Message from the President
2023 SPOA President's Annual Report
Hello SPOA Homeowners,
Section 12.5 of SPOA's Bylaws requires distribution of an annual report to members no later than 120 days after close of the fiscal year on December 31, including an unaudited year-end balance sheet and a statement of the place where the names and addresses of current members are located.
SPOA Treasurer James TIdgewell, CPA reports that SPOA began fiscal 2023 with a balance of $99,862 and ended the year with a balance of $86,002, representing net expenditures of $13,860. Names and addresses of current members are maintained by Membership Chair Sharon Bobrow, 320 Deer Hollow Drive, Napa, CA 94558. Additional detailed information about SPOA can be found at our website, which remains accessible to both members and the general public.
For Silverado, 2023 was another blessedly fire-free year. The year also saw considerable progress in clearing large quantities of flammable vegetation from areas in and around Silverado. Reducing the adjacent fuel load is the single most important thing we can do to reduce the risk of damaging wildfire. The last two years have seen tremendous improvement in our fire preparation, with a significantly lowered risk of a repeat of the devastating 2017 Atlas Fire. This effort has been led by the SIlverado FIre Safe Council, and many parts of Silverado have made substantial contributions to it.
Fire Safe spearheaded the maintenance of the 100-300 foot Fuel Break on the north and east perimeter of SIlverado, first cleared two years previous. In addition, Silverado Resort cleared the vegetation bordering a substantial portion of Milliken Creek on Resort property, at a cost of nearly a quarter million dollars. Several HOAs within Silverado, including the B and C condos, Creekside, the Highlands, Oak Creek and Silverado Oaks, as well as the residents of Silver Trail, also took the initiative to clear wooded and brushy areas within their own boundaries. We can all sleep more easily as a result of these efforts.
Naturally this work is never done, because new growth appears every year and has to be kept under control. Fire Safe continues to search for a reliable source of continuing funding for this effort. The most promising avenue remains the proposal for Silverado owners to vote ourselves a modest property tax increase to fund continuing wildfire protection. Arranging for an election is a slow process, involving multiple procedural steps, and we are nowhere near bringing the proposal to the ballot. SPOA will continue to support the effort to find a continuing funding source for Fire Safe, and with Fire Safe we will be exploring other potential avenues to achieve this.
The other expensive issue that surfaced during 2023 is the condition of our sidewalks along Hillcrest and Westgate Drives. Over time some bad spots in the sidewalks have developed. Heavy construction equipment in the course of rebuilding houses has exacerbated erosion of sidewalks in affected areas, and this winter's heavy rains have undermined some portions of sidewalk. This has not reached crisis proportions yet, but there are a few dangerous spots that require attention sooner rather than later and we will soon be repairing some of these spots. Sidewalk repair is expensive, and the Silverado Community Services District, which is responsible for upkeep of roads and sidewalks, does not have nearly enough money in its budget to even make a significant dent in the problem. We hope to improve the situation in 2024 via some funding from SPOA and from adjacent property owners. Expect piecemeal improvement over time.
The news is better with respect to landscaping of our traffic islands, which are finally consistently looking good throughout Silverado. This has resulted from engaging a competent and diligent contractor to provide the hands-on work, some of which was paid directly by SPOA to assure timely completion. We're very happy to have this thorn in our side much improved in 2023.
In the summer of 2023 the largest controversy we faced was the three-day Blue Note Jazz Festival, which brought substantial numbers of outside visitors to Resort grounds. While many of the feared ill-effects did not happen, i.e. vandalism, public drunkenness, traffic and parking miseries and the like, the all-day concerts generated a tremendous amount of noise. This literally drove many Silverado residents out of their houses and was disruptive for anyone living near the festival grounds. SPOA pushed back on the Resort about this both before and after the festival weekend, but the bottom line was the Resort has the right to do this if it sees fit and complies with Napa County regulations. For a variety of reasons this festival will not be coming back to Silverado in 2024 so we won't face the issue again this year. If the Resort wants to bring the festival or something like it back in future years we will plan to actively oppose any proposal which would significantly affect Sillverado property owners. We will always be willing to work with Resort management to arrive at a mutually agreeable arrangement.
The quality of our Silverado neighborhood continues to be a source of pride, and we hope and plan that it will get better and better throughout 2024 and beyond. Thanks to every owner who does his or her part to keep it that way.
Bill Foureman
President, SIlverado Property Owners Association
Section 12.5 of SPOA's Bylaws requires distribution of an annual report to members no later than 120 days after close of the fiscal year on December 31, including an unaudited year-end balance sheet and a statement of the place where the names and addresses of current members are located.
SPOA Treasurer James TIdgewell, CPA reports that SPOA began fiscal 2023 with a balance of $99,862 and ended the year with a balance of $86,002, representing net expenditures of $13,860. Names and addresses of current members are maintained by Membership Chair Sharon Bobrow, 320 Deer Hollow Drive, Napa, CA 94558. Additional detailed information about SPOA can be found at our website, which remains accessible to both members and the general public.
For Silverado, 2023 was another blessedly fire-free year. The year also saw considerable progress in clearing large quantities of flammable vegetation from areas in and around Silverado. Reducing the adjacent fuel load is the single most important thing we can do to reduce the risk of damaging wildfire. The last two years have seen tremendous improvement in our fire preparation, with a significantly lowered risk of a repeat of the devastating 2017 Atlas Fire. This effort has been led by the SIlverado FIre Safe Council, and many parts of Silverado have made substantial contributions to it.
Fire Safe spearheaded the maintenance of the 100-300 foot Fuel Break on the north and east perimeter of SIlverado, first cleared two years previous. In addition, Silverado Resort cleared the vegetation bordering a substantial portion of Milliken Creek on Resort property, at a cost of nearly a quarter million dollars. Several HOAs within Silverado, including the B and C condos, Creekside, the Highlands, Oak Creek and Silverado Oaks, as well as the residents of Silver Trail, also took the initiative to clear wooded and brushy areas within their own boundaries. We can all sleep more easily as a result of these efforts.
Naturally this work is never done, because new growth appears every year and has to be kept under control. Fire Safe continues to search for a reliable source of continuing funding for this effort. The most promising avenue remains the proposal for Silverado owners to vote ourselves a modest property tax increase to fund continuing wildfire protection. Arranging for an election is a slow process, involving multiple procedural steps, and we are nowhere near bringing the proposal to the ballot. SPOA will continue to support the effort to find a continuing funding source for Fire Safe, and with Fire Safe we will be exploring other potential avenues to achieve this.
The other expensive issue that surfaced during 2023 is the condition of our sidewalks along Hillcrest and Westgate Drives. Over time some bad spots in the sidewalks have developed. Heavy construction equipment in the course of rebuilding houses has exacerbated erosion of sidewalks in affected areas, and this winter's heavy rains have undermined some portions of sidewalk. This has not reached crisis proportions yet, but there are a few dangerous spots that require attention sooner rather than later and we will soon be repairing some of these spots. Sidewalk repair is expensive, and the Silverado Community Services District, which is responsible for upkeep of roads and sidewalks, does not have nearly enough money in its budget to even make a significant dent in the problem. We hope to improve the situation in 2024 via some funding from SPOA and from adjacent property owners. Expect piecemeal improvement over time.
The news is better with respect to landscaping of our traffic islands, which are finally consistently looking good throughout Silverado. This has resulted from engaging a competent and diligent contractor to provide the hands-on work, some of which was paid directly by SPOA to assure timely completion. We're very happy to have this thorn in our side much improved in 2023.
In the summer of 2023 the largest controversy we faced was the three-day Blue Note Jazz Festival, which brought substantial numbers of outside visitors to Resort grounds. While many of the feared ill-effects did not happen, i.e. vandalism, public drunkenness, traffic and parking miseries and the like, the all-day concerts generated a tremendous amount of noise. This literally drove many Silverado residents out of their houses and was disruptive for anyone living near the festival grounds. SPOA pushed back on the Resort about this both before and after the festival weekend, but the bottom line was the Resort has the right to do this if it sees fit and complies with Napa County regulations. For a variety of reasons this festival will not be coming back to Silverado in 2024 so we won't face the issue again this year. If the Resort wants to bring the festival or something like it back in future years we will plan to actively oppose any proposal which would significantly affect Sillverado property owners. We will always be willing to work with Resort management to arrive at a mutually agreeable arrangement.
The quality of our Silverado neighborhood continues to be a source of pride, and we hope and plan that it will get better and better throughout 2024 and beyond. Thanks to every owner who does his or her part to keep it that way.
Bill Foureman
President, SIlverado Property Owners Association
Welcome to the Silverado Property Owners Association (SPOA) website.
By accessing the various tabs on the site and their associated drop-down menus, you will find plenty of useful information about the organization, including its bylaws, minutes of meetings, newsletters, calendars and much more.
SPOA is the only organization which represents the interests of all Silverado homeowners, and is dedicated to enhancing the value of our homes and maintaining the safety, beauty and quality of life of our neighborhoods.
SPOA VALUE
About 40 of your neighbors, representing each of the sixteen distinct neighborhoods in Silverado, volunteer for SPOA to work year-round to help enhance the safety, beauty and quality of life for the entire Silverado community. We champion the interests of all 1,091 households in Silverado regardless of whether the household are members of Silverado Country Club. Both Silverado Resort and the SIlverado Community Services District, an arm of Napa County government supported by our property taxes, are active participants in SPOA's activities.
SPOA's modest $40 annual dues provides good value to all homeowners in the following areas and more:
* We provide for landscaping and beautification of the 28 traffic islands throughout Silverado;
* We work closely with the Fire Safe Council on reducing the risk of another devastating wildfire, and we provide the Fire Safe Council space on our website for communicating with our members;
* Our Architecture Committee helps assure a pleasing, consistent and well-kept look for our houses and condominium units throughout Silverado;
* We provide a communication vehicle for keeping our members abreast of important local developments which could affect the beauty and safety of our neighborhoods;
* We work directly with local public officials, including Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza and the Napa County Sheriff's and Fire Departments, on issues which affect our community;
* We interact continuously with the Silverado Community Services District, which provides important services to our neighborhoods including maintenance of sidewalks and street lighting, street sweeping, irrigation and landscaping;
* We provide for security patrols throughout the community to enhance everyone's safety.
Our informative website, newsletters, and emails update Silverado owners on the status of upcoming challenges and actions being taken to improve our Silverado neighborhood experience.
I trust you will agree that our modest annual dues of $40 per address are a small price to pay for the services SPOA provides all of us and we encourage you and all your neighbors to continue to support our continued work on everyone's behalf.
Bill Foureman
President, Silverado Property Owners Association
By accessing the various tabs on the site and their associated drop-down menus, you will find plenty of useful information about the organization, including its bylaws, minutes of meetings, newsletters, calendars and much more.
SPOA is the only organization which represents the interests of all Silverado homeowners, and is dedicated to enhancing the value of our homes and maintaining the safety, beauty and quality of life of our neighborhoods.
SPOA VALUE
About 40 of your neighbors, representing each of the sixteen distinct neighborhoods in Silverado, volunteer for SPOA to work year-round to help enhance the safety, beauty and quality of life for the entire Silverado community. We champion the interests of all 1,091 households in Silverado regardless of whether the household are members of Silverado Country Club. Both Silverado Resort and the SIlverado Community Services District, an arm of Napa County government supported by our property taxes, are active participants in SPOA's activities.
SPOA's modest $40 annual dues provides good value to all homeowners in the following areas and more:
* We provide for landscaping and beautification of the 28 traffic islands throughout Silverado;
* We work closely with the Fire Safe Council on reducing the risk of another devastating wildfire, and we provide the Fire Safe Council space on our website for communicating with our members;
* Our Architecture Committee helps assure a pleasing, consistent and well-kept look for our houses and condominium units throughout Silverado;
* We provide a communication vehicle for keeping our members abreast of important local developments which could affect the beauty and safety of our neighborhoods;
* We work directly with local public officials, including Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza and the Napa County Sheriff's and Fire Departments, on issues which affect our community;
* We interact continuously with the Silverado Community Services District, which provides important services to our neighborhoods including maintenance of sidewalks and street lighting, street sweeping, irrigation and landscaping;
* We provide for security patrols throughout the community to enhance everyone's safety.
Our informative website, newsletters, and emails update Silverado owners on the status of upcoming challenges and actions being taken to improve our Silverado neighborhood experience.
I trust you will agree that our modest annual dues of $40 per address are a small price to pay for the services SPOA provides all of us and we encourage you and all your neighbors to continue to support our continued work on everyone's behalf.
Bill Foureman
President, Silverado Property Owners Association