I thought I would start using this blog to update residents about TRSSD or Traverse Ridge Special Service District. We attended a meeting last Tuesday night at Draper City Council. Dan and I had a discussion with the City Council. The City Council decided it would like to create a "Working Committee" made up of 2 City people, 2 TRSSD Board members, and 1 Resident in District. We would in my own words, "hash it out about who is responsible for the roads and other issues related to the TRSSD". We told the city would would like our own attorney to represent us.
The TRSSD had a meeting last night at the SunCrest Clubhouse. We previously interviewed three attorney's. Since it sounds hopeful of the city working with us, the board all voted for, "Mark Anderson" he is the attorney for the Association of Special Service District in Utah. He felt the best qualified of knowledge for our Special Service District. We also voted on who would be in the "Working Committee" It will be myself, Amy Baird and Dan Wheatley. I asked the city if we could have Blaine Carlton as our alternate incase one of us can't attend a meeting. The resident we chose was, Paul Tonks. He is also an attorney along with Blaine. Paul has the background knowledge of the TRSSD to help us.
Reported by the TRSSD Chair, Amy Baird
Friday, April 17, 2015
TRSSD Public Hearing for Amended Budget
Notice of Traverse
Ridge Special Service District Budget Amendment Public Hearing April 23, 2015
The TRSSD
Control Board will hold a Public Hearing on Thursday, April 23, 2015, at 6:30
p.m. in the SunCrest Clubhouse, 2016 East Village Green Circle, Draper,
to consider proposed amendments to the Fiscal Year
2014-2015 Budget.
Amended
budget as follows:
$1,000 Office Expense
$50,000 Maintenance Expense for pot hole repair and replace broke
light bulbs. This excludes Traverse Ridge Dr and SunCrest Dr.
$20,000 Attorney Fees for TRSSD Control Board
Representation
Sunday, October 27, 2013
SunCrest Pet-iquette & Wildlife Awareness
 |
| SunCrest is a GREAT place for pets! |
First: All animals are supposed to be on a leash, for their own safety and the safety of others.
Second: Please pick up after your pet, especially when he does his business in the neighbor's yard.
Third: Be considerate of your neighbors if you have a dog who is particularly fond of barking. Pet owners (and parents, for that matter!) tend to tune out their own pet's (or child's) yapping and whining and may not realize the annoyance it may cause for neighbors.
Fourth: Keep your little pets inside. Last year the bobcat and/or cougar snagged 27 cats and dogs in a three to four month time span.
Lastly: I found a great resource on wildlife awareness in Utah (see site below). I especially like the part where it mentions that "minimizing conflicts [between humans and animals] is more effective when the entire community works together."
Self-check: Which one is the bobcat and which one is the cougar? View the www.wildawareutah.org blog below to see if you are right.
There are some excellent suggestions, such as:
- removing things from your yard that attract prey of larger animals, like bird feeders
- the difference between a bobcat and a cougar
- what to do if you meet a cougar (the animal variety, not the over 40 female version)
- a lot more great information
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
SunCrest Relationships Overview: How Things Work
(click on the picture to see the full version)
Purpose Statement: My name is DeLaina Tonks, and I have lived
in SunCrest since 2006. In 2007 several hundred of us in SunCrest successfully
worked to change some boundary legislation in a special session of the
legislature in a four-month time span (see previous post). My husband, Paul, ran for Draper City
Council that same year, in an effort to have more representation for SunCrest.
He lost the election but we both gained valuable insights into the process and
got a front row seat to the “how to get things done” seminar called “life”.
I have done my best to
frame and explain the most critical relationships that affect us as SunCrest
Residents. I’m interested in sharing this information and fleshing out the
historical context, especially with newer residents who may have missed out on
the fun, fun times of 2007.
I believe that
education empowers and makes us stronger as a community. Some guy once said
that those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it. (I read that on the
internet, so it must be true.) I have seen that start to happen in SunCrest and
have been contemplating how best to voice my thoughts from my point of view and
this is what has come of it.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER?
Most community dissension and frustration in SunCrest is
caused by not fully understanding who
holds authority over which issues, so I thought it would be helpful to illustrate, above, and add a narrative to explain.
Every entity, or organization is governed by a set of rules,
which are legally binding. It’s critical to know who has the power to make
changes. Otherwise, it’s the equivalent
of going in and yelling at Arby’s employees because Taco Bell got your order
wrong.
SUNCREST HOA
So, let’s start with the SunCrest owners or homeowners association (OA or HOA). First, which documents
govern how the HOA operates?
Articles of
Incorporation: When any new entity is legally organized, one of the first
things to file are the Articles of Incorporation, the entity's constitution, which defines the responsibilities of
the directors, the kind of business to be undertaken, and the means by which
the shareholders exert control over the board of
directors.
Bylaws: According
to Wikipedia, a by-law is a rule or law established by an
organization or community to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by
some higher authority. The higher authority, generally a legislature or some
other governmental body, establishes the degree of control that the by-laws may
exercise. By-laws may be established by entities such as a business corporation, a
neighborhood
association, or
depending on the jurisdiction, a municipality.
Next, let’s determine what the HOA has the
authority to do. The HOA determines WHAT things will be done, in order to maintain
compliance with the governing documents. Typically, the management company
implements the HOW and oversees the day to day operations of the community, but
they are employed by and report to the HOA Board.
HOA
RESPONSIBILITIES
- First, the HOA is responsible for the enforcement of the CCRs, the covenants, conditions and restrictions, which are the governing documents that outline how the homeowners association operates and what rules the owners -- and their tenants and guests -- must obey. These legal documents and rules are legally enforceable by the homeowners association, unless a specific provision conflicts with federal, state or local laws. (Note, the SunCrest HOA contracts with a property management company, CCMC, who is tasked with making sure the CC&Rs are being met.)
- The SunCrest HOA has oversight over the pool, the clubhouse and any common areas.
- The HOA also ensures there are a variety of activities and community get-togethers to strengthen our neighborhoods.
THE DECLARANT(S)
DECLARANT #1: Terrabrook: The SunCrest DECLARANT (fancy legal term for the owner of the development) was initially Terrabrook, a developer who went bankrupt in 2008ish.
DECLARANT #2:
DECLARANT #3: Draper City: In September of 2012, Draper City purchased SunCrest. Guess who the declarant is now? Yes, Draper City. Here’s where it gets a little confusing.
The Master Development Agreement (MDA) outlines parcels, lots, subdivisions, number of homes (which was initially 3700) etc. and is a legal contract. Control of the OA Board is proportional to who owns the majority of the property. When the development was new, the declarant held all of the board seats. As more homes were built and sold, one resident seat became available. Barbara Blackmer was the first resident board member, and Paul Tonks is the current one.
The by-laws indicate that the DECLARANT (which is Draper City) maintains 4 of 5 Owners Association board seats based on the percentage of build out. However, the DECLARANT decided to decrease the number of households that could be built in SunCrest. That changed the percentage of finished homes vs. yet-to-be-finished homes, creating an opportunity for more than just one resident OA Board member.
The OA Board (one resident + 4 declarant seats) has met quarterly since Draper City became the DECLARANT, and turning three board seats over to the residents has been a discussion item since last March.
At the September OA meeting, the OA Board announced that those three board positions will be granted to the residents; thereby turning the OA into an HOA. These seats are by appointment by the current board members, but there was community input from voting members, with the results including Amy Baird, Doyle Judd and Aimee Hudak as new OA board members. These positions will remain in effect until the Annual meeting in June.
DRAPER CITY (the City, not the DECLARANT this time)
Still with me? Great! Let’s wrap up with Draper City.
Draper City is governed by municipal code/city ordinances. Draper is responsible for road maintenance, water, most of the parks, the trails, potentially a salt dome, annnnd, the SunCrest Market. Additionally, Draper City has been granted authority by the legislature to administer and manage the Traverse Ridge Special Service District tax. There are actually several Special Service Districts in the state.
TWELVE THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS, AKA “HOW TO GET THE JOB DONE”
1. POWER: Determine who holds the authority to make the change you want to see made. Screaming at FedEx because UPS lost your package will get you pretty far down a road to absolutely nowhere.
2. KNOW YOUR FACTS, PROCESS and HISTORY: Do your homework. Study the governing documents and make sure you understand them. Make sure you know the entire process from beginning to end and every stakeholder along the way. Ask neighbors who have been here a long time about any history you should be aware of, or read the SunCrest Residents blog. For example, the salt dome - this has been an item of discussion for five years off and on.
3. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Determine what conversation is currently happening. We’ve all had this happen: You’re standing with a group of friends talking about the big game, when another friend arrives and without bothering to figure out the topic of conversation, he launches into the movie he saw last night. Take the time to join the current conversation.
4. COMBINE FORCES: Do an analysis to determine if other groups are already working toward the same objective. Talk to them and see if there are common interests.
5. TRUST BUT VERIFY: If someone gives you information, ask for the source and do some fact-checking up front. Determine what agenda is in play and don’t allow yourself to unwittingly become a pawn in someone else’s game.
6. CLOUT VS. INFLUENCE: Analyze how much clout you or your organization has. For example, SunCrest has about 6% of Draper voters, so threatening to throw an election to get what you want doesn’t carry any weight. (I know because we tried it in 2007, before I had learned everything I’m trying to share here!) If you don’t have the numbers to gain clout, it makes much more strategic sense to gain INFLUENCE instead.
7. NICE FIRST, THEN PITCHFORKS: And above all, try “nice” first. There are absolutely times when torches and pitchforks are appropriate, once other avenues have been exhausted, but that should not be the go-to strategy right out of the chute. (Anyone who was here in 2007 knows that I am well-versed in pitchforkery when needed, however, I have discovered that building relationships and influence has served SunCrest better than torches.)
8. COMPROMISE: Be willing to give and take. If there is a win-win, terrific. If not, determine what you are willing to bend on. Otherwise you will break.
9. COST/BENEFIT: Do a cost-benefit analysis. Does what you gain outweigh what it will cost you? Sometimes it is completely worth the effort, and other times it isn’t, but it’s important to have taken that into consideration.
10. KEEP BRIDGES INTACT: Don’t burn bridges. You may need them later.
11. ALTERNATE POINT OF VIEW: Walk a mile or two in others’ shoes. Being an elected anything is hard. How do you handle a situation where your next door neighbor wants you to vote for the power plant because he works there and your backdoor neighbors want it shut down to save the environment. You represent both of those families and have to understand that you will never make everybody happy, ever. Competing agendas from all sides bombard our elected officials, board members etc. and they have to rely on principle to make an informed decision to proceed.
12. UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM: Representative democracy – good term to know. You vote for the person you think will do the best job and it is their job to represent you. They don’t need to take a poll to determine which way the wind is blowing before taking a stand on an issue. They do what they feel is right and if enough constituents don’t like it then they can vote the person out. It is not a majority rule type of system.
Boundary Battle of 2007 - Recap
The www.betterboundaries.org website was taken down several years ago, so here is a recap for everyone new to SunCrest.
In 2007, when the legislature was in the process of formulating the provisions for the Jordan School District split, the statute grouped the entities in each district by municipality, or cities. Therefore, the boundary lines for Canyons School District, per the boundaries of Draper City, should have crossed the county border and gone all the way down, ironically, to within a few hundred yards of Ridgeline Elementary School in Alpine School District.
Problem #1: The north side of the mountain is too steep for buses.
Problem #2: When the first residents moved to SunCrest, before the south side road was built, the closest elementary on the north side, Oak Hollow, was overcrowded. So, the boundary schools for SunCrest kiddos in Jordan District at the time, were Sunrise Elementary, Mt. Jordan Middle School and Jordan High School, all in Sandy.
Problem #1 + Problem #2 = Parents had to drive their kids down to the police substation to catch a bus to drive a very long way to get to school.
Ridgeline Elementary opened in 2007 and accepted UT County SunCrest kids no problem. But, kids from SL County SunCrest were on annually reviewable transfer permits, which meant the district had the ability to not accept the students if the school became overcrowded. Same with Timberline MS and Lone Peak HS. Students were being flipped to either side of the mountain annually, especially the high school students, based on the number of students attending their school that year. There was little to no stability.
The public would be voting on the split in November 2007, the legislature would be firming things up during the session in spring of 2008, and until then, we had no idea what would be happening to our kids and where they would be going to school. Quite a few people put their houses on the market as a result.
April 2007
Received flyers informing us of the change
Organized and formed BetterBoundaries.org
Researched and asked lots of questions
May 2007
Met with Draper city (whose hands were tied)
Met with Alpine and Jordan District officials (whose hands were also tied)
Rallied the community
Met with Sen. Carlene Walker, who thought we had a viable issue
June 2007
Met with Rep. John Dougall (on his 16th anniversary - and it got pretty rowdy up here that night!) and Rep. Greg Hughes who thought a special session of the legislature might fix the issue but were doubtful that would happen
July 2007
Testified to the joint education committee on interim day at the legislature about the unintended consequences of the split affecting thousands of family (build-out for SunCrest at that point was 3500 homes)
August 2007
Miraculously, there was a special session of the legislature!
An amendment was proposed to the boundary/split legislation stopping the boundary at the county line, making the families in Utah County SunCrest, Alpine District constituents.
In 2008, Rep. Hughes took care of the Salt Lake SunCrest residents by amending an open enrollment provision to indicate that if bus service in the boundary district was not available, but was available from a non-boundary district, those students were to be counted in the district that could provide transportation.
So, essentially, as a result of the entire community pitching in, SL residents can now choose either district, and UT County is in Alpine School District instead of Canyons District.
Here are some fun news articles from the archives, if you really want to know more.
SL Tribune June 1, 2007
Des News June 27, 2007
And after feeling like Draper City was not very willing to hear our concerns, Paul Tonks ran for City Council in 2007. He made it through the field of 13 in the primary election, but obviously did not win. However, he was able to gain some influence and forge relationships with the city, which now serves SunCrest well. The mayor and city council respect him and consider his input on SunCrest matters...which was the whole point of running for the council seat in the first place.
Des News March 29, 2008
In 2007, when the legislature was in the process of formulating the provisions for the Jordan School District split, the statute grouped the entities in each district by municipality, or cities. Therefore, the boundary lines for Canyons School District, per the boundaries of Draper City, should have crossed the county border and gone all the way down, ironically, to within a few hundred yards of Ridgeline Elementary School in Alpine School District.
Problem #1: The north side of the mountain is too steep for buses.
Problem #2: When the first residents moved to SunCrest, before the south side road was built, the closest elementary on the north side, Oak Hollow, was overcrowded. So, the boundary schools for SunCrest kiddos in Jordan District at the time, were Sunrise Elementary, Mt. Jordan Middle School and Jordan High School, all in Sandy.
Problem #1 + Problem #2 = Parents had to drive their kids down to the police substation to catch a bus to drive a very long way to get to school.
Ridgeline Elementary opened in 2007 and accepted UT County SunCrest kids no problem. But, kids from SL County SunCrest were on annually reviewable transfer permits, which meant the district had the ability to not accept the students if the school became overcrowded. Same with Timberline MS and Lone Peak HS. Students were being flipped to either side of the mountain annually, especially the high school students, based on the number of students attending their school that year. There was little to no stability.
The public would be voting on the split in November 2007, the legislature would be firming things up during the session in spring of 2008, and until then, we had no idea what would be happening to our kids and where they would be going to school. Quite a few people put their houses on the market as a result.
April 2007
Received flyers informing us of the change
Organized and formed BetterBoundaries.org
Researched and asked lots of questions
May 2007
Met with Draper city (whose hands were tied)
Met with Alpine and Jordan District officials (whose hands were also tied)
Rallied the community
Met with Sen. Carlene Walker, who thought we had a viable issue
June 2007
Met with Rep. John Dougall (on his 16th anniversary - and it got pretty rowdy up here that night!) and Rep. Greg Hughes who thought a special session of the legislature might fix the issue but were doubtful that would happen
July 2007
Testified to the joint education committee on interim day at the legislature about the unintended consequences of the split affecting thousands of family (build-out for SunCrest at that point was 3500 homes)
August 2007
Miraculously, there was a special session of the legislature!
An amendment was proposed to the boundary/split legislation stopping the boundary at the county line, making the families in Utah County SunCrest, Alpine District constituents.
In 2008, Rep. Hughes took care of the Salt Lake SunCrest residents by amending an open enrollment provision to indicate that if bus service in the boundary district was not available, but was available from a non-boundary district, those students were to be counted in the district that could provide transportation.
So, essentially, as a result of the entire community pitching in, SL residents can now choose either district, and UT County is in Alpine School District instead of Canyons District.
Here are some fun news articles from the archives, if you really want to know more.
SL Tribune June 1, 2007
Des News June 27, 2007
And after feeling like Draper City was not very willing to hear our concerns, Paul Tonks ran for City Council in 2007. He made it through the field of 13 in the primary election, but obviously did not win. However, he was able to gain some influence and forge relationships with the city, which now serves SunCrest well. The mayor and city council respect him and consider his input on SunCrest matters...which was the whole point of running for the council seat in the first place.
Des News March 29, 2008
Important Phone Numbers & Resources
The most frequently requested phone numbers from SunCrest Residents:
SunCrest OA: 801.572.1233
Robust website with access to all of the governing documents. Don't know how things work? No need to look further. Read the bylaws and the CC&Rs here.
Draper City: 801.576.6500
And, I will let you in a one of the best kept secrets in the city: you can sign up to receive notifications via email for a variety of agenda items, calendared events, weather emergencies, bid and job postings, and more!
There is no need to wonder what is happening with the Traverse Ridge Special Service District taxes - now YOU can be in the know too! Sign up for notifications of any agenda item pertaining to TRSSD.
Mad about the salt dome because you didn't know about it? (It's been a discussion item off and on since 2008, by the way) Sign up for Planning Commission notifications! Be empowered!
Draper Police Dispatch:
801.840.4000
(For an emergency, call 911!)
You can submit an online police report, request a patrol check and more, all online.
Animal Control:
801.576. 6345 - Officer Dennis Wilson
801.576.6346 - Officer Heather Baugh - who knows SunCrest and the dogs up here ridiculously well!
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: 801.491.5678
Dead deer in the road? Belligerent bobcat? Cranky cougar? Call DWR to the rescue!
Missing a resource that you'd like to see? Leave a comment with all the info and I will be happy to add it here.
Robust website with access to all of the governing documents. Don't know how things work? No need to look further. Read the bylaws and the CC&Rs here.
And, I will let you in a one of the best kept secrets in the city: you can sign up to receive notifications via email for a variety of agenda items, calendared events, weather emergencies, bid and job postings, and more!
There is no need to wonder what is happening with the Traverse Ridge Special Service District taxes - now YOU can be in the know too! Sign up for notifications of any agenda item pertaining to TRSSD.
Mad about the salt dome because you didn't know about it? (It's been a discussion item off and on since 2008, by the way) Sign up for Planning Commission notifications! Be empowered!
801.840.4000
(For an emergency, call 911!)
You can submit an online police report, request a patrol check and more, all online.
801.576. 6345 - Officer Dennis Wilson
801.576.6346 - Officer Heather Baugh - who knows SunCrest and the dogs up here ridiculously well!
Dead deer in the road? Belligerent bobcat? Cranky cougar? Call DWR to the rescue!
Missing a resource that you'd like to see? Leave a comment with all the info and I will be happy to add it here.
Back to the Blog
A couple of years ago SunCrestResidents.org migrated a lot of the communication over to the SunCrest Residents Facebook page because so so many people are on Facebook anyway. However, we have been receiving requests to use the blog more so those without Facebook accounts can still feel connected to the community.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with SR.org, our mission is to inform, educate and support SunCrest community homeowners.
Some of the best ways to use the blog:
1. Context - want to complain about something (Comcast, salt dome)? Search the blog and see what has already taken place. It's a lot easier to join an existing conversation, than to start a new one, especially when you have the facts first.
2. Searchable content - can't remember the phone number for Animal Control? Draper City? SunCrest OA? Search the blog.
3. History - a lot of requests for info have come from some of our newer neighbors who missed out on the boundary battle of 2007. Want to know what happened? Read the blog. We have come SO far in a few short years! We have a clubhouse, property values are on the rise, resident board members etc.
4. Cure for insomnia - there is a LOT of information on this blog. Can't sleep? Start reading!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with SR.org, our mission is to inform, educate and support SunCrest community homeowners.
 |
| CC-BY TRF_Mr_Hyde |
1. Context - want to complain about something (Comcast, salt dome)? Search the blog and see what has already taken place. It's a lot easier to join an existing conversation, than to start a new one, especially when you have the facts first.
2. Searchable content - can't remember the phone number for Animal Control? Draper City? SunCrest OA? Search the blog.
3. History - a lot of requests for info have come from some of our newer neighbors who missed out on the boundary battle of 2007. Want to know what happened? Read the blog. We have come SO far in a few short years! We have a clubhouse, property values are on the rise, resident board members etc.
4. Cure for insomnia - there is a LOT of information on this blog. Can't sleep? Start reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)