WE DID IT !!!!!!   Your VOTE Mattered !!!     We Reached quorum on 2/4

Dear Marina Hills Homeowners,

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As we begin a new year, I would like to share an update on the work your Landscaping Committee (LC) has been performing on behalf of the community. In September 2025, the Board approved a new Landscape Charter, which has allowed for increased homeowner participation and more direct communication with our vendors. I am proud to lead a dedicated team of homeowners: Don Cantacessi, Joe Vasile (FireWise Leader), and Scott Cubbage (City Liaison and Boundary Task Force Leader).

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Since September of 2025 these are the Landscaping Committee’s accomplishments:

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Fact finding

• Conferenced with Ladera Ranch regarding acacia removal and the continuing relationship with OCFA/FireWise program.

• Discovery of lost real property parcels belonging to Marina Hills Planned Community Association (MHPCA). Forwarded this info to PowerStone so they can correct statement mailing addresses with the OC Assessor.

• Defined and staked corner points on southeast boundary

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Maintenance / Service

• Regular assessments with Park West (1x a month) and Villa Park (2x a month) of struggling trees and vegetation to determine remediation or removal.

• Developed a shared worksheet to be used by the landscape committee and landscape vendors to track homeowner concerns and the resolution. This tool also provides the tracking of communication with each homeowner. Since the introduction in September of 2025 the committee has visited 38 homeowners.

• Worked with Villa Park to understand irrigation reporting and where each meter is located. Developed a fire protocol to initiate sprinklers during a possible fire event. This will be tested with homeowners on the southern boundaries in March of 2026.

•  Reviewed new fountain landscaping with the contractors’ landscape architect and suggested replacement trees and turf when planned species/size became unavailable.

• Renegotiated previously submitted proposals by Monarch for acacia removal from $49.2K to $43.7K

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Fire risk reduction

• Successfully renewed our FireWise certification for 2025 by documenting 30K sq ft of acacia removal and dead/struggling trees. This certification renewal is due in November of every year.

• Established a relationship with OCFA by meeting with Ryan Ferdig on three different occasions to align OCFA inspection priorities with the current MH’s priority list. He gave our FireWise leader a map of where they will be inspecting initially during 2026. The discussion included defensible space and fuel modification. Ryan confirmed Joe’s knowledge of how a dangerous fire would travel. Brush clearance work on our slopes has been adjusted using this new information.

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Proactive planning

• Continued monitoring of Sitges slope after brush removal and replanting. Added more vegetation and new trees where needed to improve the future appearance addressing homeowner concerns.

• Established ongoing active communication with the City of Laguna Niguel and key stakeholders.

• Walked with Ryan Ferdig on the Denia slope addressing homeowner concerns. Submitted the geo tech reports to OCFA to address the issues and found agreeable solutions with Ryan. Villa Park has now used eight days of current manpower to remove debris only costing the community dump fees. Monarch had submitted a proposal for $300K. During this time two v-ditches were discovered within 55-60’ of the homeowner’s fenceline, a clear violation of the vendor contract and will be part of the ongoing “deferred maintenance” conversation with Villa Park. We also identified and stopped massive water waste from long-broken irrigation pipes.

• Worked to establish a horticultural calendar. This is an evolving document identifying plant type and the expectations of how each species must be maintained. An example would be that Tecomaria is to be maintained at 12-18 inches when used as groundcover.

• Engaged additional vendors to bid on acacia removal.

• Submitted proposals for board review in November for annual tree maintenance and palm frond removal which were tabled. The palm frond removal was negotiated from $7.1K to $4.3K with the change being that it is only frond removal and not husk (which was completed in June). There were also other tree and landscaping proposals submitted to management for board review in Nov/Dec that will now be addressed during the January 2026 meeting.

• Have worked with our vendors in coming up with adjusting our plant palette. This includes adding a diversity of trees as we replant. Park West has an ongoing list of struggling trees that we would like to remove but these trees need to be replaced with more appropriate and hopefully healthier varieties.

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Looking forward to 2026:

• Get updated Tree Policy approved by Board of Directors in January 20th meeting.

• Ongoing brush clearance / fuel reduction on acacia-covered slopes – first exterior slopes, then interior slopes. Obtain board funding for more labor dedicated to this effort.

• Work with owner of Villa Park for better pricing for additional labor for acacia removal. In tandem MHPCA has received multiple bids for acacia removal / replacement on selected slopes.

•  Assess and clear remaining overgrown V-ditches that are HOA responsibility.

• Correct ArborNotes tree inventory with Park West. During the boundary review it was discovered Monarch had left off trees that were MHPCA responsibility and had added trees that were the City of Laguna Niguel responsibility.

• Understand HOA responsibility for Marina Hills Drive median along with the Salt Creek Corridor boundaries and develop a clear action plan in how to proceed going forward.

• Ongoing FireWise recognition/certification o Update and review our three-year FireWise action plan with Ryan Ferdig of OCFA o Host an outreach/education event for the community to increase wildfire safety o Review our Wildfire Risk Assessment. This will be submitted in November of 2026.

• Begin to fold OCFA Ready-Set-Go / FireWise recommendations into Architectural Review Committee policies and landscape committee practices as needed.

• Codify the Parc Vista/Marina Hills boundaries with both the Marina Hills and Chandon boards that was left undone by Monarch and Optimum.

•  Work with Villa Park on a fire protocol for the northern side of Marina Hills and test with homeowner participation.

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The Landscape Committee has been incredibly busy, and we are energized for the year ahead. We are committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the long-term beauty and safety of Marina Hills. Thank you for your continued support.

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      Sincerely,

      Gaby Buscher

      Chair, Landscaping Committee

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