President's Note

Hi Neighbors,

Given that my three kids haven't returned to school at Bacich and Kent yet as I write this, I've only got time to write a brief update on a few things I believe are the most helpful to be aware of in Kent Woodlands at the moment:

• Please join us for our Fall Food Truck Event on Sunday, September 10th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in our Acorn lot at the bottom of Woodland Road! This is always a well-attended event, but we have room for more of you, and love to see neighbors of any age. There is a Mexican food truck that serves a wide range of menu items (including wine, margaritas, and beer), as well as a shaved ice truck for the kids and kids-at-heart.

• Come out for Carbon Neutral Kent Woodland’s first annual EV Car Show on Sunday, September 24 from 11:00-2:00pm in the Acorn lot. Several EVs will be on display, and special guests will include Cartelligent, Marin Community Energy (MCE) and Resilient Neighborhoods. Bring the family for free pizza (while supplies last)!

• Our board is continuing to refine and discuss plans to improve the lot we own at the corner of College Avenue and Woodland Road. I wrote about it in detail in our last newsletter and appreciate those of you who reached out to participate in private donations and share your feedback – all of which will be taken very seriously. Improving the entrance to our neighborhood, while striking the right balance of offering our members an improvement in useable space that doesn't cause unintended challenges at the right price for all, is the board's top priority. Please consider attending any of our monthly board meetings to learn more and share your feedback. 

• Fire season is upon us. We applaud those of you who have done a great job with your defensible space for your benefit, and the benefit of your surrounding neighbors. Our Hazard Mitigation Specialist, Heather Hill, is available to meet you at your property free of charge to share advice on what you specifically need to do to reduce the risk of fire on your property. She can also assist with available grant money and landscaping services vendor information. Finally, should you want to alert her to any concerning area of overgrowth vegetation in Kent Woodlands, that is always appreciated. Contact Heather at hhill@kwpoa.com or by phone at 707-287-5607.

Best,

Jeff Leh, President

2024 Board Election Information

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION AND NOMINATION DEADLINE:

Four of the seven KWPOA board seats are up for election in January 2024, and we encourage any interested and qualified member to consider serving our community by volunteering as a director. Nominations for candidates must be received by 5:00pm on October 31, 2023 and may be submitted in the following ways:

• Mail to KWPOA Election, PO Box 404, Kentfield, CA 94914
• Email to info@kwpoa.com
• In person at the KWPOA Board Meeting on October 23rd at 6:00pm 

If, at the close of the time period for making nominations, there are the same number or fewer qualified candidates as there are board positions to be filled, then the board of directors may, after voting to do so, seat the qualified candidates by acclamation without balloting.

Candidate/Director Qualifications: A candidate must be a natural person and a Member (owner in chain of title) of the Association. If title is held by a Trust, the Trustee(s) named on title is the Member(s) for purposes of candidacy (and voting).

For more information about the nomination or election process, please contact us at 415-721-7429 or by email at info@kwpoa.com. The rules governing KWPOA’s elections may be found on our web site at www.kwpoa.com/voting-policy.

New Architectural Committee Chair

Please join us in welcoming Bruce Raabe to the role of Architectural Committee Chair! Bruce has been a valued member of the Architectural Committee for over two years, bringing a background that includes a degree in Civil Engineering and extensive experience with home design and construction. He has applied for architectural review from the Association four times and therefore brings with him firsthand experience about the process.

Bruce is CEO of Relevant Wealth in Mill Valley, and first moved to Kent Woodlands from Tiburon in 2001. Since then, he has lived on South Ridgewood Road, North Ridgewood Road, and now Woodland Road. He is married to Sara Wardell-Smith and they have three children (Jordan, Brooke, and Benjamin) and one dog (Maya).

As we welcome Bruce, we also extend our thanks to Julie Johnson, who has tirelessly served as AC Chair for the past year. Her talent and experience served the committee well, and we are grateful for her commitment to our community. Julie will continue to serve as a member of the Architectural Committee, Director on the KWPOA Board, and Chair of Carbon Neutral Kent Woodlands.

 KW Energy Survey

There is still time to take the one-minute anonymous KW Energy Survey that is the baseline for our Initiative! Results will be shared this Fall! www.surveymonkey.com/r/FHMYR6S.  

EV CAR SHOW – ACORN LOT

Sunday, September 24, 11-2pm

Thank you to CNKW volunteer Pete Johnson, for organizing our first annual EV Car Show in the Acorn lot at the bottom of Woodland Road! You may be surprised to hear that less than 6% of homes in Marin County have an EV or Hybrid Vehicle (not enough). A variety of EVs will be on display from KW Members and local dealers. Talk to owners about their experiences and learn about charging, incentives and rebates. Bring the family and enjoy the pizza truck featuring pies by Chef James Lechocki. See you there!

RESILIENT NEIGHBORHOODS CLIMATE WORKSHOP

Wednesdays, starting September 13, 6:30-8pm (bi-weekly)

Please join us for our first KW Resilient Neighborhoods Climate Workshop! RN is an organization that teaches Marin communities how to lower their carbon emissions by adopting simple and sustainable practices. Thank you to CNKW volunteer’s Lisa Whitescarver and Aghaghia Rahimzadeh for organizing this Fall workshop for KWPOA members!

The five-session Climate Action Workshop is free and meets every other week online. Our neighborhood class starts on September 13th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM and continues on 9/27, 10/11, 10/25, and 11/8. The class includes educational information, a breakout discussion and guest speakers. With wide participation by Kent Woodlands residents, we can make a difference. Click here to register! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-action-workshop-marin-county-tickets-619455797967?aff=oddtdtcreator

LEMONADE STAND on Saturday!

Thank you to CNKW’s Courtenay Dill Glander and the KW kiddos for coming out to support the CNKW Initiative and get more neighbors to take the 2023 Energy Survey! We had a great time!

As someone with a strong background in natural resource management and defensible space, I care passionately about maintaining habitat for wildlife while also creating resilient and fire-smart landscaping. Driving throughout the Woodlands, there is an abundance of extremes from beautiful park-like settings to overgrown vegetation along roadsides. Most properties have done an outstanding job with the mandated work of creating 100 feet of defensible space around their home.

NOW is the time to do the work that will provide everyone with safer emergency evacuation access. The county mandates 10 feet of clearing along the roadways, and this is my main focus. We will issue letters to all KWPOA members where dangerous vegetation has been observed, especially high weeds and bamboo. I’m aware that everyone has a strong desire for privacy, but there are safer choices than bamboo. Together we can create a resilient community.

firesafemarin.org/create-a-fire-smart-yard/plants/

firesafemarin.org/create-a-fire-smart-yard/firescaping/

Heather Hill, Hazard Mitigation Specialist

Please direct any Architectural Committee inquiries to the Kristin Tiernan at AC@kwpoa.com.