To view the contents of this post, you must be authenticated and have the required access level.

Recent nice weather has led to an increase in member complaints. Nearly all could have been resolved by members following Rim Restrictive Covenants and Architectural Guidelines, King County Ordinances, or by talking to their neighbors and working with them to resolve the issues. Issues included:

• Dogs Barking and Off Leash. Dogs and children have recently been hurt or harassed by dogs off leash in neighborhoods or in the park or greenbelt. Dogs must be on-leash at all times in Wilderness Rim. Members have also been disturbed by loud barking dogs. If your dog is a barker, keep them inside or get a barking collar from a pet store. The Board does not have the power to intervene. Dealing with barking and off-leash dogs is a legal action handled by King County. If you cannot get your neighbor to quiet their dog, please contact King County at http://kingcounty.gov/safety/regionalAnimalServices/~/media/safety/regionalAnimalServices/documents/AnimalComplaints.ashx.
• Bright Lights on Houses. Several members raised concerns about very bright house lights that light up the neighborhood and make it difficult for nearby neighbors to sleep at nights or enjoy the stars. According to Architectural Review Guideline 8.9.1. Lighting. “Outdoor lighting shall not be intrusive on neighboring properties or roads.” If you have a bright light, consider a lower wattage bulb, a smaller, less intrusive light fixture, or a security light. Also, consider turning off the light when you go to bed at night.
• RVs and Camping Trailers. RVs and large trailers have popped up everywhere. Although great for camping, they are now taking up space on roads and some are being used for long-term living in the Rim through hook-ups to septic and propane tanks. Restrictive Covenant 7 prohibits the use of a trailer or RV as a residence either temporarily or permanently.

Bottom line – Treat others as you would like to be treated!

The Board of Trustees of Wilderness Rim Association request nominations for positions on the Board of Trustees, Architectural Review Committee (ARC), and Advisory Committee. The Board is also asking for pro and con statements for proposed ballot approvals and bylaw amendments.

If you are interested in serving on the Board of Trustees, ARC, or Advisory Committee, please submit your name and a short statement (a paragraph or two) as to why you want to be on the Board, ARC, or Advisory Committee. If you would like to write a pro or con statement, limit it to a few paragraphs. Submit your name and statement of qualifications, or pro/con statement, by email to office@wildernessrim.org, by mail (WRA, PO Box 315, North Bend, WA 98045), or hand deliver to the office drop box behind the Cascade Park Chalet. Nominations and statements must be received by the Office by August 11, 2017. This information will be included in the ballot information provided to the members later in August.

The duties of the Board of Trustees are to ensure that our common resources are managed in compliance with all the applicable laws, such as the Revised Code of Washington, and in the best interests of the membership. The number of Trustees who shall manage the business affairs of the Association is 11. Two trustees are currently serving three-year terms, thus nine positions are open.

The Architectural Review Committee, also known as the Architectural Control Committee, is responsible for assuring the compliance of Association members and Wilderness Rim residents with the Wilderness Rim Restrictive or Protective Covenants as applied to members’ lots; maintaining records of construction and improvement plans; drafting or amending Architectural Guidelines, which then must be approved by the membership; and educating the membership about the Architectural Guidelines. Members serve for one year, and the Committee shall be composed of at least three, but not more than six members.

The Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the Board of Trustees about current issues that may be subject to the Association’s governing documents and continuing resolutions. The committee shall be composed of at least two but not more than five members. To be a member of the committee, you must have completed a minimum of three years on the Board of Trustees and have served as an officer for at least one of those years.

Last July, the Board decided to invoice members for their Association homeowner dues and security patrol dues every two months, rather than in a lump sum in July, as was done in the past. However, these dues were not invoiced when bills were sent out in late July 2016, as the transition to billing these dues every two months had not yet been approved by the membership. Thus, an extra set of dues will be invoiced with the May billing cycle so that there will be a total of $80 assessed for homeowner dues and $48 for security patrol dues for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017. Your homeowner dues in May will be $26.68 and security patrol dues will be $16, twice what they were in prior bills this fiscal year. The Association apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause members.

We also ask those who drop off their payments at the Association Office or mail their payments to the Association to send their payments directly to Sallal. Their address is Sallal Water Association, P.O. Box 378, North Bend, WA 98045. In addition to providing water to Wilderness Rim, Sallal also is responsible for member billings and payments.

Based on water meter readings in recent years, the amount of water lost in our water system between where the water enters the Rim and where it reaches homeowner water meters has been calculated as high as 17%. Several factors could account for this loss, including flushing of fire hydrants, use of water by street sweepers, broken or faulty meters, and broken pipes. To get a better idea of water loss, Association volunteers and Sallal Water Association (Sallal) employees read meters on March 18 and April 1 to get a better idea of water loss over a short period of time. Based on the survey, estimated water loss was about 25%. To help determine where water leakage may be occurring, a leakage study will be done by Utility Services Associates and our water system operator in June (tentatively June 5-9). There may be some traffic diversions and short-term water shut-offs during the study period.

During the March 2017 billing, several members were alarmed to have received very high water bills. With the help of leakage detection services, customers found their sources of water leaks (usually broken pipes, perhaps resulting from the cold weather) and fixed them. A common question members keep asking is: How does my water use compare to other members’ water use?

On average, members use about 1,100 cubic feet of water every 2 months. A cubic foot is equal to about 7.5 gallons. The 20% of members that use the least amount of water use up to about 500 cubic feet per billing period (two months). The next 20% use about 500 to 750 cubic feet. The middle 20% use about 750 to 1000 cubic feet. The next 20% use about 1000 to 1200 cubic feet. And, the top 20% of water users use about 1200 to 3000 cubic feet per two months. Top water users often include those with broken pipes or leaky toilets. In general, water use is also higher during the summer than during the winter. If you would like to see how your water use this year compares to last year, go to the Association’s payment website at https://wra.secure.munibilling.com. If you haven’t done so already, you will need to set up a user name and password to use the site.

If you think your water use is high, turn off all the water in your house, and then check your water meter (located in a black box near the street and usually between your house and your neighbor’s house) to see if the meter is still showing water use (look to see if the small silver “wheel” is rotating). If so, you probably have a leak. Contact the Office (425-888-0087) and they will give you tips to help you find your leak. If it makes you feel any better, a 2015 article in the Seattle Times noted that the average family of four in Seattle uses about 1,600 cubic feet per two-month period and paid $110 for water for that period.