Volume 349 | December 2024

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President's Note

Dear Neighbors,

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming adults-only holiday party at Guesthouse on Sunday, December 8th! Over 100 tickets have been purchased thus far, so we're almost sold out. For more information or to request the invitation be resent to you, please contact us at info@kwpoa.com.

Please mark your calendars for the KWPOA Annual Membership Meeting at 7:00PM on Wednesday, January 15th via Zoom or in person at our office. The meeting will include speakers who will discuss a number of important topics affecting Kent Woodlands:

A representative from the Marin County Sheriff's Office will address a couple of recent incidents in the neighborhood and we'll have a transparent discussion about safety in Kent Woodlands.
Ranjiv Khush, our district's elected Marin Water board member, will speak about what his board is doing to mitigate the risk of fire on their land adjacent to Kent Woodlands and the investments being made to drought-proof our water supply. He will also take questions and comments about recreational use of trails by hikers and bikers.
An engineer who has assisted other communities in undergrounding power lines as a way to reduce the risk of fire will speak to the process of possibly doing so throughout Kent Woodlands and the approximate costs involved for each member to do so.

This meeting will be here sooner than we know it, so please mark your calendars!

Sincerely,

Jeff Leh, President

ASSOCIATION NEWS AND REMINDERS

Annual Budget Report and Policy Statement

You should have recently received the KWPOA Annual Budget Report and Policy Statement either by email or USPS, depending on your stated preference. If you have not received these documents, please contact jwilliams@kwpoa.com.

Annual Assessments

Annual assessment invoices will be mailed the first week of January via USPS First Class Mail. The amount of $468 is due from all members no later than February 15, 2025.

Annual Meeting & Election

Save the date! The KWPOA Annual Membership Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 7:00pm. The meeting agenda and Zoom link will be published in our January newsletter. Please also keep your eye out in mid-December for a ballot for our Board of Directors election, then return it as directed.

Intense storms like the “bomb cyclone” that recently passed through Marin can significantly weaken trees, increasing the likelihood of falling branches or even entire trees. This puts homes, vehicles, and people at serious risk for injury and property damage.

It is important that homeowners monitor the trees on their property for signs of weakness, broken limbs, dead branches, etc. It would be wise to enlist the expertise of a licensed arborist to evaluate the health of your trees before they become a hazard.

Finally, watch for and avoid fallen power lines around trees. Never touch or remove fallen tree branches near sagging or downed power lines. Instead, report power line problems to PG&E immediately.

Feel free to contact me at with any concerns about fire safety on your property.

— Heather Hill, Hazard Mitigation Specialist

hhill@kwpoa.com

THANKFUL FOR YOU!

It’s that time of year where I’d like to share my sincere gratitude to the Carbon Neutral Kent Woodlands task force and to the Board for giving us the opportunity to organize. Change starts with our homes, right here in the neighborhood that we love! Happy Thanksgiving!

Julie Johnson, Chair

KENT WOODLANDS CARBON NEUTRAL ANNUAL ENERGY SURVEY

Please help us establish a community weigh-in for home carbon emissions! The annual survey will become the foundation for the CNKW project. Take the survey HERE.

READY TO WINTERIZE? WHAT IS A HEAT PUMP?

In the quest to encourage our membership to eliminate the burning of fossil fuels, heat pumps can be an important first step!

What is a Heat Pump? A Heat Pump operates by transferring heat from one location to another. Traditional heating systems, such as gas furnaces and boilers, rely on burning fossil fuels. Heat pumps are electrically powered and 100% renewable if you get your electricity from a renewable source. They are highly efficient, converting one unit of electricity into more than one unit of heating/cooling energy. Heat pumps are also versatile: during cold months, they extract heat from the outside air and transfer it to heat the home. In the hotter months, they operate in reverse, expelling heat from indoors to keep the home cool. The energy used is significantly lower than that of conventional heating and cooling systems, resulting in lower utility bills. Finally, they provide a far more consistent level of heating and cooling for the home.

Local & National Incentives! Please visit our website for rebate information: www.carbonneutralkw.com/incentives-rebates

Architectural Committee Application Notices

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

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND ELECTION

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 7:00pm

REGULAR BOARD MEETING

Monday, January 27, 2024 at 6:00pm

Meetings will be held both in person and via Zoom. Agendas and Zoom links will be included in the January newsletter. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact Jeanne Williams at jwilliams@kwpoa.com or 415-721-7429.