President's Note: Fire Season is Almost Here

Hi Neighbors,

The massive amount of rain this winter has spurred a higher-than-normal amount of vegetation growth, and fire season is upon us. For those of you who have experienced trauma and loss due to fire, you know all too well that being proactive is key, which is the purpose of my comments in this month's newsletter. 

My best friend and college roommate lost his family's home in the Paradise, CA fire back in 2018. He described an extremely helpless feeling as embers were falling from the sky onto his property after winds blew them from the nearby fire. He rushed to gather his kids, dog, and some belongings and hopped in their packed car before he made it to his elderly neighbor's home to urge her to evacuate too. He even offered his neighbor a ride, but she refused. The police found her body in her bathtub several days later (apparently this is where some folks head when their house has been engulfed in flames).

My commitment to you is this: as a homeowners association, we will do as much as we possibly can in advance to minimize the risk of a fire's impact to Kent Woodlands and our residents.

Here are several things that you can do:

1. Please schedule a no-cost inspection of your property so we can help you understand what steps you can take to mitigate the risk of fire to your home and your neighbors’ homes. Contact KWPOA's Hazard Mitigation Consultant, Heather Hill, via email at hhill@kwpoa.com.
2. If there are any specific areas or properties that you feel are a safety issue, please email Heather Hill at hhill@kwpoa.com. She can assess for risk and reach out to the property owner to suggest an inspection. Our CC&Rs state that owners must maintain their property to minimize fire danger, and we are prepared to enforce these rules to accomplish our neighborhood’s shared goal of reducing the risk of fire. 
3. If you or a neighbor you know needs financial assistance to pay for home hardening and/or brush and debris removal, the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) has grants available based on certain criteria such as age, income, etc. For more information please visit www.marinwildfire.org/resident-info/resident-grants or contact them at grants@marinwildfire.org for further information. The MWPA also has a dedicated phone line for questions at 415 342-8912.

Some further actions the KWPOA is taking regarding mitigating the risk of fire to Kent Woodlands include:

• This week fellow board member Bitsa Freeman and I are meeting with the Kentfield Fire Department to learn more about additional actions the KWPOA can take as we head into fire season.

• I confirmed that Mark Brown, executive director of the MWPA, will attend our Monday July 24^th Board Meeting at 6 p.m. so we can learn more about what they're doing to reduce the risk of fire in & around Kent Woodlands. I'll make sure our office sends details on this meeting so you can attend. 

• The KWPOA will continue to partner with Marin Water and Marin County Open Space to make sure they're maintaining their lands adjacent to our neighborhood.

• We are in communication with the Department of Public Works (DPW) about roadside clearing efforts, as clear roadsides provide a dramatically safer exit in the event of wildfire evacuations for residents and firefighters.

• The KWPOA is continuing to lean on PG&E for clearing brush and debris from their lines. 

Please do your part, we'll do ours. Let's look forward to another year without a major fire in Kent Woodlands!

Sincerely,

Jeff Leh, President

KENT WOODLANDS ENERGY SURVEY

Thank you Jorge Camargo for our developing our first KW Annual Energy Survey! Completely anonymous, the survey is an important first step in understanding what members are already doing to to save energy and lower their carbon emissions. It’s not too late to take the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/FHMYR6S.

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

KENT WOODLANDS EV CAR SHOW - September 24th

Thank you to Pete Johnson, for organizing our first annual EV Car Show in the Acorn Lot! Details to follow.

BACK TO SCHOOL - Coming this fall

Our very own KW community “Resilient Neighborhoods” Class!

Thank you to Lisa Whitescarver and Aghaghia Rahimzadeh for organizing a Resilient Neighborhoods (RN) class that teaches homeowners how to lower their greenhouse gas emissions with actions big and small. 

Resilient Neighborhoods is an organization that has been teaching Marin communities how lower their carbon emissions for years, to rave reviews. Learn more at www.resilientneighborhoods.org. 

By bringing neighbors together, RN also creates resilient neighborhoods that are connected and more resilient to extreme weather events. The class meets weekly online over the course of 6 weeks. We hope you can join us for this fun and engaging class! 

KWCN LEMONADE STAND - August 26th, 11-2pm

Thank you Courtenay Dill for organizing our neighborhood 'littles' to get involved in our Carbon Neutral Mission! Details to follow.

Important News from the Architectural Committee

Dear Kent Woodlands Members—

On behalf of the entire Architecture Committee, we proudly offer you updated Architecture Rules, which will be sent to all members in early July for a 28-day review period. The Architectural Rules serve as an abridged guide to the Kent Woodlands CC&Rs, which serve as the foundation for the thriving community that we have today. The CC&Rs highlight key criteria, namely that we form an Architectural Committee (AC), have an approved Color Chart, and provide other guidelines that address design issues unique to Kent Woodlands. We have gone to substantial lengths to update the Architectural Rules so they reflect only the CC&R's and guide homeowners to clear conclusions about how the AC is likely to view their projects, which should result in less frustration and fewer project redesigns.

Sincerely,

Julie Johnson (AC Chair)

With warmer days approaching, it’s not uncommon to have an increase in calls regarding vegetation and fire concern especially after the enormous amount of rain resulted in tall grasses. The good news is that fire season will be starting later because the moisture count in vegetation is much higher than drier years. The bad news is that the higher weeds could be a problem later this year into next year. This is all based upon rain and other factors.

You might have seen me driving throughout the Woodlands mapping property parcels that have overgrowth, especially along roadways. There is a growing list of properties that will receive letters regarding broom, poorly maintained bamboo, and high weeds. Marin County and Cal Fire require that everyone maintain 10 feet of roadside clearance. Thank you to those that have already done so, and even exceeded this mandated requirement.

As Jeff Leh mentioned in his column this month, there may be funds available to aid in clean-up efforts for your property through the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) program for items that are identified in a home’s inspection report (up to $1,000 for defensible space and $5,000 in matching funds for home hardening). Details and eligibility requirements can be found at www.marinwildfire.org/resident-info/resident-grants, but first you will need an inspection report which you can get by calling 415-275-1185 or emailing dspace@marinwildfire.org. Let’s all work together to keep the community safe.

— Heather Hill, Hazard Mitigation Specialist

Please direct any Architectural Committee inquiries to the Architectural Coordinator at AC@kwpoa.com.