Posted on September 1, 2023 8:09 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Hello friends and neighbors!
It’s hard to believe summer is already coming to an end?! We hope you have enjoyed many days and weeks (maybe months!) at the lake this year! I have been here with my family since June and have enjoyed every second of this amazing place, filled with amazing people.
Here’s what we’ve been up to:
· New Board Members
· Summer Recap – and thank you to the Fun Committee!
· Policy Reminders – check with Rhonda before making any changes to your cottage/property!
· Emergency Alerts
· See something? Say something
New Board Members:
We owe a HUGE thanks to Geoff Killam, Kari Grist and Marty Wachtel for their hard work and noteworthy contributions to the community and the Board. Greg Caldwell has been re-elected for his second term on the board; and, we welcomed some new members to the board: Taryn Striegel, Kiera Wright and Danae Hordyk (that’s me!). If you haven’t yet, please introduce yourselves to us, and check out our bios so you can get to know us a little better. Jay Winters, Josh Hartley and Genni Reilly will remain on the Board through 2024.
Summer Recap:
We owe the Fun Committee a BIG thank you for all their hard work to entertain, feed, and engage all of us in many fun things throughout the season. We enjoyed numerous Happy Hours, Bingo nights, karaoke nights, 4th of July/Canada Day fireworks, crafts for the kids, s’mores at the fire, pool parties and most of all Sports Weekend! Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help run events throughout Sports Weekend – many hands truly made lighter work – and to everyone who donated items to the silent auction, bid on items, made/purchased lemonade and Rice Krispie treats, and donated cash.
Our fundraising campaign to “Feed the Oroville Community” (benefiting the Oroville Food Bank and No Paws Left Behind) was incredibly successful, raising $36,000!!
Thank you, Christian Bellofatto, for capturing Sports Weekend on video, and thank you Fun Committee…Kristin Conklin, Jami Rice, Mike Elhard, Mike Moug, Tina-Marie Bradford, Rhonda Hinkley and Marty Wachtel…for all of your planning, organizing, (and blood, sweat and tears)! Plans are already in the works for next year. Can’t wait!
More of Christian’s photos and videos from Sport Weekend HERE.
Policy Reminders:
As stated in the Architectural and Landscape Guidelines, "The objective of the review process is to promote the harmonious development of the neighborhood, preserve the character and integrity of the community and to enhance the HOA owner's investment".
Make sure to get in touch with Rhonda before undertaking any construction or modifications to the exterior of your cottage, the landscaping (including patios and driveways) in your yard, or any other exterior changes to ensure you have the required approvals in place!
We also want to remind the community about our Construction Policy. This policy outlines everything from sand control to the weight of vehicles allowed on our community roads, and more. If you are about to build or renovate – it is must read. In the event of a violation of these guidelines, the Board may pursue violations in accordance with the Enforcement Policy.
Emergency Alerts:
The fires in Oroville/Osoyoos, and Kelowna, hit way too close to home and while we all enjoyed watching the fire bombers fly over, we want everyone to be prepared in the event of future emergencies. Please sign up for Okanogan County Emergency Alerts, and please note, cell phone calls to 911 from Veranda Beach often route to Canada. The Oroville Police Department can be reached at 509-422-7232.
Our website provides air quality updates from the Oroville IQAir stations, and get real time weather information, thanks to several of our Veranda Beach neighbors.
Thanks also to all of the Veranda Beach families who worked tirelessly, giving of their muscles (and food!) to support the Oroville Golf Course in executing critical repairs to its irrigation system, destroyed by the fire. You’re all amazing…and probably still sore after that!
For anyone interested in supporting families affected by the Kelowna fires, you can donate to Mamas for Mamas or contact Shadia Doty.
See Something? Say Something:
Because we don’t have the capacity and personnel to monitor everything happening in the community at all times, we rely on the community to follow the guidelines we have in place, and let us know as questions and concerns arise, so we may investigate and remedy those issues.
Please refer to the policies found on our HOA website: www.verandabeachhomeowners.com and contact us at board@vbhoawa.com with any questions or concerns.
Cheers to a great summer and best wishes for fall! See you at Thanksgiving!
Danae Hordyk | Communications Officer
for the Veranda Beach HOA Board
Posted on June 30, 2023 12:00 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Hello everyone!
Summer is here and it's time for fun at Veranda Beach! The Fun committee and our HOA staff are in full swing making sure there are plentiful activities for kids and adults. Check out the activities calendar on the boardwalk or online. Coming up soon, Fireworks and Cornhole Tournament, keep an eye out for more info!
Sport Weekend nears and we need you! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Rhonda and she will get you connected to the organizers. Keep an eye out for Sign up sheets coming soon.
The movies on the Green Space have returned! A big thank you to Lisa Hammond and LRMUS for donating the use of the equipment and movies. Thanks also to LRMUS as the EV chargers have also been moved over to the HOA. Power had to be changed over to a new meter so we apologize for any inconvenience this caused to the community, they should be back up and running. Future expansion plans are also in discussion regarding EV chargers, so stay tuned!
If you missed the monthly board meeting and would like to listen to the recording, please contact Rhonda. We have our AGM coming up on Saturday July 1st 9am on the main green space. Hopefully everyone can make it! The election results of your new board members will be announced then. Speaking of new board members, if you missed the Town hall on the 24th and would like to listen to that contact Rhonda as well. We have a great group of volunteers stepping up to run. Big thanks to all of them!
Please Vote! You should have already received your email link to vote. Check your junk email or reach out if you do not have it.
Parking enforcement is coming! We have had some issues with people parking in the one-way lanes. These are strictly for loading/unloading. While the enforcement of these rules has not always been 100%, it has always been a safety issue and the CCRs do not allow extended parking. Emergency vehicles need to be able to access these lanes at all times. Also, our community is big on letting the little kids run around. Having vehicles on the lanes creates blind spots and dangers that should be avoided. Keep an eye out for more information and please park only in the designated parking lots. This is year round and separate from the rules regarding boat/trailer parking.
To finish this off on a personal note, I would just like to thank all of you in the community for allowing me to serve you as a board member. I have learned a lot about this great community we have and everything it takes to make it work. Thank you to the amazing board members that I have served with, we have accomplished so much in the last few years. Thank you to Rhonda for all the tireless hours putting what the board decides into action, you and your staff allow us to enjoy this place far more than would otherwise be possible. This is an amazing place and will continue to be that way because of the people in it.
Thank you all and see you at the beach!
Sincerely,
Marty Wachtel
Veranda Beach HOA Communication Officer
Posted on May 27, 2023 12:00 AM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Hello Everyone,
Spring is here and the weather has already been great at the lake! The pool is open, the Diner will be open soon, and events have already started happening. We had a successful happy hour last weekend. Coming up this weekend we have Bingo, Happy hour, and live music! Check the website events calendar, Facebook, and the bulletin board on the boardwalk for up-to-date things going on at the lake.
At the board level things have settled down quite a bit. If you attended our most recent meeting, you would know about the upcoming elections for board members! If you are interested in running, please contact Rhonda ASAP. You only have until May 31st to submit your candidacy.
Things around the community are starting to shape up as the summer season approaches. You will see our maintenance and landscape crews hard at work. There is work being done on the kiddie pool, but the main pool is open and ready for fun.
There has been some confusion in the community regarding some policies and decisions made by the board. If you or anyone you know has concerns or questions, please reach out. There are links available to past board meetings where we have discussed in depth all decisions made and why. If anyone has lingering specific questions, we are always happy to answer them as best we can. We are all volunteers and strive to do our best concerning all things when it comes to our Happy Place here at Veranda Beach.
With all that said, I hope everyone gets to spend a lot of time at the beach this summer. Your Fun committee has a lot planned. It will be a great time for friends and family, new acquaintances and old.
We encourage everyone to join our monthly zoom meetings and email us at board@verandabeachhomeowners.com with any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Marty Wachtel
Veranda Beach Board Communications Officer
Marty Wachtel
Veranda Beach Board Communications Officer
Posted on March 31, 2023 12:00 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Hi Everyone!
It's been a busy off season with no signs of it slowing down as we roll towards the spring and summer seasons. We are hopeful that everyone is thawing out from the long winter and ready to get back to the beach!
We had a bunch of great additions to our committees. Thanks again to all of our volunteers. Our community would not be the great place it is without the thankless work being put in behind the scenes.
New homes are still under construction in the community. The board is working hard with the Architectual and Landscape committees, along with the homeowners, to get these finished and ready for the season.
Gate and Playground update: Thank you everyone for all the comments we received regarding these considerations. The board is re-evaluating but does not expect to proceed with the proposed gate or playground features this year. However, there are other security features still under discussion.
Fun Update: There will be Easter weekend events happening at the beach! Saturday April 8th we will have crafts, an egg hunt, the return of the chili cookoff, and some community cleanup efforts! Check out the calendar on verandabeachhomeowners.com or Facebook for information.
Rental Update: For those who rent or plan to rent, check out the updated [Approved Rental Agencies] list. Please remember that renting without an agency or using one that is not approved will be subject to fines directly to you as a homeowner on a PER Night basis. These rules are in place for the safety and well-being of our community and will be enforced.
Reminders:
New cottage door card system is in place. Please call Rhonda a couple days or so before you arrive so that she can have your cards ready for you!
The next board meeting will be held via Zoom on April 18th, 2023. Please join us and stay up to date on what is happening here at our favorite place on Earth!
Sincerly,
Marty Wachtel
Veranda Beach HOA Board Communications Officer
Posted on November 18, 2022 12:00 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Dear Neighbors,
Well the seasons changed fast at the beach going from sunny and balmy to cold and snowy – what’s with the snap of cold weather that we are having? Good thing that the rink is up now. Putting up nets, lighting, and icing it are next on the rink agenda. Hearty thanks to Greg C, Derrick H, Simon P, Mark G, Scott G, Chris and JR S for all their hard work getting the structure up.
As always there is a lot going on at the beach. So here is what’s new this month:
1. As a reminder from last month’s newsletter our LRMUS services agreement (3 year agreement) is due to expire at the end of 2022. Earlier this year LRMUS notified the HOA that they would not be renewing the agreement (and that they were not willing to continue to rent space to the HOA in the administration and utility buildings). So what does this all mean? In short the agreement primarily covered 4 main components – administrative front desk services, janitorial and maintenance services, mail/package handling services and rental space in both the Admin and Utility buildings for the HOA team to work from. The Board approved a transition plan at its October meeting which includes moving our HOA Manager/Security to a repurposed Activity Center effective December 1. We recognize the Activity Center is an important amenity for our community and the Board intends find a different solution over the long term. Additionally, we are securing offsite storage and work space for the maintenance and landscape crews, as well as hiring some staff to help the HOA replace the services historically outsourced to the LRMUS team.
We hope you all will peruse and familiarize yourself with the detailed plan approved by the Board (which is intended to be updated as we progress with the transition). Please see link HERE. We would appreciate any and all feedback that you may have once you have reviewed the plan.
2. Remember, if you are planning on renting your cottage, new rules adopted earlier this year by the Board (link HERE) provide that you must rent through an approved Rental Agency or you could be subject to significant fines. The Board will be publishing its first list of approved rental agencies in early December. LRMUS and Veranda Cottages (Vortex) are aware of the new requirements, but if you have a different preferred rental agency then please let us (and them) know right away so that Rhonda can get them the application package to be put on the approved list.
3. Both the Finance committee and Board have been hard at work this past couple of months working on the 2023 Budget. At the most recent board meeting your Board of Directors adopted the 2023 budget as presented. Please see link HERE for the 2023 proposed HOA budget. A special online meeting with Homeowners for budget ratification will be held on Saturday Dec 17 at 10 am PST with electronic voting being held immediately thereafter. Please watch for an email from Rhonda on or before Dec 2 that will include a budget ratification package.
4. Have you ever wondered what your HOA has done for you lately? Well you don’t need to wonder any more. Please see link HERE to a recent FAQ - What my HOA does for me. It is pretty comprehensive list! If you think we have missed anything please let us know.
5. Please don’t forget about the 2022 Turkey Dinner Campaign for the Oroville Food Bank. The Veranda Beach community has a tradition of generously supporting the Oroville Food Bank to help struggling local families celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each donation of $25 will provide a turkey with trimmings to a family. This special community that has given us so much needs us again. If you would like to donate to this campaign, please email Rhonda at rhonda@verandabeachhomeowners.com or Mary at Maryh@verandabeach.com and let them know your donation amount that you would like to contribute for Turkey dinners and trimmings. We thank you in advance for your generosity. Happy Thanksgiving.
6. Check out the latest newsletter for Veranda Beach Marina here!
Posted on November 10, 2022 2:54 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Dear Neighbors,
For our Canadian neighbors we hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and for our US owners we hope you all have a restful and gratitude filled Thanksgiving. Don’t forget about the upcoming Turkey Wobbler at Veranda Beach this US Thanksgiving.
Lots has been happening at Veranda Beach this month. So here is what’s new:
- In the Board of Directors approved a new construction policy for both new builds and renovations. We have updated the policy over the last month to bring more clarity to the renovations process. If you are thinking of doing renovations on your cottage, please see the VB Construction Policy that was updated and approved at the October board meeting. Please see link HERE and reach out to Rhonda Hinkley if you are starting to plan a renovation.
- Veranda Beach’s incredible aesthetic is in large part due to the Architectural Design Guidelines that we have always had in place. The last time the guidelines were updated was in 2014. Over the last month the board approved a Consolidated Architecture and Design Guidelines. Please see link HERE if you are renovating the exterior or your cottage or planning to build a new cottage.
- Our LRMUS services agreement (3 year agreement) is due to expire at the end of 2022. Earlier this year LRMUS indicated that they did not want to renew the agreement and as a result we have been given a notice to vacate on Dec 31, 2022. So what does this all mean? In short the agreement primarily covered 4 main components – administrative front desk services, janitorial and maintenance services, mail/package handling services and rental space in both the Admin and Laundry buildings for the HOA team to work from. A transition plan has been developed by a special board committee that will go into effect Dec 1/22, with the move of HOA Manager/Security to a repurposed Activity Center. We recognize this is an important amenity for our community and hope that we will find a different solution over the long term. Additionally, we are securing offsite storage and work space for the maintenance and landscape crews, as well as hiring staff to replace the services provided by the LRMUS team. There is a very detailed plan that has been developed by the team and approved by the board this month. We hope you all will peruse it to familiarize yourself with the changes. Please see link HERE. We would appreciate any and all feedback that you may have once you have reviewed the plan.
- The Finance Committee is hard at work on the 2023 Budget. So watch your emails in November/December for Budget presentation and ratification dates.
- Now to some more fun stuff! Work is starting on building the ice rink at VB on November 5th. Our handy group of hockey dads are heading up to ‘get er done’ for the 2022/23 season. If you feel like volunteering to help build one of the most fun seasonal amenities just let Greg Celmainis or Derrick Hordyk know. Then we just cross our fingers for cold weather.
- For all you folks joining us for the US Thanksgiving, join in on our 2nd annual Turkey Wobble. Email Rhonda at rhonda@verandabeachhomeowners.com. More information to follow next week!
If you have any questions or comments for the board please don’t hesitate to reach out to any board member. HERE is the list. Alternatively you can email us at board@verandabeachhomeowners.com which will go to all board members and Rhonda.
Hope to see you soon.
Posted on September 30, 2022 4:56 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Dear Neighbors,
We hope you had a fantastic summer and made it to the beach more than a few times! It has been a while since our last community update, so here is what is new:
Jay Winters has been re-elected for his second term on the board. At our recent AGM, we also welcomed some new members to the board: Josh Hartley and Genni Reilly. We bid a heartfelt farewell and thanks to Katherine Low and Cary Van Zanten for the work they did on the HOA board over the last two years.
Construction at Veranda Beach has gotten going again and you are likely to see some new Vineyard cottages up when you return. Also, the Point lot construction is finally underway. It is great to see some new cottages and some families joining the community. To that end, it was time to have a proper construction policy in place. Please see the VB Construction Policy that was approved this month. If you are about to build or renovate – it is must read. Please see link HERE
The VB Rental Agency Agreement and Rental Agency Enforcement Policy were also both approved over the summer. If you currently rent your cottage please ensure that you are familiar with both of these. Please see link for Rental Agency Enforcement Policy HERE, and Veranda Beach HOA Rental Agency Policy HERE
Finally, a huge thank you to the Fun Committee who organized so many incredible events over the summer – from Happy Hours, Pool Parties to the Annual Sports Day. A very special thank you goes to all the volunteers for making it such a great summer.
If you have any questions or comments for the board please don’t hesitate to reach out to any board member. HERE is the list. Alternatively you can email us at board@verandabeachhomeowners.com which will go to all board members and Rhonda.
Hope to see you at Thanksgiving.
Posted on June 15, 2022 9:11 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Dear Neighbors,
In case you missed the last (and inaugural) one, we started sending out this monthly Board report to the community to briefly outline current items and issues that we have been discussing at the Board level. Over the last couple of years we have been trying to continuously improve our direct communications to homeowners, and this is a continuation of those efforts.
Here are some of the things that have had our attention over the last few months.
Enforcement Policy: At its March meeting, the Board adopted the VB HOA Enforcement Policy. This policy is intended to give the HOA and its manager the tools to enforcing the rules of our community in a consistent and principled manner. Give it a read (click here)!
Development Update: In April, the Board requested a meeting with the Okanogan County planning department after hearing that there were some issues concerning the issuance of building permits at Veranda Beach. Although the Board understands that the building permit issues may have been resolved, the Board is continuing its follow-up with the planning department for a meeting in order to establish good relations (as the HOA has only been self-governing since 2020, it has not yet had the opportunity to meet with the planning department) and in furtherance of resolving some of the issues that the HOA has been struggling with.
On a separate note, the new Marina is in and it is awesome! Check out the newsletter from Veranda Beach Marina.
Here Comes MORE Fun! The Fun Committee has been hard at work planning some fantastic events that you don't want to miss.
Sports Day Weekend: First and foremost is Sports Day Weekend – the crown jewel summertime fun – taking place July 29-31 this year. We are giving you lots of heads-up because nobody wants to miss this one.
Happy Hour: I was personally able to hit the "Meet your Neighbor" Happy Hour on the Boardwalk on May 20th – IT WAS A BLAST. The next one is scheduled for June 24th at 5pm (BYOB and appy's on us!).
Canada Day and the 4th of July Weekend: Eclipsed only by Sports Day Weekend, this is the second best weekend of the year (IMHO). Fireworks (July 1 and 4), Cornhole Tourney and Decades Dance (July 2). Oh yeah – and don't forget the fun that is the HOA AGM on July 2
Check out the calendar on the HOA website for the most up to date events calendar (click here).
If you have any questions or comments for the Board, don't hesitate to ask your favorite Board member (here is the list). Alternatively, you can email board@verandabeachhomeowners.com which will go to all the Board members and Rhonda.
Sincerely,
Jay Winters
Veranda Beach HOA Board President
Posted on June 8, 2022 9:09 PM by Admin
Categories:
Extra Extra! Read all about it!
The new Veranda Beach Marina is installed!
If you haven't seen it, you need to check it out!
To find out more about what they offer you can access their Newsletter here.
"Shout out" to Fred & Linda Beck in bringing this enhancement to our Community.
Posted on May 1, 2022 9:00 PM by Admin
Categories:
Community Updates
Dear Neighbors,
Welcome to our inaugural Board report to the community, which we intend to send out on a monthly basis briefly outlining current items and issues that we have been discussing at the Board level. Over the last couple of years we have been trying to continuously improve our direct communications to homeowners, and this is a continuation of those efforts. So without further pomp and circumstance:
1. Services Agreement with LRMUS: The HOA has recently been advised by Legend Resort Management US Ltd. (LRMUS) that it will not be renewing its Contract for Services, Supplies and Facilities (the "Services Agreement") with the HOA after it expires at the end of 2022 (see the Services Agreement attached here). The Services Agreement is for services that the HOA contracts for LRMUS to provide including front desk services, janitorial and maintenance services, mail handling services, but it is not in respect of any rental agreements that a homeowner might have with LRMUS in conjunction with LRMUS's rental program. The HOA is currently exploring its options with respect to those services performed under the Services Agreement, and also notes that LRMUS owns the administration and laundry buildings (while the HOA owns the fitness center, the activity center and the bathhouse, and the Veranda Beach Partnership – i.e. the developer – owns the general store and the diner).
2. Increase to Nightly Resort Fees: The Board passed a motion in its March meeting to increase the nightly resort rental fee from $5 to $20 per night for any guest nights on or after September 5, 2022. The resort fee that is added on top of a guest's bill for renting at Veranda Beach in order to compensate the HOA for the added cost and administration of rentals. Over the next few months, the Board will be working on a compliance plan to ensure proper collection and remittance of the resort fees to the HOA, but wanted to provide rental agencies adequate time prepare for the increase. If you are, or are interested, in renting your cottage, please see the attached "Renting your Cottage at Veranda Beach" FAQ here, that we circulated in November.
3. Here Comes the Fun! The Fun Committee has been hard at work planning some fantastic events that you don't want to miss.
• First and foremost is Sports Day Weekend – the crown jewel summertime fun – taking place July 29-31 this year. We are giving you lots of heads-up because nobody wants to miss this one.
• Things really get going in May, with the pool opening planned for early May. Friday Happy Hours on the Boardwalk at 5pm on May 6th, 20th, and 27th (BYOB and appy's on us!), and our Memorial Day Weekend Decades Dance the night of Saturday, May 28th.
• More announcements to come as we head into summer. Check out the calendar on the HOA website for the most up to date events calendar.
If you have any questions or comments for the Board, don't hesitate to ask your favorite Board member (here is the list). Alternatively, you can email board@verandabeachhomeowners.com which will go to all the Board members and Rhonda.
Sincerely,
Jay Winters
Veranda Beach HOA Board President
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