Issaquah Highlands Connections
Summer 2021
5
On the cover: IHCA landscape and maintenance staff members stand in the Vista Community Garden, which received some upgraded planter boxes this year. Pictured: (Front row) Lyle Dickey, Landscape Manager; Matthew Hendrikse, Maintenance Manager; Jesus Naranjo, Tony Gaytan, Julio Lievano. (Middle row) Jaime Portillo, Esteban Jimenez, Brennan Dickey. (Back row) Spencer Dickey, Fidel Alfaro. Not pictured: Dan Adams, Pedro Galvez. Photo by Katie Cannon, Highlands Council.
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A Letter from the Board of Directors As we prepare to welcome new members to the Issaquah Highlands Community Association (IHCA) Board of Directors, we all feel a great deal of excitement and renewed energy around what we can accomplish in our community. This will be a year of reflection and change for the board as we say “goodbye” to Jim Young, who has loyally served as board president for the past 11 years. While navigating how to best serve our community during an unprecedented health crisis has been challenging, we all continue to be inspired by how the members of this community stepped up to help one another. That inspiration is our driving force moving forward into our next chapter. The IHCA board is committed to listening to your feedback. We want to better engage with Issaquah Highlands homeowners and provide greater transparency into the decisions affecting the community. The IHCA recently launched a mobile app we encourage everyone to download (see page 19). Our favorite feature is the one-click “Ask the IHCA” button where you can conveniently ask the IHCA staff members questions, provide feedback, or report concerns. We want to hear from you and hope having this tool at your fingertips makes that easier. You can also engage directly with the board member serving your district.
his year’s Issaquah Highlands Community Association (IHCA) board election was an important one and the IHCA team is excited to work with the newly elected and tenured board members on setting additional goals for this community. At the same time, the IHCA is completing the final transition with the master developer, Port Blakely.
by Sarah Hoey IHCA Executive Director
Port Blakely’s vision for this community unfolded into what we see in Issaquah Highlands today. We have reached the maximum allowable development in the community. The transition from Port Blakely also involves bringing the custom architectural review (CARC) process inhouse, including all maintenance, operational, administration, current construction oversight, and future architectural review processing for vacant parcels and residential developments. This year, we are also excited to start park upgrades (read more on page 18).
Jim Young
With these changes, we start a new chapter together as a community. I feel honored to continue to work on behalf of this community and guide it into the future. A heartfelt thank you to Jim Young, IHCA board president for the past 11 years, for his professional support of the IHCA team. He will be missed.
— Sarah Hoey
IHCA Executive Director
As the summer months approach, we continue to focus on our five-year park improvement project, increase visibility at crosswalks, discuss safety in the community, prepare our master budget, and continue to review an unprecedented amount of home improvement applications.
New Staff Hires & Promotions
The board would like to extend a tremendous amount of thanks to all the IHCA staff for their continued dedication to the community. And thank you to our neighbors for lifting one another up and showing why the Issaquah Highlands is a wonderful place to call home. With gratitude,
Elizabeth Parker Gregg Elizabeth Parker Gregg, on behalf of the IHCA Board of Directors
Esteban Jimenez joined the
IHCA’s landscaping team in the spring as a groundskeeper, committed to keeping Issaquah Highlands beautiful.
Longstanding landscape team member Julio Lievano was promoted to landscape foreman. Julio has devoted 11 years of hard work to this community.