President's Note

Hi Neighbors,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. The Board of Directors is very busy this fall with a number of projects and activities. Here are some of the highlights:

Fire Season

I'm pleased to be writing to you with fire season in our rearview mirror. Thanks to all of you for staying vigilant with your defensible space and home-hardening. It's also nice to see the result of KWPOA’s work with various entities including Marin County Department of Public Works, PG&E, and the Kentfield Fire Department to have much of the ~10 feet of vegetation bordering our roads cleared throughout large parts of Kent Woodlands. Keep in mind, however, that it's the individual property owner's responsibility to clear and maintain native brush, weeds, grass, trees, and hazardous vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway if any of these folks hadn't cleared them for you. 

PG&E

As a follow-up to my previous newsletters about PG&E and the participation of many of you during our September meeting, I have filed a formal complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission noting the unacceptable number of outages we’ve experienced in Kent Woodlands in 2023 while neighborhoods close to us have remained with power. 

Our Neighborhood Entrance

The KWPOA board is exploring ways to improve and update our entrance to make it safer and more user-friendly for our community members. In a prior newsletter, I shared a project rendering for the property the Association owns on Woodland Road at the intersection of College Avenue which includes the “Acorn” parking lot. While we have heard from many of you who are happy to see us explore this idea, we have also heard from some of you that are concerned that we could be creating a costly gathering place for non-members. One thing to keep in mind is that, unlike a public park, this is our private property, and we can ask the Sheriff to remove trespassers at any time. However, we would hope to address these concerns through thoughtful design and use of space.

I want to let you know that the Board is also sensitive to concerns about the cost associated with a neighborhood improvement like this. To that end, we will soon be setting up an information session for members to learn much more about the potential project and have an opportunity to provide feedback before proceeding with a membership vote on a special assessment, which will determine whether the project moves forward or not. The Board doesn’t expect the proposed financial impact on members to be extraordinary, especially when we consider that our annual dues are nominal compared to other HOAs with similar demographics and improved common areas.

Holiday Party

The annual adults-only Kent Woodlands Holiday Party will be held at Guesthouse on Sunday, December 3rd from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Please keep an eye out for your invitation!

Sincerely,

Jeff Leh, President

Important Election News

As announced in the August, September, and October 2023 newsletters, and in accordance with our Voting Policy, the Association invited nominations for the election of the 2024 Board of Directors, for which four of the two-year director terms are ending. The board provided an opportunity at the October 23rd board meeting to take nominations from the floor, and the deadline for submitting nominations by mail, email, or delivery to our office was October 31, 2023.

Nominations were received and qualified for incumbents Jeff Leh, Bitsa Freeman, Julie Johnson, and Ghigo DiTommaso. With four director seats up for election and four candidates running, the seats are uncontested. As such, KWPOA will dispense with the mailing of secret ballots and declare that Leh, Freeman, Johnson and DiTommaso are elected by acclamation. This decision has been made pursuant to the California Civil Code and KWPOA's bylaws, which state: "In the event that the number of qualified nominees for election as directors does not exceed the number of vacancies to be filled, the Association may, without further action, declare that those nominated and qualified have been elected.” (KWPOA Bylaws, Article VI, Section 5 [d]).

The two-year terms for the elected Directors will begin on the date of the Annual Membership Meeting, January 17, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the office at 415-721-7429 or info@kwpoa.com.

Construction Hours and Holidays

Please remember KWPOA’s rules regarding construction hours and days:

• Construction-related activities are allowed between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

• Loud noise generating construction-related equipment (e.g., backhoes, generators, jackhammers) can be maintained, operated, or serviced at a construction site from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday only.

• No construction allowed on Sundays or holidays. (KWPOA aligns with the County’s construction holidays, which currently include: New Year's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.)

As we head into the winter month's (and higher gas bills), it's no surprise that members are seeking smarter ways to heat their homes. One technology that's been gaining increased attention for its ability to improve overall energy efficiency and for its ability to eliminate carbon emissions, are Heat Pumps. 

What is a Heat Pump? A Heat Pump is an HVAC system that operates by transferring heat from one location to another, rather than generating heat through combustion or electrical resistance. Traditional heating systems, such as gas furnaces and boilers, rely on burning fossil fuels. Heat pumps are electrically powered and therefore 100% renewable if you get your electricity from Marin Clean Energy or another renewable source. Heat pumps are highly efficient, converting one unit of electricity into more than one unit of heating or cooling energy. Heat pumps are also extremely versatile: during the colder months, they extract heat from the outside air to transfer it inside to heat the home. In the hotter summer months, they operate in reverse, expelling heat from indoors to keep the home cool. The energy used to run heat pump systems is significantly lower than that of conventional heating and cooling systems, resulting in lower utility bills. Lastly, they provide a far more consistent level of heating and cooling for the home, as they maintain a steady level of temperature. 

Local & National Incentives: Marin and the Federal Government offer incentives and rebates to encourage homeowners to adopt energy efficient and eco-friendly heating solutions like heat pumps. Marin currently offers a $1,000 rebate while the Federal Government offers a 30% tax deduction on the total cost of purchase and installation. 

In the quest to encourage our membership to eliminate the burning of fossil fuels, heat pumps are one step towards greater efficiency and carbon reduction while enhancing your home's comfort and value! Want to know more? Email us!

 www.carbonneutralkw.com/about-us

Please join us for the annual Kent Woodlands Holiday Celebration on Sunday, December 3, 2023 from 5:00 − 8:00pm at Guesthouse on College Avenue. All Kent Woodlands residents are welcome (adults only)! Please note that pre-payment will be required to reserve your spot. Watch your email for more information!

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