Please note:
This presentation is over a year old, so possibly parts may be
outdated, but it still gives you a good OVERVIEW of the community.
New Resident Orientation by Mark Bigaouette # 59
New Resident Orientation by Mark Bigaouette # 59
Class and handout by; Mark Bigaouette # 59. I have been here every winter since Feb. 1997, when my parents bought the house. ( both have passed away, and my brother Dean and I own the home now ) I do not represent the Association board, or any committee. Most of these groups will have upcoming meeting to explain about who they are and what role they play here at Meridian Manor.
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Meridian Manor
NEW Resident Orientation class
NEW Resident Orientation class
Tuesday
March 6th 2012, 10 AM & 7 PM
1. My number one suggestion : GET INVOLVED !!! As most of you know, this is a wonderful place to live. Don't sit in your house waiting for the world to come to your door. ( unless you are having a party ! ) Join our many activities, or request to start a new one that interests you ! A fairly new resident told me; living at Meridian Manor is like being on a cruise, the weather is great, and there is so much to do all the time !
MM is like a extended family,
they will be there for you when you need them. I know, when my mother was terminal with cancer, this
community was great to us. However you need to get around, and become known -
attend at least some of our many wonderful activities. We have something for every
interest, if not start another !
You have many different ways
of keeping informed ! We have a coffee meetings every Tuesday morning starting
at 9 AM ( but seniors get to everything at least 30 minutes before ) This is
where you find out what is happening in your community. MM also has a newsletter - paper copy
is delivered to your home, provided you have a basket or holder attached to
your mailbox. You can order them in the office for $ 8 or see Bill Goyman at
home # 347, or install your own.
They do email this newsletter out as well, and we have a web site also.
Our Homeowners Association
job is to keep our community in wonderful shape, most of this is done by
volunteers ! Some things are hired out, one of which is a management company.
Called “Brown Management”, they collect our dues, send out letters, and advise
our board. They work for our
Association, the Association runs our community.
2. Architectural review
committee: in general you need to get permission for a whole lot of things
that you would like to do to your home or yard. They approve over 95 % of what
comes in front of them. Forms are
at the MM office, or ask a board member who you should talk to.
3. Social activity committee:
in general run most the social events in our community.
If you have any idea's,
thoughts, or a possible new activities please feel free to contact them.
4. Library : We have
a wonderful community library, come in and grab a book or two, you do not need
to sign them out. Please think about library, donate books you have,
bring some back from your summer home. I have gone out a few times and bought
books and donated them to our library. Also drop off your magazines, or take
one with you. Our magazine rack is in memory of my mom, Marcy. We also have two computers you can use,
and wireless Internet, so bring in your lap-top to check your email.
5. Pool, You the resident should be at the pool if you
have visitors at your home. You should not just tell them to use the pool and
stay home. You do not need to go in, just be there with your guests. We do have
outsiders come in and use our pool and other amenities, sometimes doing damage,
which we have to repair with your Association funds. Everyone has to shower before entering either the
pool or hot-tub. Please make sure the grandkids behave, if things get out of
hand, restrictions will be the result. ( limiting the times kids can use the
pool, check around - this is the rule in most other 55+ communities )
6. Pets – are allowed here at MM, however same story as the pool. If things get out of hand, rules will come into force. Please make sure your cats don't roam. Please control the barkingof your dogs. When taking your dog on a walk, you MUST pick up after your dog ( poop ). Volunteers have placed plastic bags in containers found on posts around the club house. Take a bag if you need one. Please do not leave dog dropping in these containers ! Take this to your home and dispose of it there.
7. Gates ; if you drive up, and the gate is closing – please
wait until it's completely closed.
Then hit the button, or put in your code. Doing this in mid-closing is
very hard on the gate machinery,
and will cause it to break
down. ( fixing it is costly = doing this will help keep your dues lower )
8. Parking;You are not allowed to park on the streets overnight,
unless you get a 3-day permit from the office. You can park up to 30 days in
our clubhouse parking lot. (permit required for this)
Be thankful for all the trees and green in our community, when they started MM they scraped everything away, we had nothing green here, no trees, no bushes, nothing. No birds, no wildlife, nothing but dust, and a whole lot of dust !! My poor mother about lost her mind cleaning.
9. Yard, almost everyone has a dip-system to water trees, and bushes in your yard. Only native desert items can survive with-out watering. Wrap or paint white the lower part of the bark of new fruit trees, ( the extreme sun and heat in the summer does great damage )
Weeds are a big issue ! I highly recommend you use a pre-emergent weed preventer. This can be sprayed on, or as a granular ( Preen, etc ). Or you can pay a service to spray your yard. You will get a letter from our management service if your yard is a mess. ( then a fine ! ) Watering is much more effective when your tree or bush has a moat around it to keep the water in.
Frequent short watering causes the roots to stay close to the surface, much better to water less often and longer. So; 4 times a week for 15 minuets is bad, twice a week for 30 minutes is much better. Do check out your system before leaving for the summer. It is very common for the spray heads to fly off, check for leaks, etc.
Junking up your yard with lots of stuff is against our Architectural guidelines.
All this stuff also attract
snakes and critters, so keep that in the back of your mind.
If a tree in your yard grows
into the street, and someone can walk into it, please trim it. ( basically
follow our MM architecture guidelines ) The guy's who drive around in here
offering to trim things in your yard, do not always know what they are doing.
Many times they cut a tree branch with a sharp edge, and this can poke out a
eye. They should always be trimmed without this sharp edge, and as close to the
tree or larger branch as possible.
Pay attention to the rules
pertaining to the Billiards room, exercise room, etc.
10. Watching your home over
the summer; make sure you have
someone lined up to watch your place. Take care of your weeds, etc. We need
people to step up and get “Block watch” going again. They help keep a close eye on our
vacant homes, and this will help in preventing
break-ins. We had a rash of burglary's here about
4 -5 years ago. ( including my home )
Do turn in a vacation slip if your going to be gone, ( get the form at the
office ) make sure the office knows how to contact you..... email, phone
number, alternate contacts, etc.
11. Renting : Renters HAVE to prove they can rent here - age 55
+ in the office, the minimum rental time here is 30 days, NO less.
(when a community has too many short term rentals, home values drop) You have
to inform the city and county if you are renting your home, you then pay a higher rate of property taxes. You
are also required to pay sales tax on your rental amount.
12. Voting / Elections; here
at Meridian Manor : Your ballot will be mailed to you by
Brown management in January for you to vote, one vote per-household. ( you do not have to mail it in, and can
just bring it with you on the evening of the election ) Contact Brown
Management and give them your address down here at Meridian Manor, so your
ballot will be sent to your home here. ( and not stuck in some post office up
North )
13. Security Do
you part, look around - keep track of what go's on in your neighborhood,
check the street you live in
before you go to bed, and again if you wake up in the middle of the night.
( night would the time of
most issues )
