Recap of November 18, 2025 Board Meeting - West Winds HOA
- West Winds HOA
- Nov 23
- 10 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
West Winds HOA – (Regular) Board Meeting Summary
This was the duly noticed (Regular) Board Meeting of the West Winds Master Homeowners’ Association, Inc., held virtually via Zoom.
What: HOA (Regular) Board Meeting
Open to: West Winds HOA Members
When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM MDT
Notice: Emailed to all members on November 7, 2025
Where: Online via Zoom
Pursuant to § 5.9 of the Bylaws and MCA 35-2-525 – HOA Remote Meetings
Agenda:
Call to Order
HOA Business Updates
Q&A
Adjourn
Present:
Directors & Officers
Kitch Walker, President (3YR Term - elected in Jan 2023)
Linda Racicot, Treasurer (3YR Term - elected in Feb 2024)
Mandee Arnold, Secretary (3YR Term - elected in Feb 2024)
Officers
John Stelly, Vice President
Dillon Fatouros, Assistant Secretary
Registration | Attendance: 121 Registrations | ~ 88 Attended
Call to Order, Board Introductions, Agenda
Video is ~ 1 Minutes
Download PDF of Slides: Welcome, Board, and Agenda
HIGHLIGHTS include:
Kitch Walker, President & Chairman of the Board, called the meeting to order, welcomed everyone, and introduced the current Board/Officers.
Kitch also reviewed the meeting instructions & rules + agenda.
Agenda:
Call to Order
HOA Business Updates
Q&A
Adjourn
Treasurer’s Report
Video is ~ 24 Minutes.
Download PDF of Slides: Treasurer's Report & Accessing Financial Reports
Linda Racicot, Treasurer, reported on the HOA's financial health.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED:
Treasurer Report
Financial Overview & Transparency
Treasurer’s Report: 2025 Financial Overview
Bank Balances & Current Cash Position
Understanding Your HOA Financials
Budget vs. Actuals: What the Numbers Show
Reserve Projects: Status & Spending
2025 Financial Performance Snapshot
Myths vs. Facts (Member Education)
Financial Reports: Myths vs. Facts
Banking Myths vs. Facts
Financial Misconceptions: Setting the Record Straight
Home Values & Sales: Myths vs. Facts
Liens: Facts vs. Fiction
Budgeting & Reserves
What Is the Budget? What Are Actuals?
Planned vs. Actual Reserve Spending
Major Reserve Projects for 2025
How Cash Flow Supports Long-Term Projects
Legal Services & Risk Mitigation
Why the HOA Budgets for Legal Services
Legal Fees: Where the Money Goes
Legal Costs Explained: September & October Invoices
Governance, Compliance & Legal Risk Management
Operational Improvements
West Winds’ Financial Journey: 2020–2025
HOA Management Cost Reduction
Transition to PayHOA: Cost Savings & Efficiency
Banking Through Alliance Association Bank (AAB)
Member Payments & Processing
Why Payments Go to Las Vegas
How PayHOA & AAB Process Payments Daily
Secure, Automated Assessment Processing
Delinquency, Liens & Transfers
Delinquency Trends: 2022–2025
Liens Overview & Historical Context
Transfer Activity & Property Turnover
Closing & Acknowledgments
Thank You to Our Homeowners
Continuing Commitment to Transparency
Quarterly financials are posted online every quarter (PayHOA / Documents)
Where & how to see the HOA's Quarterly Financials - in PayHOA (complete financial transparency)
2025 - Stormwater Mitigation & Maintenance Project Update (2 of 2)
NOTE: To learn the complete story, start with the beginning; Watch the 1st Presentation (1 of 2) here: Original Stormwater Project Plan - April 8, 2025
Video is ~ 30 Minutes.
Download PDF of Slides: Stormwater Facilities Maintenance & Mitigation
NOTE: To learn the complete story, start with the beginning; Watch the 1st Presentation (1 of 2) here: Original Stormwater Project Plan - April 8, 2025
Dillon Fatouros, Assistant Secretary, reported on the 2025 Stormwater Mitigation and Maintenance Project.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED:
Stormwater Facilities Mitigation & Maintenance Project Update (2 of 2)
2023/2024: Original Cost Estimates
Estimated: $250-500K
2024/2025: After Extensive Research, Planning & Negotiation
Budgeted: $130,000
Actuals: $80,734
Savings/Below Budget: $49,021
How'd we lower costs?
Here's one way, 2025 Harvesting Willows Project
West Winds Stormwater Facilities
West Winds HOA maintains eight engineered stormwater basins across the neighborhood—seven detention facilities (DF) and one retention facility (RF). These basins are part of the City of Bozeman’s stormwater system and are critical to protecting our homes, streets, and utilities from flooding and erosion.
What Are Stormwater Facilities?
Purpose-built infrastructure that captures, slows, and safely moves runoff during rain and snowmelt.
Designed to keep water away from homes, prevent street and sidewalk flooding, and protect underground utilities.
Must be inspected and maintained regularly to meet City of Bozeman and State of Montana stormwater standards.
Where Are the Basins?
Stormwater basins are located throughout the subdivision and are labeled on the City-approved map (DF-1A, DF-2A, DF-4.1, DF-4.2, DF-6, DF-7, DF-8, and RF-2B).
These facilities are connected by underground pipes and surface channels that carry water through and out of West Winds.
Work you may see in these areas—tree and brush removal, grading, and channel clearing—is part of the long-overdue restoration project.
Detention vs. Retention
Detention Facilities (DF):
Temporarily hold stormwater during storms.
Release water slowly through engineered outlets to prevent downstream systems from being overwhelmed.
Retention Facility (RF):
Holds water for more extended periods and allows it to infiltrate the ground rather than discharge quickly.
Helps recharge groundwater and further reduce peak runoff.
Stormwater Basins Are Not Wetlands
These areas are engineered stormwater structures, not natural wetlands or wildlife preserves.
Trees, large shrubs, cattails, and accumulated sludge can block flow, reduce storage capacity, and put nearby properties at risk.
The HOA is required by the City to keep these facilities clear so they function as designed.
Maintenance & Compliance
To keep the system working and in compliance, the HOA is:
Removing problem trees and woody vegetation from basin slopes and channels.
Clearing sediment, debris, and obstructions from inlets, outlets, and conveyance channels.
Re-establishing proper grades and flow paths where erosion or buildup has occurred.
Coordinating inspections and standards with the City of Bozeman Stormwater Division.
Partnership with the City of Bozeman
City stormwater staff have provided historical records, engineering guidance, and site visits to support this project.
Similar basin recovery work is underway in other Bozeman neighborhoods and HOAs.
Our goal is to ensure West Winds’ facilities meet the same standards as other compliant systems citywide.
Why This Matters to Homeowners
Reduces the risk of flooding in yards, streets, and common areas.
Protects neighborhood infrastructure and long-term property values.
Keeps the HOA in compliance with city and state regulations, avoiding costly emergency repairs or enforcement actions.
Ensures that decades-old stormwater challenges are finally being addressed in a planned, transparent, and cost-effective way.
Next Steps:
Learn more about the Missing City-Guaranteed Developer Improvements Project - presented April 8, 2025
May 7, 2025
HOA Stormwater Project Efforts - Receives Accolades From the City of Bozeman
Russell F. Smith | Project Coordinator, MSc, PWS
City of Bozeman | Stormwater Program
Dillon,
This presentation is a fantastic representation of good HOA management.
I’ll let you know when there’s an opening in the Division!
All joking aside, I want to ensure you and Kitch stay updated on the city's greater stormwater policy. Last night, the Division presented the updated Stormwater Facilities Plan to the City Commission. The Commission meeting minutes will take a couple of weeks to produce, but your Commission made some interesting comments about HOA, facility maintenance, and other poignant observations. It’s probably worth a watch starting at 1 hr: 16 min.
Thanks again,
Russ
Russell F. Smith | Project Coordinator, MSc, PWS City of Bozeman | Stormwater Program
NEXT STEPS for Stormwater Facilities along Baxter
Learn more about the Missing City-Guaranteed Developer Improvements Project - presented April 8, 2025
Community Compliance & Violations Reporting
Video is ~ 32 Minutes.
Download PDF of Slides: Community Compliance & Violations Reporting
ALSO REFERENCE: Violations Policy & Fines Adoption:
Fine Schedule Adoption: (Regular) Board Meeting Minutes - May 7, 2025
Violations Policy, Prioritization & Photography: (Regular) Board Meeting Minutes - May 22, 2025
John Stelly, Vice President, presented a report on Violations.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED:
Violations & Compliance Overview
Fair, Consistent Enforcement
The West Winds HOA Board is legally required to enforce the CC&Rs for all owners. Violations are never personal—each case is handled consistently, based on documented observations, objective criteria, and due process.
How the Violations Process Works
Complaints or observations are documented, verified, and evaluated based on safety, severity, recurrence, and community impact.
Owners receive a notice and an opportunity to correct the issue and submit proof.
If violations continue, enforcement escalates as allowed by the CC&Rs, including fines.
Fines & Enforcement Policy
In 2025, the Board adopted a structured fines schedule for Minor, Moderate, and Major violations, beginning with a warning and escalating only when issues remain unresolved. The policy ensures fairness and consistent treatment for all homeowners.
Common Violation Types
Frequent issues include visible garbage cans, weeds/watering problems, RV/recreational vehicle parking, missing or dead boulevard trees, ACC-related issues, and unmaintained yards or structures.
Community-Wide Enforcement
Over 278 complaints have been processed since August 2024.
The majority (241) were confirmed as legitimate violations.
Enforcement is happening across all streets and property types, with no individuals or groups singled out.
Confidentiality
The HOA cannot discuss other owners’ violation details. Each property is handled privately and directly with its owner.
Equal Application of All Rules
The Board cannot choose which CC&Rs to enforce or ignore—every covenant must be applied equally. If members want a rule changed, the CC&R amendment or rule-change process must be used.
General Q&A Summary
During the open Q&A session, homeowners raised questions about architectural review, violation enforcement, communication practices, payments processing, and broader community concerns. The Board provided the following clarifications:
Are any Board Members/Officers being paid? (Other than reimbursed expenses)
NO - the Board/Officers serve entirely as unpaid volunteers and receive no compensation for their time or professional expertise.
Unpaid volunteers dedicate a significant amount of time to HOA success.
Over 4,500+ volunteer hours were dedicated to the HOA in 2025 alone.
They are reimbursed for any approved HOA-related expenses permitted under the governing documents.
Architectural Review (ACC) – What Requires Approval
Routine maintenance, repair, replace, or refresh does not require ACC approval.
Example: repainting your house the same color
Example: repairing or staining a previously approved fence (no changes to design)
Major changes or additions to the exterior—such as fences, patios, solar panels, decks, remodels, structural additions, sheds, concrete work, significant landscaping changes, or new paint colors—do require an application and approval before start.
The Board/ACC is currently working with a consultant to develop enhanced landscape design guidelines to clarify and simplify design requirements & restrictions, including what does and does not qualify as a major “improvement,” to hopefully make approvals faster and less costly for everyone (Learn more about the Enhanced Landscape Design Guidelines (LDGs) Project here: April 8, 2025 - Annual Meeting Recap)
How Violation Enforcement Works
Covenant enforcement was performed by the Board during 2023 and broadened as additional capacity became available. The HOA began implementing new systems and more formalized data-tracking solutions in August 2024 to enhance documentation, management, tracking and reporting - aiding in consistency and accountability.
All owners receive written notice, due-process timelines, and the chance to correct an issue before fines are considered.
The Board emphasized that enforcement is not selective. Violations are handled consistently in accordance with the HOA's policies and governing documents.
Warning notices are sent before escalation or fines. Notices most often include photographic evidence and documented patterns of noncompliance over time.
Inconsistencies & Garbage Can Concerns
A homeowner asked why some violations appear enforced while others do not.
The Board explained that:
They cannot patrol 412 lots daily, so some issues may be missed.
Patterns of noncompliance (e.g., repeatedly leaving garbage cans out) most often trigger enforcement—not an accidental or single occurrence.
Any homeowner may submit a complaint; submitted violations are investigated and added to the queue.
All violations are addressed in due course, but it's neither feasible nor reasonable to expect the HOA to notice and process all alleged violations simultaneously across the entire community. It takes time.
The Board reiterated that workload volume and limited volunteer capacity explain gaps, not bias.
Example: Garbage violations can take 2-17 hours/ea (volunteer time) to process, notify, manage, and resolve (cure), and they also have the highest rates of willful defiance, recurrence, and escalation. The Association worked on 50 of these violation types alone in the past 15 months.
Violations Database & Voting Concerns
A question was raised regarding whether incomplete database fields could affect voting eligibility.
The Board clarified that:
Database gaps reflect missing supplemental details (e.g., rental status) and do not affect violation closure or voting rights.
All violations are cured based on the owner's response and correction, not database metadata.
Communication About Enforcement
A homeowner asked whether the HOA had notified members before increasing enforcement.
Yes - written warning notices are sent first with time to cure and/or respond.
How Long Has Enforcement Been Happening?
The Board noted that covenant enforcement has remained in effect since 2023, when the HOA assumed full self-management responsibilities after the property manager resigned on November 17, 2022.
2007-2022: HOA records show that violations were enforced by the former property management companies, Minnick Management (2007-2019) and Saddle Peak Properties (2019-2022).
November 17, 2022: Lindsay Freitas/Saddle Peak Properties resigned as the HOA's management company.
2023: The start of transitional/self-management - the newly elected 3-person Board initially concentrated mostly on high-risk and safety-related violations—especially unapproved architectural or structural changes that required immediate attention, such as fences, solar, remodels, and prohibited fires.
2024-2025: With new tools, policies, data systems, and more transparent processes in place, the 2024-2025 Board members enhanced and further scaled enforcement and education efforts to address violations more consistently and across all categories throughout the community.
This systematic, gradual scaling explains why enforcement activity became increasingly visible from August 2024 through October 2025, even though the work itself began earlier.
The Board will continue improving communication to increase awareness and transparency.
Community Feedback
Several homeowners expressed appreciation for the Board’s volunteer work, the volume of improvements completed in the last three years, and the consistency being brought to financial management, stormwater maintenance, and covenant enforcement.
Multiple speakers asked neighbors to avoid rumors, hearsay, and harassment, and instead rely on verified HOA information and constructive dialogue.
Summary of 2026 Planning & Strategic Priorities
The Board outlined the following upcoming initiatives:
Finalizing ACC Design Guidelines
Establishing the second year of stormwater maintenance
Working with the City on missing infrastructure and landscaping improvements
Evaluating administrative support options
Preparing the 2026 Budget with continued fiscal discipline
Increasing transparency and HOA education efforts
Adjournment
Kitch expressed gratitude to all members, board volunteers, and contributors. He recognized that the Board puts in a lot of time and effort and is always working in the community's best interests. He encouraged members to stay informed, volunteer, and get involved.
He also reminded members to occasionally visit the HOA’s website, www.westwindsHOAbozeman.org, for more info and future project updates.
The meeting was adjourned.
Post-Meeting Feedback included:
"...It was great talking to you this morning. As I said, the Board Meeting was extremely beneficial. All the Board members had very informative presentations that added a lot of value to the meeting..."
"...It was a great meeting, something I never thought I'd say about a board meeting. I learned a lot, both about the lies being circulated and about the storm drains. I remain astounded at how much [the former property manager] got away with..."
"...very informative, and helpful. Shows how much work you guys do. Thank you for that!"
"Also, I want to thank you for the time your team volunteers to the HOA. Last night's meeting cleared up a lot of misconceptions and my husband, and I were very impressed with the detailed meeting and open communication presented. Just know we appreciate it!"
