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Southbrook Condo Association Meeting Minutes

Friday, March 7, 2025

Gallatin Valley Church

All board members present.

Roll call to determine if we have a quorum. Quorum determined.

Meeting called to order at 6:33 pm.

Bill Jones motioned to approve last year’s minutes. Antonio seconded the motion. Minutes were approved.

Property Manager’s Report:

Landscaping – Last inventory was done in 1997 for a total of 405 trees. It’s time to do an inventory again and assess tree health and care. There will be tree trimming and possibly removal in the spring.
Snow Removal – This season so far, snow removal expenses have totaled $24,100 through February. The board approved of an $10,000 increase for next year.
Sprinklers – We hired a new firm. They will assess our two systems and all zones. Zone between 79-81 will not shut off. Need to find valve box for that zone.
Patios, Ceilings (Lids) – We’ve had serious leaks last year due to rot. We’ve repaired the worst ones. We will inventory this spring and continue our repair efforts. HOA is responsible for the railings on the 3^rd floor decks and owners are responsible for the maintenance of the deck.
Patio Fences – Some need replacing. They are expensive so we are looking at alternatives including using Trex. They are not designed to hang flower baskets on.
Chimneys – All have been inspected. 30 chimneys were missing caps and HOA replaced them. 3 chimneys were flagged for cleaning and owners notified. Tree branches are a concern over the chimneys so we continue to trim branches.
Ice on Roof – North-facing roofs have ice build-up. Board is looking at options to address the situation.
Gutter Covers – We are installing gutter covers as funds allow. This spring we will selectively start installation.
Bathroom Vents into Attics – Bathroom vents in 2^nd floor units are causing mold in the attic of some two-story buildings. The board has determined the cost of correcting this issue is up to the unit owners. Vents should be extended to vent out the roof, chimney or side of the building.
Water Usage – Determined by building not unit. Some buildings have seen a large spike in usage. Bill urged those in first floor units to check for water in the crawl space. Owners should fix dripping faucets, running toilets, etc. If you have an issue, report it to the Resident Manager.
Deck railing replacements – These are 35+ years old and deterioration is evident. Several have been replaced. This will be an ongoing activity.
Painting – We did portions of 4 buildings last year. Our goal is at least 2 buildings a year. Currently awaiting bids.
Sidewalks – We are replacing sidewalks by units 43-46.
Roofs, Fascia – Planning to replace some of the fascia with a Trex product.
New Stairway – planning for new stairwell for Units 27-30. Will be steel and cost roughly $20,000.
Clean-Up Days – Bill offered to organize a couple of clean-up days upon board approval.
A resident brought up the issue of flooding outside units 81-84. Bill Jones said it should be fixed this year.
Another resident asked about garage damage done because of the flooding in the area. Bill Jones said he would take a look.
Also, a large bird (pigeon) has nested outside unit 81-84, making a mess. Bill will address.

Resident Manager’s Report:

• 6 sales in last year. In 2014, the bylaws were changed to only allow 35% of the units to be rentals. There are currently 10 units on the waiting list. One unit is currently for sale and one unit has a contingent offer pending.

Treasurer’s Report:

Esther presented 2024 actual spending and proposed budgets. She stressed the need for maintenance now that the units are decades old. Without an increase, we would have a loss in 2025 of roughly $32,000. With a $25/month increase in dues, we would expect expenses to exceed income in 2025 by roughly $6,000. Esther then presented the current balances in our bank accounts and said we could cover that loss.
Brian Tudor proposed a $250/month increase in due and Debbie Jones seconded. Motion passed. Board has final say in what the increase will be and will notify homeowners.
Esther also passed out the water use report for owners’ information.

Bob Davis presented a slate of 4 candidates for board positions. Jorie then asked for nominations from the floor but there were none. The slate included:

Esther Fishbaugh (current board member)
Bradley Gilbert
Karin Lee
Mathew Traub

Brian Tudor motioned to accept the slated board of directors. Rogers seconded the motion. All voted to approve.

Old Business:

It was noted that the risk control form was due back today. Nancy will follow up with those owners who have yet to submit the form.

New Business:

Jorie discussed comments she has received from some owners interested in amending our declaration regarding firewood. Current bylaws state firewood must be stored in unit garages. She also noted that our insurance company has told us our policy prohibits firewood from being stored on decks and must be 10 feet from building structures.

Jorie reminded everyone to be aware of where the bathroom and dryer vents are venting to due to some cases of mold in attics.

A resident complained about construction-type noises from the unit above hers. The owner of #84 claims this is not true. Jorie pointed out that the only noise regulation in our bylaws pertains to music. Esther suggested putting in deadening materials.

Patty proposed a resolution that, in the next two months, the new board investigate what a reasonable amendment to our bylaws might be, which would might include the city’s noise ordinance regarding decibels, quiet hours, and what the association will allow in terms of number of offenses and what the penalty for that would be. Esther seconded it. Motion passed.

Debbie proposed that we have a twice a year cleanup at a cost of $1/month per unit. Jorie asked for any opposed. None opposed.

Jorie Hanson made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Brian Tudor seconded the motion.

Meeting adjourned 8:03 pm.

Southbrook Condo Association Meeting Minutes

Monday, March 7, 2024

Gallatin Valley Church

All board members present.

Roll call to determine if we have a quorum. Quorum determined.

Meeting called to order at 6:11 p.m.

Jorie introduced the board.

Motion to approve last year’s minutes. Approved.

Property Manager’s Report:

Landscape - a few trees removed with more to be assessed for health. Some insurance companies have taken an issue with how many trees we have.

Sprinkler heads - many were broken off last year and need to be replaced.
Sidewalk & parking pads - One pad is scheduled to be replaced this spring. Will review sidewalks.
Painting - Board prioritized buildings to be painted last fall. Select painting to happen this year.
Patios & decks - patios inventoried to determine which ones need repair. Some 2nd & 3rd floor decks are rotting.
Gutters - all gutters are original. Bid for gutters to be replaced $71600. Some gutters have been replaced. May find a cheaper alternative.

Question regarding - do we need to replace them all at the same time?
A condo owner has 3 contacts for gutters they will provide contact info to Bill.

Chimneys - $2579 for all chimneys to be inspected last year. 18 caps missing. Board to vote about replacement Parking - curb parking is a safety issue. Many cars sitting without moving.
Snow removal - It cost $1K every time they come in.
Sidings & roofs - no ice damns this year.

Additional questions from condo owners:

Tudor - pond issue still has not been fixed in front of 81 & 82. *Do we need an attorney to work on the warranty issue? - Bill, no.
Question for cleaning chimneys and it being paid for by each condo owner. - Bill, the man has a list of whose needs to be cleaned. Jorie - we need to notify people.

Tudor - before the caps were paid for by the owners.

#44 - Will we replant new trees as we take them out? Bill, moving forward we will replant trees but probably not big ones. Esther, board has discussed putting in smaller trees.

Tudor - aphids are we spraying for them? Bill, no.

#44 - can we have our handy man replace them with gutter guards from a local store. Bill, I am going to look into it. Esther, even if our handyman did it, it would require maintained and special equipment to reach them. We might not replace all of them.
Tudor - shingles are they the 30 year replacement?
#44 - Do we have 3 different insurance plans? Nancy, yes. But it is one payment.
#44 - her windows are breaking down. Jorie, it is your responsibility to replace them. Run it by the board but the appearance should be the similar.
Tudor - does Kaufman still repair our garage repairs?
#44 - does snow removal shovel our sidewalks? Bill, yes.
#44 - who sweeps under the stairwells?

Resident Manager’s Report:

2 units for sale, one of which is a rental (#86). 17 people on a list to rent their condo.

#44 - should we be considering increasing the rental number? Bob, no, the intent is to keep it less of a rental place. Esther, it would change the bylaws.

Treasurer’s Report:

Esther gives current number of funds in accounts.

#44 - what is the reserve account for? Esther and #2 respond. It is there for us to keep our condos safe and upkeep

Budget:

#44 - what about a CD? Jorie, we might consider looking into it in the fall.
#44 - what about the $200 a month fee being brought down once the reserve was funded. Esther & Bob responded that we are barely making our budget now.
#44 - what is the professional, bookkeeping, etc.? Esther & Jorie explain the line items. They will provide a breakdown of the budget items.

President presents slated board of nominees.

* Do we have any nominations from the floor? No.
* Motion to accept the slated board of directors. All voted to approve.
* Patty believes there was an amendment for board members to be in for 2 years.

Old Business:

Water bill is high. Jorie presents City of Bozeman free kit to check toilet leakages. Esther - investigate water use further.

#44 - City of Bozeman will reimburse you if you replace items in house that are water efficient.

Maintaining the community atmosphere. *Members would like for the parking violation form to be put on the website.
Reminder to keep noise levels maintained and inform other members of construction. Do we want to propose a bylaw for a noise issue?
Thank you for turning in Risk Control Forms.
Outdoor cooking - Jorie read the current by-law about outdoor cooking. No charcoal or fire pits.
Note read from Michael Morgner re: parking and provided the direct number to parking division with the City of Bozeman.

New Business:

#44 - meeting more than once a year? Jorie - stated that the by-laws state one association meeting per year.
Is there a directory of people to contact for windows, etc. with notes, “did a good job? Etc.” Jorie - yes, good suggestion.

Meeting adjourned 7:53 p.m.

Property Manager Report Details:

TREES/SHRUBS:

In 2023 a few trees were removed due to age/disease and location. Trees, shrubs will be assessed this spring for condition.
A heads up. Insurance companies are starting to push back on areas that have a lot of trees. We had grumblings from a previous insurance carrier. We live in town but it is no different than living in the foothills with lots of trees. None of these buildings are defensible if we have a large fire.
Stumps will be ground down this spring.
Bushes and shrubs near walkways need constant attention. Encroachment on walkways and growing into siding need to be addressed. This is starting to show up in home inspections.

LAWNS/FLOWER BEDS:

Flower beds were cleaned up last fall. Over time residents or owners have put a lot of work into these flower beds. Many perennials come up yearly. Beds take a lot of work to maintain and control weeds. Many of current residents do not have the time or the desire to maintain these beds. It is a job that we may have to hire somebody to do.
Lawn was fertilized and weed control was applied in Nov.

SPRINKLER SYSTEM:

Many heads were broken off the past summer near the two buildings that were painted. Heads have been fine tuned to not spray on buildings.

SIDEWALKS/PARKING PADS:

Have been assessed for condition and safety. One pad is scheduled to be replaced. Some walkways are being considered for lift or grinding.Sidewalk at 19 lifted $3200

PARKING:

Is always an issue. Community has changed to several rentals with multiple cars involved. Some residents use guest parking for long term storage of vehicles. Results in curb parking which is a safety issue. Consider parking on 23rd, Dickerson or 20th.

SNOW REMOVAL:

Contract is $1,000 per event. Jan was $6,000

PAINTING:

2 buildings painted in 2023. 63-70 and 56-62. Board inventoried buildings last fall and prioritized buildings for painting. Decision made to paint selected sides of building that are in need of painting, not whole building.

PATIO FENCE AND DECKS:

Patio fences are being inventoried for repair/replacement. Construction will be a little different to allow drying of material and less rot. Posts in plastic sleeve and in gravel for drainage. Siding attached to treated plywood with small gap at ends to allow breathing. Plywood will be attached to posts by angle iron, not inserted into a groove.
Deck railings are being assessed and prioritized for repair /replacement. When snow is gone I will be asking for access to decks to assess. This includes third floor decks.

SIDING AND ROOFS:

When roofs were replaced in 2011 some flashing may not have been installed where roofs and siding meet. Some leaks are appearing and it is being noted in home inspections. Thankfully we have not had ice dam problems like last year.

GUTTERS:

Many of our gutters are originals. Slope is not the best on some all worked well originally. Then the trees got taller. Leaves and needles are a problem.
To clean the gutters it cost $1/foot. We have 3,490 feet of gutter$3490 per cleaning. $40 per unit
I received a bid in June 2023 to replace the gutters, downspouts and install leaf guards where needed. $71,108.50. $808/unit Approximately $10/foot gutter and $10/ft for downspouts and gutter guards.

CHIMNEYS:

PRO VAC INSPECTED ALL CHIMNEYS. Several need caps replaces. Some need cleaning. We now have a baseline for the future. $2795

Southbrook Condo Association Meeting Minutes

Monday, March 13, 2023

Fellowship Alliance Church Sanctuary

1. Board chairman, Brian LaMeres, called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm at the Alliance Community Church.

2. The roll was called to determine if a quorum was present – with 25 proxies and 19 people present a quorum was met.

3. The current Board introduced themselves; it was announced that Gene had retired and that Bill Jones had resigned from the Board to take the Property Manager position.

4. Report by Bill Jones:

Association members are encouraged to help each other out in navigating the property in the winter Snow and ice buildup was inevitable since snow removal takes place after everyone has gone
to work and packed down the lot with their cars. The cost of snow removal is $1,000 per visit.
The city should move the no parking signs on 23rd further back from the edge of the entrance.
Tree and branch removal is needed because of damage during the winter storms.
The gutters need cleaning. (An ice dam problem caused leakage in one first level unit; cost to remove the ice was $1500. A permanent fix to the gutter is needed.)
Since our roofs are quite new, there is good protective underlay beneath the shingles.
One or two buildings should be painted this summer.
Light bulbs and ice melt have been replaced as needed. Residents should not discard the ice melt containers when they are empty. New ones are costly.
Gene left us with good maintenance contracts for this year and next.

5. Discussion and suggestions about maintenance from members and Board members

As we are thinning the trees, can we plant some new ones so that not all of our trees are the same age?
What have been the results of the leaf guards on the gutters of one unit? Are they worth the expense?
The association is responsible for inspecting the chimneys, but owners need to pay for any cleaning that is found to be necessary. Owners want to be informed when chimney inspections are scheduled. Because of the danger of chimney fires, there will be follow-up by the Board to be sure any chimney that needs cleaning is cleaned.
Owners are responsible for regular cleaning of the dryer vents.
Finding vendors to do the work is becoming more difficult. Nevertheless, members want to know that the Board finds the best bid.
If there is another winter like this one, can something be done to mitigate the dangerous ice on the roads? Sand?
Southbrook's park area between the creek and 20th street has a container for plastic poop bags, but it is empty. We should get it filled.

6. Proposed budget and discussion

Brian LaMeres explained the need to raise the dues since our infrastructure is aging, we have a shortfall of funds for our required reserves, and regular items on the budget such as snow removal and lawn care have gone up dramatically over the past 5 years.
We should add a budget item for rehabilitation every year in order to be prepared for major infrastructure needs that are likely to arise.
The Board recommended two options for due increases - $25 or $35 per month.
After some discussion, a motion to raise the dues $35 per month for a total of $200 was made and seconded. The motion passed with 42 for and 2 against.

7. A slate of four candidates for the Board of Directors, Bob Davis, Esther Fishbaugh, Emily Gonzales and Jorie Hanson, was presented. The candidates were unanimously approved to serve on the Board.

8. Appreciation was expressed for the retiring Board Members – Patti Britton, Bill Jones, and Brian LaMeres, all of whom have given years of service to the Association.

9. Topics from the membership were proposed and there was general support for the following ideas:

A quarterly newsletter and budget report
Community activities such as a 4th of July party and a Community clean-up day
A sign designating the lawn on 20th Street as the property of Southbrook, not a public park.

10. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25.