MY DESERT PRINCESS BLOG

7/30/2023 49 Comments

The Board has Approved the 2023/2024 Budget

The HOA Board has just approved monthly dues for the 2023/2024. The dues will be increased from $748 per month to $855 per month.

There is still additional work that can be done by the HOA Board and Management Trust to find additional opportunities to reduce expenses and increase revenues.

Examples of opportunities:

Establish a savings target (1%,3% 5%) for the HOA.
Solicit ideas from the community and implement them.
Seek out and work with homeowners who have experience in specific areas (landscape, finance, law, business, IT, management, etc.).
Identify changes that can reduce labor(more automation, streamlining processes, less redundancy, etc.) and implement them.
Select strategic and discretionary projects that will return funds to homeowners by reducing/eliminating expenses and implement them.
Identify and implement additional revenue sources.
Start early and get the required 3 competitive bids on all contracts for the future fiscal years.
Think outside the box. Just because we have always done things one way does not mean there is not a better way.
Establish performance goals with financial incentives and penalties for future fiscal year contracts.
Create goal based incentives for employees.
Apply any additional savings to next year’s budget to reduce increases in the monthly dues.

The Blog would like to know your thoughts.

49 Comments

7/16/2023 91 Comments

HOA DUES are increasing to $877.11 starting October 1, 2023

The HOA Board presented the latest version of the 2023/2024 budget summary on July 14th. Homeowners were not allowed to comment on this budget presentation.

As the budget stands now, HOA monthly dues will be increased to $877.11 per month. An increase of $129.11 per month. Our dues have increase in the last 5 years over 43%.

The Board will be approving the final budget at the Board meeting on Friday, July 28th at 1:30pm. Homeowners will not be able to see any details of how the board plans to spend our money until after the budget is published and mailed to the homeowners in late August.

HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:

Over 45% of our monthly dues will go to pay for salaries, taxes, benefits and grounds. The Board does not plan to put Management Trust , O’Connell(landscaping) or legal services out for competitive contract bids.
The Board’s budget includes increases in additional staff, pay increases and corrections for previous budgeting errors.
A board member proposed a $200,000 reduction in the budget (reducing dues by $13.81/month). That proposal was voted down 4 to 3.

The Country Club budget was not included in the presentation.
The Board presentation excluded any reference to increases in golf membership fees and/or dues.

The blog would love to know your thoughts.

91 Comments

6/28/2023 29 Comments

The Boards Upcoming Budget Presentation

On this Friday, June 30th at 1:30pm, the HOA board’s treasurer will be presenting the second discussion on the upcoming 2023/2024 HOA budget. This may be the last chance that homeowners can ask questions and understand how our dues are being spent.

Here is what we know from the first presentation:

Only a portion of the budget information was presented at the the last board meeting and the estimated increases in HOA dues was over $60/month.
That estimate did not include the Country Club, most contracts for services and any increase for the reserves.
Management Trust and the finance committee was still working on the budget proposal.

Here is what we DO NOT know at this point:

What will be the final increase in dues to fund the proposed budget (60/month +????)?
How much money will we be paying to fund the coming years “Special projects”?
What plans are in place to control and reduce costs?
Will any of the annual contracts be put out for bid (Management Trust, O’Connell, etc.)?

Will there be Golf fee increases proportional to HOA dues increases?
Will any cost savings be generated by reduction in services( not heating/closing pools, deferring maintenance, etc.)?
Will there be full budget transparency before the Board approves next year’s budget and the HOA Fee increase?

To find out more, please attend the Board meeting in person at the HOA conference room or on Zoom.

Please feel free to leave any comments.

Below is the Zoom information:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85162442958?pwd=YXErcTVWcmRzUE5lRGI2YkdUYTVldz09

Meeting ID: 851 6244 2958
Passcode: 883634

Dial by your location
1 408 638 0968 US
1 669 444 9171 US
1 669 900 6833 US
1 346 248 7799 US
1 719 359 4580 US
1 253 205 0468 US
1 253 215 8782 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
1 646 931 3860 US
1 689 278 1000 US
1 301 715 8592 US
1 587 328 1099 Canada
1 647 374 4685 Canada
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

29 Comments

6/6/2023 54 Comments

Doing it right – Our $70,000 Replacement Media System

The current media system has had issues when conducting meetings inside the Masters Lounge. A company that only sells high end media systems to large organizations was brought in to determine why our existing system was having issues and recommend a solution.

They determined that the golf cart charging system was interfering with the current system. Their recommendation was a complete replacement of the existing system with their high end hardware. The board took the vendors information at face value and did not bring in any additional vendors to look at the problem and make recommendations.

Our Board President, Russ Holowachuk , just sent all home owners an email defending the Boards decision to spend up to $70,000 on their selected media system because we need to “Do It Right” the first time.

This brings up the following questions:

Why did the board only bring in one vendor into the Master’s Lounge to determine what solutions and equipment were available to solve our communications issues?
Did the Board believe that ‘Doing it Right” mean that we ignore our bylaws and skip putting the replacement system out for bid.
Does “Doing It Right” mean that we let the vendor tell us what equipment we need to purchase without providing them with a set of requirements?

Does “Doing It Right” mean that the homeowners are demanding an immediate media solution and cost should not be considered?

Does “Doing It Right mean that we buy a system that is so complex that staff training and vendor support will be required in order to use the system?

54 Comments

5/18/2023 73 Comments

A New Sound System For the Master's Lounge

The Board has picked a vendor for a new sound system for the Master’s Lounge. The board did not put this project out for bid and is funding the purchase through an unplanned withdrawal of $70,000 from our reserves.

The vendor selected, Lightwerks(https://lightwerks.com/), provides high end, customized equipment geared toward large installations. ($500,000 to $3 million+). The proposal from Lightwerks includes $23,000 for 12 Microphones, $7,800 in design and project management and $2000 in software programming.

This leads to the following questions:

Why did the Board choose a customized sound system without looking at any lower cost turnkey systems?
Why did the board decide not to get competitive bids for the new sound system?
Should the Board continue to spend on new projects after the cost of insurance has doubled($1.16 million) and we are being warned by the Board's President to expect a significant increase in our dues?

The Blog would like to hear your Thoughts.

73 Comments

1/30/2023 78 Comments

NEWS FLASH - Half of our community pools will no longer be heated !

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:

Is your pool on the list?
What other options are available to offset the increasing energy costs?
What happened to the $700,000 extra dollars in the operating budget? Has this been used up?
Should this be happening in prime season, when the majority of our community is here?

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.

78 Comments

12/7/2022 40 Comments

Half Million Dollar Fitness Center Proposal

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:

Where are the Architectural plans for Homeowners to see what upgrades are being considered?
Why have we submitted the plans to the city? Is this a done deal?
Since this is not a maintenance project, can the board authorize the funds without a vote from the homeowners?
Does the Board have the authority to spend the $400,000 to $500,000 by a simple board vote?

Should we be focusing our spending on maintaining our current infrastructure and maintenance issues?

We have been told by the board month after month, that we are faced with increasing costs (the justification for the dues increase). Is this the right time to be spending our money on upgrades?

To learn more, please attend the Board meeting in person or by Zoom. Homeowners will have the opportunity to express opinions during the open session. The meeting starts at 1:30 PST this Friday.

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.

40 Comments

11/14/2022 38 Comments

TOP HOA BOARD PROPOSED PROJECTS

Our 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:

A complete update of the Fitness/Spa center
or
A new outdoor patio extension for the restaurant

The board has already spent over $50,000 on architectural designs and has even submitted a set of plans to the City for approval.

This Raises the Following Questions:

Does the board intend to spend the majority of our increased homeowner’s dues for beautification rather than the needed and necessary maintenance/repairs?

Will either of these investments generate enough revenue to offset the money spent?
Will the board make architectural plans available to all homeowners to see how our money will being spent?

Will either of these projects reduce the amount our dues that currently subsidize the Country Club and Fitness/Spa center each month?
Should we be considering a restaurant project when the restaurant has irregular hours, continues to generate less than pre-Covid revenues and continues to operate at a loss?
Why are we considering the fitness center redesign when we only have 10-15 people a day using the facilities?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

38 Comments

10/15/2022 14 Comments

Positive Changes at Desert Princess Country Club

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.

Staggering the annual Fall golf course closings(reseeding) to allow members and the public to continue playing. This has a positive impact on revenues.
Raising golf fees to generate additional income. A step toward rates that are comparable with other courses in the Coachella Valley.
Cleaning up the Pro Shop, bringing in modern merchandise and adding branded products that promote Desert Princess Country Club.
Making reservations available with online golf booking sites. This will generate additional revenue.

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.

14 Comments

8/8/2022 10 Comments

TREE MANAGEMENTSpecial Board Meeting tomorrow(8/9)at 11:00am

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:

Tree removal has already started without a board approved plan, funding or a contract
Find out what trees are being cut down and who is making these decisions
See if the fruit trees near your property will be cut down
Ask the Board about its plans for replacing trees that are cut down

Seasonal homeowners need to be aware of their trees being removed before their Fall return. It will be too late to ask for any trees to be spared
What are the costs and where are the funds coming from

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

10 Comments

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This 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.

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