Annual Meeting – Board Seats
Don’t forget, our annual Homeowners Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 10:00 am at the Netarts Fire Department meeting hall. Meeting materials – including an absentee ballot for voting in the Board election – will be mailed out to owners at the end of March/beginning of April. As always, ONE packet will be mailed out per lot, typically to the owner that makes the dues payments. In the event that a particular lot has multiple owners, it will be the receiving owner’s responsibility to share all important information with their partners.
There will be two Board Member positions up for election this year. If you are an owner who loves The Capes and would be interested in serving on the board, we encourage you to throw your hat into the ring. Board membership is a three-year term during which time you would be expected to attend 10 meetings per year. (Once per month, usually on the 3rd Saturday. The board does not meet in August or December.) All you need to do to run is let the office know you’re interested and submit a 250 word (or less) candidate statement explaining why you’d like to be on the board. Candidate statements are due by Friday, March 16, 2018 and can be dropped off at the office, mailed to The Capes HOA – PO Box 404, Oceanside, OR 97134, or emailed to manager@thecapeshoa.org.
Daylight Savings Time
Sunday, March 11, 2018 marks the return to Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to SPRING FORWARD one hour at 2am. This is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and clean out those Cadet wall heaters! It’s also a good time to go through your emergency supplies and replace/restock any food or medical items that are set to expire anytime within the next 6 months. (And if you said, “What emergency supplies?” just now…we need to talk!)
Cadet Heater Maintenance
If you’ve got a town home or cottage at The Capes, chances are good that you’ve got Cadet wall heaters. Did you know that your heaters should be cleaned at least every six months in order to reduce fire hazards and extend the life of your heaters? It’s true! Here are the instructions as stated by Cadet:
- Turn off power at the main disconnect panel.
- Wait for the element to cool.
- Remove thermostat knob (if any) and grill.
- Wash grill with hot soapy water and dry.
- Blow air through the heating element with a hair dryer or shop vacuum on blow cycle.
- Clean the fan with a vacuum cleaner.
- Replace grill and thermostat knob (if any).
- Turn power back on at the main disconnect.
Sweeping Away the Scotch Broom
As many of you know, The Capes is in a constant, ongoing struggle to keep the Scotch Broom at bay. One of Western Oregon’s most widespread and costly noxious weeds, this invasive plant is known to displace native plants and smother tree transplants increasing tree death or slowing growth in the early years. It grows rapidly and persistently, and during its bloom time in the spring can be quite an allergen source for allergy sufferers. Our landscape crew works hard to remove Scotch Broom from common areas and town home lots. Single family homeowners and undeveloped lot owners are responsible for removing Scotch Broom from their property as well.
If you spot Scotch Broom at The Capes, please report it to the office so that steps can be taken for it’s removal. Right now, it’s identified as an evergreen shrub with many slender, erect, dark green branches, but as we edge closer towards Spring, you will easily recognize it by it’s bright yellow blossoms.
Spring Clean up – Friday, March 23 – Sunday, April 1
It’s that time once again – the Spring Clean-Up starts Friday, March 23, 2018 and runs through Sunday, April 1, 2018. This is your opportunity to do a little yard work without having to worry about what to do with the debris above and beyond the 2 bags per week that the landscapers will take. Josh Vance with His Glory Landscape and Home Maintenance will be organizing the 4 collection sites and the HOA will take care of the disposal fees. There are just a few simple rules:
- If you are taking out trees and/or tree limbs, please limit them to those that are 4 inches in diameter or less.
- This event is for clean up, not CLEARING. If you have a significant number of trees that you want to remove, you will need to dispose of them at your own expense. Our budget can not handle the disposal of an entire forest – sorry!
- Debris must be taken to one of the 4 collection sites below, and placed between the orange stakes. (Here’s a map of the sites: https://www.thecapeshoa.org/documents/forms-and-information/Clean%20Up%20Location%20Map.pdf)
- The front of Lot #152 on Fall Creek Drive. (Just a couple of lots south of the fire lane/gravel path to the cottages)
- The Meadow (where Capes Drive, Capes Loop and Capes Point all come together) – the map says “the south side,” but we may need to move that due to the new landscaping…just watch for the orange stakes, and you’ll be fine!
- Tract F on Capes Drive (the northernmost point of Capes Drive, right at the point where the road makes a 180° turn)
- Tract N on Promontory Lane (near the observation platform)
If for some reason you need Josh to collect debris directly from your lot, it is your responsibility to contact him and let him know (hisglorylandscapecare@gmail.com). If the debris meets the criteria for items #1 and 2 above (it’s less than 4 inches in diameter and is not a significant number of trees) he will still include it with the HOA disposal items, however, you will be billed for any time/labor charges incurred while collecting the debris from your property. Our contract/arrangement with Josh is for setting up and clearing the 4 collection areas only. Anything above and beyond that requested by a homeowner will need to be done at that homeowner’s expense.
Shout Outs/Recommendations
The office receives several calls per week from owners requesting references for many different types of local service providers. We keep a list here that we happily provide, but there may be some great local talent out there of which we are not aware. Now’s your chance to get the word out – if you know of someone that you’d like to recommend to other homeowners here at The Capes, let the office know, and we’ll add them to our list. Here are just a few of the services that we’re asked about the most:
- Housekeepers – please only recommend yours if you know they are open to taking on new clients
- Pet sitters
- Rodent/pest control
- Window washers
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- HVAC specialists
- Dryer vent cleaners
- Countertop/tile installers
- Handyman services/light home maintenance
- General contractors
- Firewood providers
- Flooring installers
Memorial Bench Sponsorship
We still have two more Meadow benches that are available for owner sponsorship. Capes owners can sponsor a bench for any number of reasons – to mark a special occasion such as the birth of a child or grandchild, to memorialize a loved one, to celebrate a special anniversary…the possibilities are endless! “Your” bench will be marked with a special plaque and placed in the meadow for all to see and enjoy for years to come. If you’re interested in sponsoring a bench, we anticipate the cost at around $400-$500, which will include the plaque and the installation of the bench later this spring. Contact the office today to get started on your sponsorship!