Northstar Living Fall 2020

FALL 2020

NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE NORTHSTAR PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

20 Power Outages 27

30

Martis Wildlife Area

Northstar Weed Warriors

2 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

npoa

FALL 2020

inside this issue

04 | President’s Perspective 08 | GM Report 10 | Tennis News 11 | FAQs

20

12 | Civil Code 4041 14 | NCSD Update 16 | Fitness Corner 18 | Northstar Women's Golf 20 | Liberty Utilities 20 | NPOA Election Results 22 | Condominium Updates 27 | TRWC - Martis Wildlife Area

27

28 | Fire Department 30 | Weed Warriors

meetings 2020 dates

Meeting details will be sent via Eblast prior to meeting dates. If you are not signed up for electronic communications please contact the NPOA Office for a form: npoa@npoa.info or 530.562.0322.

October 24, 9am NPOA Board of Directors October 27, 9am Design Review Committee November 17, 9am Design Review Committee December 12, 9am NPOA Board of Directors

30 community comments policy

December 15, 9am Design Review Committee Meeting dates are subject to change.

Please check www.npoa.info for updated information.

Northstar Living welcomes your comments that are pertinent to the Northstar community and will publish those comments on a spaceavailable basis. Comments must be written by members in “good standing;” generally articles will be limited to 250 words. Articles should be addressed to Northstar Living; signed by the author, unless sent electronically; and should include the writer’s name, his or her Northstar address and the telephone number at which the writer can be reached most easily.

Comments not meeting these requirements or containing solicitations, inaccuracies, libelous or incorrect statements, lacking clarity or having no pertinence to the Northstar community or the Association will not be published. Comments must be received by February 1, for spring issue; May 1 for summer, August 1 for fall or November 1 for winter. Comments are accepted in person at the NPOA office, by mail to NPOA, Attn: Community Comments, 2200 North Village Drive, Truckee, CA 96161; by email to nancy@npoa.info; or by fax to 530.562.0324.

Disclaimer : Readers are advised that the opinions expressed are those of the individual, not of all the association. The original content of these comments has not been edited.

www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 3

npoa

president’s perspective For those who were unable to attend our News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association Board Members Michael Plishner, President mplishner@npoa.info John Bowe, Vice President jbowe@npoa.info Sue Cordonnier, Secretary-Treasurer scordonnier@npoa.info Steve Klei, Board Member sklei@npoa.info Peter Morris, Board Member pmorris@npoa.info

“virtual” Annual Meeting, let me fill you in:

NPOA Covid-19 Operations Update

The changes we have made since March

have taken a lot of effort by many people.

When the statewide “stay in place” order was issued, our NPOA staff – essentially

overnight – made the switch from business as usual to full remote operations, closing down most of our physical facilities, and operating our essential services from

home. That did NOT mean that we “shut

Don Schreuder, Board Member dschreuder@npoa.info

down.” Our administrative staff remained

Paul Schumacher, Board Member pschumacher@npoa.info

our design review process turned from

Staff at NPOA Tim Fulton NPOA General Manager tim@npoa.info Nancy Barna NPOA Administrative Manager nancy@npoa.info Sean Cutunilli NPOA Operations Manager sean@npoa.info John Forni NPOA Maintenance Manager john@npoa.info Contact NPOA Northstar Living 2200 North Village Drive Truckee, CA 96161 P| 530.562.0322 F| 530.562.0324 website www.npoa.info Office Hours 8am – 4pm, Monday – Friday Recreation Center Hours 8am – 7pm Daily (subject to change) Currently Reservations Required to use amenities. Book through the Appointy Reservation System Information on NPOA website www.npoa.info Advertising Sales CCMedia Every Impression Matters P| 775.327.4200 Cover Photo Olof Carmel of Carmel Gallery "Autumn Grove Path"

in operation, ongoing projects continued, on-site to on-Zoom, and our maintenance staff continued to come in to make sure

the physical facilities remained operational and survived the end of a Tahoe winter. A huge thanks to Tim Fulton and to Nancy

Barna for making this transition work, and

to John Forni and the maintenance staff for keeping the facilities up and functioning.

equipment into the Adult Building, moving our meeting space to the front building, and figuring out how we would create

more-spread-out seating space around the pool areas. Doing all this without knowing

when “opening day” would actually be was a challenge. Having summer seasonal staff (lifeguards, extra entry staff, cleaning staff) hired and ready to go when we had no

idea when, in fact, they would be able to

start working was difficult, but we relied on the expertise of Tim and Nancy to “make it happen.”

One of the Covid-19 challenges we faced was “capacity limitations.” We were told by the experts to cut capacity by 1/3 to 1/2. The solution we devised was the

reservation system we put in place in late June, to permit a set number of people

to enter the facilities every few hours. We worked with two different consultants,

Ask about monthly specials, and Northstar resident discounts.

Board members also pitched in to make

the transition to Covid-19 operations work.

Between March and June, we formed a

“Reopening Task Force,” consisting of Tim, Board members Peter Morris and Paul

Schumacher, and myself, understanding

that whenever the authorities allowed us to reopen, we would likely be told on some

random Tuesday that we were free to open

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get ready. By mid-May we had a draft set

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up on Friday – with little warning or time to of protocols done, anticipating we might be allowed to reopen by Memorial Day. As it turned out, the only thing we were

permitted to open then was tennis – but

we were ready to go with that on Saturday, May 23rd.

In the meantime, we had maintenance

(Tahoe Donner resident)

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• We understand the challenges of second home owners

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staff working on split schedules to get the pools and grounds prepared. We also

reconfigured our space to allow for proper

social distancing, moving some of our gym

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4 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

chose the “Appointy” reservation system,

So, how did it all work out? Certainly,

homeowner visits. This year, we had

unplanned work, not to mention cost, to

reservation system took a few weeks to

of the homeowner visits as compared to

and worked to test it. Again, a lot of get this all in place.

could start to open within a few days. Four days later, we announced the reopening

of almost all of our facilities, effective the following Saturday, June 20th, and sent

out a detailed set of reopening protocols

to you. We were able to get things open a week after the announcement because of

all the advance work which had been done over the prior two months. The staff and our Task Force made this happen.

Some facilities, of course, were still off-

limits. The State would not allow spas to open, so those remained closed. And

while we were able to open the gym on

June 20th, three weeks later the State put Placer County on the statewide “watch

list,” and ordered gyms to close, which we then did. We also decided we could not

visits were: 2019 – 11,000 guest visits.

some thought they were too short, and

others thought we should have more time slots with even shorter pool use periods

in 80% of the visits they made in the last “normal” summer season, while guests

limitations, I think we were fairly successful

It was gratifying that almost everyone

in accommodating our homeowners –

cooperated with the program.

which was our primary goal -- through this

Some interesting statistics for July and

difficult situation.

August – the heart of our summer season -- which show how things worked as

Obviously, people needed to make

in July-August 2019, we had roughly

pool session from 12:30 to 3:30 was not

compared with a “normal” year: Last year, 32,000 Rec Center visits. This year, we had

a total of 20,500 visits – or 64% of the visits this year as compared with a “normal”

necessarily available to everyone who

wanted it – but the earlier or later sessions were much of the time. Again, it was

members understood and accepted these

utilization by around 1/3 or so was met.

changes were needed to make things

work – given the reality of the Covid-19

homeowner visits vs. “guest” visits for

new world.

interesting and, we think, a product of

how the 7-day advance reservation system worked out in practice. A year ago, for

accommodations – the coveted “middle”

gratifying that the vast majority of our

season. So, the plan to be able to cut our

which we charge a guest fee, was also

and sauna in the locker rooms, and some

season. So, homeowners were able to get

were more limited. Given our capacity

-- but for most people, they worked.

closed – these included the game room,

the kids play structure, use of the showers

guest visits as compared with a “normal”

hour pool timeslots – not surprisingly,

Of this year’s visits, the breakdown of

we determined they too would remain

2020 – 3,800 guest visits – or 35% of the

Not everyone was happy with the three-

open and maintain some things safely, so

program, swim lessons and the like.

a “normal” season. The figures for guest

become fully functional. But, by early

July it was operating reasonably well.

On June 9th, the State announced we

summer programs like the Bear Hut

16,500 homeowner visits – or about 80%

there were some hiccups. The Appointy

July-August 2019, we had roughly 21,000

Most recently, Placer County was moved to Tier 2 of the State’s new four-tier

Continued on page 6

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www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 5

president's perspective continued from page 5 Covid-19 assessment system on September 8th, and we were

budget for “fuel abatement,” which is our spending on defensible

going forward. We will continue to do all we can to keep things as

we increase the pace and scope of this work (as they are doing we will be making a fairly significant increase here from $20,000

able to reopen the gym that week. We hope that will remain so

space work. The Northstar Fire Department is mandating that

“normal” as we can given the unique times we are in.

around your individual homes and condo complexes), and so

NPOA Finances and 2021 Budgeting

this year to $40,000 next year. The final budget component is a

NPOA’s 2020 finances were certainly impacted by the pandemic.

Between a hit on revenues (primarily guest fees) and extra costs to gear up for our revised operations, including consulting fees and new software for our reservations system, changed facilities and

supplies, Covid-19 will cost us roughly an unanticipated $75,000

this year. We also had some other unanticipated 2020 expenses: A

major spa repair on the large spa (leaks found underneath the spa) of $20,000; and extra costs of about $36,000 on our technology upgrades due to the need to replace all key cards and gates as

part of our property management system upgrade later this year.

Much of that will be covered out of our contingency. On the other side, we had some substantial personnel savings, due to the fact that we are filling two administrative positions much later in the

year than we had budgeted for. Net result of all this, we expect to finish 2020 somewhat better than our budget.

contribution to Reserves. You will recall that in 2020 we made no

contribution to Reserves, believing we were relatively well funded.

We said that was a one-time event, since over the next four years

our estimated reserve expenditures are scheduled to exceed $1.7

million. We are budgeting for a contribution to Reserves of roughly $75,000 out of 2021 operating revenues. We plan to add to this a

transfer of somewhere in the range of $100,000 to $125,000 after January 1st out of excess funds from the 2020 budget year, for a total contribution to Reserves of around $175,000 to $200,000.

We will need to continue contributions in the $250,000 range in

future years to keep Reserves adequately funded given the future

expenditure estimates. We are not planning to make a contribution to the Capital Improvement Fund in 2021. We will be spending

most all of what we contributed in 2020 on the “Shade Structure” which has now been approved by Placer County and is being

We have begun work on our 2021 budget, which we will finalize in October. Covid-19 creates additional budgeting challenges, since we do not know to what extent our operations will be

impacted next year. We are planning that our revenues (guest fees and other summer fees) will still be well below normal,

reducing our revenues by at least $50,000. On the expense side, we expect (finally) to be fully staffed by the beginning of 2021.

Beyond normal expected increases to insurance, utilities and

some contract services, we are planning on either steady-state or reductions in many expense areas. One exception to this is our

manufactured; it should be installed by next Spring, adding a

huge amount of shade at the end of the pool closest to the tennis

courts. While we would like to continue to have this kind of money available for similar projects (including another Shade Structure at the opposite end of the pool), we think this needs to wait for

a future year. Bottom Line: While the 2021 budget is still “in the

works” and not yet competed, our goal is to deliver a budget at

the same assessment level ($1200) as in 2020, while still making a significant contribution to Reserves – this despite lower expected revenues than we were projecting a year ago pre-Covid.

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6 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

A Few More Items

• 2020 Board Election: Congratulations to Sue Cordonnier, Steve Klei and Paul Schumacher for being re-elected to

• Retreat-Martis Camp Litigation: Finally, some of you have heard that the Court of Appeal recently issued a ruling in the ongoing

the NPOA Board. These three board members have been

litigation over the gate between the Retreat and Martis Camp.

volunteer hours behind the scenes. Sue (who is a CPA) has

that the road behind the gate which abuts Mill Site Road was

all our finances and budgeting, as well as work with our tax

public transit (i.e., TART), and was never intended for private

advisors. Steve (who comes from the technology world) has

Retreat’s favor on 3 of 4 claims. The sole ruling in Martis Camp’s

as well as being the leader in thinking about the future of

State environmental act. We are working with the Retreat’s

up with concrete ideas for your consideration. Paul (who is a

support the Retreat’s position that the gate should remain closed

with our outside counsel on employment and HR issues,

past 5+ years.

mainstays of our 2020 operations, devoting countless

The opinion is highly critical of Martis Camp’s position, finding

been our Treasurer/CFO and responsible for overseeing

always intended to be used only for emergency vehicles and

professionals, auditors, reserve consultants and investment

vehicles from Martis Camp residents. The Court ruled in the

overseen our technology projects updating our infrastructure,

favor was on a highly technical legal issue under CEQA, the

NPOA’s facilities and working with our consultants to come

developers to address the one technical issue. We continue to

lawyer, business litigator and former businessman) has worked

permanently to private vehicle traffic, as we have done for the

updated many of our contracts, by-laws and election rules,

done a complete update of our Design Review Guidelines, and most recently, insured that our Covid-19 protocols met State/

County mandates. Thank you to all three of them and we look forward to their continuing contributions next year.

Mike Plishner, Board President

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www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 7

npoa

general manager's report For those who may have missed the

time clock management system. This

information was introduced by the NPOA

hours and create payroll reports within

annual membership meeting, a lot of great Board members and our guest speakers.

Please refer to the President’s Perspective

for more information. Also, the 45th Annual Meeting & Election Results included in this edition of Northstar Living.

For those who were not able to attend, I provided a summary of some of the

projects completed over the past year and have briefly summarized below.

Technology Projects:

will more efficiently track employee’s

the Paychex which we already used for payroll processing;

• worked closely with a consultant to select new accounting, property management, and access control system which we are implementing this fall;

Operations/Replacement Reserve Projects:

• sealing the asphalt for the recreation center parking lot and access road;

• Appointy reservation system selection,

• new pool and spa covers;

• installation of wi-fi equipment in the

• replaced lights strung up in the trees with a new light post near the shuttle stop;

set-up and implementation;

tennis pro shop this spring was the last phase of new wireless network;

• installation of a new security camera system at the recreation center;

• enhanced payment options and for

the first-time alternate methods for the

payment of assessments via a third-party PayLease;

• installation of a new VOIP phone system the last week of February turned out to

be critical to our communication during

the COVID related closure. The on-going monthly cost is a fraction of the cost of the previous phone system ($200 vs $1400 month);

• built out Point of Sale (POS) system

and report system within our existing payment processing system for front desk operations;

• installed new hardware and built out a POS system, reservation system

and report system within our existing payment processing system for the tennis operation;

• replaced hand written payroll cards with

• Tennis Pro Shops projects included replacing the exterior doors to the pro shop and the remodeled outdoor kitchen island area;

Administrative:

• CA Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) passage late 2019 required us to review our various existing employee and contractor relationships. The decision was made to make several organizational changes.

1) NPOA tennis professionals, who have previously been independent contractors, were brought on as employees this summer 2) Made the difficult decision to discontinue massage services 3) the operation of the snack shack continues to be an independent contractor.

• We hired a DRC Consultant this spring to administer DRC requests. We are also collaborating on reorganizing and digitizing DRC related information.

Information in paper file folders in the admin offices and hard copies of plans in Adult Building are being digitized.

These documents will be combined with documents already existing on the server

Paychex True Shift which is an online

8 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

and saved into a single folder for every single-family residence.

• Dumpster Site Enforcement – as shared in several recent eblast communications, we are very actively identifying owners or guests who have used the site inappropriately and fining violations in an effort to encourage appropriate use of this site.

Finally, I wanted to provide a hearty thank you to all of our members and your guests.

Our hard-working team at the Recreation Center very much appreciates your patience, understanding, and support this summer and into this fall season.

Tim Fulton, General Manager

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npoa

tennis news up. Involve your legs, joints, back, shoulders and arms, and always get your body to be ready for tennis. We always recommend

dynamic stretching at the beginning (is a movement-based type of stretching), and a static stretching at the end (stretching poses that are being held for a period of time).

The other very important points are to learn how to use the right grips, stay hydrated, stay in good shape to be able to focus on

the technique and strategies of playing the game, improving your

reaction time, and your stamina, and the most important is that you can only play one point at a time, so even if you play the best/ worst

point of your life, you can always re-focus and keep going.

What Does It Take To Start Playing Tennis As A Beginner?

Guillaume Tonelli, Tennis Director

Here are a few tips on what is essential about starting to play

tennisnorthstar@gmail.com

tennis.

1. Choose the right tennis racquet.

Prepared for an Emergency?

There are many racquets to choose from these days and it could be very confusing. Racquets for juniors and beginners usually

come strung and are inexpensive. The key is to choose one that matches your body, athleticism, weight, and grip size. The best

is to ask the tennis pro or the tennis host, as they will be able to

guide you very easily. It is an investment as a good pair of skis, you can get the racquet re-strung and keep adjusting to make your game better.

2. Practice

Tennis is a very fun game, but as everything, it requires consistency.

That means you can play well one week, and the next could be

discouraging. Don’t get down on yourself, this is very normal and it

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

will improve as your practice becomes more consistent.

3. Take some lessons

It could be intimidating to take tennis lessons, but that is the

perfect way to not develop bad habits and start with the right

technique. It is very easy to get started and hit the ball back and

forth, but you will stagnate pretty fast without the right methods.

Do some research and find the right tennis professional that will

make it fun for you, will improve your game, and will motivate you.

4. Warm up and cool down

Warming up is especially important. Most injuries come from

jumping on the court and chasing a ball without a proper warm 10 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

npoa

frequently asked questions Trash Disposal

Trash Disposal – Placer County requires

maintenance. Further, check out the

recently finalized terms of a new

for a list of Approved Bear Resistant

Sierra Disposal (TTSD) on behalf of

note trash cans installed inside the Bear

construction and remodels adding more

32 gallons nor 60 pounds in weight. TTSD

Family Residences (SFR), Placer County

of service curbside or from the Bear Box

bear box/bear resistant garbage can

If the Bear Box or closet is located more

Welcome NPOA's New Operations Manager

a “Bear Box”. Placer County also allows

there are there are three options:

Hi Northstar Property Owners! I

1) homeowner must bring trash cans to

myself as part of the NPOA team

mandatory trash service, and NCSD

Placer County website www.placer.ca.gov

service agreement with Tahoe Truckee

Garbage Can Enclosure vendors. Please

the Northstar community. For new

Box or left curbside may be no larger than

than 500 sq. ft. square feet to Single

will service trash cans left the morning

requires the installation of a bear bin/

within 25’ from the edge of the roadway.

enclosure most commonly referred to as

than 25’ from the edge of the roadway,

for bear closets which are integrated into the design of a house. Existing Single

Family Residences who do not currently have a Bear Box, but wish to install one, should visit the TTSD website www.

waste101.com for information on the

purchase and installation of a Bear Box

as well as recommendations for on-going

the curbside by 6am

2) sign a waiver with TTSD to allow them

to drive on your driveway closer to your shed or bear box

3) pay TTSD a trip charge for collection

personnel to walk to your shed or bear box.

Locally since 1976 CSL #400342

• Large Projects • Handy Work, Repair • New Construction • Home Additions • Kitchen & Bath Remodeling • Maintenance • Decks - Build & Repair • Tile/Stone • Drywall/Painting • Electrical/Plumbing Northstar Experienced since 1989

would like to formally introduce

for any members that may not have been listening in on our Annual

Meeting held earlier this month. My name is Sean Cutunilli and I have

been brought on to be NPOA’s new Operations Manager!

On a more personal note, I have lived in Carson City and Reno,

If the shed or bear box is more than

Nevada for the entirety of my life.

not selected, TTSD personnel will not

have spent the last 8 years or so

to have TTSD personnel inspect your lot

management positions, with recently

account for a trip charge, please contact

150 employees as the Guest Services

service is not coordinated at your home,

to the University of Nevada, Reno

of household garbage and recycling is

of Science degrees in Finance and

25’ and one of these three options are

Specifically, it is in Reno where I

service your residence. If you would like

in Hospitality supervisorial and

and possibly sign a waiver or set up an

managing 5 departments and up to

TTSD at 530.583.7800. As a reminder, if

Manager at the GSR. It also is home

the closest option for properly disposing

where I graduated with Bachelor’s

the Dumpster Site on Northstar Drive.

Economics in the December of 2016.

As a courtesy reminder, single family

the HOA business, eventually meet

residences may not take their household garbage and recycling to dumpsters at the condominium associations (Aspen

Groves, Gold Bend, Indian Hills, Ski Trails).

I am very excited to start my career in all of you owners, and maybe try

out this skiing thing I have heard so much about.

Those dumpsters are for the exclusive use of the homeowners and guests at those respective condominium associations.

530.546.7030 www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 11

npoa

civil code 4041

Request for Annual Notice of Address, Representative and Occupancy Status (Civil Code Section 4041)

Civil Code, §4041 requires each

homeowner to provide the Northstar

1. The mailing address to which notices from the Association are to be delivered:

Property Owners Association (NPOA) with the following information on an annual

basis. This request for information is also

required to be sent by associations to their members at least 30 days prior to making the Association’s own Annual Budget

2. An alternate or secondary address to which notices from the Association are to be delivered:

Report disclosures under Civil Code §5300.

Please complete this form and return it to the Association within 30 days.

NOTE: If an owner fails to provide the information set forth in items 1 and

2 above the last address provided in

3. The name and address of your legal representative, if any, including any person with power of attorney, or other designated person to be contacted in the event of your extended absence:

writing by the owner or, if none, the

property address shall be deemed to be the address to which notices are to be delivered.

Please return this information to the

association at the following address or email:

Northstar Property Owners Association

4. Is the separate interest that you own (check one):

Owner-Occupied

Rented Out

Vacant

Undeveloped

2200 North Village Drive Truckee, CA 96161 npoa@npoa.info

Property Address

Member Name

Date

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12 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

We live in a special place. As a deeply committed community partner, the Truckee Tahoe Airport District cares about our environment and we work diligently to minimize the airport’s impact on the region. From new ADS-B technology, to using electric vehicles on the airfield, and preserving more than 1,600 acres of open space land, the District will continue to seek the most sustainable way of operating.

Photo by Anders Clark, Disciples of Flight

GOING GREEN TO KEEP OUR REGION BLUE.

Green Initiatives Over the past five years, we’ve developed a number of initiatives that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and keep our community clean and blue.

Connected by More Than A Runway

New flight tracking program (ADS-B) allows for more efficient flying

Open-space land acquisitions for public use

Energy-efficient hangar lighting

Electric vehicles & E-bikes used on field

Land management plan for forest health and wildfire prevention

Implementation of Greenhouse Gas Inventory & GHG Emission Reduction Plan

Learn more at: truckeetahoeairport.com www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 13

npoa

ncsd update Think Before You Flush

Flush and Forget: it seems easy to dispose of almost anything in the toilet or down the drain. However, there can be costly and unhealthy consequences to sending the wrong items down the sewer pipe. Many items can clog your toilet and/or create sewage backups into your home or your neighborhood. They can also cause significant damage to pipes, pumps, and other wastewater treatment equipment. Certain items are worse than others and should be avoided at all costs.

Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG)

When Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) go down the drain, it builds up in the pipes causing obstructions. Restriction of flow can result in an unwanted discharge of sewer waste known as a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO).

• Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) + Food Waste = Obstructed Sewer Pipes • Obstructed Sewer Pipes = Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) • SSOs = Threat to the Health of the Community and Environment

absorbent nature which makes them expand quickly. These products also contain cotton which snags easily on pipe joints or where roots infiltrate sewer pipes. Within a few flushes these sanitary products can create serious issues.

Cotton Balls & Swabs

It might seem like these tiny bathroom items would just get soggy and eventually break down, but they don’t. As mentioned above, cotton snags easily and can cause issues in the sewer system.

Paper Towels and Napkins

Paper towels are not designed to break down in water like toilet paper. Flushing them can result in blockages and expensive home plumbing problems.

Help Notify Us

If you see water and/or sewage bubbling up from a manhole or pooling in a grassy area, please report it immediately by calling the Northstar Community Services District at (530) 562-0747.

SSOs are trouble for everyone. They contain harmful bacteria that are unhealthy for people and pets. They also pose a threat to downstream waterways and ecosystems.

Diapers

Flushing diapers is more common than you might think, and they will easily clog a toilet or an outgoing sewer line.

Disposable diapers should always go in the trash. A single diaper flushed down the toilet can create a huge problem as they are made from a material that is designed to expand when contacting water. The Northstar Community Services District operations team frequently unblocks sewer pipes that are clogged with diapers which is not a pleasant job.

Disinfecting Wipes

Disinfecting wipes, including baby wipes and “flushable wipes”, should be properly disposed of in the trash, not the toilet. In truth, there is no such thing as a flushable wipe. These wipes do not break down in sewer systems and frequently cause clogs and backups. Disinfecting wipes and baby wipes should never be flushed.

Tampons and Sanitary Napkins

Flushing tampons and sanitary napkins frequently cause clogs and sewage backups both in the home and public sewer systems. Like disposable diapers, these items have an

14 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

Best Practices to Prevent Sanitary Sewer Overflows In the Home • Never pour grease down sinks, drains, or the toilet.

• Collect cooking fats, oils, and grease (FOG) into a container and dispose of them in the garbage.

• Before washing, wipe FOG from pans with a paper towel.

Restaurants and Building Owners • Recycle grease and oil.

• Dry wipe pots, pans, and dishware prior to washing.

• Do not pour FOG down sinks, floor drains, or onto a parking lot or street.

• Use a grease trap or interceptor that is designed, installed, and maintained correctly.

• Catch food scraps with baskets or strainers in sink drains.

Throw scraps in the garbage.

• Never put solids into grease traps or interceptors.

• Toilet paper is the only sanitary item that should be flushed down the toilet.

• Provide regular training to employees on proper disposal of FOG.

• Check and maintain grease traps regularly.

• Toilet paper is the only sanitary item that should be flushed down the toilet.

Mike Staudenmayer, NCSD General Manager

www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 15

npoa

fitness corner • Reduces melanoma (skin cancer) by over 72% • Improves digestion • Increases immune system function • Prevents up to 47% of cognitive impairment, 62% of Alzheimer’s • Enhances learning by 12 times • Decreases depression by 20%, including relapses • Decreases stress, body fat, weight gain Taking the stairs rather than the elevators with make a big

difference. Did you know that climbing stairs burns more calories per minute than jogging?

Quality Is Better Than Quantity

With the current situation closing a lot of gyms, here are a few ways of staying in shape doing easy exercises:

The first thing is, the world is moving towards digitalization.

If you can find some basic fitness equipment (Light dumbbells, a stability ball and jump rope can all be used for a great homeworkout.)

It has become quite easy to find work out videos on the computer

You can always be creative and use water bottles or such for light

virtually attend them (you can pause them, you can rewind, etc.)

of your furniture to help you do that too, for example box squats or

or TV. These routines give you so much flexibility, as you can

Walk when possible.

weights. You can use them to do curls or squats. You can use some step-up on chairs.

Walking is the MOST underrated exercise. You can listen to music,

You have so many body weight exercises available to you: Planks,

According to Mike Escobar, in “Fitness: the forgotten nutrient”, he

you. You can do some leg raises while watching tv or washing the

podcasts, you can bring your dog, friends, and make it a fun walk.

push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, step-ups etc, are all amazing for

describes that walking 30 minutes a day:

dishes. Cleaning or re-organizing the house is actually a great way

• Prevents up to 91% cases of obesity, type II diabetes

to get moving.

• Prevents up to 50% of all cases of heart disease • Normalizes blood pressure, reduces risk of developing high blood pressure

Guillaume Tonelli, Tennis Director

• Reduces risk of breast cancer by up to 60%

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• Reduces lung cancer, even in smokers, by 72%

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16 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

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npoa

northstar golf

L-R: Margie Lockwood, Karen Olin, Linda Moore and Claudia Young, ready to drive to the first tee, take off their face masks for a photo opportunity. (July 2020)

Northstar Women's Golf Club Members Enjoy A "Social Distancing" Golf Season

By Anne Middleton

The Northstar Women’s Golf Club (NWGC) started its weekly

Tuesday Play Days when the Northstar Golf Course opened in

play with us on Tuesdays, so call Anne ahead of time to be placed in one of our Tuesday pairings.

NWGC members range from those with long-established

handicaps – to those who did not have a handicap before joining NWGC. So, if you’re thinking about establishing a handicap

mid-July. With continued Coronavirus concerns, it was a very

different golf season – masks required until we reached the first tee, then we followed “social distancing” guidelines and stayed six feet apart from our fellow golfers.

The Northstar Golf Course staff did a great job at keeping things safe and sanitized for those of us who enjoyed playing until the course closed on October 11. Each player had her own cart

unless she chose to walk the course. Golf carts were cleaned and

disinfected after each use. Masks were required in the clubhouse and at “the turn” restaurant. There was no touching or removal

of flagsticks. Bunkers were played as “ground under repair,” and

there were no rakes. “Gimmies” were encouraged on the putting green to reduce crowding near the hole. All common areas,

restrooms and the Pro Shop were cleaned and disinfected. Hand sanitizers were available for public use and located in common areas.

There was no Club Championship this year, as we weren’t able

to meet in larger groups. All are hopeful that the Northstar Golf

Course will open earlier next year – and that we’ll resume a more normal course of play, with the opportunity to participate in a Club Championship and to interact more socially.

While our 2020 golf season ended in mid-October, prospective members can obtain information about the NWGC during the year by contacting Anne Middleton, NWGC President, at 858-

229-2140 or anne.middleton@me.com. Guests are welcome to

18 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

L-R: Anne Middleton, Sandy Campion, Heidi Wilbert, Carol Pawlak, Marian Hansen and Kathryn Jaeger greet one another before joining their golf pairings. (July 2020) for the first time, come do it with us at Northstar in 2021. In

Our ladies’ group is friendly yet plays by USGA rules – while

Northern Nevada Golf Association (NNGA), GHIN handicap

course, in pre-coronavirus times NWGC members enjoyed

2020, NWGC annual dues of $70 included: membership in the services and reduced green fees at Northstar on NWGC Play Days (Tuesday mornings).

enjoying a beautiful golf course. While Northstar is a public

amenities more common at private clubs – a convenient bag

drop, talented golf professionals who offer individual and group

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Liberty Utilities determining if weather conditions warrant a PSPS. Liberty Utilities has deployed weather stations throughout the service area,

collaborates with a fire and weather scientific consultant, with

the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada, and with local fire

officials to monitor real time local weather conditions to evaluate if and when a PSPS is required to limit wildfire risk.

No single factor will drive a PSPS, as it takes a combination of

factors reaching or exceeding a set limit to initiate a PSPS. Some of these factors include:

• Low Humidity Levels – Potential fuels are more likely to ignite when there is a lower amount of water vapor in the air.

• Forecast Sustained Winds & Gusts – High winds can result in

several factors that may cause a fire to ignite. Sustained winds

can also cause the fire to spread and even throw embers into the

Public Safety Power Shutoff Preparing for the Possibility

Liberty Utilities is working year-round to mitigate the risk of a wildfire caused by electrical infrastructure. While we are

making great strides addressing the safety and reliability of our grid, extreme fire conditions may still warrant preemptive de-

energization measures, also referred to as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Therefore, planning for and knowing what to

expect from a PSPS should be part of your wildfire protection and preparedness efforts.

What Constitutes Extreme Fire Weather?

A PSPS is reserved for times when fire weather conditions are at

their most extreme and de-energizing a portion of the electrical grid is the prudent decision to best protect our customers, communities, and the environment.

air and create additional fires.

• Dry Fuel Conditions – Trees and other vegetation act as fuel for

wildfires. Fuels with low moisture levels ignite easily and spread rapidly as no heat energy is wasted trying to drive water out of the fuel.

• Red Flag Warnings – Issued by the National Weather Service to alert of the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather or dry

conditions that would lead to swift increases in wildfire activity.

How Will We Know if a PSPS is Activated?

Advance notification is critical in any PSPS scenario and Liberty will alert customers, public safety partners, and others at the

earliest opportunity. When possible, Liberty will directly notify customers of a PSPS approximately 48 hours before power is shut off, 24 hours before power is shut off, just before power is shut off, during the PSPS and once power has safely been

restored. Direct notification is the best, most effective way to keep

Many of the same factors that are used by Fire Agencies to determine a Red Flag warning are also considered when

customers apprised of a PSPS event. We strongly encourage every customer to call Liberty at 1.800.782.2506 to confirm their contact

npoa election results 2020 Annual Board Of Directors Results Election of Three Directors * Sue Cordonnier Stuart Feigin * Steve Klei Al Roth * Paul Schumacher

460 221 333 199 383

Standing Special Resolution

For 450 Against 7 Total Votes

457

20 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

Quorum Summary

Total Valid Ballots Received Eligible Properties Required Quorum 10%

Other Information

Total Ballots Received Disqualified Ballots

613 1,480 148 632 19

information is up to date. If you have a loved one with access and

functional needs, help them update their contact information and consider adding yourself as a secondary contact.

In addition to direct PSPS notifications and updates, Liberty Utilities will post detailed outage information at www.libertyutilities.com, as well as on Facebook (@LibertyUtilitiesLT) and Twitter (@LibertyUtil_ CA).

Knowing if a PSPS event is coming, how long it will last, and who

it will affect is an important first step in being prepared for, and in staying safe and comfortable should a PSPS event occur.

How do I Prepare?

Once you have ensured your contact information is up to date, PSPS preparation is not much different than any power outage

preparation. Customers should consider the following to ensure their homes, businesses and families are prepared:

• Plan for medical needs that may be impacted by a power shutoff, including medications that need refrigeration or devices that

supplies and maps of the local area. For additional emergency kit necessities, consult Ready.gov.

• Store non-perishable foods and water to support your family and pets for a minimum of 48 hours.

• Keep a full tank of gas in your vehicle as gas stations may be affected by a power outage

• Keep cash available as ATMs and credit card machines may be unavailable during a power outage.

• Be sure phones and other critical electronic devices are charged and consider investing in a backup battery or power source, potentially one that can recharge with solar.

Liberty Utilities’ top priority is the safety of customers and our communities, and we will take every precaution to keep our

beautiful region safe from the risk of wildfire. To learn more about

our wildfire mitigation programs, customers are encouraged to call 1.800.782.2506 or visit LibertyUtilities.com.

require power. Be sure to register any medical-related energy needs at 1.800.782.2506.

• Create an emergency kit including flashlights, batteries, first aid

Article written by Lee Kiolbasa Emergency manager, Liberty Utitlities

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www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 21

Condominium Updates

Aspen Grove

What a year we have experienced!! First, the skiing was cut short and then NPOA was closed for some time due to COVID-19.

However, with due diligence NPOA was finally able to open and has done a remarkable job in the midst of a pandemic.

The Aspen Grove Community is located in close proximity to the NPOA Recreation Center and the Northstar Village. The above improvements are intended to enhance our enjoyment of this beautiful area.

At Aspen Grove we have had a very busy summer season.

Despite needing to cancel our annual homeowner’s cleanup of our common areas, the Northstar Fire Department has been proceeding with work on our defensible space. We have also been able to proceed with many of our other ongoing projects.

We have finished the final phase of our re-staining project and have removed the stainless-steel chimneys from the Tower Buildings. We finished the second phase of our foundation repairs and have started replacing our old asphalt pathways with new paver pathways. These new pathways will have more steps than the former pathways, but this was necessary to meet code.

Alternatives for highlighting the steps and additional pathway lighting are currently under consideration. This project will not only enhance the aesthetics of our community but will also address safety concerns. The paver project will take another year to complete.

All new signage has been installed throughout the Aspen Grove Community, but we have been delayed in installing the two new monument signs. These last two signs should be installed before winter. The Aspen Grove Board is also considering installing automatic gates at the entrance to both the Aspen Grove and Silver Strike parking lots. This decision should be made by the time this article is published. Parking lot resurfacing is also under consideration.

Finally, as soon as the remaining foundation work is completed, alternatives for covering the bare cinder block throughout the Aspen Grove Community are being explored and bids are currently being collected.

Gold Bend

With many improvement projects underway, there has been a great deal of activity at Gold Bend this summer. The three-year re-roofing of all of our buildings was completed in July. Don’t they look great? Also, our parking lots were re-paved in early September.

Defensible space work, which is vital to fire prevention, continues in earnest. Besides the clearing of brush and pine needles, removal of tree limbs and some shrubs, certain trees are being pruned or removed to increase the defensible space distance from the structures and between groups of trees.

In addition, the project focused on the reconditioning and staining of our buildings also continues. Many of the buildings will be completed this year but work on some buildings will carry over until next year. Our painting contractor has developed a process utilizing a new product that provides greater protection to the cedar siding, while also enhancing the wood’s appearance. And

22 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

with the completion of the roofing project we should see fewer incidents of darkened areas on siding caused by runoff from the roofs. This, in turn, simplifies the cedar siding maintenance.

The painter has also been contracted to paint the foundations of the buildings, which will enhance their overall appearance. This work will be done in conjunction with the staining of the buildings.

The photo depicts how they will look compared to the way they are currently. The paint color will be the same color that is on the doors to the outside storage closets.

We hope you plan to join the Annual Homeowners Meeting on November 14th. You will be receiving more information about the meeting, as well as a ballot to vote in the upcoming Board of Director’s election, soon.

Indian Hills

We have all been experiencing the stress and anxiety of the COVID-19 public health emergency and coping with it as best we can. One of the best things we can do is get outside and exercise at the level that we are able to. Indian Hills, and all of Northstar, was the destination this summer and fall for people to escape their normal routine and enjoy the mountains.

This summer was different with the smoke from wildfires making even the simple joy of walking the trails in woods a challenge.

Even with the challenge of smoke and changing levels of services available people came to enjoy the area. So many people that we have experienced new challenges of higher occupancy! The most noticeable is the amount of trash we generate. Many owners are staying at Indian Hills for longer and doing improvements to their properties. Many renters are arriving with more in their party, and party they do, creating more noise, more trash and more nuisance to the quiet mountain lifestyle we all came here for.

The trash issue was compounded by the Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal (TTSD) conducting an audit that has reduced the dumpster capacity in our community. Based on a formula of a 32 gallon can per dwelling unit, TTSD decided that we had too many dumpsters and too large a capacity. The same thing occurred at the NPOA Continued on page 24

www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 23

Condominium Updates Continued from page 23 Community Dumpster Area. Indian Hills HOA has set up an account with TTSD to arrange for additional pick-ups and additional capacity of our dumpster that will cost us approximately $17,000 a year. In addition, at the NPOA Annual meeting we learned that NCSD too will be paying extra for additional capacity, which we pay for in our property taxes. This means Indian Hills Homeowners, pay for condo trash pick-up in our property tax, pay for additional pick-ups from our HOA fees and now more of our taxes paid to NCSD will go for additional capacity at the community dumpster area .

Past perception was that all NPOA members paid for all garbage disposal, and to some extent that was correct. However, now with the limitation of 32 gallons per unit and the capacity of dumpsters to match our number of condos, the use of the dumpsters by single family homes becomes a problem. It appears that only about 10% of homes have bear boxes for curbside pick-up. That leaves 90% of the homes with the option to use the community dumpsters or the condo dumpsters. While we really like our single-family homeowners in our neighborhoods, we would ask that you arrange with TTSD for curbside pick-up, using a bear box, or use the community dumpster area and not the condo dumpsters.

NPOA owners to continue to communicate with the Board on the issues important to us. There are no condo owners on the NPOA Board and it is understandable that the Board views issues through the eyes of single family homeowners. There is a NPOA Condo Committee that is working to raise awareness for our issues, and we encourage condo owners to be active in their own HOA as well as NPOA. COVID19 and wildfires present huge challenges to us all and we will get though this together. We will not be going back to what was but going forward to what can be!

Indian Hills Owners gathered for our Annual Meeting on Zoom, practicing good physical distancing and good video conferencing etiquette (mute when not speaking, keep your camera on, remember people can see you!). We also had to shift the format of our Annual Homeowner Breakfast and home tour. This year it was a virtual breakfast with people sharing their favorite breakfast item and beverage. The home tour this year was limited to a virtual visit and in person, with proper mask and physical distancing, of the prototype deck that has been installed at 6059 Rocky Point. You can see the deck from the outside from Bear Trap or contact Jim & Lee Kooler (onenorthstar@gmail.com) and they will be happy to show it to you if they are there. This project is being explored by the Board to update our decks to current standards. All who visited were pleased with what they saw, and further information will be provided to the owners on the next steps.

Northstar Club —An Employee Perspective

At our Annual Homeowners Meeting, the membership re-elected Tim Irvin and Bryan Miller to serve two more years on the Board. The Board has moved to maintain the slate of officers that have been serving our Community: Gail Riggins - President, Bryan Miller - Vice President, Rod Dutton -Secretary, Tim Irvin – Treasurer, and Jim Kooler – Member at- large. Our budget has been presented, with an optimistic level of funding for snow removal and a wish for a great ski season. Thank you to all who participated in the meeting and the service of the Board.

Club. Locals wished for more snow as we all had our fingers

Kudos to the NPOA staff for adapting to the working conditions during COVID to maximize our opportunities to enjoy the Recreation Center. Members and guests are reminded to wear masks with entering and when using the workout facilities. Thank you also to the NPOA Board for their service. It is important for owners in the five-condo association, which represent 45% of the

Beginning in November of 2019, I was in awe with the beauty and pleasantry of Northstar Club. I had recently moved from Texas to

Reno, and I was unsure on where to get started until Northstar Club hired me with friendly, open arms. It didn’t take long to acclimate

to this new lifestyle. At the time, I had thought of this as a seasonal job where I could enjoy the snow and daily drive for the winter. I

was happy to take on more than just a ‘front desk’ position, having

a good time with our complimentary breakfasts, happy hours, and activities! The kitchen area filled with excited faces ready to take on the ski day. The kids piled in to decorate Christmas themed cookies. Our members & guests gathered to share stories and

laughs. I’ve never in my life seen a happier environment - from staff to members it has always felt so warm and welcoming in Northstar crossed for Miracle March. As the months passed, March arrived and it was not as we expected. After 20 years of being open,

Northstar Club & its members experienced the first ever closure. It

was almost 3 months before we opened again, and stepping back into the nearly empty building felt strange. We all returned ready

to take the steps needed in having Northstar Club running again, while keeping everyone happy & healthy. It’s been a pleasure

brainstorming new ideas on how to accommodate for the services

we offered before. When we deliver happy hour surprises, we hear the ‘oohs and ahhs’ and it is so rewarding to know that everyone is

pleased. Our team continues to grow, understand, take precaution and have fun in everything new that we are implementing. As we

ease into this winter season, our team is ready to see what is next.

24 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

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Condominium Updates Continued from page 24

Ski Trails

their Reno retail stores. Keep an eye out for a letter explaining all

prepare for winter, there will certainly be many new things we will

modem – it will continue to work, but only at the slower speed.

Our “interesting” summer has now come and gone, and as we

need to get used to besides wearing masks. Topping the list will

be Vail’s new reservation policy for skiing. We’re all very interested to see how well this will work.

Our annual homeowners meeting this past September was held as

a virtual, online-only event for the first time, and it went surprisingly well. A big virtual “thank you” to those who attended.

The big news from the meeting was our newly negotiated deal for

faster Internet speeds, up from our current 25 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) to 400 Gbit/s. The increase in speed also comes with a slight reduction in monthly costs – yes, you read it right, that’s

‘reduction’. We can thank our newly elected board member Mike Kim for negotiating the deal.

One thing you will need to do to take advantage of the faster

speed is to replace your current cable modem with a new, faster model. Again, the good news here is that Charter, our cable

provider, has agreed to provide the new equipment free of charge.

We’re working with them now to make it more convenient for our owners to get the equipment – the alternative is to visit one of

the details. We should note you don’t have to swap out your old Charter says they will need to upgrade some wiring in our

buildings to support the faster speeds, but we’re trying to make that happen before winter sets in, something COVID-19 has

complicated a bit more than usual. Stayed tuned and keep your fingers crossed.

We’ve made some progress on a new monument sign we’re

hoping to place at or near the entrance to our property. It’s been complicated by the need to survey the property boundaries. It’s unlikely we’ll get much beyond that before the snows set in, so hopefully we’ll get started with construction next spring.

Finally, several other projects this past summer have been completed, including the installation of the pebble epoxy

overlays at all building entrances and the replacement of a couple sets of stairs. Another big one was the clearing of many trees,

branches and shrubs to create defensible space. This, too, will

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26 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

Truckee River Watershed Council

Martis Creek during restoration: we’re restoring the meandering stream, increasing the creek’s access to the meadow floodplain, and allowing water to flow over the banks during high flows. This recharges ground water, creates cooler temperatures for fish habitat, enhances wildlife habitat, and slows the flow of sediment downstream for cleaner water.

Martis Wildlife Area By the Truckee River Watershed Council A Floodplain Reconnected, A Landscape Revived

The Martis Wildlife Area encompasses one of our area’s breathtaking – and environmentally significant – meadow wetlands. Our restoration project is restoring 70 acres of meadow and 2 miles of stream as well as planting native grasses and plants. Our work helps prepare this treasured area to be resilient from the effects of wildfires, droughts, and floods. You will see a greener, wetter, and wilder meadow in the future.

California Resort, and Northstar Community Service District.

Thank you to the funders who are making this work possible the donors of the Truckee River Watershed Council, Bella Vista Foundation, California Department of Fish and Wildlife via Prop 1, The Martis Fund, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Martis Creek before restoration (on the north side of Highway 267): a straight channel, disconnected from the meadow surface, with limited ability for water to spread out across the meadow, leaving the meadow drier, and surface waters disconnected from surrounding groundwater.

To learn more about this restoration project and others, go to: www.Meadowsforever.org @TruckeeRiverWatershedCouncil @trwcnews Visit our website to learn more about the Truckee River Watershed Council www.truckeeriverwc.org

It takes a dedicated team to do what we do. Thank you to our partners – the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northstar

www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 27

npoa

fire department violations decided to mitigate their

Defensible space mitigation work is

properties this year – instead of waiting

different than the periodic work that an

until next season to meet compliance

owner hires a landscaper to perform. Feel

statutes. The Northstar Fire Department

free to contact the fire department as well.

greatly appreciates your efforts in reducing the fire hazards to your property as well as to your surrounding neighbors.

not to complete their mitigation work

Wolf Tree, White Fire, Conifer, Lodgepole,

(correcting all violations) this season, the

Bitter Brush, and Whistle Punk. The fire

Northstar Fire Department would like to

department will inspect all properties on

remind you that you have until October

the aforementioned streets, and owners

1st, 2021 of next season, to bring your

will be given 30 days to bring their

properties under compliance. Typically,

properties under compliance should they

property owners are only given 30 days

have violations that must be corrected.

to comply and bring their properties

Seasonal Burn Ban Should Be Lifted Hopefully Soon!

extra twelve months to comply. The fire department will return to all properties that in violation of the defensible space codes/ statutes in the Spring of 2021. If we find a property to be out of compliance after October 1st, 2021, the fire department will have no other recourse but to begin enforcement proceedings. To see a copy of our District's Defensible Space ordinance (NCSD #35-19) and discover Abatement and Enforcement proceedings, please go to the following web address: https://www.northstarcsd.org/fire-codes.

The fire department highly recommends that you contact a contractor at the BEGINNING OF NEXT SEASON (as early

The Northstar Fire Department is finishing-

as May of 2021) to make sure that they

up its defensible space compliance

can perform the mitigation work in time to

inspecting and enforcing for the 2020

meet the deadline.

Season. It was a very productive season.

Over 350 properties were inspected for compliance. And, the fire department discovered that many of the owners who were found to have defensible space

that you will be a part of next year's 2021 focus area: Basque Drive, Skidder Trail,

pandemic, homeowners were granted an

Defensible Space Inspections & Mitigation Work Coming To An End

owners on the following streets know

For those property owners that chose

under compliance. However, in light of the

What is allowed and not allowed when Northstar's Seasonal Burn Ban is in effect.

Lastly, we would like to let the property

If you'd like to find out more information regarding defensible space, please consider going to our website at https:// www.northstarcsd.org/defensible-space.

28 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

On June 15th, 2020, the Seasonal

Burn Ban went into effect. The ban legally prohibits the burning of solid fuels regardless if you are a single/ multi-family residence or commercial property/business. Usually, the burn ban is lifted each year in late October or early November. Continue to check the Northstar Fire Department website to discover when the burn ban is lifted.

Important! If you are a Short Term Rental Owner‌ Placer County has permanently banned all outdoor solid fuel burning yearround (365 days) for all Short-Term Rentals (STR). At no time (regardless of the day, month or time of the year) is a STR allowed to burn solid fuels. For more information regarding this STR requirement, please visit www.placer.ca.gov/6109/Short-TermRental-Program.

For more information regarding our District's unique burn restrictions, please visit www.northstarcsd.org/ BurnRestrictions.

Fire Department to begin Short Term Rental (STR) Fire & Life Safety Inspections

AS they receive such an inspection before

weathered storms taking shape, October

March 31st, 2023. If a fire & life safety

is always a good month to prep your

inspection has not been performed by this

indoor fireplace so that you can safely

The Northstar Fire Department is gearing

date, the STR owner's permit will not be

conduct those routine fires during the

up to begin performing Fire & Life

renewed, and the property can't be rented

cold, blustery days. Have you had your

Safety Inspections of Short-Term Rentals

as an STR.

fireplace and chimney inspected by a

sometime in December or January this winter.

To request a fire & life safety inspection of your STR, please visit www.northstarcsd.

Placer County passed a Short-Term Rental

org/ShortTermRentalInformation. Once

(STR) Ordinance that includes Northstar.

you are signed up, an inspector will

The ordinance requires the Northstar Fire

contact you to schedule an appointment.

Department perform one fire & life safety

The inspector should be contacting you

inspection on all STRs every three years.

sometime in December 2020 or January of

There are approximately 800 STRs in our

2021. Inspections will be scheduled in the

District.

order they were received.

The lack of a fire & life safety inspection will

Preparing for Indoor Fires

not hold up the STR permit process. The owner can still rent out the home AS LONG

As the temperatures begin to cool and

licensed contractor to check for an unsafe amount of creosote build-up in your chimney's flue? Have you examined the firebox and looked for any cracks, gaps, or signs of wear in the lining? How are the doors or the screen that prevents embers from escaping the fireplace look? Is your fireplace grate the right size or in need of replacing? A chimney fire can be very scary and destructive, so please take the time to make sure your fireplace (or, wood stove) is in good working condition.

the possibility of those late-Fall, cold-

www.npoa.info | Fall 2020 | 29

Weed Warriors of Northstar From left to right: Bryan Miller, Linda Oakland, David Welch and Marilyn Forni.

Thanks to The Truckee River Watershed Council and the US Forest Service, we can access a document that identifies

non-native plants. For help visit: www.

truckeeriverwc.org/wp-content/images/ documents/TNFWB_Web8-7-09.pdf If you would like to verify weed

identification, contact Kathy Welch,

510.332.7913. To report a weed to Placer County: Michael Plotz, Placer County

Agriculture Department, 530.889.7372 or

Once A Weed Warrior Always a Weed Warrior

mplotz@placer.ca.gov placed in dumpsters without the danger of

By Kathy Welch

spreading weeds further.

Just as we were planning the seventh

Community members also addressed

intervened. With this challenge came

flowering stalks of Poison Hemlock

annual Northstar Day, a global pandemic

Poison Hemlock. By removing the

opportunity.

before seed dispersal, we prevented the

During previous Northstar Days,

Hemlock seeds. Thanks to previous efforts

Homeowners joined forces with the

Management Groups at Northstar and

focused on controlling Bull Thistle and

Poison Hemlock. Both of these non-native invasive plants live only two years. The

dissemination of thousands of Poison

near the creek behind the Aspen Grove

Condominium complex, we have greatly

reduced the populations of this poisonous plant.

first year they form a rosette; the second

As Weed Warriors worked in the field,

which sets and disperses thousands of

plants that are almost impossible to

die. Fortunately, seeds already in the soil

up, we invariably leave root fragments

very successful in mechanically controlling

we recorded populations of Canada

Northstar Day.

clipped off the flowering plants at the

This year it was up to Individuals to

then relayed that information to the Placer

year, the rosettes produce a flowering stalk

they noticed perennial non-native invasive

seeds per plant. These biennial plants then

mechanically remove. If we dig them

only live about three years. We have been

which generate new plants. This year

these in the past during our annual

Thistle and Spotted Knapweed in flower,

continue the effort. We removed Bull

Thistle rosettes and placed them in the

sun to wither and die. Later in the year, we clipped off Bull Thistle flowering stalks,

placed them in plastic bags, and solarized them until seeds decomposed (@1-2

months). After solarization these bags were

base, bagged and solarized them. We County Agriculture Dept. They have

worked with Northstar for many years in

controlling class A & B noxious weeds, but they do not have the personnel to scout

the 7,000 acres in Northstar. Our job is to find the populations and report them to the county. Placer County does the rest.

30 | Northstar Living | News Magazine of the Northstar Property Owners Association

Success in most endeavors requires

persistence and cooperation. Even in

a pandemic the Northstar Community

continues its work in the control of nonnative invasive plants.

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News Magazine Of the Northstar Property Owners Association 2200 North Village Drive Truckee, CA 96161