhood a 48-hour notice letting us know our power was about to be shut off. Good news: Mark spoke with Tacoma Power as well as the banks, and Washington Federal is covering the outstanding balance for us, which is roughly $3100. They will eventually be reimbursed (likely through a credit when HOA dues are paid) but for now, they are taking care of it.

Huge thanks to Mark and Washington Federal for keeping the lights on in Grand Firs!

Big HOA Meeting - May 26

Just a quick reminder that there is a big HOA meeting tomorrow night at the Graham Fire Station (7pm). Mark is finalizing the agenda and has a lot of information to present. I understand that a representative from the Phase 2 bank will be attending as well.

Mark received word this morning that we will be allowed elect officers and board members tomorrow night (he had been waiting to confirm that). So please, try to have a member from your household present so we can collect as many votes as possible. We are finally taking a big step forward and it's exciting.

Water Main Break

Rainier View is currently working to fix a water main break. Grand Firs may experience low water pressure or sporadic outages until it is fixed. There is no estimate on when the main will b repaired.

Gate Timer Changed

As of today, the gate will be open during the following hours:

Monday-Friday: 9am-6pm (construction hours)
Saturday-Sunday: 11am-5pm (realtor hours)

Also, I've taken over the gate programming from Chris. If you have any programming questions or needs please email me (Mandy) at grandfirs@hotmail.com

Letter To Neighbors

The following is a letter written by Grand Firs resident Lisa Collier. She's asked me to publish it on the blog...

Dear Grand Firs Neighbors;

I am sending out an update to you regarding our gate situation. As most of you know by the polls that were sent out last week we are having some issues with this. Many rumors are flying and my hope is to share with you some of the things I have recently found out so we can all be on the same page and move forward.

I would not have become involved with this, at all, if I did not feel it was important. I will be the first to admit that I am coming in midstream. I did not attend the April meeting that Jim Ehnborn, Mark Jones and Michelle Spencer were present at, either by phone or in person, but have been made aware of some of the issues discussed and felt you need to know this as well. It is my understanding that this meeting did not go very well. We did not have attorney representation as we hoped to. The representative for the bank that owns the majority of the lots in here is not willing to talk to us any longer until he has spoken to their attorney. The reason I think it is important to tell you this is because it is an indicator that the bank is willing to take legal action against us and force us to keep the gate open. I don’t think any of us would care for the stress of being named in a law suit and because we are non-compliant they have the right to do this. We have been uncooperative in allowing the gates to be open during the day so workers, inspectors and potential buyers can have access to our development. The argument has been made that they can get an access code if they want it. This is an unrealistic approach in my opinion.

I also found out that the bank owning lots in phase two has hired an engineer to survey the streets in the development so they can get them converted to public streets. What this means is that we will not be able to have a gated community. No gates on public roads! Many of us bought in here liking the idea of a gated community. The upside of this happening is that we will not have to maintain the roads (less expense to us); we cannot be sued if someone gets hurt on the road and it will allow the Sheriff’s Dept. to come in here and take care of any unwanted vehicles or persons without having to get our permission.

Whether you agree or disagree with keeping the gates open, I am sad to say, is irrelevant. Before I get gobs of hate mail and you burn a cross on my lawn I will explain. Between the three lot owners in here (banks, builder and us) we have the least amount of voting power. Banks have the most. The banks and builder want the gates open during the day and if we do not show we are willing to work with them we may be really hurting ourselves in the long run. They have the legal right to request and have access to their lots. We do not have the legal right to deny them this. We have the least amount of say (voting power) in this development. I feel we need to comply now, before legal action is possibly brought against us. I don’t know if this will change their minds about converting the streets to public ones, but it does not hurt us to be more cooperative. I think the days of gates closed 24x7 worked when we were going through this rough patch, but things are changing and we are seeing some great things starting to happen. I hope we can come together as neighbors, stop the backlash that has been given to those who have tried to do what they felt was in our best interest. Again, no matter what your opinion is regarding the gates we do not have the right to keep them closed!

We finally are seeing some progression in this neighborhood and that is wonderful. With these changes I feel the time for fear and shortsightedness are over. The original idea behind the gate closure was to prevent vandalism, theft, etc., but I truly believe that will be taken care of if we fill this place up. The new builder starting in phase three is going to be putting in smaller first time homes. I will guarantee you that if one of those homes is vandalized we will see on-site security.

I know the idea of first time homes that are of a poorer quality than ours is upsetting to people, but remember the value of our homes is not going to be measured against these. We seem to have a great builder in phases one and two and by having a good working relationship with them my personal hope are that they can complete these phases with homes that are comparable to ours. Good news is that they have already raised their home prices twice and the plan is to put some beautiful “retirement” ramblers and homes with masters downstairs in here. These will be of a real benefit to this development.

Lastly, I just wanted to thank so many of you for the efforts you are making towards improving your homes by putting in fences, planting, weeding and keeping your lawns full and green. It looks so nice! I have been trying to negotiate some help with the development landscaping. The old saying is true…”You attract more flies with honey than vinegar”. Oops! Did I say flies?! Sorry, I think we all hope the days of flies are over!

I hope this has helped to keep you informed and helped you understand why we must keep the gates open during the day.

Thanks,
Lisa Collier

Letter Regarding the Gate

Michelle has composed a letter and asked me to post it for the neighbors to read. It basically outlines the facts related to our gate. It will be sent to those who have a stake in Grand Firs (the banks, Mahan's team, Renaissance Homes, etc.). Jim asked to add a few comments at the end.

Hello everyone,

I am just writing to address a situation that happened in our community recently. Jim Ehnborn received a call the other day that someone was cutting the lock off the control box to our gate. By the time he got there, the lock had been cut and the control box was manipulated to have the gate open 24/7, and then a new lock was placed on the box.

For a little background on this situation...On January 11th, Jim Seldon sent me an email and agreed to let myself or Jim Ehnborn pick up the software to run the gate, with the stipulation that we kept a code for the realtors. Mandy and Chris Johnson agreed graciously to volunteer their time and effort to get our gate running again. Several homoewners came together and repaired the gate and purchased parts at their own cost to fix it. At that time, the only parties in this development were Michael Mastro, all the individual homeowners (Grand Firs Alliance), Winterwood Green and Washington Federal. We conducted several community meetings in which everyone was notified and invited to come. A vote was taken of those in attendance. We all wished to have the gates closed for our own protection. There was vandalism, car thefts, drug crimes, prostitution and drunk drivers coming through our neighborhood at all hours of the day, and we had had enough of it.

I think it is no secret that there is some disagreement within this community about when the gates should be open and who should be allowed to use them, however, this is a community wide decision. One person alone cannot make this decision, nor should anyone feel that one person has maintained control and not taken the consideration of others into mind, as everyone was given an opportunity to attend the meeting.

We will be conducting another meeting soon (notices will go out in accordance with the RCW's in place by the State of Washington). If you wish to have a say and a vote on what happens then show up, and we'll talk about it. Until that time, please leave the gates alone and know that the next time this happens authorities will be called.

This is a community full of hardworking individuals that are truly worried about their investments. We all came into Grand Firs being sold on the idea that we were going to have an upscale neighborhood and we bought into that. We are now faced with a changing neighborhood and people making decisions for us that are not in our best interest.

We need to be able to work together knowing that we need a safe place to live balanced with the need to sell and build homes. Let's not destroy our own community. Let's instead make it into a model community where people would be proud to live or purchase a home. The poor decisions made by one person have now inspired anger and hatred, and this will make this an even tougher fight to come together as a whole.

Thank you,
Michelle Spencer

Jim Ehnborn asked to add a few comments as well...

Jim Ehnborn has worked with the Tacoma Power electrical inspector over the past several months regarding the stealing of over 2 miles of the underground streetlight wiring in Phase 3. They had several on site meetings and exchanged numerous e-mails. The electrical inspector said that the thieves turn off the power at the circuit breakers before stealing the wiring and then turn the power back on. The thieves’ eventually stole the wire from the transformer to the circuit breaker box. The electrical inspector said that leaving the power on and locking the circuit breaker boxes may help control the problem. The inspector gave Jim Ehnborn the authority to lock the electrical circuit breaker boxes.

Did the man in the black Cadillac turn off the power in enable the thieves to steal more wire, rob houses on the dark streets or harm the residents?

It is a very arrogant, self centered individual that would trespass and break into a locked circuit breaker box by cutting the lock, turn off all of the power to the main gates and street lights on 231st and then install their own lock. The person did not turn on the power on the evenings for the street lights or gates on either April 19th or 20th to protect our community. The person has no concern about jeopardizing the safety and security of all of the residences of Grand Firs.

I have a zero tolerance for this type of behavior. I want the gates closed 24 x 7. I have filed a complaint with the Pierce County Sheriff.

Jim Ehnborn

Gate Box Broken Into

On Monday, April 20 at approximately 3:45pm, a white male around age 30 was seen breaking into the electrical box at our north gate. He was driving a black Cadillac sedan with nice rims. He used a pair of bolt cutters to break the lock, shut the electricity off to the gate, and replaced the lock with one of his own. This was all witnessed by a neighbor. Our gates were open for two nights because I didn't realize the power had been shut off.

We removed that lock, turned the breakers back on, and placed a new lock on the box. (This idiot isn't the only one who knows how to use bolt cutters.)

At this time, we have no idea who is responsible. I'm sure we can all come up with our own ideas.

If this person was arrogant enough to pull this off in broad daylight, I wouldn't put it past him or one of his buddies to come back and try it again. If you see anything suspicious, please gather as much information as you can and call the police.

Update: Landscaping

Grand Firs owes A-Plus landscape company over $30,000. As of now, there are no plans for them to come after our neighborhood for the balance.

We plan on getting landscape bids soon. We obviously don't have money to hire anyone right now but would like to add the figures into our budget for when we are able to take the HOA over.

Update: Tacoma Power

A lot has been happening in our neighborhood lately. I apologize about being a little slow to pass this information along. Look for several new posts in the next few days.


Issues regarding Tacoma Power: They've threatened several times to shut our power off. Thankfully, Jim has been able to work with them to keep that from happening (for now at least). There has been a discrepancy in which laws are to be followed when it comes to the money they are owed. Tacoma Power believes they are to adhere to state law (which would be in their favor), but we believe they are to adhere to federal law (which would be in our favor). Jim has been in contact with their legal team and is trying to work out a solution. For now, it's looking like each homeowner may be responsible for a small portion of the outstanding bill (about $9.48 for each home), and the banks will be responsible for the rest. In all, Tacoma Power is stating that Grand Firs owes over $3600.

Thank You

This is a couple weeks overdue, but it's better to be late than never. A handful of neighbors recently spent several hours cleaning up the common area along 231st. They cleaned up debris, mowed, etc. and it looks wonderful.

Lee and Trudy (and kids), Pat, Lisa, Mike (and son).... thank you so much for the hard work. If I'm leaving anyone out, I'm really sorry.

Luckily we've had a cold spring which has kept the grass growth slow. However, as the temperature starts to warm up, we're going to need to get a group together to handle our landscaping for this year (or until we get control of the HOA and can hire a landscape crew).

Any volunteers to help get something together?

Community Garage Sale - This Weekend

Just a quick reminder that this weekend several neighbors in Grand Firs will be holding garage sales (Friday-Saturday, 9am-4pm). The gates will be open both days.

Recent Central Park Damage

Well...here we go again! The park play system has been vandalised, and who ever did it was able to pull eight or so wooden planks off of one of the platforms used to climb up to the slide and monkey bars. I was able to see first hand all of the damage done, after seeing some of the kids at the park running and chasing one another with these planks. Let me just add how dangerous this is, considering each piece of wood has 4 or so screws sticking out both ends.
Just a reminder for parents whose children frequent the neighborhood parks...PLEASE inform your kids that breaking things maliciously is NEVER okay, and if they are caught doing so...parents will be notified immediately. So, a heads up to all the neighborhood parents...there is wood, and nails thrown about at the park. To avoid your children from a potentially serious injury...advise them to just leave them alone, and to avoid the kids who think it's a good idea to swing them at one another.
Some children doing the damage were caught in the act by a couple of neighbors, but I believe are just trying to figure out where they live.

Six-Digit Gate Code

Just a heads-up... some neighbors probably know this already, but it's news to me. To use your six-digit entry code for the gate, you must hit the "key" button once, and then follow with the six digits. If you don't hit the "key" button, you'll end up dialing your home phone. I've never used our six-digit code so I didn't know this. Otherwise I would have made sure to include this information on the sheet that was delivered door-to-door.

Hope this clears up any confusion! Thank you to the couple of neighbors who emailed to point this problem out.

More Gate Stuff

Sorry in advance... this is another long post.

As everyone probably knows by now, the gate information was re-programmed over the weekend. Notices were placed on each door to let people know about the change. If your information is incorrect, please email grandfirs@hotmail.com so we can get it changed. So far all feedback has been positive, and I'm so thankful that everyone has been patient and understanding during the switch.


Just a couple of reminders... when someone calls your home from the gate, your caller ID will show "Grand Firs Gate". Press 9 from your phone to open the gate. Chris was able to get the callbox speaker working, but the volume is pretty low so it's hard to hear. We've tried to adjust the volume but haven't been successful. We may need to buy a new speaker when funds are available. And there is an LED fixture that lights the keypad but it is broken. The part costs roughly $140 so we'll need to wait on fixing it.

We're in the process of notifying UPS, milk man, utility companies, etc. of the new codes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be an easy process for those who provide services to our neighborhood.

***Regarding emergencies: If you call the police, give the 911 dispatcher your 6-digit code so the cops can enter. Fire and medical services are able to gain entry by flashing their strobes at the sensor.


One last thing... I've talked to a lot of people in the neighborhood regarding the gate being open for the new builder. Most people seem to be comfortable with the gate being open on weekends. Jim and I have been in contact with people from the Mahan team, and for now the gates will be open on Saturdays/Sundays. We're trying our best to compromise while keeping everyone happy.

Thanks again for being so patient!

Cub Scout Food Drive

"Cub Scout Pack 621 will be participating in a Scouting for Food Drive.
We have picked our neighborhood along with several neighborhood along 86th Ave. The group of boys along with parents will be coming through our neighborhood Saturday March 13th with door hangers and will be collecting the food the following Saturday March 20th. We will be giving the food to Holy Disciplines Catholic Food Bank. Thanks for you support. If you have any questions you can call me. 253-655-5007.
Tricia Garber"

Grass piles

A couple of neighbors decided they were going to take advantage of the beautiful weather today by raking and picking up loose branches along the fence line off of 231st Ave. Ct. E. . If you drive down this road, you will notice little grass piles by the sidewalk, and down by the fence itself. The two volenteers were wondering if anyone with a truck bed was interested in helping out by picking up the grass and disguarding of it. Maybe in an empty lot perhaps? If this is something you are able to do, please let us know. Of course, it would be greatly appreciated. And thanks again ladies...

Next Clean-Up Party

After conferring with a couple of neighbors, we'd like to try for another work party during the weekend of March 13-14.

Saturday, March 13:
-Branch/debris removal along 231st.
-Flag removal along 86th fenceline. If you live in one of those homes, the crew will need access to your backyard for a few minutes. If you're able to remove the flags yourself, just leave them in front of your house and the crew can pick them up.

Sunday, March 14:
-Lawn mowing (and edging if needed). Are you or your teenager willing to mow a section of common area lawn?
-Help with removal of grass clipppings. Is anyone opposed to spreading the clippings in an empty lot? It's great for keeping the weeds down!
-Help with sidewalk cleanup (anyone have a blower?).

If you are available to work on one or both days, please leave a comment (with your availability) so we know how many to expect. Thank you SO MUCH for your help!

Community Garage Sale

Based on feedback, April 9-11 has been picked as the weekend for the community garage sale. Two households have committed so far. It would be great to get 8-10 homes (or more) involved!

Jim has sandwich boards that can be placed at the entrance to help us advertise, and Tricia has offered to place an ad on Craigslist and in the newspaper (we can figure out how to split the cost as the date approaches).

If enough homeowners commit, I don't see why we couldn't open the gates for the event. As long as it's a community-wide effort, I'm doubting anyone would have an issue with it.

Community Meeting - March 10

Neighbors, another community meeting is in the works. Jim has reserved the room at the fire station on Wednesday, March 10 from 7-9pm.

The Grand Alliance Association board members (Jim, Mark, Dan and Mandy) met on the 22nd and went over a tentative agenda. The topics, including guest speakers, are as follows (order to be determined):

1. Update on HOA
2. Update on vacant lots
3. Rensaissance Homes team: Randy Sebastian, owner
4. Neighborhood Watch Program: Judy Holly (Pierce Co Sheriff's Dept), Ashley Jones, Jim Nace

Three neighbors brought goodies to share at our last meeting. Anyone want to bring something this time around?

Backflow Irrigation Testing for 2010

Rainier View requires a backflow irrigation test for residential sprinkler systems once a year. Last April, a family friend came out and tested systems for several neighbors. And because we had enough people jump on board, he gave everyone a discount.

I've asked Brad if he'd like to come out again this year, and he's interested. He would like to come out at the end of March. If 5 or more homeowners jump on board, his price will be $40 per home. You don't need to be home for the test, as it's all done outside.

Contact Brad or Julie at 253-854-0714 (this is their home phone number) if interested.

Barking Dogs

A neighbor has asked us to post a reminder about barking dogs. Neighbors, if you own a dog, please try to be courteous by keeping them quiet. Thank you :)

Garage Sale?

It's early in the season, but is anyone interested in picking a weekend for a community garage sale? I know of a couple neighbors who are itching to get rid of some things, so perhaps we could look at early-mid March.

We'd need signs (Jim, could we borrow your sandwich boards?) and could post an ad on Craigslist.

If interested, please post a weekend that works for you. Also, if we get enough neighbors on board, I figure we can plan on having the gates open for the day(s).

Neighbor Review: Gate Remote

Chris recently programmed a keychain remote for Jay. I asked Jay for a quick review:

I bought them from a website called www.communitycontrols.com . The model is Community Controls Monarch 418ELPW1K. Once you guys programmed them, they worked great. Great range, too. I can hit the button before I turn off of 86th Avenue and the gate is already opening.

The remote costs $17. I know that people have been curious about how other remotes work, so I wanted to pass this information along. If you buy one, please email the code (starts with 071 or 081) to grandfirs@hotmail.com along with your name and lot number so Chris can get it programmed.

HVAC?

Does anyone in the neighborhood do HVAC or have any HVAC knowledge? Darin (Lot 1) is looking for some assistance with with moving his A/C unit about 3-4 feet from where it's currently at. If you can help, please leave a comment or email the blog so we can put you in touch. Thanks :)

Gate Code Information

A team of three people will be hitting the neighborhood in the next few days to gather missing information so Chris can re-program the gate's control box. If you don't get a knock at your door, it means that Chris already has all the information he needs for your household.

We'll send out a flyer when the change-over takes place. Chris hopes to have everything switched by March 1st. The old "key-key" codes will remain in place for a short grace period and will eventually be wiped out. The goal is to keep everyone informed so that no one is locked out!

I've exchanged several emails with Elizabeth (the Renaissance Homes agent) regarding our gate. She graciously agreed to let us keep the gate closed 24x7 as long as she and the builder are given an access code. Her phone has also been programmed into the box, allowing her to buzz potential clients in.

Welcome, Renaissance Homes

I received a kind email from the agent who will be handling the Renaissance Homes sales in our neighborhood. With her permission, I'm publishing a few paragraphs from her email:

I would like to introduce myself. I am Elizabeth Wetmore and will be the agent handling the Grand Firs site for Renaissance Homes.

I am sure everyone has seen the trailer go in and I will be on site shortly. I was out last Sunday and was welcomed with a few friendly hellos.

I have been told there are some mixed feelings about us coming in to build at Grand Firs. I would encourage anyone to go to the Renaissance Homes website and check them out (http://www.renaissance-homes.com/). Randy has been building for over 26 years and is the recipient of 32 Street of Dreams awards. He builds a gorgeous home.

I believe that it will be so nice for you all not to be looking at all of this overgrown "dirt" and debris around you! We will be building a model home on Lot 4 and the first release we have available include Lots 82-86, 109 and 2-6. So it will be nice to fill in those empty lots.

Neighbors, Elizabeth has graciously offered to answer any questions or address any concerns that we may have. She can be reached at 253-232-2888 or at moresold@hotmail.com

Driving

From a neighbor:

This is an issue that needs revisited within our neighborhood. I'm getting really frustrated with two vehicles that come barrelling around the corner on 230th. I've seen these vehicles both driven by young girls and God forbid someone be in their way. One vehicle is a little black truck while the other one is a gray Neon. I have small children and it's scary that these vehicles pick up that much speed in such a short distance. If anyone has information about small signs that I can get to put in the road that say "kids at play" please let me know. The spring and summer will be here soon and I'm worried about my childrens' well being.

Grand Firs Electricity

Jim spoke with Tacoma Power regarding our electricity. Up until now, no one knew if or how our bills were being paid. Jim learned that Mastro has NOT been paying the bills (big surprise), leaving our development with 19 unpaid bills totalling $2809. We have 23 meters within Grand Firs, so 4 bills are missing.

Jim and Mark will work with Tacoma Power and the bankruptcy trustee to see that the unpaid bills are paid out of the bankruptcy and not the HOA. Jim says this should give us a stronger bargaining position with the banks and the court to at least give us temporary control of the HOA. We're at a point of needing control ASAP to collect 2010 dues and get our current bills paid.

Jan 27 Meeting Notes

Notes and Powerpoint outlines from our last meeting can be found on the Grand Alliance blog (link is on the sidebar). If you're a Grand Firs resident and still need access to the site, please create a Google account, then email grandfirs@hotmail.com and request an invitation link. The site is blocked from the general public.

Volunteers?

Is there anyone who can help Chris and I with some door-knocking? I was able to gather gate information from 26 households at the meeting tonight, but I need the rest. If we have a couple people help by taking the sheet around the neighborhood, it would help us out so much. Please email me at grandfirs@hotmail.com

Thanks :)

Gate Remotes

From Chris:

Gate remotes can be ordered from multiple online retailers and I can program them. The ones we were all provided are the Elite model DT418. Most places have them for about $30. There are other remotes for as low as $17 that claim to be compatible with our gate (Elite brand), but I have not tested them. As long as the remote operates in 418 mhz it should work.

If anyone has questions, email Mandy through the blog and she will forward the inquiries to me.

Gate Phone Activated

Qwest installed our gate phone today. Chris was able to call our house from the box and I was able to buzz him in. However, there might be a problem with the speaker. I could hear his truck idling but he couldn't hear me talking to him. Chris is going to take a look and see if it's something he can fix.

If you have caller ID, the gate phone number (253-875-4388) will appear along with "Graham, WA". However, I just called to have it switched to "Grand Firs Gate". I was told the change would go into effect sometime tomorrow.

When you receive a call from the box, you can open the gate by pressing 9 from your phone.

Park Repairs

I haven't been to the park in a few months so others may already be aware of the slides being damaged. They are no longer attached to the wooden structure, and several screws are exposed. The slides are still anchored to the ground but the kids should probably stay off until everything is fixed.

It looks like an easy job. Are there a couple of neighbors who are available to do the repair?

Goodies

Anyone interested in bringing some goodies to our meeting on Wednesday? I thought I'd bring a batch of cookies or something. Perhaps there are two or three other neighbors who would like to join me in providing some snacks :) Please leave a comment if you're interested!

Gate Phone

I spoke with Qwest today and was able to set up an account for our gate. The technician will be out on Monday morning to establish service.

Qwest confirmed that we will not be responsible for any missed payments by Mastro. The new account is under Grand Alliance Association (with a new phone number) so we're in no way tied to the old account.

Reminder For Kids

It's unfortunate to bring this up, because so many positive things have been going on in our neighborhood. But I've been asked by a couple of concerned neighbors to post about it.

Several kids have been playing around (and even underneath) the Sterling trailer on 228th. They've been dragging construction material around to make bike and skateboard ramps and then leave the area messy. Granted, it's not like the area was pretty to begin with. But several neighbors have been trying really hard to clean our community up and these kids aren't helping. Parents, please ask your kids to stay away from the trailer and construction material. We can't afford the risk of someone getting hurt, given that we have no insurance.

Another issue that has come up is a group of kids ringing doorbells and running away. I'm sure the kids think it's funny and I'm sure that some adults will shrug and say "let the kids be kids". But really, it's annoying to those that it's happening to. (And it's happened to me as well.)

Gate Is Fixed

As you've probably noticed, our gates are up and running. One of the motors had tripped, but the main problem was actually due to the way the control box was programmed. There were so many on/off times programmed that they seemed to be overlapping with each other. The time wasn't even close to being correct, which was probably due to power outages and/or trips.

The gate is now closed 24 hours a day. Chris didn't make any changes to the codes, so for now all of the codes that start with "key-key" will still work. (Note: the phone line is still shut off, so we still can't dial to the houses.) Remotes still work as well. If you have a remote that needs programming, email grandfirs@hotmail.com and I'll put you in touch with Chris.

Eventually, Chris would like to wipe off all the unnecessary codes and start fresh. But for now, we'll just stick with the ones already programmed until we can figure out how the best way to go about making the transition.

One last note: There is a way to program the gate to have just one arm open at a time (depending on whether a vehicle is entering or exiting). We're thinking this would be a good idea to help prolong the life of the gate. No sense in having both arms opening every time a car enters or exits.

Work Party 2/Gate Update

Thanks to those who showed up today (in the rain!) to help with a few projects around the neighborhood. Our turnout was smaller than last week, but we still had around 10 adults show up to participate. A group of women picked up several bags of trash around the development. A group of men repaired the pedestrian gate that's been broken for months. Several others helped clean up tree branches that blew down during the recent windstorm.

Here is the latest on the gate: the motors seem to be working just fine, which is a good thing. My husband Chris thinks the problem is in the control box (located at the keypad). He removed the control box and is attempting to diagnose the problem as I type this. If he can't figure it out within the next couple of days, we'll go ahead and call Sutherland and have them come out. We will contact Qwest this week to get the phone line up and running again.

Back to the pedestrian gate: The men spent a lot of time and effort to repair the gate. Parents, please remind your children that it's not a toy to swing on. It would be a real shame for the gate to break again. Thank you.

And thanks to all who came out and helped today! We will wait a few weeks before planning another work party. Didn't get around to the flags, so that will be on the list again.

Proxy Vote

Reminder: Please have your proxy vote signed, notorized and turned in to Jim E by Monday, January 18. If you have questions, need a new copy of the form, or have no idea what I'm talking about, please email the blog or see Jim ASAP. Participation by ALL homeowners is crucial in our attempt to gain control of our HOA.

Gate Update

We have obtained the software to program the gate. Michelle and I have been in contact and will be working with Qwest and Sutherland Security to see about getting the gate fixed ASAP. My husband Chris will take a look first and see if he can fix it himself, but if he can't, we will be faced with a repair bill. We may need to ask homeowners to contribute some money toward the bill.

Once the gate is in working order, Chris will program it to be closed 24 hours a day. He'll update the call-box list and wipe all the extra codes off (codes the contractors and agents used). Jim Selden did ask that we provide a specific code for agents to use for the purpose of showing houses, which we agreed to.

HOA Meeting - January 27th

Grand Firs HOA Meeting
Graham Fire House on 70th
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
7:00pm

Agenda Topics:

Update from meeting with the bankers
1. Operating the HOA in 2010
2. Status of CCRs
3. Bankruptcy court

Review of plans for new homes listed for sale for vacant lots on 228th bought by Winterwood Green LLC

Budget - discuss matching the services to be provided by the HOA within the amount available from annual dues

Nomination of officers for HOA – which office are you available for?

Other topics

Work Party II - Sunday

Since we had such a nice turnout for last Sunday's work party, Jim and I thought that we'd try again for this Sunday (January 17) at 2pm. Let's meet at the entrance again, rain or shine!

The remaining flags need to come down, and perhaps one or two neighbors would like to take a look at the lighting on the stone fence posts along 86th.

If you live in one of the homes on 85th, we'll need to have access to your backyard. The crew will work as quickly as possible.

Can anyone think of anything else that we can add to the list?

Sale of Lots

Winterwood Green, Jerry Mahan's corporation, purchased 23 lots from Sterling bank (11 lots in Phase 2 and 12 lots in Phase 3). The banks still own the other 295 vacant lots.

Jim E, Michelle and the board will do everything possible to keep an eye on any building permits filed in Phase 1. We need to make sure the homes comply with the CC&Rs for Phase 1 (exterior requirements, square footage, etc).

Gate Issues

As we all know, our gate has not been working for some time. Michelle has had contact with Shauna Melvin regarding the issue, and I wanted to pass the information along.

Regarding the phone bill, roughly $175-200 is past due. The normal monthly cost for the gate phone is about the same as a regular residential land-line. Shauna said that she will check with Jim Selden to see if there is any money available to go toward the phone bill.

Shauna indicated that there is no money available to go toward gate repairs. Sutherland Security maintains our gate, and Michelle will contact them to see how much the repairs will be.

The following information comes from an email sent to me from Jim Ehnborn:

The phone bill should be filed with the bankruptcy court. We should only be responsible for costs in 2010. We may have to put down a security deposit.

Gate repair costs should be filed with the bankruptcy court. We should only be responsible for costs in 2010. We may be responsible for a security deposit on this as well.

Jim Selden has a new computer board for the south gate that is paid for. If the computer board is the problem for the north gate, we might be able to use it for the north gate by borrowing parts. We should just have to cover the cost of labor to repair the gate.

Which brings up the issue of money. How are we going to pay for this to get our gate up and running ASAP?

Heads-Up: Vehicle Break-In

This news is a month old, but I wanted to pass it along. A vehicle was broken into on 229th in December. An I-Pod was stolen, as well as a blue briefcase containing business and personal documents.

I'm not sure if the victim vehicle was locked or not. However, I'd just like to remind everyone to keep your cars locked at all times (even during the day). And if you must leave valuables in the car, the trunk is the best place.

Drunks in Phase 3-4

Thanks to Johnny, Michelle and Pierce County Sheriff, a couple of drunks were escorted from the property (Phase 3-4) earlier today. Though they were driving when the police caught up to them, they were not cited for DUI or trespassing. However, it's nice that the cops at least had the opportunity to catch someone (and hopefully discourage them from coming back).

Their vehicles are still parked in the back (white Ford Ranger and black Isuzu Trooper) until the clowns come to pick them up. So if you see these vehicles in the next day or so, you don't need to worry about reporting them. Unless of course, the occupants have returned and are causing problems.

Keep calling 911 for anything in progress, or the non-emergency number for anything not in progress. Johnny and Michelle, thank you for being proactive and reporting these guys.