2025 Annual Meeting Minutes
/RHODY LANE HOA – 2025 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES
DATE/TIME: Thursday, March 13, 2025; 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Board Members Present:
- Eric Olson
- Mark Ekman
- Vince Sampson
- Chaz and Dan not present at the start
- Chaz will take notes/meeting minutes from the Zoom recording
Homeowners in attendance:
- Laurie Hodge
- Ken
- Greg
- Larry
- Christie Valdez
- Jose & Elsa Rojas
- Boldkhuu Batbaatar
- Helena
- Mark & Marie Auriol
- Andrew Prichard
Proxy received:
- Karen & Randy Brudwick
7:02pm – Homeowner introductions.
7:05pm – Eric read the 2024 HOA meeting minutes.
7:09pm – Motion to accept the minutes, seconded, and approved.
7:10pm – Mark reviewed the budget, both 2024 and the proposed budget for 2025.
- Review of the 2024: Income; noted insurance went up for 2024; spent more the $2500 for landscaping and the reasoning behind the increase; increase in monthly landscaping to $800/month; cost of sprinkler repair; spent less on admin software than anticipated; spent less on water than anticipated; moving $5000 into reserves; leaving $3000 to roll into 2025. Moving $5000 into reserves, to have $29800 in reserves. Overall, no reason to raise dues for 2024.
7:15pm – Discussion of reserves and how much is going in and that Rhody Lane is an aging community and we will have some big projects in the future.
7:18pm – Motion to accept the 2025 budget – budget not approved as presented, will discuss 2025 projects then jump back to 2025 budget review and approval.
7:19pm – Fence behind the entry; Eric has estimates and would like to get costs on whether we do it ourselves or hire someone
7:25pm – HOA Secretary [Chaz Bantle] now in attendance
7:26pm – Continued discussion of replacing the fence behind the entry way sign
7:35pm – Replace fence behind entry way sign – motion for approval, seconded, and approved to complete this project ourselves. Work party dates to be sent out.
7:44pm – Pressure washing - $1000, for referenced areas [entry way, sport court, other green space near the pond]; motion approved, but would like a quote for ALL side walks. Motioned to approved received, seconded, and approved.
7:49pm – Removal of dead hazard tree in retention pond
- Question of whether this is a Snohomish County or HOA responsibility.
- Eric will reach out to the county first; if it not the county responsibility then we can either take it out ourselves or get a quote on having it removed.
- Eric proposed a motion for $500 from the HOA if we need to remove it ourselves; motion seconded, and approved.
7:50pm – Eric proposed neighbors will clean and repaint pet waste stations
- Ken agreed the neighbors can do that ourselves
7:54pm – re-barking; agreed that we should re-bark every 3 years and we are due to have bark put in.
- Re-bark entry way area, sport court area, play area [all common areas]
7:56pm – Review of Future Needs
- Chain link fence around the pond; need a professional to come in and re-stretch and repair posts/rails. We should obtain estimates to budget for 2026.
- Hazardous trees near the play area that are at risk of falling into the street vs the natural growth area. Obtain an estimate if we must remove the tree in the retention pond area.
- Stain exterior fence in 2026 – Eric proposed a 5 year staining plan and 2026 will be 5 years since it was last stained.
- Replacement of the sport court in the future. We talk about this each year. Seeking someone to investigate what it would cost to get it replaced. Discussion about kids/someone getting hurt and coming back to the board. We can pressure wash it now but it will need to be replaced. Discussion about making it a multi-sport court (example: basketball + pickleball court functionality). Recommend we get information and costs for all options for board/homeowner discussion. This also led to discussion of the grass field near the sport court is marshy and wet and how this can be fixed.
- Center island tree roots are damaging the road. At some point, do we want to overhaul this?
- Entrance trees are large and may require trimming soon. Would be good to have an arborist look at them and provide a recommendation. Helena said she has an arborist.
- Helena asked, what can we do to have a neighborhood gated entrance; would like us to think about it; discussion around price; and country approval would be needed. Reasoning being safety & protection of the neighborhood. Eric will research with the county. Helena volunteered to help if needed.
8:12pm – Right now, we are at $4500 for maintenance right now for current projects; we should raise the budget to $5500 for current projects; motion to approve, seconded, and approved. Repair/Maintenance project budget moved from $2500 to $5500 for 2025.
8:12pm – 2025 budget approved; Mark will update in the Google drive doc.
8:13pm – Rules/Regulations discussion [CC&R]. Eric has been approached by homeowners about various CC&R issues. These are rules/regulations directly out of our CC&Rs. These are topics that keep our neighborhood looking great for all of us. Discussion:
- Yard maintenance, ensure your home looks nice. Lawn shall be maintained as neat and orderly.
- Clean up leaves; remove weeds; keep plants maintained.
- Vehicle parking. Parking is only allowed in your driveway, on the street, and in your garage. Vehicles parked on the street are only allowed to be parked on the street for 72hrs or at the Board’s discretion. Any vehicle parked beyond that time frame is subject to be towed at the owner’s expense. The street is not storage for extra vehicles if you have unused vehicles.
- Garbage and trash yard waste containers. All containers are to be concealed from street view. Containers may be put out within 24 hours of garbage pickup and must be removed within 24 hours of garbage pickup. Please coordinate with your neighbors if you will be out of town. [example: when Impact HOA was involved with our board, they would send warnings out to anyone that had their containers visible from street view, no matter how far away the containers were from the street]
- Reminder about homeowner maintenance responsibilities. This includes roofs, molded siding, new paint, etc.
8:25pm – Update regarding the Seattle Hill Road development project [house with black fence, behind Eric & Chaz]; this project has until January 3, 2026 [4 years from the original application] to build the homes they wanted to or else the original application expires.
8:25pm – Homeowner Q&A
- House that is currently for sale – marketed as there is a place to park your RV in the backyard. Eric will reach out to Jordon to let him know that is not allowed.
- There was what looked like a tent in the natural growth area by the playground. It was a child’s fort built in the brush. However, everyone should keep on the lookout for any type of suspicious activity similar to this.
- For everyone’s knowledge; last July/August [2024], homeless person rooming the neighborhood; when things like this happen, best to call the non-emergency police line, communicate with your neighbors/inform via the Facebook page, and notify the board.
- Guy parked in-front of the sport court, private investigator looking at something, Sheriffs have been called. This guy can get hostile if you challenge him.
- Greg has notified the City of Mill Creek regarding the house directly across the street on Seattle Hill Rd, junkyard created, loud cars, etc.
8:31pm – Review of Board positions; no one present would like to join, and no one wants to leave the board. Eric will confirm with Dan that he would like to remain on the board.
8:35pm – Motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded, and approved.