WRA members again will have the opportunity to participate in free chipping of downed branches.  This will be provided on a Saturday in the Spring on a first come first served basis.  Branches must be stacked on the roadside shoulder by your home.  For more information and to be included on the list, please contact firewise@wildernessrim.org or leave your account and telephone number with the WRA Office at 425.888.0087.

Illegal Dumping is the improper disposal of waste as defined by King County.

One of our community members has been dumping bags full of cat litter and feces along our roads in Wilderness Rim. This is occurring along 168th Street and 422nd Ave SE as you approach the exit from the Rim through the Uplands. Additionally, we are seeing the bags of waste well into the Uplands. Neighbors have picked up in excess of 25 bags of waste in the last month or two.

If you see anyone littering or dumping anything in the Rim, please contact King County at their Illegal Dumping Hotline and do your part to help stop inconsiderate neighbors from turning our neighborhoods into dumping grounds. You can call the King County Illegal Dumping Hotline at 206-296-SITE (7483), toll-free 866-431-7483, or file your report online: http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/dnrp/solid-waste/programs/litter-dumping/report-dumping.aspx

On November 7, 2016, the King County Council passed Ordinance 18403, by a vote of 7 to 2 (Mr. Von Reichbauer and Mr. Dunn dissenting), creating New Section 6.27.080 of King County Code. This new code section requires franchise utilities,    consisting of electric, gas, water, and sewer, to pay a fee to the County in return for the right to use their right of way. The King County Facilities Management Division is currently creating administrative rules to implement the Ordinance.

More information, including the draft rule and a comment form can be found at the following website:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/facilities-management/real-estate-services/public-rule-proposal.aspx 

The WRA WUC recommends contacting members of the King County Council to share your thoughts about this new fee.  Councilmember Kathy Lambert is the District 3 representative encompassing Wilderness Rim and surrounding communities. Councilmember Lambert can be contacted via email at kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov  or by phone at (206) 477-1003.  The deadline for comments is 5:00 PM, December 7, 2017.

If the current proposed fees are implemented, it will increase every utility bill you receive by $5.00 (minimum) to $???? per month.

There have been some complaints from WRA customers that water usage totals are high for the summer months.  Here are some things to consider.

August and September were very dry, and a lot of folks watered their lawns and gardens during that period.

Under an average water pressure for a home:

• A 1/2-inch garden hose delivers about 9 gallons of water per minute.
• The standard 5/8-inch garden hose delivers 17 gallons per minute.
• Larger hoses, such as a 3/4-inch hose, use up to 23 gallons per minute.

We are billed by cubic feet.  One cubic foot is about 7.48 gallons.

If you have a standard 5/8″ hose, and you water your lawn…

• In 15 minutes, you’d use about 255 gallons (34.1 cf)
• If you water 1 time a day for 6 days during a week, you’d use 1530 gallons (204.5 cf)
• if you do that for a 4-week month, you’d use 6120 gallons (818.2 cf)
• Over two months, that’s 12240 gallons (1636.4 cf)

This doesn’t count normal, every day usage for showers, (~5 gallons/minute, according to the CF Watershed) dishes, drinking… It all adds up!

If you think your meter was read incorrectly, you can check your meter against the read value on your bill.  The system flags values it thinks are erroneous, but mistakes can happen.

If you think you have a leak, then it might be worth getting it checked out.

The WRA office has toilet dye strips available to check your toilets.

Other WRA articles to help you with water problems:
How to Compare Your Water Use to Average Neighbor

Toilet Troubleshooting

Five Ways You Might Be Wasting Water Around the House

Neighbors,

Thank you to all who attended today’s annual Membership meeting.  The ballot count for the 2017 Annual Membership Meeting ballot was 178 – one of the highest voter turnouts in our history, a testament to the  online voting system. While the online voting could have gone smoother, we didn’t have nearly as many issues as last year, and we continue to head in right direction. .

Now to the meat of the matter: Here are the results for the 2017 Annual Membership Meeting Ballot (178 total votes; 166 online plus 12 manual).

Ballot Approvals:

PASS – Approve the 2016 Annual Meeting Minutes – Yes: 155, No: 14.
PASS – Approve the 2017-2018 Budget – Yes: 129, No: 35.
PASS – Approve $36 per lot special assessment for security patrol – Yes: 121, No: 55.
PASS – Approve $100 per lot homeowner dues – Yes: 109, No: 68.
FAIL – Approve Expenditure of up to $15,000 to Assess Water System – Yes: 81, No: 95

ByLaw Amendments (66% approval – 119 yes votes – needed to pass).

FAIL – Bylaw # 2.5 – Legal Expense Control – Yes:  49, No: 83
FAIL – Bylaw # 2.6 – Legal Expense Control – Yes:  57, No: 76
FAIL – Bylaw # 3.1.1 – Number of Trustees – Yes:  62, No: 69
FAIL – Bylaw # 3.1.2 – Term and Term Limits – Yes:  75, No: 55
FAIL – Bylaw # 3.1.3 – Definition of a Member “in good standing” – Yes:  74, No: 57
FAIL – Bylaw # 3.1.14 – Appointment of Trustees to Vacant Positions – Yes:  72, No: 61
FAIL – Bylaw 3.1.18 – Trustee Resignation – Yes:  85, No: 48
FAIL – Bylaw # 3.2.3 – Presence at Meeting for Voting – Yes:  88, No: 45
FAIL –  Bylaw # 3.3.6 – Officer Duties – Yes: 66 , No: 67
FAIL – Bylaw # 3.3.7 – Staffing – Yes:  66, No: 65
FAIL – Bylaw # 4.3.0 – Annual Meeting Quorum – Yes:  42, No: 90
FAIL – Bylaw # 5.2.6 – Advisory Committee Term – Yes:  70, No: 63
FAIL – Bylaw # 5.2.6 – Advisory Committee Removal – Yes:  71, No: 60

Board of Trustees

Alan Bruckner 73
Ryan Fiedler 128
Thomas Grisso 137
Mike Kenyon 111
Heather Larson 128
Brad Summers 69

Write In Results
Subject to nominee acceptance of the appointment to fill the available 3 positions. If a nominee declines, the next nominee in line will be offered the position.

Joyce Jansen Total 4
Matt Rourke Total 4
Steve McDonald Total 4
Ben Larson Total 3
Brian Mogridge Total 3
Brian Warren Total 3
Donna Greathouse Total 3
Janet Sailer Total 3
Jordan Berry Total 3
Kathy Hyland Total 3
Chris Rosko Total 2
Ernie Henrie Total 2
Jaime Oberg Total 2
Joe Tradii Total 2
John Greer Total 2
Lenny Stoltman Total 2
Michael Pena Total 2
Steve Miller Total 2
Sunnie Kelly Total 2
Veronica Webber Smith Total 2
Cammy Cirhan Total 1
Courtney Fastenau Total 1
Dave Latourette Total 1
Jason Fisher Total 1
Jeff Mika Total 1
Jim Besso Total 1
Julie Warren Total 1
Julio Iglesias Total 1
Mark LaPerriere Total 1
Michael Faoro Total 1
Stuart Paulus Total 1
William Tribble Total 1

ARC Committee

Jim Besso 126

Write In Results
Subject to nominee acceptance of the appointment to fill the available 5 positions. If a nominee declines, the next nominee in line will be offered the position.

Steve McDonald Total 3
Alexis Danshita Total 2
Jerry Cummings Total 2
Matt Rourke Total 2
Steve Miller Total 2
Alan Bruckner Total 1
Art Farash Total 1
Brian Mogridge Total 1
Cathy Mika Total 1
Donna Greathouse Total 1
Janet Sailer Total 1
Jeannette Mandanas Total 1
Jeff Mika Total 1
John Smith Total 1
Joyce Jansen Total 1
Karen Goldenburger Total 1
Kathy Hyland Total 1
Katie Fiedler Total 1
Kim Huffaker Total 1
Mia Buse-Stone Total 1
Scott Fastenau Total 1
Silvia Lezama Total 1
Susann Hussels Total 1
Sylvia Salais Total 1
Thomas Grisso Total 1
William Tribble Total 1

Advisory Committee

Donna Greathouse 96
Joyce Jansen 91

Write In Results
Subject to nominee acceptance of the appointment to fill the available 3 positions. If a nominee declines, the next nominee in line will be offered the position.
Brian Mogridge Total 4
Jim Besso Total 4
Janet Sailer Total 3
Lenny Stoltman Total 3
Steve Miller Total 3
Dave Yarnchak Total 2
Jessica Besso Total 2
Joe Tradii Total 2
Stuart Paulus Total 2
Wil Chromey Total 2
Amy Mogridge Total 1
Andrea Jensen Total 1
Art Farash Total 1
Ernie Total 1
Jaime Oberg Total 1
Jerry Cummings Total 1
Karen Goldenburger Total 1
Kristen sweeney Total 1
Mike o’neil Total 1
Richard smith Total 1
Ryan Fiedler Total 1
Steve McDonald Total 1
Thea Tiryakioglu Total 1

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the voting, and an extra thank you to those who helped set up, break down, manning the BBQ, verify the counts, and assisting in making this community a better place!

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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!