Frequently Asked Questions

Safety and Security

Is Ken security and why he does not return everyone's calls

Clarifications Regarding Ken's Role in our Community:

Safety vs. Security: Ken is responsible for the safety of our common areas. This is distinct from security. Based on consultations, the association would be liable if we provided security services.

Budget Constraints: With annual dues at only $700, the association cannot afford to provide security services. For comparison, Pinehurst offers limited security with a manned access gate but charges $4,500 annually for their HOA dues.

Phone Calls & Communication: Ken receives an average of 40+ calls daily. Given his responsibilities, including maintenance of 6 beach paths, 8 miles of road easements, and common areas, it's impractical for him to answer all calls.

If you need to reach Ken, texting him at (503) 298-7911 is recommended. For pressing issues, contact the sheriff department. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1. For non-emergencies, call (503) 325-2061. After notifying the authorities, a follow-up text to Ken would be appreciated to keep him in the loop.

Reporting & Oversight:

Ken directly reports to John Yerke. They usually communicate daily.

If anyone feels that there are unaddressed issues, they can email spaweb@surfpines.com. This email is directed to the President, Secretary, and Administrator to ensure prompt attention.

Just letting you know, on Saturday (last night) around 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. a vehicle was driving slowly down Ocean Dr shining a flashlight out the drivers side window, taking a good look at our property and the neighbors to either side. Could have been jus

Rest of Question:  shining a flashlight out the drivers side window, taking a good look at our property and the neighbors to either side. Could have been just looking for a dog or something but it was a bit odd. It was pretty dark but it seemed to possibly be red or maroon. It was one of those small square van things that is not quite a mini-van and not quite an SUV but somewhere in between. I was in bed so couldn’t get a better view of the vehicle.

Answer: Our Response: Thank you for being so observant. To put you at rest, that is one of our members doing security surveillance. From your excellent description, I believe I know who you spotted. Ken Weist our onsite safety person and Cameron Lewis, our head of the security and safety committee and several neighbors have volunteered to do rounds at night till we chase off these interlopers that have been targeting a couple of homes on Ocean. Link to Blog Article.

Who do I report barking dogs, loud chickens, and other Public Nuisances on private property.

All Public Nuisances, regarding animal issues located on private property, must be reported to Keaton Walde, the Animal Control Officer for the Clatsop County Animal Control Services. His contact information is 503-298-9881 (Mobile) and 503-861-7387 (Office). His e-mail is kwalde@co.clatsop.or.us. He indicated that the correct process is to contact his department with your complaint directly. He cannot enforce complaints from a third party, such as our security person.  

In Clatsop County there is no special form to complete so Deputy Walde typically will personally observe the offending property to ascertain if the issue is severe enough to cite a Type 2 infraction or not. He did indicate that the complaining person can submit video or audio evidence to assist the officer.  

This is not something that our onsite safety person can do for you. As many of you know, our recently passed CC&Rs only address loose animal issues that occur on the Surf Pines Common area and roads. If these occur on the private property of another member, then our rules do not apply based on our guiding documents. So, if you call our Security person, he has been instructed to provide you Deputy Wade’s contact information to file a formal complaint.

What is Phrogging and what do you need to know about perpetrators who may occupy your home when you're not there?

Ken wanted us to post this article about the recent break-in on Ocean.

May 29, 2021

The most recent break-in on Ocean was not to steal anything, since the owners have not found anything missing. The owners found the perpetrators had been living in their home for a few weeks. They have not had anyone at their property since March and it appears the people who violated this home had been sleeping and using the bathroom facilities. There are several who describe this as squatting but Ken believes they might be more like a group now called Phroggers. These are people who move into a home whether occupied or not and hide there for a place to stay. Especially in areas like ours where there are numerous homes that are left empty for extended times. 

Ken wanted to remind all our members that we all need to be diligent about our own properties as well as our neighbors. So if you see anything unusual going on with your neighbors homes please call the Sheriff or let Ken know. 

Also, many people may not be aware that some home owner policies may preclude coverage if a home is vacant for more than 60 days. If you feel the need to add additional security to protect your home or coverage, Ken has the names and numbers of people who have provided this service for other members and Surf Pines. In addition, Ken now has several other new residents who will help him do periodic safety checks during the evening hours until we convince these interlopers that Surf Pines will not put up with this chicanery.

Here is the article on Phrogging

 

There have been several questions on why our gates are being broken so often and the costs to SPA. Here are some answers from what I know. Tom

Questions about our new gate.

August 18, 2020

Question:
Are we breaking even on the maintenance/replacement  of these new gates? It seems like it is taking quite a while for the newness to wear off and for the  public to realize they are there and need to be respected. When I look at these bills I am surprised at the costs and I wanted to know if the offenders are compensating us for their carelessness in each case. Driving through a closed or closing gate seems to be more common now than before when we had big heavy gates.

Answer:
We have caught all of the perpetrators and they are paying all costs. Our new cameras have already paid for themselves. These gates are much easier to fix and now we have a spare that Ken can put back up in a few minutes until the broken one is replaced or fixed. 

Our actual maintenance costs on gates will be substantially less. The old gates were costing us a mint to maintain and when they were damaged there were much longer down times . 

The primary issue seems to be at the north gate. This could be a combination of several factors. For one, the gate comes down faster to try and keep people from tailgating into SP, which means there is a learning curve. 

Second it is darker around the gate and since most of these have occurred late afternoon, sun might be making it more difficult to see the lights on the gate at that time. One solution is to add reflective bumps at the kiosk or just north of it like we have at the south gate. 

Thirdly, it might make sense to have big white or yellow painted criss-crosses from Kiosk to gate. Visual cues do work as several studies show. Also our decorating the gates should slow people down because it will appear narrower when there is more stuff on the sides of the gates. We intend on investigating all these potential solutions. 

Lastly we need to make a big sign that says: 

“ If Gate is Red, Watch your head!”

By 

 
 
 
 
 
My question is, with a large area down from our house, away from neighbors, I would like to get a mini-mini horse (a little larger than a dog) as an emotional support buddy. Is that possible?

You can find all documents related to rules and restrictions on the members only area of the Surf Pines website under Owner Documents.  I’ve attached the link.  The documents are pretty clear in prohibiting farm animals.  Per the county, chickens are not classified as farm animals.  You can make a request directly to the BOD, but I’m relatively confident that it would not be approved.  Sorry about that, J___