Members»Management»GM Messages»December 2016

December 2016

Continuous improvement is one of our core values for Tahoe Donner as outlined in our strategic plan.  It’s not something you normally associate with a common-interest development, but Tahoe Donner is no ordinary community! Here are just a few improvement highlights for the association this past year:

  • Architectural Standards Office software modernization and digitalization of paper files
  • Renovation of the Trout Creek Recreation Center poolside locker rooms, steam room and sauna
  • Implementation of a multiyear system of winter trail grooming during the summer months to prevent encroaching vegetation from impacting our winter downhill and Nordic trail systems, requiring less overall snow to open and maintain our trail offerings
  • Expanded association open space with the strategic acquisition of Crabtree Canyon, 640 acres on our northeast boarder
  • Launched recorded and live board meeting broadcasts
  • Expanded fat bike winter trail system access as a fairly new and growing recreation activity
  • Expanded snowshoe trail access with an affordable introductory snowshoe-specific season pass
  • Completion of a long range Land Management Plan

Near future projects underway to benefit our community include:

  • Winter 2016/2017 opening both Trout Creek Recreation Center pools – heated – during our peak holidays
  • A membership validated Association Master Plan for future capital project reinvestment in our association amenity offerings
  • Membership approval to update our governing documents to meet the recent changes in the California Davis-Stirling Act
  • Reserved “member only” parking in our Trout Creek Recreation Center parking lot for membership to access Trout Creek and Snowplay during peak winter periods.
  • Update an improved association website for membership information and overall functionality
  • Improved association webcams for HD viewing of your favorite amenity areas remotely
  • First time New Year’s Eve firework show at our Downhill Ski Area after our annual nighttime light parade!

“Community association” is a generic term that encompasses many names used around the world to describe common-interest housing. A few examples include:

  • Common-interest community (CIC) is used by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
  • Common-interest realty association (CIRA) is the term preferred by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
  • Common-interest development (CID) is used by the California Department of Real Estate.
  • Condominium association refers to units like apartments, townhouses or other private units that are part of a single structure or group of structures.
  • Homeowners association (HOA) is often synonymous with “common-interest community” and usually describes a community of single-family homes.
  • Property owners association (POA) can refer to a residential community or a group of offices or other non-residential property.
  • Strata title is a term used in Australia, New Zealand, and British Columbia that describes individually owning part of a property, such as an apartment, and sharing ownership in the property’s common or public areas.
  • In France and some parts of Quebec, condominiums are called copropriété divisée (divided co-property).
  • The traditional term in Spanish-speaking countries for a common-interest community is propiedad horizontal.
    Condominio is the term used in Italy.

Regardless of the name, most community associations in the U.S. are incorporated and subject to state statutes that govern nonprofit corporations. Remember, membership in an association is not voluntary; you become a member when you purchase a home in the community.

Our community association is more than just another neighborhood in the Town of Truckee. It’s actually a large, recreation-focused community that is more akin to a midsize corporation (a business).  Collectively, our regular annual assessment and operating revenue amount to millions of dollars that need to be budgeted carefully and spent wisely. And our neighbors who have volunteered and been elected to serve on the association’s board are responsible for making critical decisions—on our behalf—about managing the community and our money.

Our employee team (about 900 employees annually) work to carry out the day to day operations, but also help develop overall long-range plans with the board—like when the parking lot will need to be repaved and when the ski lifts will need to be replaced—concerning the parts of the community that are shared property. The board must set aside funds so that these kinds of projects can be accomplished on schedule or even ahead of schedule in the event there’s an unexpected breakdown. The board, with assistance from volunteer committees and staff, develops long range plans for not just maintenance and replacement of our association capital assets, but also the reinvestment in our amenities by constantly reviewing the functionality, service level, and overall portfolio of offerings for the community to meet every changing community demographics and recreation trends.

The board’s decisions can have a significant impact on the community’s appearance and, consequently, on our property values. Be sure to communicate with the board regularly, observe board meetings, stay in tune with association news in our monthly magazine, sign up for weekly email updates, and attend the annual meeting to elect board members, while also participating in conversations about significant community issues throughout the year.

Finally, our 2017 budget process has been completed and can be found in this issue of Tahoe Donner News. In addition, I’m including a long term view (5, 10, 15 and 20 year compounded annual growth rate) of our operating fund, capital funds, and overall funds in the chart below.

Best Wishes this Holiday Season!

ROBB ETNYRE | GENERAL MANAGER