Update from your HOA board - key decisions/actions

Greetings from the repurposed bunker!!
Well, by now I thought we would all be basking in the summer, getting together and socializing, but boy was I wrong!! Despite the inability for our board to meet face to face, we have conducted several board meetings via zoom and continue to tackle issues and make progress on a number of efforts. During the past two meetings we have included a new feature called the "members forum" which gives homeowners the opportunity to speak, address issues, ask questions, provide perspective on any and all topics. A small number of homeowners have taken advantage of this new feature but I want to encourage all homeowners to join in our upcoming meetings via zoom, or in person should we finally go back to face to face meetings. 

I hope you noticed the new logo at the top of this message. Our new board wanted to change the look and feel of our HOA without losing the "Quail Look". We will be changing our website soon with this new logo as well as updating all of our documentation and letterhead. A special thanks to Larry Somerton for finding as good resource to get this done.

Signage: We are fast approaching the election and we will begin to see a large amount of advertising for people running for office, propositions, county, state, and federal elections and I wanted to remind everyone that our HOA rules strictly prohibit the use of signs anywhere on the property, including front yards as well as homes (windows). Over the past few months, graduation signs for High Schools, popped up as a way to replace cancelled ceremonies and our board, knowing the importance and uniqueness of this event, decided to let them stand. However, we noticed a few still up long after the event and we have taken action to remove all of the remaining signs. We also notice a few contractor signs posted during remodels of homes. This also violates our sign rules so please help us by communicating this to your contractors. 

Garbage Cans: We have observed a growing number of Garbage bins, specifically green "yard clipping" bins, being brought to the curb as early as Monday. Our rules specifically prohibit any garbage bins from the streets until Wednesday afternoon and brought back (and out of street sight) by Thursday PM. Last week letters were sent to a number of homeowners asking for their help. In doing so, we uncovered a growing problem; some of our homeowners can no longer physically do this job and their gardeners are providing this service. Our board discussed this issue and agreed upon a solution that would involve soliciting volunteers from our community that would agree to bring bins to the curb and return them as a service to those in need. We would create a signup sheet on our website for those in need or perhaps going on vacation and need this help. Stay tuned as we develop this program. If you're interested in volunteering and have the muscle power and kindness to help, please contact me via this email as we get this going down the road. 

Cameras: Our board has reviewed the cost proposals for purchase and installation of security cameras and decided to go ahead and make this acquisition. We have additional details to work out with the suppliers and we still need to work through PG&E regarding use of their poles so this could take a while longer before final decisions are made. Although we have heard numerous positive comments on getting this done we would still like to hear your comments as there is plenty of time for feedback. Keep in mind, these cameras are not installed to stop a crime from happening but rather to give our local authorities evidence to help catch thieves. As we move forward more details will be communicated on where and when the cameras will go up along with strict procedures on how the content video will be used. 

Roads: We continue to wait for the engineering report to be distributed and are being told, now, that this report will be available around mid-August, some 17 months past the original expected date. Numerous emails and phone calls have been made to the county as well as Mary Adams, our board supervisor. She and her staff have assured me that they will do everything they can to get this done. The county has confirmed that community outreach meetings will be held to review the report and give homeowners a chance to voice their opinions. I have let both the county and Mary know that this is my top priority.

Curb Address paintings: Another effort started this year has been to investigate the repainting of our curbside address. This is more than just a nice thing to get done, it provides first responders with a fast and efficient method to find the right home in an emergency, especially at night with reflective paint. We have some firms that can do this job and are working on logistics before any commitment is made. We also know that some homeowners may not want this done, so we will approach this carefully as we figure out cost and logistics. Lastly, pending the road fixes, we may choose to delay this project as curbs may get rebuilt.

Ambiance of our Neighborhood: As I stated when I took on this position, my goal is to protect and enhance our property values. Keeping our homes, landscaping, and sidewalks in good condition and safe is a direct effort towards this goal. As summer is upon us, we've noticed a number of properties in dire need of clean up as weeds begin to grow and bushes need trimming, especially around sidewalks where safety becomes a key problem. Second home owners that have been unable to visit their Quail property due to the travel restrictions, may not realize their home is in need of work. As we routinely drive the neighborhood, we will be contacting those homeowners with specific fixes but we would appreciate it if each homeowner would take the time to clean up wherever they can with a special focus on the median strip between their sidewalk and the curb. This isn't the fun part of the job, so please....if we contact you, please know we do so out of care for this community and not to be punitive!

Please enjoy the summer.....
                                             Wear a mask....
                                                                      and, pick a weed!!

Kindest Regards, 
Steve Schloss
President - Quail Homeowners, Inc.