Neighbors,

Rain and snow have been falling on the Lake Tahoe Basin for the last week, temporarily easing our concerns re fire.

These concerns were discussed fervently at our homeowners’ meeting in September.  After that meeting, we invited the Fire Marshal and other forest management experts to tour the property with us. They helped us prioritize our efforts to protect our property. Maximizing defensible space; tree limbing in areas where trees are close to structures; and, removal of dead trees in that order were the mainstays of their recommendations. This work is in progress. The most graphic example of these efforts at the moment is the creek area on the north end of the property. It has received quite a haircut.  Also, we have doubled the 2019 tree removal budget.

We continue to work on infrastructure.  I am always amazed at how much time, money, and effort go into things that are not evident to the naked eye when we enjoy the property. Entry gate motors, pool equipment, moving and replacing buoys and buoy blocks, cleaning sewer lines, and repaving roads are just a few examples of the constant and relatively invisible maintenance that goes on.  A recent development is that we have been advised that one of our sewer pumps is nearing the end of its functional life and will have to be replaced shortly.  Replacement has been estimated at $150K.

On November 17, your Board spent the better part of the day huddled over a spreadsheet of proposed income and expenditures. The proposed expenditures are estimates from the various committee chairpersons of what they, in consultation with the general manager, believe will be necessary for the year.  These expenses can range from the inconsequential, replacement of basketballs (est. $60), to the significant, replacement of sewer pumps (est.$150k) or insurance for the property (est.$200k).  Each chairperson is asked to explain and justify the expenses no matter the size.  At the end of the exercise, we determined that approximately 2.1 million dollars would be necessary. A $50 increase in dues to $2975 per quarter was approved. This will allow us to continue to replace our aging infrastructure, increase our fire prevention efforts, and contribute to the reserve fund.

We are making good progress in establishing an adequate reserve.  We are approximately at the $700K level.  As I have discussed previously with you, we have received recommendations ranging from one to two million dollars for an adequate reserve.

I would like to bring to your attention the fact that our land-line based freeze alarm system provider is going out of business.  This is because homeowners are abandoning landlines in droves. We estimate that 50% of our homeowners do not have landlines.  We are actively looking for an alternative. Until a satisfactory alternative is found there will be a gap in coverage for those of you who do not have landlines.  Please be aware of this.

Also, please be informed that we are actively attempting to streamline our architectural review process. We are endeavoring to make the process more user friendly for homeowners and contractors. There will be changes forthcoming over the next several months in the procedures for obtaining review and approval of the Architectural Review Committee.

The new pickleball and bocce ball courts appear to have been enjoyed by many this past summer.  We are discussing adding a shuffleboard court to the bocce ball courts area as well. Also, the kayak and windsurfer racks were utilized and helped de-clutter our shoreline. More are on the way.

In summary, our present status includes the aforementioned reserve. There are no lawsuits pending.  We continue to work on our aging infrastructure and fire prevention. I believe the property is as beautiful as ever. We are its stewards right now and it is our duty to preserve it going forward.

Happy Holidays,

Charles E. Quaglieri

President, Board of Directors

Chinquapin Homeowners Association