TLPOA Annual Meeting

June 30, 2012 

Opening of Meeting

Rockey Reed brought the meeting to order at 9:00 am. Fifty five members were present. Officers present were: Rockey Reed, President; Larry Schwartz, Vice President; Judy Crawford, Treasurer; Pat Ulm, Member at Large; Bridget Koons, Secretary.

Rockey led the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of Heather Webber who had passed away last year. Rockey welcomed new association members.

Guest Speakers

Sergeant Jeff Beard of the Mono County Sheriff’s Dept. spoke on the topic of preparing in the event of a fire. Currently, the fire danger is very high. The Sheriff’s Dept. will facilitate with fire evacuation, recovery and cleanup. He reminded members of the importance of having up-to-date contact information in the Sheriff’s Dept. ‘code red’ system (reverse 911). When 911 is dialed, the call is taken in Bridgeport. An automated name and location will appear. This information can be confusing because street names can be the same in Twin Lakes and Bridgeport. He recommended that homeowners put contact information on their refrigerator in case emergency crew has to come into their house, especially if they are out of town. If that is the case, list where you will be and the contact information. Recently, the Sheriff’s Dept. held a meeting with the forest service and Bridgeport Fire to discuss the situation and preparation. If there is a fire, evacuate the area immediately. The heat and smoke is too dangerous. The forest service will turn the area into an ‘air show’, retrieving water from the lake. Don’t go into the lake, go to town. Sergeant Beard also talked about law enforcement and the fact that there’s not much crime at Twin Lakes.   He reminded homeowners at the end of the season to make sure everything is secure and put away. Also, they should be sure to winterize their homes so there are no surprises in the spring such as a flooded house. He also spoke of the problem with troublesome bears. Problem bears are killed. They should not be fed. When a bear is fed, it will break into homes and cars because it associates food with people. Recently, a young bear was in a house on Charley Day Drive. The homeowner heard noise, came downstairs and was face to face with the bear. The owner screamed and the bear panicked and fled. Currently, they are testing pepper ball in dealing with problem bears. Recently, at a Sonora Campground, a bear that had been regularly fed and was tame became a problem. The Sheriff’s Dept. hit the bear four times with pepper ball and also bean bags. The bear left the area and hasn’t returned. Bird and hummingbird feeders can be a problem with attracting bears. Be sure to keep them out of reach. Member Bob Wilson asked Sgt Beard about the problem with people speeding in residential areas on Twin Lakes Road. Beard said the residential sections on TL Road are 45 mph. He thinks it should be slower, maybe 35 mph. A comment was made about people fishing in the stream between the lakes. When this happens, the person can be cited, so give the Sheriff’s Dept. a call. Also, if there is someone suspicious in the area, contact the Sheriff’s Dept. Member Gerry Trapp has been keeping a meticulous record of all the members’ information and submitting it yearly to the Sheriff’s Dept. Sgt Beard said that with the Code Red system, this property owners list is no longer necessary. It will go into effect whenever there is fire, avalanche, or other dangerous situations.

Annamaria Echeverria of the Bridgeport Ranger Station, U.S. Forest Service, spoke of the Twin Lakes Fuel Reduction Project and introduced Channel Bube who is in charge of fuels reduction and creating defensible space which lessens the chance of fire. She conducts residential and campground inspections. Annamaria commented that Aspen Trees are not flammable and lessen the intensity of fire. The TLPOA Website will feature a link which members can access pertaining to the Twin Lakes Fuel Reduction Project. The forest service will be able to ‘link up’ and provide information such as scheduled prescribed burning, thinning, etc. This will be a great resource for property owners to stay informed especially when their cabin is second home and the owner is not there all the time. There was a controlled burn scheduled in the Cattlecreek area, but it was cancelled due to the dry winter and not enough snow. The burn was postponed until next winter.

Member John Hicks asked if fires are permitted on residential properties. Annamaria said that as private landowners, it’s okay, but it is the owner’s responsibility to watch and keep track of the fire and the owner is liable.  She suggested that if anyone wants more information on this subject to contact the Sheriff’s Dept. in regards to the law. On forest service land, currently the fire danger is listed as a Level 1 – no fires in campground. In paved campgrounds, it is okay right now, but if conditions change for the worse, the danger will be upgraded to Level 2 – no fires in any campgrounds. Presently, no campfires are permitted in the wilderness.  Annamaria talked of the environmental assessment which should be completed at the end of August. Mike Crawley, the district ranger, is reviewing. If all goes smoothly, the implementation should begin at the end of September. This will entail hand thinning of about 10 acres near Hunewill & Parker. The forest service crews will open up the area.

John Hicks of the Fire Safe Council talked of the 2010 grant which was completed last November in the area adjacent to Eagle Peak Road and Twin Lakes Road. The sage in that area was thinned and cleaned up. This was the final effort. The council doesn’t have another grant in the works and doesn’t have the cooperation of the ‘big landowner’ in the area. In the future, John will liaison with the forest service. The 4^th annual chipping day was last year. There wasn’t as much wood as in previous years. As a result, there won’t be a chipping day this year. The council is considering holding the chipping day every other year. Free coupons are available to help assist with yard waste. Ask Monte Weddle, John Hicks or Dick Crawford for coupons. When going to the dump, tell the attendant about the coupon and you will not be charged. You can take pine needles and pine cones to the dump and won’t need a coupon, and there is no charge for these items. We no longer have the use of the biomass site. This is forest service property. At the end of each season, we were required to clear the site, but since there are no funds to pay for the clearance, we will not be able to use the site. To create defensible space around your property, continue to clear and use coupons to dispose of vegetation. In regards to lease service property, if a home inspection is needed, contact Channel and she will schedule. After the inspection, she will make recommendations on what to clear, etc., to make property safe.

John met with the forest service on 6/28 and talked about the code red/reverse 911 system. John has information sheets about how to register. You can now have up to six telephone numbers listed. The system can set up TLPOA as a group. John reminded members that in the event of an emergency evacuation, there is only one road out – Twin Lakes Road. When notified to evacuate, you need to leave. The major concern is not so much for our residences but for Mono Village and evacuating campers with vehicles. John was asked by a member if it would be okay to use the Lower Twin dirt road. This road can be used to get to Twin Lakes Road. The main concern will be to get people out and save lives. Twin Lakes Road might be used as a dual road, going one way. Forest service personnel would be staged in the area (meadow) and once people are out, they will fight the fire. The elderly may need medical assistance. In that case, people should work with fire dept., so they can assist with evacuating. The fire council will attempt to keep members up to date on the cell tower being installed on Buckeye Road. We may have cell reception! If there is a fire, people will be able to return to their homes when safe. Information regarding fire safety will be posted on the website. In the case of a property not being cleared to create a defensible space, notices have been sent out by the County requiring that property owners clear 100 feet of defensible space around their property. If the property is a fire hazard, the County can mandate that it be cleared (PRC 42.91). This does not apply to undeveloped lots even though they may be a hazard. A member asked if the property owner wants to remove dead trees from forest service land, is it okay? Anna Maria answered and said “Yes, but you should have a permit if there is a forest service area which is a fire hazard.” In order for to get something done on the property, it would help to write a positive letter to the forest service stating your concern. The TLPOA may want to send a letter to the property owner asking that the lot be cleared. It was also mentioned the importance of taking pictures of possessions and updating records in case of an emergency.

CC&R’s – Rockey said we do have CC&R’s, and they are enforceable. The County and/or State can supercede.

Minutes – Due to time constraints, last year’s minutes weren’t read and so were not submitted for approval. Members can refer to the website for last year’s minutes.

Treasurer’s Report

Judy Crawford, Treasurer, read the Annual Treasurer’s Report. The beginning balance as of June 30, 2011 was $28,114.91. Income from dues was $2,910.00; raffle, $500.00; business directory, $150.00; interest from savings, $93.22, and interest from checking, $4.04. Total income was $3,657.26. Expenses were – (6) street signs, $950; website, $1,240.00, picnic, $241.21; admin/postage/copies/supplies, $988.31, P.O Box, $56.00; donations, $1,700.00. Total expenses were $5,175.52. The balance as of June 30, 2012 is $17,738.33 in savings and $8,858.32 in checking for a total of $26,596.65.

TLPOA Outgoing Officers

Rockey thanked the outgoing officers, Judy Crawford, Treasurer, Bridget Koons, Secretary, and Pat Ulm, Member at Large. He presented Judy and Bridget with flowers and a gift card. He also thanked Gerry Tripp for her work in maintaining the membership roster and presented her with flowers and gift card.

TLPOA Office Nominations

The nominees, Pat Ulm, Treasurer, Linda Eisele, Secretary, and Lou Carvalho, Member at Large, were presented to the members. A vote was taken and the nominees were approved.

Donations

The proposed donations were presented to the members. The Board suggested that due to the expense of both creating the website and obtaining liability insurance, the donations for this year should be lowered. Rockey noted that revenues for this next year will probably double due to the income generated from merchants advertising on the website. A vote was taken, and the members voted that the donations be the same as last year as follows:

Bridgeport School                                 $250

Bridgeport Fire Dept                              $500

Sheriff’s Search & Rescue                    $250

Friends of the Library                            $250

Bridgeport Historical Society                 $200

Twin Lakes Fire Safe Council                $250

Committee Reports:

Highway Cleanup – Claudia Hughes-Pearman, committee officer, was not present. The annual Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup Day is scheduled on 7/10. Meet at the TL Fire Station on at 8:00 am.

Twin Lakes Cleanup – Diane Wilson, committee officer, thanked everyone for last year’s cleanup. This year the lake cleanup will be held on Sunday, 9/9. Meet at the Patterson Bridge at 8:00 am.

Street Signs – Dave Holcomb said that all the street signs have been purchased and made. Report any signs that may be down or damaged. He thanked John Hicks for assisting with equipment when installing the signs.

Annual Picnic – Rockey announced that the annual picnic will be held on 9/8, at the Bridgeport Memorial Hall. More information regarding the picnic will be available soon.

Website – Ramona Reed, Website Master, needs people to help with the website. Diane Wilson will help with photography. She also mentioned she needs someone who will organize information on fire safety and implement onto the website.

Announcements/Open Discussion

Member Helene Frakes spoke of the need for volunteers at Bodie State Park. She volunteered 238 hours last year! Volunteers are given a pass for access to the State Parks. She encouraged people to volunteer which would entail answering visitors’ questions, helping in the museum, etc. If anyone is interested, they will receive training and be given a ‘cool vest’. She commented on how wonderful and enriching the experience has been. You meet people from all over the world. Another plus is that your mileage to and from Bodie is a tax deduction.

Rockey announced that the following Twin Lakes Water information is now posted on the website: CPUC Water Resolution and the Annual Twin Lakes Water Report.

New Business

The TLPOA Website is now accessible. Ramona Reed gave a demonstration of the website. Some of the features are date and weather in real time. The site is linked with ‘Noah’, so you can check the weather conditions anywhere. Updates on highway conditions are easily accessed. Photos can be posted onto the site. Timely notices and alerts are available. Current and past information is on the site. The tabs at the top of the page and on the left hand margin make it easy to access newspapers such as the Mammoth Times and Sierra Wave. More can be added. Suggestions are welcome. Another feature is “did you know?” which lists fun facts about Twin Lakes. Some of the links are: fire/safety, fish & game, emergency numbers, committees, TLPOA Board, forms and documents, etc. Dave Holcomb’s history of Twin Lakes is also available. A calendar of events and activities will keep you up to date. A great feature of the website is the business directory. This will list businesses and services who advertise on the website. There is a link which will take you to the State Contractor’s License Board so you can check the status of business licenses, etc. A disclaimer has been posted stating that the TLPOA is not liable, so be sure to check on a business or contractor before hiring! There will be the ability to pay your yearly dues online. This feature is still in process. Rockey noted that Greg Dahl, son of Dave and Annabelle, was the designer of the website.

Adjournment

Rockey called for the adjournment of the meeting at 11:30.