9/16/2024 Board Brief
Dear Laurel and Magnolia Residents,
Thank you for joining us for our first board meeting last week. It was a pleasure to connect with so many of you, both in person and virtually via Zoom. We truly appreciate your patience with the hybrid format, and we’re excited to continue improving our meetings to ensure they are even more efficient, engaging, and inclusive moving forward.
Important Notice: Final Paint Inspection for Laurel Residents
This notice and the flyer posted to Laurel garages serves to inform all Laurel residents that a final walk-through with PacWest will take place during the week of Monday, September 16th through Friday, September 20th, 2024. The completion of this walk-through is critical to the timely conclusion of the ongoing project.
If you have any outstanding concerns or unresolved issues regarding the paint work on your home, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Board at info@laurelmagnoliahoa.com. To facilitate the resolution process, please include a photograph of the affected area(s) wherever possible. Thank you to those who have already submitted emails.
This period represents the final opportunity to address any paint-related touch-ups. Please ensure any inquiries or requests for corrections are submitted promptly to avoid further delays.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Construction and Paint:
PacWest is back onsite today to address minor corrections through a real-time walk-through, referred to as a “wet punch list.”
Once the corrections are approved, they will proceed with completing the remaining three Laurel buildings. While we aim for timely completion, our priority is the quality of workmanship and ensuring the paint warranty remains valid for the next 9 - 10 years.
We understand the PacWest staging area has been in place at the entrance of Laurel for some time. Residents have asked and requested that this be relocated. Once Laurel is complete, the board has confirmed with PacWest that this will be immediately relocated to the Magnolia side of the property. Exact location details to come.
Finance:
The board continues to examine each and every invoice provided by Strategic HOA from August 2023 to now. We are committed to ensuring our dollars are being put to the best use possible. Some issues to note are late fees, redundancy of service by different vendors and gross overspending on materials ($3375 spent this year on pet waste bags alone, not including the service to maintain the waste stations). This is a tedious process but necessary to move forward with accurate accounting numbers.
Insurance:
In less than three weeks the board has engaged a new insurance broker, Marsh McLennan Agency and secured a new $15M property damage policy at a significantly lower price. Our new brokers are currently working on estimates for $60M and full coverage policies. These three options will be up for vote in the coming weeks. The assessment associated with the $15M policy will not exceed the originally quoted $1809. Our hope is to slightly reduce this fee; however we are mindful of next year's renewal and associated cost. We are taking care to ensure the new ballot is written with accurate information and includes the options we were promised months ago.
Vendor Management:
The Board remains diligent in reviewing all vendors servicing our community. Last week, we met with San Diego Roof Doctor to discuss necessary roof and drainpipe repairs, as well as the deferred maintenance of roof cleaning in preparation for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. This week, we will be conducting a walk-through with Astrid Starcher, the Deputy Fire Marshal of San Marcos, to evaluate the fire sprinkler alarm system in Magnolia, as it may be nearing the end of its operational lifespan. Following this, we will meet with Bay Alarm to address recent service issues and discuss improvements to communication protocols during emergency situations.
We’ve heard concerns from most homeowners regarding the state of our landscaping. Park West Landscaping is one of our largest vendors and biggest monthly expenses. To ensure our property is given the attention it deserves, we want to walk with top executives. The VP recently had surgery and will be unable to meet until October. We want to assure you fixing irrigation, drainage and revitalizing our landscaping is a top priority.
Reminders:
Please be mindful of our community speed limit of 10 miles per hour. This is essential for everyone’s safety.
We also kindly remind you to bring in your trash cans promptly after collection to help keep our neighborhood looking clean and well-maintained.
Exciting News:
We are pleased to announce the return of the Holiday Decorating Contest! We encourage everyone to showcase their Halloween spirit. The Board will judge the decorations and announce the winners in the October 21st weekly update. First place will receive a $25 Amazon gift card courtesy of the board and a congratulatory yard sign. Second place will receive a yard sign as well.
Thank you,
Crystal Garcia
Secretary, Laurel & Magnolia HOA
