OAKS NORTH MARBELLA
NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

November 2009

 

ELECTION RESULTS

A total of 136 ballots were received in the Board elections for Marbella.  Larry Allen and John Ellis were elected to the Board for the next two years.  After the Annual Meeting the new Board met and elected the following officers:

                                    President …………………………  Larry Allen

                                    Vice President …………………..   Jim Coote

                                    Treasurer …………………………  Marilyn Tipler

                                    Secretary …………………………  Maurice Nahum

 

A big THANK YOU to outgoing Board member Karen Wiley.  Karen has served on the Board since 2004 and has devoted countless hours volunteering her time and efforts for the benefit of Marbella.  We truly appreciate all she has done!

 

2010 BUDGET

Enclosed with the newsletter is a copy of the Marbella budget for 2010.  You will note that there is no increase in the quarterly dues and we don't anticipate the need for a special assessment in the next year.  You will also note that funds have been set aside in the budget for greenbelt renovations which will cover any needed repairs or improvements to the irrigation system.  Along with the budget is information on the Reserves, assessment collection, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and insurance.  If you have any questions on the budget or related materials, please contact the Board.  Copies of the Board meeting minutes and monthly financial statements are on file at the Oaks North Community Center or may be obtained from the Association for a nominal fee.

 

COLLECTION OF LATE FEES

The Association has had in place for sometime the policy of collecting a 10% late fee on assessments that are delinquent 30 days after the due date.  The Board has not felt the need for imposing this fee on delinquent owners in the past as there were so few.  However, we have a few owners who are consistently late and the Board felt it was time to enact this policy.  So, effective January 1, 2010 any assessments that are more than 30 days past due will be assessed a late fee of $17.

 

LANDSCAPE CORNER
As a result of resident feedback a new Landscape Committee has been formed, comprised of resident volunteers.  They will be working with and reporting to the Board concerning changes and improvements to the Greenbelt and the Common Areas.  
As it was felt that our present landscape company has failed to maintain the greenbelt properly, the Committees' first task was to solicit bids from other companies.  They obtained four bids and brought their recommendations to the Board and at the last Board Meeting their choice of companies gave a presentation.  The Committee did an excellent job.  

So, starting on November 23, 2009 our landscape contractor will be Benchmark Landscape Company.  Their first task will be to do a complete evaluation of our irrigation system and make recommendations to the Board on improvements.  We're hopeful that within a month or so, we'll be seeing an improvement in the greenbelt appearance.

 

COYOTE ALERT
There have been numerous reports of coyote presence.  They have been seen and heard at the Entry and on the Greenbelt, from very early in the morning then again early to late p.m.  Coyote scat has been found at the above areas and in two known backyards.  Needless to say, the threat to unattended cats and small dogs is very real.

TREE MAINTENANCE
Please make sure that your trees, especially palm and yucca trees are properly maintained, by having dead and dying fronds removed.  Dead plant material is not only unsightly, but it is very much a fire hazard.  This material also attracts rats.

SLOPE MAINTENANCE
Owners are responsible to maintain and keep in good condition, slopes and other landscaping that belongs to them.  Sometimes the steep back slope or the small side patch of landscaping by the sidewalk gets ignored.  Please make sure that you properly maintain these areas just as you would your front yard.
We are being told that residents are not controlling gopher infestation on slopes behind homes.  Failure to eliminate gophers causes an unsightly appearance.  It also allows gophers to infest neighboring slopes.  Please be considerate of your neighbors and take appropriate measures to eliminate gophers from your yard or slope.

 

MAILBOXES

As most of you know, the mailboxes and the posts are owned by the individual owners and not the Association.  Letters were sent out last month to 43 owners in Marbella who need to do some type of repairs to their mailbox or mailbox post.  Some only need to replace the address number on the box.  If you received one of these letters, please take the time to carefully look at your mailbox situation.  If your mailbox looks bad, it might be time to replace it.  Let's keep our neighborhood looking good!

 

MARBELLA TELEPHONE DIRECTORY

After the first of the year we will be putting together the 2010 Marbella Telephone Directory.  If there has been a change to your listing since the 2008 Directory, please contact Marilyn Tipler at 858-676-0857 with the new information.  If you are new to the community and wish to be listed, give Marilyn a call.  Don't forget to have your email address listed if you so choose.

 

O.N. ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE (ARC)
Permission for any exterior changes or alterations is necessary.  Forms are available at the Community Center Office and also online at www.oaksnorth.org.
The ARC meets the 2nd and 4th Tues at the Community Center each month.  
The forms must be submitted by the Thursday, prior to the meetings at the Center Office.  The Board has been involved with the review and processing of all requests for some time.  That participation has been a great help to the Committee and has expedited the process for our residents.

 

STREET CRACKS

In the last newsletter the Board printed a phone number for the City to report cracks in the streets.  Unfortunately, the number was incorrect.  If you wish to report cracks in the street by your home to the City, please call 619-527-7504.  The Board has attempted to get the City out for all the street cracks in the community, but they have been unresponsive.  Individual residents seem to have better luck in getting repairs done by their homes.

 

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD

   All communications, including complaints, should be in writing and mailed to:  Oaks North Marbella HOA,  P. O. Box 300164, Escondido, CA 92030.  You can email the Board members at the following:

Larry Allen:    lallengolf@aol.com

Jim Coote:  jcoote@san.rr.com

Marilyn Tipler: mdtipler@yahoo.com

Maurice Nahum:  mhuman@aol.com

John Ellis:  jwellis@san.rr.com

   Questions regarding your billing, refinance information or escrow information should be directed to our accounting service at (760) 751-5444.

   Copies of Board meeting minutes and financial statements are kept in the Oaks North Community Center Library for your review.

    The notice and agenda for the monthly Board meetings are now posted on the Community Center bulletin board four days in advance of our meetings.

   The Board meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m. at the Oaks North Community Center.  The meeting is open to all owners. 
Please come and join us!