Volume 359 | October 2025

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President's Note

Hi Neighbors,

Please join me in welcoming Joel Ritch to the KWPOA board. Originally from Vancouver, Joel has lived in the Bay Area for 38 years and moved to Kent Woodlands in 2003. Joel founded a trucking and logistics company 33 years ago called FragilePAK and recently sold the business, although he remains executive Chairman of the Board. Joel has been married to his wife Sarah for 29 years and has two kids, ages 27 and 25. He's been instrumental in the Electrical Power Line Undergrounding exploration efforts and we look forward to him giving back to his community in this new role.

Speaking of undergrounding wires, we are pleased to announce our Undergrounding Neighborhood Meeting on Monday, November 3rd at 6:30pm via Zoom (link to follow). During this event, several experts will inform us about the benefits of undergrounding, who performs the work, how long it will take, and provide estimates of costs, as well as information on how these expenses are covered.

For some background, you may have noticed throughout Kent Woodlands that power lines are underground along several roads, whereas most other roads have overhead wires. Recently the CEO of PG&E claimed that undergrounding reduces wildfire risk by 98%. Real estate professionals have noted that undergrounding our utilities can reduce insurance premiums and that improved aesthetics can increase home values.

In response to recent fires in California, the KWPOA formed a committee of volunteers to investigate the steps and cost of undergrounding our power, cable, and telephone lines. Committee members have spent numerous hours gathering data from neighboring communities that have pursued or completed similar projects, and have also devoted significant time to consulting with an engineering firm specializing in undergrounding utilities.

Should we be concerned about undergrounding our power lines to mitigate the risk of fire, reduce insurance costs, or even to improve the aesthetic of the Woodlands? Ultimately, we will make an informed decision together.

We invite as many of you as possible to attend this session on November 3rd!

Sincerely,

Jeff Leh, President

The annual Kent Woodlands Halloween parade and celebration will occur on Friday, October 31st from 5 — 7pm!

The parade will begin at 5:00pm sharp, led by an engine from the Kentfield Fire Department. Our Sheriff’s Deputy will be on hand to enforce our street closure and direct traffic to alternate routes. Trick-or-treat tables will be set up along the parade route and we'll continue the celebration with food and beverages for kids and adults outside at the home of Whitney Potter at 111 Woodland Road.

Please remember that Woodland Road will be CLOSED from Goodhill to Evergreen from 5-7pm. For the safety of all, no e-bikes or electric scooters allowed!

We strongly encourage folks of all ages from all over Kent Woodlands to host a treat table along the parade route! All it takes is setting up a small table and passing out candy. Please contact us at info@kwpoa.com to sign up or if you have any questions.

Finally, after a number of years of leading our Halloween Celebration — including during the pandemic where we got very creative with a vehicle parade — President Jeff Leh is pleased to be passing the baton to Carey Condy, who will be in touch with future updates. Many thanks to Carey, and please don't hesitate to reach out to her at

carey@chcteam.com if you'd like to set-up a treat table or help in any other way.

Attention Families with Young Kids!

Join us for the fall get together for Kent Woodlands families with young (pre or early elementary age) children on Sunday, October 5th from 1-3 pm at Ross Common near the playground. The KWPOA will be supporting with funding for light entertainment and snacks for the kids. Please feel free to stop by for some or all of the time to connect with your neighbors! Contact Kent Woodlands resident Michelle Varney at mlgezo@gmail.com with any questions.

Pete and I have been on a last-minute mission to squeeze in home upgrades before the IRS rebates expire, and we are excited to share our newest addition: CHARLIE, an induction stove with built-in battery backup from the innovative Berkeley startup COPPER.

Charlie even made it into The New York Times! Its secret superpower? A rechargeable lithium-ion battery (the same kind found in the latest EVs) is cleverly tucked into the space where most stoves have a storage drawer. That means it pulls power from the grid when electricity rates are the lowest, and stores it in its battery. AND, if the power goes out, Charlie keeps right on cooking.

Even better—it plugs right into a regular 110-volt household outlet, so no electrical upgrades needed. We’ve just started cooking with it, and so far, so good! Curious to learn more? Drop us a note at info@carbonneutralkw.com—we’d love to share.

— Julie Johnson, CNKW Chair

Reminder: Call for Candidates for 2026 Board of Directors

Candidate nominations for election to the 2026 KWPOA Board of Directors are open. There are 4 board seats up for election. The 4 candidates receiving the highest number of votes will receive a 2-year term. Voting will occur in the weeks leading up to the January 2026 Annual Membership Meeting.

You may submit your candidacy either by mail to KWPOA, PO Box 404, Kentfield, CA 94914 OR by email to info@kwpoa.com. Your submission must include your name, your Kent Woodlands property address, and an email address and/or phone number. A candidate must be a natural person and a Member (owner in chain of title) of the Association. If title is held by a Trust, the Trustee(s) named on title is the Member(s) for purposes of candidacy (and voting). Candidacy submissions must be received by KWPOA by 5:00pm on November 7, 2025.

If, at the close of nominations, the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of open seats, the board may seat the qualified candidates by acclamation without balloting.

If you have any questions regarding the election or submitting your candidacy, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@kwpoa.com or 415-721-7429.

Architectural Committee Application Notices

Please direct any Architectural Committee inquiries to Kristin Tiernan at AC@kwpoa.com.

NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING

Monday, October 27, 2025 at 6:00pm at KWPOA office and via Zoom

Please note that this is a preliminary agenda. Final agenda and meeting link posted at office and at www.kwpoa.com/agendas-and-minutes four days prior to meeting, or is available by contacting the office at info@kwpoa.com.