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 – 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
Finance Committee Meeting Agenda – October 7, 2016
Montage at Mission Hills Homeowners Association Finance Committee Meeting – October 7, 2016
At the home of Tom Tousignant 36190 Chagall Ct., Cathedral City – 9:00 AM
AGENDA
Call to Order
Minutes
- No previous meeting minutes
New Business
- Review proposed first draft of 2017 budget – Tom Tousignant
- Review of budget requests from Montage Committees – Michelle Madison
- Discussion on changes/additions to the first draft proposed budget – All
- Review of first draft of 2017 Reserve Study and forecasted 2016 final reserve expenditures – Tom Tousignant
- Discussion on options for date palm tree replacements – Tom Tousignant
- Discussion on necessary changes to the draft reserve study – All
Homeowners Forum Next Meeting – Meeting October14, 2016 at 9:00 AM at the home of Tom Tousignant 36190 Chagall Ct. Cathedral City.
Adjournment
Click Here to Download a Copy of the the Agenda.
PRESIDENTS NOTES – Sep / Oct 2016
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
SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 BOARD MEETING AGENDA
PRESIDENTS NOTES – Jan / Feb 2016
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.
PRESIDENTS NOTES – Nov / Dec 2015
As November starts our attention again turns to the holidays, neighbors returning and the reconnecting with family and friends. Residency in Montage can increase as much as 40% in the prime season. The increased occupancy in the development brings increased car, pedestrian and vendor traffic inside our gates. For your safety, and the safety of others please be mindful of these changes in traffic patterns and volume, slow down, wave and say Hi to your neighbors.
It is also the time for everyone to consider involvement within the HOA on our committees (Architectural and Landscape, Welcome and Social, Disaster Preparedness and Safety, Website and Communications). Or perhaps you would consider the opportunity to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. As members of the Association it is our civic responsibility to contribute to preserving and protecting the Montage quality of life by sharing in the work of the HOA we are all part of it. There is always a need for owners to take a more active role and responsible role in the operations of our common interest development. We all owe a great deal to our various committee chairs, the committee members as well as the Board members. All are volunteers and all give of their time, talent and best judgment in serving and representing us to the best of their abilities.
As another successful Montage year draws to a close a new Association budget will be going into effect and officers will be elected. And as frequently occurs, new state laws will go into effect with the New Year. There are always a few that affect the way HOAs operate and function. We are much like a small city and regulated by state statute in how and what we do. Cumulatively changes in law can eventually require modifications and fine-tuning to the Association’s governing documents, as is currently the case with our HOA governing documents. You will begin to hear much more about this in the near future as the Board seeks your understanding and engagement. This year also there are the added concerns for water conservation and now with the approaching El Niño weather patterns and potential storms. In seems like there is always a lot to think about and plan for in governing the Association.
Our Architectural and Landscape Committee has been actively reviewing development common areas and residences for issues related to lighting, landscaping, and details regarding appearance and upkeep. Please let them know you appreciate their work and accept any contacts as gestures of support in the maintenance and value preservation of your property. The committee members are dedicated to working for the good of the Montage.