Mapleton Mobile-izers

Welcome to the archive of Mapleton Hollow's community newsletter!

The Mapleton Mobile-izer is issued quarterly, following the MHA membership meetings. Special editions are issued as needed, for example before a quarterly meeting where MHA members will be voting for executives or making an important decision...


MHA BLOG Volume 6.1 Newsletter of the Mapleton Home Association [MHA] February 2001

Inside This Issue



Residents take a giant leap for Permanently Affordable Housing in Boulder
By the editors
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 At their first Quarterly Meeting for 2001, Mapleton Home Association members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a Community Land Trust. At approximately 6:15, on Sunday, January 21, MHA President Ben Jensen called for a vote on the two models for resident ownership under consideration-- Limited Equity Coop and Community Land Trust. Members responded enthusiastically and voted 38 to 4 for the CLT. Mark Reeder, co-chair of the Business Committee said, "We hit a home run tonight. While perhaps not in the same ballpark as Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind, this is a giant leap forward for permanently affordable housing in Boulder. The MHA will now work with Thistle Community Housing to create a Community Land Trust unique to our situation. We'll also be working with City Staff to make this project happen." When asked how the CLT would take effect, Reeder replied, The MHA and Thistle start negotiations February 1 with City Staff. The Memorandum of Understanding Resolution passed unanimously by Boulder's City Council on January 2 this year will lay the groundwork for the purchase. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but Mapleton residents have already stepped up to the plate."



Residents Begin Memorandum Of Understanding Negotiations with City Staff
by the editors
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 On February 1, 2001, MHA representatives met with Thistle Community Housing and staff from the Division of Housing and Human Services to begin negotiations on a Memo of Understanding (MOU) for resident ownership and management of Mapleton Mobile Home Park. The MHA MOU Committee is co-chaired by Mark Reeder and Debbie Kranzler. To recap, the MOU is a document which 1) lays the ground work for a contract to purchase Mapleton Park from the city; 2) establishes the ownership structure for the Park; 3) defines affordability and resale restrictions on mobile homes; 4) oversees infrastructure improvement; and 5) outlines the financial plan for acquisition and operations. Mapleton Park residents, Thistle Community Housing and City staff. Each group will take portions of the MOU and research them. The rough information gathered will be presented at monthly meetings. From this rough information, details will emerge and a finished document will grow. At the MHA's January Quarterly Meeting, eight people joined the MOU Committee--Doug Bethurum #40, Silvia Gentile #142, Nick Tamm #41, Bob Bergal #86, Stephen Woodbridge #150, Joy Bradbury #66, Mike Pressey #147, Kurt Bischoff #69. Anyone else interested in joining the Committee and helping structure the future of Mapleton Park, please contact Mark Reeder, #14.



City Extends Goose Creek Engineering to to a Utilities Needs Assessment for all of Mapleton Mobile Home Park
by City Staff
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 As many of you know, construction work continues in the central area of Mapleton Park. Three homes, formerly part of the Branding Iron Mobile Home Park, are being physically connected to Mapleton. Both this work and the power line work should be completed before the end of February. This month, the City will also engage the services of the same engineering firm that is doing the Goose Creek channel work, to assess what is needed to bring the Park's infrastructure, particularly the water and sewer systems, up to a well functioning standard. This initial work will involve an assessment and then preliminary design for what we anticipate will be new systems in the park, utilizing the current Park layout. We look forward to working with the Infrastructure Committee of the MHA in the coming months to design a more modern Mapleton Mobile Home Park!

Thistle Welcomes Mapleton Partnership
by Etta Habegger

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 Thistle Community Housing is very excited that you, the Mapleton community, chose the Thistle Community Land Trust (CLT) option at your quarterly meeting in January. We believe that the Thistle/Mapleton partnership is, and will continue to be, a strong one. Thistle's acquisition and management experience, plus Mapleton's strong community, make a great combination. Choosing the CLT option is an important step towards reaching your goals of keeping your community permanently affordable and controlling how the Park is managed. We look forward to continuing our work with the MHA Business Committee and other committees as we move towards the buyout of the Park in 2003/2004. Over the next few months, Thistle will be working with the Committee on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will be signed with the City of Boulder. Thistle, with the support of the MHA, is taking the lead in the acquisition process negotiating a sales contract with the City and securing a loan on the land to purchase the Park. This purchase will be successful with this strong partnership and your continued community participation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to talk to a Committee member or call Thistle at 303-443-0007. Thistle is truly honored that you have chosen us as a partner. We look forward to getting to know you. If you would like more information about Thistle, please call us at 303-443-0007.

January Quarterly Meeting Minutes
by Mari Haas
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 The Quarterly Meeting of the Mapleton Home Association was held at Unity Church on Sunday, 21 January 2001. The meeting was called to order by President Ben Jensen at 5:35 pm. The main item of business was voting for the Community Land Trust or Limited Equity Co-op. Prior to the voting there was some discussion of the two plans by the Business Plan Committee. Mike Figgs and Mark Reeder, fielding questions from the floor went over the salient points of the two acquisition models. According to MHA by-laws, only MHA members were allowed to vote. President Jensen gave everyone at the meeting the opportunity to become members prior to the vote. Ten residents joined. The vote was 38 - 4 in favor of the Community Land Trust. President Jensen then reviewed the Daily Camera article of 3 January, 2001, concerning the unanimous vote by Boulder City Council for the resolution to have City staff work with residents toward a Memo Of Understanding. Jensen offered extra copies of the article to interested residents. Also mentioned was the appearance of Debbie Kranzler and Mark Reeder on TV Channel Four, also concerning the resolution. Ben Jensen announced that volunteers are needed to serve on the MHA's newly formed MOU committee. Those interested should contact Mark Reeder, #14. Residents who serve on the committee will help decide details of how the buyout will be achieved as well as how the Park will be managed once the Park is sold. President Jensen also announced the formation of a cable TV committee and urged those interested in having cable and other technology services to serve on this committee. Jensen stressed that residents should not be forced to pay for this service unless they are subscribers. Nominations for Presidents and Secretary were held. Mari Haas was nominated and seconded to stand for election to the office of MHA Secretary at the MHA Quarterly Meeting held in April, 2001. There were no nominations for President as of yet. All residents interested in running for President or Secretary should contact MHA Vice President, Alex Wilson, #58, head of the Nominating Committee. President Jensen reminded everyone that for simplification of bookkeeping, all memberships expire April 30. Members are urged to bring the $5 annual dues to the April Quarterly Meeting. Ben explained the importance of continuing the Escrow Account as a good bargaining chip when applying for financing for the Park purchase. He said that although we cannot have a share in the land because the membership voted for the CLT model, it may be beneficial to utilize the Escrow Account in the future. Interested members and Escrow Account members were encouraged to continue participating and contributing to the Escrow Account. The City plans to have the power lines ascend in Mapleton Park at the single new powerline tower. Moreover, the mud and construction at the Mapleton Avenue entrance into the park is because of a new sewer line joining the four remaining Branding Iron lots that are being incorporated into Mapleton Park. The meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm.

Exec Speaks Out
by Ben Jensen
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 Greetings fellow Mapleton Mobile Home Residents. I would like to recount with you the recent events of the MHA. Over the past months, the Business Plan Committee searched for many possible ways to be successful at park acquisition. Additionally, the RAC was busy with residential issues and working with Hast & Co. Meanwhile, the Goose Creek Potluck Committee planned its annual community-building event while the Escrow Committee was managing its accounts. Instrumental in park communication and education has been the Canvassing Committee. Overseeing the whole operation for the community's success is the MHA Steering Committee and the four MHA Officers. All of these efforts have had monumental results. Examples are a resolution from the city to sell the park to the residents, a real workable CLT buyout, and a strong working relationship between the City of Boulder, Thistle Community Housing, and the MHA. Please observe how the MHA's goals are being obtained and why we are so effective. It is our community resident participation that have made us so successful. It is the residents' contributions of time, skills, talents and resources that have and will continue to make us successful at achieving the goals of the MHA. I am thankful and indebted for everyone's participation in and contribution to this mighty organization. With your continued efforts, there is one thing that is certain to me: we will succeed.

Mapleton Murmurs
by Mark Reeder

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The January Meeting went well. When all the votes were counted and the credits rolled, the CLT won. When Thistle Community Housing and the MHA finish with their negotiations, the MHA will lease the land comprising Mapleton Mobile Home Park from Thistle's Community Land Trust for 99 years...Roger Lewis from Thistle has temporarily moved into space #169 with his wife Tina and their three children. Roger and Etta Habegger are the Thistle representatives helping residents with the transition from City ownership to the CLT... Congratulations and a tip of the Mobile-izer hat to residents who volunteered to sit on the MOU and Cable Committees...Two weeks ago a resident living near the Mapleton Avenue entrance to the Park walked out of his home early in the morning and nearly fell into a ditch in front of his house. Somebody at the City neglected to tell us they were digging a new sewer line, OOPS!...Seems, a few residents failed reading class in school. The leases specifically say NO PETS, yet some insist on having yapping, yowling, hissing, fur brained, four legged extras... Overheard in Dumpster Park: You know the difference between a terrorist and a bureaucrat? You can reason with a terrorist.



Membership renewal
by the editors

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It is that time of year again to begin thinking about renewing your membership in the Mapleton Home Association. Everyone's membership expires on April 30, 2001 and membership for 2001-2002 needs to be renewed by that date. Membership is only $5.00 per year. For your dues you receive the bimonthly newsletter, The Mapleton Mobilizer. Yearly dues also pay for the bookkeeping for your association and for office supplies. Moreover, your membership allows you to vote in elections for the Executive Board. Only residents with current memberships can vote in Presidential and Secretarial elections to be held at the end of April. While the amount of money is not great, the significance of your $5.00 dues is tremendous. Nearly two-thirds of the Park home owners are members and support the MHA's goal of resident ownership of Mapleton Park. Please support your home owner's association by joining the MHA. Dues this year will be collected by Gene Langlois #30, Alex Wilson #58, Mark Reeder #14, and Silvia Gentile #143. You can visit any one of these members and pay them your dues. Please make checks payable to the Mapleton Home Association.



Resident Advisory Committee Title Change
by the editors

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The Resident Advisory Committee, fondly known as the RAC, has a new name and a new responsibility. Members are now the Management Committee. In addition to their current duties, they will also be working on the management structure for the Park when the ownership passes out of the City's hands to the CLT. Residents who wish to help the new Management Committee as they work on the new management structure should contact one of the members listed below. Management Committee Members Gene Langlois #30 444-4988 Anne Crone #82 545-5470 Alex Wilson #58 447-8508 Ben Jensen #178 545-2672 Doug Bethurum #40 442-6349 Mari Haas #161 442-7544 MHA Executive Board 2000-2001 President: Ben Jensen #178 545-2672 V.-President:Alex Wilson #58 447-8508 Secretary: Pete Caterina #176 443-0649 Treasurer: Silvia Gentile #142 447-2246

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The Mapleton Mobile-izer is published quarterly by the Mapleton Home Association and is distributed free to all residents of Mapleton Mobile Home Park.