Message From the President: New Landscaper

You've talked - the board listened

Fellow homeowners,

The number of landscaping complaints mushroomed in 2019. The board tried its best to work with our landscaper but in the end was left with a "take it or leave it" attitude.

We chose to leave.

The new landscaper, Watersedge Landscape, came highly recommended, with excellent references:

http://watersedgelandscape.com/photo-gallery/

We contacted dozens of landscaping companies with good ratings and interviewed four before finally selecting Watersedge.

The new company starts on November 1. Please bear with us during the transition period.


Slav

Side Yard Return Fence Extension

Be sure to check the updated Architectural Guidelines on the right!

You can now move your side yard fence forward to gain more private space.

Skateboarding Ban Takes Effect

The board received a lot of feedback from homeowners and carefully weighed the arguments for and against the ban. In the end the board voted for the ban for the following reasons:

1) Fiduciary duty to protect the HOA's  property and potential liability;
2) San Diego has a record number of first-class skateboarding parks. It is not the responsibility of the HOA to ensure that kids stay active outdoors.
3) It does not follow from a reasonable and necessary measure such as this that the board is going down a slippery slope of banning bicycling, walking, etc., as some suggested.

Mendocino at Encinitas Ranch HOA Agenda & Meeting Notice Tuesday, September 26 6:30 PM at: Starbucks inside Target at Encinitas Ranch Town center shopping mall

Call to Order 6:30 PM Open Forum 6:30-7:00 PM

Approve Minutes/Financials (Chris)

Project Status Update (Slav)

- Garden View HOA

Treasury

- Reserve Study and 2020 budget (Slav)

Landscape Committee Report (Slav)

- SML performance review and proposed solutions

New Business

- Rules and Regs changes (Slav)

- Election (Slav)

Executive Session - closed to Membership 8:00 PM

- Vendor management and contract formation

- homeowner issues

Adjournment

Message from the President: Where Do My Monthly Dues Go?

Fellow homeowners,

While working on the 2020 budget, I realized that many homeowners ask this question: Where do my monthly dues go? What am I paying $137/mo for?

Here's the breakdown for 2019:

Landscape Maintenance - $41.66
Reserves - $23.24 (street paving, fence painting, plant replacement, mailboxes, trails, irrigation, etc)
Water - $22.54
Property management - $18.24
Annual tree trimming - $9.84
Common area maintenance - $6.39 (pest control, street signs, etc.)
Insurance - $4.44 (liability, directors and officers, workman's comp)
Landscape extras - $4.23 (new plants, upgrades, etc.)
Irrigation repairs - $3.10 (broken sprinklers and valves)
Financial - $1.91 (reserve study, financial review, bank fees, annual disclosures, tax preparation and filing, etc.)
Electricity - $1.41 (street lights, irrigation)

Total - $137

Message from the President

Fellow homeowners,

In order to streamline and simplify the architectural review Report Card (RC) procedure, the AC will continue to conduct annual inspections and issue RCs to the homes that need attention (painting, repair, etc.), with a 6-month deadline to correct the issues. The AC will focus on major issues that require immediate attention. The Board believes that 6 months is sufficient time for the homeowners to decide on the best course of action, and line up a contractor.

Please do not ignore the RC if you get one. If the issues are not addressed by the deadline, the Board will be forced to call the non-compliant homeowner to a hearing. 

The response to the initial RCs has been very positive, with a record number of homes repainting and/or performing needed repair. The upgraded look benefits the entire neighborhood and enhances our property values.

Thank you all for making Mendocino the truly best place to live in Encinitas!

 IMPORTANT NOTICE

Dear Mendocino homeowner/resident,

We will be resurfacing the streets on July 16th & July 22nd

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 thru Wednesday, July 17, 2019 – Crack fill and Seal

** Lot closed to traffic and parking from 7am on 7/16/19 thru 5pm on 7/17/19

**Pacifica Place and Pacifica Way

Monday, July 22, 2019 thru Tuesday, July 23,2019 - Crack fill and Seal

** Lot closed to traffic and parking from 7am on 7/22/19 thru 5pm on 7/23/19

**Monterey Place

Please park your car(s) off the premises the night before the scheduled work and until the barriers are removed, and use sidewalks exclusively when getting in and out of Mendocino. If your car is parked in the garage when the work is being done, you won't be able to use it until the street is unblocked.

ALL VEHICLES PARKED ON THE STREET WHEN THE WORK IS BEING DONE WILL BE TOWED AT HOMEOWNER'S EXPENSE.

Please keep your pets indoors or on the leash on the sidewalk and off the streets.

There will be a security guard posted at the entrance to ensure no vehicular traffic.

This project is a major investment of HOA funds, and we will take all necessary measures to protect our investment. The surface coat needs time to dry and settle. If a vehicle is driven on it before it settles, the surface coat will not seal properly, resulting in damage to the HOA property. CC&Rs 8.5 stipulates that "...an owner who by his or her negligent or willful act causes damage to any portions of the Project maintained by the Association... shall bear the whole cost of repairing such damage." If an owner or resident drives on the new surface while exiting or entering Mendocino BEFORE the barrier is removed, the HOA will collect the cost of repairing the damage from the unit owner.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

If you have any questions, please call Mills Management Services at 760-978-9609 or e-mail at chris@millsmanagementservices.com.

Your board of directors

Monterey Entrance Monument Update

We would like to acknowledge Phil DeAnda's continued contribution to Mendocino.

A couple of years ago Phil was instrumental in getting the Monterey entrance monument completely renovated at a substantial savings for the HOA. He brought in and housed his personal friend and master mason Steve from Thousand Oaks for a few days, and worked alongside him.

Phil is still taking care of the monument. He recently cleaned it and repaired water damage at the bottom of the concrete base - all for a small cost of materials.

Thank you, Phil, for volunteering your time and skills!

Curb Painting and Street Resurfacing

IMPORTANT NOTICE

We will be repainting the curbs and resurfacing the streets starting next week.
This is a major maintenance project that will take place over the next month and require your cooperation. Please read this notice carefully.

Phase 1 - Sandblasting curbs - 2-3 days (June 12th -14th)

The old red paint will be stripped by sandblasting. Sandblasting uses a mixture of sand and water to minimize airborne dust; however, some dust might still result - please:

a) Keep the vehicles away from the blasting area;
b) Shut windows and doors;
c) Keep personal items inside away from the curbs.

Phase 2 - Curb painting 1 day (June 17th)

Please be careful not to damage the freshly painted curbs with your vehicle.

Phase 3 - Street resurfacing - 2 days (July 16th & July 22nd)

This work will be divided into two parts (Monterey Place on July 16th and Pacifica Place/Way on July 22nd).

The vendor will be blocking off the streets for the duration of the project. Please park your car(s) off the premises and use sidewalks exclusively when getting in and out of Mendocino. If your car is parked in the garage when the work is done, you won't be able to use it until the street is unblocked. There will be a security guard posted at the entrance to ensure no vehicular traffic.

This project is a major investment of HOA funds, and we will take all necessary measures to protect our investment. The surface coat needs time to dry and settle. If a vehicle is driven on it before it settles, the surface coat will not seal properly, resulting in damage to the HOA property. CC&Rs 8.5 stipulates that "...an owner who by his or her negligent or willful act causes damage to any portions of the Project maintained by the Association... shall bear the whole cost of repairing such damage." If an owner or resident drives on the new surface while exiting or entering Mendocino BEFORE the barrier is removed, the HOA will collect the cost of repairing the damage from the unit owner by all legal means available, including, but not limited to, court action and fines.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

If you have any questions, please call Mills Management Services at 760-978-9609 or e-mail at
chris@millsmanagementservices.com.

Landscaping on the Corner of Via Cantebria and Garden View Rd: Update

We have been in constant contact with the city to clarify landscaping responsibilities and ensure that all parties responsible do their fair share. There are two areas in need of attention:

1) The parkway between Garden View Rd. and the sidewalk from the intersection to the Mendocino entrance;

2) the strip of land between the sidewalk and the concrete perimeter fence behind 1135 and 1139 Monterey Place along Garden View Rd and Via Cantebria.

The parkway belongs to the city. Generally, homes adjoining parkways are responsible for maintaining them, which is the case across the street at Cambria. Mendocino HOA maintains the southern end of the parkway that adjoins our property. The rest of the parkway is behind 1139 and 1135 Monterey Place, which are not part of Mendocino HOA, and comprise their own Garden View HOA. However, due to a one-word discrepancy in the recorded covenants, Garden View HOA is NOT responsible for maintaining their section of the parkway. The city believes that Mendocino HOA is, but has failed to produce recorded documents to prove it. Mendocino HOA, naturally, disputes the city's assertion on the grounds that we cannot be held responsible for maintaining city property that does not adjoin Mendocino HOA.

The strip of land is the responsibility of Garden View HOA. 1139 MP generally does its part.

1135 MP uses the Mendocino HOA landscaper to maintain their section but so far has not provided water. Without water, the plants in the strip will eventually die.

The city has cited 1135 MP for failure to maintain their section of the strip. In addition, the 1135 MP section of the concrete perimeter fence is not up to code, with its 3 wooden sections and falling fence.

We are doing our best to ensure that the city does its job of enforcing the code with regard to 1135 MP, who continue to enjoy all that our wonderful neighborhood has to offer without doing their fair share. 

Security Alert

A homeless man with a pushcart was going through trash cans this morning at 10:15 am. He disappeared before deputies could get here. If you see him, please call North County Sheriff's office at (760) 966-3500.

AJ has resigned from the board

due to an increased work load.
Thank you, AJ, for for your support and willingness to serve the community.

Message from the President

Fellow homeowners:

July 22 will mark the first year since the launch of our program to enforce architectural standards in Mendocino. It was badly needed because Mendocino was showing signs of aging and deferred maintenance. The trend had to be reversed in order to preserve and enhance our property values.

The program has been a success, with a record number of homes repainted and many deferred maintenance items taken care of. Mendocino is on an upswing!

Our goal has been to do things in the most neighborly and equitable way by encouraging voluntary compliance and resorting to enforcement only when absolutely necessary. Homeowner response to  the Report Cards has been very positive. Some homeowners even thanked us for pointing out things they were not even aware of. We only had to invite two homeowners to a hearing, and even those were never held as the homeowners took care of the outstanding issues.

Going forward, we will continue to do periodic Report Cards based on the Architectural Committee observations, courtesy reminders, and keeping enforcement as the last resort.

Thank you all for responding positively to the board's efforts to keep Mendocino beautiful and enhance our property values!

Slav