TLPOA ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES 2018

Meeting called to order at the Bridgeport Elementary School, Monday, July 2, at 9:10 a.m.

Number of members attended ~ 30

Community Speakers

Sheriff Ingrid Braun

Sheriff Braun, reelected in June 2018, introduced herself and discussed the following topics:

• The department recently hired two new deputies from South Lake Tahoe.  One of the deputies is a woman, so now Ingrid has help when a female officer is required.
• The new brewery in town, Big Meadow Brewing Co., just opened.
• Hwy 395 road construction is ongoing north of town. Recommend the backway to Gardnerville/Carson.
• Increase in fatal accidents on 395 last winter, mostly south of town. Step up in enforcement and adding no passing stripes has helped. Reminder to everyone: Tourists are not always as alert and are more distracted.
• New jail update: Demolition of the clinic is scheduled for next year. Construction contract awarded for the jail. Earliest planned completion is 2022. Shared yard with animal control. Medical wing is still planned, and it will have a separate public entrance. Availability of medical services still to be determined, but there will still be paramedics in town. The jail is designed to house 48 inmates; the average for Bridgeport has been around 30 inmates.
• The sheriff was asked if there is a homeless problem. There really isn’t a long-term homeless issue in Mono County, mostly because of the winter. There are some roaming campers/hikers, but this has not resulted in any problems.
• John Peters asked the sheriff to tell us about the new snowcat and OHV issues. The county has a new snowcat, which is very useful for rescues when a helicopter is not possible. Also, it will help in repairs of remote equipment, such as repeaters, in the winter. The department is educating the public on where OHV use is allowed. Also, the department does patrol the county lakes as part of its boating program.

John Peters, District 4 County Supervisor

• John introduced himself and gave accolades to the county’s first responders: the BP Volunteer Fire Department, the paramedics, and law enforcement. Bill Pemberton is the new chief of the BP VFD. Don’t hesitate to call 911 if necessary. These professional responders will help you.
• Signage is very important to assist first responders. He encouraged us to continue to make sure Twin Lakes Estates signage is maintained.
• Mono County has benefited greatly from the recent gas tax increase. These funds help maintain and improve 600 miles of roads. There is a five-year capital improvement program that includes Twin Lakes Road and Virginia Lakes Road.
• If you see a need concerning the roads, send John an email describing the issue, and he will instigate the necessary action to repair the road.
• Southern California Edison: There is an active micro-grid solar project involving batteries and rooftop systems. The June maintenance outage was postponed but will be rescheduled. These outages are important for system reliability and safety. SCE also is removing trees near power lines.
• Bridgeport PUD: A $600,000 arsenic treatment facility will be constructed to serve the town of Bridgeport’s water system.
• John is Mono County’s representative for the County Boards of Supervisors for California. John welcomes everyone to attend the local supervisor board meetings. You can learn about the board and view the schedule of events at: https://monocounty.ca.gov/bos.
• John says he’s working with the state of California regarding resiliency and preparedness for fire, earthquakes, etc., and for dealing with mental health issues that result from natural disasters.
• John supports partnering with federal, state, county and local organizations to work together to improve county assets, including the diversity of recreation the county offers. These partnerships help pay for and develop strategies for improvements.
• John was asked about the status of Airbnb and short-term rentals. John provided a summary of the status. The issue varies by location. June Lake has established some rules. The issue is bound by many regulations and compliance requirements. He recommended Wendy Sugimura as a point of contact in the planning department. John suggested this topic would be a great addenda item for next year’s meeting, and he could have someone prepared to speak on the topic.

Jan Cutts, District Ranger, U.S. Forest Service

• Jan introduced herself as the new district ranger for the Bridgeport Ranger District. She just assumed her duties. She has 17 years of experience as a district ranger in Tahoe and Colorado. She plans to be here seven more years to finish her career. She encouraged anyone to meet with her about any issues or concerns regarding the forest service. You can reach her at the Bridgeport Ranger District, 760-932-7070.
• Jed Rudelbach, a fuels specialists, provided the group an update on the clearing and burning accomplished last winter. He provided this year’s fuel reduction project plans. For 2018, approximately 28 acres will be cut and piled on the south side of the lakes and could be burned this winter/spring dependent on curing and weather conditions. If you have question about fuels reduction, you can contact Jed at 760-932-7070.

TLPOA Business

2017 Minutes: Our president, Glen Sittel, asked for approval of the 2017 minutes. Hearing no corrections and/or additions, he motioned we accept the minutes. The motion was seconded, and the members approved the minutes.

Treasurer’s Annual Financial Report: Copies of the 2017 calendar year and 2018 to date financial reports prepared by Glen were provided. Glen went over the entries on the statements, and members had no questions or comments. He informed the members that we have been in a deficit spending mode for 2016 and 2017, spending a total of $3,384 more than revenues collected for those years. He stated that to remedy this, the Association can increase membership, increase dues amount, decrease spending, or a combination of these actions to try to prevent continued deficit spending. Ramona Reed told the group of a welcome package she and Rockey had put together for new owners that provides both information about living at Twin Lakes and the details and benefits of TLPOA membership. It was recommended that this great idea be continued for new owners to try to help increase membership. Other discussions concerning finances are summarized below:

• It was noted that chipping days is a costly expense and a major contributor to our deficit spending. The history of chipping day participation requirements was discussed. A majority of the members said that if the Association pays for the chipping days, then only Association members should be able to have their waste chipped. Others suggested a much higher price be paid by nonmembers to use the service, providing more incentive for them to join the Association, and realized this would require an identification process on chipping day. Another idea discussed: having members pay a smaller fee for chipping separate from dues, while nonmembers would pay a much higher fee. A motion was made and seconded that the new board take up this issue and develop and approve a process for future chipping days. The members present approved this motion. No one indicated a desire for a chipping day this year.
• Reducing charity expenses was discussed but no decision was made at this point in the meeting. (But a decision was made later. See Local Donations below.)
• Raising the dues amount was mentioned, but no decision was made.

Membership Update: Glen provided a membership update. Not including dues paid at this meeting, as of June 30th, we had 69 paid dues and 44 unpaid dues. Nine more dues payments were collected at the meeting, leaving 36 members in 2017 who have not paid for 2018. The final membership total for 2017 was 112 paid, 8 not paid and 2 requests to be removed. Nonpaid members for 2018 will be removed from the roster, and an updated roster will be provided after allowing time for late dues to be paid.

Local Donations: Glen reminded everyone of the charitable contributions we make to local organizations.  Following a discussion, a motion was made to lower the contribution amounts to $200 for each charity and to discontinue the donation to the Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Foundation. The members seconded and approved this motion. This will lower our charitable budget from $1,450 to $1,000 for 2018 and contribute to lowering Association expenses.

Business Directory:  Glen reported that he sent out reminder notices in June to the businesses currently listing their services on the TLPOA website.

Association Bylaws: Glen reported that he had completed a draft of revised bylaws and provided them to a few past board members for review. Glen expressed the need for revised bylaws because the current bylaws from 1971 are very dated. He incorporated some of the efforts made in 2011 to update the bylaws and provided a copy of those draft efforts when he sent out his draft. Glen informed the members that he would ensure the new board has the information to continue working on a final draft for membership review with the hope that adoption of updated bylaws could happen at the next annual meeting.

TLPOA Committees:

• Adopt-a-Highway: The chair for this committee is vacant, and no one has expressed interest. With the construction occurring on our stretch of Highway 395, there is no need for concern for this year. The new board will need to identify a chairperson for next year.
• Lake Cleanup: Chairperson, Diane Wilson. Diane was not present but asked Glen to pass on her idea for Lake Cleanup this year. Instead of having one day set aside for a cleanup, Diane is suggesting and encouraging all members to make every day a lake cleanup day. If you’re out walking and see trash, please pick it up. Glen let members know that if one of them still desires a dedicated cleanup day, please feel free to coordinate and plan that effort with the new board.
•  Signs: Chairperson, Greg Eisele. Greg was not present, but a member did say he had completed some work and would provide his costs to the board. Glen emphasized the importance of keeping the private property and no parking signs in good condition. He asked if the members agreed that it was important, and a majority expressed agreement. Rockey Reed said he will investigate options for maintaining and/or replacing signs where needed.
•  Fire Safety Council: Chairperson, John Hicks. John was not present at the meeting. Glen let the members know that if John is elected as the treasurer, John is requesting another member volunteer to lead the Fire Safety Council. No one immediately volunteered, so the new board will need to identify this position. No one was sure if coupons for taking yard waste to the dump were available, but some members have not been charged at the dump for this type of disposal.
• Parade and Website: Chairperson, Ramona Reed. Ramona requested that members provide any updates, stories and information they want on the website. She updated the group on the TLPOA parade float and said rehearsals were going well and invited everyone to stop by the pre-parade party on the 3^rd at 3 p.m. at her home.
• Annual Potluck Picnic: The annual potluck picnic date was discussed and approved by the members. The potluck will be Saturday, September 8, at Memorial Hall in Bridgeport and will start at 4 p.m. Rockey Reed said he will contact the school district to request use of the school cafeteria for our potluck. This would allow the Association to hold the potluck Labor Day weekend, most likely resulting in more members being available to attend. Rockey will inform the members of the final potluck plans. [Date changed to Sunday, September 2. See President’s Letter above.]

Board Member Nominations, Elections and Discussions: All five board member positions were vacated as of the date of this annual meeting. Glen received a request from Rockey Reed and John Hicks a few days before the meeting to be placed in nomination for president and treasurer, respectively. Glen placed their names in nomination. Rockey informed the members that Chris Moody had nominated himself for the member at large position. Ramona Reed placed her name into nomination for vice president. Wendy Marcus placed her name into nomination for secretary. A motion was made and seconded to vote on the above individuals for their respective office. The members unanimously elected the new board as follows:

President:                            Rockey Reed

Vice president:                   Ramona Reed

Treasurer:                            John Hicks

Secretary:                            Wendy Marcus

Member at large:              Chris Moody

A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting.

All were in favor, and the meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m.