2023-07-05 Board Meeting Minutes

Posted on July 29, 2023 by RLCA

Reflection Lake Board of Directors Meeting

July 5, 2023

Present: Russ Bishop, Terry Zoesch, Joe Dickinson, Jeff Toffer, Joe Kokinda, Sandi Bennett, Gary Long, Jim Boothby

Not Present: Robert Syverson (joined meeting 10 minutes before adjourning)

  1. Call to order—meeting recorded (audio only)—No objections to audio
  2. Minutes of previous meeting–Sandi
    1. Jeff Toffer moves to accept the minutes as written, Jim Boothby seconds, all approve to accept minutes
  3. Reports of Officers
    1. Report of Vice-President—Robert Syverson
      1. Not present
    2. Report of Treasurer-Jim Boothby
      1. See addendum
      2. 2021-2024 Budget Final Review (see addendum)
        1. Sandi bennett moves that we accept the budget as written—Terry Zoesch seconds—7 for and Russ Bishop abstains. Budget passes for review at annual meeting
    3. Report of Secretary—Sandi Bennett
      1. Updated Franklin Accounting with corrections to contact information
  4. Reports of Standing Commitees
    1. Conservation, Maintenance and Dams and Firewise—Dan Loos/Jeff Toffer/Gary Long
      1. Firewise paid for Rick Hayes tree removal at Bald Eagle Beach, Dumpsters and Rock added to South Dam.
      2. Dan Loos for CMD
        1. Volunteers installed the plant pen—no growth yet
          1. Might put some plants in but should check with Fish and Wildlife before putting in plants but will check with John Fechner
        2. Bishop shed door needs to be replaced—all supplies by donation
        3. Planting fish this fall with go fund me dollars, donations, and some of the yard sale proceeds.
        4. Did maintenance on Bishop Park dock
        5. Installed an invasive weed sign at Bald Eagle Beach
        6. Volunteers weeded Bings and Bishops lot
        7. Checked out the fish hatchery—still need to shore up the roof with timber—the dirt is pushing the back wall in and in a perfect world would like a retaining wall and excavator to move the dirt. It is good to leave our options open with the fish hatchery—rebuild, raise fish, etc. at the very least it is a historic site
        8. Paint the inside of the community center this fall
        9. Volunteers are cleaning the outlets on the dams
        10. Looking at the pump and fountain for the lake donated by Kerry Wilson. Still need to work on getting it fully functional
        11. The CMD will borrow the Bennet Brush hog to clear out the road to fish hatchery
        12. Dan feels that every board member should be a part of at least one committee
      3. Bald Eagle proposed improvements—Kent Ward
        1. add a sign there is no lifeguard on duty
        2. rebuild rock wall in front of picnic shelter that a community member has destroyed and possibly take out 16 ft of grass and add sand toward the south dam
        3. take the grass out on the north side of the dock where all that boats are stored so you can take your boats out easily—will go through appropriate approval and permits from shoreline.
        4. put a fishing dock further north to alleviate the fishing from the dam and the dock at Bald Eagle—will check with the county for approval
    2. Community Relations—Sandi Bennett
      1. Thanks to all that helped with and donated to the garage sale—we raised $2846. And thanks to Claudia for her contribution of her baked goods—at least $750 of the yard sale were her baked goods
      2. I am unable to chair the committee anymore and the annual meeting on July 22nd will be potluck with the Kokindas providing hotdogs. Angie Ward will help
      3. Would like to get a newsletter out before annual meeting
      4. We have lost another community member—Sad to announce the passing of Tom Barcklay
    3. Security—Gary Long
      1. Says the fourth of July went well with few fireworks.
      2. Please lock the Bald Eagle gate
      3. And the South Dam access has been found unlocked…Why is this happening? Should never be unlocked unless it is needed for evacuation
  5. Unfinished business
    1. Legal Update
      1. Lee, Powers, Bishop et al… still stayed.
      2. Banner Bank appeal with Powers is what is taking the money right now. The last brief has been sent. Our lawyers feel it is cut and dry and there will not have to be oral arguments and it just goes to the panel to make the decision. Our attorneys think there is a high likelihood of us prevailing. Brief will be posted to website.
      3. In addition, about $2200 has been spent because of a community member who wants the community members personal information including emails and phone numbers which are not allowed by our RCW and our bylaws. We only need to provide block/lot, names, and addresses, which has been provided. Basically the dollars spent has been his lawyer contacting our lawyer and our lawyer contacting the board. We asked him to pay our fees but he was unwilling. But he is still asking for more and threatening a lawsuit because of it
    2. RLCA/RWA Merger Update
      1. All legal processes were followed by the RLCA for the merger. He is in the process of merging RWA with RLCA and dissolving RWA corporation. It will be going through in the next couple of weeks. The RWA will then be a committee and the boards will get together and form policy and a management contract. We provided all information (votes and minutes, etc) to the lawyer and he deemed that all processes were correct. No RLCA funds have been used for this merger. RWA has paid all acquisition costs.
  6. New Business
    1. Joe Dickinson raises a concern that the election committee is biased. Signs were stolen at the Bennett and Dickinson homes and immediately a countersign at David Vandermeer’s house was put up and he would like to see the election committee dissolved. Joe is proposing that they are biased because of the sign David Vandermeer put up and the fact that the two of the people now running were on the election committee and one was a spouse of a person that is now running for the board. The guidelines state that none of the election committee will run for the board. Denise Brown feels that everyone has the right to run for the board—yes she was on the election committee but she made her decision before June 17th to run and resigned from the committee at that point in order to run for a position. Denise doesn’t think board members should have signs supporting people in the election, but the rule is that we can have nothing to do with the election process. Not supporting board members who we think should be on the board is saying that we should not be allowed to vote.
    2. Sandi makes a motion to not allow Denise Brown, Randy Kenworthy and Jerry Parker to be on the ballot—a new ballot should be sent out to all community members. Many people have not even received a ballot. They were on or married to election committee members communicating with members for months before the election before resigning and putting themselves on the ballot. People are more than welcome to write in anyone they want but this is a ridiculous abuse of the election committee powers. Does this really sound like an unbiased election committee? She says, David, you placed a placard at your house saying you wish to replace the board for all to see. You have finally shown the community your bias and thank you for showing all that my husband is NOT a liar. It has also come to my attention that you have been going to community members suggesting that the lake be split in two which would require a vote of the members. Does that sound like what an unbiased committee chair should be doing?
      1. Sandi Bennett asks where the address list came from since several members did not receive a ballot. The president and secretary were not asked to provide a current address list to the election committee. David Vandermeer said that it came from Lucinda Wiser. She only provided labels, envelopes, ballots and stamps.
        1. Joe Kokinda will provide a current list and the election committee will send ballots to those that have communicated they did not receive a ballot. They do not have a checklist of whom they sent a ballot to.
        2. Number one requirement on the guidelines was that election committee members were not to run for election for the board. A person’s argument is that the pool is so small they had to resign from the election committee and run. Some people think this is hyprocritical.
      2. Sandi takes this motion off the floor off after much discussion but wanted her viewpoint on record
      3. Sandi mentions that she is passionate and loves this community and I will always tell people what I think, whether you like it or not.
      4. Sandi also mentions she was dog sitting in a community near hear that is an HOA with a natural lake, a road and a gate, $750,000 homes with no garbage service and they spend $1350 a year on their dues. So, we need to keep this lake volunteer and we have to learn how to play with each other in this community
    3. Doggy doodoo dispensers at Bald Eagle Beach?
  7. Open Forum
    1. Candidate statements
      1. Randy Kenworthy—has donated much time and has nothing but good in his heart. Would love to see the lawsuits end by negotiation, communication and compromise. Start a resolution, communication committee. Would like to make water quality better. Should be able to work together for a common good to make the lake better
      2. Denise Brown—want to be involved in the lake, couldn’t make up her mind to run but ran at the last minute. Wants to make a huge difference. Dialogue of communication, express how awesome the lake can be if we do it all together. Feels there is another side to the lawsuits—let’s have that conversation to stop things from happening. Focus on what the lake is all about rather than giving it to lawyers. I remember going to the CMD and drove all the guys crazy asking questions and but I know what is going on in this lake and have a lot of great ideas to fix this lake.
      3. Jeff Toffer—been on the board several times. Before all the lawsuits started, my wife and I talked to the person that wants to split up the lake, we had that person over and talked to him for five hours at our house. We talked about liability, roads and him wanting a lake manager to run the place. We didn’t feel that was a good idea because lake management would raise the dues immensely and many people could not afford it. Tried to get him to not file that lawsuit and he did anyway. He has been involved in the lawsuits from the beginning. Jeff believes that knowledge is very important and he wants the lawsuits to end as well. Having someone on the board that understands all the lawsuits and attorneys is very important. We have the best appeals attorney in that state. He enjoys being on the committees (CMD, Social committee, Firewise) and planting the fish
      4. Joe Dickinson—sat through two days of mediation and we would continue to agree and then they would change it repeatedly. They changed the agreement about 23 times and then they still didn’t sign. I feel bad walking away from it. It is a case of a schoolyard bully that wants his way and threatens people to try to get his way. It’s a game to him and he wants us to spend all of our money. It’s great to live here. We all want to get rid of the lawsuits and all he wants to do is keep the meters running. Changing horses in the middle of the race isn’t a good plan. Love the idea of not using weed and feed on lake front property. Should flush the lake and keep the lake clean. Carp should be eradicated and get some plant life in here. If you don’t want to hear the truth then don’t vote for me. We are wasting too much time… the egos of some people at the lake
      5. Robert Syverson—My biggest thing is to keep the community together and not separated. We need to stick together to keep the community thriving and with a lot of volunteer work. I would like to see the lawsuits end as well but there is a process—they need to be seen through and ended in a certain way. Things need to be corrected and made right and the people that have hurt this community need to come to terms and make it right.
      6. Jerry isn’t here and can send an email out to us.
      7. The Wards are trying to do a community event in September
    2. Motion to adjourn Gary Long and Terry Zoesh seconds. All approve motion to adjourn at 8:19
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