WELCOME TO MARTY’S PLACE!
This page is your welcome packet to help you orient into Marty’s Place more comfortably and covers areas often overlooked for new residents who are focused on moving into a new environment. Often we are also focused on helping you transition smoothly and we created this page to make sure we’re providing you with the most helpful information to support your transition here.
The following are some of the most common topics that have come up over the years from new residents. If there is something else we’re missing, please let us know and we will include it. It’s your feedback that helps make this page a better resource. Thanks!
ONLINE ACCESS AND WIFI PASSWORD.
Please note: there are two networks with two separate passwords; one is for residents, the other is for our guests. Please do not give Resident network access to guests.
Resident Network: MPAHC Network, Password: MP2.02022!
Guest Network: MPAHC Network Guest, Password: Purcell2233
STORAGE SPACE(S)
Personal item storage: Marty’s Place House Agreement 23 allows a storage shelf for each resident in the community center/garage space area. Shelving is assigned and all new residents will be provided a storage shelf for personal items that will fit into plastic tubs onto the shelf. An additional shelf may be requested on a temporary basis when available and approved by a motion/majority affirmative vote at a properly noticed Membership meeting. Please make sure to ask if you need an assigned shelf right away and it hasn’t been covered.
Kitchen area: Kitchen area storage spaces are assigned. The upper four rooms are assigned up to two unit spaces on the main level and lower level rooms will share kitchenette storage space on the bottom AND will have a storage unit space on the main floor kitchen.
Pots and pans are generally kept in community spaces and used by everyone. If you have personal items you do not wish to share in community, please make sure to keep those items stored in your assigned storage space. Everything left in non-assigned areas are open for community use.
Common space area, Main level: Please ask and coordinate with all residents before moving personal items into the main level living and dining rooms. It is a house discussion.
Common space areas, upper and lower levels: Please coordinate with residents on those levels.
Garden areas: Please coordinate as a house discussion.
BATHROOMS
We have 3.5 bathrooms in the co-op and everyone is welcome to use any bathroom; however, everyone will be assigned a home bathroom to store your toiletries and personal shower items. As a courtesy, we generally use our assigned bathrooms for daily use and coordinate with residents in another bathroom if we want to use it - just as a show of respect for everyone’s busy schedules and our impact. Folks assigned in each bathroom are responsible for keeping it clean and coordinating cleaning schedules with each other.
Some helpful tips: if/when we use the lower level jacuzzi tub, please scour it and leave it clean for the next person per our house agreements. Also, when using the bathrooms please make sure the toilet is left clean each time, including the seat. Brushes and cleaning supplies are provided. It is also very appreciated to change the toilet paper rolls when they run out and not leave them empty.
ROOM/UNIT WALK THROUGH
This may sound trivial; however, please make sure we do a pre and post walk-through and provide you with a signed off checklist. This keeps your deposit secure in the event of any pre-existing damage(s). We’re generally pretty good about vacant room repairs and cleaning, but it is better to have all of us working together on this and it does not apply to normal “wear and tear” because it happens. Once a walk-through is conducted with you, we will provide you with a sign-off sheet with yours and our signature to indicate the condition of your room. If it has not been done, please let our Maintenance Coordinator know immediately.
MEETINGS
As you transition into Marty’s Place, you will hear us talk about monthly meetings and there are a few of them. New residents must plan for and attend the co-op’s monthly Membership meetings, and should also plan to attend at least one committee meeting each month. Our meetings are generally announced a month in advance to allow enough time and coordination with everyone to be there. Attendance is required for all Membership meetings and, in the event of an illness or emergency, you must provide advanced notification. Providing notification right before or during meetings is not considered advanced notice. Generally, everyone has made most to all meetings each month as a standard since our meetings often will require a quorum for moving the co-op’s business. Our online calendar for monthly meetings is provided on this site and updated each month for your convenience.
Membership: meets monthly.
Committees: Finance Committee (standing committee, meets monthly), Records & Notification Committee (ad hoc, meets quarterly), Community Outreach Committee (ad hoc, meets as needed), and Grievance Committee (this is a closed committee). Each standing committee will meet at least once a month with proper notice.
Board of Directors: Meetings of our board are open to all residents, except in the case of Executive Sessions which are closed to everyone.
Special Meetings: are more than a single meeting in a month or irregular meetings and could range from Membership to committee or the Board of Directors. Special meetings are often noticed with at least ten days written notice provided. Exceptions are meetings with Waivers of Notice and/or committee meetings that do not require a quorum, such as our Community Outreach Committee which may meet several times in a month prior to a house event. Subcommittees are sometimes formed to focus on specific topic areas on an ad hoc basis and are generally considered special meetings - they do not happen often.
Are our meetings public? Yes and no. Closed committees and meetings are not open to the public and include: the Finance Committee, Grievance Committee, and Records & Notifications Committee. Our Membership and Board of Directors meetings permit a space for public comment at the beginning on each agenda; however, the remainder of those meetings may be closed for the co-op and/or its board to discuss in-house matters that are protected by our residents’ Right To Privacy, also included in our house agreements. Only our Community Outreach Committee permits full public access and participation.
Notice of meetings: see Item 6 below. Meetings are noticed with at least ten days or up to 99 days advanced notice per MPAHC Bylaws, Article 4, Section (c) Notice of Meetings.
.
COMMUNICATION BY EMAIL
Email communication is required and included in our Bylaws. We communicate the important things relating to the co-op by email. Please take some time to go through our policy manual and familiarize yourself with it once you get settled in. Our House Communication Policy covers most of the co-op’s communication needs, including what to text versus what to email.
MAINTENANCE
On the maintenance/repair front - we are all responsible for our stewardship of the building and property which means we should be made aware of any major maintenance issues which can be reported directly to our Maintenance Coordinator through our Resident Resource Page. Currently, we are keeping track of all maintenance repair requests and, currently, there is a backlog that is being tracked by our Board of Directors.