Mountain Folk News
 
June 2008

Annual Meeting Highlights

About thirty homeowners attended the 2008 Annual Meeting at the Senior Center. The meeting lasted more than two hours, because of the many areas for discussion. In this reporter’s opinion, the meeting ranked among the best annual meetings in recent memory.

These are some of the highlights of the meeting, taken from the Minutes, which can be found at www.duquettepines.com.

-- President Brent Adamson presented the financial report. We’re in good shape, with approximately $50,000 in our water account and $68,000 in our road and site maintenance account. There are 172 lots that get billed for road maintenance costs, at $340 a year. And there are 81 lots that currently pay for water hookups, at $240 a year.

-- Manager Jim White provided an update on road, gate, and water issues. He urged residents to Slow Down, before someone gets seriously injured. He is seriously considering reinstating the speed bumps.

--We seem to be in relatively decent shape with the water available to homeowners, via our wells in the meadow. But, as we enter summer and fall, folks are reminded that watering lawns is discouraged, given our limited water supply.

-- The Board has unanimously decided to hold off building a Fire House in the subdivision. There were several reasons for this decision, including cost, the state of the economy, and the quickness of the Idaho City Volunteer Fire Department in responding to fires last year.

-- A second standpipe will be installed, near the gate, for increased fire safety. And the Board has decided to purchase adapters for individual fire stands, for quick hook-up by the Idaho City Volunteer Fire Dept. These are brass fittings that speed up the ability of the Fire Dept to hook into a homeowner’s standpipe. The Board realizes that not everyone will want this brass fitting, since some folks already have a fire hose attached to their standpipe.

-- North American Dust Control has been contracted to apply magnesium chloride to the entire subdivision. The rainy weather has postponed their arrival, but they’re now scheduled to apply the dust abatement treatment on June 20th. Be sure to drive slowly for a day or two after the mag chloride is applied, to protect the underside of your vehicle.

-- Manager White and Ray Ekland, Association member and silviculturist for the Forest Service, reminded owners to remove dead or diseased trees from their property, to help reduce beetle infestation. You can find more information about bugs and trees on our website.

-- We are in the final stages of a voluntary project to make our homes more fire-wise. Don Dittmer and Max Muffley, the contractors, are focusing on Division Four this year. After this year, the project is likely over for us. Don and Max were very pleased with the support they got from homeowners in Divisions One, Two, and Three during the past two years.


New Board Candidates

This year we need to fill two vacancies on our DPHOA Board. Two individuals have chosen to run. Their names are Roy Doan (from Division Four) and Jared Harrington (from Division Three).

Roy was elected to a one-year term in 2007, replacing Elizabeth Nelson, who resigned for health reasons. And Bruce Reichert is completing his second three-year term the end of July and is willing to step aside to let someone else take his place.

Roy Doan: “Having spent a year on the Board, I have been very active in making sure our monies are spent wisely. I will continue to make sure my voice represents the views of the majority of land owners in Duquette Pines.”

Jared Harrington: “ I was born and raised in Garden Valley. After graduating from high school, I spent four years in the Navy. I have traveled the United States and several other countries, and came home to Boise County just over a year ago. My wife and I enjoy hiking, mountain bike riding, kayaking, skiing, and horseback riding. We are fortunate to enjoy all of these hobbies just a stone’s throw from our home in Duquette Pines.”

Make Your Vote Count!
Ballots due July 15th

The Duquette Pines Homeowners Association Board consists of five board members and two alternates. An alternate will fill a board member’s position should an existing Association board member vacate his/her position, until tenure of the position expires or another election is held. Board member terms are three years and begin August 1, 2008.

As property owners in Duquette Pines Subdivisions 1,2,3, and 4, you have the opportunity to elect two Board members to the DPHOA Board this year. The seats currently held by Roy Doan and Bruce Reichert will be filled when ballots are received by July 15, 2008, and counted. So get your ballots in by July 15th. They can be mailed in or hand-delivered to a Board member.


Voting Guidelines

-- Each owner shall have one vote (regardless of the number of lots owned). Joint owners cast their vote as a unit.

-- In this election, each owner shall vote for two individual nominees. Any ballot received where more than two nominees receives a vote will be disqualified.

-- The owner must sign the ballot. Any ballot not signed by the owner will be disqualified. To maintain voting confidentiality, signatures will be separated from the ballot by an uninterested third party prior to counting them.

-- The nominees receiving the most votes shall fill the Association Board member positions. The persons receiving the next most votes will be our two Alternate members, according to our By-Laws.


Invoices

-- The 2008-2009 Invoices are included in this mailing. Owners with balances owing will also receive a Statement of the outstanding amount. Each property owner pays $340 per year for road and site assessment. Water user’s rate is $240 per year.

-- At the June meeting the Board agreed to add an 18% interest rate to everyone who is a year or more late on their dues. This will now apply to all divisions, not just three and four.