Bridger Creek
Subdivision Community Association
Board of Directors’
Meeting
Monday, September 9,
2013
The meeting was called
to order at 6:30 at the Masonic Temple (14 S. Tracy Avenue).
Board
members: Sharyn Anhalt, Bill Ranard,
Dian Bottcher, Dorick Savageau and Karin Jennings were present.
Members
present: Adam Racow (Chair, Park & Trail Committee Committee), David
Andreassi (Chair, Design Review Committee), Les Fisher, Erik Stechmest, Linda
Schell.
Non-members
present: Tom Murphy and Susie Hutchinson (both of Bridger Center LLC).
Approval of Agenda – Agenda was modified to add Records
Request from Tim Russell ahead of New Business.
Dian moved to approve the agenda with modification, seconded by
Dorick, and approved unanimously.
Approval of Minutes – Bill made a motion to approve
the minutes from the Board Meetings of June 3 and June 21, 2013, seconded by
Dorick, and approved unanimously without modification.
Design Review Committee
Dave provided
a written report on committee activities since the last meeting:
·
Nothing
new with Benson residence. (In June, reviewed
and gave preliminary approval for house plans for a single family home to be
built on phase 3, lot 2.) No final approval or fees collected at this time. Project is on hold. (edited to correct - fees have been collected)
·
Approved
small privacy fence around hot tub at Dan and Carolyn Hopper, 3120 Augusta
Drive. No fee collected.
·
Approved
exterior color change to house at 1057 Boylan Road (James Martin). Pain
shutters, garage door, trim, siding facing golf course in back yard. House is mostly brick. No fee collected.
·
Reviewed
and approved house plans for a single family home to be built on phase one lot
59, 2425 Birdie Drive (corner of Birdie and Boylan) (George McDowell). Plan on
starting in October. Check for $50 paid.
Additional
items discussed: Dorick approved the patio extension and window awning for Jim
and Dian Bottcher in phase 2; Sharyn approved (per email agreement by the
Board) installation of an air conditioning unit for Pat Templin, as it met the
requirements for utilities to be screened.
Park and Trail Committee
Adam reported
that Sharyn passed on a complaint about thistles in the drainage swale at the
north end of Augusta and that he recommended Grass Chopper address during next
mowing, which hasn’t yet been done. Bill offered to investigate tomorrow
morning and report back to Adam whether it can be mowed as he’ll be mowing the
golf course near there. It used to be mowed by the adjacent condo association. Discussion
ensued about all of the phase 2 drainage collection points needing review and
probably cleaned to ensure proper drainage.
The
trail segment adjacent to McIlhattan Road has been impacted by several large
rain events shortly after it was constructed.
It likely needs a culvert or two installed as well as adjacent ditch
work.
Adam
proposed to set a meeting with park and trail members to review both projects
and bring a proposal to the Board. Sharyn moved to approve up to $1k to
be spent to fix the trail as described and clean out the drainage grates, if/as
needed. It was seconded by Bill and approved unanimously.
With
regard to the 12 acre parcel adjacent to the association park at the west end
of Boylan, Sharyn reported that park and trail committee members met on site with
members of the City, GVLT and TPL on July 22, 2013 to discuss possibilities to
protect the property as additional parkland, as requested by the Board during
the June 21 meeting. In the meantime,
the property was recently purchased. Sharyn
reported that she had received a call from Susie Hutchinson, introducing
herself and inquiring about possible access easement across the trail and
parkland. Sharyn had provided the same information to Susie as for other
inquiries received, that the Board has denied previous requests and could not
grant such an easement without member approval. Tom Murphy and Susie Hutchinson
were present at this meeting to simply learn more about the association. Tom
was invited to speak and stated that they are in the very early stages of
determining what they plan to do with the property. They are working with
ThinkTank Architects and plan to have the property annexed into the City as
in-fill. They are open to input from the association and association members.
Sharyn recommended to Tom and Susie, depending on the timing for their project,
that they could present to the membership at the annual membership meeting
which will be held May 5th.
The Board would need to know before the end of March whether they wish
to be included in the agenda for the membership meeting.
Tom and
Susie left the meeting.
Executive Committee
Report
Sharyn informed the Board that there is nothing new to
report on the legal proceedings with member Bill Beebe. The most recent activities have been posted
to the web site. The decision is still
pending with Judge John Brown and there is no deadline that the committee is
aware of.
Finance/Treasurer Report
Dian
and Sharyn have reviewed financials and Dian asked Sharyn to provide the report
to the Board as the bookkeeper. Sharyn provided
copies of the Balance Sheet (as of June 30, 2013) and Budget to Actual for the prior
fiscal year (July 2012 through June 2013).
She outlined that we were over budget on bookkeeping as well as
supplies, postage & mailing due to the extra membership meeting that was
held in Fall 2012. We were also over budget on mowing and weed control due to
additional weed spraying and mowing that occurred last fall and this spring
(past fiscal year) in the Phase 3 park; also due to the planter maintenance
that was completed in the Phase 2 park last fall. We were under budget on snow
removal. Subdivision improvements totaled $1035 over the current year’s budget,
so that amount should be deducted from the Subdivision Improvement Reserve account.
Per
previous Board discussions, an adjustment to correct the presentation of the
Phase 2 well and Phase 1 bench from Membership Equity was recorded as June 30,
2013. Previously both were shown as
assets.This adjustment corrects the presentation of membership equity.
Sharyn also
provided copies of the Balance Sheet (as of September 8, 2013) and Budget to
Actual for the current fiscal year (July 2013 through June 2014) as of September
8, 2013. The current financial statements were reviewed and there were no
questions from the Board.
Bill
asked a clarifying question. Following discussion Bill made a motion
that excess funds spent on subdivision improvements over current budgeted
amounts shall be deducted from the balance in the Subdivision Improvement
Reserve as of June 30, 2013. The motion
was seconded by Dorick and approved unanimously.
Sharyn
reported that she received a request from a member for the final financial
statements for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
Now that they have been reviewed and discussed by the Board she will
make them available to the member. Any
member may request current financial statements (once they are reviewed by the
Board) by sending an email request to the BCSCA email address. The Board
discussed again whether to post the financial statements on the web site. No motion was made.
Update on City Landfill Issues (VOCs and waste consolidation
station)
The
Board recognized the excellent job that Sharyn is doing to communicate with the
membership. The City held a public meeting at the Holiday Inn on August 27.
Sharyn summarized the discussion during that meeting and sent it to the
membership August 28, which is presented below for the records.
From: Bridger Creek Subdivision
Community Association <bridgercreekboard@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 9:42 AM
Subject: Report from the VOC meeting with the City
To: Bridger Creek Subdivision Community Association
<bridgercreekboard@gmail.com>
Wanted to provide everyone with a
report from our neighborhood meeting with the City last night. Thanks to all
that attended; it is important that the entire Bridger Creek Subdivision be
involved in this process, as it does have an impact on everyone in our
neighborhood. There is a stigma now associated with the name "Bridger
Creek", and this could affect property values in our entire area - even
for homes in phase 1, far away from the problem.
Info
presented -
25 of the 26 homes in Phase 3 have
been tested for VOC levels in indoor and outdoor air. 4 of those homes have
levels high enough that the City is designing mitigation systems to be
installed as soon as possible. Other homes in Phase 3 will have sub-slab
sampling done to help determine the best course of mitigation. The levels
detected were not consistent from home to home; there were 11 total compounds
detected, but no home had all 11.
The City is
assuming that the gases are coming from the landfill, and will be covering
all costs of testing and mitigation even though they have not determined the
exact source of all the compounds. Many of these compounds can occur in homes
from attached garages, paint and solvents, dry cleaned clothing or draperies,
off gases from carpets and wood products, etc.
At the same time,
the City is working with their consultants to determine the best course
of correcting the problem at the presumed source - the landfill.
Individual home mitigation provides the fastest results for each homeowner,
mitigation at the landfill site is to help with the long term solution. More
information will be coming. Their ultimate objective is to control VOC at the
source.
Testing has started in Phase 2, to
determine if the gases have spread that far. Four homes along McIlhattan Rd
have been selected for sub-slab sampling. If these results show high
levels of any compounds, the City will proceed with testing all of Phase 2. If
the levels detected are low, the City will continue to monitor those sample
sites, as levels can change during winter months. In addition, 3
groundwater monitoring wells will be installed in phase 2 (there are already
groundwater monitoring wells in phase 3). If at anytime high levels are
detected at any of these sampling sites, the City will proceed with full
testing in Phase 2.
Two big concerns expressed by those
attending - health risks and property values. There are obviously some long
term health risks with exposure to these compounds, and some sensitive
individuals can have immediate effects. That is why the City is taking the
most conservative approach and arranging for mitigation in the Phase 3 homes as
soon as possible.
Regarding property values - this is
difficult. The reality is that these compounds may be present in homes
across our entire City from the other sources mentioned above. People don't
realize this, though, and it would help to have some type of public education.
After the meeting, I spoke with the City Engineer, Rick Hixson, and he agreed
that the suggestion from the audience that the City test for averages in
homes across Bozeman was a good one, and he is going to follow up in doing
that. I will continue to communicate with him about this.
It appears that the City has been
thorough in contacting homeowners in Phase 3 and working directly with them.
However, I'm not sure if they have followed up completely with owners of vacant
lots. If you own a vacant lot in Phase 3 and have not been contacted, please
let us know.
The Association has been working with
the Public Works Director and City Engineer to ensure that they have a
complete and accurate mailing list for all our members. Tax rolls are slow to
be updated, so we are providing them with our mailing list. We will also
continue to use this email list to distribute information as it's provided
- but not everyone is on this list. Please share this with your neighbors; if
they are not getting these emails, tell them to send their email address
to bridgercreekboard@gmail.com.
The Association is here to help and
support individual homeowners in whatever way we can. Please let us know if
anything is needed.
Shanyn Anhalt
BCSCA Board of
Directors, President
Since
this meeting Sharyn added that several test probes have been recently installed
by the City in Phase 2. The results from
the testing will be communicated directly to each homeowner. To her knowledge,
no one has received results yet from these tests.
Erik
Steckmest and Les Fisher inquired about support from the Board for these
issues. There was consensus among the Board that it continue to act in a
communication role and that members are welcome to bring specific issues to the
Board. Les specifically asked about free-standing outbuildings to reduce VOCs
in homes related to storage of homeowner-related VOC-producing materials in
attached garages. Could these be allowed although the covenants specify against
them? The Board would consider individual requests for free-standing
outbuildings on a case by case basis, as with any request for a variance.
Update on Subdivision
Boulevard Tree Status
Dian recently completed an inventory of the status of
boulevard trees within our neighborhood, and also investigated whether the
City/County could assist with enforcement of boulevard trees. Planting
boulevard trees is required by our covenants and also of the City. At the time she spoke with representatives
the answer was that there was no assistance available. However, since her discussions the City has
created a new position of a code enforcement officer through the police
department. It was agreed to put any
activity on hold until next spring, when Dian will update the inventory,
contact the City’s code enforcement officer, and plans to present information
at the annual membership meeting.
Records Request from Tim
Russell
The Board received a certified letter requesting
financial records, as per the terms of the Records Request Policy. The request
was discussed, and the Board agreed that the requirement for a specific purpose
was not clear. Dorick made a motion to request additional information
from Tim in order to provide the appropriate financial records. The motion was seconded by Karin and approved
unanimously. The letter will be drafted
for Board approval prior to sending.
New Business
Bill
reported on his discussions with Dane Gamble/Great Northern Golf. The Phase 1 park boulevards are watered
manually by GNG employees. There is no
timer as they need to monitor their water needs across the golf course. He also discussed the lack of mowing by GNG
near the mailboxes on Augusta Drive. GNG changed their mowing process there in
order to protect the newly planted boulevard trees. That area can no longer be
mowed with the ride-mowers. Dian offered to ask the adjacent neighbors if they
wouldn’t mind extending their mowing activities to include the small area
around the mailboxes.
Adam
raised the issue that the Phase 2 park is being watered in the
afternoon/evening which is not appropriate. He will obtain the controller box
key from the adjacent neighbor. It was
agreed that Sharyn, as bookkeeper and who also lives nearby, would become the
keeper of the key.
Dorick reported
that boulevard trees have been replaced on Golf Course Properties leased by
Great Northern Golf on both Boylan and Augusta (near entrances) through a
cost-share between GCP and GNG.
There
being no additional new business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm.
The
next Board Meeting will be held November 4, 2013 at the Masonic Temple (14 S.
Tracy Avenue) at 6:30 pm.
