Minutes of Meetings
Southbrook HOA Board of Directors
Regular Meeting Minutes
August 31, 2026 | 6pm
2200 West Dickerson #31 | Bozeman, MT 59718
August 31, 2026
The regular meeting was called to order by Brad Gilbert at 6:00 PM MST.
Board Members Present: Brad Gilbert, John Stiles, Matt Traub, Austin White
Guest Present:
STANDING BUSINESS
With unanimous consent, the 7/20/26 Board Meeting Minutes were approved as distributed. Property Managers Report: The Board has assumed interim property management responsibilities since the retirement of Property Manager, Bill Jones. President Brad Gilbert delivered the property managers
report including and update on: Northeast Fencing, Fascia Repairs, Grounds Maintenance, Concrete Puddle Repairs, and reported leaks.
Property Manager Search Update: The Board reviewed submitted proposals from three property management firms in response to an issued request for proposals.
Motion: Brad Gilbert moved to select LifeStiles Realty Group, principal Broker John Stiles, also owner of unit #88, as the next Property Manager. Duties to begin October 1, 2026. Brad Gilbert shall execute the appropriate management contract on behalf of the Board. Seconded: Austin White Motion Passed: 3-0-1
John Stiles Abstained from Voting, and the Board recognized the proper disclosure of any conflict of interest.
Motion: Matt Traub moved to continue the Resident Property Management contract through October 31, 2026 to effectively allow appropriate transition time of Property Management. The Resident Property management contract will terminate as of November 1, 2026. Seconded: Brad Gilbert Motion Passed: 4-0-0.
Resident Manager Report : Brad Gilbert presented the Resident Managers Report on behalf of Nancy Stetter. The active bank totals are: $52,973.14 Checking, $102.07 Reserve Account, $97,332.85 CD Accounts. There is one active listing for sale/pending/contingent (#64) and it is reported that (#58) will be coming to market. #58 is a rental, and Nancy is working with the rental waiting list to accommodate the unit(s) next in-line. The Board reviewed the status of all accounts and units that are behind on payments.
Treasurer's Report: Austin White presented the Treasurers report, and the Board reviewed the CD Investment policy. With unanimous consent the Board agreed to maintain 3-months of operating expenses in Checking, moving additional funds to CD Investment Accounts.
Motion: Brad Gilbert moved to change the Monthly HOA dues from $250 to $300 on January 1, 2027. This increase will eliminate the separate bi-annual insurance fee. Seconded: Matt Traub Motion Passes: 4-0-0.
OLD BUSINESS
There is a Southbrook Pot-Luck Get Together planned for September 13th at 3pm. The Board will send a reminder email, as well as provide rented tables for the event.
NEW BUSINESS
The Board reviewed next steps surrounding selection of potential new HOA Legal Counsel.
The Board discussed the overview of the Risk Control Policy impacting unit insurance deductibles.
The Board continues to discuss, and determine what owners are responsible for maintaining surrounding specific building repairs/maintenance, as well as the appropriate HOA assistance with special assessments and such maintenance costs.
The Board discussed new Web-Hosting platforms for the HOA.
The Board discussed updating the abridged, simplified, summarized version of the Bylaws presented on the website, and decided counsel would be best aligned to perform these duties.
The Board discussed general HOA matters such as Bear activity in the complex.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday October 27, 2026 at 6pm.
ADJOURN
With unanimous consent the meeting was adjourned at 8:01pm MST.
08-31-2026 Property Management Report
The board has taken on the role of handling the property management after our previous property manager retired. This is an interim role until a new property manager or management company is hired. We are continuing to sort through paper files and digitize the maintenance records to get a picture of what work has been done and where. This will help create a report card for each building including past repairs, current condition, and future recommended maintenance and improvements. The board does need to clarify what is the owner’s responsibility vs the associations and what the cost splits are for various maintenance and improvements.
Completed Maintenance:
Northeast fence by dentist and unit 27 was replaced at split cost - $2,675
Fascia repair on south third level roof of unit 83. Calvin worked on it and waiting to be
billed
Units 9,11, and 12 requested trimming and weed removal of overgrown front courtyard area. This was completed by Earthscape Landscaping August 21st, waiting to be billed. The association does not provide regular maintenance of these areas. This was a special situation to correct old issues.
Unit 23 white vinyl windows were painted to match the building by Jeremy Annis Painting. Completed 8/4/2026 costs paid by owner.
Tree removals (1 large spruce, 1 aspen) and stump grinding (2 large spruce, 3 aspen) completed near units 54 and 55. Summer project done by Bozeman Arborcare completed in August 2026. The cost was $7,375.
Calvin handyman work: Chimney Cap Installation for units 45/46, 47/48, 59/60. Siding repair unit 60. Painted and installed missing section of board above entryway of 29. Gutter Cleaning for condos 39–46 & 27–30. Siding Inspection & Coordination of garage
for units 51 and 54. The total was $1,815.
Sprinklers timing updated for dry areas. Two zones were repaired. Control Box #4 replaced. Wire spliced back together by 54, 55 stump grinding. Completed in August at no cost, refurbished parts.
Unit 86 Squirrel issue returned and the squirrel was trapped by the owner. Calvin is fixing possible fascia entrypoint above unit 83.
Pending Maintenance:
The do not park here to driveway sign on 23rd to the south of the driveway will be moved to the same distance as the other side’s sign, appx. 20’. Should be completed early September 2026 city covers cost.
Bird issues have been reported on unit 44’s building and the north face of unit 20. We would like to have Calvin install some fake owls and other deterrents. Need board approval and could do in September 2026.
Painting for building 6 (units 81-88) is scheduled for September with a deposit paid. The worst areas on the south, west and east faces will be addressed. $17,000 budget. This is just to get the building in decent shape for the winter. The board will put together a painting plan and schedule this winter and look at bids and costs.
Tree and hedge trimming will be completed by Bozeman Arborcare in September. Stump grinding by unit 46, remove two dead aspen, trim various trees. Trim very overgrown hedge at North border as requested by that property's owner. Cost will be around $2,100 in September 2026.
Unit 81 requested removal of dead branches from the spruce tree in the back of the unit. This will be added to the next work list for Bozeman Arborcare.
Unit 48 has reported that the repair done to the concrete joint outside their entryway is very sloppy. This repair was done a long time ago and Les will look at it and see if it can be improved.
Unit 81,82 parking pad puddle fix from Groundworks was unsuccessful. The next step is replacing part of the concrete or installing a drain. Spent $1,603.35 so far and the concrete work bid is $23,300 from Lone Wolf Concrete. The board needs to discuss the value of the project and get alternate bids.
Working with the new owner of Brookside Apartments to replace the south fence section that splits the border of our properties. The cost will be split and we are currently looking at bids from contractors. Summer 2027 project.
Repair landscaping from tree removals by 54 and 55. Level area as best we can and add top soil for sod or grass seed. Select a few trees to plant. Unit 38 has also requested a few trees be planted along the south fence to block the view of the Cowdrey Apartments. There are a few other little landscape projects that could be lumped in as well. In the planning stage, no bids yet. Summer 2027 project.
Leaks or water spots have been reported by units 44,49,56. Unit 44 issues have not been inspected, waiting for the owner to schedule that. Unit 49 has a confirmed small leak that has been unsuccessfully addressed in the past. Unit 56 we are waiting for inspection to be scheduled. All issues most likely relate to the improper venting of the roofs. Future replacement of the roofs could be the solution. We have roof bids and the board is working on a plan to schedule and pay for roof replacements. 2027 potential projects start on the worst roofs.
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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