Please enjoy the Summer edition of the community newsletter.

ARHA June 2015 Newsletter

Spring is here early this year, please enjoy the spring edition of the community newsletter.

ARHA March 2015 Newsletter

It is fall time and the fall newsletter is out.

ARHA August 2014 Newsletter

It is a new year and the first newsletter is out.

ARHA February 2014 Newsletter

Arbor Ridge Home Owner Meeting for October 17th, 2013

I. Meeting Called to Order

• 6:33 pm
• Attendees: Mike Foster, Mike Farris, Todd Behunin, Ken Walker, Lisa Walker, Lynda DuLong, Zen Dunaj, Ela Dunaj, Kim Loeffler

II. Arbor Ridge ad hoc Beaver Committee Informational Report and Recommendations

• Execution Session took place: Kim Loeffler was asked to give a 10 minute review of the Recommendations, as documented in the informational report, dated, October 8, 2013.

III. Question Session

• The Board began a discussion on the contents and proposed recommendations of the ad hoc Beaver committee.
• Beaver Dam removal by a 3rd party contractor to reduce water volume.
• To have a Geo Engineering firm inspect the walls on the Arbor Ridge Properties to clarify the structural integrity of the wall as well as its purpose to sustain standing water against them.

IV. Board Response

• The Board of Directors gave a response of the recommendations of the Beaver ad hoc committee that the documented report does not reflect the tasks initially assigned to them to define the purpose, problem, factual analyze, and action plan of short term and long term actions.  The Board will review/evaluate and report back their decision.
• The Board asked a closing of the session.
• Motion to end session, and motion seconded and carried.

V. Board Decision

• Short term decision will be: Beaver Dam removal by a 3rd party contractor to reduce water volume –a motion was made to approve $5,000 budget allocation; the motion was seconded and carried.
• Board will look to have trees replanted by an organization that will provide the trees for free that beavers will not like to help deter beavers from the area.

VI. Adjournment

• Call for adjournment was at 7:37 pm

Arbor Ridge Home Owner Meeting for September 17th 2013

I. CALL TO ORDER

6:35 pm

Attendees: Mike Foster, Mike Farris, Todd Behunin, Aditya Kapoor, Ken Walker, Lisa Walker, Lynda DuLong, Mary Davidson, Tom Wilkinson, Carolyn Benedict, Zen Dunaj, Kim Loeffler, Jeff and Emily Whiting.

II. BEAVER RESPONSE AD-HOC COMMITTEE REPORT
Charter and next steps – Overview presentation Kim Loeffler
Committee members: Zen Dunaj, Ella Dunaj, Anand Rajan, Meghana Rajan, Josh Eisenberg, Cathy Parson, Kim Loeffler, Jeff Whiting, Emily Whiting, and Ken Walker.
Beaver Response Ad-hoc Committee (CHARTER & NEXT-STEPS)

Purpose

• Maintain home value and healthy natural environment by minimizing impact of “standing water” in wetlands and on retaining walls (Note: Impact on environment documented over past 13 years via attached homeowner photos.)

Scope

• Committee seeks to discover facts, implement appropriate solutions, and strive for resolution of “standing water” issue in Arbor Ridge neighborhood.
• Committee will have 1 email rep (Kim Loeffler), who will serve as the Point of Contact (PoC) for all email communication between this committee and the HOA Board of Directors (BoD).
• Committee to exist as an ongoing entity to monitor the green space area and communicate with the BoD in order to manage potential future problems.

Goals

• Assess impact of “standing water” on the structural integrity of retaining walls with the objective of maintaining health, safety, and value of personal property at Arbor Ridge. Our concern about community health extends to the health of humans, habitat wildlife, as well as neighborhood pets.
• Submit proposals to HOA BoD requesting appropriate actions based on the above assessment.
• Monitor the green space area on a regular basis and provide half-yearly updates to the BoD in order to pro-actively manager potential future problems.

Problem Definition

• We are seriously concerned because we do NOT understand the long-term impact of “standing water” on the community green space, against home retaining walls, and the health of the inhabitants (since stagnant water can be a breeding ground for disease carrying mosquitoes).

Proposed Actions

• Short-Term (Fact Finding): The ad-hoc committee will work with HOA BoD to organize meetings with reputable and qualified 3rd party experts from the following list. (Note: We propose that at least 1 member of the ad-hoc committee and 1 HOA Bod member attend each of these expert meetings.)
• Structural Engineer
• Determine capacity of retaining walls (i.e. what were the walls built to withstand).
• Determine current status of the retaining walls (i.e. are the walls structurally sound today).
• Clean Water Services (CWS)
• Mike Foster to share notes from his 8/14 meeting with Jared Kinner (CWS).
• Additional Recommended Experts and other resources
• Mid-Term/Long-Term: TBD after successful execution for fact-finding stage.

Mike Foster, President began the meeting by defining the process. He asked that there be 1 speaker at a time. Questions regarding the Beaver Ad-hoc Committee proposal (Charter & Next Steps), and how we want to follow specific set guidelines.

Board may motion for an approval of the charter or disapproval.

Initial purpose/defined in email sent on record: August 01, 2013 at 4:46 pm.

Next email sent and reviewed on record: August 15, 2013

On August 30th, 2013 the ad-hoc Beaver Response Committee sent by email their charter & proposed steps of action to be reviewed by the Board of Directors.
Board of Director’s floor was opened to define moving forward an open discussion.

Mike Farris, stated “do we approve the draft charter for the Ad-Hoc committee, recommendations not to approve, or to amend the charter proposal?”

Aditya Kapoor made it noted: “should we lower the dams and how?”

Todd Behunin: stated that he was in agreement with the charter.

Mike Farris: stated “agreement good, starting point”.

Todd Behunin: asked “is the Ad-Hoc committee going to be in place for an indefinite time?”

Mike Foster: stated “no easement on property (track T) but signage everywhere.”

Concerns: Legal review needed to define issues and action steps.
CCRs , Track T (not provided with an easement in place?)
What are the long term recommendations?

Mike Farris: stated “need to assess and understand, the habitat and how it is going to be affected to create a balance. (make it noted: Goal #1 has this stated).

Motion was made by Mike Farris and second by Todd Behunin.

It was discussed who services us or Clean Water Services. Giving up the rights to the land?

Recommendations:

HOA need to vote?
Legal opinion needed?
Time and effort discussed.
Move to formal meeting?

Motion: Legal opinion and tracks, and seconded. (Defined to be new business for the next board meeting.)

Mike Foster asked “approval to amend charter to reflect a clarification on Goal 1 and amend Goal 3 to reflect a monitoring of the green space on a minimum Quarterly basis.”

None appose, and Mike Foster past to have it on the record as amended.

Mike Farris stated that we will need 3 bids from contractors to define the Cost and Implementation of placing an industrial pipe at the largest damn byMain bridge to bring down the water by an estimated 50% (to manage and Monitor until water level is away from the main affected rock wall).

Jeff Whiting discussed a Title company assessment and inspection he could Coordinate with to define track “T”.

Mike Foster discussed, Clean Water Services (Jared Kinnear, PWS, CPESC with Water Resources Project Management/Clean Water Services) the 3 main things to be considered:

The HOA can hire a private contractor to install the deceiver pipe, or
The HOA can call the Oregon Wildlife Services Department to trap the beaver to relive concern for this winter, or
The HOA can sign over an easement to CWS giving permission to implement a Temperature Management Project (plantings), which would allow us to install the pipe, manage the area, and increase the number of plantings
This will take some time, and will not allow enough time to install pipe before the rains
This can be done as a volunteer campaign through Friends of Trees, funded by CWS
FOT would train volunteers from the HOA to help manage volunteer planting events
This would allow CWS to support FOT with funding to install the plants, CWS would manage the area in order to keep plants alive and beaver activity controlled.
Zen Dunaj: expressed his concern for the level of water and how it will be maintained over time so it will not be considered (legally, if defined to beliability by a Geo Tech Engineering firm?)

Kim Loeffler: discussed an overview of the Ad-Hoc committee views and how she felt the importance of all of the residents of the Arbor Ridge community, to always be listen too in a proactive manner. Also, offered thanks and appreciation of the Board of Directors for their time and volunteering efforts.

II. ADJOURNMENT

7:45 pm

Arbor Ridge Homeowners Association
“Special” Board Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 6:30 p.m
Avamere at Bethany Retirement Center (Craft Room ♦ 3rd Floor)

16360 NW Avamere Court ♦ Portland OR 97229
www.ArborRidgeOnline.com

I.  CALL TO ORDER

II.  Beaver Response Ad-Hoc Committee Report

• Charter and next steps –Overview presentation Kim Loeffler

III.  ADJOURNMENT

The Arbor Ridge HOA is responsible for the property commonly referred to as the “wetlands” and Identified as Tracts “C” and “T” on the plot map of the development. These are the area where the beaver dams are located.  However, that responsibility is constrained and bound by use restrictions.

There is concern that water is collecting in the wetland areas to the East and through the stream way which may put homeowners at risk. Tualatin Valley Clean Water Services was contacted and asked for an assessment of the situation – for general flooding and the impact from the beaver dams.

The Clean Water Services team explained the purpose and design of the wetlands is to act as a buffer for the water flow to prevent flooding and washouts. Therefore, it is expected that water will collect, pool and raise in level in these areas. We are assured that the environment was developed with consideration to the longer flood cycles. We were educated on the behaviors of the beavers and the impact of their activities on the area and water levels. None of the information provided by the Clean Water Services representative was in conflict with what is observed while walking throughout the wetlands and verifying water levels and the size and number of dams.

There have been several discussions about the beaver dams and our ability to trap or modify the dams. The HOA cannot take any action in the restricted use areas until a permit is issued to modify the authority of the existing permit (Permit Number 16765-RF). Please refer to the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions for the Arbor Ridge Mitigation Site, specifically Article 4. Clean Water Services have also advised that removing the beaver dams may dramatically increase the chance for damage to the culverts under the roads from debris. Since it is almost guaranteed the beavers will return and destroy more trees in the wetlands to rebuild dams, Arbor Ridge has been advised it is best to leave them alone.

We’ve engaged experts and carefully considered the options in making the decision to leave the beaver dams alone at this time. The Board will continue to monitor the health of the stream, wetland areas, and the culverts and act as necessary to ensure the vitality and security of our neighborhood on a regular basis. We have also engaged our landscaper in to monitoring the areas weekly for any change or concern that might effect the neighborhood.

If any homeowner has a concern please feel free to attend any Board Meeting to discuss it.