Memo from Pam Darland, Committee Chair

The goal of this project is to create an environment where our homes could survive a fire in our neighborhood despite the beautiful forest environment and to work together to create that safe environment. Trace Richard, Community Risk Reduction Specialist with South Kitsap Fire & Rescue, is available to lead our community to reach this goal.

To date, the HOA has worked with Trace to deliver:

• a Zoom meeting introduction on the program
• a recorded message for viewing the introduction to the program
• a presentation at our annual HOA membership meeting
• a multi-page evaluation characterizing home construction and attachments

Trace has also proactively noted percentage of homes with combustible vegetation within 5 feet of homes and with ladder fuels under trees, reviewed the open spaces like our park and other HOA property, and created a 3- year plan for Strawberry Hill to be recognized as a Firewise USA community.

To continue with this voluntary program, we’re counting on 10 homes to request Trace to
do a closer assessment of the “Home Zone,” which includes the exterior structure of your home and attachments to it (decks, patios, fences etc.) and area the five foot surrounding of that Home Zone. This assessment takes less than 30 minutes. The advice Trace gives you is not a requirement and is offered as what you might do to increase your safety.

To date, we have 3 homes complete with 2 more scheduled – so we are halfway there!

Please contact Trace directly to set up an assessment time at:
(360) 801-3982 (cell)
(360) 895-6512 (office)

For any other questions, you can contact me directly. My role is to collect and report data on our progress, provide information to the homeowners, advocate for the program’s benefits, and liaise with Trace. Thank you.

Pam Darland
(253) 720-8419 (home)

At our July board meeting, the board approved investing just under half of our reserve fund into a CD through Kitsap Bank so we could earn maximum interest on our savings. Today Mary, treasurer, and Becky, president, had an appointment with our banking advisor to open the account for a ten month CD at 4%.

In the history of the HOA, we have never had a last minute purchase that would require such a large sum of money. But emergencies can happen so we’ve done our diligence in asking questions! If we need to withdraw the funds early, we can access any amount at any time, and the penalty is only three months’ interest on the amount withdrawn.

We are excited to continue to stock our reserve fund with more financial savvy than a basic savings account.

The current board will revisit this approach before the CD expires in May 2026 to determine if we will roll into a new CD, add funds, reduce the amount, or end the investment.

PS – Check out the cute photo bomber, representing the kids who waited patiently in the lobby during the hour long appointment today!

We had average attendance at our 2025 membership meeting, with 18 families represented. We only had one plate of leftover tacos, and the side dishes were enjoyed by all. Many homeowners stayed for the Firewise presentation, and the weather was perfect for gathering outside. What a great evening!

The minutes from this meeting are available on our Resources page in the Meeting Minutes tab. Board members, officers, and committee members have been updated at the bottom of the Resources page as well and are effective immediately.

Help needed!

If you’d like to help clean up the tree clippings in Providence Court, your help is much appreciated! Meet in Providence Court on Saturday, July 26 at 10:00 AM. Thank you to neighbor Jordan Clinton for getting these branches trimmed for us! Helpers on Saturday will be moving them to the southwest corner of the park.

Reminder: Our annual membership meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 21, at 6:00 PM in the park. Come at 5:30 with a side dish and chair for tacos and mingling with your neighbors!

Meeting agenda:

1. Approve minutes from last year’s annual meeting
2. Treasurer’s report
3. Community recap and awards
4. 2025-2026 Budget approval
5. Review proposed board resolution: CC&R Violations
6. Appointment of Architectural Control Committee members
7. Election of officers
8. Election of additional board member(s)
9. Open forum

Following the official close of the membership meeting, we will welcome Trace from Kitsap County Fire and Rescue, who will be presenting information about the Firewise community program. Homeowners are welcome to attend to ask questions and learn more about Firewise.

🚒 Update 1: Firewise Presentation

Trace Richards from Kitsap County Fire and Rescue hosted a Zoom meeting earlier this month for neighbors to learn more about fire safety and the Firewise program. Attendance was low at the live meeting, so we requested a recording of the content for anyone interested to view.

Trace will also be hosting a live Q&A session after the annual membership meeting for anyone interested in joining the neighborhood program. We need 8 homes to participate. Pam Darland has been working hard to organize this program and recruit participants.

🤝 Update 2: Summer Board Meeting

Our summer board meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 7 at 7 PM. Please submit any agenda items for discussion to the board by Sunday, July 6 for consideration. You can do this through the contact section on our website, or by emailing officers@strawberryhillhoa.org.

Current agenda items include:

• Volunteers for officer positions (still need a treasurer)
• Community clean up requests
• Dues amount for 2026
• CC&R enforcement by board resolution

🏠 Update 3: Annual Membership Meeting

Our annual membership meeting is on Monday, July 21 starting at 6:00 PM. Come early for dinner, and bring a side dish to share and a chair. Tacos, bottled water, and paper products sponsored by the HOA. Dinner will begin at 5:30 PM.

The agenda for the annual meeting will be available by Monday, July 14.

💵 Update 4: Annual Garage Sale Reminder

Our annual garage sale weekend is scheduled for July 26-27. Consider joining the neighborhood at this time if you are looking to sell items to increase visibility and visitors for everyone. During the annual meeting, we will ask for volunteers to post signs and notices on social media.

Thanks so much to Pam Darland for organizing the Firewise Community Night for our neighborhood. Our informational meeting has been set for Thursday, June 5th at 7:30 pm via Zoom, hosted by Trace Richard, Community Risk Reduction Specialist for Kitsap County Fire and Rescue. This event is specific to Strawberry Hill HOA.

You received a flyer about this event next to your mailboxes today, courtesy of KCFR. This event will help us determine if our neighborhood would like to become a Firewise community, which requires 8 or more homeowners to commit to the program annually.

If asked for a passcode, use 016254.

The Firewise USA® program, administered by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), provides guidance to help communities reduce their risk of wildfire destruction.

• Wildfire Preparedness: The program offers steps to protect homes and neighborhoods from wildfire threats, focusing on ember ignition and small flames.
• Community Participation: Firewise USA® supports communities in organizing, planning, and taking action to increase wildfire resilience.
• Recognition Program: Communities meeting specific criteria can become recognized as Firewise sites and maintain their “In Good Standing Status.”
• Resources Available: The program provides toolkits, fact sheets, brochures, and booklets to educate residents on wildfire risk reduction.

More wildfire education opportunities

Learn more about best practices and the science behind wildland fire prevention and what you can do as a homeowner to proactively protect your home and property.

1. June 21st – Home Hardening – 9:00 AM via Zoom
2. June 28th – Defensible Spaces Around Your Home – 9:00 AM via Zoom

Register for either of these sessions by emailing Trace directly: trichard@skfr.org.

The HOA Board met this week (after a few postponements) and reviewed homeowner requests as well as planned for the summer ahead.

Important Dates

• Park portable toilet available: April 1 – September 30
• Annual membership meeting: July 21
• Neighborhood garage sale: July 26-27

Neighborhood Needs

• Garage sale coordinator – Someone to post to social media and hang a sign at the top of the neighborhood prior to the weekend.
• Sunshine committee – One, two, or three neighbors who would like to bring joy to neighbors in need. This could be done with handwritten notes, delivering a meal, celebrating a new neighbor, etc.
• Spring cleaning – Neighbors willing to plan a spring day for everyone to get out and tidy up litter, branches, and weeds in the common areas.

Other updates from the board

• The board nominated Pam Darland to lead the fire safety committee. She will be coordinating the Firewise community program with Kitsap County Fire and Rescue. Look for more news about this coming soon.
• The board is accepting bids and volunteers for the following annual tasks: park mowing, park flower bed maintenance, park shed roof replacement. Please contact us if you are interested in completing these tasks.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 4. Send any agenda items for the board to discuss to officers@strawberryhillhoa.org by Friday, January 31. Thank you!

Meeting schedules can be found by checking our HOA calendar on our website: https://strawberryhillhoa.org/calendar/.

As we begin to close out 2024, let’s take a moment to recognize a home that has demonstrated their holiday cheer! You might have seen in our annual dues letter that the officers would be distributing a form for voting, and here it is.

But wait – there’s more! At our last annual meeting, the officers gave out 11l community awards. We are planning to do so again, and we’d love your help in nominating a neighbor or home for something that stands out. We’ve added a spot for this in the holiday lights form, but you can also nominate a neighbor anytime through the contact form on our website.

Please submit your votes by January 5, 2025. Thanks for participating!

Join us for the annual neighbor Turkey Walk on Thanksgiving morning!

Meet at the main park entrance at 9:30. Dogs, strollers, wagons, bikes, and scooters are all welcome. Walk one loop with your neighbors before retiring to our homes – rain or shine!