Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions arose frequently in written responses to the Homeowner's Surveys in 1994 and 1996. The answers here are extracted from the Declaraction of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions, the Homeowner's Guide, and from the knowledge and experience of members of the Board of Trustees.

• Can senior citizens be allowed to pay lower dues?
• Why can’t people who use the pool pay for it, and those who don’t pay lower dues?
• Why is so much emphasis placed on the park and pool?
• Why does the Board seem to do so much for families with children, and not for seniors?
• Why do private parties and swimming lessons cost so much?
• Why are the pool blankets (covers) not used in the winter?
• Why was central heating put into the pool house?
• Why were the pool office and hallways reconfigured?
• Why does the Association need a site on the World Wide Web? Isn’t that expensive?

Can senior citizens be allowed to pay lower dues?

Not without amending the covenants (which would require a petition signed by at least 75% (225) of the homeowners). Article VI, section 5 states "Both annual and special assessments must be fixed at a uniform rate for all Lots".

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Why can’t people who use the pool pay for it, and those who don’t pay lower dues?

Article 5, section 1(b) of the Covenants do allow for a fee to be charged for using the pool. However, Article IV section 2 of the By-Laws require a petition signed by at least two-thirds of the membership (200 homeowners) before such a fee could be introduced. If such a fee were created, everyone’s dues would still be the same (because of the rule mentioned above), but dues could be lowered for everyone as a result of the increased revenue.

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Why is so much emphasis placed on the park and pool?
Why does the Board seem to do so much for families with children, and not for seniors?

According to Article VIII of the By-Laws, the Board has three major responsibilities:

• Administration (setting the amount of assessments and collecting them, record-keeping, supervising officers and employees, having officers be bonded as necessary, issuing certificates saying that assessments have been paid, and acquiring insurance on Association property);
• Adopting and publishing rules, and enforcing rules and covenants;
• Maintaining and operating the park, pool, and other common areas.

When everything is running smoothly (rules and covenants are being obeyed, dues are paid on time, officers are doing their jobs, etc.) then the first two of these are "invisible" (except to the Board members doing the work). Thus, operating and maintaining the park and pool can appear to be all the Association does! Likewise, unless there are recalcitrant covenant violators or homeowners delinquent in payment of assessments who require expenditures on legal fees, the first two areas above actually cost relatively little; the maintenance of the pool and park are, without a doubt, the most expensive obligation of the Association and the bulk of the annual budget. At the same time, the pool and park are viewed by many who do not use them as being primarily for the benefit of families with children, since children are, day-to-day, the most frequent users of these facilities. A number of the members of the Board of Trustees are parents with young children living at home, since parents are strongly motivated to donate time and energy to maintaining and operating the pool and park. Thus, it can sometimes appear that the Association is run primarily to benefit families with children, but this is actually just a manifestation of the relative visibility of the duties and responsibilities of the Association mandated by the By-Laws. The Board always welcomes input on how the Association can be of greater value to those residents who have no children at home, within the scope and limits of the Association’s powers.

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Why do private parties and swimming lessons cost so much?

Because these services are conducted while the pool is closed to other homeowners, the Board feels that those who actually host private parties and take swimming lessons should cover the cost of those services. These activites should neither be subsidized by the Association nor subsidize other services -- just pay their own way. The Board follows Red Cross recommendations and governmental policies and requires two lifeguards to be on duty at all times the pool is open (so that at least one guard always has their eyes on the pool while the other is enforcing rules, answering the phone, taking a break, resting, eating, or otherwise engaged). When you factor in the cost of government-mandated benefits (Social Security, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, etc.), the $25 per hour charge for private parties just about exactly covers the cost of paying for the lifeguards. The cost of private parties does not subsidize any other expenses of the Association -- and, in fact, the cost of utilities and other expenses for keeping the pool open longer for private parties is not factored into the hourly fee. Likewise, the cost of salaries for teachers and lifeguards for swimming lessons just about exactly match the total revenue from lessons each summer.

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Why are the pool blankets (covers) not used in the winter?

The manufacturers of the pool blankets recommend not doing so. Using the pool covers during the winter would expose them to freezing temperatures, long periods of ultraviolet light, and extended exposure to the pool chemicals, greatly reducing their life. They would also tend to collect a large amount of debris, and be susceptible to vandalism (glass, metal, and rocks thrown over the fence) if unattended for long periods. The primary purpose of the blankets is to save energy (by reducing heat loss when the pool is heated to full temperature), to save water (from evaporation during summer), and to save time in daily cleaning (when the pool is in daily operation). Yes, the pool gets pretty dirty during the winter, but a good cleaning and running of the filters for a week in the spring gets it ready for summer use. The pool filters have been being run weekly during the winter to reduce algae formation and odor, and the heaters have been run during cold spells to avoid damage to pipes under the deck.

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Why was central heating put into the pool house?

During the winter of 1995-1996, a hard freeze caused several pipes in the poolhouse to break. Since much of the plumbing is in the attic, the result was major water damage. All of the ceiling and many of the walls had to be completely replaced, and along with it quite a bit of the wiring and plumbing. Fortunately, insurance covered much of this loss, but the insurer made it clear that we needed to take greater precautions against freezing or future losses might not be covered. The pool house had a couple of small electric wall heaters, but these were broken and insufficient to protect the plumbing from freezing anyway. The central heater thus is used during the winter at a low setting (to reduce cost) but high enough to prevent freezing throughout the building, protecting our investment.

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Why were the pool office and hallways reconfigured?

King County health regulations require all pool users to shower before entering the pool. The previous office and hallway configuration made it very easy for users to enter the front door and walk straight through to the pool without going through the locker rooms, unless constantly supervised. The new configuration directs all patrons through the lockers, which the Board believes will encourage obedience to the bathing rule. Also, it reduces traffic flow in the office area, for greater security. Since much of the area needed to be torn up anyway to effect repairs from the broken pipes, it made sense to do the reconfiguration (which had been contemplated for some time) when insurance would cover some of the work.

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Why does the Association need a site on the World Wide Web? Isn’t that expensive?

Actually, it’s not. During the initial trial period (to determine the response and level of use), the cost is being covered by one of the Board members, and the Association has paid nothing. Should the Board determine that the site is useful, the cost on the current Internet provider would be just $180 per year, which is about the cost of publishing a single issue of the Newsletter. The Web site (at http://www.kingsgate.org) provides full searchable cross-referenced text of all Association documents (Covenants, By-Laws, Homeowner’s Guide, etc.) and other news and information. According to several surveys, more than 40% of U.S. households have a computer of some kind, and this may be higher in the region of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Boeing. The Board expects the Web site to increase in popularity among homeowners, as well as be a resource for potential home buyers and agents investigating the area (and thus helping to maintain our property values).

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