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Montage Meeting & Blog Posts Keep You Up to Date

Here you will find meeting agendas and informational blogs with useful neighborhood information and updates from the association officers, committee chairpersons, and contributing editors.

Presidents Notes – Mar / Apr 2018

Written By Nick Nickerson

Hello Neighbors! I hope this newsletter finds each of you well.

My term on the Board is once again coming to an end. As this will be my last Presidents Message, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank each of you for putting your trust and faith in me during the past two years. Montage at Mission Hills is truly a great place to live. While I am not able to commit the time to continue my service on the Board, I will continue to volunteer and help the Board where I can.

I’m proud of the support the Board has received from its Homeowners during the last two years. Withyour help, the Board was able to Amend and Restate the CC&Rs and Bylaws, and Adopt a new rule andfine schedule for “Leasing of Lots”. The Board has also developed options for the removal and replacement of the date palm trees that line our perimeter which will be presented for your consideration at the March 17, 2018 Annual Homeowners Meeting.

DATE PALM TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

According to the Arborist Report, it is necessary to replace all 108 Date Palm Trees along our perimeter within the next 5 to 10 years. Please take a moment to read the “Palm Tree Plan Surcharge”Article presented in last month’s Newsletter. The Board hired a professional Landscape Architect to develop our Date Palm Tree Removal and Replacement Program (Program). The Program will consider the cost effectiveness of replacing the trees in-kind or if the landscape palette should or could be adjusted to reduce the number of palm trees, and/or group them in certain areas along the perimeter. The Landscape Architect has prepared three options, which range in cost from approximately $200,000 to$500,000, for the community’s consideration.

This year’s Annual Homeowners Meeting will be held on March 17, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the City of Cathedral City Public Library. Doors open at 10:00 am. By now each of you will have received a Ballot Package. Your ballot is very important. The ballots returned will be used to help establish a quorum to officially conduct the meeting, to appoint new Board Members and adopt the routine IRS Revenue Rulings along with last year’s Meeting Minutes. Please be sure to complete your Ballot and return it tothe Property Manager, or bring them to the Annual Meeting.

I look forward to seeing each of you at our Annual Meeting in March.

Presidents Notes – Jan / Feb 2018

Written By Nick Nickerson

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope this newsletter finds each of you well.

It’s hard to believe that 2017 has come to an end. This past year has been a very busy year for ourcommunity. During the past twelve months, your Board of Directors focused much of its attention on: presenting the Amendment and Restatement of the CC&Rs and Bylaws for your consideration and vote;preparing and adopting a new rule and fine schedule for the “Leasing of Lots”; and developing options forthe development of a Date Palm Tree Removal and Replacement Program.

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

The new Bylaws were adopted by the community on October 14, 2017. In accordance with the newBylaws, two directors’ terms will expire in 2018. The two open board seats have been placed on the Association’s annual ballot and be filled during our Annual Membership Meeting in March 2018. All of our homeowners are encouraged to serve on the board. Interested candidates should complete the Self Nomination Form and return it to the Community Manager on or before February 1, 2018.

AMENDED AND RESTATED DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND RESERVATION OF EASEMENTS (CC&RS)

As reported in the November Newsletter, the proposed CC&Rs did not pass with the new Bylaws. The CC&Rs provide that they can only be amended with the approval of 67% of the Associations total voting power (different than the Bylaws). However, received approval by more than 50% of our homeowners, and 83% of those owners who did vote. Considering 78 of the 128 homeowners voted in favor of the proposed CC&R, the Board has filed a Petition with the Superior Court of the State of California to reduce the percentage of members necessary to approve the proposed Amendment of the CC&Rs. The Hearing on the Petition is set for January 11, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom PS1 at the Riverside County Superior Court in Palm Springs.

ADOPTION OF NEW RULE “M. LEASING OF LOTS”

During last year’s Annual Membership Meeting the attending homeowners made it clear to the Board thatvacation rentals were creating noise, traffic and general disruption within the community, and were not compatible with, nor desired within our community. As a result, the Board adopted Rule M. Leasing ofLots. Rule M. states that “No owner may lease his or her residence for transient or hotel purposes,defined as a lease for a term less than (30) days”. The purpose and effect of the proposed new rule willrestrict owners from leasing their homes for a period shorter than 30 days.

Shortly after Rule M. was adopted, the board received a formal challenge from one of our homeowners. The Board was unable to resolve the matter during Mediation. As a result, the matter will likely end up being resolved through the Court system.

Presidents Notes – Nov / Dec 2017

Written By Nick Nickerson

Hello Neighbors.

The reconvened Special Meeting of our Members was held on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the offices of Personalized Property Management in Cathedral City. A quorum was reached with 94 ballots received before the polls closed. The following represents a summary of the special ballot:

ELECTION RESULTS:
Bylaws – Passed (65 Yes Votes Required)
79 Yes Votes

10 No Votes

5 Abstain Votes

CC&R’s – Did not pass (86 Yes Votes Required)

78 Yes Votes

12-No Votes

4 Abstain Votes.

In accordance with Section 7.3 Term of Office presented in the new Bylaws, two directors’ terms will expire in 2018. Subsequently, two board seats will be open and placed on the Associations annual ballot. All of our homeowners are encouraged to serve on the board. Interested candidates should contact the Community Manager for more information.

While unfortunate that the proposed Amendment and Restatement of the CC&Rs did not pass, the Community will continue to operate “business as usual”. As I have reported in the past, the updated language did not include additional conditions or restrictions, nor did it eliminate the conditions and restriction we all agreed upon when we moved into the community. The Community’s Rules and Regulations, as amended, will also continue in place.

On a different note, the Board acting as the Finance Committee is preparing the Annual Budget and Reserve Study Update. You will be getting these updated documents as part of the annual mailing in December. The biggest change to our budget and reserve study is related to the removal and replacement of the Date Palm Trees within the Association’s common area. According to the Arborist Report, it is necessary to replace all 108 Date Palms within the next 5 to 10 years. Please take a moment to read the “Palm Tree Plan” Article presented in this Newsletter.

The next Regular Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 9:30AM. Homeowners are always welcome and encouraged to attend.

Presidents Notes – Sep/Oct 2017

Written By Nick Nickerson

Hello Neighbors. I hope this Newsletter finds each of you in good health.

One of the most important things we do as residents living within a Homeowners Association is express our opinion on changes or updates to our Governing Documents and our Rules and Regulations. Combined these documents set the stage for how we agree to conduct ourselves within the community.

By now each of you have received the Ballot Package to register your vote on our proposed Bylaws and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). The Ballot Package includes: the Notice of Special Meeting; the Voting Instructions; the Secret Ballot; and the Amended and Restated CC&Rs and Bylaws.

As a reminder, a Special Meeting of our Members will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral City Library, located at 33520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234.

The poles will be open from 10:15AM and closed at approximately 10:40AM. Doors will open at 10:00AM. If a quorum has been established, the ballots will be opened and counted. If a quorum is not established, the meeting will be adjourned to a later date not more than 30 days from the original date. Subsequently, it is imperative that you vote and return your Ballot to our Property Manager as instructed.

To change or amend our Governing Documents requires the approval of 67% (essentially 2/3rds) of our homeowners. Considering, there are 128 homes in our association, we need a minimum of 86 votes in favor of the changes in order for the measure to pass.

The Board urges all homeowners to vote and return their ballots. Ballots can be returned by mail to our Property Manager Company, or can be brought to the Special Meeting on September 16, 2017 to be counted.

Remember that the outside return envelope MUST BE SIGNED to be opened and counted. Unsigned envelops will only be counted toward establishing a quorum. If you did not sign your it is recommended you come to the ballot opening meeting to sign your envelop

Personalized Property Manager

68950 Adelina Road

Cathedral City, CA 92234

(760) 325-9500

Please review the Summary of Changes to the CC&Rs and Bylaws posted on the website

Presidents Notes – Jul /Aug 2017

Written By Nick Nickerson, President

I hope this Newsletter finds each of you in good health. The weather here in the Desert has been somewhat on the warm side with several back to back record breaking days above 120 degrees. Even those of us that consider ourselves “accustomed” to the heat should do our best to stay hydrated and indoors as much as possible.

The focus of my article this month is on our proposed Bylaws and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). In the next couple of days, you should be receiving a Ballot Package which includes: the Notice of Special Meeting; the Voting Instructions; the Secret Ballot; and the Amended and Restated CC&Rs and Bylaws.

The Special Meeting of our Members will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral City Library, located at 33520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234. If a quorum has been established, the ballots will be opened and counted. If a quorum is not established, the meeting will be adjourned to a later date not more than 30 days from the original date. Subsequently, it is imperative that you vote and return your Ballot to our Property Manager as instructed.

Every effort has been made to send the Ballot Packages to the “Address of Record” each of you have provided to our Community Manager. Please don’t hesitate to contact our Community Manager if you do not receive your Ballot Package. Ms. Shelly Ruegsegger and/or Ms. Lettie Teran can be reached at:

Personalized Property Manager 68950 Adelina Road
Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 325-9500

Presidents Notes – May /Jun 2017

Written By Nick Nickerson, President

It’s hard to believe our season is almost over. As such, many of our seasonal neighbors and friends will be returning to cooler climates. We wish all of those travelling a safe trip and we look forward to your return.

Your Board of Directors went through a transition in March 2017 with two of our members terming out and two new members being elected to fill the positions. It is my pleasure to introduce the new Board of Directors:

Nick Nickerson, President – nnickerson@naiconsulting.com Alan Horwitz, Vice President- ahorw58518@aol.com

Scott Reese, Secretary – scott.o.reese@gmail.com

Tom Tousignant, Treasurer – td2znot@aol.com

Gary Roman, Director – grroman@aol.com

I would like to take a moment to thank Michelle Madison, Immediate Past President, and Mary Weiler, Past Director, for their time and hard work as members of the Board. Your contributions have made Montage a better place to live. We wish you the very best and hope to see you around the neighborhood.

We also said goodbye our Assistant Community Manager Jasmine Meza and welcomed her replacement Lettie Teran. With this change our Community Managers are:

Shelly Ruegsegger, Community Manager – sruegsegger@ppminternet.com 760.325.9500 Lettie Teran, Assistant Community Manager – letti@ppminternet.com 760.325.9500

Finally, the Board appointed several new members to the Community’s Architectural and Landscape(A&L) Committee. The A&L Committee now consists of:

Chairman of the A&L Committee: To Be Determined Jo Ann Horwitz
Terry Palmer
Wayne Schweifler

Dolores Houghton Jim Kaplan
Peggy Landmeier

The upcoming year promises to be a very busy year. Important topics on the horizon include theproposed update of the Community’s CC&Rs, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, and Enforcement Procedures/Fine Schedule.

The next Board Meeting will be held on May 11, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. at the office of Personalized Property Management, 69850 Adelina Road, Cathedral City. Homeowners are always welcome to attend.

Presidents Notes – Feb / Mar 2017

By Michelle Madison, President & Newsletter Editor- michelleYmadison@gmail.com

Spring is just around the corner!

We have had a very busy last couple of months as the board prepares to share with you the details of key items coming up at our Homeowners meeting. This year our meeting is taking place at Cathedral City Library. Jo Ann our welcome committee chair shares more details in the news article.

All homeowners should have received your ballots in the mail for the nomination of new board members. If not please contact PPM for more information. There are more details in this newsletter.

In the last several newsletters we have mentioned the series of updates regarding the Proposed Governing Documents. Nick Nickerson will be presenting details at the Annual Homeowners meeting. This is a great opportunity for any questions you may have to be answered. Please see the article in this newsletter that Nick and Tom have prepared on this topic and other key topics we will be discussing at the meeting.

In keeping with our “Question from a Homeowner” -There are multiple dogs near and these dogs are barking constantly, for hours on end, sometimes all day. I believe that the owners may not be aware of how loud and how long the barking goes on. I would be happy to give them a call. Other than that, what is the procedure to get this dealt with? Dogs barking constantly can be a nuisance. Ideally you should address the issue with our neighbor directly and hopefully resolve the issue. But if it continues, please seek assistance! Contact a board member and or PPM to help facilitate and address the issue. This also applies to pet owners not picking up after your pet. We still have pet owners allowing their pets to relieve themselves on other neighbor’s yards and not picking it up. Please be considerate of your neighbors and pick up after your pet.

I have enjoyed “Questions from the Homeowners” as this will be my last newsletter and board term. I will be handing off my duties to the next President and board members. Please continue to voice your concerns and questions to the board in the future. I have enjoyed working with everyone. It has been a pleasure serving as a board member for our Montage community. Thank you for the opportunity!

 

Presidents Notes – Jan / Feb 2017

By Michelle Madison, President & Newsletter Editor- michelleYmadison@gmail.com

Happy New Year! Hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday! Speaking of the Holiday; our 1st Holiday Dinner that was held at Mission Hills CC was a success. Thanks to all that attended. We want to thank JoAnn and Alan Horwitz for their work and time they put in to making this event the success that it was.

As mentioned in the last newsletter we continue with our series of updates regarding the Proposed Governing Documents. Nick Nickerson gives you an overview with update No. 3. All homeowners should have received notification of the adopted 2017 Budget and approved 2017 Reserve Study provided in the required mailing of the “Annual Budget Report” and “Annual Policy Statement”. Please contact PPM if you did not receive them.

You should have also received a notice for board nominations. We will have 3 positions available for homeowners who would like serve. We encourage you to submit your nomination as soon as possible. Every homeowner should have the experience of serving on the community’s board!

In keeping with our “Question from a Homeowner” – We just received a letter stating that we have dead plants and a dead palm tree in our front yard that have to be dealt with. We replaced one a few weeks ago. And another is (growing) back from a summer burn. Who should I call? Recently, the A&L Committee conducted a walk through and you may have been notified of some items that required attention. Our apologies, apparently you received your letter after you replaced the plants. The goal is to get the letters to you as soon as possible but sometimes they may arrive later than anticipated. Please contact the board, the A&L Committee or PPM if you have any questions or concerns regarding notification letters.

Pride of ownership is what makes our community so great. That is one of many reasons why we love Montage! If you have a “Question from a Homeowner” please feel free to submit it via email to the Board or PPM. Homeowners are always welcome and encouraged to attend our HOA board meetings. The next one will be Thursday January 12th, 9:30am at the PPM offices.

PRESIDENT’S NOTES – Nov / Dec 2016

By Michelle Madison, President & Newsletter Editor- michelleYmadison@gmail.com

This is going to be quite a busy season for the Montage HOA. Socially, our first Holiday Dinner is coming up at Mission Hills Country Club in December and within this newsletter we begin our first series of Proposed Governing Document updates. Homeowners will be receiving notification of the adopted 2017 Budget and approved 2017 Reserve Study in the required mailing of the “Annual Budget Report” and “Annual Policy Statement” documents that will be emailed the end of November. Please be sure that Personalized Property Management (PPM) has your current email and preferred mailing address on file. We will also be utilizing the website for information.

Welcome back to some of our seasonal homeowners! While some of our neighbors have returned, we do have some that have not done so just yet and so we ask that you continue to be on the lookout for any unusual activity and report that information to PPM. In addition, we would like to remind homeowners to be considerate of your neighbors with after-hours noise. Our community CC&R’s require noisy activities to cease at 10:00pm, which is consistent with Cathedral City Noise Ordinances. Any reports of continued disturbance should be reported to the Cathedral City Police dept.

This newsletters “Question from a Homeowner” is one a lot of association members are wondering about. “I just wanted to ask if you think this new vacation rental ordinance Cathedral City has passed will help us here at Montage to better control short term rentals?” The short answer is yes. Tom Tousignant shares a brief overview article regarding the Cathedral City Vacation Rental Rules later in this newsletter. It has more detailed answers to this question.

Please be sure to visit www.montagemissiohill.org and view the Q&A. You will find other questions plus forms for your various needs.

We thank you in advance for considering your neighbors during the upcoming holidays. If you have a “Question from a Homeowner” please feel free to submit it via email to the Board or PPM.

Homeowners are always welcome and encouraged to attend our HOA board meetings. The next one will be Thursday November 10th, 9:30am at the PPM offices.NO

Finance Committee Meeting – October 14, 2016

Montage at Mission Hills Homeowners Association

Finance Committee Meeting – October 14, 2016  

At the home of Tom Tousignant 36190 Chagall Ct., Cathedral City – 9:00 AM  

AGENDA

Call to Order Minutes

  • Approval of minutes of 2016-10-07 meeting

New Business

  • Review proposed second draft of 2017 budget – Tom Tousignant
  • Discussion on changes/additions to the second draft proposed budget – All
  • Review of second draft of 2017 Reserve Study and forecasted 2016 final reserve expenditures – Tom Tousignant
  • Discussion on necessary changes to the draft reserve study – All

Homeowners Forum Next Meeting – Meeting October 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM at the home of Tom Tousignant 36190 Chagall Ct. Cathedral City.

Adjournment

Click Here to Download an Agenda

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