Personal Notes, HOA Meeting 04-27-2023

HOA Meeting Notes 04-27-2023 3:00 pm

Meeting conducted via teleconference (WebEx)

Directors Present: Chris Andre, Dave Quinsey?, David Samo, Ed Wenz

Dave Quinsey appeared to be present but muted in the WebEx app. This has been a recurring issue for him e.g. missing votes while muted. Nadine said he would be marked absent when he didn’t respond to a vote. Later, he appeared to log out. Ed soon reported that Dave was pulling up to his house. They then shared a headset, apparently by taking turns using it. The trash can topic was extended because the discussion and presentation had to be repeated for Ed because he didn’t have access while Quinsey was using his headset. For example, Nadine had been displaying images from Google, and fortunately she saved a few screenshots which she showed to Ed. It’s unclear why a headset was needed to see images, though he clearly had no context for what he was seeing without the benefit of audio. They repeated the explanation for the necessity and location of the trash cans. It is also unclear if Dave Quinsey participated in the Executive session held immediately before the open session. How could he given the issues that he experienced?

FirstService Residential

Nadine Bell - Community Manager

No committee updates or guests, per Nadine.

Landscape work is progressing. Flags show where plants will be installed between Mirador and Mariposa.

REPORTS

Management Reports

Work Order Report

Landscape Walkthrough/Punchlist

Storm Water Inspection Reports

HOMEOWNER FORUM

Homeowner #1

Recently, we’ve seen some improvements in landscape. Some mulch has been applied. A few plants were installed at Ruocco and Mirador. Following damage from construction, plants were installed at the upper end of Triana. On the slope between Mariposa and Mirador/Dracena there has been weed and brush removal, and some plant installations, and there has been some weed removal on Lot L. All of these are welcome signs of restoration, and hopefully it continues to progress. Since this is being done as the weather heats up, the landscapers will have to take care that it is irrigated and cared for properly, otherwise it will all fail again.

I sent you photos of areas where the fences are still not cleared to 18” as specified in our approximately $20k per month contract.

While the CC&Rs are an obligation, they are not an enemy as viewed by some and portrayed during the recall. The CC&Rs are a guide to avoid problems. The focus of the HOA should be compliance with all the Governing Documents, not bypassing them.

If the HOA were to follow the CC&Rs it would prevent violations of fire regulations and make a safer community. Yet, still the fuel modifications zones are not properly maintained (brush clearing, irrigation, etc). One of the emergency escape routes looks like a disaster waiting to happen. High brush lines the road, and lies in the road. Fire blowing across the road could be a nightmare. The CC&Rs require that the area along the road to be maintained. There are other fire related problems but there isn’t time for me to discuss it.

The HOA has been repeatedly warned and cited about erosion and storm water issues. Recently, it appeared that the storm water basins were clogged, sending debris into the system. There are requirements for continual maintenance of these systems, and specifically after rain events. What happened? Did you fire the contractors and forget to hire replacements? Who is the contractor? Did they fail? Did you defund the maintenance? The lack of landscape maintenance appears to have aggravated the problem and erosion and other materials went into the system e.g. ditches.

The state has ordered the City to investigate what happened. The fines for violations can be enormous. I’m unaware of insurance that will protect the community from such fines. Homeowners could face large assessment increases.

Examples of violations and fines:

Pardee Homes, site near Santee, $291, 286 fine. Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (ca.gov)

Oceanside, $411,475, 3 acre site. Oceanside residential unit owners face fines (ca.gov)

City of San Diego $3.2 million. Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (ca.gov)

Sky Ranch detention basin debris and erosion

Sky Ranch detention basin: clog, waterline shows overflow, branches sticking out

Ed asked if the fines involved construction.

Homeowner:—Some are construction related.

Ed said construction companies can be fined.

Homeowner: In some cases the City was also fined for failing to enforce. It appears that they can fine the City, the contractor, and the responsible party.

Ed asked Nadine to look into it. She said she wasn’t aware of the requirement to maintain the area. She said that the City showed her ditches to maintain.

Homeowner said the City doesn’t pay close attention. You only need to look at the CC&Rs to see that the HOA must maintain the land by the road. And that maintenance has an impact on the drainage basins.

Ed said the City has done work on the basins. The homeowner said the HOA would know better if the City took over some or all of the maintenance related to the basins. But they did write up the HOA previously.

The HOA was fined and this is an excerpt from the required corrective actions.

END HOMEOWNER FORUM

CONSENT CALENDAR

Approval of Minutes March 2023 (tabled because they weren’t attached to the board packet)

Financial Statements February 2023

Approved pending annual review.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Security Hours Review & Discussion

Dave S. would like to see more security coverage Chris said the patrols are 6pm -12:30 Fri Sat Sun, and there are five patrols at unspecified times on other nights.

Dave S. says security is the most important thing, even more important than landscape. You can’t have people parking and throwing condoms where kids are walking. He thinks patrol should be extended until 4:30 am

Chris said they could alter the hours or change the contract to increase the coverage.

Dave S. said they should negotiate the landscape contract and reduce landscape coverage if necessary, to increase security.

The board discussed the beginning and ending time of patrols.

Chris will request a revised contract to increase patrols by two hours on Fri, Saturday, and Sunday.

Dave S.: I need to get rid of these guys throwing condoms. They drop liquor bottles. We can not have that in an HOA.

Dave S. said that there are signs up there <private street at the top of the hill>, which he got installed with the help of the City, and it is enforceable, but someone needs to call the Sheriff to report it, so he wants security personnel to do it. He said he can’t monitor and call law enforcement at 2 o’clock in the morning. The Sheriff doesn’t have personnel to patrol at all hours.

Motion approved.

NEW BUSINESS

Merrill Lynch Recommendation

CD investments.

$75,000 and $100,000 4.9% APY

Without Dave Quinsey, who no longer appears in the meeting, they don’t have quorum (not enough directors) to vote on the investments. Ed said that Quinsey was pulling up to his house so he was expected to join the meeting at that time. After a brief delay, Quinsey joined the meeting with Ed.

Approved unanimously (Chris abstained).

Trash Receptacle Proposals

BRM 3 cans installed $4065

Center Point $7780, $5399 for 2 cans

No proposal from O’Connell.

Nadine asked if they wanted to review them now, and whether they wanted to address the pet stations.

Nadine, in response to Chris, said they will match the existing cans as closely as possible. They said Dave S. has a list of the trash can locations. Dave S. said he has a map, but he wasn’t able to explain the locations.

The map was not provided and an extensive conversation about sites took place.

Castilla lookout, Entrance at Sevilla & Calico, On Sevilla by the condos, and Mariposa. Dave S. said he doesn’t want to encourage people <to hang out>. Dave S. said maybe try two at first. There was discussion about various possible placements. Dave S. said that people are throwing from cars and it might not help.

Nadine asked if they should spend the money if it won’t help.

Chris said a can at Castilla would help, Dave S. agreed. Chris mentioned Sevilla at Calico again.

Nadine said there must be a 3ft clearance around utility boxes.

Chris suggested a priority list

Castilla

Sevilla at Calico

Calabria at Sevilla

They discussed a possible 4th site.

Dave S. said they throw out trash as they go up the Mariposa hill, near a current pet station. 7108 Mariposa on the right side.

Nadine asked Chris or Dave S. to send her a map. She assumed they will use BRM and she will ask BRM to review the installation locations.

Chris said to review the four sites, with the fourth being optional.

Ed and Dave Q said they weren’t informed, and were having communications problems sharing a headset. Chris reviewed some of it for them. Ed again asked for a map of the 4 proposed sites. Chris said they just reviewed them on Google maps in the meeting. Nadine pulled up some screen shots that she took. Chris said that there are major trash problems. Dave S. said he doesn’t understand why people are littering here.

Nadine, in response to Ed, said that she wasn’t sure if the landscape contract cost would increase due to the additional cans to empty. Ed suggested that they inform the landscaper that the trash cans would reduce trash that they have to pick up.

Motion for three trash receptacles, if the one by Northstar won’t fit, they could install an alternate on Mariposa.

Dave S. said that people walking up the hill on Mariposa throw their water bottles.

Revised motion for three receptacles, Sevilla/Calico, Castilla, Mariposa

Dave Q voted against, others voted in favor.

Dave Q. trash is coming from people who aren’t residents so they won’t use the trash cans. He thinks residents would use them.

Pet Station Add Waste Can

Tabled to see how the trash cans work out.

Next Board Meeting May 25, 2023

Adjourned 4:15 pm