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..
Volume 11.1 Newsletter of the Mapleton Home Association March 2006LORETTA MILCAREK TO RETIRE
In this issue:
Loretta Milcarek who has managed the Park’s day-to-day affairs for the last nine years will be retiring at the end of March. When Hast & Co. took over management of the Park after the City of Boulder purchased it, Loretta and Hast & Co,’s owner Tom Hast met with the residents to find out what the residents wanted in a management company. They listened. And then they worked hard to blend the residents’ wish list with reality. Over the course of nine years, they di very well, though it wasn’t always easy.
Like a lot of partnerships, the one between Hast & Co. and the MHA had its ups and downs. Yet through it all, Loretta worked hard to help residents as well as the Park to survive and grow. “There were a lot of thorny problems to solve,” Mark Reeder said. “Somehow Loretta managed to find the way to help residents while maintaining the financial sustainability of the Park and improving it.”
“She will be greatly missed,” said Alex Wilson, “Management Committee member. “She was great to work with.”
Executive Board and Management Committee members agreed that because of Loretta’s management skills, the Park saved a lot of money this year, while never sacrificing service or residents’ rights.
Good luck in retirement, Loretta, and thanks for all your help.
Ms Sandy Denny will take over for Loretta at the end of March. She’s brings a wealth of property experience to the job, having run her own management company. The phone number will stay the same after Loretta leaves: 303-444-7575.
No one pays dues to the MHA anymore. The cost of running the MHA is taken care of through the rents. Yes, the MHA has become a business, a large nonprofit business in Boulder, with over $500,000 dollars a year in revenue and large liabilities, including mortgage, maintenance and operating costs. But the MHA is more than a nonprofit business in the State of Colorado. The MHA is also we, the residents. We, the residents. Sounds good doesn't it. We, the residents, represent ourselves, manage the Park ourselves, and are responsible for our own futures.
Sadly that responsibility taken by us, the residents, is in jeopardy as we begin the year 2006. The MHA is in need of volunteers to run the organization. Our Management Committee Chairman, Jonathan Machen has stepped down to spend more time with his wife Paige and the newest Wild/Machen. The Vice Presidency is open and I am stepping down as Secretary in April. We have three positions that need to be filled in the April elections.
Lets talk about what happens if those positions are not filled. Or better yet, lets talk about the apathy that has run through Mapleton Park residents in these last couple of years. Ten years ago when the MHA was just getting started, residents turned out in droves to help out. The canvassing committee went door-to-door handing out information and answering residents’ questions about the future of the Park. The Goose Creek Committee worked with Public Works to save 9 homes from the Goose Creek Flood Channel. At least ten different residents participated in negotiations with
Thistle Community Housing and Boulder’s Division of Housing to make our resident managed community possible. The MHA and the strength of the Mapleton Park Community was built on the volunteer efforts of its residents. Now it seems that volunteerism has taken a vacation. In fact, it almost seems reasonable. How can anyone fault residents for wanting to take it easy. After all, Hast & Co. is doing a superb job of running Mapleton Park day-to-day. TCH is doing all the heavy lifting with the new infrastructure upgrades. Time for us residents to kick back and break open a tall one.
Shame on us! If we aren’t willing to take responsibility for ourselves and our Park, then we deserve whatever those who will take responsibility give us. If we won’t manage the Park, then TCH will. They’ll make our decisions for us. Don’t worry, be happy. TCH will do everything. Just sit back and watch TV and don’t get involved.
Of course, that means we won’t get to decide what happens in the Park. Extra revenues that might go to lowering our rents? Won’t happen if we don’t manage the Park. Improve the Park and plant more trees? Ain’t going to happen. Set up a fund to help residents buy new homes? Forget about it.
This country was built on people who got involved. Guess what, so was the MHA. Currently the MHA is being run by seven people. Seven out of 200! And guess what, those seven are the same seven who for the last ten years have been working to sustain the Park and make it a a wonderful community for us to live in. So get off your butts and volunteer. Help keep the Park in the hands of the MHA. The alternative? Just look across the street at Boulder Mobile Manor, or your worst nightmare - Boulder Meadows. Two examples of the fruits of apathy. Think about it and get involved.
The MHA is looking for a vice-president. Also, Mark Reeder will be stepping down as acting Secretary of the organization in April. We need a Secretary who can organize the office and put our correspondence and minutes of meetings in order. Finally, we need Management Committee members and a new Management Committee Chairperson. Please contact Mark Reeder - 303-444-4140 or by email <mreeder@indra.com> if you are interested in the positions.
It is always sad to run the announcements of Mapleton Park residents who have passed away. The last 12 months have been especially hard. Last summer, Don Lucas #35A died following a hit and run accident in Denver. Don was a founder of the MHA and was known for his wit and eccentric questions at MHA meetings. This past February saw the untimely passing of two long time residents, Mary Baker in #7 and Lucy Shelton in #34A. Mary helped bring about the end to the starling problem in the trees at the south end of the Park with a timely interview on Denver’s Channel 2 news. Lucy came to Mapleton from Branding Iron Mobile Home Park. She could often be seen around the Park with her walker. All three will be sorely missed.
It’s winter, even though it may it seem like it right now, and time to shovel our walks. Yep, that’s right. When it snows, residents are responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of their homes. If you’re a neighbor to an elderly or disabled resident, knock a few years off purgatory for yourself and shovel their walks too. While your at it, protect your outdoor faucet from freezing by taking a five gallon bucket filled with leaves and putting it over the faucet. The leaves insulate the faucet from the cold temperatures and the bucket keeps the wind out.
Winter Quarterly Meeting of the Mapleton Home Association January 29, 2006 by Acting Secretary Mark Reeder
Place: Unity Church - Time: 5:00PM
Board Members Present: Paul Keaton President; Mark Reeder Acting Secretary
Guests: Barbara Navin TCH
Agenda:
1. Update of Infrastructure Project
2. General Business
MHA President Paul Keaton called the meeting to order at 5:07.
Paul noted that this meeting was an opportunity for residents to ask questions and find out what has been going on. He then outlined Mapleton business:
1) MHA elections coming up. Elections in the Spring meeting- vice president, treasurer, secretary and chair of the management committee. Anyone interested in helping out give it some consideration. Executive Board and the Management Committee meet once a month; Management Committee is a good place to start and needs people. Paul encouraged residents to run for office.
2) Management Company, Hast & Co., is doing a great job, running the park under budget, with a nice cushion for emergencies. Management company. does the day-to-day work, collecting the rent, and managing the Park.
3) Mapleton will be doing infrastructure work. Mark Reeder gave infrastructure update:
Currently we are still waiting for City approval of Tech documents before we can proceed with the work. Aaron Miripol of TCH will be meeting with Xcel executives in Minneapolis to see if Xcel will donate work and materials for gas and electric upgrades. Xcel is ot obligated to help out, however there are two reasons for them to do so. First, when Lu Nuttall and his father built Mapleton, they did all the work
themselves and Xcel has been profiting from the private system for the last 60 years. Second, it would be a good public relations event for Xcel.
The start date is hoped for this spring but depends upon when the City OK's the tech docs and we are able to get a building permit. When it does happen, we will start on the south end and work our way north and west. Many improvements on the south end will help the north - specifically sewer and water. The north part of the park is 12 years younger than the south. With improved sewer in the south, the sewer lines in the north,, which are connected to the south will then run better. Also, new water lines in the south will increase water pressure in the north because of the way the water lines are looped together.
The average cost of upgrades is $35,000 per home, but that price increase with every delay before we can get a building permit.
Barbara Navin gave TCH update:
TCH has the HUD energy conservation information that will help residents conserve heat and save money. Please see her access at Thistle for this information.
There are still about 17% of residents who have not signed leases. As a result, TCH will send letters with a new copy of the lease to people to have them sign. After that letter and responses have been received, a second letter will go out to people who people who do not sign explaining what their options are.
Six or seven people are selling their homes. We are working on a detailed sellers packet that gives all the information for selling the home including the tier structure and the rules by which to sell the home.
Debbie Feustel then said, that when she sent in her lease, the copy of the lease had her home's site plan and she did not get it back. Debbie also talked about the new home designed by Lance Slaughter and that it was well designed with good financing. Some mobile home companies will let you design your home. She also knew a used home - a 1999 15x70 for $28,000.
Paul Keaton remarked that some great deals for homes that include ten year old homes with good financing options. These homes meet the standard set by HUD and the Universal Building Code.
Mary Riedmiller asked about the abandoned Horst home - #145. Mark explained that the home had been abandoned by Horst. For about a year and a half, Horst had not paid his rent and all attempts to contact him failed. Visits to his home and letters went unanswered. Finally, it was feared that something bad might have happened. Plus, refrigerators ion his front porch were leaking a terrible smelling liquid. Police and the City of Boulder's Code Enforcement Division were called in. Nothing bad was found, but the home was abandoned and in such a bad state of repair that code enforcement ordered the MHA to remove it from the Park. It is currently in storage at a lot in Erie waiting for the paperwork to be finished so that it can be condemned and destroyed. During this whole process the MHA's Management, TCH and Hast & Co. worked very hard to help Mark Horst stay in the park, however, their efforts were never answered by Mark Horst. In fact, the Management Committee, TCH and Hast & Co. have worked very hard since TCH bought the Park to help residents who owe back rents to get on their feet and pay those rents. In December 2004, when TCH purchased the Park, back rents totaled $22,000. In January 2006, they totaled $13,000. Management Committee member Kabir then told the residents, that while Management has worked very hard to help residents, we have also had to use the threat of eviction to get residents to pay their back rents. Mark then emphasized that while we are compassionate, we have a business to run, and without a good cash flow, the Park would fail and then none of us would have a place to live.
Debbie Feustel asked when did the leases start? Barbara answered July 2005, but lower rents are retroactive to January 2005.
Barbara continued with her report: TCH wants information on how to get financing for older homes, since it is difficult for people to get financing. If you have information, send it in to Barbara.
Ellen Brown asked: What's the foreseeable future for bringing homes in? The answer is after the infrastructure is completed. Paul stated that since the infrastructure is coming inevitably, we would be able to replace homes at much less cost in the future.
Debbie Feustel asked how the process of selling homes has gone? Barbara answered that some people have not understood the how of selling homes and so we are trying to get the packet of information out to sellers and to realtors so that they know do's and don'ts of selling. There have been troubles with the realtors not knowing how the sale is supposed to go. Most sales have gone OK.
Debbie asked that with Lance Slaughter's new home on #27, how long did that process take. The answer was that he started over a year ago. Debbie then advised that the MHA and TCH may want to put together a packet for bringing in a new home.
Keith Ainsworth asked if the resident wants to sell his home himself would that be a problem. It's a different set of problems for the resident in doing all the work necessary, but residents can sell their own homes. They do need to aware of the restrictions set down within the lease and abide by the tiers they signed up for
Barbara then explained the process of TCH - TCH learns about a home and possible buyer. TCH does prescreening, and if the buyer qualifies, Hast does a background check. Once they are eligible, they are free to make a contract offer on the home. We are trying to avoid someone putting a contract on the home before they qualify or Hast has approved him or her.
Want to make a difference in your life? Then join the MHA and help shape the future of the Park. We need volunteers to sit on the Management Committee and the Executive Board. Take some time out of your life and do something that will help yourselves and your neighbors. Run for Vice President, Management Chair, Treasurer or Secretary.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Acting Secretary, Mark Reeder
The Mapleton Home Association
Executive Board
Paul Keaton President.
303-939-8140
Steve Gaines Vice President.
303-449-1094
Keith Ainsworth Treasurer.
303 440-7721
Debbie Feustel Mgmt Chair
303-247-0658
Management Ccommittee
Alex Wilson
303-447-8508
Gene Langlois
303-444-4988
Mamud Kabir
303-443-8029
Site Committee
Kurt Bischoff
Attorneys Dennis R.Frohlich
Susan Perkins
More info
The Mapleton Mobile-izer is published quarterly by the Mapleton Home Association and is distributed free to all residents of Mapleton Mobile Home Park.