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!

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.

Labor Day the “unofficial end of summer”, a time when most school districts resume classes or celebrate the first three-day weekend of the school calendar. Labor day always made me feel that this was the last weekend to officially wear white clothes. And let’s not forget the labor day weekend summer sales! Labor Day for some of us here in Montage it is a reminder for us to start preparing for the season. Cleaning patio furniture for the soon to be cooler days and evenings. Having the solar panels cleaned after the recent summer dust storms. Babying our plants with the extra hand watering and shade cloth’s in hopes that they may survive the summer heat into the fall.

Actually, homeowners have been quite busy this summer with landscaping projects, solar installations and exterior home painting projects. Because of these activities our streets may have more dirt and debris than normal. We ask that you are mindful of the Friday street sweeping day and ask your guest and service workers to limit parking on the street that day.

In light of the most asked question this month here is our “Question from a Homeowner”- I have a leak in my pool, requiring it to be drained, to be fixed.  I don’t know whom to contact to get approval.  Could you let me know?

Technically, a permit at a cost of $2.50 is required.  However, the purpose of the permit is to simply have the appropriate contact information in the event that an issue arises.  If the HOA is managing the process, like PPM does, and no water is leaving the community onto public streets, the City of Cathedral City does not require a permit.  Water discharged from Montage Pools goes into the street and finds it way to Montage detention basin. The Association does have the right to issue a permit if the HOA deems it really necessary. You don’t need a variance request. We simply ask that you notify Shelly and Jasmine at Personalized Property Management via email or by a phone call to let them know the date that you plan to drain your pool. At least a week notice is suggested so that we don’t have a conflict with other pools draining all at once into the basin.

You can go to www.montagemissiohill.org if you have other questions or need forms for your various needs.

We thank you in advance for considering your neighbors for another holiday weekend and wish you a happy and safe labor day! 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 September 9th, 9:30am at the PPM offices.

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

Curt Beyer, President & Newsletter Editor CurtB@MontageatMissionHills.org

So begins another year. Thoughts turn again to the routine of life after a holiday season. We put away the decorations and settle into our winter months.

As an HOA there are many things happening. The updated governing documents are going out for you to review. A cover letter will outline the updates necessary due to changes in state statutes, along outdated need of language for the developer and updating of odds and ends to facilitate the smooth operation of this corporation. Any points of concern or question can be discussed before the vote will be taken. This has been a long and detailed project that has been quite costly so we want to have clarity and support toward their adoption. Having to do this again will just add to the cost.

Approaching is the Annual Meeting (March). As usual, two board positions will be open and we urge anyone interested in running for the board to submit their nomination form. As we approach the meeting ballots will be sent out. This year we will be meeting in the Cathedral City Center across the street and down a block from our City Hall. The Children’s Museum where we have been meeting has started using their meeting space for ongoing activities and exhibitions.

Also, be aware that we are sharing an article on the Montage at Mission Hills. It appeared in a recent edition of the Quorum Magazine . . . A publication on HOAs and related business providers that participate in the Community Associations Institute – Coachella Valley. It is under separate cover so you can save it or share it.

With the arrival of Labor Day most of us think of summer ending and fall beginning. To many it means school is or has started and the resumption of a daily/weekly routine. Days again start getting shorter and the angle of the sun is changing. We turn our attention to tree trimming and our landscaping.

With the reduction in watering we must pay attention to our trees getting adequate watering . . . deep watering. The integrity of the root systems depends upon adequate water or roots may not be able to hold the tree when the storm winds arrive. We have seen this pattern elsewhere in the state, most recently dry soil was a suspected cause in the tragic tree fall incident at the Children’s Museum in Pasadena. Drought has been blamed for killing millions of trees in California. Researchers estimated that the drought has killed off at least 12.5 million trees in California’s national forests. We should all make sure to check our shrubs and trees to see that get the attention they need.

California Law details that all property owners are responsible for maintaining any trees on their property, and inspecting them for signs of damage. If a tree is found to be posing a potential hazard then the property owner must take steps to reduce this risk.

Curb appeal is part of the seasonal assessment many owners make as they return for the season. It is a good time to look closely at our homes and look critically at the paint and exteriors to judge if it is time to refresh. Considering the age of our development many of us may be facing this task. The paint color schemes for all of our homes can be found on the HOA website as are the forms for an Architecture and Landscape Variance Request if needed (www.MontageatMissionHills.org). You will also find information on how to get a discount on your paint there. It may also be a good time to evaluate our landscaping in general. Stone mulch and DG (decomposed granite) needs to be refreshed from time to time.

When you go to the updated website . . . take a few minutes to look around. There is more and more useful information available as it has been totally reworked and enhanced. Scott Reese has been busy making it more relevant and he and Bill Lewis are always looking to add to it to make it the resource all of us can use. Thanks also to Tom Tousignant for his continued content contributions.

We all need to thank Sandy Nips for stepping into the leadership chair for the A & L Committee until the end of the year. She previously led this vital group but is only filling in through December. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the life of our HOA. Please let Sandy or a board member if you are interested in getting more involved. It also is not too early to consider running for the Board, as the annual meeting will be here all too quickly.

We also have a Welcome / Social Committee led by Jo Ann Horwitz. She too is eager to welcome others to get involved. The holidays will be upon us and there can be other reasons to celebrate and get to know each other as the weather cools down.

We have been posting weekly calendars from the Mission Hills Country Club, as we are all members. These can be viewed at the Da Vinci / Van Gogh corner on the curved wall. The bulletin boards are where agendas and other information are posted as needed.

DID YOU KNOW . . .

We received some recent resident comments that we thought merited a brief clarification . . ..

The President’s Newsletter. . . Currently, and traditionally, the newsletter is assembled/edited by the president of the HOA with contributions by Board and Committee Members. However, it is not the Presidents Newsletter, it is your newsletter. Newsletter content is the work of the Board and Committees, with the possible exception of the President’s Notes, which is blog-like contribution of the HOA president used to highlight information and perspectives that the president feels are important for residents. We try our best to see the articles are newsworthy, informative and objective. Requests for content are routinely sent to all Board members and Committee chairs. Residents are encouraged to participate as well. The Board reviews and approves content like an editorial board would before the newsletter is published. It is rare for submitted content to be edited except for possible grammar, punctuation or spelling. The by-lines for the articles are there to bring recognition to the contributors, exhibit the engagement of Committees and assist readers in knowing whom to talk to in case there are further questions or comments.

This is the first board meeting I have been invited/allowed to attend. . . . We encourage residents to attend each meeting. Board meetings, by law, are open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to share their views on agenized items or in general at the beginning of the meeting. Board policy generally limits interaction to 3-5 minute comments or presentations on agenized items to assure time for everyone to participate and for the Board to conduct agenda business.

In order for the Board to take action on an item, it must first be placed on the agenda and the agenda must be posted. This is to allow others interested in the item to be present for the discussion and consideration by the Board. The Board can listen to resident comments and may briefly comment itself, but no immediate action can be taken on a non-agenized item. If you have ever visited a City Council meeting you have probably observed this same process.

Not unlike California government, many of the Board procedures are tightly regulated by California Statute and are covered in the Davis-Sterling Act (http://www.epsten.com/statutes/. In addition, the Board strives to hold to a code of ethics to make business as transparent as practical. An exception to open meetings provisions are meetings of the Executive Committee which are restricted only to Board members and can address items in only four subject areas . . . Member Discipline, Formation of Contracts, Personnel Matters, and Litigation. Please join us in the future.