Board Meeting Minutes

SCA Special Board Meeting Minutes

November 4, 2022 – Conference Room

Call to Order: Blair Hill called the meeting to order at 9:00am. Board Members Present: All Board members were present. Staff Present: Jason Halfman and Karen Holland.

Guests Present: Blake Ewing and Dawn Lackner from Ewing Agency Inc.

Residents: Ten residents attended.

Presentation by Blake Ewing:

Blake Ewing was introduced as SCA’s new insurance broker effective January 1, 2023. Letters will be sent to all carriers notifying them of the change in broker of record. Blake’s goal is to do a complete review of SCA’s insurance needs and have a plan in place by January. For now, he recommends SCA stay with its current carriers. Crum & Forster has already sent its renewal notice, but most existing carriers will send premium notices closer to the end of the year.

All insurance claims arising from the fire have now been closed. One other claim remains open, and premium rates probably will not be reduced until four years after that claim is closed.

Blake discussed umbrella coverage, social host coverage, possible change in coverage limits for the renovated Community Center, loss assessment coverage that can be purchased by individual residents, and event insurance that persons using SCA facilities might be required to purchase.

Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the Special Board meeting on October 21, 2022, were approved as corrected.

Report by Jason: Seasonal employees are done for the season. The greenhouse is open. Due to rain, golf carts are restricted to the cart paths. All animal traps have been removed; Jason will investigate whether SCA should obtain a permit and purchase its own traps for use in the future.

Report by Karen: 23 homes have been sold. There are 194 golf members. The Chair and Secretary need to sign a notarized Statement of Compliance with Oregon HB 2534, attesting that the CC&Rs have been reviewed for possible use of discriminatory language and that none was found. A letter was sent to former resident Rich Hoffman requesting that he cease safety checks; the Board also denied his request to hold CPR classes at SCA. The previous golf bag tag vendor’s price could not be matched, so the Board chose new oval tags with a Salemtowne tree emblem. All persons who will unlock and lock SCA buildings now have a key.

Chair’s Report: Blair indicated that the Governing Documents were a priority. An appointment will be made for a conference call with the attorney to discuss them.

Vice-Chair’s Report: Ron reported that the promotional video about Salemtowne has been completed by Open Door Productions at a cost of $842. The video will be shown after the meeting for those who

want to stay and watch it, and will be put on SCA’s website.

Operations Report: John has talked with various committees about storage needs. The work/storage area under the fitness center is being cleared out, and the wood paneling uncovered during the rebuild will be relocated. John will need help moving office furniture, but there are no plans for further office remodeling at this time.

Secretary’s Report: Valerie again pointed out that informal discussions and emails among Board members violate Oregon’s “open records” statutes. Boards need to be completely transparent, as pointed out in Vial Fotheringham’s recent webinar. Valerie moved that the Board get guidance from the attorney regarding what is a meeting and when informal discussion becomes a meeting, and the motion passed unanimously. Valerie also reminded Blair that an executive session would be required at the end of the meeting to discuss a personnel matter that could not be discussed at the last Board meeting because Blair was absent.

Treasurer’s Report:

Coleen moved to add Juneteenth, Veterans Day, and the Friday after Thanksgiving as staff holidays, and the motion passed unanimously.

Coleen asked for clarification about the purpose of the exterior security cameras. She moved to have the Minutes reflect that the exterior security cameras are specifically being used and monitored for the building and parking lot only. The motion passed unanimously.

Coleen expressed concern about damage caused by use of recreational scooters inside the facilities. She agreed to research the issue.

Coleen moved to correct an administrative error that showed the membership/buy-in fee as $2,730 when the correct amount is $2,875, with the additional funds going to ARF. The discrepancy arose

because the language of the Bylaws as posted on Sharepoint and SCA’s website was different from the

actual language of the Bylaws. The motion passed unanimously.

Coleen has verified that the FDIC insures bank accounts up to a maximum of $250,000 total per account. Assessments for 2023 would put the existing account over the $250,000 limit, so Coleen moved to open another bank account at Oregon State Credit Union to keep deposits in each account under $250,000.

The motion passed unanimously.

Coleen moved to accept the budget as presented by the Finance Committee, with the addition of the Toro maintenance contract. The motion passed unanimously.

Old Business:

• Maintenance of Property at 3289 Oakcrest: A letter to SCA’s attorney needs to be drafted, asking him to write a letter to the resident about necessary cleanup, including the date for compliance, fines, etc.
• Governing Documents: Valerie presented the draft of a letter from the Chair to the attorney regarding his progress on the governing documents. Coleen suggested a conference call, and Blair said he would contact the attorney.

New Business:

• Permanent Lighting Around Community Center Roof: Kari Mollgaard, Chair of the Community Sale, asked the Board to consider approving installation of permanent lighting by Ambassador Windows at a cost of $1,403.00, to be paid from funds in the FOS account designated as

November 4, 2022, Special Board Meeting Minutes – page [2]

November 4, 2022, Special Board Meeting Minutes – page [3]

community sale funds. Tentative installation date would be November 22. Coleen moved to

accept the Community Sale Committee’s proposal to install permanent lighting paid from community sale funds in the FOS account. The motion passed unanimously.

• Threshold mats: FOS asked the Board for information about “threshold mats” and their cost.
• ADA Restrooms: A resident asked whether a restroom needs an automatic door to be ADA compliant. The Board does not have an answer at this time.
• Religious Displays on Common Property: The question was raised whether a religious display on common property (such as a Nativity scene at Christmas) violated the Fair Housing Act or any other law. The Board will ask the Decorating Committee to submit a proposed plan for the holidays for further discussion.

Board members moved into Executive Session on a personnel matter. The Executive Session was adjourned.

The Board meeting resumed with no further business and then adjourned at 11am.

Next Board meeting: Friday, November 18, 2022, at 9am.

SCA BOARD MEETING MINUTES

October 21, 2022 – Conference Room

Call to order: Ron Lester called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

Board Members present: Ron Lester, Coleen Barbee, Valerie Vollmar, Blair Hill absent Approval of Minutes:

The minutes of the October 3 Fall Forum were accepted as presented.

New Board Member and Liaison Assignments:

Ron Lester nominated John Mangini to the Board to fill Jerry Gardner’s position through September 30, 2023. Motion passed. Positions for 2022-2023 will be: Blair Hill, Chair, Ron Lester, Vice Chair, John Mangini, Director of Operations, Coleen Barbee, Treasurer and Valerie Vollmar, Secretary. Board liaisons will be confirmed at the next Board meeting.

Coleen moved to have the minutes reflect that the new authorized signers on all Salemtowne Civic Association bank accounts are Coleen Barbee, Blair Hill, Ronald Lester, John Mangini and Valerie Vollmar. Further that Denny Laughery, Jerry Gardner and Gerry Morgan are no longer authorized signers. Motion passed.

Staff Reports:

Jason – Mowing of greens on weekends and irrigation will cease for the winter. ARF funds for replacing the chain at the top of the RV road with a gate approved by the Finance Committee. Cost will be $1,000. SMGC donated funds for concrete pads under the sand storage. The Board will decide on a broken window policy under New Business. The Board will look at the issues with the curb and golf cart entrance to the Towne Hall parking lot when the parking lot is resurfaced. John was asked to look into the question of entrance off the parking lot.

Karen – 22 homes have been sold. There are 194 golf members. It has been suggested that signs be posted outside the video library, fitness center and library “For Residents Only.”  Occupancy limits should also be posted in rooms where that is required. The Golf Committee suggested Salemtowne revert to bag tags of a different color/shape rather than the year label for easier identification. A non-resident golfer made a sample bag tag for consideration. Valerie donated a floor mat for the fitness room. AARP asked to hold their

driving class for seniors in Salemtowne and to waive the rental fee. Request denied. The Conference Room is now on the calendar for scheduling and has been added to the lock/unlock routine. The janitor is going to do a professional cleaning of the Towne Hall floor on October 27.

Board Reports:

Chair – Two additional security cameras have been installed; one encompasses the Farmhouse, the office entry, and portion of the parking lot; one captures the entrance. No one contacted is interested in hauling away the lumber left over from the fire restoration project.  Previous resident Marion Batterson offered to do wainscoting in the Farmhouse and will take the remaining lumber in exchange for labor. Coleen moved to allow Marion Batterson to install wainscoting in the Fireside Room in exchange for labor. Motion passed.

Committees and Clubs will be notified that their submissions to the Annual Report are due on March 1. Operations – Board members agreed to allow Salemtowne resident organizers to hold a community Dance on February 11, 2023. John accepted responsibility to form a committee to suggest a plan to redo the Salemtowne office if needed.

Secretary – Valerie is looking for a scribe to take Board meeting minutes.  Valerie gave an update on the Governing Documents and was asked to draft a letter to the attorney for the Chair to sign requesting the status of the Governing Documents. There has been no response from the attorney to previous communication from the Board.  Valerie expressed concern on how recent meetings of Board members were held and reminded members that they need to follow process and be transparent. She recommended the

attorney be consulted to determine what is proper procedure.

Treasurer:

• Coleen made a motion to give the Decorating Committee $500 to purchase Christmas decorations.

Motion passed.

• She noted there were only 100 chairs in the Towne Hall.
• Coleen made a motion that the cut off time for events in the Towne Hall will be 10 p.m. with the exception of a party already reserved and approved with no other exceptions. Motion passed.
• The Fire Funds account will be closed in November with the balance in Operations.
• Coleen moved to change the SCA broker of record to Ewing Insurance. This does not affect insurance policies. Motion passed 3 to 1 with Ron Lester abstention because Blake Ewing is his stepson.
• The CPI is 8.3. Coleen made a motion that the 2023 HOA assessment will be $1,215, : $1,110 base and 105 to ARF. Motion passed. The 2023 Budget will be approved in the November Board meeting.
• Terry Davidson resigned as Chairman of the Finance Committee. Additional members of the committee are also needed.
• Volunteers are needed to identify ARF items in all rooms and add inventory tags.
• Ron made a motion to dispose of outdated electronic equipment. Motion passed. Cori Rossmeisl will identify the pieces to be discarded. Ron will remove.

New Business:

Jason reported that occasionally windows of houses on the golf course are broken by equipment. Ron moved that the property owner whose window is broken submit a bill for repair and SCA will pay. Motion passed.

Old Business:

The request for a person to conduct CPR/First Aid training was denied. Ron and Karen will write the letter.

Committee Reports:

LARC:

• Jo recommended that the Board assume a course of action for the home on Oakcrest which has been an ongoing problem. Valerie moved that Blair ask the attorney to write a letter to the resident after the Board decides the course of action, a timeline, and the fine. Motion approved.
• Jo submitted a request for a three-foot fence on golf course. Ron made a motion to approve the request. Vote was Ron, John, Valerie in favor; Coleen opposed. Motion passed.
• Valerie moved to approve the Landscape and Architectural Charter submitted by the LARC Committee. Motion passed.

IT: Cori Rossmeisl presented an informational report on IT accomplishments.

Web: Cori presented an informational report on the website. Ron made a motion to approve the proposal by the Web Committee re community resident monitoring. Motion passed. Valerie moved to appoint Debbie Campbell as Chair of the Website Committee. Motion passed.

Board members moved into Executive Session on a personnel issue. The Executive Session was adjourned.

The Board Meeting resumed with no further business and then adjourned.

 SCA Community Forum Minutes 

October 3, 2022 – Towne Hall 

Call to Order: Blair Hill called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. 

Board Members Present: Coleen Barbee, Ron Lester, and new members Blair Hill and Valerie Vollmar. Former Board member and Treasurer Denny Laughery also was present. 

Staff Present: Karen Holland. 

Residents: Numerous residents attended. 

Board Business 

1. Introductions – Blair Hill introduced himself as the new Board Chair and introduced the other 2022-2023 Board members: 

Secretary – Valerie Vollmar 

Treasurer – Coleen Barbee 

Operations – Ron Lester 

Blair reported that Jerry Gardner had resigned from the Board, leaving the office of Vice Chair open. Blair asked that anyone interested in becoming a Board member contact Karen. 

2. Board liaisons – Blair announced that Board liaisons will contact Committee Chairs, Clubs, and Activities. 

3. Approval of minutes – A motion was made to approve the September 16th Board meeting minutes as presented. The motion passed unanimously. 

4. Volunteers needed – Blair reported that the Board is still looking for volunteers to handle Reservations and serve on the Decorating Committee. 

5. 2023 membership/buy-in fee – Coleen moved to increase the membership/buy-in fee to $2,730 for 2023. Ron seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 

6. Authorized signers on bank accounts – Ron moved to have the minutes reflect that the authorized signers on bank accounts are Coleen Barbee, Blair Hill, Ron Lester, and Valerie Vollmar. Further, Denny Laughery, Jerry Gardner, and Gerry Morgan are no longer authorized signers. 

7. Construction/fire recovery – a. Ron submitted a 3-page summary of Cincinnati Insurance proceeds and expenses, and cash on hand. Claims received or pending total $1,489,324.11 and identified contracts and projects total $1,454,919.86, leaving $34,404.25 in funds still available. Cash currently on hand in the bank totals $102,434.92. The insurance claim should be closed out by the end of 2022. A resident requested that some of the available funds be spent on an ADA/electric door for the Towne Hall. 

8. Pest control – Ron reported that it costs $120 every time a technician comes to remove an animal. The fee is the same if he finds that someone has released the animal. A $10,000 fine could result if unauthorized releases continue. 

9. Security systems – Three zones are armed, and the building is open from 7am to 10pm seven days a week. SCA has six video cameras with DVR; one more is planned to capture activity in the front parking lot. 

10. Newsletter editor – A Newsletter editor is still needed. 

11. Governing Documents – Valerie reported that the Governing Documents are still in the process of being revised. State statutes require that certain provisions be in a particular document, and SCA’s are not. The attorney is working on drafting new documents now. The Board intends for residents to be informed about and involved in what is happening. 

12. Web presentation – The Web Committee gave a short presentation about the new salemtowneoregon.com website and the Resident Portal. The old Community 123 website will be discontinued as of October 15th. 

Resident questions and answers 

1. Can security cameras be positioned to film cars entering Salemtowne? Yes, but it would not be a good use of cameras because the DVR would be overwritten very quickly. 

2. Can something be done to make the Game Room less noisy? Someone will look into sound damping methods. 

3. When will the Board schedule resident education sessions or updates about the Governing Documents? It’s too early in the process to determine. 

Next Board meeting: Friday, October 21st @ 9am. 

Community Forum Adjourned: 9:30pm. 

 SCA Board Meeting Minutes 

September 16, 2022 – Towne Hall 

M I N U T E S 

Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:03am 

Board Members Present: Chair Gerry Morgan, Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, Operations Director Ron Lester, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Board members elect Valerie Vollmar and Blair Hill were present. 

Staff Present: Jason Halfman and Karen Holland 

Guests: 14 

Approval of Minutes: The Board approved the September 3, 2022 Meeting Minutes. 

Staff Reports 

1. Grounds Superintendent – Jason indicated the swamp was recently drained and staff worked to clean up the yard debris behind the homes on Twin Oaks. Golf course irrigation is running about 10% of average. The course was recently sanded. Larger rocks on the course came from the storage area because there is not an adequate concrete pad under the sand. Finally, animal traps have been placed in the area by a private contractor to rid the community of skunks. The company charges $120 per captured animal. Jason estimated that there are 10-20 animals that must be removed. Residents must refrain from feeding the pests. 

2. Administration

a. Karen reported that 20 homes have now been sold this year. There are 187 paid golfers. Window cleaning will take place in the near future. 

b. There is still an opening for a Newsletter editor. The website committee plans to issue a shorter information page in place of the October issues of the newsletter. It is difficult to publish a newsletter on the Salemtowne website because not everyone can access the site from a home computer. Ron suggested that it might be necessary to pay the next editor of the Salemtowne Newsletter. Ron MOVED to have Board members investigate the need to pay someone to publish a newsletter. Jerry SECONDED and the motion was APPROVED. In addition, Ron asked Cori to have the IT/Website Committee take a look into a newsletter as part of a process to update and integrate the computer system. Cori agreed to make a presentation to the Board on or about October 20, 2022. Jo Gosselin emphasized that it’s important to estimate the demand for newsletter use by non-connected and computer savvy residents. 

c. There will be a zoom Law Seminar dealing with homeowner associations on October 22, 2022 from 9am – 1pm sponsored by Vial Fotheringham Law. Karen has the signup details. 

d. Board members receiving an unsolicited call with an Estacada, OR number must be aware that this could be from the security monitoring company. 

Board Reports 

1. Chair – This is Gerry’s last Board Meeting. Chair Morgan commented on several items.

a. The Breeze Coffee Shop – The coffee shop needs a manager to purchase inventory, collect revenues and make sure the space is clean and functional. Coleen volunteered to investigate establishing a committee to seek volunteers to provide these services. Denny will continue to collect revenues every Tuesday until further notice. 

b. Gerry proposed a Breeze Coffee Shop gift card program. Individuals will be able to purchase gift certificates for coffee shop items and pass them to friends and volunteers. 

c. The group discussed the management of the Farmhouse kitchen. Jan Ober has helped but reservations must be made to use the facility. 

d. The Library Committee wants to use storage space in the kitchen for book donations. Ron has allocated storage space among interested parties but this space remains in contention. The janitor and the Rovers need, and have requested, space in this area too. Coleen suggested that a review of the available space be conducted and reallocated if appropriate. 

e. The Decoration Committee is in need of new leadership. Several of the existing leaders plan to step down and new volunteers are needed. Different people have volunteered at various times during the year, depending on the season. It is expected this will occur again. 

2. Operations– Ron discussed several items.

a. Ron plans to develop an “informational video” to promote the Salemtowne community as a great place to live. He is working with Chris Robertson and others. Meetings are planned for 10:15am on Monday, Sept. 19th and 3:45pm on Wednesday, September 21st. 

b. The shuffleboard in the pool room still needs refinishing. 

c. Ron suggested that the community could benefit from installing two more video security cameras to cover the Community Center parking lots. They can be installed for $1,000 each. After a brief discussion, Coleen MOVED allocate $1,000 to install one additional camera covering the front parking lot. The Board approved the motion 4:1. Gerry opposed. 

d. Ron is working to finalize the installation of hallway doors. 

e. Ron asked members of the IT Committee to make a presentation to the Board at the October 20th meeting at 2:00pm. The topic of the presentation will be upgrading and operating Salemtowne’s computer system. Ron made a MOTION to that effect and it passed 4:1. Gerry opposed.

f. Ron called the Board’s attention to the lumber stored in the basement. There is a significant amount of cedar and fir slats taken from the walls in the Farmhouse during the rebuild. Jan Ober requested that some of the pieces be held for future use in the Farmhouse. Ron asked Len Farr to look into selling the unused lumber to determine if it could be reused by the public and at what price. Ron asked the Board to approve this plan and he MOVED for approval. The Board approved this activity.

3. Secretary – Jerry reported on two issues. 

a. The Fitness Center is currently managed by Chris Owen and Judi Tripp. They will suggest future changes to the space and develop programs offerings. Paul Jesperson, a Salemtowne resident, will join their team. 

b. Jerry distributed a list of approved Salemtowne residents authorized to open and/or close the Community Center rooms. Some of the rooms are connected to the new security system. Certain individuals will be allowed to arm and disarm the security system. To relieve the lockup crew and the unlock crew from dealing with the security alarms, the system will automatically arm itself at 10pm and disarm itself at 7am. Residents will therefore not be permitted to occupy the community center between 10pm and 7am. Exceptions will be made for private events with prior approval. However, this will require an authorized Salemtowne person to rearm the system after normal hours and may require a service fee from the user for this service.

4. Treasurer – This is Denny’s last Board Meeting.

a. Denny reported that he is preparing the 6th payment of $171,631 to Duncan Construction. The remaining balance due Duncan is approximately $64,000. SCA has $104,600 cash on hand in the fire fund. SCA has about $40,600 remaining in the fire fund plus as much as $38,900 ($30,400 equipment loss refund + $8,500 builder risk insurance refund) at the close of the fire fund account. Duncan Construction has been paid a total of $1,280,870 for the rebuild which is roughly on par with their initial estimate. SCA requested 25 change orders during the rebuild that cost additional money. 

b. Denny reported that the unused furniture fire sale generated $700 in revenues. The Community Sale resulted in $829.80 in revenue for the Friends of Salemtowne Fund. 

c. The Grand Opening event of Sept. 6th cost about $750. $1,000 was budgeted for the event. 

5. Vice-Chair – Nothing significant to report at this time. 

Committee Reports 

1. LARC – Jo Gosselin reported on LARC activities so far this year and presented two resident requests requiring Board approval. a. Between January and August 2022, there have been 38 resident requests to change their properties involving painting, fences, or construction projects of various types. 

b. The LARC Committee has worked on 23 violations of community landscaping standards during the same period. Two violations were the result of resident complaints and 21 violations resulted from LARC Committee member investigations. Jo suggested that the LARC Committee plans to be more actively involved in exposing resident violations of community standards as described in the Bylaws. 

c. Jo reported that Jason and the grounds crew completed cleaning up the yard debris behind the homes on Twin Oaks. This was necessary to control what was a fire hazard and home to pests and rodents. 

d. Jo presented the Board with a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document for their review and comment. 

e. There are two architectural change requests that require Board approval because they may be controversial in nature or because they may call for an exemption to the existing rules. i. A resident on Winslow Way is requesting the addition of a patio cover. The cover will be attached to the home and is 22’ long X 15’ high and will extend 15’ from the house. Three posts will anchor the cover. The posts may be considered as an obstruction to the view of the golf course of a secondary lot owner. The secondary lot owner was not consulted. Jo RECOMMENDED that the request be approved. Jerry MOVED to approve the request and the Board approved the request 4:1. Coleen abstained. 

A resident on Oakcrest Dr. is requesting to build a “split rail” fence along the front of her property to restrict access. The fence would be three feet tall. Walkers and pets continue to trespass on her property. Fencing in front of private property is currently not allowed by rule. The resident has tried to keep people and pets off of her property for some time – to no avail. Jo RECOMMENDED that the request be approved. Gerry MOVED to grant the request. The request was approved 4:1. Coleen voted no. 

Resident Requests 

1. Ron will check in to acquiring “hard of hearing” signs is areas where appropriate. Some residents find it hard to hear the proceedings. 

2. Jay Gordon would like to donate an amplifier to the SCA. Jay would also like to paint the bench currently located below the information panel in front of the business office. 

3. Residents have asked that the Video Library sign be moved to the new location. 

Next Governing Document meeting: Wednesday, September 21st @ 10am 

Community Forum set for the evening of Monday, October 3rd 

Board Meeting Adjourned: 11:15am 

Executive Session 

Called to order at 11:20am in the Conference Room to consider a personnel health insurance issue. The issue was resolved by a unanimous vote of the Board and the appropriate changes will be made. 

Adjourn: 11:30am 

 SCA Board Meeting Minutes 

September 3, 2022 – Golf Club House 

M I N U T E S 

Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 8:55am 

Board Members Present: Chair Gerry Morgan, Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, Operations Director Ron Lester, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Board member elect Valerie Vollmar was present. 

Staff Present: Jason Halfman and Karen Holland 

Guests: 14 

Approval of Minutes: The Board approved the August 19th Board Meeting Minutes, the August 24th and August 31st Special Board Meeting (Governing Documents) Minutes as presented. 

Staff Reports 

1. Administration – Karen reported that 17 homes have sold so far this year. There are 187 paid golfers. The Breeze Coffee Shop will not take reservations for groups. Karen postponed the start of the “live” security system until we can hold a group meeting to make sure everyone understands the system. Signs have been posted under the Winslow Way bridge notifying residents that canine waste is not to be deposited in the garbage cans under the bridge. There will be a HOA legal seminar offered on-line on October 22, 2022 from 8am-1pm (see Karen for details). There is a need to organize and account for keys circulating in the community. Karen received a verbal complaint about hazardous yard debris next to the west wall on Wallace Road (more in the LARC report). 

2. Grounds Superintendent – Jason reported that the golf course has been sanded. He plans to move next year’s sanding back two weeks until mid-September. Jason plans to keep the pool open until the end of September. He has just enough chemicals to reach that date. It costs $30-$40 per day to sanitize the pool. At the end of September, more chemicals will need to be purchased ($600) to extend the season. 

Board Reports 

1. Chair – Gerry asked the Board for permission to provide champagne to guests and residents attending the September 6th Grand Opening event. Denny indicated that SCA does not carry liability insurance that would provide coverage for an event that distributes alcohol. After considering the potential monetary risks to the community, Board members declined to pay for and serve alcohol to event guests. In the absence of proper insurance, serving alcohol to the public creates an unacceptable risk for the SCA. 

2. Operations – Ron mentioned several items. 

a. The security system is not ready to fully operate at this time. Ron and Karen will develop a list of individuals who must be informed about the system and have unique access codes assigned to each person. 

b. Ron has allocated storage space to specific groups. He plans to contact the affected people next week. There will be two keys each for the library, cleaners and rovers. Work is progressing to install shelving and cabinets in the basement storage area. 

c. Pool players have requested sound reduction carpet for the walls in the billiard room. Ron will meet with the group concerned to determine if this is warranted. 

d. Ron is working with Salemtowne residents to develop a professionally made promotional video to promote Salemtowne to interested parties. There will be a cost associated with this activity. It may cost as much as $1,500 to produce the video. No action was taken. 

e. The new conference room should be completed ASAP. We are awaiting Cori Rossmeisl’s input. 

f. The Garden Committee plans to seek funds during the budget process to hire paid temporary helpers to reduce the number of hours the committee relies on volunteers. The current budget allocates $2,000 for gardening activities. Cheryl Mahon will develop a list of professional landscapers that might be contacted to provide workers. 

g. Ron is working to complete repairs to the shuffleboard. The top surface must be appropriately re-finished. 

3. Vice-Chair – Coleen suggested that the Board should only meet once per month starting in October. Board meeting could be held on the third Friday of each month from now on. Gerry MOVED to accept Coleen’s proposal, Coleen SECONDED and the motion passed. 

4. Treasurer – Denny indicated that he canceled “builders risk insurance” effective August 31, 2022. This will result in an $8,500 refund. There is $276,228 in SCA’s fire fund after receiving a $189,000 depreciation payment from Cincinnati Insurance Co. Most of this amount will be paid to Duncan Construction. SCA awaits their final bill. Denny’s current estimate is that SCA will have about $25,400 after expenses are paid. 

5. Secretary – Jerry reported that the Fitness Committee plans to ask for a TRX ($200) and exercise platform to complete the Fitness Center’s equipment needs. In addition, there is a need to secure professional advice regarding how to operate the equipment and conduct a proper exercise program. Gerry suggested Kiara Ballard (971)599-0388. Others may be consulted as well. Gerry Morgan purchased the desk currently in the fitness room. 

Committee Reports 

1. LARC – Jo Gosselin has investigated the debris piles behind the homes next to the wall on Wallace Road. One of the residents is in her 90’s and has trouble cleaning up the debris. The City of Salem has written her a letter stating that the City will issue a fine of $250/day beginning on September 12th unless something is done about the debris. Jo has contacted the resident’s next of kin in an attempt to help the elderly resident deal with the situation. Jason has worked on this 

issue before but there is a limit to what he and his staff can do. Jo plans to contact the home owners involved with placing yard debris in this area to sort things out and find a solution. The yard debris represents a fire hazard and it is attracting rodents and insects. There were no other LARC activities to report at this time. 

Informational 

1. Sound System – Chris Robertson demonstrated a new portable sound system donated to Salemtowne by “the Players” through Friends of Salemtowne. Thank you, Roberta Taylor, for making that gift. The sound system has a number of features. It is available to all Salemtowne residents in need of a sound system. Contact Chris Robertson, Alan Avery or Curt May to reserve the equipment. 

2. CPR Training – Rich Hoffman discussed his desire to train as many Salemtowne residents as possible to perform CPR. The training is free of charge. He would like to use Salemtowne facilities to conduct a 4 ½ hour class every other week. There is room for 10 individuals per class. Mr. Hoffman has an extensive background in emergency medicine and is a licensed EMT. He can be reached on his website at http: pnwcprfirstaid.com 

3. Line Dancing – Barb Sanders (503)689-7742 plans to offer line dancing classes every Wednesday at 2pm in the Towne Hall. Lessons are free of charge. 

Next Meeting: September 16, 2022 

 SCA Special Board Meeting (Governing Documents) 

August 31, 2022 

Towne Hall 

Call to order: Chair Morgan called the meeting to order at 2:00pm. Gerry introduced the meeting moderator Valerie Vollmar. 

Board Members Present: Chair Gerry Morgan, Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, Operations Director Ron Lester, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Board members elect: Blair Hill and Valerie Vollmar. 

Guests: Terry Davidson, Roberta Taylor and one more. 

Approval of August 24, 2022 SCA Special Board Meeting Minutes. The Board approved the minutes with minor changes. 

1. Moderator Valerie Vollmar suggested that it’s time for Board members to reach a consensus regarding which questions the association’s attorney, Ryan Harris, must address. The Board should develop a strategy for presenting a revised CC&R document to owners for approval. The next step is to solicit a legal review of the Board’s current questions and a written response from Mr. Harris. With Mr. Harris’ review, the Board can set a date to meet and discuss the options provided by Mr. Harris before deciding on a final proposal to submit to the owners. Board members generally agreed with this approach. 

2. Valerie presented Board members with a summary (green print) of questions Mr. Harris needs to address. This summary is based on input from Gerry Morgan, Coleen Barbee and other documents submitted over the past several months. Valerie’s summary specifically mentioned two financial issues: 1) Assessments (Article VI, Section 3, Page 6) and 2) Membership Fee (Article VI, Section 7, page 8). In addition, the summary included questions regarding use restrictions on private lots, type of dwellings, and rentals. 

3. Participants discussed the need for Mr. Harris to be specific with regard to his review. It is critical for Mr. Harris to indicate what must be in the CC&Rs versus what can remain in the Bylaws. For example, does the distribution and use of the membership fee need to be described in the CC&Rs or can it be addressed in the Rules and Regulations? 

4. Jerry MOVED to send a hard copy of Valerie’s “green” summary to Mr. Harris under Salemtowne letterhead and signed by the Board Chair. Ron SECONDED and Board members approved. The Board will wait for Mr. Harris’ written response before calling another meeting on this subject. 

Adjourn: 2:45pm 

 SCA Special Board Meeting (Governing Documents) 

August 24, 2022 

Towne Hall 

Call to order: Chair Morgan called the meeting to order at 2:00pm. Gerry introduced the meeting moderator Valerie Vollmar. 

Board Members Present: Chair Gerry Morgan, Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, Operations Director Ron Lester, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Board members elect: Blair Hill and Valerie Vollmar. 

Guests: 12 

The Challenge: Valerie referred to the August 10, 2022 SCA Board Meeting Minutes which expressed the Board’s desire to develop a strategy for changing the current CC&Rs to remedy an issue identified by the Association’s attorney, Mr. Ryan Harris. Valerie asked the Secretary to summarize the issue. Jerry responded as follows: 

The Association’s attorney, Mr. Ryan Harris, advised the Board in 2019 that revisions to the Governing Documents made by the Salemtowne community in 2002 substantially weakened the Association’s ability to create and enforce rules and regulations contained in our Governing Documents. Oregon law requires that provisions restricting a homeowner’s use of their property must be in the CC&Rs and not simply in the Bylaws in order to be legally enforceable. Thus, many of the authorities SCA residents have counted on to keep the community financially healthy and functioning at an acceptable level since 2002 are now in question and may not withstand a legal challenge. Indeed, in Mr. Harris’ opinion, it is highly probable that SCA would lose a legal challenge to our existing rules and regulations. This means that residents could be held financially responsible for failed lawsuits brought by a homeowner. 

Therefore, amendments must again be made to the current CC&Rs to give legal authority to regulate the SCA community back to residents, operating through the Board of Directors, to meet legal requirements associated with establishing and enforcing provisions that address: 1) a method for allocating common expenses, 2) provisions for establishing a reserve account, and 3) all restrictions affecting a homeowner’s right with respect to their lot or improvements. This includes requirements for architectural control, exterior maintenance, and restrictions on such things as signs, flags, pets and parking. It is important to note that changes to the CC&Rs require a 75% approval by homeowners (463 x 75% = 348) while changes to rules and regulations require a majority vote of the Board of Directors. 

Revising the CC&Rs 

1. The Secretary expressed his view that the Board should only ask residents to pass minimal revisions to the CC&Rs that allow the details of specific restrictions to be set forth in the Rules & Regulations. Mr. Harris’ letter to the Board, “The Proposed 2022 Amended and Restated Declaration of Covenants Conditions and Restrictions of SCA”, clearly set forth his proposed revisions to the CC&Rs. (SEE: Article IV, Assessments, Section 1-14, pp. 3-10). 

2. The Vice-Chair expressed her view that Mr. Harris needs to provide more detailed information regarding his proposed CC&R revisions. For example, Coleen noted that there is a conflict regarding Mr. Harris’ proposed revision document between the Article VI, Section 3(d) on page 6 which requires a “majority” of the total votes cast at the Annual Meeting to change a new base assessment amount vs. Article I, Section 1, page 4, which states a 75% vote is required to make changes to the Declaration. Finally, Coleen wants more items currently listed in the Rules & Regulations added to the CC&Rs. 

3. Chair Morgan did not feel that Mr. Harris provided enough information to complete a proper draft of revised CC&Rs. She took a position between Coleen’s view placing more restrictions in the CC&Rs and Jerry’s view suggesting fewer rules in the CC&Rs leaving the details in the Bylaws. The Chair wondered whether wording in Sections 4 – Use and Exterior Appearance of Lots and Units, Section 5 – Maintenance of Lots and Units, and Section 6 – Architectural Review was adequate left in the Rules & Regulations or should these sections be moved to the CC&Rs. 

4. Treasurer Laughery gave his support to the changes proposed by Tom Mahon in his January 6, 2022 “Governing Documents Revision” report submitted to the Board. Denny felt several of Tom’s suggestions should be removed from the Rules & Regulations and added to the new version of the CC&Rs. Denny supports adding a 1% “Buy In Fee” requirement to the CC&Rs. 

5. Ron tended to support the minimalist view that fewer details should be added to the next version of the CC&Rs. Ron feels that residents will be confused by these changes. The more we can relate the proposed changes to the ones that existed in 1967, the better chance the community will accept them. Thus, Sections 4 – Use and Exterior Appearance of Lots and Units, Section 5 – Maintenance of Lots and Units, and Section 6 – Architectural Review should be included in the CC&Rs. 

6. Blair Hill suggested that revisions to the CC&Rs should not be too specific. Details about various restrictions should be set forth in the Bylaws with authority granted by the CC&Rs. 

1. 7. Participants spend a significant amount of time discussing association finances and property assessments. a. Terry Davidson, Finance Committee Chair, reminded members of Board that “Article VI, Section I: Assessments” of the current CC&Rs states: “The Association through its Board of Directors shall assess all common expenses against all lots and units that are subject to assessment according to the allocations in the Declaration. Terms and provisions relating to budget, assessment, liens and collection procedures are set forth in the Bylaws,” (p. 6). Thus, the Board already has the authority to collect an assessment. 
2. b. The Finance Committee proposed an 8% limit on assessment rate increases for the 2023 budget year. Others felt this increase must be tied to the western CPI while others felt this amount should be limited to 5%. Board members generally preferred to cease using the CPI as a guide to rate increases. 
3.  

1. 1. c. Board members generally agreed to set the new resident buy-in-fee at 1% of the home purchase price as suggested by the Treasurer. 
   2.  

8. Participants asked the Chair to develop a list of proposed CC&R revisions, based on our discussions, that may include some or all of Mr. Harris’ suggestions. This list will be reviewed by the Board and presented to Mr. Harris for comment. 

9. Participants asked Coleen to develop a set of financial requirements and provisions based on Mr. Harris’ suggestions that may be placed in the new CC&Rs. The CPI number will be replaced with another number that Coleen will define. If 30% or more of the residents do not approve, a vote will be required. Coleen’s suggestions will be reviewed by the Board prior to submitting them to the attorney. 

Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 31, 2022 @ 2:00pm 

Adjourn: 3:30pm 

 SCA Board Meeting Minutes 

August 19, 2022 – Town Hall 

M I N U T E S 

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:00am by Chair Morgan 

Board Members Present: Chair Gerry Morgan, Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Elected Board members – Blair Hill and Valerie Vollmar. Ron Lester was away. 

Staff Present: Jason Halfman and Karen Holland 

Guests: 9 

Approval of Minutes and meeting notes: April 5th Minutes – approved as written; April 10th Special Meeting Notes (CC&Rs) – approved as written; April 12th Special Meeting Notes (Gosselin) – approved as written, however, Gerry Morgan did not approve. 

Staff Reports 

1. Building & Ground – Jason indicated that the ground crew is working to beautify the course by spreading bark dust. He has reduced irrigation by up to 50% recently. Skunks are a problem in several areas. A family of skunks showed up on Twin Oaks and near hole #6. Jason will contact a professional exterminator. Residents are reminded not to feed the skunks. 

2. Administration 

• • The Business Office will be closed on Monday, September 5th to observe the holiday. 
• • A wedding is planned for Sept. 2nd. Karen will contact the participants to let them know SCA will be using the Towne Hall that morning until about 10:30am for a Board meeting. 
• • Karen is planning a new Board member training session for the week of Sept. 19th. 
• • The City of Salem will handle a resident’s complaint regarding a low hanging tree limb. 
• • Karen was contacted by a window cleaner seeking to wash the windows in the Town Hall. 

Board Reports 

1. Chair 

• • The next special meeting of the Board to discuss the CC&Rs is scheduled for Aug. 24th at 2pm. 
• • Gerry stated that the IT Committee still needs assistance from Karen to complete the web page. Gerry MOVED to grant Cori Rossmeisl, Deb Campbell, and Chris Robertson access to the business office and grounds crew office after normal business hours for the purpose of maintaining the computer systems. Jerry SECONDED and the motion passed. 
• • Regarding LARC, Gerry reported that the LARC committee met on Aug. 16th to discuss the Board’s concerns expressed in their meeting with Jo on Aug. 12th. Gerry noted the Board 

• expressed concern over their lack of knowledge in LARC activities. The LARC committee requested that Gerry ask for Board approval to allow LARC to develop SOPs to assist communication and work flow between the Board, the Community and LARC volunteers. The committee also asked Gerry to clarify the Board’s direction on authority to continue LARC activities in the community. Participants discussed the need for a monthly activity report from LARC. Gerry MOVED to grant the LARC Committee permission to approve all standard LARC related activities provided the requests are “routine” and meet all provisions set forth in the Bylaws. All other requests will be referred to the Board for approval. Coleen SECONDED and the motion passed. 
• • Gerry announced that the Grand Opening of the remodeled community center will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 from 4:30 – 6:30pm. Refreshments will be served and residents will be free to tour the “NEW” facility. There will be music and a ribbon cutting. 

2. Operations (Jan Ober reported in Ron Lester’s absence). Jan identified a number of recent accomplishments: 

• • The Kitchen is almost finished. Rich DuBois and John Mangini will finish the counters next week. 
• • Rich is also working on the shelving in the new Library. 
• • The Breeze Café is nearly complete. Tables and chairs were placed in the room and on the deck. 
• • Repairs to the women’s toilet in the Towne Hall are complete. 
• • The new security system is in place and tested. 
• • Work on the ADA automatic doors entering the hall north of the fitness center continues. 
• • New furniture is now in the Farmhouse 
• • We can expect to receive our occupancy permit during the week of August 22nd. 

Jerry provided an update for the Fitness Center. 

• • All new fitness equipment was delivered on Aug. 15th. 
• • A new wall mirror was installed on Aug. 18th 
• • The ballet bar is under construction. 
• • Storage shelves and a coat hanger will be installed next week. 

3. Secretary 

• • Jerry announced that Steve Hunt, the Newsletter editor, has resigned from his duties. He and his wife are moving. We need a new Newsletter editor. 
• • Cathy Nelson has agreed to be the next lead person for the Neighborhood Block Committees. Gerry MOVED to approve Cathy for this position. Coleen SECONDED and the motion passed. 
• • Jerry indicated that the old video library is free to accept items from the Rossmeisl pod. 

4. Treasurer 

• • Denny reported that Schwindt plans to complete the 2021 Statement by the end of August. 
• • Denny indicated that Cincinnati Insurance has agreed to return $189,000 they have withheld pending completion of the fire repairs. 

• • Denny has filed a claim seeking $30,400 for equipment damaged during the fire. 
• • Denny has cancelled the builders risk insurance policy saving SCA about $8,500. 
• • Total insurance proceeds = $1,480,000; Current expenses = $1,454,000 for balance of $26,000 not including outstanding claims. There is $276,000 on hand in the fire cash account. 
• • The Finance Committee has submitted a position paper regarding the CC&Rs. 
• • Denny presented a service agreement request from Alarm NW Tech seeking $48 / month to provide security system monitoring for a two-year period. The agreement can be renewed at the same price. Jerry MOVED to approve the service agreement and Coleen SECONDED. The motion was approved. 
• • Denny noted that a resident called the Board’s attention to a metal strip in the pool area that presents a danger. Jason will handle it. 

5. Vice-Chair – Coleen discussed the status of the $100 cleaning deposit required to reserve community center facilities when food is involved. The requirement is difficult to monitor and folks are concerned about the deposit. Board members generally agreed to eliminate cleaning deposits from SCA committees and for SCA events until January 1, 2023 at which time it will be reviewed. Private party events will still have to post a $100 cleaning deposit. 

All City Paving 

Troy Lange, owner of All City Paving and an SCA resident, was awarded two years of golf free of charge for his family (wife and two sons) in return for patching the community’s golf cart path. This benefit will run through 2022 and 2023. 

Next Board Meeting: Friday, September 5, 2022 at 9:00am 

Adjourn: 10:15am 

 SCA Special Board Meeting Notes 

August 12, 2022 – Craft Room 

N O T E S 

Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:30PM 

Board Members Present: Chair Gerry Morgan, Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, Operations Director Ron Lester, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Elected Board member Valerie Vollmar. 

Guests: Jo Gosselin, Roberta Taylor, Kathie & Dick Painter, and Delena Thompson. 

Purpose: The meeting was called to hear from Jo Gosselin. Jo resigned her position as Chair of the LARC Committee. Board members wanted her to reconsider. Jo provided Board members with an explanation of her concerns. 

Jo Gosselin 

1. Jo discussed the availability of LARC Minutes. There are 3 months of Minutes saved for 2022. LARC members have not been meeting as often in 2022 due to the confusion over LARC authority to carry out its responsibilities given the problems with SCA’s Governing Documents. LARC’s 2021 Minutes are available. 

2. Jo indicated that her team consists of four sub-groups.

a. Landscaping – Esther Mangini, Dan Dart, Delena Thompson and Kathie Painter 

b. Focus – Pat Reisinger and Susan Owens. This group identifies and promotes homes that are unusually well maintained 

c. Paint – Kathie Painter, Delena Thompson, and Tracy Thompson 

d. Construction – Jo Gosselin and Susan Owens 

3. Jo expressed her concern that the Board has not provided the LARC Committee with clear guidance regarding what is expected of them. Communication is lacking. There is no clear vision of what the Board expects. Jo has communicated with Gerry Morgan, Board Liaison, however, more needs to be done. 

4. Jo suggested that the group needs to do a better job of tracking complaints and requests for change approvals. Karen seems to be the gatekeeper. Karen receives complaints and change requests and allocates these to LARC members or Board members as appropriate. 

5. Jo indicated that LARC members are in a good position to hear from community members and pass this information on to the Board. 

6. Jo suggested that complaints and applications for change orders must be handled in a timely manner. Some requests have taken up to two months to resolve. 

7. Participants discussed who should make the final decision regarding change requests. Board members were divided on this subject. Some approved of delegating this responsibility to the LARC Committee while others felt the Board should make the final decision. No decision was reached. 

8. There must be a process for decision-making that keeps Board members informed about LARC activities. 

9. Jo recommended establishing a Communication Committee and associated plan to make sure everyone has an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. 

10. Jo indicated that Rules & Regulation need to be clearly defined. Activities must be supervised; and there needs to be follow-up. 

11. Roberta suggested that each committee should prepare job descriptions for each member. 

12. Participants agreed that the LARC Committee needs to prepare a monthly report that will be distributed to Board members at the Board Meeting on the 3rd Friday of each month. 

13. The group briefly discussed the approach LARC members often take while dealing with residents. Jo indicated it was gentle as opposed to aggressive. 

14. LARC members react to complaints as well as personally investigating problem areas in the community. There are a few problem residents that can’t seem to abide by the rules. 

Results 

Jo agreed to remain as the Chairperson on the LARC Committee. 

Adjourn: 5:30pm 

 SCA Special Board Meeting Minutes 

August 10, 2022 – Craft Room 

M I N U T E S 

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 2:00pm by Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee 

Board Members Present: Vice-Chair Coleen Barbee, Secretary Jerry Gardner, Operations Director Ron Lester, and Treasurer Denny Laughery. Elected Board members – Blair Hill and Vallerie Vollmer. 

Guests: Al and Cori Rossmeisl, Don Conrad, Carole Hoover, Roberta Taylor, Jo Gosselin, Terry Davidson, John and Esther Mangini, and two others. 

The discussion concerned developing a strategy for gaining the voter approval for changing the existing CC&Rs to allow the Board to enforce specific rules and regulations in accordance with the Planned Community Act (ORS 94.550-94.785). According to the SCA’s attorney, Ryan Harris, changes were made to SCA’s CC&Rs in 2002 that weakened the HOA’s ability to enforce rules and regulations. 

Several expressed a concern with how long the process has taken. Time is of the essence. The group came to the conclusion that further debate on changes to specific rules and regulations is too time consuming, controversial, and may reduce the probability of gaining voter approval. Participants differed on placing rules in the CC&Rs vs. allowing the Board to make decisions on rules. The majority of the Board seemed to side with placing fewer items in the CC&Rs thereby preserving flexibility by only requiring Board approval to make changes. 

Participants were asked to take Ryan Harris’s document, “The Proposed 2022 Amended and Restated Declaration of Covenants Conditions and Restrictions of Salemtowne Civic Association”, and use it as a base line for further discussion. Board members were asked to make changes to this base document as they see fit to develop a document that can be reviewed by the attorney. The goal is to come up with a short, specific document that can be presented to residents for an up or down vote. 

Several individuals saw the need to develop a process for considering future rule amendments and rule changes. 

NEXT MEETING: August 17th, 2:00pm, location TBD. 

Adjourn: 3:10pm