Happy Hour – Friday, April 17
Bring your favorite beverage and snack and join us at the Bridge House from 5-7pm on Friday, April 17th to gather together and meet and greet….and welcome the 2nd full month of spring.
The Bridge House Activity committee:
Susan Hunter
Suzi Scully
Arlene Jones
Annual Meeting Info…
Don’t forget, this year’s Annual Homeowner Meeting will take place via Zoom on Saturday, April 18, 2026, starting at 9:30 am. Watch your inboxes the week before the meeting for the Zoom link and meeting details!
One important item on the meeting agenda will be the announcement of the Board election winners. If you haven’t already done so, make sure you get your ballot back to the office no later than 5:00 pm on Thursday, April 16, 2026, so that it can be counted. [Note: if mailing your ballot, please be sure to allow at least a week for it to get here…longer, if it took more than a week for the packet to get to you!]
The ballot packets were mailed out on March 20th, so you should be receiving yours soon, if you haven’t already. If you haven’t received your packet yet, the materials (including candidate statements and questionnaires) can be found in the Owner Portal. To access them, log in and navigate to Community > Library, then click on the folder labeled “Voting.” Please note that the online packet does not include the ballot form itself, so if you need a replacement ballot, contact the office directly at manager@thecapeshoa.org.
We are using “secret ballot” procedures this year, so ballots can be returned via US Mail or dropped off at the office. [Please read the instructions included in the ballot packet carefully, to ensure your ballot is counted!] If you prefer to submit your ballot via email, you may do so, but be aware that returning a ballot by email means you are waiving your right to a secret ballot.
Thank you for participating in this year’s Board election. Your vote is important!
Resolution for Revenue Ruling 70-604
Aside from the director election, the only other issue on this year’s ballot is the annual Resolution for Revenue Ruling 70-604 vote. Information on what this means is included in the ballot packet, but it warrants being repeated here.
In very simple terms, a vote of “yes” on this resolution means that *if* there are any excess funds from membership income (dues) at the end of 2026, they will be rolled into the 2027 budget. This could potentially help to reduce the 2027 dues – or at least hold them steady – if we happen to run under budget this year.
A vote of “no” on this resolution would mean that any excess dues income would be counted with any non-membership income and taxed by the federal government. It does not mean that excess membership income would be refunded to homeowners.
Voting “yes” to this is pretty much a no-brainer….say “yes” to “no taxes”!
Time to Candle Those Shore Pines!
Spring is the perfect time to candle your shore pine trees! Candling is the process of pinching back the new growth—or “candles”—to help control tree size and protect neighbors’ ocean and bay views. Wait until the new growth reaches about 4–6 inches, which usually occurs in early to mid-May. For best results, candle when the stem is still soft and can be snapped cleanly in two.
Since this falls in the middle of nesting season, please be on the lookout for active nests before you start. For more detailed guidance, see the document Care and Pruning of Shore Pines in the Landscaping folder of the Owner Portal Library.
Emergency Preparedness Committee – Now Accepting Members!
Our Emergency Preparedness Committee has been on a bit of a hiatus since March 2024—and we’d love your help getting it up and running again!
At the moment, the committee has just two members, which (as it turns out) isn’t quite enough to hold a proper meeting. So, we’re looking for a few more volunteers to join in and help restart this important effort.
Volunteers will work together to develop a community disaster plan, share helpful tips so owners can be better prepared at home, and brainstorm ways to strengthen our community’s readiness for larger-scale events like earthquakes or wildfires and smaller-scale events like winter storms and power outages.
No special experience is needed—just an interest in helping our community stay safe, informed, and a little more prepared for whatever comes our way.
If you’re interested in joining or learning more, please reach out!