Spring 2024 NEWSLETTER

Articles in this Issue

• President’s Message

• 2024 Election Update

• Maintenance Update

•Wildfire Prevention Update

• Tarp Requirement

• Firewise Certificate

• Financial Update

President’s Message, Richard Rosemont

Next month, the one-year mark of this current Board of Director's term will be reached. As I reflect over the past 11 months, I am reminded that this current Board believed change was needed and its goal from the onset was to turn the page on the past and to chart a new course forward for Kingswood, and I believe we have done that. Change can be difficult; it can cause a little anxiety because with change comes some uncertainty. Change should never be deterred because of uncertainty; change almost always comes with some risk, and I honestly believe the risks we took have paid off. Without stealing any thunder from articles contained in this newsletter, allow me to mention just some of the noticeable changes that have occurred and that you have recognized. The most obvious was our decision to bring on an entirely new staff, beginning with hiring James Longo last December as our Superintendent and giving him the autonomy to hire his own staff. That was a decision that has paid off. The new staff has done great things in a very short period of time. Kingswood looks great and our buildings are getting long overdue attention. Winter snow management was effectively managed and maintained and for the first time in many years, the pool has been in spectacular condition for the entire season. Our grounds are being effectively and regularly maintained. Staff can be seen all over the property, working on your behalf. This is a noticeable change over prior years. In addition, communication has improved, providing greater transparency to owners of all activities occurring at Kingswood. Board meetings, while lasting a bit over two hours, are significantly shorter than those in the past. Budget management has improved, with a budget surplus for the first time in a while, allowing us to keep monthly dues flat for the next year. A welcomed change when costs have risen across several business sectors. We have restored the sense of community, most recently with our clean-up day and celebratory dinner. Owners openly expressed that community morale has significantly improved and encouraged continued community activities. I can go on and on but my message to you is, change can be good and due to the efforts of the Board and our new staff, the perceptions of Kingswood Village have changed, and have changed for the good. We are a place people want to visit again. Local realtors have noted that Kingswood Village is back in the top tier again. We are committed to keeping this positive momentum of change going. Thank you for your continued support and words of praise. It is the fuel that keeps us going.

2024 Election Update, Eric Marchand

Election instructions and ballots were sent to Kingswood Village homeowners on August 19th so keep an eye out for the election packet. We have four (4) nominees for three (3) board positions (in alphabetical order): Jim Andersen, Jack Belvedere, Daniel Harshman, and Diane Keller. Candidate biographies are included in the mailing and are also available on the KVPOA website (password = “uncommon”). When you submit your ballot, please be sure to carefully follow the directions. Here are a few important reminders:

• Please submit a ballot as we need to receive more than 50% of Kingswood Village units (120 or more).
• Each unit has three (3) votes that can be distributed as desired. Cumulative voting is in effect so you can use all votes on a single candidate or distribute them as you see fit. Ballots with more than three (3) votes will not be considered valid.
• Fill out all the return address information and sign the envelope on the return address label. Ballots received that do not conform to these requirements will not be considered valid.
• Mail your ballot or drop it off at the Kingswood Village Office on or before 11 am on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
• Results will be announced at the conclusion of our Annual Homeowners Meeting (9/21/24, 11 am, Kingswood Village Meeting Room or Zoom).

Update from our Superintendent

Since coming to Kingswood Village in December 2023, our Superintendent James Longo has assembled a fantastic team who are making great strides at our complex. Let’s take a look:

Staff has been working on our sprinkler system and the greening of our complex is beautiful. Wildflowers were abundant this spring. Grass was added above the pool area. Wood chips have been spread around the area, enhancing our forest appeal.

Notice the beautiful improvements:

Work continues apace on stairs, railings, and decks. Since James arrived and hired Todd, a journeyman carpenter, 34 stairs have been replaced. To put this in perspective, 3 sets per year were done in the years prior to James coming on board; this year 40 stairs are projected to be completed by September.

Maintenance Work Request

KVPOA has signed a contract for additional decking. We are waiting on permits and when that is completed, decks for units 252, 204, and 197 will be underway.

Exterior painting continues. Currently bids are underway from three vendors. 16 units are projected to be painted in October, once a contract has been signed.

The Sports Court has a new, much sturdier gate. In addition, a better locking mechanism has been installed, powered by a solar panel. The gate self closes as well. Lastly, a new data cable is under construction.

KVPOA is looking at placing rocks around the exterior of our buildings to make them more fire resistant, as well as help with drainage. Three samples are available for review: Building 37, Building 16, and Building 21. In addition, more wood chips will be spread around the complex and additional boulders added for esthetic appeal.

James is focused on innovation, bringing KVPOA into the digital age. Microsoft 365 has been installed making our data more secure as well as offering ease of use for multiple functions. If you have a maintenance request, use the automated maintenance request form which can be found on our website, either on the home page (scroll down) or under the Maintenance tab. All transactions are time stamped and tracked. Automating the forms will allow James to report activities to the Board and homeowners. Other projects include adding mobile phone capability for work order requests, as well as additional digital forms. Ease of use is paramount

Wildfire Prevention Committee

On Saturday August 17th our Wildfire Prevention Committee staged a very successful volunteer defensible space cleanup day. Many thanks to the almost 60 intrepid volunteers who showed up to cut down vegetation, rake pine needles, limb offending tree branches, and generally create a clean 5-foot zone between our buildings and any flammable material. Three huge 30-yard dumpsters were filled, with James manning the loader and his crew of Chloe, Todd, Jose, and Manny assisting. Thank you staff! Thanks are also in order to Mountain Tree Services for chipping the refuse before it was loaded into the dumpsters.

To prepare for our defensible space inspection, Jason Gibeaut, our WPC committee chair and Fire Chief at Northstar, has put in countless hours working with regulatory agencies such as North Tahoe Fire, TRPA, Liberty Utilities and Cal Trans to identify areas of wildfire concern. He has walked the property multiple times marking trees and vegetation to be removed. Jason put together a terrific plan for volunteers to tackle the areas around our buildings. Thank you Jason!

As Rich Rosemont stated in his August 17th email, Jason estimates KVPOA saved $30,000 by doing the volunteer effort and not outsourcing the defensible space activities.

After the cleanup concluded around 1pm, at 5pm we reconvened for a celebratory social around the pool. I think we would all agree it was great fun to meet our neighbors in this setting and enjoy a delicious South of The Border spread. A special thank you to Jose’s wife Alondra for making the awesome pozole soup. To cap off the meal, homeowners provided mouthwatering desserts. We earned them! Thank you Kim Fox and James for suggesting a social and spearheading this event.

Here are a few photos of the clean-up and social event. Stay tuned for more photos which will be placed on our website.

New Tarp Requirement

North Tahoe Fire Protection District (NTFPD) requires that firewood stored on decks must be completely covered with a fire retardant tarp with a California State Fire Marshal’s stamp of approval or with a tarp that meets NFPA code 701. Here are the specifications:

10'x10' Flame Retardant 13 oz Vinyl Tarp with grommets
100% Waterproof
13 oz Vinyl Laminate Polyester
UL-214 Classified, ASTM-E-84, NFPA-701, MVSS-302
Fire Retardant; Class A Flame Standard
Meets California State Fire Marshal requirements
Tear and abrasion-resistant
Heat-sealed seams
Rust-resistant grommets every 24 inches on all sides and corners
Industry Standard Cut Size. The Finished Size is about 6 inches or 3-5% shorter after the edges are folded and hemmed.

If you are interested in participating in a group purchase order, please fill out the registration form by clicking on the following link. Tarp Form

Alternatively, you may purchase your own brown fire retardant tarp or choose to not store firewood on your decks.

If you have already purchased a fire resistant tarp that is not brown, you will need to purchase a non fire-retardant brown tarp to put over it to ensure consistency in our property.

We need to be in compliance by September 15th.

Contact the Editor, Diane Keller

I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. If you have comments about this newsletter or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact me at kvpoanewsletter@gmail.com.