Annual Meeting is on Monday, 7:00PM, in the Cabana

Dear homeowners,
We have a problem at Kenthill Townhomes.  This problem has been occurring as long as I have been a member on the Board.
I joined the Board in 2002, shortly after purchasing my Unit.  From 2002 to 2005, we struggled each year, prior to the Annual Meeting, to obtain the necessary number of homeowners, either to attend the Annual Meeting in person, or to sign and send in their proxies.  Even in 2006, after the passage of our new, revised Declarations and Bylaws reduced the requirement to 25% (of the number of required homeowners), we still continued to struggle.
To be clear, according to Washington State law, and our Declarations & Bylaws, a minimum of 25% of the owners must attend, either in person, or by proxy.  This is so that, again, according to Washington State law, and our Declarations & Bylaws, we can legally hold an annual meeting.
That is all this is about.  Nothing more.  At numerous other condominium complexes, at their annual meetings, they hold a distinct, specific vote.  The members present, either in person or by proxy, vote on whether or not to raise the homeowners dues, or to perhaps have a special assessment.  That is not the case at Kenthill Townhomes.  That has never been the case at Kenthill Townhomes.  That is never going to be the case at Kenthill Townhomes.  These facts are written right in our Declarations & Bylaws.
The only "vote" that is taken at the Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting is the vote to accept the previous Annual Meeting's minutes.  This too, is in accordance with Washington State law and our Declarations & Bylaws.
As I have said, I have been on the Kenthill Townhomes Homeowners Association Board since 2002.  I became the President of the Board in 2005.  At that time, most of the previous Board members either resigned, or resigned shortly thereafter.  New homeowners took the offices of Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  You should know that you have some of the most qualified, dedicated homeowners on any Board on the entire east hill of Kent.  Some Board members either majored in accounting or have degrees, some have completed decades of office work, most have some kind of certifications or licenses, and at least one has multiple college degrees.  The Board has accomplished an enormous amount of work; most of this is documented in detail on the Kenthill Townhomes website (now in its seventh year).
But we need your help.  What we need is not too difficult.  We need you to do one thing.  Each year, during the month of March, the Annual Meeting notice is mailed out to all homeowners.  At the bottom of that notice is the word, “Proxy”.  If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting in person, we need you write a person’s name in the space provided that you trust (a known Board member’s name, or a good neighbor who is attending the Annual Meeting), write your Unit number in the little space, and sign and date it at the bottom.  Then you need to give it to a Board member, or to your neighbor, or to mail it in to the property management company (Suhrco).  [Again, this is only if you are not attending the Annual Meeting].
Each year, during the weekend prior to the Annual Meeting, I personally walk around the condominium complex, knocking on doors, asking homeowners to sign the proxies.  Each year, without exception, as long as I have been on the Board, we just barely, and I do mean barely, have enough homeowners, either present at the Annual Meeting, or by signed proxies, to achieve the 25% necessary requirement.  I do this rain or shine, every year  -  it’s the only way we have been able to meet the legal requirement described above, and proceed with the meeting.
Not doing this, not having a legal, fully attended (either by personal attendance or by proxy) Annual Meeting - jeopardizes the monetary value of each of our individual properties as well as that of Kenthill Townhomes as a whole.  This is because potential sellers of Units at Kenthill cannot produce a document that shows we have legally met the requirement regarding Annual Meetings.  This is also because potential buyers of Units at Kenthill would be wary of purchasing at a condominium complex that cannot produce a document that demonstrates that we have met the legal requirement regarding Annual Meetings. 
I respectfully ask you to remember this very important letter I am writing.  The Kenthill Townhomes Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 25, 2013.
Sincerely,
Thomas Flynn
President
Kenthill Townhomes Homeowners Association

References:
Washington State Legislature RCW 64.38.040 Quorum for meeting:
"Unless the governing documents specify a different percentage, a quorum is present throughout any meeting of the association if the owners to which thirty-four percent of the votes of the Association are allocated are present in person or by proxy at the beginning of the meeting".
Kenthill Townhomes Declarations Section 9.4.4 Quorum:
“At any regular or special meeting of the Association following the initial call of the meeting, the presence of twenty-five percent (25%) of Apartment Owners shall constitute a quorum, . . . “

City of Kent approves the LID, work begins

The Kent City Council, along with the Mayor, deliberated the proposed LID on 03-05-13.
Left click on this link to open it: http://kentwa.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx?#    
Scroll down to where it says, "March 5, 2013 7:00PM".  Look all the way over on the right.  Left click, where it says, "Video".  A new window will open.  Left click where it says, "Windows Media Player".  There will be a long pause, while the system thinks about your request.  Eventually, another window will open.  About two minutes of guitar music will play.  If you want to skim this, slide the marker over to about 2:00 minutes.  The video will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance, and a City of Kent Council member, “Roll Call”.  The video quality is somewhat acceptable.  The audio quality (not the audio volume) is low, and sometimes is very poor (especially when the Mayor is speaking).
[This, "shortcut" may or may not work: http://kentwa.iqm2.com/citizens/VideoScreen.aspx?Command=TryWmp&MediaURL=mms%3a%2f%2fMedia2.IQM2.com%2fa1607%2fo15%2fKentWA%2f1825.wmv        
Shortly thereafter, the Council begins to discuss the Local Improvement District (LID) for the improvement and widening of S.E. 256th Street.  Various engineers and other City of Kent personnel present pertinent information to the Council.
This video of the Council meeting is 3 hours, fifteen minutes long.  So just skip to the important parts.
The Attorney for the City of Kent presents an explanation of how the possible minimum 60% Petition against the formation of the LID would work begins at minute, "1:53".
The Kent City Council elects to pass and form the LID at minute 2:19".

More Local Improvement District (LID) Project progress

On Tuesday, February 12, 2013, the City of Kent held another informational meeting at Kent Meridian High School.  I attended the meeting.  To make a long story short, it does indeed appear that the City of Kent is continuing  to move forward with the various steps in the Local Improvement District process.  Also, as I mentioned earlier, I have been viewing the City of Kent's website.  The four engineers present at the meeting stated that there are many scheduled upcoming important events regarding this project.  These include presentation to the City Council, approval, etc.  These should start showing up on the City of Kent website.  See the blog post dated 08-12-2012 for instructions on how to view the agenda.

City of Kent physical activity related to the SE 256th Street LID Project continues to be observed.

 

Continuing LID information

Interested homeowners should view this sign.  It is mounted on two 2 by 4's, and is located along the north side of SE 256th Street, in between KenthillTownhomes property and the apartment complex just east of Kenthill Townhomes [it is the one with the metal gate that opens and closes when its tenants drive in; called, "The Lighthouse" (fka, "Hazel Gardens")].  Kenthill Townhomes has a fence that runs east and west, along SE 256th Street.  Then their fence begins where our fence ends.  This sign is a little more near their property.  I took additional pictures of the three pieces of paper that are affixed to this yellow sign.  The pieces of paper seem to imply that the City of Kent is moving forward with the various steps in the Local Improvement District process.  Also, as I mentioned earlier, I have been viewing the City of Kent's website.  However, I have not seen much of anything new there yet.

Rising insurance rates

Homeowners are strongly encouraged to view this letter from the Association's insurance company:

"Historically, commercial insurance premiums are cyclical. Underwriting and pricing are
influenced by catastrophe-related losses as well as the operating and underwriting
performance and investment income of insurance companies.

"The events of  9/11/11, for example, occurred during a time of already deteriorating
underwriting results for commercial lines insurers. The additional shock of 9/11 losses
catapulted the insurance market into afrenzy and resulted in huge pricing increases in
the reinsurance market beginning in January 2002. Higher reinsurance costs had to be
absorbed by commercial insurers and immediately resulted in higher insurance
premiums for community associations as insurance companies passed along the higher
costs. Premium increases of 35-50% and more wreaked havoc with association
budgets.

"During recent years, the insurance market place has once again become very
competitive and associations have enjoyed lower insurance pricing as has the rest of
the commercial insurance market place. So what might the future bring?

"Between 1953 and 2010 the average number of federal government disaster
declarations was 34 per year. ln 2010 the U.S. had a record number of 81 declared
disasters. As of September 30, 2011, there have been 86 disaster declarations with
three months still left in the year.  2011 is already the fifth or sixth most expensive year
of record for insured catastrophe claim payouts in the U.S. according to the National
Climatic Data Center.

"The high unemployment levels experienced in the current economic environment have
contributed to a substantial increase in claims. Higher unemployment means fewer
people with health insurance. As a result, community associations have experienced an
increased frequency of slip, trip and fall claims as residents look for someone else to
pay for their medical expenses. Financially strained communities have chosen to
submit small property insurance claims to their insurer for payment rather than selfinsuring
these incidents. lnsurance companies are reporting record numbers of claims
and the dollars paid out for claims has risen dramatically.

"A.M. Best reports that the U.S. property and casualty industry's underwriting and
performance have experienced significant deterioration this year. The result is that
industry net income fell 67% during the first half of 2011. At the same time, insurers
combined loss ratio has increased to about 110%. That is, insurance companies have
paid out in operating costs and claims about $110 for every $100 of premium collected.

"What do these hard facts indicate for the future of insurance premiums for commercial
lines insurers and in particular, for community associations? lf current trends continue
to erode insurance companies' financial position, the market place will change. Strict
enforcement of underwriting guidelines and diminished flexibility will result along with
higher premium pricing. Based upon past history, the question is not whether a
tightening of the insurance market place will occur but when that change will occur.

"The most recent insurance industry publications highlight articles entitled "Property
lnsurance Rates on the Rise", "Executives Cautiously Optimistic" and "Travelers CEO
Says His Company's Business lnsurance Rates Up Over 5 %." "Ongoing economic
uncertainty, weak investments and a spate of record-breaking catastrophes" are cited
by industry executives as factors that will turn the market in 2012 and increase
insurance premiums.

"CAU has successfully established a unique position in the market place which allows
community association clients to enjoy specifically tailored coverage at competitive
premiums. By maintaining sound underwriting principles, CAU will continue to offer
comprehensive coverage on a three year, guaranteed rate policy. The continuation of
the three year policy enables CAU's clients, upon renewal, to insulate their community
from the ups and downs of the insurance market place".

2012 Asphalt Seal Coat Project

An asphalt seal coat project was completed near the west ends of Buildings I and J, and near the south side of Building I.

This completed work on a section of the property plat that was begun by Easthill Apartments in July of 2011.  At that time, Easthill Apartments completed an asphalt seal coat project on their parking stalls, but no work was done on the nearby Kenthill Townhomes parking stalls (near Buildings I and J).

Local Improvement District (LID) Project progress

City of Kent activity related to the SE 256th Street LID Project continues to be observed.

These photographs show marking stakes that were inserted into the ground along the southern side of Kenthill Townhomes Building A.

The stake may be seen by viewing the very center of each photograph.

More on the Local Improvement District (LID)

Go to the city of Kent website.
http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/default.aspx
Mouse over to, "City Hall"
Mouse down to, "City Council"
Scoll down to "Meeting Schedule and Agendas"
Click on, "View meeting schedule . . . "
Scroll down to Upcoming Meetings, August 7, 2012.
Click on, "Agenda Packet".
The City of Kent Agenda packet opens in a pdf file using Adobe.  At the top of the screen, under the word, "Window", there is a number. Scroll down until you get to "page" 130. Doing so will take you to the following:
256th Street Improvements Appraisal Preparation
Agreement – Authorize
It certainly does seem like the City Of Kent is moving forward with this LID Project.

Building M water valve replaced

The water valve at Building M was replaced.

Building E water valve replaced

The water valve at Builing E was replaced.

Water to be turned off

On July 25, 2012 the City of Kent will be turning off the main water shut off at Kenthill Townhomes and Easthill Apartments starting at 9:00 A.M.  Kenthill has a valve replacement project – whereas the water must be turned off to complete this project.  The property will be without water until the repair has been completed on that day.  Please make sure you turn off your water heater electrical supply located in the electrical breaker box. This is to prevent your water heater from any damage.

Not very smart

Just when I thought I’d seen everything.
Today, I was doing some work near Buildings C, D, and E.  I went out to the dumpster and looked down and I noticed something that had not been there before.  It was a cardboard box.  But as I looked closer, I notice that the cardboard box had fireplace ashes in it.

I thought, “How dumb do you got to be.  Nobody could be that stupid.  That ash must be old ash.  No one could be so crazy as to place embers and ashes from a recent fire that was in their fireplace into a cardboard box, and then set it on the ground near the dumpster”.

But sure enough, as I had another look, the box was smoking and smoldering.  So I grabbed the edge of the box.  I pulled it along the ground and then stopped.  As soon as I stopped, the box caught fire.

Soon it was completely engulfed in flames, some reaching two feet high.

In a little over a minute, it was completely reduced to ashes.

2012 Wood siding repairs, part three

This is a picture of the wood siding repairs occurring at Building B (south end).

2012 Wood siding repairs, part two

This is a picture of the wood siding repairs occurring at Building Q (north end), and at Building J (west end).

2012 Wood siding repairs, part one

This is a picture of the wood siding repairs occurring at Building N (east end and west end).

LID information (continued)

The paperwork that the City of Kent sent to all homeowners states, “The City received a $2 million grant from the Transportation Improvement Board to apply towards the estimated project cost of $7 million.” So I thought that it logically followed that the remaining $5 million would come from the homeowners. There is nothing in the paperwork to imply otherwise.

Only if you attended the meeting would you know otherwise. View the second photo in the posted dated May 11, 2012 (below).

I telephoned the engineer from the City of Kent. I left a message on his voicemail. I asked, “I own a condo at Kenthill Townhomes. I received a notice from the City of Kent regarding the proposed LID. It states that the assessed amount for my condo would be approximately $2,400. Now is that $2,400 every year for 15 years, or is that $2,400 divided up by fifteen years?”

He telephoned me back and left a message on my voicemail. He said, “The assessed amount is the total for that property. A homeowner may choose to pay it all at once, or may choose to spread it out in yearly payments over the fifteen years.”

2012 Proposed Local Improvement District [LID]

I sure everyone received their notice from the City of Kent by now regarding the proposed Local Improvement District (LID) and have read the additional letter from the City of Kent, notifying the homeowner how much of an assessment will be assigned their Unit. The notice also included an invitation to attend an informational meeting so that those affected by the LID could learn more about it and so that they could ask questions.

The meeting was held Wednesday evening at Kent Meridian High School on May 9th from 5:30 to 7:30PM in the gym. I arrived at 6:15. There were about fifteen people there, and about that amount came in and left during the 45 minutes I remained. I walked around and viewed the displays that were mounted on tripods.

2012 Roof installations continue (part two)

This is a picture of the roof installation which occurred at Building B this week.

Bird problems

Woodpecker and starling bird intrusions have occurred.  Repairs are ongoing and will be categorized under the Wood Siding Repair Project.

2012 Roof installations continue

 

This is a picture of the roof installation which occurred at Building A this week.