2016 Annual Seattle Floating Home Meeting Summary.

 

Topics and Updates

Alan Kirtley, was the facilitator from last year

–         Jack Wilken updated the current status about the proposed float plane runway for Lake Union.

–         Representatives from Harbor Patrol spoke about issues such as speeding, noise, and safety on dock.  NOTE: Officers identified that calls should go first through 911 and then if it is an extreme emergency where life is in danger, call Harbor Patrol directly because they will be more familiar with the location than the 911 dispatcher.

–         There were updates on:

  • Westlake Cycle track,
  • The Floating Homes Tour
  • The proposed development at the former Red Robin side
  • The Puget Soundkeepers Sweep.

– Tickets for the Floating Homes Tour, as well as new items from the Floating Home Boatique, were for sale!

 

NOTE:

if you did not know about the meeting because you were not on the email list and would like to be, you can be added by emailing your contact information to:  mailto:floatinghomesseattle@gmail.com

 

2016 FHA Board were elected.
The following candidates elected

 

President

John Leness has lived on The Lake Union dock for six years.  He and his wife Terry had lived on Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and Bainbridge Island – it has taken them a long time to get it right.  John served as General Counsel to Flow International Corporation, a maker of waterjet cutting and cleaning equipment, for twenty-four years, leaving following the sale of the company in 2014.  He also serves as treasurer for his dock and as a director of Southworth Company, a manufacturer of specialty technical papers, cards and gifts.  John is also a lifelong sailor and oarsman.
Vice-President
Libby Kutcipal is a member of the communications committee. After renting a floating home on 2466 Westlake Ave (home owned by Bill and Barrie Taraday), she purchased a floating home on 2420 Westlake Ave N.  Libby stays busy working as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. She volunteers on the boards of the Washington State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Western Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. In her “free” time, she walks/runs her dog, Delilah, and is learning the art of flying trapeze. She has enjoyed her time on the board.  As a newer member of the floating home community, she feels like she offers a new and different perspective on FHA issues.
Secretary
Maggie Chon has lived on the 3226 dock recently, and is absolutely thrilled to be living on the water. She grew up sailing on Lake Ontario in upstate New York, and it has been a dream of hers ever since she was very young to live in a floating home. Maggie has attempted to be an upstanding citizen by serving on several non-profit boards related to the legal profession over the past 20+ years. Since 1996 she has been a faculty member at Seattle University School of Law where she engages in numerous service activities related to the law school, university and beyond. She is ready to turn her considerable energies and experience to this community-based board, and is quite interested in the regulatory aspects of floating homes. Maggie also appreciates the unique history and importance of this way of life, and is willing to be an effective advocate for its preservation.

Incumbent Board Members

Bill Albert had his first view of the Great Northwest when he served in the USAF at (then) McChord AFB in the mid 70’s, and has lived in Seattle since 1981. Bill trained to be a licensed aircraft mechanic and was one of the original employees with Horizon Air when it first started flying. He eventually became the maintenance manager at Sea-Tac, a position from which he retired after 25 years.  Since then he has become a licensed General Contractor and has worked on houses (and houseboats) since 2006. Bill is a former member-at-large, treasurer, and is now current President of the Portage Bay Condo Association. He and his wife Janice (a senior prosecutor with Snohomish County) and their dogs (BoSox, Ted Williams, and Lou Pinella) split their time between their house on Queen Anne and their floating home on Portage Bay. They love all-things-outside and will be living on the water full time when Janice retires. Bill is a helper, always ready to join in to improve life for his family, neighbors, and community.  He likes being in the middle of things where he can make a difference.
Joyce Duran Black has lived on Portage Bay over twenty years. In 1999, the dock was sold to the six houseboat members and the name changed to Willow Cove in honor of an old willow tree… Joyce has worked with people with developmental disabilities for over 40 years. She became a FHA board member in 2011and lead the charge for our 50th anniversary celebration. She serves on the Community Relations Committee. She currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for Highline Community College and has served on a number of non-profit boards in the past and enjoys working with others to make a positive difference in our community. Her love of the floating home community and interest in working to strengthen our standing in the community makes her an asset to the FHA board. Joyce and Dave Black are world travelers but both agree there is nothing better than coming home to our amazing houseboat community

 

New Board Members

Peter Erickson has lived on a houseboat since 1972. He is married to Brigitte Bertschi (Bertschi School on Capitol Hill) and they have raised two kids on their floating home as part of the Log Foundation Co-op. He is a water person who swims daily in a wetsuit that turns Lake Union into his private year-round pool! While attending the UW Master’s Program in architecture in the 70’s he built, re-built and sold 9 floating homes. He is an architect by training, but a real estate developer by trade. From 1981 to 2005 he developed properties in Pioneer Square and Belltown but has recently returned to Lake Union and Portage Bay to do infill development that tries to meet the objectives of the community council and hopefully enrichens the neighborhood. He is interested in working with the FHA on governmental ordinances and land use regulations that respect the history, character and needs of the floating home community.
Erik Johnson grew up in the Pacific Northwest then moved to New York and Washington, D.C.  There he enjoyed a successful career as a commercial photographer, shooting residential interiors, food, and travel stories. His work was regularly featured in many national publications including Metropolitan Home, Cottage Living, Elle Décor, Better Homes and Gardens, Food and Wine, Martha Stewart Living, and The New York Times. After 10 years on the east coast he decided to return home in 2008 with his wife Pamela Tonglao. Erik is now a residential real estate broker with Windermere and his wife is in-house counsel at Paccar. Once back in Seattle they started looking for a floating home, but it was not until 2013 that they bought their property at The DOX Co-op on Fairview where they live with their Havanese, Stogie. Erik is a fixer, helper, restorer, jack of all trades. He enjoys the closeness and camaraderie in the floating home community and cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Sarah Morlidge and her husband Andrew took up life afloat in May 2016 when they bought Roanoke Reef #12, and are enjoying the new lifestyle beyond their wildest dreams. When she arrived from England 11 years ago Sarah knew three things about Seattle – the Space Needle, Microsoft and floating homes – but spent the first 10 years in Sammamish because it seemed like a good place to raise a family. Sarah currently teaches technology at a private school in Bellevue, and also runs the school’s website, but is looking for a job locally. Sarah was VP of Communications at her children’s elementary school in Redmond, Secretary of her HOA in Sammamish where she built a website and set up their Facebook group, and is the staff liaison member on the school’s PTSA. Sarah is excited to get more involved in the floating home community and do what she can to help preserve one of Seattle’s most famous icons.