Pine Meadow Ranch Home Owners Association
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Mountain Views

Pine Meadow Ranch Owners Association                                                                                     Autumn - Winter 1999

ANNUAL MEETING - NOVEMBER 18TH

The annual meeting of the Home Owners Association will be held at 7 PM on November 18th at the Mt. Olympus Presbyterian Church located at 3280 E 3900 S in Salt Lake City. It is important that all property owners make an effort to attend this important meeting. We will be discussing the many major changes occurring at the ranch and also be conducting an election for officers and area representatives. Please try to attend!        Return to Top    

ANNUAL MEETING UPDATE

Pine Meadow Ranch H.O.A., at its annual meeting in Salt Lake City, November 18th, 1999 is voting on its annual dues, a special assessment, and to amend its by-laws to add 2 "members at large" to the HOA Board.    Return to Top      

ELECTION '99

During the Annual Meeting in November, everyone will have an opportunity vote on Area Representative and general board seats that are up for renewal. HOA Area Representatives' terms are 3 years. Area Reps attend monthly meetings and participate in the dialogue that effects the management of Pine Meadows Ranch. Since the responsibilities of the HOA appear to be changing, it is now more important than ever to vote for the person in your area that best represents your views. The following people are running in their respective areas. Keep in mind that you will only be able to vote for the representative for your area. Remind your PM neighbors to get out and vote at the HOA Annual Meeting.    Return to Top

The Candidates:

Steve Treseder (Vice President)

My goal is to keep the Ranch a backwoods getaway. I am anti-development and strongly favor a mutual water system. I really enjoy being on the mountain and seeing the many people that I call friends. Decisions made by the HOA should respect interests of all owners at the Ranch. Experience: former Area Representative and current HOA Vice President. I am a high school teacher living in Sandy.

Steve Nielson (Vice President)

Dan Connelley (Area 1)

I have been area representative for three years. During that time, a lot of the controversy at the ranch has occurred and I have gained a ton of knowledge about the Ranch during this time. I have tried to represent all of the people in Area 1 and I would like to continue in this role.

Jeff Jensen (Area 1)

You may have seen Jeff around the mountain in his backhoe, volunteering his time to help clear some of the culverts on the Forest Meadows roads. Jeff has been an owner on the Ranch for over 5 years. He is the proprietor of JC Jensen Construction, which has been helpful in constructing some of the homes on the Mountain. Jeff believes that it is important for people to get involved with the HOA in order to make a difference for the best outcome of the ranch. His biggest issue concerning the ranch is the lack of camaraderie, and feels that it is high time we all meet our neighbors and become friends. " It is important to be able to know and call upon your neighbor, if you should ever need a helping hand. We should all look to the future well being of the ranch with a sense of camaraderie and a united front."

Kurt Ewell (Area 1)

Roy Moranz (Area 4)

My name is Roy Moranz and I would like to serve on the Home Owners Association Board. I own a cabin located on lot B-16 and would like to represent the area. I have lived in Pine Meadows for almost two years and truly love the area.

Maynard Koncar (Area 4)

Being a property owner at Pine Meadow Ranch has reinforced my love for nature and blue, blue skies. It is for this reason that I would gladly serve on the HOA to help keep the Ranch a place that all of us can enjoy to the fullest. In the three short years that I have been a property owner at the ranch, I have met wonderful people that are as concerned as I am about the long term commitment needed to preserve the natural setting, respect the wildlife and have harmony with all property owners. I would look forward to serving Area 4 and discussing concerns of residents and property owners and hopefully continue to make to make Pine Meadow Ranch the most pristine area around.

Alan "AB" Johnson (Area 7)

I am currently Area 7 representative for the PMROA. I would like to continue in this position, working with the HOA and any new organization formed to facilitate operating the Ranch. I have been visiting Pine Meadow Ranch since the late 1970's, staying with friends who bought into the Ranch in it's early days. We have owned our properties since 1991 and truly love the time we spend there. Change is a constant in all our lives and there have been many changes on the Ranch during the past 20 plus years. I would like the opportunity to continue to serve on the HOA Board to objectively represent the needs and concerns of my neighbors in Area 7 as the Ranch continues to develop.

George Sears (Area 7)

I am interested in serving the owners in Area 7 of Pine Meadows Ranch as their area representative. My wife Gale and I have been owners in Pine Meadows for four years, but have been visiting the area since the seventies. We are presently building our cabin and hope to have it ready for use next summer. From a background perspective, I am a native of Utah, having been born and raised in Manti. Currently my family and I live in Sandy. I work for 3M Company as a national sales manager in the health information systems group out of Salt Lake City. There are many challenges and opportunities that face the owners in Pine Meadows Ranch. I have been impressed with the dedication of those who have served us in the Home Owners Association and the Special Services District as they have addressed these challenges and opportunities and know that they have had and continue to have the interests of the owners at heart.

From the owners perspective, it is imperative that we all get involved in the process of making sure that the direction the Ranch takes over the next few years is the one that we all want and can support. My intent in vying for the area representative position is to help in that process by representing the interest of the owners in area 7 and to continue our traditions of leadership. Should I be chosen as their area representative, I will get to know the owners in the area, seek out their observations, opinions, and interests and represent them in the affairs of the Home Owners Association where ever I can.

 

SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT TO BE DISSOLVED

PINE MEADOW OWNERS ASSOCIATION MAY TAKE OVER

As indicated in the last newsletter, the Pine Meadow Ranch Special Service District of Summit County will be dissolved in the very near future (sometime between Nov 1 and Jan 1, 1999). It is probable that the responsibility for the functions of the Service District will be turned over to the Owners Association. When this does happen, it will become necessary for owners to be knowledgeable and supportive of the association.

See the article in this newsletter for the differences between a SSD and HOA.

WINTER PARKING HEADACHE

Several property owners along Toll Gate Canyon Road and the Ridge Road have decided to plow the snow off of these roads this winter. Great you say. Wrong! Parking will be a major problem. The large parking lots owned by the Service District just off I-80 at the bottom of Toll Gate will be useless - no snow to ride your snowmobile on up the canyon. There will be very little cleared parking at the Oil Well Road turnoff (2 miles up the canyon). There will probably not be enough space to park your car or truck on the side of the cleared road.

The Special Service District worked desperately to come up with a solution prior to their dissolution, but were overcome with unsurmountable obstacles.

The Owners Association strongly encourages you to use what little winter parking space that is available very efficiently - use as little space as possible, keep your trailer with your vehicle, don’t leave snowmobiles and vehicles in a parking space for extended periods of time and snowcats should NOT park in the cleared parking areas.

One of the Home Owners Association’s primary goals will be to solve the winter parking problem for next winter.

MUTUAL WATER COMPANY

PROPOSED TO SUMMIT COUNTY

When the Pine Meadow Service District is dissolved by Summit County at the end of this year, how will water be provided to Pine Meadow Ranch property owners? The Pine Meadow Ranch Home Owners Association (HOA) has proposed to Summit County that a mutual water company be formed. The mutual water company would be a non-profit corporation, independent from the HOA that would have responsibility to construct, operate and maintain the water system serving Pine Meadow/Forest Meadow Ranch.

What is a mutual water company? It is a company owned by all property owners in the Ranch. Each lot is issued one share of ownership in the company. When a lot is sold, the share of water company ownership is sold with it. The mutual water company is governed by a board of directors elected from the Ranch property owners. The board may consist of several members, usually having five to eleven positions. The HOA has recommended to Summit County that one position be dedicated to a full time resident and one position dedicated to a member of the HOA board. All others would be elected from Ranch property owners at large.

A mutual water company can be operated in several different ways. An independent water company can be hired to operate it, a water manager can be employed, or a consulting firm can be hired to train Ranch property owners to operate it. That will be one of the first decisions of the Board of Directors after they are elected.

The creation of a mutual water company seems to be the most fair and equitable way to provide water service to the Ranch. The board has representation from various property owners at the Ranch. It has the flexibility to change with the changing desires of property owners. It preserves the asset that all property owners have invested in over the years. It adds value to each lot by giving each lot a share of water company ownership. It is nonpolitical since it is an independent company directed by its own board of directors. It is not regulated as a public utility as would be privately or publically owned water companies. It is a nonprofit corporation so water rates should be lower than a "for profit" company.

Summit County is currently considering the HOA’s proposal of a mutual water company.

WEB PAGE FOR PINE MEADOW

We all know the power of information on the worldwide web. Now you will be able to get current information concerning all aspects of Pine Meadow/Forest Meadow Ranch right from the comfort of your own computer.

Thanks to George Sears, a web site expert, Pine Meadow will have its very own web page. Some of the info you will find on the web page will be newsletters, decisions of the HOA board, bylaws and proposed changes, road and parking info, snow conditions, information on roads and water system, who to call for what, an officer and area representative roster and much, much more. We thank George for his voluntary efforts to make the page possible. To log on to the new Pine Meadow Web Page go to:

www.pinemeadowranch.org

 

ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE

One of the obligations that each property owner has at Pine Meadow Ranch is to adhere to the CC&R’s that govern the Ranch. The CC&R’s are established to protect the value of our property and preserve the mountain environment we all enjoy. For many years, the HOA has had an Architectural Control Committee to review cabin plans and exterior improvements to help the Ranch keep its mountain community appeal.

The committee is not established to review building codes and structural design, rather it looks at how the aesthetics of a cabin design or exterior improvements add or detract from the mountain environment. Before a cabin is built or exterior modifications are made, or before you consider building storage sheds, above ground water tanks or fences, contact your area representative for an architectural review and approval letter. What are the consequences if a property owner does not get an approval letter from the committee?

Sometimes the architectural or aesthetical issues can be resolved in a reasonable fashion. But sometimes the courts have to resolve these situations for us when one property owner is not willing to respect the rights of what other property owners have to look at and the impact it has on the value of their adjacent properties. The Architectural Control Committee is in place to preserve the mountain community environment. Don’t forget to have your plans reviewed by the committee. It is a requirement, not an option. Contact your area representative if you need more information.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THE SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT AND THE

HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION ???

This has been one of the most asked and one of the least understood questions for many Pine Meadow Ranch property owners. So pay attention!! The information given in this explanation will be important for each of us to understand as provisions for

construction, operation and maintenance of "services" change at the Ranch when the Pine Meadow Special Service District is dissolved at the end of this year.

In brief, a Special Service District (SSD) is an entity of government that arranges for services (such as water, roads or power) to be provided to property owners. In our case, the Pine Meadow SSD is an entity of Summit County that was created in the mid 1980's to arrange for the funding, construction and maintenance of water, power and road services within the Ranch. There is an Advisory Board to the SSD comprised of Ranch property owners who advise the County on SSD services needed at the Ranch and then arrange for the work to be completed. This includes the construction, operation and maintenance of the water system; the construction and maintenance of roads and parking lots; snow removal; and contracts with Utah power for extension of the power system. Funding for these services come from the annual fee assessments each of us pay, not from our property taxes. Summit County does not invest any of its tax revenue into the services provided by the SSD at Pine Meadow Ranch. The operation, maintenance and construction of the services we enjoy today have been funded by Ranch property owners over the years on a "pay as you go" basis without incurring long-term debt for them. However, the assets created through payment of our fee assessments (i.e. water system including pumps, tanks, lines) are considered Summit County property rather than Pine Meadow Ranch property.

**********

A Home Owners Association (HOA) is a nonprofit corporation created to perform work or provide services that benefit property owners who have common interests in a real estate development. In our case, the real estate development is Pine Meadow/Forest Meadow Ranch. An HOA may have the responsibility of assuring that open spaces and common facilities remain available for the benefit of all property owners. It may be responsible for road or water services if not provided through a government entity, such as the SSD. It is usually charged with preserving the values established through "Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions" (CC&R’s) . All property owners at the Ranch have reference to CC&R’s recorded on their property deeds. The intent of CC&R’s is to create a spirit of cooperation among property owners by "covenanting" with each other to accept certain conditions and restrictions that will preserve the values and environment desirable to the majority of property owners. This includes such issues as how the property is used, number and kinds of animals allowed, styles of fences, exterior architectural design of cabins, storage of trailers, noise, parking, etc.

For the last three years, the Pine Meadow Ranch HOA responsibilities have included representing the interests of the Ranch property owners to the SSD, providing communication to property owners on current events, enforcing the CC&R’s and providing architectural review for cabins and their exterior improvements. The Pine Meadow SSD has had responsibility for the roads and water system. All of the property owners’ annual assessments and fees were collected for the SSD to expand, operate and maintain the water system and roads on the Ranch, except $15,000 earmarked for the funding and administration of the HOA .

With the pending dissolution of the Pine Meadow SSD by Summit County, the HOA has proposed to Summit County that a mutual water company be formed, independent of the HOA, to continue providing water service to the Ranch. It has also been proposed that the assets of the Ranch, such as open space and other property, be conveyed to the HOA for future management. The final proposal is the transfer of road and parking lot expansion and maintenance within the Ranch to the HOA. The HOA is taking steps to receive the powers of maintaining and administering community property and facilities, collecting and disbursing assessments and liening property for nonpayment of HOA assessments.

 

CURRENT HOA BOARD MEMBERS

President             Scott Boyle

Vice President     Steve Treseder

Secretary             Merrill Nelson

Treasurer             Russ Glenn

                                            Area Representatives

Area 1     Dan Connelley

Area 2     Ken Hill

                              Area 3     Roger Barrus

Area 4     Ron Downard

                                                            Area 5     Wayne Malmsrtom

Area 6     Jeff Camp

                    Area 7     A B Johnson

To contact any of these officers, contact Karen McClaus at 485-7472 or you can

contact Steve Treseder on e-mail at redesert@yahoo.com

 

 

SPEED KILLS

What would a newsletter be without a plea for drivers to slow down on both Toll Gate Canyon, The Ridge Road, and roads within the Ranch. With the laying of rotomill on a lot of the roads, drivers are given the false impression that these are paved highways. These are still narrow, winding roads with numerous blind corners. Lets not have a human fatality - we know of at least 4 deer deaths from car collisions.

 

 

TRAILERS SHOULD HIT THE ROAD

There are many trailers on the mountain. These should be removed prior to the winter snow season.

The reasons are twofold:

1. The expected heavy snow load will severely damage trailers not designed to carry the excessive weight of our snows.

2. The Pine Meadow covenants (CC&Rs) prohibit leaving trailers of any kind over the winter.

Please remove all trailers before the heavy snow falls.

 

WINTERIZE

A heavy winter is predicted this year. Don’t forget to winterize your cabin. Turn off water at the main valve, drain all water pipes, add antifreeze to water left in toilet, sink and shower traps, and cover firewood. A few minutes of preventive care each time you leave your cabin in the winter will prevent hours of costly repairs in the spring.

The ranch manager, Jerry Rupert, will be turning off your water at your meter - usually on the road - in October. You may turn the water back on as you wish but you are responsible for any water damage and leakage due to freezing. It looks like the water will be completely turned off and drained toward the end of December - depending upon weather conditions.

 

 

ATVs, Motorcycles & Etc...

Fall is a most outstanding time to travel the 36 miles of roads within the ranch. All vehicles must remember to stay on designated roads. Any time you leave a road and go off-roading or on a trail you are on someone’s private property and are trespassing! Stay on the road - please. Parents; please be aware of where your kids are riding.

 

 

DEER HUNT IS ON US

The entire ranch is closed to hunting by Summit County. Our wildlife is protected. If you see anyone hunting on the ranch or within 500 feet of the ranch - call the Summit County Sheriff immediately giving the location, a description of the hunters and the license plate number if possible.

****NOTE*****

A cow elk was poached on Saturday, October 9th at about 11:30 AM. The pick-up was parked at the first silver gate up Toll Gate Canyon. If anyone saw this truck or have any information concerning this incident, please call the Utah State Fish and Game or one of your Home Owners Association Officers.