IN THIS ISSUE:
- Website updates
- Lake health updates
- Wildlife awareness
- Snow removal
The Okanogan County Burn Restriction that was set to expire on 10/15/2024 has been EXTENDED until further notice, not allowing any burning except Recreational (camp) Fires.
News from Wilson Ranch
It seems like Summer just flew by, leaving some of us feeling a bit like my new friend, the Western Fence Lizard. In this issue we cover some policy reminders, new updates to the website, and other important neighborhood info.
MANAGEMENT CHANGE
As of last month, Marvin Sutton is no longer serving as the Assistant Property Manager for Wilson Ranch. He will continue to focus on managing the Freestone Inn. We appreciate all his efforts on behalf of our ownership and wish him the best. Please do not contact Marvin unless it is regarding an issue specific to the Freestone Inn.
PET POLICY
In order to protect the wildlife native to Wilson Ranch and respect other homeowners and guests, all pets must be kenneled and/or leashed. They must always be under direct human supervision and are not allowed to roam freely. Two wedding events at the Freestone were disrupted by a dog roaming the area so we wanted to issue a reminder to keep dogs leashed. Thank you for your understanding and if you have questions regarding this policy or others like it, please refer to the Wilson Ranch Ownership Guidelines.
WEBSITE UPDATE
In order to improve communication with residents and keep track of ongoing projects, a few minor but helpful changes have been made to the website. Instead of Maintenance Request, you can now create a Support Request. Using the same form, you can now choose what type of request you have: Design Review Committee (DRC), Landscaping, Budget/Financial, or General. This will help the board and management direct your requests to the right group and keep track of the project. Dues and payment questions should be directed to Ponderosa Community Management. Any questions? Please refer to the website FAQs or email Rachael directly.
LAKE HEALTH
As I’m sure many of you noticed, the lake weeds were very dense this season. The Lake Committee and management have been working hard all summer to find alternative treatments and cost effective solutions for weed removal. Aquatic weed removal is expensive and time consuming, so it is essential that we carefully research all available options. Lake bottom barriers, herbicide treatment, and mechanical harvesting are some of the options that are currently being explored. Please consider joining the Lake Committee to support our ongoing efforts to keep Freestone Lake healthy and accessible for all residents and guests.
BEARS and WILDLIFE
Yes, bears are still a presence at Wilson Ranch, so let’s work together to make Wilson Ranch a safe place for both people and bears. These three black bears were recently seen going through the Freestone Inn’s dumpster. Bears are extremely smart, and will remember food sources for years. Sadly, this mamma bear is teaching her cubs that dumpsters can be a place to find food, so let’s be diligent in removing any temptations for them.
Our website has a page in the Environment menu (on the public facing portion of the website) called Living with Wildlife. There you can find the latest PDFs to print and have at your homes/rentals. There are also flyers and brochures that can be found in the recycling/garbage center and at the Freestone Inn. Please take anything that you need and be sure to post this info in your homes for your guests.
SNOW REMOVAL
Here are some reminders from Snowtime, our snow removal partners:
DO NOT MOVE any of the markers after your driveway has been marked. If any changes to the area to be cleared
are needed, please contact us and we will have the operator come out and move the markers. Markers do
not need to be raised or moved due to snow depth, as they are only used to define the clearing area for the
first removal. DO NOT MOVE the markers. We will be rechecking markers periodically before the
snow falls to ensure that they are in the correct area. If we have to replace markers due to them being
moved we will charge an additional marking fee.
Please keep the area within the markers clear of objects as large amounts of snow may fall
overnight covering them. The items, especially electrical cords and firewood, have the potential to cause
machine damage and/or property damage. The damage to the machines is very expensive to fix and can
be very time consuming which effects all customers. Please be aware that we have added a clause in our
terms & agreement that if there are damages to the machine due to customer neglect the customer will be responsible for paying for said damages.
Snow is cleared every 4-6 inches. We always try to get to everyone as quickly as possible but there are occasions that make it more difficult, such as large storms, wet storms, and wind events. We do try to send out emails and post on our Current Reports page in order inform everyone of anything that may slow clearing. Our crew works long hours until everyone is cleared and we do our best to get to everyone as quickly as possible, while clearing as each individual customer prefers, so your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
We ask that you do not contact the operators directly. The machines are very loud
and it is very dangerous, to both you and the operator, to approach them. If there are any issues please
call the office or email us and we will take care of it. Please practice kindness. Know that even though we
may not answer the phone right away, we do get the voicemails and are able to send the information on.
Customers that do contact the operator or are malicious towards any staff may be removed from our
clearing list.
Please contact Rachael Plemel with any questions
methowvalleyps@gmail.com