Dear Homeowner:
I am proud to have served as your association president for the last few years. My goal this past year has been to staff the Board of Directors with your neighbors that are interested in maintaining the high standards of our community, yet like-minded enough to move forward on issues and get things done. I want you to think of the Board of Directors as working for you, making decisions that count for the whole community - not just sitting in judgment of your front yard or the condition of your garage door.
I'd like to talk to you about a number of matters within our community and let you know what is in store for the coming year. I'm speaking from the perspective of the Board of Directors.
A Change in the Management Company
What this change means to you is if your bank automatically pays your assessments, you will have to make a change before the first of the year. Don't let your payment go off to the wrong place and then expect your billing to be correct. Pay attention to the billing statement that comes in the mail.
We are again changing to a new management company at the first of the year. The previous management company is closing its doors so we were compelled to interview several management companies in order to select the best one for our particular needs. Gold Coast Association Management (GCAM) will be our new management company.
The Coming-Year Budget
The Board of Directors has approved an increase in the assessments (dues) for 2007. Gas prices, utility expenses, and vandalism repairs were more than we expected - or planned for - this year. A little over ten percent (10%) increase is what we will be implementing. This small increase (from $68 to $75) is in accordance with our CC&Rs and Civil Code 1366, but more importantly, it allows us to maintain the common area to the same standards you now enjoy. You'll be getting a copy of the budget in the mail.
Vandalism in the Community
To alleviate the impact of vandalism, we have added a line item in our budget to cover the costs of correcting the damage. But this means you too, are now affected by these thoughtless actions of others. I ask that you do your part by being vigilant, responsible for your family members and friends, and quickly report any signs of vandalism you observe to our management agent and/or the Simi Valley Police.
This is not only intolerable but is very costly to us as a community. It's a waste of our money! What makes this even more repugnant is if it is caused by one of our own association members.
The Upcoming Elections and the Election Process
Additionally, this law poses a challenge to the Directors to invoke resolutions or amend the CC&Rs. It means you may now be required to become more involved in your association.
Effective as of July 1, 2006, the California Legislature passed a bill (California Civil Code 1363.03) requiring elections using secret ballots for certain issues of association operation, including the election of officers to the Board of Directors. Gone are the days of hand-carried proxies. The community must now use sealed, secret ballots. You will probably see some of your neighbors campaigning for seats on the board this year. Don't neglect your duty to send in those ballots for any issue when you receive one.
The Board of Directors and Committees
I ask that you consider becoming a board member or a committee member. It doesn't take a lot of time, but it takes a concerted effort. Sitting on the board provides an organizational perspective seldom seen elsewhere. It is important to the community as a whole to have diversity on the board. My ideal board would be one representative from each of our streets. Please attend any one of our monthly meetings, and most certainly, come to the annual meeting in June.
As you must know by now, your Board of Directors are your neighbors, who volunteer to meet once a month to work on association issues. The issues range from architectural improvements to common area maintenance, to budget expenditures to CC&R violations.
The Association Paint Color Scheme
I would like to solicit your comments concerning the paint scheme. Do we 'allow' a full variety of colors? Do we just add a few new colors to the pallet? Do we keep only the original colors? It's your community; it's your property value. Remember when you first moved here? What did you think about the neighborhood? Later this year, I intend to formally request a change to the color scheme. That means I'd like to hear from you!
When the neighborhood was built 20-some years ago, we were the newest, most glorious, and contemporarily colored houses in Simi Valley. Times have changed with innovations, technologies, and new paint schemes becoming popular. Up to this point, we have tried to maintain the original standards to prevent radical changes from impacting the values of our properties.
Revising the Codes, Covenants and Restrictions (CC&Rs)
The Board of Directors has included a line item in our reserve budget to begin saving money for this monumental event. Please be sure you are instrumental in making this update a success; become active in discussions with your neighbors and your Directors. Don't allow this update to take years to complete.
Current legal commentaries make a point for updating our CC&Rs. However, to do so will cost several thousands of dollars. Yet, it is in the association's best interest to update the CC&Rs to make them reflect our current policies and to rid ourselves of outdated restrictions that favored the developers 20 years ago. Updating the CC&Rs will require a vote from the majority of the association members.
Our Revitalized Website: Autumnwood.org
We have redesigned our web site using a contemporary scheme to make available all the association information necessary for success. The monthly meeting minutes are posted and the times and places are listed to encourage you to attend. The Residence Improvement Application (RIA) for proposed architectural changes is also available for download. Please note, the RIA must be submitted and approved before you begin any work.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope to see you at our monthly meetings more often.
Sincerely,
Frank Boardman
President, Autumnwood HOA