Sun Ranch Board Packet — Draft Policies, Dues Enforcement, and Where We're Headed

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Dear Sun Ranch Members,

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We are beginning to produce monthly Board packets for our meetings. Each packet will contain the agenda and all documents associated with that meeting, giving the membership full transparency into what the Board is working on and the materials behind that work.

Attached to this email is the upcoming Board packet, including the agenda and multiple documents. This email explains why this particular packet is so lengthy. As we move through the year, future packets will be shorter.

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Where this started

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Earlier this year, we sent out a member survey to hear directly from you about what's working at Sun Ranch and what isn't. Roads, keeping dues affordable, enforcing the covenants, and access to water were priorities for you. You also raised a clear set of concerns in the comments: unauthorized buildings, structures that don't meet the CC&Rs' 500-square-foot minimum for a residence, people living permanently in trailers instead of building, shipping containers sitting exposed on lots, junk cars, an accumulation of trailers and RVs, piles of trash and debris, and members who pay their dues late or not at all.

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We heard you and this is our path forward.

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Why written policy, and why now?

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When this Board took office, we discovered something that surprised us: Sun Ranch has almost no written policies or procedures to guide the Board. Decisions about enforcement, approvals, and disputes have largely been made informally, Board to Board, without a consistent record anyone could point to. That's not a criticism of any past Board — it's simply how things were done for a long time. But it means every new Board has had to start over, guessing at how things were handled before, and members have had no consistent standard to rely on.

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We don't think that's sustainable, and it isn't fair to you or to future Boards. So we're building a foundation: a set of written policies and procedures, grounded directly in our existing Bylaws and CC&Rs, so the rules are clear, consistent, and don't depend on who happens to be sitting on the Board in a given year.

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It's worth saying plainly: most of what's in this packet exists because of real, specific problems members have caused or allowed to sit unaddressed — not hypothetical ones. Unauthorized structures, unscreened containers, long-term trailer living, junk accumulation, and unpaid dues are not abstract policy topics to us; they're the actual conditions we've been asked to fix. We're writing rules because the status quo has cost the Association real time, real trust, and real money.

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We are not writing new rules out of thin air, either. Every policy in this packet points back to a specific section of the governing documents you and every other owner already agreed to when you purchased at Sun Ranch. We're not taking that lightly — these documents carry real weight, and the Board is obligated to enforce them, not just free to. That obligation is exactly why we've worked carefully to make sure what we're proposing is faithful to them.

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Unauthorized buildings and trailers used as full-time residences

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We want to speak plainly about a frequent concern raised in the survey and directly by member complaints: people constructing without Board approval, and people moving trailers onto their lots — in some cases multiple trailers — and living in them full-time, rather than using them recreationally or as temporary shelter while actively building.

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Our CC&Rs are clear that any permanent dwelling must meet the 500-square-foot minimum living area (Article II(a)), that building plans and plot plans require prior Board approval (Article II(f); see also Article V(a)), and that a trailer or camper may only be used as a temporary residence, subject to Board approval (Article II(c)) — not as a substitute for a permanent one. We've received numerous complaints about this exact pattern, and we take it seriously. The Building & Improvement Review policy and the residency/construction provisions in this packet exist specifically to give the Board a clear, documented, and consistently applied way to address it — rather than leaving it, as it has been, to go unaddressed indefinitely simply because no prior Board took action.

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On dues, directly

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We want to be pointed about this one: when members don't pay their assessments — on time or at all — it isn't a victimless choice. It shifts the burden onto every member who does pay, and it strains the Association's ability to fund roads, snow removal, and the other shared obligations we all rely on.

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Under our Bylaws, assessments are due and payable on June 15th each year, which means an unpaid balance becomes late on June 16th — not October 15th. October 15th is a separate, later deadline: it's the point at which any account still unpaid gets referred by the Treasurer for the Board to begin the lien-filing process. It was never meant to be read as the day dues become late, and we want that cleared up.

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Separately, the Board has drafted a Late Payment Fee policy — not yet adopted — that would add a $25 flat late fee starting June 16th, followed by a $10 monthly escalation fee on the 15th of each subsequent month the balance remains unpaid (July, August, September, and October 15th), up to $65 total before an account is referred toward lien filing. This fee structure is a Board proposal built on top of the existing Bylaws deadlines, not something already written into the governing documents — which is exactly why it's part of the draft packet the Board still needs to formally discuss and vote on, rather than something already in effect.

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If adopted, this fee structure would apply starting with the 2027 assessment cycle — it is not retroactive, and it would not apply to any balance owed for 2026.

Either way, paying your assessment on time isn't optional under our governing documents, and we intend to treat it that way going forward.

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Addressing the elephant in the room: enforcement

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We also want to be direct about something members have raised, and that we take seriously ourselves: enforcement has been inconsistent in the past. Some violations were addressed, many were not, and that inconsistency has understandably left some members frustrated — either because a concern was raised and nothing happened, or because they worry about being singled out now for something that's gone unaddressed elsewhere for years.

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To be clear about our intent: this is not about the Board driving around looking for reasons to fine people. This is about responding to the specific, repeated concerns members raised in the survey, and applying one consistent standard going forward instead of picking and choosing. We all agreed to the same CC&Rs and Bylaws when we bought into this Association, and we all need to do our part to follow them — so the Board isn't stuck spending its limited time and resources on the small number of situations where someone decides the rules don't apply to them.

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We're not trying to sterilize Sun Ranch

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We also want to head off a misunderstanding before it takes root: having clear, written policies does not mean the Board intends to turn Sun Ranch into some sterile, over-managed subdivision, and it doesn't mean the Board will be going lot to lot inspecting properties. That's not who we are and it's not what these policies are for.

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The reality is simpler: the Board is required to enforce our governing documents, whether or not those enforcement standards are written down. Written policies just mean that requirement gets applied consistently and fairly instead of arbitrarily. In practice, enforcement under these policies will be complaint-driven — when a member raises a concern, the Board will follow up and take appropriate action. We're not going to be out patrolling looking for problems. We're going to be responsive when our members tell us there's one.

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These are drafts — not final

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We want to be very clear: nothing in this packet under new business is adopted yet. These are draft policies. The Board still needs to fully digest them, discuss them as a group, and revise anything that isn't right before any of it becomes binding.  That also means that, yes, there will be some formatting, grammatical errors, and language that may not apply until we discuss and hammer out the details.  Again, these are drafts.  Some policies may move forward quickly; others may need more work and will take longer to implement. That's expected, and we'd rather get it right than get it fast.

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What happens next

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The Board will begin discussing this packet at the September Board meeting. Our plan is to study the drafts, make sure each one genuinely serves the Association's needs, and consider adopting some — in final or revised form — at the October Board meeting. Policies that need more work will simply take longer; that's not a failure, it's the process working as intended.

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You have a voice

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As with every Board meeting, you'll have a chance to speak about items on the agenda. Please come and share your feedback and perspective — and if you see a problem, we'd genuinely welcome your ideas on how to solve it, not just the concern itself. Let's work together to find good solutions to the issues we face.

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Where we're headed

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We won't get every detail right on the first pass, and we don't expect everyone to agree with every provision. There will be growing pains. But our intent is to earn your trust through action — not just by writing policies, but by applying them consistently, fairly, and transparently, to everyone, without exception. That's the standard we're holding ourselves to, and we'd ask the same of every member: follow the documents we all agreed to, so we can spend our shared time and resources building the community up instead of chasing the same unresolved problems year after year.

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Thank you for your patience, and for taking the time to share your feedback through the survey. It shaped this work directly, and we intend to keep listening as we move through this process.

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Should you have questions, comments, concerns, ideas, please come to the board meeting or email the Association.

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Sincerely,

The Sun Ranch Owners Association Board of Directors

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Please click the following link for the packet.

 

 

SHOWER HOUSE UPDATE

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The shower house East bathroom is back up and running with key cards.  The West bathroom is back to being locked manually due to a defective electronic lock.  We are working with the distributor to get a replacement lock.  

 

Sun Ranch Board of Directors

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Committee Sign-Up — Open Now Through August 17th

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Dear Sun Ranch Owners Association Members,

At the August 8th monthly board meeting, the board agreed on four new committees for the association. We're now inviting members to sign up to serve on the committee(s) that interest you:

• Roads/Easements

• Special Projects

• Community Standards

• Social Events

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Please note: the specific scope, responsibilities, and goals for each committee haven't been finalized yet. That's intentional — we want each committee, working together with the board, to help shape what it focuses on and how it operates. If you sign up, your input will directly help define the committee's direction.

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To sign up, please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/yA9PNhdwBQccZJvw8

The sign-up sheet will remain open until Monday, August 17th at 5:00 PM

We appreciate your involvement in helping guide Sun Ranch forward — thank you for considering getting involved.

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Best regards,
Sun Ranch Owners Association Board

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SURVEY RESULTS & THE WAY FORWARD

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Dear Sun Ranch Owners,

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Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our recent survey. This was our very first attempt at gathering formal feedback, and we are incredibly pleased with the excellent participation and insight we received from our membership. The document attached is a presentation of the survey results for your review.  

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The board will review and discuss these results in detail at our upcoming board meeting on August 8th. The valuable feedback you provided gives the board clear direction for the 2026-2027 year, helping us align our goals with the community's true needs.

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Please know that positive updates are on the horizon, and things will be changing for the better of our association. Transforming this shared vision into reality will take time, so we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work diligently toward the priorities you prioritized.

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We look forward to seeing you at the meeting on August 8th as we take these first steps together.

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Best regards,

The Sun Ranch Board of Directors

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Survey Results

 

SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING

Join us for our next board meeting on September 19th at 9:30 at the Sun Ranch Headquarters. All members are welcome to attend.

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LETTER TO THE MEMBERSHIP

Our new board of directors has written a letter to the Sun Ranch membership, please read it at this link: Letter to the Membership​​​​​
 

EMAIL LIST

To be added to the email list or update any contact information please send us an email at sunranchmemberstonasket@gmail.com​​