Jessica Besso, CPA, CFE, and a Budget & Finance Committee member, is hosting a Budget Question and Answer Session at the Chalet on:

• Saturday, February 8th at 11:00 am

and again on

• Tuesday, February 11th at 7:30 pm

  Please note: if you cannot make it to either of these sessions, please email the Secretary@wildrim.org with your questions and they will be answered promptly.

Please come and learn about how the Board’s approved budget was created and get answers to all of your budget-related questions.  Topics can include the history of the WRA business, the purpose of budgets, reserves, current activity, and future plans.  The sessions will be recorded for future reference.  Bring your neighbors!

Materials for this Special Meeting will be mailed to each member.  
Members who have created an account on the website can view .pdf versions of the materials here.

Questions and Answers (Budget Q&A Session Materials) here: http://wildernessrim.org/budget-q-a/

Wilderness Rim Association’s Board of Trustees has adopted a new budget for the current year (2013-2014) to better serve the needs of the Association.  Washington State law requires the Board to present any budget it adopts to the membership for approval at a meeting called for that purpose.

This is a balanced budget proposal that recognizes WRA’s requirement to set aside the Water Surcharge (that is not spent for current Capital Improvements) into the Restricted Water Reserve. This new budget also reflects the Board’s recent decision to reduce costs by having our billing work done by our own staff.  An increase in office hours is budgeted to improve customer support for members at our own office.  Additional obligations for the financial audit and the Water Reserve and water rate studies approved by the Board for better management of our water system are also included.  The cost for these studies will be paid for by a $1.34 surcharge each billing, for the next twelve billings, to distribute the cost fairly among members:  $16.08 per member over two years.

The volunteers who are your Board of Trustees are working hard to make good decisions for our Association.  We ask your support and participation in the upcoming Membership Meeting and your vote of approval for this budget.

Thank you.

The following announcement will mailed to all WRA Members:

WILDERNESS RIM ASSOCIATION
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

Acknowledging the membership’s rejection of the budget presented at the Annual Meeting in July, 2013 the Board is announcing a new proposed budget for the period of July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014 for your consideration. Washington State law requires the Board to present any budget it adopts to the membership for approval at a meeting called for that purpose.

Please plan to attend this Special Membership Meeting at the Chalet in Cascade Park on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. Come early to meet your neighbors and your WRA volunteers over coffee and refreshments. This is a private business meeting for WRA homeowners and lot owners only. Your children are welcome to attend with you. Please bring this sheet with your questions, comments and your ballot which is included in this mailing.

 You may vote by mail or by dropping off your ballot at the office any time before noon on the day of the meeting.
 Mailed ballots must be received by February 14, 2014 to ensure they are counted.
 We require 10% membership participation to reach a quorum. Please take the time to vote.

Effective immediately, WRA is resuming administration of billing for water and assessments for WRA members.

• We need each lot owner to update their records with the office.
  Please provide the information requested on the back of the tear-off remittance section of your water bill.  You may also email the office at office@wildrim.org.
• All water and assessment related financial matters will be handled in the WRA office.
• You may mail your payments to:
  Wilderness Rim Association
  Post Office Box 315
  North Bend, WA
  98045-0315
• You may drop your payments off at the WRA office during office hours:
  10:00 am – 3:00 pm    Tuesday
  12:00 pm – 6:00 pm    Wednesday
  10:00 am – 3:00 pm    Thursday
• You may drop your payment at any time in the drop box by the WRA office door.
• Payment arrangements for accounts should be made with Suzanne in the WRA office.

From:  http://wateruseitwisely.com/5-ways-you-may-be-wasting-water-around-the-house/

Every few years, Brewster Lake freezes over.  It’s so beautiful and interesting that it is very tempting to try to walk across it.  Please don’t.

Consider the following headlines from the last few days:

Two young brothers die after falling through thin ice in rural Iowa

Three people die after separate drownings after falling through thin ice

Even if you don’t fall in, you may find yourself rescuing someone who has.  The following video will teach you what happens when you fall in, how to get out, and how to safely help someone else.

Wilderness Rim is 600 feet higher than North Bend.  Sometimes that 600 feet makes a big difference in the weather.

Thanks to Scott Johansen’s Personal Weather Station, you can now get a weather report specifically for Wilderness Rim.

Look for the “Weather” links on the Home page (shown above).

Thank you Scott!

Wilderness Rim Association Guidelines for Member Participation

Member Participation and Contribution

Members are welcome at all meetings and are encouraged to attend, participate and contribute to deliberations. Recognition of a speaker by the presiding officer is a prerequisite to speaking and is necessary for an orderly and effective meeting. It will be expected that all speakers deliver their comments in a courteous and efficient manner and will speak only to the specific subject under consideration.

Right to Speak

At committee meetings any member has the right to speak on any item on the agenda given there is enough time in the meeting to do so. New topics need to be communicated to the Committee Chair before the meeting so it may be added to the agenda in advance.

At Board meetings any member has the right to speak on items under discussion after the trustees have concluded their discussion and before action is taken provided time is allowed at the discretion of the Board.

Manner of Addressing the Board

Each person recognized by the Chair to address the Board shall state their name, Division and Lot number for the record, and state the subject they wish to discuss. They must also state if they are representing an organization, other persons or group of persons and limit their remarks to the amount of time the Chair allows. All remarks must be addressed to the Board as a whole, not to any member individually. All speakers must be courteous in their language and deportment and shall not discuss or comment on personalities or indulge in derogatory remarks or insinuations.

Anyone making out of order comments or acting in a manner contrary to these guidelines shall be subject to removal from the meeting.

King County Executive announces new round of grant opportunities for projects in unincorporated areas

Total of $60,000 in grants for 2014 in unincorporated area projects

King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced the third year of new Community Service Area grant opportunities, and encouraged residents in unincorporated communities to become more connected in their neighborhoods.

“We have growing demand for community projects, and we look forward to awarding more grants to creative neighborhood groups in 2014,” Executive Constantine said.

A total of $60,000 is available through the King County Community Service Area Program for projects, with grants of less than $5,000. Examples of projects that can be proposed are:

• Newsletters that inform residents about important issues affecting the community;
• Events such as concerts, festivals, and educational and safety projects;
• Neighborhood improvement projects such as tree planting, graffiti removal and clean-up;
• Community-led planning or training; and
• Signage for a neighborhood or community.

Proposals should demonstrate how activities would be accessible to all unincorporated King County residents regardless of race, income, or language spoken.

A minimum match of 25 percent in the form of volunteer time, cash or in-kind services of the total project cost is required. Applications are due Jan. 10, 2014.

Priority for funding will be given to locally based, community-led organizations in the unincorporated Community Service Areas that encourage collaborations and partnerships.

“We have supported two years of creative initiatives and we look forward to another great year of improvements in our unincorporated communities,” said Alan Painter, manager of the Community Service Area program.

In the last two years, 49 projects were funded throughout unincorporated King County, including:

• Music in local parks
• National Night Out events
• Support for local senior centers
• Volunteer cleanup along the Snoqualmie River
• Neighborhood cleanup initiatives
• Community signage
• Youth projects

Information about the 2014 application process, grant application workshop dates, and a list of the 2013 awardees is available at http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/community-service-areas.aspx.

Doug Greathouse proudly displaying his handiwork

The Park Committee maintains “The Triangle” (also known as “The Y”) at the entrance to the Rim, the Greenbelt, and Cascade Park.

Volunteering your time to help make Wilderness Rim a better place makes a long lasting difference in our community.

See the Calendar for the next Park Committee Meeting, or send an email to Park@WildRim.org and say, “How can I help?”

“Happy Holidays” from Wilderness Rim Association’s Board of Trustees

From left to right (in picture):

• Ernie Henrie
• Brian Mogridge
• John Greer
• Jim Besso
• Donna Greathouse Neel
• Suzanne Glazier (Administrative Assistant)
• Steve McDonald
• Kimberlea Miller
• Joyce Jansen

Not pictured:

• Fernando Platin, Jr.
• Matthew Rourke