Fellow Homeowners,
Our biggest accomplishment this year was the repaving (the official term is mill and overlay) of Pacifica Place and Pacifica Way, which was accomplished on budget and paid for from the Reserves. Early next year we will seal coat both the Pacificas and Monterey Place.
Our investment in irrigation repairs and upgrades are finally paying dividends as our water bills have been coming in under budget.
Our Reserves remain 100%+ funded; and our dues, even adjusted for inflation, remain some of the lowest in the industry.
In March 2023, we started a drive to upgrade our 25+ year-old wooden fences. At the time of writing, twenty-five homes have taken advantage of the group rate offer we facilitated to upgrade to vinyl fencing; four homes opted for new wooden fences; and two homes upgraded their fencing with new composite materials. Eight homes were able to keep their original wooden fences for the time-being, with the remaining four homes given notice to replace. The HOA painted the remaining nine homes with newer or significantly repaired fencing in various colors to match the existing palettes. As a result, Mendocino looks great!
Oil stains on the sidewalks/driveways are becoming a significant issue in our community. We would like to remind everyone to please deal with oil leaks promptly and use professional help. The longer an oil stain remains untreated, the deeper the oil penetrates the concrete. This in turn may require replacement of concrete at significant cost to the homeowner to remedy the damage.
We have begun the process of updating our CC&Rs and have engaged a premium HOA law firm to guide us through the process. The Mendocino CC&Rs were written in 1996 and have never been updated. They are now hopelessly outdated and create potential liabilities for Mendocino. Current and effective CC&Rs are essential in protecting our collective investment..
The next significant challenge we face is finding a comprehensive solution for properly maintaining our slopes. The dense overgrowth is beginning to block our trails and encroach into Owners’ back yards. It makes it difficult for the landscapers to detect and repair irrigation problems in a timely manner and invites homeless encamping and coyotes. On the other hand, the slopes are a natural ecosystem that provides privacy and lush greenery. As a first step, we will seek the guidance of the Encinitas Fire Marshall in determining how we manage the natural ecosystem that also provides privacy, lush greenery and fire protection, with the goal of preserving the slopes in their natural state to the extent possible. With that guidance and our fiduciary duty to find the most cost-effective means to achieve our goals, we expect this matter to require much of our attention in 2025.
Slav
