Got mail? If not, clear the snow away from your mailbox...

From Mary Chamberlain:

The Post Office has asked me to send a general reminder to all Residents that live in close proximity to a mail box that the Residents are responsible for snow removal. If the Postal Carriers do not have proper access, they will not deliver mail. Please be sure to keep the mailboxes clear of snow and never ever move your snow in the street when you are clearing your driveway or sidewalks (which is illegal).

(This goes for fire hydrants as well.)

Feel free to contact myself or the Draper City Post Office with any questions. Thank you for your assistance in keeping the community looking its best.

Have a nice day,

Mary Chamberlain
Operations Manager
Capital Consultants Management Corporation
Suncrest Owners Association
2016 E. Village Green Cir.
Draper, UT 84020
P) 801-572-1233
Email: mchamberlain@ccmcnet.com
Visit our website: www.ccmcnet.com

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree Recycling:
Trees may be dropped off at the Draper City Public Works, located at 72 East Sivogah Court (14551 South), until January 15th.
Hours: 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday
Office Phone: 801-576-6517

Please Don't Park On the Street

I have seen several cars parked on the side of the roads in SunCrest, which is very dangerous when it snows, especially on Mondays with the garbage can obstacle course already causing problems. Here are the CC&R's and City Ordinances that clarify when you can and can't park on the street:

Sun Crest CC&R’s
-Parking: 4.2.23 It is the intent of the Declarant to restrict on-street parking as much as possible. Vehicles of all Owners and Residents, and of their employees, guests and invitees, are to be kept in garages and residential driveways of the Owner and other designated parking areas wherever and whenever such facilities are sufficient to accommodate the number of vehicles at a Lot or Parcel. Provided, however, this Section 4.2.23 shall not be construed to permit the parking in the above described areas of any vehicle whose parking on Sun Crest is otherwise prohibited or the parking of any inoperable vehicle. Recreational vehicles shall be parked in covered garages except for limited periods in Residential driveways or other designated parking areas as determined by the Board and promulgated as part of the Sun Crest Rules. Fines for this violation are $50 per day

Draper City Code
Chapter 14-5 Stopping, Standing, and Parking
Section 14-5-010: Winter Parking-No person shall park a vehicle on any street within the jurisdiction of Draper City during the period from Nov. 15-Apr. 15, between the hours of 1AM & 6AM by permit provided in Section 14-5-020

Section 14-5-040: Storing Vehicle on Street. Except as otherwise provided herein, no person shall park a vehicle or other conveyance upon any highway within the jurisdiction of Draper City for more than a continuous twenty-four (24) hour period.

Letter from City Manager

Draper City asked me to post this letter from City Manager, Layne Long:

December 19, 2008
Dear Draper City Resident,

On behalf of Mayor Smith and the City Council I want to take a moment and update the community on the status of the SunCrest Development, particularly since there has been a recent change in ownership.

Terrabrook, LLC which was the owner of the SunCrest Development, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Zions Bank, a major lender and creditor of the project, purchased the Development through the bankruptcy proceedings. Zions Bank is actively trying to find a new owner or developer to take over the project and there continues to be strong interest from various developers, both local and out-of-state.
Most recently Zions Bank and the City have been in discussions with a company headed up by a local developer. Although, after months of working to get an agreement, they withdrew their offer this week, we believe some of the things all the involved parties learned over the past few months will be valuable in facilitating an agreement with a new owner or developer.

The purchase of the project by a new developer is complicated by various unresolved issues left over when Terrabrook, LLC declared bankruptcy. Some of these issues are the complex geology of the mountain; incomplete and inadequate road and water infrastructure; unfinished parks and trails; revegetation of the hillside and open trenches; recreation center, pool and other unfinished facilities; and repair of improvements and other infrastructure that are defective or not up to adopted City
standards. There are various Surety Bonds and Letters of Credit totaling $9.2 million which will cover many of the improvements, however, they will not cover everything. We know that Draper City must be flexible, creative and innovative in working with Zions Bank and any potential new developer to resolve these issues so that the project can move forward to completion. We know absolutely that they can be resolved. However, any resolution must be balanced with the appropriate entity taking fiscal responsibility for their appropriate areas of responsibility. The City is committed to not spending general tax- payer funds to fix those areas of the project that were the prior developer’s responsibility.

One of the largest obstacles to resolve is the roads. We now know that some of the roads in the development were not built to the standards required by the SunCrest Development Agreement and have already failed or are beginning to fail. The City has already accepted ownership of some of these roads and with that has accepted responsibility for repairing and maintaining these. Last year the City spent $1.3 million repairing Traverse Ridge Road and expects to spend at least $3.3 million over the next three years to repair other roads that are failing. There are other roads which have not yet been accepted by the City including SunCrest Drive, parts of Deer Ridge Drive, and the Eagle Crest road area. The City is requiring that the owner or developer of the property repair these roads, either to the standards required in the SunCrest Development Agreement or some other mutually acceptable standard before the City will take ownership, thereby saving taxpayers the expense.

SunCrest is a great development and provides a type of living in our community that is unique from any other City in Utah. That is why the Development was initially approved by the City and that is why it will be completed. We know we are living in very difficult economic times right now, and most residential development across the state has slowed dramatically. We remain confident, however, that the right developer, with the right development plan, at the right price will purchase the project and it will be completed.

The Mayor, City Council and staff are committed to working through these issues with Zions Bank and potential buyers of SunCrest Development.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season,
Layne Long
Draper City Manager
1020 East Pioneer Road . Draper, Utah . 84020 . (801) 576-6500

SunCrest Dr. and Traverse Ridge Open

Friends,

I've had a few phone calls from people wondering about road status. As of 4:26 pm both roads are open, per Brad Watson (831.7191) at Draper City Public Works who spoke directly with the plow operator on the mountain.

If conditions change or road closures occur, I'll get it posted as soon as I find out about it.

If any of you have updates from reliable sources (NOT police dispatch who argued w/me about whether or not there really was a UT County Draper, sent me to the County Sheriff's office who promptly transfered me back to dispatch, who then told me to call the HOA b/c they're the ones who close the roads) please let me or Lori know.

DeLaina
495.9559

Lori
816-1274

Minutes-OA Dues Are Reduced

Unofficial OA Board Meeting minutes provided by Denise Borst:

Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 6:06 PM

I just attended the OA meeting and wanted to share some important information with you.

The financial report indicates that the OA is in good financial standing. The OA staff is working diligently to collect on past due assessments.

Some good news, you will be receiving your new payment books soon and will see a slight decrease in the monthly assessment. For homeowners, the monthly fee will be $98 per month; for lot owners, the 25% rate will be $24.50.

The 2009 Master Association Budget was approved by the OA board. On Wednesday, January 21, 2009 there will be a Town Hall meeting to discuss the 2009 budget. This meeting will be held at 6 pm at the Draper City Hall Council Chambers.

Several agenda items were tabled awaiting review by the legal department at Zion's Bank.

The Food Drive was a great success and a big Thank You goes out to all the SunCrest residents who contributed. The food collected was taken to a Jiffy Lube drop off, where Jiffy Lube matched the donated food. The Utah Food Bank benefited from everyone's efforts.

The next OA meeting date and time is to be determined.

Hope

From our Resident OA Board Member, Barbara Blackmer, in answer to the question we are all asking:

What does this mean for us?

Today's developments (Zions Bank and Raddon-Ball withdraw their development proposal from Draper City) were a huge disappointment, as we saw our hopes of gaining a new developer in the near future evaporate. Zions Bank heartily endorsed R&B SunCrest as purchaser of the SunCrest development, and offered terrifically strong financial backing in the hopes that they could reach an agreement with Draper City. Raddon invested months of hard work and over $200,000 in the due diligence needed to satisfy Draper City. Today, they had to walk away.

In the early bitterness of disappointment, let's not panic. Let's remind ourselves of what we still have.... We have just what we've had for the better part of a year, nothing less.

Zions Bank still owns the developer's properties in SunCrest, and they have shown us a benevolent and understanding approach, and a willingness to work with us. They have, however, repeatedly reminded us that they are not developers, so we may not look to them to re-open the market, deed the Club over to the OA, or take steps to remedy some of the economic challenges that touch our community. We haven't had the market for quite a while – it looks like we will have to do without one for awhile longer. We have never had the Club. It still sits there, tantalizingly out of reach, but at least right now I don't agonize over not having the swimming pool open.

We haven't really gone anywhere. We had hoped to go forward, and seen those hopes put on hold at least for a while. But we haven't gone backwards, either. We don't have a new developer – but we've been managing as a community without a developer for awhile. Yes, property values are down, and that's hurt us. We're in a recession, all over the country, and most of us here in SunCrest are feeling those painful effects.

What did we lose? We lost, temporarily, a hope that things would get better fast. What we are left with is exactly what we've had all along, and we're making do with that, and most of us are doing okay. Not great, but okay. We're still here.

What do we have? We still have an amazingly beautiful place to live. We have the same services we've been managing with for a long time. We have a management company that is financially solid and working hard; we have an OA Board of Directors who care about resident issues and needs. But we have so much more. We have residents who exhibit a level of commitment, concern, intelligence and ability that is spectacularly different from other communities. As I've talked to you and worked in the community, I'm in awe at the level of experience, interest, and willingness to volunteer found among the remarkable individuals who have chosen to make this home.

What do we have? We have an opportunity to make obstacles into hurdles that can be overcome together. This winter, especially, let's be a little kinder to our neighbors, a little more thoughtful, understanding, and helpful. That's a level of wealth and hope that no city council can either give us or take away from us. Let's make the time to attend community events, and volunteer to help one another in small ways. Think about the place you want to call home, and be that kind of neighbor. It's really not about a bank, or a developer, the size of your lot or your floor plan or how recently the snow plow has been by. It's about a sense of community, of living among friends and feeling a personal responsibility to help solve the problems.

What do we have? We have what we had yesterday, today, and will have tomorrow -- we have each other. (Well, maybe you think that's kind of cheesy – but I'll remind you it is absolutely true.) We use every technology available to communicate rapidly with one another and to organize and work together, because our common interests are stronger than our individual differences. It almost goes without saying that you will be given updates and factual information, as it comes to any one of us. And at the end of the day, what we have is stronger and better than any outside source could give us. I don't know about you, but I'd rather live in this community, with all its challenges, than anywhere else – and that's because of you. We'll tough this out together.

PS – Let me remind you that this Friday is the community sing-along from 7-8:30 pm at the LDS meetinghouse. Dress is casual. Everyone come. The Tonks will be there, and the Blackmers, and a lot of other community members, and we'll sing about laughter and hope, and we can talk together afterwards.

SunCrest Residents-Please Don't Attend City Council Meeting Tonight

The Offer to Purchase SunCrest Has Been Withdrawn

SunCrest Residents, please do not attend Draper City Council meeting tonight.

After months of due diligence and of trying to work with Draper City, Zions, the Raddon Brothers (who spent over $200K) and the investors have grown weary of the game. Millions of dollars had been offered to the City to try to resolve the long list of items that the City attached to our community, but it wasn't enough, so the offer has been withdrawn and we are once again left without a potential developer.

There is no point in attending the Draper City Council Meeting tonight in light of this new information, so the request from SunCrestResidents.org to attend at 9:15pm has also been *cancelled*.

Stay home, stay safe, stay warm.

Our next SunCrestResidents.org meeting will be the first or second week of January, and we will do our best to have the right people in place to answer all of questions, most notably, "What does this mean for my family?"

Thanks for your support!

Meetings

Please come to:

1. The OA Board Mtg. at 3:00 pm Monday 12/15 at the Info Center
Zions representatives and Raddon Brothers Reps will be there as Board Members.

2. Stay after the OA meeting to ask Barbara Blackmer questions from 4-6.
Our resident OA Board Member, Barbara Blackmer, has offered to be at the Info Center from 4:00-6:00pm specifically to answer any resident questions we may have. Please take advantage of this opportunity.

3. Draper City Council Meeting at 9:15 pm at City Hall on 12/16
On Tuesday, 12/16, Draper City will be voting on whether or not they will accept the Raddon Brothers contract and terms to purchase SunCrest. It does not look promising. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm BUT we are last on the agenda found at www.draper.ut.us and the listed time is is 9:30 pm. Please make every attempt possible to be at City Hall by 9:15 pm this Tuesday. The City needs to know that the residents are interested in the fate of SunCrest, (and consequently the Clubhouse, pool, market, parks etc.) and are paying attention to the decisions that are being made that affect our lives and home values.

Thanks!!!

Developer Update-Action Requested!

As we all know, the Raddon Brothers developers along with Ball Ventures investors, have been doing due diligence for the past few months in preparation for the purchase of SunCrest. The closing was originally set for mid-November, and has been postponed indefinitely, pending further approval and information from Draper City.

There are many rumors swirling around as to why the closing date has been postponed, some based on facts, others, not so much.

One thing we need to do as residents, is attend the Draper City Council meeting this Tuesday, December 16th at 7:00pm at City Hall (1020 E. Pioneer Rd./12400 S. west of the library) so that we can remind our elected officials that we are paying close attention to the procedures. There is a possibility that the developer will not be able to meet the requirements laid out by the city, and will have to walk away.

December is a busy time of year, and we all have many things to do. Please put this high on your priority list, and make the time to attend.

OA Board Meeting Date Change

From Resident OA Board Member, Barbara Blackmer:

Because of scheduling conflicts of other Board members, the next OA Board meeting will take place Monday, December 15 at 3:00 pm at the Information Center. We will have a quorum in order to conduct business, but probably not all the Board members will be in attendance.

Please don't park in the street, especially in the snow.

Here's an FYI from Mary Chamberlain regarding overnight parking on the streets:

We’re trying to gear up for winter here, and we need to use any resources available to us. This will be very useful for Residents that have neighbors that are chronic offenders of overnight parking. Most of the parking problems occur when the Management members are out of the office. Residents need to be willing to contact Draper City Police or Code Enforcement (Kasie Hall) in addition to notifying the management company.

Section 14-5-090 Enhanced Penalty.
Any person receiving six (6) or more notices for violating the parking provisions of this Chapter, or those set forth in Title 41 of the Utah Code Annotated, within the
jurisdiction of Draper City, within a 180-day period, which have not been dismissed, shall be subject to having his or her vehicle impounded.

Parents Please Help Keep Your Kids Safe!!!

From the OA Management:

December 9, 2008

To all Parents,

As you are all aware, there is a water feature that runs throughout the Village Green Park. We are quite concerned with the number of children that constantly play around or in the park while they are waiting for the school buses to arrive. We routinely ask them not to play in or around the pond, but this continues to happen. This morning, several children even stood on the thin ice, apparently unaware of the risks of drowning or hypothermia. We were very concerned for their safety and we asked them to leave the pond and to wait up front. Within 5 minutes, the same children and others joined them in standing on the ice again. Around 3pm in the afternoon, another group of boys were playing on the ice. Again, we asked them not to play on the ice as it is dangerous. We try to be vigilant about the children’s safety, but unfortunately, we do not have the ability to constantly monitor their behavior. Please help us to keep them safe by reminding them not to play in or around the pond. Thank you very much.

Sun Crest Owners Association-Mary Chamberlain, Tod Bean, Claudia Pappas

Safety and Transportation Chair-Sara Kocsis

Election Results

Our Representatives have remained the same, and their contact info is:

SL County: Rep. Greg Hughes
541-6127 greghughes@utah.gov

UT County: Rep. John Dougall
492-1365 repjohndougall@gmail.com

Over the past couple of years, we have all seen how important it is to have legislators who are responsive and solution-oriented.

If you are new to the area, you may not realize that in 2007, one of the unintended consequences of the Jordan School District split was that everyone in SunCrest, including Southfield, Mercer Reserve, The Cottages etc. would have been part of the new district. As such, we would have had to drive our children up and over the mountain, to the Chevron station, to put our kids on a bus to Sandy. Our two representatives worked hard to pass legislation that allowed those who wanted their children in Alpine School District, to remain there, and for those who wished to be included in the Jordan District to be able to do so.

Let's Keep Our Snow to Ourselves

One of our residents just posted this message:

"I would appreciate Suncrest residents NOT snowblowing their snow onto the streets. It's really dangerous for some cars to hit this huge pile of snow and spin out. It's hard for cars to get thru that snow. PLEASE DO NOT SNOWBLOW OUT INTO THE STREETS. Thank you."

Please be considerate of everyone in the community by NOT snowblowing the snow into the streets. The plows are usually done by the time the snowblowers come out so there's nobody to come along and clean it up. It makes a dangerous layer of ice on the streets.

Corner Canyon Closure

Thanks Nate Kingdon for sending in this post:

To all,

Corner Canyon is closed from Bear Creek on the north to Clarks on the south.
We have put up signs and tape and bikers are still going around. Helicopters will be flying tomorrow morning. Anyone caught will be cited. The helicopter will be flying several tons of wood straw per load. If any of you could pass along this info on blogs or sites or anyplace someone may read it I would appreciate it. The canyon should be open by Monday. If you have any questions let me know. I will be working tomorrow.

Thanks,

Greg Hilbig
Draper City
Corner Canyon, Trails, and Open Space Specialist greg.hilbig@draper.ut.us
(801) 831-6435

*********************************

I just spoke with Greg Hilbig at Draper City for a further explanation of what was open and what was closed. Greg confirmed that Clarks IS open this weekend. As long as we don¹t ride further North of Clarks. No Ghost Falls!
He is ok if we climb and descend Clarks.

Nate Kingdon

Highlights from SunCrest Meeting w/City

Notes Provided by Amy Baird

Snow Plow Policy
- Brochures handed out from Draper City Public Works. Detailing snow removal for SunCrest.
- Suncrest has 3 designated snow plows and drivers. We will be receiving the big red snow blower on January 1st.
- For road closure reports please call Draper City police 840-4000
- There will be a permanent lighted display sign on Traverse Ridge, across from Mike Weir Dr. and there will be a portable sign at bottom of Suncrest Dr. This will display important information such as road closures.
- UFA asked that we adopt the closest fire hydrant to us. If they are buried in snow more than two days, even if they get it unburied the water may not come out.
- Snow fences are being discussed to help with snow drifts in problem areas


TRSSD: The purpose is to provide services to citizens in SunCrest. We are only chraged for things that are in excess of everyone else in Draper, due to geography and topography.
- funding is paid through property tax
- financials are issued independently and monthly
- money is allocated to a separate account from Draper City
- the rate of tax is based on how many homeowners paying.
- the money is used for Staffing, snowplows, facilities, salt, gas, maintenance, street repair due to extreme weather, and street light repair.
- Last winter from Nov. 4 - Apr. 14 we had 20,354 of man hours doing snow removal
- Last winter we spent $1,019,804 towards snow removal.

Salt Dome: A facility that will hold salt and repair snow equipment
- The salt dome won't actually look like a big dome, but more like our fire house.
- Several options looked at for placing the facility in SunCrest.
- Further planning of location and building needed and possible building to start summer 2009.

Amy Baird
The Cove

Highlights of SunCrest Meeting-Denise Borst

Hi everyone- I attended the Draper City Council Meeting last night and wanted to pass on some of the highlights. The meeting was held right here in SunCrest at the Community Center and was very well attended, almost exclusively by SunCrest residents.

The topics of discussion all pertained to issues regarding our community.

David Decker, the Public Works Director, gave an overview of the Draper City Snow Removal Guide and policies. Each postal customer will soon be receiving a brochure outlining the city's policies and the homeowner's responsibilities.

The fire chief requested that the homeowners "adopt a fire hydrant". It is very important that the fire hydrants remain free of snow in case of a fire. If you live in a cul de sac and you have a fire hydrant that gets blocked by snow that is pushed to the end of the cul de sac by the snowplow, contact the Public Works department at 801-576-6517 and they will send someone to clear the area around the fire hydrant.

You may have noticed that there are 2 large metal poles going up at the intersection of Mike Weir Dr and Traverse Ridge. This will be an electronic sign which will provide information regarding road conditions along Traverse Ridge. A portable sign will also be placed on the Utah County side to provide road condition along Suncrest Drive.

Danyce Steck,the Finance Director, gave a comprehensive overview of the Traverse Ridge Special Services District (TRSSD). There is a monthly report on how the special tax funds are allocated and spent which is posted on the Draper City website: www.draper.ut.us.

The proposed site for a Salt Dome to be placed in SunCrest was discussed by David Decker. The city is looking at several options and the final decision will be made by the City Council following their investigation into the viability of each site. They hope to identify the site by January and have it completed by next summer.

The reason that a Salt Dome is going to be placed in SunCrest is that the largest part of our expense for snow removal is for fuel. Currently, snowplow drivers have to go back down the hill each time they need to replenish the salt on the plows.

An update on the SunCrest Development was given by Assistant City Manager, David Dobbins. He stated that the city council is in discussions with the potential SunCrest developer. Any new developer will have to abide by the development agreement. David also stated that the potential developer is asking for changes to the development agreement. Discussion regarding any changes will be conducted at a public meeting. Keep an eye on the City Council agendas for any such discussion. City Council meets every Tuesday night in the Council Chamber at 7pm, you can check the Draper City website for agenda information.

Denise Borst
Eagle Crest

Draper City Town Hall Meeting IN SUNCREST

Community Meeting at Suncrest-RSVP requested!!

When we met with city officials a few months ago, SunCrestResidents.org requested a Town Hall meeting in SunCrest to address some concerns specific to our community. That meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 14th.

From the Draper City Web site: "We invite Suncrest residents to join us for this informative meeting. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm with a tour of the new fire station. Other topics that will be discussed at this meeting include: Snow Removal, Salt Dome, TRSSD Finances, and Cell Phone Tower. The meeting will be held at the community center."

This is our chance to have some quality time with our elected officials, to ask questions, and make suggestions, so mark this date on your calendar and PLEASE RSVP to delainatonks@comcast.net or 495.9559so we have an idea of how many will be coming.

District 51 Debate October 9th

Utah House of Representatives
District 51 (everyone in SL County SunCrest)
Debate

Greg Hughes and Lisa Johnson

will answer the questions that you want to know about issues facing Utah:

Health Care Reform
Education
Ethics
Transportation
State Budget
The Economy

Learn who you want to vote for!

October 9th @ 7 p.m.
Willow Springs Elementary
13288 S. Lone Rock Drive (465 East)
Draper

hosted by the Alta area PTA

Exciting New Developer News!!!!

Dear SunCrest Friends,

We have some EXCELLENT news for you!

Today at the OA meeting, we were introduced to Andrew Hatton-Ward with Raddon Brothers Development. Raddon Brothers is currently doing their due diligence, and working with Zions Bank and Draper City in order to be able to close on the purchase of SunCrest on November 14th, 2008. Mr. Hatton-Ward was kind enough to stay after the meeting for some question and answer, and here is what we learned:

1. Mr. Hatton-Ward was the first Draper City Manager and has intimate knowledge of SunCrest.
2. He has lived in UT since 1984, and expressed interest in buying/building his own home in SunCrest in a couple of years.
3. Raddon Brothers has a good working relationship with Draper City.
4. Raddon Brothers owns and developed the Hidden Valley Shopping Center.
5. The Idaho group who developed melaleuca is one of the financiers of the purchase.
6. Mr. Hatton-Ward indicated that he is eager to work with SunCrestResidents.org and to effectively communicate with residents.
7. He would like to come to our next meeting and share information. Stay tuned for that meeting date! Since we had a Meet the Candidate Event this month in lieu of our regular meeting, we may try to move the next SR.org meeting to October 14th.
8. The main focus for the Raddon Brothers will be to get the infrastructure in place, to find an owner for the market, to finish the Clubhouse and get it open ASAP.
9. There won’t be much new development in SunCrest for the first year or so, except for the +/-60 lots for sale that they inherited) as they put all the pieces back together and wait for the market to improve.
10. They expect that SunCrest will be a 5-10 year project before they reach build-out, for an additional 2400 units.
11. There will be changes to the Master Development Agreement.
12. Getting the pocket parks built and maintained will be a top priority.
13. Raddon Brothers is interested in resident feedback regarding the Comcast contract.

I’m sure we all have a lot of questions, some that the developer will be able to answer, some that they won’t. If you have specific questions, please post them as comments* and we will do our best to track down the answers for you and post them in response. The value in posting them publicly is that we all benefit from seeing the responses, and the developer will be able to effectively address the issues on the blog, reaching 450+ people at a time, so post away!

SunCrestResidents.org is a great way to communicate with many residents at one time! Please share the news with your neighbors and encourage them to check the blog frequently for updates.

*if for some reason you can't post to the comments, feel free to e-mail me at delainatonks@comcast.net and I'll post your question for you.

Garbage Cans INSIDE=good, Garbage Cans OUTSIDE=bad

From Mary Chamberlain, SunCrest OA Operations Manager:

I have seen a noticeable increase in trash can violations over the past few weeks. Please post this on your website as a reminder to the Residents of how to store their trash cans properly. I feel that it is a waste of time and money to have to create and mail 30+ garbage can violation letters every week.

-Trash Containers & Collection 4.2.11: No garbage or trash shall be placed or kept on any Lot or Parcel, except in covered containers of a type, size, and style which are approved by the Design Review Board or required by the applicable Municipal Authority. In no event shall such containers be maintained so as to be visible from neighboring property, except to make the same available for collection. All rubbish, trash and garbage shall be removed from the Lots and Parcels and shall not be allowed to accumulate thereon. Fines for this violation are $25 per day

Please remember to store your containers out of site-i.e. in your garage or behind your fence, if you have one. It is still visible if it is: on your front porch, in your bushes, on the side of your house, in your window wells, etc

If anyone has to keep their trash containers outside temporarily due to extenuating circumstances such as-staining your garage floor, etc., please send me an e-mail and let me know so that I am aware of your situation.

Thank you all for helping to keep SunCrest looking its best.

Mary Chamberlain
Operations Manager
P) 801-572-1233
Email: mchamberlain@ccmcnet.com
Visit our website: www.ccmcnet.com

Emergency Prep Fair

Emergency Preparedness Fair

September 27th from 10 am – 2 pm
Located at Wal-Mart
11328 South Jordan Gateway

What to do before the emergency or disaster?
What to do after the emergency or disaster?
Life Flight Helicopter (12-1PM)
Fire Department with Fire Truck & C.E.R.T Program
A tornado simulator
Child Fingerprinting
Questar Gas
Food Storage and Usage Specialist
Emergency Essentials

And Many More Organizations………

UPDATE-Meet the Candidates

We will be meeting inisde in the Info Center tonight, instead of on the green, for the Meet the Candidates Event. You will NOT have to bring your own chairs this time!

Spread the word: 7-9 tonight, Bill Dew, Rep. John Dougall, Gwyn Franson, State Shcool Board Member Mark Cluff, and Carol Murphy will be answering YOUR questions, helping you to decide which candidate will best represent you in Congress, at the State House, and on the State School Board.

Ethan Maryon will also be there with voter registration information and forms, as part of his Eagle Scout project.

Come and get informed!!

Corner Canyon Closed on Friday-FYI

FYI - Greg Hilbig has been directed to close the Upper Corner Canyon Road starting at 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 26 due to helicopter operations on fire rehabilitation work. Greg is working with the National Forest Service on the rehabilitation of the burn area. The road will reopen after the completion of the work on Friday afternoon.

Parking Mess at Mercer Reserve

I drove by Mercer Reserve today and noticed dozens of cars parked on the street. After a little checking, I found out that a company named "Oh, Sweet Sadie" was having some sort of arts/crafts Openhouse there. I'm not sure how those of you who live on Winged Trace could even get into your driveways!

I just wanted to let you know that you do have the option of calling the Draper Police at 840-4000 if that type of mess continues tomorrow. According to Draper City Code business activities are not allowed that are detectable by sight or sound from outside the unit, or if they are a hazard or nuisance.

Lagoon Frightmares Passes

The OA has discount tickets for Lagoon available! They are good for Frightmares only, which starts Friday, October 3rd. The discount passes are $26.50 for Ages 4 & up, and $18.95 for Ages 3 & under. Each pass is good for up to 8 people. You can pick these up from our office.

Mary Chamberlain
Operations Manager
Capital Consultants Management Corporation
SunCrest Owners Association
2016 E. Village Green Cir.
Draper, UT 84020
P) 801-572-1233

Curb Address Paint Not Allowed

These flyers are being taped to homeowner's doors in neighborhoods in SunCrest. There is no company name or contact information for the "Curb Painters". Draper City has been contacted and there has been no permit or license issued to anyone to paint address numbers/logos on curbs. Also, the guidelines of the OA do not permit this type of thing.

If you see the "Curb Painters" at work, please contact the OA at 801-572-1233 so they can let them know that this is not allowed in SunCrest. Thanks!

Meet the Candidate Event

Tuesday, Sept. 23rd 7:00-9:00pm at the Village Green

Come and meet with Bill Dew Congressional Candidate, (Congressman Matheson is unable to attend), Rep. John Dougall, House candidate Gwyn Franson, State School Board Member Mark Cluff, and School Board Candidate Carol Murphy.

Bring chairs or blankets to sit on, and questions you'd like to ask. Kindly RSVP to DeLaina at 495.9559 or delainatonks@comcast.net so we know how many refreshments to get.

OA Meeting Date Changed

The Sept. 18 OA Meeting date has been changed to Thursday, Sept. 25th, at 3:00 in the basement of the Info Center. Please make a note of it on your calendars.

Come on, People!

To All,

As I was afraid of, the dumpsters are overflowing. We specifically informed everyone that it was first come, first serve-and once it was full-nothing more could be deposited. (Especially not left on the ground next to the dumpster)

Right now they are unloading the excess trash from the top of the dumpster before they can even remove it. We will have to pay to get another dumpster to remove the excess trash, and then load it up. (I don’t know anyone else that has to go in to work, and load up someone else’s trash for them like we will have to (again).)


We can no longer provide this service because it was a privilege that was abused.
I am really disappointed.

Mary Chamberlain
Operations Manager
Capital Consultants Management Corporation
Suncrest Owners Association
2016 E. Village Green Cir.
Draper, UT 84020
P) 801-572-1233
Email: mchamberlain@ccmcnet.com
Visit our website: www.ccmcnet.com

Property Valuations Appeals Process

Several SL County residents have inquired about appealing their property valuations. Here you go:

The Salt Lake County Board of Equalization will begin accepting property valuation appeals on August 1, 2008. The Board will continue to accept appeals through September 15, 2008. Please be aware that any appeal bearing a US postmark or delivered after September 15, 2008 is considered late, and may not be accepted. For more information on the property valuation appeal process, please visit


http://www.taxadmin.slco.org/

Voter Information

VOTER REGISTRATION, POLLING LOCATIONS, & CANDIDATE INFO BELOW

SL COUNTY
Register online to vote. Additional info on in-office voting is also available here: http://www.clerk.slco.org/elections/voteEarly.html

SL County, your polling location will be at the SunCrest Info. Center.

Congressional Candidates:
Congressman Jim Matheson-D
www.mathesonforcongress.com

Candidate Bill Dew-R
www.billdew.com

House Candidates:
Rep. Greg Hughes-R
www.greghughes.org

Candidate Lisa Johnson-D
www.electlisa.org

State School Board Candidates:
Dave Crandall
Ted Heap

UT County
Register by mail to vote, now through Oct. 6th. From Oct. 6 to Oct 20th, you can register in person. You can also register to have your ballot sent to you by mail.

http://www.co.utah.ut.us/Dept/ClerkAud/Elections/VoterReg.asp

UT County, your polling location will be at Ridgeline Elementary.

Congressional Candidates:
(see Web sites above)
Congressman Jim Matheson-D
Candidate Bill Dew-R

House Candidates:
Rep. John Dougall-R
www.dynamicrange.org

Candidate Gwyn Franson-D
www.gwynfranson.com

State School Board Candidates:
Mark Cluff
Carol Murphy

September Calendar

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO ATTEND ONE OF THE MEET THE CANDIDATE EVENTS IN SEPT AND OCT. SEE BELOW:

Sept. 1-Labor Day

Sept. 2-Traverse Ridge closed from the four-way stop. (Except to LOCAL traffic and BUSES) We all need to drop off/pick up our children on the Deer Ridge side.

Sept. 2-Draper City Council Meeting 7:00 City Hall

Sept. 4-Planning Commission Meeting 7:00 City Hall

Sept. 6-Trail clearing for the SunCrest Half 8am

Sept. 9-
Galena Hills Park Grand Opening Event
Tuesday, September 9th
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
12500 South Galena Park Blvd. (550 West)

Sept. 13-SunCrest Half

Sept. 18-OA Board Meeting 3:00 Info Center Basement

Sept. 18-Planning Commission Meeting 7:00 City Hall

SEPT. 23-MEET THE CANDIDATE NIGHT 7-9 Village on the Green
Hosted by SR.org
Meet and mingle with Congressional Candidate Bill Dew,
House Candidates Rep. John Dougall and Gwyn Franson,
and State School Board Candidates Mark Cluff and Carol Murphy.

Dates to Remember in October

OCT. 21 MEET THE CANDIDATE NIGHT 6:30-8:30 Ridgeline Elementary
Hosted by Ridgeline PTA
Meet and mingle with Congressional Candidate Bill Dew,
House Candidates Rep. John Dougall and Gwyn Franson,
and State School Board Candidates Mark Cluff and Carol Murphy

OCT 22 MEET THE CANDIDATE NIGHT 7-9 Draper City Hall
Hosted by Draper Youth Council
Meet and mingle with Congressional Candidate Bill Dew,
House Candidates Rep. Greg Hughes and Lisa Johnson,
and State School Board Candidates Dave Crandall and Ted Heap

SR.org Minutes 8/26

SunCrestResidents.org
Minutes for August 26, 2008

In Attendance: Denise Borst, Sandy Wasmer, Jennifer Anderson, John Kuhn, Joni Kuhn, Karen Jurgens, Steve Beckstead, Ronda Beckstead, Angie Overbaugh, Dawn Berbert, Josh Berbert, Landon Porter, Larry Nilssen, Griffin Kerr, Jason Koop*, Doyle Judd, Scott Blackmer, Barbara Blackmer, Ashleigh Spencer, Sue Tate, Don Tate, Steve Messerian, Amy Baird*, Heather Amsler, Bret Nelson*, Spencer Angerbauer, DeLaina Tonks*, Paul Tonks*, Gary Vaughan, Tod Bean

1. Welcome/Overview of mission of SR.org: DeLaina Tonks
Many entities have the ability to make decisions that affect our daily lives: developer, city, school district etc. Our job is to work to communicate effectively with each one to ensure that the best interests of those who live here are being taken into consideration.

2. Transportation Safety Committee Update: Sarah Kocsis
a. Traverse Ridge Road Closure student drop-off/pick-up plan (see previous post)
b. Bus Safety Protocol
c. Lone Oak/Eagle Crest speeders…SLOW DOWN!!

3. Ridgeline PTA/School District Update: Ashleigh Spencer
www.ridgelinepta.blogspot.com
a. Jobs/transfer student status
Ridgeline currently has several aide positions available. Contact the school for more information.
ALL SunCrest students now have resident status in Alpine School District, thanks to the passage of HB 349 in Jan. 2008. If anyone has trouble enrolling students at Ridgeline, Timberline or Lone Peak, call me at 495.9559 and I can help work it out.

4. SunCrest Half Update: Jason Koop www.utahmountainracing.com
9/6 8am-volunteers needed to help clear trails for the race on 9/13.
9/13 6:30am-volunteers needed to help run the race, register runners, etc.
Contact Jason at 790-4431 to sign up to help.

5. OA Board Update: Barbara Blackmer
a. UFA Report-Ben Sherer has been in contact w/Barbara, and here are some things to consider should we encounter a fire in SunCrest:
STAY CALM! Don't panic!
Evacuations are hard to miss. There will be a reverse 911 call, PD and others will go door to door etc.
Don't spray your roof/shrubs w/water. The water rolls off the roof and takes pressure away from firefighters.
If there IS an evacuation, LEAVE! There were several stubborn reisdents in the Bear Hollow area who refused to leave their homes, and firefighters and Draper PD had to spend time talking/convincing, and finally taking them out of there.
Info. flyers are available with more info. Contact Barbara if interested.

b. CERT
Sept. 13 there is a CERT Training course, volunteers are needed to be victims. Contact Barbara at barbarablackmer@comcast.net for more info.

c. Other
DUMPSTER DAYS are here again, across from the Info Center, Sept. 4-7. PLEASE do not pile stuff around the dumpster. Claudia, Mary and I had to clean up all the nasty tree branches, mattresses and construction supplies from last time. Dump responsibly!
BOOK EXCHANGE-Coming soon, there will be a Book Exchange available at the Info Center!
TAX VALUATIONS If you would like information on appealing your tax valuation, contact Barbara.

6. Management Company Update: Tod Bean
The Management Company is now located in the Info Center!!! Tod, Mary and Claudia are now more accessible, and able to help residents.
Tod mentioned that people are calling to complain about landscaping violations, wanting to know what is being done. Due to confidentiality, Tod and Mary are not able to disclose names or status. They can let you know that they are working to resolve the problem.

7. Draper City Update: Spence Angerbauer/DeLaina Tonks
a. Assistant City Manager-David Dobbins (duties include SunCrest)
Spence had a terrific meeting w/Mr.Dobbins. Some ideas that came out of the meeting were to have quarterly meetings in SunCrest. The first will hopefully be mid-October. Stay tuned. Some of the reasoning behind holding these types of meetings would be to mitigate rumors, aid in communicating resident/city expectations, increase DIRECT communication etc.
The overall theme for the meeting was how to strengthen Draper City/SunCrest relationships, and we believe some very positive steps were taken to this end.
b. City Manager-Layne Long
The same types of measures were discussed with Mr. Long, with the same results. He shared with us that the salt dome that is being put in on SunCrest Dr. will not look like a traditional salt dome. It will be more aesthetically pleasing and fit in better with the beautiful environment in SunCrest.
Again, one of the biggest reasons we met w/City officials was to dispel misinformation and rumors. As an organization, we have always worked diligently to get information directly from the source. We have met with the finance director regarding TRSSD and have a better understanding of how it works now that there is someone in place to adequately articulate the process. We have regular conversations with the school districts on both sides of the mountain, City officials, the OA Board members, the management company, and occasionally Zions Bank, all in an effort to be in a position to share ACCURATE information. We are not in the buiness of rumor-mongering or encouraging a "mob mentality". We believe that direct communication leads to understanding and solutions.

c. Volunteerism
Another way we can repair damaged relations w/the City is to invest our time and efforts into making Draper a better place. From SunCrest, we have two Draper Youth Council Advisors, two members of the Emergency Prep. Committee, the organizer of the Draper Days tennis tournament, a City Council member, a member of the Tree Committee, the organizers of the SunCrest Half, and several others who have applied for various committees. Getting involved is fun!
i. Haunted Hollow is the last Monday in October, and there is currently a need for some volunteers to help out for this one-time event. Contact DeLaina if interested.

8. Dates to Remember:
a. Sept 6th-trail clearing for the SunCrest Half 8am
b. Sept. 13th-SunCrest Half Marathon
c. Sept. 18th-OA Board Meeting 3:00 Info Center
d. Sept. 23rd-Meet the Candidate Night in SunCrest (in lieu of SR.org)
Bill Dew, Mark Cluff, Carol Murphy, Rep. John Dougall, Gwyn Franson
e. Oct 13th TENTATIVE Town Hall Meeting at the Fire Station w/Draper City
f. Oct. 21st-Meet the Candidate Night at Ridgeline
Bill Dew, Mark Cluff, Carol Murphy, Rep. John Dougall, Gwyn Franson
g. Oct. 22nd-Meet the Candidate Night at Draper City Hall
Bill Dew, Dave Crandall, Ted Heap, Rep. Greg Hughes, Lisa Johnson
h. Oct. 27th-Haunted Hollow
i. November 4th-ELECTION DAY!!!

9. Question/Answer: We'll do our best to answer your questions, and if we don't know the answer, we'll try to find out and get back to you!

Lost Cat

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LOST CAT, PLEASE CONTACT KATHY ASAP.

My blind cat was lost over the 3 day weekend. I was out of town and he somehow got out of the house and I cannot find him anywhere. He wears a collar with his name and my phone number. Can you post this or send a group email to neighbors? I need to know what happened to him, even if someone found him on the side of the road. He was old and frail, and I doubt he would have survived the weather over the weekend.

I would appreciate anything you can do to spread the word. I called Draper Animal Shelter and they have not received him.


Thank you,

Kathy Girouard
Manager, Sleep~Wake Center
375 Chipeta, A 200
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108

phone: 801-585-7644
pager: 801-339-7572

Bus Stop Traffic Pattern Sept. 2-Sept. 20

This post is to notify you of the new traffic pattern at the bus stop/ Information Center, due to the road closure and construction on Traverse Ridge Road.

Effective tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 2nd Traverse Ridge Road will be closed to entering traffic. Parents need to enter the bus stop via Deer Ridge Road to drop children off and pick them up. Due to limited access and because this entrance/exit is very narrow, if you can, please park your car along Deer Ridge Road and walk up to the bus stop using the sidewalk next to the Village Green. If you need to enter, please make note of the new traffic loop marked by the arrows on the map attached below. For the safety of the children and the limited access, please follow the directions provided. We will have volunteers to also help with safety. If you need to park your car near the bus stop, please park up by the community center and not next to the fire station to allow that entrance/exit to be less congested.

By request of Draper City engineering, please emphasize that students/children should NOT be walking on or near Traverse Ridge Road until ALL the work is completed.

This will be the traffic pattern until construction on Traverse Ridge Road is completed, which is projected for Saturday, Sept. 20th.

Thank you,
Sarah Kocsis
Suncrest Transportation Safety Committee Chairman
601.8889

New developer news

This information is shared by Barbara Blackmer, resident OA Board Member, at the developer's request. As soon as additional information becomes available, it will also be posted here.

Dear SunCrest Residents,

How about some fairly good news this time? I am able to let you know that there is a seriously interested developer working out an agreement with Zions Bank to purchase the SunCrest development.

The developer is being quite thorough in doing all due diligence, studying the financials, reviewing what CCMC does for us, pursuing what the developer's obligations would be should they finalize purchase, and aware of resident concerns. I understand their goal is to "help turn this beautiful place around and reach its full potential," with some anger towards those who in the past have tarnished the name of "SunCrest" -- such an amazing place.

I have not yet met with this developer (I think it's more than one person), but I'm hoping to do so soon. We are trying to get more information from Zions Bank. At this point, Tod Bean (community manager) is unable to provide any more information, either. But this serves as a "heads up" and possibly a ray of hope.

Have a great weekend! and feel free to share this information with your neighbors. It's limited, I know, but I wanted to share with you everything I have so far.

Barbara Blackmer
Homeowner representative and
Trustee on the Owners Association Board

Fire on the Mountain-News Release

NEWS RELEASE
US FOREST SERVICE SALT LAKE UNIFIED FIRE

For Immediate Release Contact: Kim Osborn (801) 710-3664
Kathy Jo Pollock (801) 558-8016

CORNER CANYON FIRE UPDATE
Salt Lake City, August 27, 2008 – The Corner Canyon fire has burned 808 acres of Forest Service and private land above Draper City. It is burning in brush and mixed conifer with minimal fire activity yesterday due to cooler temperatures and higher humidity. The fire is currently 35% contained. The incident fire management team is anticipating 100% by 9 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2008. The U.S. Forest Service and Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority are managing the fire incident under a unified command.

There are currently 187 personnel assigned to the fire. A total of four hand crews were transported by helicopter to the fire yesterday. Two of the crews camped out on the mountain last night. An additional two crews are expected to join the effort on the mountain today, building containment line. There are three helicopters on site including one Type I helicopter capable of carrying 2,000 gallons of water.

The threat to structures is minimal at this time; however five engines will remain in the area to patrol the hillside roads along with providing support to the hand crews.

CLOSURES. All roads leading east into the incident area will remain closed. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the Draper area is closed to the public. Fire management requests that public travel along Highland Drive should be minimal due to fire traffic. Officials also ask that there be no stopping along Highland Drive. Draper City Park and the Draper Rodeo Grounds are being used by the fire management personnel.

Kim Osborn (801) 710-3664
Kathy Jo Pollock (801) 558-8016

This fire was human caused and is under investigation. Anybody with information pertaining to the origin of the fire is asked to contact Unified Fire Authority (801) 743-7100.

Fire managers request that individuals stay out of the fire area, for both firefighter and public safety.

For additional information visit the www.utahfireinfo.gov.
###

Fire Update

There is a mandatory evacuation for neighborhoods directly below the trail fire along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Bear Hollow area, but SunCrest is not included. Check the city Web site www.draper.ut.us for up-to-date information.

The wind is still blowing north and the airplanes are still dumping major amonts of fire retardant along the sides of the fire to help contain it.

Also continue to check www.ksl.com for infomation and pictures as well.

Fire is NOT threatening SunCrest

The fire in Draper started on the very north side of Corner Canyon and the wind is moving it north. As of 1:30 there are no houses in immediate danger and no evacuation plans have been authorized. They have put fire retardant on the north and south sides that aren't burning to contain the fire.

The fire is contained between 12500 South and 13200 South on the west facing side of the mountain. Go to KSL's website www.ksl.com and you can see pictures showing where it is.

SR.org Meeting 8/26 8PM

Our August meeting will be on Tuesday, the 26th at 8:ooPM at the SunCrest Info Center.

Unless you prefer sitting on the floor, please bring your own chairs; camp, lawn, folding etc.

Agenda Items include but are not limited to:

1. OA Update-Barbara Blackmer
2. CCMC Update-Tod Bean
3. PR for SunCrest/Draper-multiple parties
4. Bus Stop Stuff
5. Your Questions
A big thank you to Tod Bean from CCMC for offering to stay late to give residents an update, and to answer our questions.

Feel free to e-mail questions in advance so that we can be better prepared to answer them. dctonks@mstar2.net or delainatonks@comcast.net The SR.org board will do its best to provide residents with answers regarding the developer, Traverse Ridge Road closure, dues, Ridgeline enrollment, etc.

As always, it's helpful if you RSVP for the meeting so that we can have adequate space available to accommodate everyone!

CERT Refresher Course Offerings

Unified Fire Authority
Continuing Education Days

! Mark Your Calendars !

In September, Unified Fire Authority will begin offering continuing education
opportunities for citizens who have received CERT training.
Sign up and join us for an upcoming Skills Day and Disaster Simulation.
During the Skills Days, students will receive refresher training from
Unified Fire staff, learn valuable information on disaster planning progress
and gain hands on experience. UFA Community Services Bureau will
also be holding biannual disaster simulations to bring all of these skills
together in mock scenarios.

Upcoming Skills Days

Saturday—September 13, 2008
UFA Training Tower—3950 S 8000 W
9:00am-Noon

Saturday—September 20, 2008
Holladay City Hall—4580 S 2300 E
9:00am-Noon

Saturday—September 27, 2008
Riverton Civic Center—12800 S Redwood
9:00am-Noon
Disaster Simulation

Saturday—October 11, 2008
UFA Training Tower—3950 S 8000 W
9:00am-2:00pm

Unified Fire Authority
Community Services Bureau
3380 South 900 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119-4102
Phone: 801-743-7150
Fax: 801-743-7121
Email: communityassistance@ufa-slco.org
Website: www.unifiedfire.org

• Please wear sturdy shoes, clothes that you
can get dirty and bring all of your safety
equipment, including gloves and eye protection.
• On simulation day, feel free to bring
friends and family members along to act
as victims. Make sure they wear clothes
that can be ripped or stained.
• You must RSVP via your Area Coordinator
or Volunteer Coordinator before you
attend. Contact information is available on
our website.

Will You Be Prepared?

When there's an emergency, will you be able to help?

CERT Training Courses (Sponsored by Unified Fire Authority, Salt Lake County) Cost $30.00 (due the first night of class, make checks payable to Unified Fire Authority or UFA), includes course manual, medical assistance kit, hard hat, mask, safety vest Bring your own leather gloves, goggles or safety glasses, and wear sturdy shoes/boots to the first class.

Fall 2008 Schedule:


Thursdays: Sept 4, 11, 18 & 25 Oct 2, 9 & 16
6:30pm–9:30pm
TAYLORSVILLE
Fire Station 118, 5317 S. 2700 W.

Saturdays: Sept 6, 20 & 27
9/6, 9/20 (8am – 5pm)
9/27 (8am – 1pm)
DRAPER
TBD

Thursdays: Sept 11, 18 & 25 Oct 2, 9, 16 & 23
6:30pm–9:30pm
HOLLADAY
City Hall 4580 S 2300 E

Tuesdays: Oct 7, 14, 21 & 28 Nov 4, 11 & 15
6:30pm-9:30pm
HERRIMAN
TBD

Wednesdays: Oct 8, 15, 22 & 29 Nov 5, 12 & 19
6:30pm-9:30pm.
MILLCREEK
TBD

Thursdays: Oct 9, 16, 23 & 30 Nov 6, 13 & 15
6:30pm-9:30pm
RIVERTON
City Hall 12830 S. Redwood Rd

Saturdays: Oct 18 & 25, Nov 1
10/18, 10/25 (8am–5pm)
11/1 (8am–1pm)
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS
City Hall 1265 E. Fort Union Blvd,
# 250

Saturdays: Sept 27, Oct 4 & 11
9/27, 10/4 (8am –5pm) 10/11 (8am– 1pm)
KEARNS
Oquirrh Park Fitness Center
5624 S. 4800 W

Please visit www.unifiedfire.org to register. Click on the CERT “button” from the main page and follow the CERT information page to the class registration link. Classes will accommodate 40 students. As a reminder, our class policies require the following:

 Pre-registration

 Minimum of 20 students for each class.

 Students between the ages of 14-17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian (Ratios of 5 students to 1 Group Leader are permissible for Scout or other youth groups).

***********************************
CERT Training sponsored by AVERT Utah, through the Alpine Utah North Stake:

January 3rd & 10th: CERT Training at the Fort Canyon Building. Cost $40.00Times: Jan. 3: 7:45 am - 9:00 pm -- Bring a lunch and dinner.
Jan 10: 8:00 am-noon
Contact: Cindy Pack, 801-787-6957 or cindy_pack@msn.com

Last Minute Bus Schedule Change

Dawn Berbert let us know that the middle school buses will be arriving at 7:40 instead of 7:30, in an attempt to relieve the bus stop congestion with the elementary buses being there at 7:30.

At this point it may not be a permanent change, but they'll see how it goes, and we can let you know once a final decision is made.

Speaking of buses...Sarah Kocsis needs a few more people to help out on the Transportstion Safety Committee to help with traffic flow during all the times our children are being picked up and dropped off. We especially need help with the early schedule. Post a comment if you can help out!

Zions Appoints two OA Board Members

SunCrest once again has a functioning OA Board, although the next meeting won't be until September. There must be at least one meeting per quarter and since the July meeting was canceled and there won't be one in August, it does look like they'll have to hold one next month.

August 14, 2008
Zions First National Bank
P.O. Box 30709
Salt Lake City, Utah
84130-0709
or
Hand Delivered Mail to:
Credit Management Department
1 South Main, Suite 500
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
(801) 524-2248

Tod Bean, Manager SENT VIA ELECTRONIC DELIVERY
Capital Consultants Management Corporation
SunCrest Owners Association
2016 E. Village Green Cir.
Draper, UT 84020

Dear Mr. Bean:

Zions Bank as Declarant hereby appoints the following two (2) Zions Bank employees as members of the SunCrest Owners Association Board:

Gena Jones, Senior Vice President and Manager – Zions Credit Management Department
Rob Brough, Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Marketing and Communication

The above two named individuals will sit on the SunCrest OA Board with its current member, Barbara Blackmer.

In addition, Zions as Declarant is requesting the current Design/Architectural Review Board remain as currently
established with Byron Colton of CRC as its member.

Sincerely,

ZIONS FIRST NATIONAL BANK



Gena Jones
Senior Vice President

Discounts at the Market

August 11th- August 16th
Suncrest Market
All Inventory
40% off!
Orders must be $50 or more
to receive the discount!

The Market is Closing

Store Hours will be from 10-6 over the next couple of weeks as they liquidate their inventory. Stop by to say good-bye and get some good deals on groceries this week and next.

See previous post (Letter from the Market) for more details.

August Calendar of Events

Aug. 1st Movie Night, 9:00, Village Green

Aug. 1st & 2nd SunCrest Pageant, 8:30, LDS Chapel

Aug. 4th Market begins store closing process

Aug. 5th Draper Safety Days, 5-8, Draper Park
Draper City Council Meeting 7:00, City Hall

Aug. 7th Planning Commission Meeting 5:30 City Hall

Aug. 12th Alpine School District Board Meeting, 6:00, District Offices

Aug. 15th Market closes
7th and 10th graders first day at Timberline and Lone Peak
http://timberline.alpinedistrict.org/
http://www.lonepeak.alpinedistrict.org/
Ridgeline Openhouse, 4-6pm

Aug. 18th School starts for Ridgeline Elementary students

Aug. 19th Draper City Council Meeting 7:00 City Hall

Aug. 21st Planning Commission Meeting 5:30 City Hall

Aug. 26th SunCrestResidents.org meting, 8:00

Aug. 28th Ridgeline Back to School Night 6:00-7:45 (for more details, please see
www.ridgelinepta.blogspot.com.

Here's the JSD link to all year-round and traditional calendars:
http://www.jordandistrict.org/general/calendar/index.html
and here's the JSD Web site that has all sorts of information on the new
district, the transition process etc. http://www.jordandistrict.org/)

Bus Stop

We have all been wondering about the status of the bus stop because of the construction on Traverse Ridge Road. The start of school is just around the corner, and the section of TR Road with access to the bus stop has yet to be completed.

After conversations with Robert Markle, project engineer, and Dave Decker, Director of Public Works for Draper City, we have the following information to share.

The City has been in touch with Alpine School District Dep't of Transportation to try to resolve the issue. The plan is to allow bus access only into the parking lot on the Traverse Ridge side of the bus stop. Parents will need to use the Deer Ridge entrance or drop off the kids anywhere along the Village Green on Deer Ridge Road. Our Transportation Safety Commitee will look at logistics and come up with the most safe and efficient protocols to follow for the time that the bus stop isn't accessible through normal routes.

Robert Markle is coordinating with the enginnering company doing the work, so that they do any of the work that would require that section of TR Road to be shut off completely, on a Saturday, so that the bus service will not be disrupted.

The previously scheduled completion date of mid-September has been delayed for a couple of weeks, but they hope to complete any asphalt and repaving work before the snow flies...

Update Letter from Trustee, Barbara Blackmer

Dear SunCrest Residents:

As the resident Trustee on the SunCrest Owners Association Board, I would like to update you regarding the latest developments with Zion's Bank, the SunCrest Market, Comcast, and Covenants Enforcement in our community.

Zion's Bank:
Zion's informs me that they are in active discussions with at least six potential developers who are making serious offers to purchase the assets of SunCrest LLC and take over further development at SunCrest.

Zion's says it is looking for two primary qualifications: financial capability to undertake such a project, and experience with hillside development -- both of these qualifications are essential for success.

It appears unlikely, however, that one or more new developers would actually be able to take over much before the end of the year.

Zion's Bank is willing to appoint two Trustees to the OA Board, as required of the declarant, in order for the Board to be able to function in the interim. That should happen soon, and we can anticipate a September OA Board meeting.

SunCrest Market:
I am attaching a letter written to SunCrest residents by the owners of the Market, informing us of their intent to close the Market in roughly two weeks, and giving the reasons why. Please take the opportunity to shop there as they close out their inventory and express your appreciation to them. (Contents of the letter are found in the previous post)

Comcast:
We are awaiting the decision of the Bankruptcy Court on the proposal by SunCrest LLC to assign the Comcast bulk services agreement to the SunCrest OA. If this happens, we can review our options with Comcast.

Covenants Enforcement:
The management company (CCMC) has been working very hard to maintain the quality of our community and enforce the covenants. They have visited many homeowners who are not in compliance and have sent dozens of enforcement letters. Many of these have resulted in collection of amounts due, payment plans, and actions resolving issues such as parking and landscaping. In other cases, the homeowners (or absentee property
owners) have been unresponsive, and some of these issues have been turned over to the OA's attorney for further action, and/or reported to Draper City in cases where municipal ordinances are being violated. The City is taking at least one homeowner to court.

Under the CC&Rs and By-Laws, there are some actions that CCMC can take on behalf of the OA without further legal process. For example, CCMC has had Kimball Landscaping cut weeds on some neglected properties, and CCMC has removed trash cans from the streets and arranged for dumpsters to clean up some of the worst areas. I arranged last week for LDS Facilities Management to clean up the church site off SunCrest Drive and haul away illegally dumped trash and construction materials.

As residents, you can help us in these efforts by reporting to CCMC any illegal dumping, encroachment, improperly parked vehicles, and damage to property (if possible, provide a license plate number and description of the vehicles involved and ideally photographs). As an example of such damage, the undeveloped portion of Deer Ridge has become a site for drinking parties, fires, and possibly poachers. We have worked with the City to block access to this area, but residents can help by calling CCMC (572-1233) or the police if you witness such unlawful conduct.

Obviously, where legal process is required, it takes some time to get results, as property owners (those who are violating the CC&Rs) must be given a set amount of time to respond to each notice. The Covenants Committee of the OA has been hearing appeals and resolving disputes concerning fines and other enforcement actions.
************************************************
Please communicate this information to your neighbors, and pass on any additional thoughts or concerns to me or CCMC.

Barbara Blackmer
OA Board Member

Letter from the Market

Dear Suncrest Residents 2 August, 2008

As many of you are aware, Suncrest Market has served the residents of the community for just over four years. It has operated successfully by the sale of goods and services and support from Suncrest LLC. With the departure of the primary developer, the financial support the store received from them is gone. Knowing that this shortfall would not allow the store to continue to operate, we as store owners, made several efforts to make up this loss in revenue.

First, with the help of many concerned homeowners, we published and passed out a notice asking for each household to support the market by spending $35 a week in the store. This income would have made up the difference we needed to bridge the loss of income from the developer.

Second, we shaved store hours and other operational expenses to curb some costs of doing business. This did help to some degree but still left us far short of being profitable.
Third, at the changing of ownership, we confronted the current operators of the project with our circumstances and asked them to consider a number of options that would allow us to continue to operate. They did provide some assistance but were unable to get us enough support to maintain operations.

We therefore regretfully notify you that we will begin to close the market on Monday, August 4th.

Our new operating hours will be Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and closed on Sundays. Our last day of operation will be Friday, August the 15th or sooner. For the week of August the 4th through August the 9th, discounts will be as follows: if you spend up to $50 you will receive a 10% discount- up to $100 you will receive a 20% discount- up to $150 or more you will receive a 30% discount. For the week of August the 11th through August the 16th there will be deeper discounts on all items. All sales will be final and there will be no returns or exchanges of any kind.

We would like to take an opportunity to thank you, the residents, for your support of the market these past 4 years. We have really appreciated the opportunity to serve you and be a convenient stop on your way up and down the mountain. We have come to be friends with many of you and we will miss that relationship.

It is our hope that over the next 2 weeks you will continue to use us as a secondary stop and take this chance to load up on groceries for a great price. If any of you have any questions or comments please feel free to email us at suncrestmarket@yahoo.com , or you may come into the store and talk with us directly. Again, we appreciate your business and wish you the very best for the future.

Sincerely,

Jake & Jerry Gaskin
Owners/Operators
Suncrest Market

SunCrest Movie Night/SunCrest Pageant

Movie Night is tonight, August 1st, at 9:00 at the Village on the Green. The movie is The Lil Rascals.

The SunCrest Pageant will be performed at the church tonight, August 1st, and tomorrow night, August 2nd. Showtime is around 8:30.

Draper Safety Days

Annual Draper Safety Day
& National Night Out Against Crime
Free to the Public!

Together we can make a difference by forming
Police-Community Partnerships in crime,
drug and violence prevention; safety; and
neighborhood unity.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 from 5-9 p.m.
Draper City Park ~ 1300 East 12450 South
Hosted by: Draper Area Chamber of Commerce, Health Draper Foundation

OA Board Meeting Cancelled for Jul 17

All,

Due to a scheduling conflict, we regret to inform you the Board Meeting scheduled for July 17th at the Information Center will be cancelled. Please note the next Board Meeting will be conducted on August 21 at 3:00 pm at the Information Center.

If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks and have a nice day!

Tod Bean
Community Manager
Capital Consultants Management Corporation
Suncrest Owners Association
2016 E. Village Green Circle
Draper, UT 84020
P) 801-572-1233
Email: tbean@ccmcnet.com
Visit our website: www.ccmcnet.com

Speed Limit 20 mph

Quick reminder-the speed limit in SunCrest neighborhoods is 20 mph.

Please keep the speed down, and be especially watchful during these summer months when children and pets are more likely to be outdoors, and there are piles of mulch and dirt along the streets, making the navigation of roads more difficult.

Thanks!

Weed Concerns

Hello everyone,

I found out today that Draper City can ticket Home Owners that have weeds, vegetation, etc. growing taller than 6”. Not only is this an eyesore for all Residents and their guests, it also poses a potential fire hazard and these Residents need to take this seriously.

We have sent letters to Residents that this applies to, and have had no response and seen no improvements to the condition of their property. I have found that we get better results for any violations when there are combined forces-OA, Draper Police & Draper City.

Residents can communicate concerns to me with properties this relates to, but they can also contact Draper City (576-6500) to report the violation if they prefer that route. In any case, we would like to be in the loop so we can follow up.

Mary Chamberlain
Operations Manager
Capital Consultants Management Corporation
Suncrest Owners Association
2016 E. Village Green Cir.
Draper, UT 84020
P) 801-572-1233
Email: mchamberlain@ccmcnet.com
Visit our website: www.ccmcnet.com

Traffic Info

OK-I'm right there with everyone else being annoyed at the Traverse Ridge closure, and having to take an extra five to get in and out of the neighborhood. However, SR.org has already received several complaints from concerned residents on Longbranch, the detour street in Oak Vista. These residents have children and pets that they would like to keep long-term, and would like to ask everyone zipping through to slow down a little. Plan ahead to leave five minutes earlier than necessary so that speeding is not your only option. Thanks!

Meeting with Zions Bank

On Tuesday, July 1st, a group of SunCrest residents met with Zions Bank officials regarding the purchase and sale of the SunCrest property.

In attendance were Paul & DeLaina Tonks, Scott & Barbara Blackmer, Simon Cantarero, Tod Bean & Mary Chamberlain of CCMC, and Scott Wiggins, OA Board Member. (A big thank you goes out to two additional SR.org members who were instrumental in setting up the meeting-you know who you are!)

1. OA Info
a. OA Board members: We need three to function and make decisions for the community. Zions was glad that we shared this information. They indicated that when the need arises to appoint members, they would like our input and suggestions.
b. July meeting needs to be scheduled: This normally occurs the third Thursday, at 3:00. The OA meeting for July 17 will be held as scheduled.

2. Plans for SunCrest
a. Info Center-Due to road closure and equipment in the way, can CCMC move into offices at Info Center? No. Locks on the Clubhouse and Info Center have been changed for liability reasons. Since they are Zions Bank's property, they can now only be accessed by Zions' employees or those authorized by the bank.
b. complying w/Master Dev’t Plan: They are not developers and aren't planning on doing any of the infrastructure upgrades requested. They are taking the City at its word that they are willing to work with Zions and the new developer. There may be amendments and changes made to the Master Plan. They will let us know what these changes are.
c. Is Zions requesting entitlement changes w/Draper City? They want to sell the property as quickly as possible. No further comment was made.
d. Market-we all gave sound financial, personal, and emotional reasons to keep the market operating. They seemed open to the idea but made no promises.
e. Clubhouse-the amount needed to get it operational is $300K. They will not be doing anything with the Clubhouse.
1. pool service, chlorine-they WILL, however, be cleaning up the algae farm that is our pool. That will happen late this week, or next week.
f. Comcast-several options were floated, including turning the contract over to the OA; OR doing away with the contract completely and allowing residents to get their own services from whomever they choose. Once we know what they plan to do, we'll post it here.
g. Liens on Tallwoods lots-apparently, each homeowner in Tallwoods was assessed a lien of $9K b/c the developer failed to pay WW CLyde for the installation of the roads. All of Terrabrook's debts were dismissed in the bankruptcy, but the liens on the homeowners' lots were not. Unfortunately, there's probably not much the bank will do.

3. Timeframe for sale-most likely weeks or months, not minutes or hours.
a. Prospects? They have already met with three developers. There were 18 who were interested prior to the auction.
b. Why were there only 2 bids at the auction? Apparently there are strict protocols and procedures in place for the bidders. Doing a deal after the fact, with the bank, allows more flexibility on the procedures and structure of the sale. It sounded like a better deal for the lender and the potential new developer.
c. What criteria does the new developer have to meet in order for them to qualify to purchase the development? Zions is looking for two things: financial stability and experience in hillside development. They will not just offload us to the highest bidder and risk having the same thing happen twice.

4. What can residents do to help?
a. DON'T PANIC!
b. The aforementioned members of SR.org have made themselves available for input and suggestions to Zions, the City, and to answer any questions new developers may have. Our concerns and interests have been heard by the lender, and will hopefully be passed on to the new developer.
c. We are as involved in this process as we can possibly be. I have never seen another community able to pull together such a sharp group of people at a moment's notice to go sit down with bank execs and attorneys to discuss the outcome of the sale from the perspective of the residents. Banks deal with numbers, not people, but meeting with them put faces to the numbers and allowed them to experience the "numbers" from a personal perspective.
d. Anything that we CAN do to help is being done. We have established contacts with the City, and with Zions. We will communicate information as it comes in so that we can all be informed during the process. Knowledge is power!

Parting Comment: "Zions is doing its best to see to a qualified hillside developer as quickly as possible."

We shall see...

Thank You!

Here's just one more reason why I am so grateful to live in SunCrest: We pull together to help out in our community every single time it is needed.

Jake let me know that they received roughly 150 e-mails of support for the market, in a 48 hour time period, and quite a few more were sent through the Zions Bank Web site and made their way to the SunCrest project manager. Amazing. Thanks to everyone who took the time to articulate why our market is so important to our community.

Jake & Jerry met with the Zions folks today and were able to share the e-mails and other pertinent information. The meeting went as well as could possibly be expected. Zions needs time to discuss and as soon as a decision is reached, we will post it here. Stay tuned.

Letters Needed to Save the Market ASAP

SunCrestResidents.org just learned that earlier in the week, it was Zions intention to close the market. After some happenings this week, that idea is still on the table, but is up for discussion.
Jake and Jerry plan to meet with Zions bank as early as Monday 6/30, to discuss what impact the store has on the project and to ultimately make the decision to either close or to remain open and operational.

Jake and Jerry would appreciate our help in this effort. What they propose is just a simple email from every resident possible. All that is needed is a short statement as to why we would like to keep the market open, and why it is a benefit to the development. In addition, include your name and subdivision.

Please send the emails directly to Jake and Jerry at suncrestmarket@yahoo.com so that they can print them off and have a nice pile of supportive e-mails on hand to share with the bank.

The voice of the people up here in SunCrest will have a very strong influence on their decision.
Make a difference and let your voice be heard!

Please take the time to send a quick e-mail immediately.

Latest Zions Info in the News

Here are the latest newspaper articles regarding SunCrest's purchase.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9714575?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700238350,00.html

Upcoming SunCrest Community Events

SunCrestResidents.org Meeting Rescheduled

Normally, SR.org meets the fourth Tuesday of every month. Anyone is welcome to attend!

This month, due to the auction information and other events, our meeting will be held in conjunction with the Fire Safety Presentation:

ARE YOU FIRE WISE?
On Friday, June 27 at 7 p.m. at the Village Green park, (by the Info Center in SunCrest) the Unified Fire Authority of Salt Lake County will make a presentation to SunCrest residents, uniquely tailored to our concerns and needs. There will be information (and handouts) on fire-wise landscaping, fire dangers and prevention, and fire suppression. Learn about UFA's plans for SunCrest. If you live here, you need to know what you can do to keep your home and family safe. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, and join with your neighbors in this important event.

At 8:00 we will hold our regular SunCrestResidents.org meeting. We hope to have more information on what the results of the auction mean for the residents, a TRSSD update, and an OA report. We will do a Q/A and answer as many questions as we are able.

Plan to attend!

SunCrest Auction

SunCrest was auctioned off today. Three entities placed bids, but the judge refused two of them. Zions Bank offered $25 million for the property. They also agreed to pick up the tab (whether it's $12 million or $20 million) for infrastructure and other improvements to make the community comply with the master-development agreement.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9679676?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

We are doing some digging and checking into specifically what this means for SunCrest Residents. We will have more solid information to share at Friday's meeting.

Vote Tuesday

Democrats and Republicans in SL COUNTY: GO VOTE TUESDAY for school board members and State Treasurer at Draper City Hall, 1020 E. Pioneer Road.

Republicans in UT COUNTY: GO VOTE TUESDAY for State Treasurer at Ridgeline Elementary School at the bottom of the south side of the mountain, in Highland.

For all of our Salt Lake County SunCrest neighbors:

Tuesday, June 24th, is election day for the NEW school district board member that will represent the Draper area. There are several candidates to choose from:

Tracy Bennett, Steve Chambers, Paul McCarty, Lyn Pappas, Bill Rappleye, and Tony Rivas.

Several of us have met with and talked to Paul McCarty, Tracy Bennett and Steve Chambers. Paul and Tracy seem very qualified and have a lot of experience in the education arena, and Steve seems willing to give it all he's got.

PLEASE take the time to go to the Trib Candidate Bio Web site and make an informed decision:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9416611?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

This is NOT a Primary Election. You may vote for only one candidate, and whoever gets the highest percentage, even if it's only 25%, will win the seat. As this new district is forming, it is vital to have board members who know what they're doing, ones who can work with parents, teachers and administrators to create the best possible educational scenario for our children.

All Republicans in SunCrest also have the opportunity to vote in the Primary Election for the Republican candidate for State Treasurer, between Richard Ellis and Mark Walker.

From the Trib:
GOP candidates for state treasurer
Who is Richard Ellis?
* Chief deputy state treasurer for eight years
* 48 years old
* Lives in West Jordan
* Bachelor's in business/finance, Brigham Young University
* MBA, University of Utah
* Married to Joyce Ellis, parents to six boys

Who is Mark Walker?
* State representative for four years
* Former Zions Bank employee
* 32 years old
* Lives in Sandy
* Bachelor's in political science, University of Utah
* Married`to Kimberly Walker, parents to three daughters, one son, fifth child due in October

OA Meeting Minutes 6/19

Prepared by Eagle Crest Neighborhood Rep/Voting Member, Denise Borst:

Recap of meeting:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:Traverse Ridge Road will be closed to traffic from the 4 way stop south to Eagle Crest Drive starting at the end of next week and scheduled for completion on September 18th.

The areas that will be impacted are the Cove, Tallwoods and Oak Vista. Access to the Suncrest Market will also be restricted.The street is being resurfaced and curbing and gutters put in place.

There are several community activities that will be affected. Tod Bean will be communicating with the project manager to come up with some solutions.

The areas identified are: the community cleanup scheduled for July14-16 with the dumpster slated to be placed next to the OA trailers, the September 13th run scheduled for SunCrest, access for the Alpine district school buses for school starting on August 18th, and the Parade of Homes scheduled for August.

Reminder that the SunCrest approved garage sale is this Saturday, June 21st.

The OA office still has plenty of discounted tickets to Lagoon for July 26th. Each ticket allows up to 8 people to purchase discounted tickets priced at $27 ea for anyone 4 or older. The normal price is $39.95. This will be a great time to visit Lagoon and see some of your neighbors, the Uinta Pavillion has been reserved for SunCrest residents.

Financial:54 lien notices were sent to homeowners who are in arrears on their OA dues, of those, 35 went to the collection agency and of those 35, 7 have been paid in full. The management company is continuing with efforts to collect past due dues.

Today was the hearing for potential buyers to submit their bids to purchase SunCrest. The judge's ruling is scheduled for Monday, June 23rd.

The next scheduled meeting of the OA board is Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 3pm at the information center in the basement. By then we will hopefully have a new developer in place.

Denise

Traverse Ridge Road Closure

Traverse Ridge Road repairs.

The Council approved a $1.2 million contract with Geneva Rock to repair Traverse Ridge Road from the four-way intersection in SunCrest to its end at Eagle Crest Drive.

Half of the money comes from the recent $11 million state allocation for road improvements in Salt Lake County; the other half comes from Utah County, which had agreed from the outset to be responsible for half of the costs of maintaining that section of the road.

The roadwork involves tearing out the asphalt surface and the first 33 inches of subgrade material and then replacing both, along with the existing sidewalk and gutter.

The work will begin next week from the Eagle Crest end and progress in stages, blocking the road a section at a time, with completion anticipated in mid-September. Local access to The Cove will be preserved, although it will be over dirt for a time.

Apparently, access to the market from Traverse Ridge Road will be blocked for a time as well; it will be necessary to approach the market from Deer Ridge Road through the Visitor’s Center parking lot until that section of the reconstruction work is completed.

Submitted by Scott Blackmer.

Notes from the TRSSD Meeting*

Traverse Ridge Special Services District. The TRSSD budget was approved, but several SunCrest residents, including OA trustee Barbara Blackmer, raised concerns about the TRSSD. Several Council members and the City’s Finance Director responded with some helpful assurances on the record:

a. the new snow removal equipment will be used only for the TRSSD (which is funded by an extra tax imposed only on residents of SunCrest and The Cove at Little Valley)
b. the new snow equipment and a new salt dome at SunCrest should reduce operating costs for snow removal in the winter
c. the TRSSD surplus will be used only for services in the TRSSD
d. the City will consider reducing tax rates when the TRSSD maintains a contingency reserve (after making the capital expenditures this year for new snow equipment) of about $500,000
e. the City, according to the Finance Director (in response to questions from the Council), essentially covers its excess costs from the TRSSD; there are no additional costs that she recommends recovering from the TRSSD. (This is a useful admission, since we have occasionally heard city councilmen or staff speculate that SunCrest costs the City more in excess costs than it gets from the TRSSD.)
f. the City will examine average property assessments to determine if SunCrest properties tend to have a higher valuation because of their view, and therefore already contribute disproportionately to the City’s share of property tax revenues
g. the City will meet with SunCrest residents earlier in the budget process
h. the City attorney will draft a proposal to create a TRSSD Administrative Control Board including two SunCrest residents to oversee and advise the TRSSD board (which by state law is comprised only of the City Mayor and Council).

Note that the 2008-09 budget assumes lower growth in the TRSSD (it was 5.4% in the past fiscal year, compared to 38.9% the year before) and a lower rate of collections (largely because SunCrest LLC has failed to pay its property taxes). As a consequence, the tax rate has gone up slightly under an automatic state formula.

*Notes prepared by Scott Blackmer.