The board wanted to share the major things on our agenda over the past year, as we don't get participation from many homeowners at the meetings. Participation from homeowners is encouraged!!
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December 2010
As 2010 comes to an end, the members of the HOA Board of
Directors reflect on the projects completed, projects yet to commence and long
term objectives that will be required in the future years to maintain the
integrity and value of our property.
Be aware the board passed a special assessment of $300 for each unit, due by June 30, 2011. This is to fund the reserves needed for large maintenance projects needed for the coming year.
Accomplishments in 2010:
This year marked the conclusion of a project started
over five years ago. That project was to update the landscaping in all common
areas of the six communities. This
project would include replacing shabby original vegetation in the interior
common areas and exterior streetscape bordering Monterosa. The goal was to achieve a fresher, updated
appeal while benefiting from lower maintenance and water requirements. With the exception of the front area that
ranges between 3637 and 3631, plus some minor tweaking in a few other areas (replacing
dead plants, etc) this major overhaul is close to completion. The Landscape Committee spent countless hours
pouring over designs, plant choices, the budget and many, many weekends engaged
in back-breaking, manual labor removing old vegetation, digging holes and
planting new. The budget could not
support having it professionally done, so if it were not for the Landscape
Committee, Donnie Hightower, and a few homeowners and tenant volunteers that
assisted, this landscaping overhaul would not have come to pass.
In addition to the landscaping work, our on-site maintenance
man, Donnie Hightower, has been extremely busy this year working on many
aesthetic improvements. On top of his
regular duties, he has touched-up paint on our buildings, patched stucco, painted
fences and gates, and made necessary pool modifications for City code
compliance. Many roofing repairs were
also completed throughout the year.
Looking Ahead:
While there are certainly some advantages to residing in
older neighborhoods and owning older properties, the aging factor certainly predicts
that future, capital maintenance projects will be necessary, i.e., asphalt re-paving
of carports, painting all buildings, pool re-surfacing, new roofs, community
building repairs, etc. The monthly
assessment that you pay goes into the General Operating Fund. This fund is used for the monthly operating
expenses, such as: City of Phoenix (water/sewage/trash pickup), SRP
electric (common area lighting/laundry facilities/pool filters), pool
maintenance, landscape maintenance service, property management fee, insurance,
maintenance personnel compensation, plus any unforeseen, unanticipated expenses
throughout the year. In addition to the
General Operating Fund, most Homeowner’s Associations have a sizable Reserve
Fund with monies set aside specifically for the above-mentioned capital
improvements. Monterosa Condominiums,
however, has always maintained a very small Reserve Fund.
This year the Board identified and prioritized key projects
that will be essential for years to come. Our small Reserve Fund cannot cover the costs of
these very expensive repairs. If we wish to maintain our current monthly
assessment at $185.00 without incurring an annual increase, funding for these much
needed projects will necessitate Special Assessments. Please be advised that a Special Assessment in
the amount of $300.00 per homeowner will be due no later than June 2011.
As homeowners, we do not receive City of Phoenix monthly statements that cover our
water usage, trash & recyclables pick-up, and sewer usage for our
individual units. Instead, we have one
(1) water meter per building, thus our pro-rata share of these services is
included in our monthly assessment. Therefore,
it’s rather easy to be oblivious to the annual rate increases the City of Phoenix has imposed for the last six (6)
years. The year of 2010 was the first year in the last six years that the rate
increase was only a single-digit (7.25%).
In 2009, it was 11.5% and 2008–10.75%.
When the costs of services increase, it can force a rise in our monthly
assessments. Just because we don’t see the Water Bill doesn’t mean we are not
paying for it. We urge everyone to be
aware of your water usage and conserve water when possible.
