Minutes of Meetings
Minutes: Southbrook Board Meeting/April 6th, 2026
Location: Unit #31
Present: Brad Gilbert, Matt Traub, Nancy Stetter, Austin White , Karin Lee
Absent: Bill Jones
1.Brad called the meeting to order at 6:03.
2.Approval of minutes from the annual meeting; Brad made a motion, seconded by Matt, to approve these minutes. Vote: All board members voted to approve the minutes; the motion was passed.
Property Manager’s Report:
Tree Inventory: Brad asked me to have Bozeman Arbor Care inventory our 10 most problematic trees and the cost of removal for each individually. I will have that information by April 13. A reminder, the tree at 53-54 that broke cost 10,900 to remove. There will also be some other trees that will need removal or trimming and we have bushes that need trimming. Estimate 5,000
Stump grinding: We have a few stumps from tree removals in last couple years that need grinding. In particular the one by unit 54. $2,000
Reroofing: South 1/2 of 53 is new at cost of 4,830. 58 roof over front bedroom and kitchen is new. The bid for the roof replacement above third story bathroom and sitting area is 3,600. Does not include installing venting. I will have further clarification of thus after meeting with the roofer.
We have serious problems with our roofs, especially the south facing and we need to come up with a plan to schedule reroofing our buildings. We have leaks that may be caused by roof conditions and venting. I estimate $50,000 - $75,000 per building for reroofing. Planning should begin now.
Dryer Vents: Does the board have a system in place to ensure dryer vents are cleaned on a regular basis? We had ours cleaned but is there a reporting system so this can be tracked. Talking to the guy who did ours mentioned that several HOA’s that he deals with have him clean all the vents and HOA pays him. This may be something the board may want to consider.
Chimneys: Do we want to inspect chimneys again and come up with recommendations for cleaning. We did an inventory and have an idea on who does and does not use their fireplace/stove. There have been changes of owners and renters so the inventory may be outdated. A firm I recommend is Big Red, Blaine Fries owner. 406-599-4919
He purchased the former Pro Vac firm that we used previously.
Cedar Fence: NE property line. I don’t have a bid yet but I estimate $5,000 with the dentist paying 1/2. This was at the request of Karin but she is now leaving. Is this still a priority?
South border fence: Has some issues in some areas. May need to replace some posts. May consider driving steel pipe. Est $5,000
Gutter covers: Gutters will need to be inspected and cleaned again this spring at a cost of about $4,000. I plan on installing gutter covers on a couple more buildings this summer. Est $5,000
Facia replacement on roofs with TREX type material. This also helps with squirrel mitigation and the need to paint these areas. We could do a building at a time. $5,000
Squirrel mitigation: Cost is $1,600 to call in a trapper. HOA could buy traps and I could have a trap line when needed.
Pigeons are a problem building nests in corners etc.
Spring clean-up: Evergreen came in and did a poor job on the first day. I called the owner and he said he was concerned when he saw the time cards for only 3 hours here. He came back in and spent a full day plus coming back on the second day to remove some more piles. They cleaned up most pine cones which have been accumulating at the request of Patty. It was nice that squirrels had stockpiled pine cones strategically under several of the spruce trees.
Our contract states $1,200 for clean up and he honored that. Our contract is up for renewal this year and the clean up fee will be adjusted to cover the increased work load. The fee for mowing and clean-up has not changed for 6 years. He did mention that we got a $4,000 clean-up for $1,200.
Parking pad 81-82: Brad has some ideas for mitigating the water problem. (We actually have the same problem on our own unit, 79-80, but haven’t complained; we could remove the wood spacers and replace them with gravel to allow better drainage.)
Grouting decks: Want to be proactive and replace 2x4 with grout on the second floor entries and decks. I feel we have the worst ones done and need to keep up the work. Possibly building by building. $7,000 total for the season. Will look for leaks next time it rains.
Deck railings: There is an ongoing project with lots of deterioration on these railings to bring them into compliance. I only have one planned on 53 which has rot and is for sale. I would like to spend $10,000 on these this summer, maybe building by building.
Patio fences: We have only replaced one fence, I think for unit 22. We have about 4 that are in advanced stages of decay, one being quite advanced. One unit ,55, requested that they be allowed to remove theirs, which was approved. Costs could easily come to $10,000 for these updates.
Painting: Painter has started scraping and sanding on 81-88, but illness and weather have hampered progress. They plan on being here this week. Amount left on contract is $3,550 for 81-88, 9-16, 17-18. Estimate $2,000 for supplies for a total of $5,550.
Painting fences and deck railings: I estimate at $5,000.
Sidewalks and pads: I have no plans nor requests for replacing even though building 19-26 has some problems with the sidewalks. Of course, the 81-82 pad is on the front burner.
Landscaping: I have no plans for tree or shrub plantings. That would come from the board.
A few years ago, the board set priorities for projects as 1) safety for residents and guests, and
2) preserving owners’ equity in their property.
Resident Manager’s Report
1.Bank report:
Checking $63,845.00
Reserve $101.00
CD's $26,900.00
Total: $90,846.00
2.Units 21,27,53 and 76 are for sale.
Treasurer’s Report: Austin is monitoring the 13-week cash flow for upcoming spring and summer projects. Will need estimated dates from Bill. The tree damage costs were offset by the money saved from almost no snow removal this past winter.
Old business: No old business.
New business:
Insurance options: Our current insurance coverage runs out on May 7th. Have approached HUB. Getting quotes from another insurance agency as well. Nancy and Brad will reach out to HUB again and one more insurance broker so we have three quotes.
Next meeting date: Either May 18th or June 1st, 6:00 PM/Unit 31
Brad made a motion to adjourn the meeting, and Karin seconded it; four members voted to adjourn the meeting at 7:10 PM.
Southbrook Condo Association Meeting Minutes
Monday, March 2, 2026
Gallatin County Law and Justice Center
1. Call to order and establishment of quorum
25 units present + 26 proxies = 51 so we have a quorum
President Brad Gilbert called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM
Brad made a motion to approve these minutes; no opposition
The 2025 minutes are approved
Vice-President Matt Traub read this report
The Southbrook Condo Association Board would like to thank you for a great 2025. The current board will be in the second year of a two year term until March 2027. Overall, our goal is to build on the excellent work of previous boards and community members to keep Southbrook a thriving and well run community.
One of our first decisions was to increase the monthly HOA fee to $250. This was discussed and approved at the 2025 annual meeting and helped address our increased costs from maintenance due to the age of our buildings, inflation of wages, and materials. We updated our processes to digital including records, forms, and an electronic payment system for HOA fees (PayHOA). Our by-laws were updated with two new additions passed by written ballot in February of 2026. Those bylaws turned the refundable association fee deposit into a transaction fee for new buyers and reiterated that exterior changes to windows and doors require Board approval. Certain policies that were unclear or missing were also updated, mostly dealing with rentals. All are available on the website southbrookcondos.net. We hired a new Bookkeeper and changed tax accounting firms. All our financials are sent out quarterly and put on the website. The new accounting firm also completed a financial review for 2025. This is required every year by our bylaws. Lastly, a new bi-monthly newsletter is being sent out to help communicate news and updates.
The board has been taking an active role in the community, meeting lots of members in person to hear about issues and ideas. We will continue to enforce our by-laws and policies so please review those on our website or reach out for a PDF version. A few focus areas are to please be aware that the city of Bozeman and our Association both have rules about dogs being on leashes and picking up after them.We also have a policy to keep trash and recycling cans inside the garage when not set out for pickup.
In closing, please be in touch with concerns or ideas for helping to improve Southbrook. Email or call the resident manager, Nancy, and she will let us know to reach out.
4. Property Manager Report: Bill Jones
Wind storm damage Dec 19 by falling tree branches on roof of 53. The first one fell to the south and tore the rain gutter off. At 5am a branch fell to the north and partially landed on the roof of the garage of 54. Then about 6 am a larger portion fell to the east striking the chimney and roof above 53.
Resulting charges:
Evergreen Roofing removed the broken chimney section and installed blue tarp to prevent further moisture damage. $2,600
Bozeman Arbor Care removed fallen portions and removed the rest of the tree using a crane. $11,750 Ins did pay $9,000 toward the cost of removal.
Replace rain gutter $825
Ins adjuster estimate of repair cost $117,750
5% wind deduction from value of building $131,778
Estimated contractor cost to do repairs $41,634
HOA responsible for 100% of cost due to cost not meeting the deductible.
Bricks were delivered and repair work began 2-23-26 and hope to be completed by 2-27-26. Roof is shingled except around chimney area.
Interior repairs to 53 have been completed.
I want to thank the owners of 53 and 54 for their cooperation in completing these repairs. And to the owners and residents of neighboring units thank you for your patience and understanding as repairs have been made.
Tree removal and trimming cost $6,000 in 2026.
#81-82 Still have ponding problem from runoff and board is addressing.
Snow Removal. Nov 24-Feb 25 $24,100; Nov 25-Feb 26 $6,000
Gutter Covers: Building 71-80 is done (largest building) Some selected areas are done on other buildings. Hope to do more in 2026. Cleaning gutters is about 1$/ foot for 3,490’ About 3 year pay back for installing covers.
Painting: 1-8 and 71-80 were done in 2025 81-88 and 9-16 & 17-18 planned for 2026
Replaced stairway at 27-30 with metal stair. $20,000
Roofs: Roofer who is doing roof on south half of 53 said the shingles facing south are failing. Haven’t looked at north facing. Association is looking at significant cost to replace roofs.
Have been replacing wood facia in some areas with a TREX product which eliminates roting issues and painting.
Windows and doors: Owners in a couple units have replaced windows and doors which is an improvement to their units. Unfortunately they are the wrong color and will have to be painted at their cost which may result in ongoing maintenance. It is the owners responsibility to notify the HOA Board about these planned improvements so they are done in a manner that conforms to HOA rules.
Ceiling leak: We had an intermittent ceiling leak in a lower unit. After much investigation and opinions from experts, plumbers, roofers, handymen, insurance and property managers it was traced down to a cracked drain line from the dishwasher in unit above that was not run a lot.
Entry way and landings: Much work was done on several to stop leaks from the landings on the second level into the entryway ceiling below. There have been a few with substantial rot in the ceilings which is expensive to fix. Owners! Please watch for leaks in unusual places in those ceilings or a black line on a beam which signifies rotting. Let Nancy know if this is observed.
Deck railings are being replaced due to age and noncompliance with current zoning. These are being done in a worst first manner with safety being of prime importance.
Patio fences: These are being replaced on a worst first basis also. We have altered the design slightly to allow the fences to dry out from moisture events.
Cedar fence on east side of property: The fence between our property and the dentist office on the east end is scheduled to be replaced this summer.
We have had squirrel problems with the little varmints getting into attics. We try and mitigate these access points and it is a constant battle with the failing wooden facia. Another reason to replace wooden facia with TREX.
Landscape: Along with tree and shrub maintenance we also bring in our mowing crew to clean up the campus in the fall. We also use a firm to clean the flower beds for winter. The sprinkler system is fed by two wells on the property and our board president Brad, who has some knowledge of this system has been maintaining it. There are a few areas with clutter and encroachment into common areas and the board is addressing those.
CLEAN UP DAY IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY MAY 9. NO TIRES, BATTERIES, PAINT, AEROSOLS OR ELECTRONICS ALLOWED.
Owners would like us to look into placing owl decoys around to deter squirrels and birds from damaging buildings. It was also mentioned to clean up cones under trees during spring clean up.
Account Balances as of 2/26/2026
Checking $90,978.50
Savings $101.84
CD’s $26,655.03
Total $117,735.37
We did not renew one of our CD’s in order to have enough cash to cover potential costs resulting from tree damage to unit 53’s building. Overall, we have no accounts that are behind on payment. Our grace period for not charging late fees in 2025 due to updating our contact records and bookkeeping has ended. Going forward units will receive one warning and then a $25 late fee will apply to any payments not received before the 15th. We will be collecting insurance payments in May and August this year. Details will be communicated once we hear from our insurer about the 2026 rates.
There were six units sold in 2025. Two more units have been sold so far in 2026. Currently, two units are for sale. One of the units sold was a rental, which meant we offered a unit from the rental waiting list the option to be a rental. In 2025 two units converted to rentals, and one unit so far in 2026. We have 27 rental units with one pending. That would put us at 28 rentals with our maximum amount allowed according to the bylaws at 30. 17 units are currently on the rental waitlist.
During the past year we did not issue any fines for bylaw violations. We did issue several notices which is the first step before fines. The main issues we see are parking too many vehicles in the common lots, dogs not on leashes/cleaning up after them, trash cans, and exterior alterations. One vehicle per unit is allowed to park in the common lots. Clean up after your dog and Bozeman does require leashes. Trash cans get blown over by the wind and animals get in them so please keep them in your garages when not out for pick up. Any alteration to the exterior of units needs to be approved by the Board, i.e. windows, doors, utilities, decks.
See attachments below for financials (PDF Version). We discussed the hiring of a new bookkeeper and accounting firm. We had a successful accounting review affirming our financial statements. Our plan is to meet our goal of saving 10% of income for the reserve fund with our 2026 budget. Owners wondered if PayHOA will be an option for the insurance payment this year, the board will look into that. We discussed moving the fee for using PayHOA from the unit owner to the association so owners will pay just $250 with no fee for ACH payments. Owners were favorable to that and asked if Credit Card fees could be lowered as well and the association will look into that.
A motion was made by Jeff Stone 46 and seconded by Bob Davis 52 nominated
Austin White of unit 31 to be treasurer, which she accepted.
Noise complaint standards: According to our HOA attorney, if there are noise issues between units, contact Nancy. A board member will check if the noise is above the city’s allowed level; if yes, a fine will be issued by the Board.
Written ballot amendments passed see below for full amendments:
When a unit sells the new owner will pay a non-refundable transfer fee of $250 to the HOA.
Doors and windows need to comply with a uniform standard and need to be approved by the Board.
Should monthly dues be raised in 2027 to an amount that will include each unit’s insurance payment. 37 units voted yes and 28 voted no. The board will look further into this and no decision has been made.
PayHOA: To date, 22 units have signed up for this service. Please sign up for this service because it saves a lot of work for Brad/Nancy/our bookkeeper.
A potluck get-together was proposed; one of the green areas can be used for this purpose.
President Brad Gilbert adjourned the meeting at 7:35.
BY-LAW AMENDMENTS
The following amendment to the covenants of the Southbrook Condo Association are submitted to the Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder for inclusion in covenants previously recorded in: FlLM 85, PAGES 1788-1836, FILM 103, PAGE 1573 and Document #2479086.
Association fees are at the monthly rate last set by the Board of Directors, pursuant to the Declaration for Southbrook Condominium (filed as Film 85 Page1809, records of the Clerk & Recorder of Gallatin County), plus the same rate per unit for month of entrance into the Association (which fee is non-refundable when the unit is sold). Fees are due the 1st of each month and are considered delinquent after the 15th of the month. Delinquent fees shall be assessed a penalty of $25 for each month of delinquency. Upon 90 days of delinquency of these monthly fees, a lien shall be filed against that unit. Hardship cases may apply to the Board of Directors for consideration of leniency on an individual basis.
The following amendment to the covenants of the Southbrook Condo Association are
submitted to the Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder for inclusion in covenants previously
recorded in: FILM 103, PAGE 1573
All doors and windows installed on the property shall adhere to a uniform standard and must be approved by the Southbrook Condo Association Board.
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