SMWOA Presidents Letter August 18, 2017

Dear SMWOA Membership: The Board met for an organizational and business meeting on July 21, 2017. Elected as officers from the five Board members were Michael Crabtree, President, Craig Schroder, Vice President, Kathleen Brown, Secretary, Meg Sammons, Treasurer and Jon Wahlgren, Member at Large. The Board recognizes its primary responsibility is to help the organization with maintaining the common property, the roads. Board member Craig Schroder will check with the gentleman who mowed the roadways last year to determine if he has a piece of equipment that might do a better job of mowing in the ditch areas. Meg Sammons said she would check with individuals that she knows about finding someone to help with the control of weeds along the roadways. It was agreed that this work would not be done until the fall when weed removal is done most efficiently. (The Board encourages each property owner to take care of the weeds on their own property. At least one Board member had a very satisfying meeting with Melissa Griffiths from the Weed Control Board who came out to his property and looked it over to determine what level of weed control needed to take place. I am also suggesting that each one of us in a friendly and neighborly way talk to those people who have property nearby our own who have problems with noxious weeds. It is important that each person takes care of his/her property so that it does not become a problem for their neighbors.) It was agreed that in the future any proxy documents have to name a singular person as the proxy for a person who will not be present at a meeting and want someone to represent them in their voting. There have been instances when more than one person’s name has been listed as a proxy, something that the Board deemed is not legitimate. Upgrading roads will be a priority over the next few years. At the Annual meeting the membership agreed that there needs to be a greater investment in the road fund to be certain that future investments pay off. That is, the membership agreed to put money into roads in a fashion that makes certain that the quality of roads will continue to last for years to come. To do that some roads have to be brought up to par so that putting gravel on them in the future will continue to be a good investment. There is a Road Committee that has been active and has been composed of Craig Schroder and Al Verbanac. Neil Lindgren has agreed to be another member of that committee. There is room for two more members on that committee if you are interested please send your name and email address to the organization so that you can be considered for membership on that committee.

In the near future the Board will be sending out to the membership a ballot to vote upon which option the members feel is more appropriate for funding the increased quality of roads. We hope to have that ballot out during the fall. We would also like to remind owners about being mindful that their outside lights are turned off or pointed down after sunset to avoid offending their neighbors. Finally, as Al Verbanac noted in his President’s report at the Annual meeting, we will be looking for ways to reduce costs and increase participation by finding advantages through electronic communication. The Board has asked Mindy Schroder, Webmaster, to look at what possibilities exist to accomplish this goal. As always, the Board remains open to input from the membership and email communication to the Board’s email address is encouraged. Sincerely, Michael Crabtree MC/hkb