Newsletter - Notes from the Manager

Septic Report for Annual Meeting of Ocean Grove Homeowners

State law requires county implementation

(of 24 failures in county, only 3 were self-reported last year)

Will be phased in with riskier systems in first wave

Requirements

Conventional: Every three years

(42 Ocean Grove homes have conventional systems)

Riser require--$100 Rebate possible Rebate for first OMS inspection

Pressure: Every year (will be set by PUD for Ocean Grove)

(37 OG homes/pressure system)

Owner inspections

On-line training and satisfactory score on test required

Conventional year 3, 9, 15 etc (every 6th year)

OMS or DES inspection year 6, 12, 18 etc

Pressure every year except 6, 12, 18 etc

OMS or DES inspection year 6, 12, 18 etc

Costs

Homeowner training is free. Association will buy “sludge judges”

Data filing fee for homeowner inspection $51

OMS or DES fee $300 plus $51 data filing

12-year totals

Conventional $804 (average $67/year) Ocean Grove $3,082/year

Pressure system $1,203 (average $100/year) Ocean Grove $3,600 to $6,200/year

Note: County estimates 13,500 systems with 2,000 of them non-conventional.

Fee totals per six years

Conventional $1,275, 000 (12,500 x $51x 2 inspections)

Non-conventional $612,000 (2,000 x $51 x 6 inspections)

Total County income from $51 fee is $1,887,000 ($314,500/year)

Data-entry contractor charges $3 per entry ($18,500/year)

Cost saving options

Bundled inspection reports for one $51 fee

Variance by PUD in inspection frequency and filing fee

Cost reduction in OMS/DES fees with exclusive contract for OG

Cost reduction in OMS/DES fees for LUD 5 with PUD employee

Consider: Challenge fee structure at county hearing

Monthly increase in PUD fee to cover costs ($8.30/month for certified homeowners)

Homeowners who do not have a certification:

12-year cost for conventional system $1,404 ($117/year)

12-year cost for community drainfield $4,212 ($351/year)

Ocean Grove Association Newsletter

January 2012

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual membership meeting will be April 1st at the Northwest Maritime Center.

A light lunch will be served by Dream City Catering at 12:30 and the business meeting will begin at 1:15. The Maritime Center is a beautiful new facility on the Port Townsend waterfront at the end of Water Street adjacent to the Point Hudson boat haven. The meeting room overlooks Port Townsend bay. You will receive a formal meeting notice and agenda, as required by law, along with a proposed budget. There are no proposed changes in the Covenants.

BOARD MEMBER VACANCY

Two board members have agreed to stand for re-election but there will be one vacancy. The board is hopeful that some member will come forward and offer to fill that position. The position is for one year to fill an unexpired term. The commitment requires attendance at approximately four meetings a year. Meetings are held on Friday afternoon at 1:30 at the manager’s home and last less than two hours. This is someone’s chance to provide input to decision making that affects this community so please give it serious consideration and, if you are willing, contact me at 385.7875 or by email dnasman@olympus.net .

DUES REDUCTION

As you will read in the minutes that follow this Newsletter, Association finances are in excellent shape. We have made some major improvements over the past few years—the beach stairway, the community garden, the community park—and we have even increased our bond holdings. The projected budget shows a comfortable surplus for unexpected contingencies so the Board approved a reduction in dues to $10 per lot. This will be due on April 1st and late after June 30th .

RODENT CONTROL

A number of residents have expressed concern over an increase in rodents—particularly rats in the past year. In reviewing the reports from the various county extension offices this seems to be a widespread phenomenon in Western Washington and may be related to the increased vegetation from the wet spring and summer last year. Add the fact that a rat may have three litters of up to 13 during a year and an infestation can get out of hand.

The first line of defense is to remove food sources that are close to residents. Bird feeders should be taken in at night as well as any pet food sources. Compost piles can also be a source of infestation.

Many neighbors have resorted to Rat Zappers. It is a battery operated execution device. You can read about them at http://www.ratzapper.com/ . If you decide to buy one go to Amazon.com or do a search for Rat Zapper and some other vendors will also come up. They have a remote alarm available at an extra cost. You can sit in your easy chair and when the light flashes you can run and dump a dead rodent out of the device.

Poison bait is a second alternative but it has some downsides the worst of which is that a decaying rat (or mouse) in the house or in the wall of the house can create a very unpleasant odor. Also, casual distribution of bait poison can make it accessible to pets and other animals that should not be targeted. A Tomcat Bait Station http://tomcatbrand.com/product_line/3-bait-stations can eliminate the second concern. Loaded with bait and secure from easy access it is place along a wall or runway that rodents use. They are attracted to the bait and go elsewhere to die.

In living spaces, including garages and attics electromagnetic (EM) repellents are more controversial with regard to effectiveness. The initial ones were plugged into a wall outlet and sent high frequency signals though the home’s wiring. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that indicates effectiveness but the more serious studies indicate that it is not effective.

Victor has a device on the market that, according to its research, is very effective. You can read reviews it at http://reviews.northerntool.com/0394/168919/victor-pestchaser-dual-speaker-electronic-rodent-repellent-model-m792-reviews/reviews.htm?sort=hasPhoto

After rodents chewed wiring in my garaged car to the tune of $250, (The Buick dealer in Port Angeles said that they see on vehicle a week with that malady).I went to this PestChaser dual-speaker unit with great success. I’ve spoken with others who have experienced the same success. It was about $30 at Home Depot.

One of the major entry points to a garage is the lower corner between the garage door and the frame. As per recommendations from a pest control specialist, I installed a three-inch square of hardware cloth (wire mesh) on the frame inside the garage.

If you have other suggestions, pass them on

Ocean Grove Association

Winter 2011 Newsletter

Swedish Christmas Buffet Reminder December 18th 3PM

The annual Ocean Grove Swedish Buffet will be at the manager’s home (5390 Cape George Road) beginning at 3:00 PM on Sunday, December 18. The Scandinavian standards of köttbullar (meatballs), potatiskorv (potato sausage), skinka (ham), gravlox, herring, ost (cheese), rögbröd (rye bread) and flatbreads will be provided along with various salads, cheese cake, fruktsoppa (fruit soup), and pepparkaka (ginger cookies). Champagne, glögg (mulled wine), wines, ales, and soft drinks will also be on hand for everyone.

It is always a festive time with a large turnout. To help with the planning I need you to confirm your attendance by December 14th. Email me dnasman@olympus.net . Plan on joining a bunch of your neighbors for what always turns out to be an enjoyable time. (Nearly 60 neighbors joined together for the Labor Day weekend salmon and bratwurst event.)

New Owners: Welcome to Mike and Sara Miller, new owners of the “Liske” house on Kruse Street. You should get a chance to meet them and their child at the Holiday party. Speaking of sales: There is a summary of current property listings at the Ocean Grove website: http://home.olympus.net/~oceangroveassoc/index.html . Bookmark it so you can go there for minutes, the Covenants and Bylaws, the Association calendar and some great pictures.

Community Pocket Park. Grading and landscape preparation has been completed for the community park that was approved by the membership at the annual meeting in April. The infrequently used Adelma Beach picnic table has been moved to the site and a matching bench will be ordered. Any suggestions for other amenities are welcome. Email them to me. (The Adelma table was replaced with one that was never used at the greenbelt trail.)

A couple of issues have been brought to my attention by Ocean Grove residents. One relates to what appears to be an infestation of rats that are troubling some residents. This appears to be somewhat epidemic in Western Washington but in a spotty fashion. The northern end of Whidbey Island has noted a considerable increase while the southern end has not. Besides insuring that entry points to homes are not accessible (A four inch square, of small-mesh hardware cloth attached at the corner of the sill adjacent to the bottom of the garage door seems to be a necessary modification to close off a favorite entry for mice.) Several owners swear to the success of Rat Zappers (around $45 at Amazon.com). I can give anecdotal support to sonic (not electromagnetic) deterrents. After having my ignition wiring twice destroyed by mice, I bought a device, which looks like a small stereo speaker at Home Depot and the garage has been clear of any signs of mice (and my traps are untriggered) for the past two years. Others have attested to the same success. If requested, this topic will be on the January 6 board agenda. If you have an interest let me know.

The second issue is invasive weeds. We are in a dormant period right now but we need to be ready in the spring to deal with some old standbys. Tansy Ragwort and Hemlock are two that seem to thrive here. In the spring, I will include pictures with the newsletter and encourage owners to destroy them whenever they appear. Although Scots Broom does not qualify as an invasive weed (except in agricultural areas) it is a fast spreading nuisance. The Association has a puller that makes easy work of extracting them and you can borrow that when the time comes. If you pile them roadside and give me a call, our gardener will pick them up and haul them to landfill. We ask that owners pay the $5 fee that the county charges.

Looking ahead. Our Annual Meeting will be on April First at a location to be announced.

Have an enjoyable holiday season,

Dan.