April 2023 Newsletter
Are you covered?
Even though it’s published with the Annual Budget each year, we’d like to remind you that while the HOA has what’s called a master insurance policy, this only covers for “catastrophic” events. This means that filing a claim would include damages to your unit in excess of the $10,000 deductible.
Further, you as the owner/claimant would be responsible to pay this amount in most cases. It also has exclusions like flooring, walls and ceilings. Most of us may not fully understand insurance speak so the best thing to do is ask your agent to review what the master policy does and doesn’t cover in order to make sure you’re properly insured.
Our Farmers agent, Steve Reich, is happy to help with this important decision. His office can be reached at 805-379-5159.
Even if your lender does not require a personal policy OR you don’t have a lender, you should consider having coverage of your own.
Avoid becoming a victim
Recently there were three vehicle break ins. According to the police department, there was an unknown woman walking through each of the Surfside communities looking for unlocked or unsecured vehicles. Please avoid becoming a victim by securing all doors and windows and leaving nothing of value visible in your car. If these criminals find one, they will return to look for others.
City permits
While we appreciate owners upgrading their homes thus increasing property values, any electrical or plumbing changes require a permit from the City of Port Hueneme. The City will require proof of approval from the HOA. If you start work without HOA approval, we will verify with Code Compliance that a permit has not been issued either.
Emergency repairs happen however a majority of the issues we’ve have lately (second floor units flooding first floor) have been remodels with no HOA approval or a permit. Please understand this is simply to protect each owner and the structure.
Pet poo problem
We’ve received complaints that pet owners are not cleaning up after their pets. Avoid fines by having your pet on leash when you’re in common area and cleaning up after them immediately.
Welcome Mika!
Please help us welcome Mika Osland as the newest member of our on site maintenance team. He comes to us with prior HOA experience which will be so beneficial to this community.
Parking permits and pool passes
We still have about 40 units who’ve not come in to pick up the parking permits and pool pass. The new program requires that all vehicles on property have a permit displayed from their rear view mirror effective April 1. If you have a service provider working in your unit, please have them check in with the office and we will issue a temporary pass. This is the only way we can ensure that only residents or their invited guests are parking on property.
Carports
As announced in last months newsletter, we had to go back to the drawing board because the plans we received ended up resulting in proposals of over two million dollars for this project. The Board reviewed preliminary proposals from three separate contractors who design and build carports earlier this week. These proposals were submitted based solely on a site plan and the soils report. Site visits are being scheduled with each contractor very soon to fine tune theses proposals to the point that we’re given executable proposals/contracts. There’s light at the end of this very long tunnel. Thank you for being so patient!
Fire safety
Each of the buildings have fire pull stations located outside the units but do you have anything INSIDE your unit? I was recently very surprised to enter a unit for unrelated matter and see not one smoke or Co2 detector installed. Fire code requires a smoke detector in each bedroom as well a carbon monoxide detector outside yet adjacent to the bedrooms. For your safety as well as your neighbors, please make sure you have them installed and they’re functioning properly.
Other upcoming projects
Now that weather has improved, we have some long awaited projects in the works…
The walkways on buildings 9 and 10 (338-361) is starting March 17 and scheduled to last about two weeks. All owners in these buildings have been notified of pending work but neighboring buildings should anticipate some noise.
The third floor walkway railing replacements on building 5 ( 263-284) and building 8 (308-337) is pending. Residents will be notified as soon as we receive a start date. The entry gate wiring has been a long term problem when it rains. Electricians will be rewiring next week.
Pool closures scheduled for water renewal
Water Renewal will be on site from Tuesday, April 18 to Friday April 21 to perform a reverse osmosis process to remove excess minerals and calcium build up in the water of each pool and spa. This buildup occurs naturally when they haven’t been drained and refilled in some time. The smaller pool furthest from the office will be closed on Tuesday April 18 and reopen on Wednesday April 19 in the afternoon. The same process will be done to the pool in front of the office starting April 20. Both will open and ready for use for the weekend.
Community Living in a Snapshot
While we encourage each resident to be familiar with the Rules and Regulations Handbook, below are some of the more common issues we face
For obvious safety reasons, the vehicular exit gate is to be used ONLY as an exit gate unless it’s been marked for entry/exit by the on site team. Please follow marked traffic patterns. Yellow arrows are painted on the roundabout parking for a reason. Please make sure you adhere to them even if it adds 3-5 seconds to your ability to park and/or leave. Because we take safety very seriously, all these WILL result in fines.
Hang tag permits are now required on all vehicles parked on property and they must be displayed from the rear view mirror of the vehicle. Contractors should check in with the office for a temporary permit to avoid receiving a citation.
BEFORE you start any renovations in your unit, please contact the office for guidance on what requires approval. Work that requires a permit and does not have approval will be reported to Code Compliance.
Video doorbell products are quite popular. You can mount them on your screen or front door but they cannot be installed on the stucco.
If you live in a two bedroom unit, it may be a good idea to check the door on the top floor from time to time Make sure it’s clean and the hardware is functioning. During a recent walk through, some of the knobs and deadbolts appeared rusted shut. Because it’s a way for you to get out in the event of a fire, it’s important they work properly.
In most cases, it’s owner responsibility to complete minor plumbing repairs. If your shutoff under the fixture is not working properly and you need to shut off the main, it will affect your neighbors. Please make sure you notify everyone directly next to/above/below you at least 24 hours in advance for non-emergency repairs!
Flushable wipes are not flushable. If you use them, please do not flush them because even if they don’t clog your plumbing, it can and will cause and issue for your neighbors.
Pool and spa area
1. Don’t eat food while IN the pool or spa.
2. Persons who wear diapers must wear swim diapers.
3. GLASS IS PROHIBITED IN THE ENTIRE AREA.
4. Tampering with safety equipment-emergency shut off for the spa, life rings or hooks-is also prohibited.
5. If you bring “music” to the pool, remember you need personal listening devices.
6. Only four guest per household is allowed.
Please don’t put the Board in the position that they are forced to revoke your privilege to use the pool/spa.
Patios and balconies
1. Only furniture designed for outdoor use is permitted. Items such as coolers, folding “camping or beach style” chairs, tables designed for indoor use, etc. should be promptly moved inside when you’re no longer on your patio or balcony.
2. Storage of any kind is not permitted—mops and/or brooms, bicycles, fishing poles, empty planters to name just a few.
3. Pets cannot be left outside when you’re not home to monitor them and at NO TIME are pets allowed to use the patio area for their “restroom”.
4. Smoking is NOT permitted on patios or balconies.
5. Please do not hang anything over the patio or balcony railing to dry!
6. If you have an umbrella on your patio, please remember to put it down or store it out of view when it’s not in use.
7. Mops and brooms should never be left on the patio or balcony.
Hose bibs in common area are not for use by residents. Most of the planters have been changed to a drip system which means less water waste because it’s being delivered directly to the plant. If the area around your home appears dry, please contact us so we can have the landscapers take a look at the irrigation.
Speaking of planters, please do not leave any personal items (potted plants, décor, hoses, etc.) in the planted areas outside your home. Planting or removing plants in common area is prohibited. If it needs attention, reach out to me.
Considering cleaning your balcony? Please sweep and mop the area rather than dumping buckets of water on it. The neighbors below you will certainly appreciate not having dirty water invade their patio or bedroom window.
One of the largest grassy areas the community has is along Ventura Road. While socializing of residents and their pets is certainly welcome, please be mindful of the residents who live in the building by doing your best to keep barking to a minimum.
If it’s been a while since you cleaned your dryer vent line, please consider doing so. This is one of the most common factors for fires.
Please be mindful when parking. If you pull in too close to a white line, it doesn’t allow enough space for your parking neighbor to get in or out of their vehicle without some serious effort to risk damaging both vehicles. Not to mention parking is at a premium and it could make a space unusable.
Trash should NEVER be left outside your front door as it attracts critters and pests to the buildings. When you’re ready to remove trash from your home, please take it to and place inside the appropriate receptacle. Placing unwanted furniture or other bulky items in the enclosure in hopes that someone else may want it is NOT ok.
Pets must be on leash and the leash must be held by someone able to control the pet when you are outside your home. Cleaning up is not only a responsible thing for pet owner to do, it is in the HOA rules and a County ordinance as well.
A note from the Community Manager
We’re getting there!
We’ve been very busy first quarter of 2023 and anticipate it being busier as the year progresses. Not only for large scale projects we have scheduled but in house projects as well. We now have what I’m referring to as the “dream team” maintenance staff and now that weather has improved, you will start seeing even more changes to beautify the community. Even during bad weather, they found plenty of less visible to all to do.
I will soon be taking advantage of the cloud based software system made available from our new financial management company Concord Consulting. This system will allow me to manage my work load more efficiently now that we’re saving tons of money by handling projects (large and small) in house. While updating the payment information was important, we also need to confirm mailing address, email preferences (electronic delivery) and phone numbers too. Please take a moment to complete and return them. If you’ve misplaced the forms, I’ll be happy to send them to you again.
Warm Regards, Dawn