In this Newsletter:
Welcome New Neighbors!
While we have all been observing an extended hibernation no thanks to Covid-19, there have been some changes in our neighborhood that may have gone unnoticed.
Over the past 12 months Tumalo Rim has gained a few new families! If you see unfamiliar faces while out walking in the neighborhood, be sure to welcome them to our beautiful little slice of Central Oregon.
Let's all send a warm welcome to Ben & William Brewer at 19625 Tumalo Rim Court, Kimberly Dean & Brittany Ziegler at 64166 Tumalo Rim Drive, and Cory & Julie Poulin at 64111 Tumalo Rim Drive.
Welcome home to you all!
Our new TRPOA Board Vice President!
In light of our former board vice president Jason Martindale moving away, the board has voted in Ted Gladu to fill the position per Article 5.3 outlined in the Association bylaws.
Ted brings a breadth of skills and experience to the position and will certainly be an asset in the role. Thank you Ted for taking on the the task!
TRPOA Website is Up and Running!
Yes! It's true! and if you're reading this, then you are THERE! Please take a few moments to browse around and get familiar with the new TRPOA site. The website contains useful information such as our CC&R's, Bylaws and Rules & Regs plus the soon-to-be members only Newsletter Blog section where all future Newsletters and Info will be published.
The plan is to present all future news and info on the TRPOA site instead of lengthy e-mails. Members who log into the TRPOA site will be notified by e-mail of any new information as soon as it's posted any you may view it on your computer or via mobile device whenever you like.
We are still ironing out the kinks so please be patient with us and consider it a work in progress!
All About Fire Free 2021!
It's that time of year again- Fire Free season in Tumalo Rim! For those of you that may not know, Fire Free is a program supported by Deschutes county to incentivize residents to minimize wildfire fuels on their properties. With the recent nearby wildfire that placed our neighborhood under a level 1 evacuation notice, and the increase in wildfires in general over the past several years, the importance of this program is clear.
Some best practices for reducing debris on your property include;
Trimming tree limbs to a height of 10' from the ground
Removing dead brush from the area
Establishing a two tiered "defensible space" around all structures (30' and 100' respectively)
Establishing a minimum 8' of fuel free perimeter around all structures
and Removing debris such as pine needles or juniper duff from roof areas and gutters
This last item is one of the most often overlooked but most critically important concerns since airborne embers can and do land on rooftops and any fuels there can ignite quickly.
More info about these steps is available here: https://www.firefree.org/10steps/
During the annual Fire Free period, Deschutes county accepts yard debris free of charge. Over the years, the Tumalo Rim neighborhood has participated by bringing in a large yard debris dumpster for neighborhood residents to save multiple trips to the dump. In addition, each year we contract with a local tree service to handle the larger limbs that you may have around your property. More details about this program may be found here: https://www.firefree.org/about/
We have scheduled with Republic Services and Fagen's Tree Service again this year for our annual Fire Free cleanup. The first round will be the placement of a 30 yard dumpster in the "usual" place along Tumalo Rim Drive towards the north end of the road (new neighbors don't worry! We'll let you know and you won't be able to miss it!).
Fire Free Yard Debris Dumpster:
The yard debris dumpster is scheduled to arrive on Monday April 26, 2021 and will be exchanged for an empty one on the following Monday. The final pick-up of the dumpster will occur on Monday May 10, 2021. Please remember that we absolutely MUST follow the dumpster guidelines listed below in order to receive the free disposal of these items by Deschutes county during the Fire Free week.
Dumpster guidelines: As a reminder, this service is provided for Fire Free efforts only and the dumpster should only be used for tree and shrub trimmings. It should not be used for sod, lawn clippings, rocks, dirt, garbage or construction materials.
Large Limb Chipping Service:
Starting in mid-April you may begin to place tree limbs near the curb, "big" end towards the street for chipping. Fagen's Tree Service is scheduled to come through in mid-May ( tentatively between May 10th to 31st) to chip these limbs. Please remember that they will accept only tree limbs with a maximum base diameter of 4". They will not chip or remove large logs, brush or other yard debris.
Thanks for your participation and we look forward to another successful year of wildfire fuel removal in our beautiful neighborhood!
Our Dark Sky!
One of the great features of living in Tumalo Rim is that our distance from town affords us fantastic views of the night sky.
Thanks to the lack of on-street lighting (by design!) and the shadowing effect of Awbrey Butte, we are spared a great deal of light pollution from Bend and graced with an unusually dark sky considering our proximity to such a large population center.
Communities around the world are beginning to understand the value of darkness at night, not only for the benefit of humans but also for wildlife. This is such a universally (pun intended!) valued asset overall, in fact, that as far back as 1995 our own Deschutes County even went to the extent of enshrining "Dark Sky" regulations into the county ordinances -https://www.deschutes.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/community_development/page/770/outdoor_lighting_-_frequesntly_asked_questions.pdf .
What's more, as mentioned in the recent Deschutes county board of commissioners meeting, Deschutes County is currently reviewing newer more stringent requirements as the area population grows.
This means that as property owners in Deschutes County residing OUTSIDE of the various nearby Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB's), we are all required to control our outdoor lighting in order to preserve the beauty of the night sky for our neighbors.
Notwithstanding the most simple and obvious technology (an "off" switch) or simply shielding outdoor lights, we now have so much new smarter technology available to us, there is just no longer any need to have outdoor lighting glaring throughout the night. Things like timers, motion-sensors and night-vision capable security cameras have rescued us from the need to run lights all night long for safety. Besides, it saves you money on your power bills to dim the lights when they're not in use!
To this end, the county ordinance stipulates that outdoor light emitting portion of a fixture (light bulb) must cast light downwardly only and not be visible beyond your property line. Uncovered security lights are permitted to run for 20 minutes beyond the point of detecting movement and holiday lights can be left up for no more than 45 days.
Beyond simply shielding your outside lights, there are also many "Dark Sky" compliant fixtures available to meet these requirements as this is a trend that is growing in popularity in rural locations.
This isn't simply regulation for regulations sake, this dark sky effect truly enhances the quality of life in rural areas and we should all be compelled to protect the "not in town" feel of our neighborhood. the dark night sky helps us to retain a valuable piece of the character that sets these sorts of places apart from the sorts of crowded neighborhood environments few of us would accept as an alternative to our beloved Tumalo Rim.
Please take a moment to consider if your outdoor fixtures are "Dark Sky" compliant and undertake whatever adjustments may be necessary. Your neighbors will welcome you out for some of the best stargazing around!
Comments