Current Issues

The February board meeting is less about events and more about how our association functions. Several agenda items affect how information flows, how participation works, and how we structure long-term governance.

The January Board of Directors meeting covered a wide range of operational, governance, and committee matters. Several decisions made during the meeting affect how compliance actions begin, how and when members can participate during meetings, and how committee work will be scheduled and noticed going forward.

The membership section is actually very personal. It answers basic questions like: Who gets to vote?  Who can run for the board?  Who is officially a member of the association? That’s why we’re taking our time with it.

An overview of major topics surfaced at the planning meeting.

The Lake Committee met with City of Olympia representatives with a focus on keeping pollutants out of the lake before they enter the system. This approach prioritizes simple, practical actions that reduce debris and sediment at the source, rather than relying on costly cleanup after the fact.

At the same time, community organizations are shaped not only by what they manage, but by how people interact within them. Events play a central role in that process. They create repeated, visible opportunities for neighbors to gather, observe norms, and learn what kinds of participation are possible.

Our purpose is to protect members, the Board, and the Association’s shared assets by ensuring our governing documents support predictable, fair, and workable processes in a volunteer-run community.

When members are told to step back and be quiet, the board doesn’t get to “do its work” more effectively — it just does it with less information, less trust, and less legitimacy.

When we demand how the work, it’s a signal that the issue isn’t procedural. It’s cultural. It’s distinction between support and compliance.

At its core, HB 2118 limits an HOA’s ability to retroactively tighten use restrictions on homeowners without their consent. For Ken Lake, that touches several real and recurring areas of friction.

This article prepares residents for the January Board meeting by explaining what the agenda items mean in practice, what authority exists, and what precedent or process has been used before.

This weekend, JOLT reported a proposed multifamily housing development at the corner of Black Lake Boulevard and 21st Avenue SW. We’re paying attention, and here’s what we know and what comes next.

Gowrylow stated “There is no zoning crisis, the city is not pulling a fast one on us as far as I can tell.” This is a stark contrast to Gowrylow's earlier position that the city upzoning would mean "crowded streets and parks."

The governance committee is recruiting members to work on it's subcommittees, making recommendations in direction as well as in the language that we will use to support each other for the next decade.

Covenant enforcement is a very big deal and can lead to large fines. It is important to respond to the board if you feel that an error was made, or if you need to request an extension. Learn more about Lakemoor Community Club covenants here. The Ken Lake LCC provides an appeal form, which can be filled out and returned to VIS at info@vismangement.com. Please complete this step promptly.

Sunshine laws are rules that make decision-making easy for the public to see. In Washington, two sets of rules often get mixed together: The Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA, RCW 42.30) The Homeowners’ Association Act (RCW 64.38) Only the second one applies to HOAs, but both help us understand how meetings should work and how to keep things open and clear for everyone. This article explains what each law does and what it means for our meetings, hybrid formats, a

The lake is refilling, and with flood warnings throughout the county, we thought it was a good moment to highlight our stormwater system here in Ken Lake. Ken Lake has 14 stormwater catch basins, each about the size of a dining table. These basins drain into the lake, which is why the Lake Committee recommends limiting fertilizers and chemical treatments. It is everyone's responsibility to keep storm drains clear.

Throughout the meeting, one theme came through clearly: the lake is a shared resource, and its care is a shared responsibility.

We attended the Nov 25th Executive Session so you don't have to! We'll cover the issues and include a little background for each, as well as questions we have as we move forward.

When the tone changes overnight from “existential threat” to “open discussion,” it’s worth asking: Was the pre-election messaging truly about policy, or about winning? What other choices were made in pursuit of your vote?