Please view our April 2025 newsletter HERE.
| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Many people probably wonder what motivates people to serve on their neighborhood association or to serve in public office. It’s certainly been a hot topic nationally with attention on perceived fraud, waste and abuse in the federal government. For me, the answer is that everyone should feel obligated to help their community and country in any way that they can. I realize that for some who work in government, it’s just a job. But the same can be said of any job. I’m proud to have been on the Monterey city staff for 26 years and served other local governments before moving to Monterey. Serving as the President of the New Monterey Neighborhood Association (NMNA) for the past year has brought me a sense of purpose. I’m especially privileged to be serving along side an equally dedicated Board who have given much and helped to improve our neighborhood association. In 2024, we nearly tripled the number of people who have registered with the NMNA which is important because we can only communicate with those people who register with us. Registering is free. I’m also proud that our income increased significantly to meet the demand of increasing costs. In 2025, I look forward to increasing registration with residents living in apartments which is our largest under-represented segment. I also want to establish collaborative connections with the City as well as the businesses. Change is constant and we can’t stop change, but we can help shape the changes with your input and help. Thank you for your interest in our neighborhood and the community. Tom Reeves NMNA President |
| Upcoming Events NMNA Gathering at Oak Newton Park Friday, June 20, 4:30 – 6:30pm Join us for our 3rd Annual Summer Gathering in New Monterey @ Oak Newton Park. The gathering will be held on June 20th from 4:30-6:30. Be sure to save the date because you will not want to miss this fantastic event! Great neighbors, games for all and plenty to of food to eat. Hope to see you there! Oak Newton Park (500 Newton Street, Monterey, CA 93940) |
| New CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Released The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) recently released newly revised Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps including the City of Monterey. Of particular interest to New Monterey is that areas of our neighborhood are now included in the “Very High”, “High” and “Moderate” categories. Insurance will be more challenging and California Fair Plan might be the only option in some cases. What can you do? Yard clean-up and exterior house maintenance should become a top priority including tree trimming and/or removal. Special consideration of what landscaping materials are used and what roof materials are being used when replacing. Your vigilance is needed to help reduce the risk at your individual property. To view the map directly, please go to: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6a9cb66bb1824cd98756812af41292a0 Here’s an excellent article in Newsweek Magazine: https://www.newsweek.com/california-fire-risk-maps-impact-homeowners-2035772 |
| Wildfire Ready Monterey Town Hall Having grown up in Pacific Palisades, this year’s fires in Southern California are very relatable and they showed me that no place is safe from wildfires at least when my definition of a wildfire is any fire that is out of control (thus wild) and spreads across a wide area. If the conditions are right for the rapid spread of a fire, our entire neighborhood could be at risk. So what can property owners do to help reduce the chances of a fire become a wildfire and what can we do if a fire goes wild in our neighborhood? These questions were top of mind during the “Wildfire Ready Monterey” town hall that was put on by the City of Monterey on February27th. This event provided an opportunity to speak with 23 vendors and agencies that are working on ways to build fire resiliency and prepare for the possibility of an emergency. There were also two breakout sessions where panelists answered questions presented by the public. To learn more or review the panel discussions, you can go to: https://monterey.gov/city_hall/fire/preparedness/wildfire-ready.php Reducing the risks comes down to responsible property maintenance. And it isn’t a “one-‘n-done” effort. For starters, look around the perimeter of your structure (single family or apartment building). You shouldn’t have flammable ground cover within 5 feet. Green lush plants are okay, but not wood chips, bark mulch or an accumulation of leaves and pine needles. You also need to look at the structure itself. Attic and crawl space vents have shown to be especially vulnerable points at which embers can be blown into the envelope of the structure. Consider adding fine mesh screens to all vent openings. The type of exterior cladding and roofing material is also key. If your structure is close to a neighboring structure that isn’t fire resilient, then that other structure could pose a threat to yours. If you want to learn more, you can go to: https://uphelp.org/preparedness-handouts-library/ Our City emergency services (Fire, Police and CERT) have been diligently preparing plans for what to do in the event of a major event. But all the planning could be for not if you and others in our community are unaware of what you should do in the event of needing to evacuate. One way to be informed is to sign up with www.AlertMontereyCounty.org |
| “Locals Special” Pass – For City of Monterey Residents and Active Military Did you know, the City of Monterey offers a locals special pass? Get yours today and save as much as $1,400 per year! *Based on daily 2-hour parking rate in the waterfront lot. The City of Monterey offers a parking program which allows Monterey residents, with the purchase of a discount parking pass, a maximum of two hours of free parking, per day, per parking facility. The discount parking pass is honored in the Downtown Garages, both East and West, the Waterfront Automated Lot (at Washington & Del Monte) and the Cannery Row Garage (at Foam & Prescott). A resident discount parking pass can be purchased at the Parking Division Office located at 340 Tyler Street, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. To qualify, residents must reside within the City of Monterey and provide written proof of residency (utility bill, rental agreement), current DMV vehicle registration (registered to the resident) along with Valid ID. These documents must be in the name of the resident to obtain the discount parking pass. All active military personnel and their immediate family are also eligible for this program with valid military ID card and vehicle registration. There is an annual $20 fee for each discount parking pass. The pass is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. This program cannot be combined with any other special parking programs (locals or first hour free) or validations. https://monterey.gov/city_hall/public_works/parking_division/parking_programs/resident_parking_programs.php |