The Minutes
SLE HOA BOARD MEETING
Date: Oct 14, 2026
Location: Conference Call
Board Members in Attendance: David Petersen (President), Brendan Mills (Treasurer), Bryan Pettit and John O’Neil (Members at Large), Tisha Dore (Secretary)
Quorum: YES
Call to Order: 6:30pm
Minutes from the last meeting: Accepted (Motioned by: Tisha Dore, Seconded by: Brendan Mills)
Treasurer’s Report (Brendan Mills):
Current in checking account: $ 12,245.99
Current in savings account: $ 32,325.37
Current in petty cash account: $ 201.00
Total in bank accounts: $ 44,772.36
We've collected most of the 2026 dues. Total owed by the community is: $ 7,077.50
Dues are to be paid by Jan 1st. We’re now 10 months into 2026 and 25+ owners still owe (in-full or part). When purchasing a home here in Spirit Lake East, we all agreed to pay annual HOA dues for time-sensitive road/equipment maintenance + insurance costs, among other expenses to run our small, rural HOA. These costs remain low thanks to generously-donated time by an all-volunteer board and committee members.
******************** The 2026 DUES = $273.17 (22.76/mo) + INTEREST ********************
Still owe dues? Please contact us as soon as possible to get your total with interest to settle your dues bill.
The credit card payment option is turned off to save on costs. The 25+ homeowners still owing dues may pay by check or money order. If you don’t have checks, you can transfer the money from your account to the HOA’s at First Interstate Bank in Spirit Lake. Walmart in CDA processes money orders for just $1.
Please send payments to:
SLE HOA, P.O. Box 217, Spirit Lake, ID 83869
The collections process is now underway and maximum interest will only continue to accrue if left unpaid. Emails followed by calls have gone out to all those with working contact info on file. This is to give everyone ample opportunity to settle their debt to our community while helping us to avoid fronting the added expense of mailers where possible, which will be charged to delinquent owners on top of interest.
If you’re still owing last year’s dues when next year’s dues are to be paid by Jan 1st, a lien will be placed on your property. If you already have a lien, collections will be pursued through court next. If you only owe on interest from last year, it’ll be added to next year’s invoice, which must be paid in full by Jan 1st.
Also, we often hear from owners requesting receipts after they’ve paid their dues on-time (THANK YOU!). Individual requests take a lot of time especially later in the year when the focus should be on collections. We will email receipts to all who pay their dues within Q1, and send a dues reminder to others then too.
Behind on your dues? Please work with us to catch up. Send payment ASAP or contact Brendan Mills at treasurer@spiritlakeeast.org. We would be happy to coordinate with you on an approved payment plan to avoid next steps. For more info on payments + donations, visit: www.spiritlakeeast.org/payordonate
Motion to accept Treasurer Report by: Bryan Pettit
Motion Seconded by: Tisha Dore
Roads Report (Jon Dore):
Paving in front of the CDA entrance by Hwy 54 contractor, Scarsella, and directed by Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), was completed over the weekend. A pilot vehicle is sometimes posted at CDA to lead drivers out when it’s down to one lane. Just follow their lead or ask if it’s ok to go before.
Additional work on the aprons of the entrances (the part ITD is responsible for inside of SLE as formalized by the Board in partnership with ITD in 2024), will take place over the next couple of weeks. We will post updates as we know more, and let you know when alternate routes may be suggested, if you don’t have time to check the main entrances.
Also, regarding the grading and asphalt project: Scarsella is still in the process of trucking-out what grindings they need now (and want to keep for later). So, as soon as they’re done, we’ll be able to move forward with materials distribution including free grading on the high-traffic areas mentioned previously such as Liberty, Hayden, St. Joe and CDA, plus grading on other roads including Fernan.
We are doing this as an all-in-one project to stay on our small budget given rising fuel, insurance costs.
If we don’t group this work into projects then we cannot afford the quality (and volume) of rock and asphalt that the majority of our community wants to see on our roads, even with negotiated discount. Thanks again for your patience and understanding.
If you’ve not yet paid 2026 dues, we depend on them for road work and equipment maintenance.
Fundraising continues to cover hours/materials needed for our long-term improvement projects including rebuilding the crown in our roads + distributing/rolling more asphalt grindings. We're also looking for a new-to-us roller. None of those items are covered by our annual HOA budget.
We are asking for your help. Please consider donating for above-and-beyond work + materials and roller rentals that aren’t part of our existing budget for usual maintenance + repairs. Donations—big or small—are welcome. THANKS! Mail checks to: SLE HOA – P.O. Box 217, Spirit Lake, ID 83869 *Memo: Road Fund
Again, please slow down. It’s enough to contend with the impact (and related costs) of weather on our unpaved roads. Speed too does a lot of damage and the cost is passed onto all of us.
Email Q’s to roads@spiritlakeeast.org. For roads form for reporting issues: www.spiritlakeeast.org/roads
Motion to Accept the Roads Report: Brendan Mills
Motion Seconded by: Bryan Pettit
Architecture Report (David Petersen)
David: James approved construction of a pole barn. No other questions/requests have come in since last month. Have building plans or Q’s about building? Email the ARC Chair, James Stover, at arc@spiritlakeeast.org. For more information + Architectural Form for approvals, visit: www.spiritlakeeast.org/building-info
Motion to accept ARC Report by: Tisha Dore
Motion Seconded by: Brendan Mills
Timber Report (David Petersen)
David: The Spirit Lake Fire Dept. responded to a fire originating from a slash pile last week on CDA and Kelso. Burning remains restricted until Oct 20th, but please see the link below for the latest. While you can apply for a burn permit during the restriction, it’s always best to wait until it’s been lifted. Once it is safe to burn, having a permit on file marking the area on your lot where you have your pile or alerting the fire dept on the day you plan to burn (in case they get any calls) is always a good idea: https://burnpermits.idaho.gov
Email timber/logging questions to VP, Gus Ferguson, at timber@spiritlakeeast.org. For links to the Commercial Logging + Timber Exemption Forms, visit: www.spiritlakeeast.org/timber
Motion to accept Timber Report by: Bryan Pettit
Motion Seconded by: Brendan Mills
Welcome Report (Tisha Dore):
If you’re new to Spirit Lake East, Welcome! If you haven’t yet registered as a new owner here or been living here for years but your contact info has changed, please register (or re-register!) with us online. Questions? Contact Tisha Dore at welcome@spiritlakeeast.org. Newbies who’ve yet to register for HOA billing/mailings (or if you have a new email), fill-out the form here: www.spiritlakeeast.org/new-residents.
Motion to Accept Welcome Report: Brendan Mills
Motion Seconded by: Bryan Pettit
Old Business (David Petersen):
Entrance Signs – James and Jon will get the CDA entrance sign back up as soon as Hwy 54 work is complete.
Street Signs – Last week, members of the board dug holes and installed new posts for missing road signs. Signs will go up in the coming weeks. David wanted to Bryan Pettit for doing most of the heavy work, and Brendan Mills, who did more than his fair share. David said he just leaned on a shovel and provided general supervision and comedic inspiration. Brendan will see that all new signs are consistent in appearance.
Install of the new street signs in need of repair/replacement will be next. Remaining updates at entrances (consolidating + no soliciting signs) is still planned, but on hold until after Hwy 54 work is done.
Intermax – Take advantage of the grant while it lasts. FREE TRENCHING up your very long driveway will add value to your home. Services: $80, $100, $130/mo (208-676-0471 or intermaxnetworks.com/fiber).
Fall Newsletter: Latest edition in the works (Events, Burn Season, Road Report, Hwy 54 Update + more). If you have a submission for consideration, email: newsletters@spiritlakeeast.org Newsletters & Ad Info: www.spiritlakeeast.org/newsletters
Motion to Accept Old Business: Tisha Dore
Motion Seconded by: Bryan Pettit
New Business (David Petersen):
Semi-Annual Meeting Prep – Tisha asked for help with invites to the upcoming semi-annual meeting, which will take place at Cup of Grace next month, specifically on Tuesday, November 10th, 7:00-8:30pm. The Board discussed deadline for invite draft and who will produce the final invites and mailing labels, and who will manage the folding, stuffing, stamping, mailing by deadline of next Wednesday, October 21st. We are now all ready with our game plan. THANKS, Board Members & Spouses to volunteering to help!
Loose Dogs – SLE HOA Residents have complained to the Board of Directors about dogs roaming freely, entering the roadways, confronting pedestrians and causing them to fear for their safety. This is totally unacceptable and violates Idaho law. Kootenai County and Idaho ordinances prohibit “dogs at large” on property belonging to others (including neighboring properties and roadways). Dogs must be fenced on your own property or must be secured by a leash long enough and strong enough to restrain the dog(s), or the dogs must be under your direct supervision, and you must be able to control them verbally and physically at all times. Allowing them to run loose in an unfenced yard does not constitute control.
Allowing dogs to run loose is generally treated as a civil violation or infraction, but penalties can escalate. Loose animals are subject to pick-up and impoundment by the Kootenai County Sheriff. They maintain a hotline to report loose or biting animals (below). A dog is considered dangerous if it bites, attacks, or aggressively threatens a person. If a dog is declared dangerous that animal must be kept in a secure, locked enclosure. A dangerous dog can only be taken into public areas on a short leash, muzzled, and the owner must carry specific public liability insurance in the amount of $200,000.
Repeat offenses, vicious attacks, or failure to follow containment mandates can result in misdemeanor criminal charges for the owner and in severe cases court ordered destruction of the animal. Per Idaho statutes, when a dog approaches a person in an aggressive manner, and the person fears for their safety, that person may use deadly force against the animal. We don’t want this to happen.
The burden is on you (the dog owner) to prevent such an incident.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE DOGS RUNNING LOOSE IN SLE, OR IF A DOG APPROACHES YOU IN A THREATENING MANNER:
· Protect yourself by whatever means is necessary.
· Take notes of the date, time, location. Take photos if possible.
· Call the Kootenai County Sheriff animal hotline 208-446-1300 ext. 2
New HOA Phone – At the September board meeting, there was discussion about replacement of the HOA cell phone. It is probably 10 years old and on its last legs. In fact, there's been a couple of times when it failed and it was difficult to get it to operate again.
The board authorized investigation into the best carrier and plan. So, I contacted Verizon T-Mobile Mint carriers to find out what kind of plans they had. Verizon offered the best plan, providing us with a new phone and a wireless router for a monthly cost of $130, which will go down in a couple of months.
The new phone allows us to receive calls, texts, voice messages, and manage emails all from one device. Have a dept-specific questions? Email is best (roads@spiritlakeeast.org, treasurer@spiritlakeeast.org). This way, we can continue to track business in each dept.
Having everything all-in-one device and ability to save/send documents, manage receipts, check status and report back to a resident, etc., makes it easier to oversee communications for the HOA, and is a good investment towards our future. We can also easily pass the baton to another member and future boards.
The number remains the same: 208-610-7096. Take a moment to add it as a new contact on your phone.
Motion to Accept New Business: Brendan Mills
Motion Seconded by: Tisha Dore
- Motion to adjourn by: Bryan Pettit
Motion Seconded by: Brendan Mills
- Meeting was adjourned at: 6:58pm
