NEWS FLASH
Half of our community pools will no longer be heated! On Friday January 28th, at our Board meeting, a recommendation was brought forward by Russ Holowachuk, to stop heating half of our pools to reduce energy costs. The majority of the Board members agreed to this recommendation and half the pool heaters will be shut off. This raises the following questions:
Our Board is obligated to serve the interests of our whole community. If you have some questions or concerns about this decision, contact Russ Holowachuk at holowachukr@shaw.ca The Blog would also like to hear your thoughts.
67 Comments
This Friday, December 9th at 1:30pm pst, our HOA Board is considering a proposal to upgrade the Fitness/Wellness Center. The expected cost for this upgrade will be between $400,000 and $500,000. The board has already paid for an architectural plan and that plan has been submitted to Cathedral City for permit approval.
This raises some interesting questions:
This blog is a means for Homeowners to communicate with each other and express their thoughts and concerns. We encourage you to add your comments. 11/14/2022 37 Comments TOP HOA BOARD PROPOSED PROJECTSOur HOA board is considering spending between $400,000 to $500,000 on one of 2 projects to “update and modernize” Desert Princess. The cost to each homeowner for either of these projects would equate to $27.64 to $34.54 of our current monthly dues.
These are the projects the board is focusing on:
This Raises the Following Questions:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There is a scheduled Board Chat this Saturday 11/19/2022 at 1:00 PM. This would be a great opportunity for homeowners to ask our board these questions. Below is the link to the ZOOM ONLY CHAT: You will be prompted to enter the Meeting ID (812 0942 1757) AND the password (498396). https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81209421757?pwd=REF0d1hXQU5XL2NwMUthSUtMMGZXQT09 Meeting ID: 812 0942 1757 Passcode: 498396 Dial by your location 1 669 900 6833 US 1 408 638 0968 US 1 669 444 9171 US 1 719 359 4580 US 1 253 205 0468 US 1 253 215 8782US 1 346 248 7799 US 1 646 931 3860 US 1 689 278 1000 US 1 301 715 8592 US 1 305 224 1968 US 1 309 205 3325 US 1 312 626 6799 US 1 360 209 5623 US 1 386 347 5053 US 1 507 473 4847 US 1 564 217 2000 US 1 646 876 9923 US 1 778 907 2071 Canada 1 780 666 0144 Canada 1 204 272 7920 Canada 1 438 809 7799 Canada 1 587 328 1099 Canada 1 647 374 4685 Canada 1 647 558 0588 Canada The Blog would like to hear your thoughts. The Blog has been criticized for only addressing negative topics. This Blog topic will address positive changes at Desert Princess Country Club.
For example: Here are the changes we have seen instituted by our new Golf Pro.
Now is your chance to add your own positive comments on changes you have seen in our community. The Blog would like to hear your thoughts. A special Board Meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at 11am (August 9th), in the Masters Lounge, to discuss the Tree management. This will be an opportunity for all homeowners to discuss this topic and any other topics of concern. If you are on the property please attend in person and if you are not present attend by Zoom.
Reasons to attend:
Please attend !!! For those who have not received notification of this meeting the following link can be used to attend this meeting Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81443326618?pwd=S0JIZVkwVStISENDZTRzalVGR3JvUT09 Meeting ID: 814 4332 6618 Passcode: 837570 Dial by your location 1 669 900 6833 US 1 408 638 0968 US 1 669 444 9171 US 1 253 215 8782 US 1 346 248 7799 US 1 386 347 5053 US 1 564 217 2000 US 1 646 876 9923 US 1 646 931 3860 US 1 301 715 8592 US 1 312 626 6799 US 1 647 558 0588 Canada 1 778 907 2071 Canada 1 780 666 0144 Canada 1 204 272 7920 Canada 1 438 809 7799 Canada 1 587 328 1099 Canada 1 647 374 4685 Canada AT ITS JULY 29, 2022 MEETING, THE DESERT PRINCESS HOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
APPROVED (BY A 5-2 VOTE) THE FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023 WHICH BEGINS ON OCTOBER 1, 2022. THE APPROVED BUDGET CALLS FOR AN INCREASE IN THE MONTHLY ASSESSMENT OF $38 FOR EACH DP UNIT, RESULTING IN A TOTAL MONTHLY ASSESSMENT OF $748. THE TOTAL INCREASE AMOUNTS TO $456 ANNUALLY FOR EACH UNIT OR A TOTAL OF $549,936 FOR THE 1206 UNITS IN DP. MEANWHILE THE BOARD TREASURER IS PROJECTING A SURPLUS OF $800,000 TO $900,000 IN OPERATING FUNDS AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR (SEPTEMBER 30, 2022). -WHY IS THE BOARD HOLDING BACK HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AS “PLAY MONEY” INSTEAD OF USING THE SURPLUS TO OFFSET SOME OR ALL OF THE $38 PER MONTH INCREASE? -WHY WAS THE $15 MILLION BUDGET APPROVED ON THE BASIS OF THE TREASURER’S ORAL RECOMMENDATION WITH NO FINAL PROPOSED DOCUMENT AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW BY BOARD MEMBERS PRIOR TO THE VOTE? -IS THE REAL PURPOSE OF WITHHOLDING THE $800,000-$900,000 SURPLUS TO FINANCE THE BOARD’S SPECIAL “VANITY” PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET? THE HOA IS OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET IN THE ANNUAL MAILING IN AUGUST. EACH HOMEOWNER SHOULD REQUEST A COMPLETE COPY OF THE BUDGET FROM THE HOA TO DETERMINE WHERE YOUR MONEY IS ACTUALLY GOING. AS A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW. THE BLOG WOULD YOUR THOUGHTS 6/20/2022 27 Comments pAYMENT iSSUES WITH mONTHLY DUESA number of homeowners have contacted the Blog with their monthly dues payment issues. In the past, the HOA gave homeowners up to 30 days before taking action to collect on late dues. The Board decided to change their collection policy last year, reducing the late payment date to 15 days and instituting a late payment fee($10) along with a 10% penalty($71).
This has resulted in many homeowners being fined and/or receiving letters requiring them to go in front of the Board for a hearing. The Blog would like to hear from homeowners that have had similar issues, for example:
The Blog would like to hear your thoughts. The Blog would like to hear from homeowners that are in favor of authorizing the Board to take a $5 million loan. For example:
The Blog would like to hear your thoughts? The ballot sent out to all homeowners is a vote to allow the Board to take out a loan for $5 million. A follow up summary of the actual loan terms was published on Desert Princess Condo Communities.
A number of homeowners have contacted the Board to get a copy of the “Fixed Term sheet” that outlines all the details for the loan that we are being asked to vote on. The HOA has refused to release this information. How can homeowners make an informed decision on this vote without the facts? For example:
The blog would like to know, Do we have enough information to Vote for the $5 million loan? At the HOA Board Meeting last week, the board announced that the bank who is financing the $5 million loan has provided them with a "Fixed Term Sheet" that outlines the terms and conditions of this loan.
The board also decided to not release the "Fixed Term Sheet" to the homeowners. As one board member stated, "I have a PHD and it is hard for me to comprehend", implying that homeowners do not have the capability to understand all the details. So the board released a summary of the loan financial terms without any specific obligations (as outlined in the Fixed Term Sheet) that each of us will be committed to if the Board takes out this loan. It is a right for all homeowners to request and see the "Fixed Term Sheet" before voting to allow the Board to enter into this loan. Without this document, homeowners will not know all the obligations we have been committed to under the loan contract. To receive a copy, send your request to: Jerry Storage jstorage@desertprincesscc.com and CC our board members: Peter Webb pfwebb@telus.net Terri Swartz terriswartz.dp@gmail.com Russ Holowachuk holowachukr@shaw.ca Bob Mangold lingold7096@sbcglobal.net Bill Bergstrom billbergstrom.dp@gmail.com Martin Backstrom backstrom@berkeley.edu Mark Brown mark@310.net Please leave any additional comments below |
CharterThis blog is designed as a means to provide transparency and informative access to the policies and protocols of the Desert Princess Palm Springs Homeowners Association, the governance of the HOA Board of Directors and the management of the community’s assets by The Management Trust. The expressed intent is to establish a neighborhood hub for trusted connections and the exchange of helpful information, goods, and services; it is hoped that homeowners will use it to build a stronger and safer Desert Princess Palm Springs. PLEDGE
BE HELPFUL Share this space in a constructive way. Be kind, not judgmental, in your conversations BE RESPECTFUL Remember you are speaking to your real neighbors. Strong communities are built on strong relationships DO NOT DISCRIMINATE Racism, hateful or foul language, or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. NO HARMFUL ACTIVITY Any activity that could hurt someone—from scams to physical harm—are off limits. Archives
January 2023
Categories |