Governing Document Updates

Thank you to everyone who attended the August Town Hall. All live feedback from the Town Hall and all emailed feedback has been integrated into the governing documents. 

Community Feedback Updates

The largest change is moving three attorney recommended improvements that are not directly tied to WUCIOA (Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act - RCW 64.90) to an Option B of the Bylaw second amendments. Bylaw Option A now only includes WUCIOA related changes. The Covenant third amendment is unchanged as all changes are tied directly to WUCIOA. A community member also identified conflicting interest rates across governing documents for collections. This has been corrected and aligned across documents.  

Previous changes not tied to WUCIOA compliance now included only in Option B

4.5.3, facility/service restrictions: This is primarily a clarification to the existing enforcement process, tying restrictions for violations to the hearing process already provided in the Bylaws.

6.7, Treasurer duties: This is an operational/governance update. It changes the Treasurer's role from personally keeping the Association's books to overseeing and reviewing the finances, which avoids placing all financial administration with one volunteer officer.

11.3, Family definition: Removing the existing “Family” definition is a cleanup/governance recommendation, not a WUCIOA requirement.

Covenants Cleanup

We learned recently that the current Covenants on the Snowline website are not what is recorded with Whatcom County. The version of the Covenants that includes the third amendment includes all previously recorded Covenant amendments. We are calling this out because it may cause confusion if community members compare the 1997 Covenant document on the website to the third amendment of the Covenants. 

Single Documents

Finally, we worked with Snowline’s attorney to create single collated versions of both the Covenants and Bylaws to simplify readability and application of both documents. All new amendments and previously passed amendments will be incorporated into a single document for each governing document. These files are now available in the Member section of the website. If both Option A and Option B of the Bylaws pass, a new Bylaw document will be created containing both changes. 

Reminder: The formal review will be held at the September 27, 2026, 6:30pm PST Board meeting. 

Request for Volunteers for AGM

Snowline needs at least two community members to act as election officials and one member to act as Parliamentarian. Election officials cannot be on the Board, running for the Board, or have a conflict of interest. The parliamentarian should have a strong understanding of Robert's Rules of Order and be able to facilitate the room and Zoom attendees during the AGM. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact us at secretary@snowlinecc.com. 

We are also looking for a volunteer to coordinate a potluck for after the AGM. If we aren’t able to find a volunteer for the potluck, we may only be offering beverages for the post AGM happy hour. If you are interested in leading the potluck, please contact us at secretary@snowlinecc.com. 

Snowline Community Document Folder: https://www.snowlinecc.com/file-share/2be62bea-c428-429b-8127-def10ae81fa0

FAQs

Q: What if these governing documents don’t pass at the 2026 AGM? 

A: On January 1st 2028, all of these changes will apply to Snowline as imposed by Washington State, regardless of Snowline's action, the same as all other HOAs in Washington State. Snowline could again submit these same versions for a vote in 2027 or 2028 to align Snowline’s governing documents with Washington. If Snowline’s governing documents continue to conflict with WUCIOA and Washington RCWs, legal advice may be required to understand which Snowline governing document guidance is overruled by WUCIOA. 

Q: How can I cast my votes?

A: In the AGM Packet being sent mid-September, there will be a link to ElectionBuddy (same as last year) and a pre-addressed mail-in ballot allowing you to choose your preferred way of voting. At the AGM, there will be a third option of ballots for you to use to vote if you choose. Ultimately, it’ll be your choice which one of the three mechanisms to use to vote. 

Q: How many votes are required to pass the Covenants and what is the quorum for passing the Covenants? 

A: Snowline has 287 voting lots and a 30% quorum must be met for modifying the Covenants. There is a special allowance for a lower threshold than normal for Covenants due to a provision allowing communities to pass WUCIOA-only changes early to align with 2028 WUCIOA (RCW 64.90.370). To get a quorum for the Covenants amendment, we need 87 lots to vote and at least 59 of those lots must vote Yes. If more lots than 87 vote, we’d need subsequently higher Yes votes to equal 67% or higher to pass the Covenants update.

Q: How many votes are required to pass the Bylaws and what is the quorum for passing the Bylaws? 

A: Snowline has 287 voting lots and a 15% quorum must be met for a standard meeting of the members, and Bylaw amendments can be adopted by a 67% or higher vote of the quorum present. To get a quorum for the Bylaws amendment, we need 44 lots to vote and at least 30 of those lots must vote Yes. If more lots than 44 lots vote, we’d need subsequently higher Yes votes to equal 67% or higher to pass. 

Q: What happens if I vote for Yes for both Bylaw options?

A: If only Option A passes, then only WUCIOA revisions are made. If only Option B passes, then just those 3 non-WUCIOA revisions are made. If both A and B pass, both sets of revisions will be made to a single Bylaw document.

Q: What happens if only the Bylaw Option A (WUCIOA-related changes) passes and the Covenants don’t pass - or vice versa?

A: Snowline’s attorney advised that having the Bylaws WUCIOA amendment (Option A) pass while the Covenant Declaration WUCIOA amendment failed would lead to a confusing mixed-law application scenario; therefore, we recommend that the Ballot measures make it clear that the Covenant Declaration WUCIOA amendment is only valid if the Bylaw WUCIOA amendment (Option A) also passes, and the Ballot measure should make it clear that the Bylaw WUCIOA amendment (Option A) is only effective if the Covenant Declaration WUCIOA amendment also passes. The non-WUCIOA Bylaw amendments (Option B) do not need to be tied to the other two ballot measures, such that if only the non-WUCIOA Bylaw Option B changes passed, those should still be effective.

Q: Can a community member make a motion at the AGM to pass governing document changes?

A: Motions made at the AGM impacting governing documents will not be entertained as immediate votes during the AGM as any changes to governing documents require up to 30 days to research to ensure alignment with WUCIOA and RCWs. Motions can be made by community members at the AGM to look into potential votes at future Board meetings. 

Thank You!

Snowline Community Club Board of Directors

Jeff Boekelman (Treasurer / Social), Kathleen Lange (President), Daniel Frederick (VP), Carmen Lystad (Secretary / Rules, Regulations, & Compliance), Bob Anderson (Architecture), Kyle Salisbury (Member at Large), Rob McCormack (Operations), Austin Williamson (Member Communications / IT)

Mission Statement  

 “As the Snowline Board of Directors, we aim to build a vibrant and inclusive community where neighbors feel connected and valued. We support this vision by communicating openly, managing our resources with care and integrity, and hosting a variety of community building opportunities. We are dedicated to fair, consistent governance that begins with assuming positive intent, and we treat every homeowner with equal respect. Together, we protect the beauty, sustainability, and sense of belonging that makes Snowline special.”

​

Please go digital! Every member who switches to digital reduces our community’s printing and postage costs - savings that go right back into the amenities we all enjoy. Signing up takes just a few minutes: visit http://www.snowlinecc.com, go to the Members tab, and complete the Electronic Transmissions Consent form.