The 2007 Annual General Member Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 27th, 7:00–9:00pm in the main meeting room of the Elks Lodge (938 Wilmington Way, cross-street Jefferson). The agenda will include:
- Overview of the past year
- Update on sewer costs by Brian Lee, Acting Director, County Public Works
- Fire Services and the new Fire Station 19 by Fire Chief Armando Muela
- Changes in Design Review
- Elections of two EHHA directors (candidate statements below)
- Open Discussion, where members may raise items of general interest

Farewell to Long-serving Director

San Mateo County has provided residents a community warning system to notify them through digital devices -- cell and smart phones and pagers -- and emails of important information and emergency alerts. Alert examples include utility outages, evacuations, winter storm warnings, road closures, earthquakes, Amber/crime alerts. Alerts can be sent to update residents on the situation (all clear, concluded, power will be restored in 3 hours, etc.). Charges for text messages will depend on your cell phone carrier, but there are no charges for e-mails.

To Register
- Go to www.smcalert.info and follow instructions for “new users”
- Select places you live, work, and/or you want to receive alerts
- List specific geographic addresses (optional)

For more information go to: http://www.smcalert.info/faq.php or contact Sergeant John H. Diggins, Area Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, (650) 363-445; e-mail: jdiggins@co.sanmateo.ca.us.

Carolyn Chaney talked to Sergeant Higgins and then registered to receive alerts by e-mail. She can keep you posted about the number and types of alert messages she receives (so far just one, about the change to Daylight Savings time). One neat thing about the system is that you can name a specific neighborhood (e.g., Emerald Hills) plus you can identify spots on your commute route, and then receive alerts only for those places. One reason to go with the text messages is that in case of a REAL emergency, the text message system may work when all other communication systems fail. But check with your carrier, because text messages may result in charges on your phone bill. At the present time you can specify neighborhood, but not the types of messages you want to receive, so it is not possible to limit the number of alerts.

School Parent Panel Discussion

Recent changes in water quality regulations as well as repair of aging infrastructure in parts of Emerald Hills will dramatically increase sewer costs in the next few years. The sewer task force is working to keep the cost increases down and make sure that money is used properly. We have also confirmed that one reason we pay high fees for sewer services is due to the high charges paid to the City of Redwood City to transport sewage from ELH to the treatment plant. We would like to help renegotiate the contract between the County of San Mateo and the City of Redwood City in order to reduce the sewage transport fees. If we are successful, the cost savings will offset, to some degree, the increased costs due to changes in water quality regulations and increases in repair work.

As we work to renegotiate the sewage transport contract, we may need some legal help. We are looking for an attorney in our neighborhood that would be interested in pro bono work -- the current contract may not conform to all of the laws that have been passed since it was signed in 1983. It is unclear now what the scope of the work might be, so we are looking for someone who is flexible and could provide legal assistance to the task force. If interested, please contact Cheryl McGovern at 650-862-8288.

Update on County Public Works

The EHHA Nominating Committee received applications from and interviewed four homeowners for two open director positions. Per our bylaws, the responsibilities of the nominating committee include determining criteria for selection, assessing nominee qualifications and attributes, and making recommendations. Two candidates of the four are being recommended; the Board suggests you cast your votes for Sallie Martin and Helen Phillips, both of whom have given exemplary service to Emerald Hills. All nominees will have the opportunity to provide oral statements and answer questions at the annual meeting. In addition, nominations may be taken from the floor during the meeting.

Sallie Martin (recommended) Sallie has been a member of the EHHA Board of Directors for 4 years. She has held the position of Secretary, VP and most recently, President. Sallie has volunteered on a number of key community efforts including education programs, beautification, zoning and as a community alternate member for the San Mateo County Design Review. In doing so, she has gained an understanding of the broad community views on many topics and the need to balance policies and guidelines. Sallie was raised in Montana where she gained an appreciation of the scenic beauty of the mountains and hillside regions. She spent 16 years in the local high tech industry after graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in International Business. She and her husband have been Emerald Hills home owners for over 8 years. She spends her time volunteering to assist the community on a broad range of issues and raising her 5-year-old son. Adriana Botto I've been a resident of Emerald Hills for the better part of 9 years and enjoy both the natural and eclectic nature of this unique area we all call home. As a Silicon Valley corporate paralegal, I've worked with both private and public companies on issues related to corporate governance. I want to be elected to the EHHA Board to help move the organization in a new direction and ensure that it fulfills its fiduciary duty to the homeowners of Emerald Hills.

Helen Phillips (recommended) Helen is a 50-year resident of Emerald Hills. She served on the Board of the Association, and was its president, in the early 1970s. During this time period the Emerald Lake Hills General Plan (which preceded our current zoning regulations) was written and went through the approval process, thus preserving the rural character of the neighborhood. Helen is justly proud of her work in the conservation of what is now Edgewood Park and Preserve; she was active in preventing the construction of two high-rise buildings there and in getting the site included in the General Plan as open space. Helen and her husband, Bob, have three adult children. She is an avid tennis player, biker and hiker, and is devoted to Emerald Hills and its preservation. Michael Mangini, spokesman for the EHC Coalition I’m a community pharmacist who has lived in Emerald Hills for 30 years, and in the immediate area for over 60 years. During this time I’ve watched the EHHA change from a neighborhood support group into a lobbying organization pushing narrow political agendas that have often divided the community. I’m running for a position on the Board to help the Association regain its former position of respect by returning to its original mission of community service, achieving broad community consensus on issues of mutual interest, and acting as an information resource for current and future residents.

 

Who is a member of the Emerald Hills Homeowners Association?