Personal Notes, HOA meeting 11-18-2021

HOA Meeting Notes 11-18-2021

Meeting conducted via teleconference (Zoom)

2:35pm

Directors Present: Scott Kiefner, Dave Quinsey, Chris Andre, Ed Wenz, Tom Wright

FirstService Residential:

Ian Navarro, Regional Director

Nadine Bell, Community Manager

nadine.bell@fsresidential.com

<Note: Despite a request, the HOA declined to state who was present so attendance is based on observation of the video and names listed in the Zoom application.>

REPORTS

Management Report

Work Order Report

Landscape Walkthrough

No discussion of reports, all approved unanimously.

HOMEOWNER FORUM

Do you have an update on the Claret Dracena hill? Scott said no, they have to look at it. Scott said that they are aware of it. He asked if kids were near it because they shouldn’t be. She said that it’s not just the plant material. Straw wattle continues to migrate. The bark mulch is now on the sidewalk. Rebar was not bent over, but sticks up and may hurt someone. Rusty metal rebar like that is dangerous. Scott said the slope was “on his radar” but not the rebar. Some of the old rebar is there, but has been covered. Ian Navarro said that they had a person injured by that rebar in another community, and said they can submit an order to the landscape contractor.

Calico Street rebar punji sticks.

Homeowner said we’re always told we’ll get an explanation, but there is never follow-up. We have not been told why neither FirstService nor the Board ensures that an email is sent to homeowners when meetings are canceled at the last minute, as happened in July. Homeowners are needlessly left waiting for meetings to start though the meetings are abandoned at the last minute.

Expect you will continue to hide information from the homeowners.

We still await the result of the settlement with Lennar after you sued them.

Homeowner said we’re always told we’ll get an explanation, but there is never follow-up. We have not been told why neither FirstService nor the Board send an email to homeowners when meetings are canceled at the last minute, as happened in July. Homeowners are needlessly left waiting for meetings to start though the meetings are abandoned at the last minute.

We expect you will continue to hide information from the homeowners.

We still await the result of the settlement with Lennar after you sued them.

You won’t disclose that the City issued another Notice To Comply (pdf) to the HOA (Or as Scott is fond of saying, to the “homeowners.”)

It takes more than leaf blowers to maintain landscape.

He said, I imagine you aren’t going to disclose the barren slope with capped sprinklers.

You won’t explain that the City compels you to fix the sprinklers and install plants on the slope. I assume you aren’t going to explain the cost of that and whether you will extract the money from a homeowner if they caused the damage (cleared slope, capped sprinklers).

You won’t disclose that your landscape contractor wrote a letter to the City, with your knowledge, stating that capped sprinkler heads had been fixed, and that brush clearing had been completed. Imagine what the City staff thought when months later they found capped sprinklers and brush. <Note: Below see the excerpt from July letter, followed by photos taken in October showing that sprinklers remain capped, some land is barren, and brush remains.>

October 24, 2021, capped sprinklers and barren slope in Fuel Modification Zone 1.

Brush

END HOMEOWNER FORUM

CONSENT CALENDAR: No discussion. Approved Unanimously

Landscape Enhancement Proposals

Claret: #76, #80, #81, landscape proposals pulled because of homeowner complaints about the proposed rocks.

Ed wants to view the Claret slope and is concerned about the issues that could happen if kids were on the proposed rocks. <Below is some of the damage on Claret caused by kids. The landscape proposals were to fix the damage and prevent a recurrence, but homeowners complained about the proposals, so the board canceled them.>

2:49 pm

Dec 2nd, Holiday Lighting

$1526.25 shared with Northstar

Approved unanimously.

Social Committee Charter

Ian Navarro mentioned a sample charter in the board’s document. One year term. Members serve at the pleasure of the board. It should include a liaison to the board, event planning, and submission to the board, follow up reports and receipts.

Ian said they need to vote to approve a charter, approve a committee, approve appointments.

Chris recommended that they change the title in the sample charter which says Events Committee.

Ed asked whether the method of providing funds should be added to the sample charter.

Ian said other communities used a debit card assigned to one person using money from a petty cash fund. Scott said that they already do that.

Chris says that Janet transferred control of the debit card

The sample charter was approved unanimously with the name change.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT

Julie B. <Note: last name redacted.>

Amber is the treasurer

Other names were not provided.

Scott said the fall festival went very well.

Unanimously approved the current group, with Julie taking the place of Janet who moved out of the community.

<Comment: Ian rattled off the full names too fast to note.>

Nicole, Ashley,…

Chris Andre will be the liaison

Scott said he is reluctant to use last names.

Ian said it is public and in an open meeting. <Note: This website usually excludes homeowner names to the extent possible.>

3:03pm

FENCE

Morella area. Guards have not been very effective. Scott said he has encouraged homeowners to call the Sheriff. A temporary fence installed by Lennar is often pulled down. They need to keep cars from pulling into the area.

Protec proposal for removable bollards will prevent cars from pulling into the area. $1900

Ed: Asked if the company saw the diagram of the layout? Will they be yellow? No parking signs? He was trying to understand the “scope of the work.” Scott said the color was not stated, but they can check and specify a color. Scott says signage was not included in the proposal. Ed said the color should be the same as the current poles. He said that they should be lockable. Scott said he will add it.

Tom said it has gotten worse rather than better, and he doesn’t see many security incidents logged. There is a lot of smoking and needles have been found. Tom says the parking is an issue. Scott agreed and said that if people park below and have to walk up there they might be reluctant, but if it doesn’t work they can remove the bollards.

Dave suggested that Ed take the lead on placement.

Approved unanimously as amended to color yellow and lockable.

Chris said the patrol is constantly removing people. He expects that people will park further away and walk up there, but it is an added deterrent.

Dave Quinsey said that it would be helpful if the City put signs on Mariposa indicating no parking. Scott says the area below is no parking. Then Scott said the area is designated no parking.

Scott asked if someone would approach the City. Ed volunteered to meet with the City and determine if fire department would need access e.g. locks; And Ed wants to confirm the parking sign issue. Mariposa is a City street, but Morella isn’t. Scott said the bollard will prevent parking on the private street.

3:16pm

CAMERA PROPOSALS

Scott said they previously voted to table the issue.

Sara from the camera company joined the meeting.

Chris mentioned car break-ins and package theft. He says cameras at the entrance would be a deterrent. Now using intermittent patrol and on-demand (non-emergency, non-911).

Sara Stanzler presentation:

Flock Safety FlockSafety.com

Cameras are solar powered, wireless. Maintenance, support, and replacement is included.

Much crime is unsolved. Police say the most effective evidence is the license plate of the vehicle. It attaches to a name, address, and it is objective. People are often unidentifiable in video. Case example of mail theft was presented. She presented an example of how a vehicle can be identified by characteristics “vehicle fingerprint” which would narrow the list of possible suspects. Homeowners with privacy concerns could have their vehicle excluded from the data. The board determines who has access. Every request for data is logged.

Chris: Do you have any communities where only the police can access the information?

Sara: She said that communities do that, but it might not be written into policy.

Chris: Community Manager access?

Sara: Your choice. Access can be changed e.g. revoked

Ed: Mounting? Poles?

Sara: 12 ft poles and signs provided. Starts with site survey before installation.

Chris: Have communities tracked down non-residents in illicit activity? Our community has information from Security service.

Sara: Yes the information can help track down culprits.

Standard $5000 per year, $200 per camera x 2 cameras = $5400.

Two year agreement, but it can be canceled with pro-rated refund. Price of returning equipment up to $500 per camera.

Chris: What is and isn’t covered?

Sara: Vandalism isn’t covered. $150 per camera. She’s never had a California community have the issue, and they have 3500 communities.

Poles 14 feet: 2 ft below ground, 12 ft above ground

It is never installed without valid solar and cell service.

Battery lasts for one week. During install they get an automated alert about lack of service/power.

Chris: Minimum usage before requesting refund?

Sara: You can cancel at any time. See Flocksafety.com/legal. She showed the website page with the refund policy.

Chris: We are now paying $1600 per month for intermittent patrol. Previously it was $5k (?) for regular patrol.

Chris: Move forward

Tom: I’d be willing to try it on Morella, or by Chris to see how it works. Not willing to put it on the hill to capture everyone entering.

Sara explained that the entrance is the critical location and homeowners can opt out.

Tom said that we have privacy issues and he’s not comfortable with his license plate being recorded.

Dave: Postpone until next meeting.

Ed: Wants further discussion.

No one seconded the proposal by Chris to move forward. The motion fails.

Scott suggested that we consider cost sharing with Northstar, or moving the cameras up the hill. Scott is not happy with Bravo Three and perhaps we cut that expense to pay for the cameras.

Dave: It sounds like we need more discussion.

Sara left the meeting with the thanks of the board. She provided an email address but I didn’t catch it.

<Note: A less secretive HOA put the information online, including details about how to attend the meeting: https://www.marinecreekmeadows.com/events/events_scheduled/21-09-24/Flock_Safety_Security_System_Presentation.aspx >

3:50pm

Scott wants to have a discussion of the cameras and Bravo Three at another meeting. Scott believes that security is more the responsibility of individual homeowners. He said he and Tom are concerned about privacy. Tom and Chris agreed to talk “offline.” Chris suggested a poll of the community. Chris mentioned the money they spend “on landscape and everything else.” Scott reminded that only two board members should discuss it otherwise it will constitute a board meeting.

Ian asked if the discussion of the patrol contract should be discussed in Executive Session. Scott said, yes. Chris asked that anyone taking notes not publicize the amount being paid for security. <Note: Contract negotiation may be kept private, but the price we pay is supposed to be available, so the price for security is not being redacted in these notes.>

Ian reiterated that it is illegal to record the meeting.

Thursday December 16, 2:30pm, it will be posted and sent as required.

Adjourned 3:55pm