Twin Lakes Property Owners Association 2024 Annual Meeting
Friday, July 5, 2024

The annual meeting was called to order at 8:09 a.m. by TLPOA President Carlos Gomez with approximately 34 members in attendance. The members were led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Treasurer David Lawrence.

President Gomez welcomed new members Elise and Rick Kraus and John and Renee Gates. The son and daughter-in-law of Armando and Carol Villarruel, Ken and Anna, also were first-time attendees at the meeting.

President Carlos also marked the passing of longtime member Claudia Hughes-Pearman and her husband, Tom.

Bridgeport Fire Chief Nick Way had planned to attend the meeting but was called away for firefighting.
Patrick Cates, the chair of the TLPOA Fire Safe Council, gave his report to the members. Pat is a retired Santa Monica firefighter. The Fire Safe Council is investigating becoming a Fire Wise Community. If TLPOA earns recognition as a Fire Wise Community in accord with California law, any community members enrolled in the Cal Fair Plan are eligible for a discount on fire insurance. Other insurance plans may also give a discount for being part of a Fire Wise Community. To become part of the Fire Wise Community, we need to harden our homes against wildfires. In order to do this, our neighborhood needs to log 180 hours of work clearing properties of brush, pinecones, pine needles, and other debris. Pat said that there are approximately 180 structures at Twin Lakes, so that’s only an hour of work per property each year. Members can log the hours they spend doing cleanup and any fees they paid for disposal and email them to Pat at paddycates@aol.com. Members can count anything they’ve done this calendar year in their email to Pat, and he will submit the report.

Pat also explained fire safety precautions members can take. He said to harden your home against wildfire you should have nothing burnable within 5 feet of your cabin. He mentioned that in fires in Colorado, homes burned because of falling embers. He recommended 1/8th-inch wire mesh over any outside vents to prevent embers from getting in. Pat recommended looking at his home at 345 Lakeshore as a good example of a fire-hardened structure. He has removed limbs from trees near his house all the way to the roof line. Pat said maybe we can save our whole community by clearing areas around our individual cabins. He also said to make sure to clean out gutters, roof surfaces and underneath decks. Don’t leave woodpiles near your cabins. If you are physically unable to clear your property, you may be able to get a grant from the U.S. Forest Service or Cal Fire to pay someone to clear it for you. You can contact Pat or Fire Chief Nick Way for more information. If you are at your cabin and a fire starts, Pat recommends seeking shelter at the Twin Lakes Fire Station or the lake near the dam. Barricade-brand foam can be applied in advance to your structure to retard combustion. You can purchase it on Amazon.com for about $600. If the canyon catches fire, the Bridgeport Fire crew will evacuate the community. There are 18 firefighters on the Bridgeport Fire crew. He also said that Cal Fire wants us to limb the trees near the roads to make it easier for the fire trucks to get into the neighborhood. Pat will put brochures in the little free library on Patterson Drive near the Wilsons’ home. You can also go to Firewise.org for more information.

Pat is trying to get a grant to cover the cost of this year’s chipping day. Pat is hoping to get a $5,000 grant.

Member Diane Wilson informed neighbors that wooden furniture near your homes is dangerous. Several others recommended fireproof tarps over woodpiles. Welding blankets can also be used to cover woodpiles. President Gomez said we want our whole community to be engaged in fire safety. Member Wendy Marcus mentioned she may want to move her woodpile farther from her house but didn’t want it to then be too close to her neighbor’s home. Pat Cates said that chipping day will also count for hours toward Fire Wise Community status. He is willing to help neighbors with any fire-safety questions. Just contact him and he’s happy to help. He can also show members how to use their fire extinguishers.
President Gomez mentioned that he also has a background in fire safety. He said a neighbor near him has four lots that contain a lot of brush. He is happy to assist those property owners with clearing brush and branches from their lots. Pat Cates said that the TLPOA may be able to use grants to help clear some of these areas. The fire department plans to go through the neighborhood checking for problem areas. Pat says cabins are a major fire source. He recommends dual-pane windows as a helpful fire-prevention measure. The Bureau of Land Management does prescribed burns on their land mostly after fire season. If members see problem areas on BLM land, they should notify the agency.

In other business: TLPOA Secretary Susan Cohen read the 2023 minutes into the record. Members seconded and approved a motion to approve the minutes. Dave Lawrence gave the treasurer’s report: This year he had to cash in a CD in October. Chipping Day expenses for 2023 were $6,100. David said increasing the membership dues from $50 to $100 made a real difference in the health of the TLPOA account, so expense-wise we’re in a good situation. He said there is already enough money in the account to pay for this year’s chipping day. David also paid two years’ insurance for the association. We currently have $24,000 in the TLPOA account.

(See Treasurer’s Report.)

In response to members’ concerns about obtaining homeowner’s insurance, David mentioned that he was able to clear some trees and brush from his property and keep his insurance. President Gomez said that Treasurer Lawrence is always helpful whenever he has any questions. A motion to approve the treasurer’s report was seconded, and the report was approved.

The next order of business was to nominate new board members. Wendy Marcus volunteered to be the new TLPOA secretary for a two-year term. Her nomination was seconded and approved by members. David Holcomb was nominated and approved to be the new vice president of the association for a two-year term. President Gomez’s term was also up. He explained the responsibilities of the president and also said that sometimes people bringing small issues to him is a problem. Dealing with RVs on homeowners’ properties had been an issue in the past, but that has been resolved. He said that Mono County doesn’t have an issue with RVs, it’s something that is included in the TLPOA’s Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions.

The floor was opened to nominations for president, but there were no volunteers. New Secretary Wendy Marcus suggested President Gomez agree to do a one-year term as president and he agreed to serve one more year. His nomination was seconded and agreed to by the members. The member-at-large position was also open; Heather Green, the former vice president, volunteered to take on the position. Her nomination was agreed to and seconded by the members.

President Gomez said for members to send any items of interest to Wendy Marcus to add to the TLPOA website. Wendy’s contact information is wmarcus62@gmail.com.

The meeting was opened to comments.

Neighbor Pat Ulm suggested businesses that want to advertise on the TLPOA website pay a $35 fee. The new vice president, David Holcomb, will contact local service providers to see if they are interested in advertising. Pat Ulm had a list of businesses that she will share with David.

President Gomez said that Ron Vilarino and Art Worthington are in charge of the sign committee. Ron and Art have worked to install new signs in the neighborhood and also installed the new trout sign at the TLPOA entrance. President Gomez donated the black-and-white speed limit signs in the community. He said he would like to see them replaced with fewer signs that also have a more forest-friendly design. He commented that Ron had updated signs and done a nice, neat job. Other committee chairs: Greg Eisele, lake cleanup; Carlos Gomez, annual potluck; Greg Dahl (technical) and Wendy Marcus (content), website.

Some members had concerns about early morning noise. President Gomez said neighbors should be courteous about weed whackers and other noisy activities before 8 in the morning. Susan Cohen suggested an email reminder be sent to TLPOA members about being considerate of neighbors when doing yardwork or home repairs.

Adopt-a-Highway cleanup was to take place on July 13. Ron Vilarino is head of the Adopt-a-Highway committee. Treasurer Lawrence mentioned the Regional Planning Advisory Committee’s next meeting would be July 11 at 5 p.m. at the Bridgeport Memorial Hall. He recommended that neighbors attend the meeting. Mono County is exploring the use of RVs as temporary housing because of the housing shortage in the county, Treasurer Lawrence said. RVs as temporary housing are not allowed in avalanche areas, and all of Twin Lakes is an avalanche area, according to the avalanche center, a member said.
Treasurer Lawrence asked members to approve charitable donations for 2024. Donations of $250 will be made to the Bridgeport Fire Department, Bridgeport Elementary School, Friends of the Library, the Bridgeport Historical Society, Sheriff’s Search & Rescue. A motion was also made to add the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center to the organizations receiving donations. Members seconded and approved all the proposed donations. A TLPOA member made a generous donation to the Avalanche Center last year, President Gomez said. The avalanche center has an Instagram account, one member said.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 am.