Month: December 2020

COVID-19 Playground Safety

We want to take a moment to remind everyone about playground safety during this pandemic. Here is the current guidance on playgrounds from Santa Clara County:
Can I take my kids to the playground?
Yes, playgrounds may be open so long as they are outdoors.  Indoor playgrounds and indoor amusement centers (such as bounce houses and ball pits) must remain closed, but outdoor playgrounds may be open, and you can take your kids to play there.  Adults who can safely wear face coverings and children (other than very young children) must wear face coverings at the playground, and children should be guided in rigorous hand hygiene before and after playing on playground equipment.  Adults must also maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance from people from different households.
Please also look at the CA State guidance on https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Playground-Flyers.aspx
Note too that this is general guidance from the county/state, and that each family is responsible for the risks they take in this environment.
Please follow these rules, and make sure your children are following these rules. The Board will evaluate closing the playground if these rules are not followed.

Cold? Try the hot tub!

We keep the hot tub at around 101°F! The heat is on 1pm to 10pm (note: it usually takes an hour or two to get up to temperature).
Reserve your time up to 5 days in advance on https://booking.appointy.com/caminodelprado (and be sure to fill out the Terms of Use Form at least once). The better we can gauge usage, the better we can make decisions about when to keep the heat on.
Please remember to sanitize high tough surfaces with the provided sanitizer and sponge before and after use, and respect quiet hours.

Spa heat will stay on!

The Board has decided that spa will remain heated on a continuing trial period, as we evaluate usage month-to-month. Be sure to reserve your time so we can continue to evaluate usage.
Please remember to sanitize high tough surfaces with the provided sanitizer and sponge before and after use.
Reserve your time up to 5 days in advance on https://booking.appointy.com/caminodelprado (and be sure to fill out the Terms of Use Form at least once).

New Treasurer – Garima Agarwal

Please welcome Garima Agarwal to the Board as our new treasurer!

Garima

Treasurer

Garima, an accountant by profession and first time owner, is excited to be part of Camino Del Prado community. Naturally an outgoing person, Garima enjoys working with different people. Being new to the community, this endeavour allows her to get to know the neighbors while learning the nuances of being a homeowner through other experienced members. She is looking forward to serving on the board and taking part in in the health, safety and upkeep of our community.

The Board would also like to thank Rupa Pal for her excellent service on the Board as treasurer for the past year!

Tree and bush trimming reminder

Please remember to trim the trees and bushes within your patio area away from the buildings and fences. Plants can grow into the buildings and fences, damaging them. Because patio plants are each owner’s responsibility to maintain, each owner is responsible for costs incurred when the HOA repairs these kinds of damages.

Please also remove any dead tree and bushes from your patio area, in order to keep the community looking its best!

Roof Financing Vote

Soon all homeowners will receive a letter in the mail asking you to vote on how to fund our upcoming roof replacement. It is very important that you fill out and return your ballot on this topic so that the Board can properly plan for this upcoming project.

By 2023 we need to begin replacing our roofs. Our current roofs are old and leaking more and more every year, and they are made of a material that costs extra to insure. The HOA reserve study estimates $859,500 to replacing the roofs and we have been saving up so we can afford in the next few years. Unfortunately, we recently received a new estimate at $1,435,560. That’s a $576,060 difference.

The Board would prefer to tackle this as a special assessment of $6600/unit because that allows us to keep the regular dues low. (Members should still expect an annual dues increase of 5-10% in order to keep up with rising costs as our homes get older and the area gets more expensive.)

In order to give everyone ample time to prepare, this special assessment would be due January 31st, 2022.

However, if a special assessment is not approved by the membership then HOA dues can also be increased by 20% each year to make up the deficiency in funds. (This could mean $522/mo in 2021, $626/mo in 2022, $751/mo in 2023, $902/mo in 2024).

If you have any questions, please join a Board meeting online or by phone, or email help@caminodelprado.org. We need to hear the votes of as many people as possible on this topic.