December 2021 Newsletter

 

      PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2021

Check out our website/blog for downloading Rules & Regs, forms and fascinating building info http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

 

                                  

                                     

            THANKS SANTA!

 

Since there’s a delay between when this gets written and when it gets distributed, Happy post-Thanksgiving and/or pre–Merry Christmas.

 

This is an ideal time to thank those who deserve thanks for keeping this building going. First and foremost, we thank our dedicated Building Manager Joseph Arellano. He’s here every day all day and on call 24/7. Many a night he has raced over here for an emergency after most of us are snuggled in our beds. He’s a problem-solver and friend to all, including those with four legs. We also thank our industrious janitors: Victor Gonzales, and Maria and Francisco Cardenas.  

 

Lastly would it be too much to suggest you thank your Board, and in particular our president Mark Cabaj?  HOAs get such a bad rap -especially on the Internet. But the truth is these seven generous volunteers spend untold hours poring over repair contracts, educating themselves on the Internet and having meetings – all with the goal of making our building safe, clean and in good repair. We do our best.

 

 

                     HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

Holiday decorations are permitted from Halloween season

through New Year’s Eve.  After that all decorations and string lights are not allowed on your balcony or your doors.  Please wrap your dead Christmas tree in a sheet so as not to fill the hallways and elevators with pine needles. Thank you.

 

HOA MEETINGS

Pacific Tower Homeowner’s Association has a monthly meeting, usually the third Tuesday of every month and if you’re an owner, you’re invited!  Meet your Board and neighbors. Find out where your $540 is going. We’d love to have you! If you get bored, you’re welcome to leave – no pressure.

 

Since the pandemic, we’ve held our meetings on Zoom instead of gathering in- person in the Rec Room and many owners have taken advantage of participating virtually from the comfort of their units. Pajamas are permitted (if not too sexy).

 

At the beginning of each meeting, homeowners are invited to ask questions of the Board, raise issues or lodge complaints for five minutes per person.

 

If you have a computer and would like to get a Zoom invitation for the next meeting, please email Keisha@phoac.com. If you don’t have a computer, you can still join the meeting by phone. Meeting announcement posted in the Lobby 4 days before the meeting gives the Zoom Meeting phone number so you can join by phone. 

           BOARD OFFICERS

President – Mark Cabaj, Vice President - Karyl Miller, Secretary – Julie Menas, Treasurer – Anthony Mariucci, Directors – Troy Krich, Robin Del Pape, and George Kyrala.

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid that we know of. Yay! But Delta is still in the air. Yes, we have vaccines, but some people cannot take the vax for various reasons. Please be careful. It ain’t over till it’s over. Social distance is still a good thing and so are masks. At least have a mask at-the-ready. Thank you. 

 

 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

                                                                                           

November 2021 Newsletter

 

      PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 2021

Check out our website/blog for downloading Rules & Regs, forms and fascinating building info http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

 

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL

          Not sure now many remember this rom-com movie title from 1994 but that is exactly what happened in our building. We had four weddings and a funeral.  On the fourth floor, four couples got married and one owner died. Is there something special on the fourth floor? Obviously, it was lucky for eight people.  Maybe there are floors with similar love stories, but nobody is bragging about it. Love in the age of the pandemic! Can’t make this stuff up!

 

                        BABY TALK

Speaking of the building’s demographic, Pacific Tower has changed a lot in the past ten years. What was once a building of  longtime owners of advanced age, is now a building of young people surfing and starting families. One young PT mom, Yuka Asada has started a parent network to share baby and toddler info and items. And while the group has suspended in-person get-togethers since the pandemic, they hope to resume play dates in the near future. To connect with Yuka call or text 312.401.2171.

 

FIDDLING ON THE ROOF

          In case you’re wondering what happened to our soon-to-be-built roof? Welp… again and again, there’s a hitch in it. The short of it: After getting almost all our very complicated ducks in order, all the building supplies are on back order! When would we get these precious supplies? Maybe three months, but they make no promises. Are we going to build a roof in the middle of the rainy season? Hell no. Therefore, it seems like our new roof won’t materialize till the summer of ’22.

 

                          HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

Holiday decorations are permitted from Halloween season through New Year’s Eve.  After that all decorations and string lights are not allowed.

 

I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE

A gentle reminder for those who forgot, hanging your laundry or your towels or your wetsuit over your railing to dry is a NO-NO. The Rules and Regulations are clear on this. Laundry racks are also against the rules. And you cannot deny it is unsightly. We appreciate your cooperation.

                                       HOA MEETINGS

Pacific Tower Homeowner’s Association has a monthly meeting, usually the third Tuesday of every month and if you are an owner, you’re invited!  Meet your Board and neighbors. Find out where your $540 is going. We’d love to have you! If you get bored, you’re welcome to leave – no pressure.

 

Since the pandemic, we’ve held our meetings on Zoom instead of gathering in- person in the Rec Room and many owners have taken advantage of participating virtually from the comfort of their units. Pajamas are permitted if not too sexy.

 

At the beginning of each meeting, homeowners are invited to ask questions of the Board, raise issues or lodge complaints for five minutes per person.

 

If you have a computer and would like to get a Zoom invitation for the next meeting, please email Keisha@phoac.com. If you don’t have a computer, you can still join the meeting by phone. Meeting announcement posted in the Lobby 4 days before the meeting gives the Zoom Meeting phone number so you can join by phone. 

 

BOARD OFFICERS

President – Mark Cabaj, Vice President - Karyl Miller, Secretary – Julie Menas, Treasurer – Anthony Mariucci, Directors – Troy Krich, George Kyrala, and Robin Del Pape.

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay! But Delta is in the air. Everyone is asked to be careful. It ain’t over till it’s over. Social distance is still a good thing and so are masks. At least have a mask at the ready. Thank you. 

 

 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

                                                                                            

 

   PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2021

Check out our website/blog for downloading Rules & Regs, forms and fascinating building info http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

 

I LEFT MY HEART WITH AMAZON

 

On-line shopping was once a once a year you-give-me Hickory Farms and I-giveyou Harry and David thing. Merry Christmas. But then they invented Black Friday,which was a virtual store chock full of irresistible stuff you don’t need but was a bargain that you couldn’t pass up. And then they closed Fry’s! Brick ‘n mortar Fry’s! Were techies freaking out? Were they steeped in guilt because they killed Brick ‘n mortar Fry’s? Nope, they got over it in a nanosecond. They were already on the WWW buying up every hard-drive and thumb drive directly from China.

 

Nevertheless, plenty of people still resisted buying stuff on the internet. They just didn’t trust it. And then came the Pandemic and the quarantine, which became just about the only way we could get toilet paper. So, the last holdouts stopped holding out and learned to shop till they dropped on the internet. Goodbye AOL, hello Amazon!

 

This was a long way of getting around to the subject at hand – cardboard. Cardboard, cardboard, cardboard! Our laundry rooms are drowning in cardboard!  It’s a problem, but you can help! After you empty your boxes, PLEASE flatten them before putting them in the laundry room. Cut them up with a box cutter if they’re too big. Once they’re flat, sandwich them between the two blue recycle boxes and you are a really NICE, NEAT NEIGHBOR!       

 

 

 

     PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2021 page 2

 

 

HOA MEETINGS

Pacific Tower Homeowner’s Association has a monthly meeting, usually the third Tuesday of every month and if you are an owner, you’re invited!  Meet your Board and neighbors. Find out where your $540 is going. We’d love to have you! If you get bored, you’re welcome to leave – no pressure.

 

Since the pandemic, we’ve held our meetings on Zoom instead of gathering in- person in the Rec Room and many owners have taken advantage of participating virtually from the comfort of their units. Pajamas are permitted if not too sexy.

 

At the beginning of each meeting, homeowners are invited to ask questions of the Board, raise issues or lodge complaints for five minutes per person.

 

If you have a computer and would like to get a Zoom invitation for the next meeting, please email Keisha@phoac.com. If you don’t have a computer, you can still join the meeting by phone. Meeting announcement posted in the Lobby 4 days before the meeting gives the Zoom Meeting phone number so you can join by phone. 

 

BOARD OFFICERS

President – Mark Cabaj, Vice President - Karyl Miller, Secretary – Julie Menas, Treasurer – Anthony Mariucci, Directors – Troy Krich, George Kyrala, and Robin Del Pape.

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay! But Delta is in the air. Everyone is asked to be careful. It ain’t over till it’s over. Social distance is still a good thing and so are masks. At least have a mask at the ready. Thank you. 

 

 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

                                                                                           

 

   PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2021

Check out our website/blog for downloading forms and fascinating       building info http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

     

       CRIMES AGAINST BALCONIES

            Did you know your balcony isn’t exactly yours? Your balcony is considered Common Area - for exclusive use. That means your balcony is sort of leant to you, and there are 16 rules about what you cannot do to it. Here are some of the key rules: 

Your balcony “cannot be redecorated, renovated or remodeled.”

Tiling your balcony or painting it an alternative color or swapping out the sconce light is a no-no. Having a rug that could be damp and could hide a hole or crack in the concrete is not permitted. Drilling holes for hanging plants falls under this category because your balcony is vulnerable to water intrusion. If water gets in through even a tiny hole and makes its way to the rebar, it will rust that rebar. Rusted rebar will compromise and crack the concrete and possibly weaken the balcony. This is why we also ask you to please, please have plastic saucers under every plant (available at Green Gardens right next door). Your HOA has spent and continues to spend big bucks to keep your concrete balcony in tip top, safe condition. We need your cooperation.

No signs, banners or flags can be affixed to your balcony.

Patio furniture only is permitted.

No storage is allowed.

No clotheslines or drying of laundry.

No BBQ or cooking.

Railing: Nothing may be attached except a windbreak of clear 1/8” plexiglass (no higher than the railing) or chain-link fencing that is the same as the chain link on the cat-walk. All other barriers such as chicken wire are not permitted.

Smoking: not permitted.

 

Want to see ALL the rules? For a digital copy of the Rules and Regulations, please visit our website http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org

 

 

 

     PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2021 page 2

 

HOA MEETINGS

Pacific Tower Homeowner’s Association has a monthly meeting, usually the third Tuesday of every month and if you are an owner, you’re invited!  Meet your Board and neighbors. Find out where your $540 is going. We’d love to have you! If you get bored, you’re welcome to leave – no pressure.

 

Since the pandemic, we’ve held our meetings on Zoom instead of gathering in- person in the Rec Room and many owners have taken advantage of participating virtually from the comfort of their units. Pajamas are permitted if not too sexy.

 

At the beginning of each meeting, homeowners are invited to ask questions of the Board, raise issues or lodge complaints for five minutes per person.

 

If you have a computer and would like to get a Zoom invitation for the next meeting, please email Keisha@phoac.com. If you don’t have a computer, you can still join the meeting by phone. Meeting announcement posted in the Lobby 4 days before the meeting gives the Zoom Meeting phone number so you can join by phone. 

                                          DON’T BE A DOORMAT

With apologies to Bed, Bath and Beyond, but please don’t have a doormat in front of your door. Maintenance needs to either mop or vacuum there and your doormat and/or your shoes are in the way. Please have nothing in front of your door. Thank you.

 

BOARD OFFICERS

President – Mark Cabaj, Vice President - Karyl Miller, Secretary – Julie Menas, Treasurer – Anthony Mariucci, Directors – Troy Krich, George Kyrala, and Robin Del Pape.

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay! But Delta is in the air. Everyone is asked to be careful. It ain’t over till it’s over. Social distance is still a good thing and so are masks. At least have a mask at the ready. Thank you. 

 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

                                                                                           

 

      PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER – AUGUST 2021

Check out our website/blog for downloading forms and fascinating building info http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org                                          

 

    THE MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING SHOPPING CARTS

 

Five years ago, Pacific Tower added four beautiful brand new extra-large red shopping carts to our fleet of old grey smaller carts (maybe seven.) There should have been a ceremony, but we were busy at the time. Anyway, don’t you just hate it when you have a trunk full of frozen goodies from Trader Joe’s and there’s not one shopping cart in sight? So, you go hunting and finally locate one grey smaller cart (you wanted red and big) in the basement.

Q. So where are all the carts?

A. We’re sure there’s a scientific mathematical explanation as to the likelihood of our entire fleet sitting in one place at any one time ever, but it seems like the herd has drastically thinned out.

Q. Why does this happen?

Reason #1 Moving Carts. People move out and “borrow” the carts to load up their moving van. Then they leave them on the sidewalk near where their moving van was parked, or they just pop them into their van for the offload at their new place.

Reason #2 Kidnapped Carts. Carts people bring into their units and forget to return.

Reason #3 Ralphie’s Carts. Too many carts in the upper garage provide an invitation to any local dude who thinks it would be nice to have a free cart that cost Pacific Tower about $300 each. 

Reason #4 Forgotten Carts. A cart you borrowed, parked in the hallway, and forgot to return for 36 hours. Guilty as charged!

Reason #5 Contractor Carts. We use and contractors sometimes use the most decrepit grey carts to lug maintenance stuff around. They sometimes forget them in empty units.  

Reason #6 Elevator Wishes. You dump your returning cart in front of your elevators and run, trusting some better-citizen-than-you will return it to the basement!

Q. What can be done?

A. If you have a cart or spot one somewhere, please return it. In the meantime, your Board has ordered five (5) new carts, due late September.  

              CUBBIES VS. SAFES

Who would want to break into our cute little cubbies in our laundry rooms? We don’t know. It hasn’t happened in six years, but it happened twice last month. We have searched our security cameras but have uncovered no video of a possible perp lugging out his booty. Naturally, the victims feel horrible.For this reason, we want to remind everybody, never leave your house keys or anything valuable in your cubby. They are flimsy, private and easily broken in to. Cubbies are great for laundry detergent, bleach, mops, beach umbrellas, things of little dollar or sentimental value.

 

NEW BOARD OFFICERS

 

President – Mark Cabaj, Vice President - Karyl Miller, Secretary – Julie Menas, Treasurer – Anthony Mariucci, Directors – Troy Krich, George Kyrala, and  Robin Del Pape.

 

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay!

Everyone is asked to still wear a mask in the common areas – or at least have one at the ready. Thank you. 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

                                                                                           

 

PACIFIC TOWER NEWSLETTER                                              JULY 2021

Check out our website/blog for downloading forms and fascinating building info http://www.PacificTowerHOA.org                                        

 

                             BOARD ELECTION for 2021

By the time you read this, our elections will have taken place. Even though there’s a lag time between when the newsletter gets written and when you get to read it, we’ll take a gamble and say who the winners probably were because they ran unopposed. The incumbents (treasurer) Anthony Mariucci and (legal chair) Troy Krich probably won, as did newbie board member George Kyrala. Possible congratulations to them and whoever was the lucky winner of the month’s free dues!

 

The Board would like to take this time to especially thank our outgoing president Allen Voigt for his absolute dedication (even running Board meetings from Portugal - at 2AM his time - where he was stuck during the pandemic). Being Board president is a tough and time-consuming task, and yet, besides all that Allen  has taken the tiger by the tail in initiating both the roof remodel and the lobby remodel. So, we thank you Allen again and again!

 

Q. Speaking of that, what does the Board do exactly?

 

A. The board approves all spending, such as employee salaries, insurance, purchasing, repairs, maintenance/upkeep of all common areas and small and large jobs like roof replacement and lobby remodeling. The Board also reviews and votes on Architectural applications and Violation Reports. The board also periodically reviews rules and regulations. Board members also chair and are members of various committees. Board members also read many, many emails. Many.

  

 

 EMERGING FROM THE PANDEMIC?                   

Ain’t it great getting outdoors again? Do you feel like a bear who has ended its hibernation? Walking around the neighborhood, it looks like Paris (although less expensive) now that every restaurant has added a corral with outdoor seating. It’s all fun and games till it snows, but in the meantime, here’s a list of just some of the restaurants within-walking-distance:

 

Enoteca Adriano, Square Pizza, Better Buzz, Java Earth, Glazed Coffee and Creamery, La Clochette Du Coin, Mr. Fries Man, Swagyu Chop Shop (was Isobel’s Cantina), JRDN restaurant, PB Shore Club, The Firehouse, Second Nature, The French Gourmet, and many many more!

 

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay!

Everyone is asked to wear a mask in the common areas – lobbies, elevators, stairwells. Please practice Social Distancing.

 

POOL is back to normal!

 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com

                                                                                           

Pacific Tower June Newsletter 2021

WIN A FREE MONTH HOA DUES ($450)!

It’s time for our annual meeting (now on Zoom) to elect people for the open seats on the HOA Board. This year we have three seats open and three candidates. Two are incumbents, director Troy Krich who is a practicing local attorney and member of our Legal Committee, and Anthony Mariucci, who is a local accountant and serves as the Board’s Treasurer. The third candidate is George Kyrala, who is a scientist and has managed multimillion dollar budgets. Ballots come from an outside concern, so watch your mail. Check Abstain if you don’t want to vote. Postage is  paid!

 

Q.Why vote if the there are three slots and three candidates?

A. Because there are also two questions about board actions that need your Vote. They are: 1. Approve the 2020 annual meeting minutes and 2. Approve IRS ruling 70-604 which states that excess membership income at the end of the fiscal year, if any, is carried over into next year’s budget.

 

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE FREE MONTH – ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS VOTE! That’s called INCENTIVE!

 

LOBBY REMODEL

Maybe the demolition will have begun by the time you read this because the inner and outer lobbies are about to become one! Big, wonderful changes are coming. Our lobby is about to join the 21^st Century in terms of design and convenience.

 

Will it be a mess? Yes. It will be noisy and dusty? Yup. Will it be a huge inconvenience for all of us? For sure!  But we will be so happy to at long last have a new lobby. Will the roof also be worked on at the same time? Possibly.

 

LAUNDRY TIMES

People who live close to the Laundry Rooms are complaining about people doing laundry late at night and the noise created by the spinning dryer. Laundry hours are 9AM to 9PM, so please be done by 9PM.

 

 

KIDDE SMOKE ALARM RECALL

Kidde is voluntarily recalling about 226,000 smoke alarms and combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms over concerns that they can fail to alert users to a fire.

The company and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission identified seven affected models on Thursday, advising that customers with those units contact Kidde for a free replacement alarm.

The recalled models are: Kidde Model Series 2040, 2050, 2060 and 2070 smoke and combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms. The alarms were primarily sold at Walmart, The Home Depot, Amazon.com and Menards from May 2019 through September 2020.

Many recalled units will have the TruSense logo or "AMBER=FAULT" printed on the front, according to Kidde's website.

 

Newsletter Written by Karyl Miller and Edited by Trish Mylet

 

Covid Updates and Rules

As of this writing no one in the building has caught Covid. Yay!

Everyone must still wear a mask in the common areas – lobbies, elevators, stairwells, gym/rec room and pool area. Please. Practice Social Distancing. Only 10 people can be in the pool area at a time and NO GUESTS allowed (for now).

Gym visitors must wear masks (as in all common areas of the building).

 

 

CONTACT INFO

On-Site Maintenance Cell Phone (Joseph Arellano) 619.339.3490 – Call or Text

On-Site Maintenance Office Land Line - 858.272.0860

Professional HOA Consultants (PHOAC) - 619.229.0044

*NEW: After Hours Emergencies 800.395.6036

Community Association Manager – Keisha Kendall 619.229.0044 ext.16 email: keisha@phoac.com

PHOAC Accounts Receivable - payments@phoac.com