Reminder: Pet Rules

Just a friendly reminder that an owner or keeper of a pet shall not allow or permit the pet to run at large in any common area, except the pet park(s), or unenclosed private place other than those of the owner unless the dog is securely restrained by a leash not exceeding twelve (12) feet in length. Pets shall not be left unattended in the Association Common Areas, including pet park(s).

Pets are not permitted on any golf course at any time. Dog walking at Avenida Sombra where Avenida Sombra meets Sun City Blvd. behind hole number 7 is not permitted. All other areas, you may walk your dog along the edge of the Golf Course as long as you and your dog do not walk beyond nine (9’) feet from the edge of the street. Pets are not allowed on the lot of another owner without permission and should not be allowed to soil another owner’s property. Pet owners are responsible for the removal and proper disposal of their pet’s litter from Association Common Areas, including pet park(s).

Thank you for your cooperation.

Flag Notification

Fly the  United States Flags at Half-Staff
Immediately Until Sunset on Saturday, July 9, 2022

Proclamation on Honoring The Victims Of The Tragedy In Highland Park, Illinois

JULY 05, 2022

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of gun violence perpetrated on our Independence Day, July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, July 9, 2022. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

North Pro Shop Staging Area Closure

The North Course staging area will be closed Tuesday, July 5th through Thursday, July 7 for concrete repairs. It will reopen on Friday, July 8.

If you have any questions, please contact the Association’s Facilities Maintenance Department, at 760-345-4349 ext. 2401.

Montecito Tennis Courts Update

Tennis Courts #1 through #4 are now open for play at the Montecito Clubhouse.

The contractor will be finishing the paver project by the courts on Friday, July 1.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. For more information, please contact the Facilities Maintenance Department at 760-345-4349 ext. 2401.

President’s Report – July 2022

As published in The View, July 2022:

John MacDonnell
President

Living in Sun City Shadow Hills is Pretty Special by Anyone’s Standards

With 3,450 homes, we are not just a Homeowners Association but a vibrant community larger than many cities in California and the second-largest HOA in the Coachella Valley. As such we are a self-governing entity with five-member Board of Directors (BOD) at the helm.

There are two important meetings that your Board of Directors attend: executive session and open session. Executive session is not open to the membership, and by law it is only during these sessions that confidential matters may be discussed, such as contract negotiations, personnel issues, matters of rules enforcement and collections, and legal transactions. There can be as many executive session meetings as needed during the month. Usually there is at least one.

The other important meeting is, of course, the regularly scheduled open Board meeting, where all homeowners are invited to attend in person or watch the video from the comfort of their homes when it is posted on our website. At these meetings, homeowners can offer their input by submitting speaker forms, submitted prior to the start of the meetings. As with many meetings, Board meetings may not be your idea of a fun way to spend an afternoon. But remember this is your opportunity each month to see how our community is being managed plus how our money is being spent, find out what plans are in the works, and make comments on agenda items or policies and changes you would like the board to consider.

Managing SCSH is a big undertaking, and everything can’t be done by the five members of the BOD alone. The Directors are assisted by volunteer advisory committee members. Our many committees investigate, evaluate, report, advise and make recommendations to the board. The work done by the many volunteer committee members assists the BOD in governing our HOA. Without the many hours of work that they invest and the reports they provide, the Board simply would be unable to manage the volume of work necessary to run the community.

The advisory committees include City Development, Finance, Safety Advisory, Facility & Services, Design Review, Covenants, Food & Beverage, Landscape Advisory, Health & Fitness, Golf Advisory, Lifestyles Advisory, Information Advisory, Emergency Preparedness, The View, and others.

In addition to our advisory committees, there are many homeowners who volunteer their time in the library, deliver The View, staff the Lifestyle desk in the Montecito, and elsewhere throughout SCSH. I invite you to bring your professional experience to a committee by letting us know of your interest.

Where Have All the Employees Gone? The Answer Is Simple, We Don’t Have Any. How Can That Be?

Who are the workers we see and depend upon every day to maintain our safety, trim the trees, clean the pools, and answer the phones?

Sun City Shadow Hills does not have employees. We are self-managed, but we contract with different companies to provide their services and their employees to do the daily tasks for our community. These are the folks you see every day doing the work, keeping things running, and making everything look nice while being efficient and friendly. Remember to thank them when you see a job well done. Here are the companies and the services they perform for us: Desert Resort Management (professional management services), Vintage (landscape), Troon Golf California (golf course and restaurant management), and Allied Universal (security).

Who Do You Call When You Have Problems?

You can find contact information on our website at www.scshca.com/contact. This information is also listed every month on the inside cover of The View for the various departments and the chairs of the advisory committees. Your board members are also listed and available to answer your questions. Remember to direct your questions to the responsible department or committee in order to receive a more timely response to your question or issue.

Enjoy your day, your Board is here to serve.

Contact the author at john.macdonnell@scshca.com.

Finance Advisory Committee – July 2022

By Robert “Bob” O. Jester
Finance Advisory Committee Chair

As published in The View, July 2022:

Question of the Month: What is the Replacement Fund?

Last month we discussed the Reserve Study, and this month we will learn how the Reserve Study affects the Sun City Shadow Hills Replacement Fund. The items that need replacement after their useful life are found on the replacement fund list if they have a useful life of 30 years or less. This list is created by the experts we hire to conduct the Reserve Study. During a Type 1 Full Study, these experts visit our community, take photographs of equipment, and record measurements. Then the experts develop a useful life schedule and determine an estimated cost to replace each item at the end of its useful life. Once the experts make these determinations, they then determine an amount each year that our HOA must put in reserve to replace that item at some predetermined time in the future.

When an item needs replacement, it is identified on the reserve study so that the department head, such as maintenance, can seek bids for its replacement. The department head evaluates the quality of the suppliers and suppliers’ product and prepares a Board Action Form (BAF) to which the suppliers’ bids for replacement are attached. There are usually at least three bids on each replacement request.

This BAF then goes to the SCSH General Manager who will in turn forward it to the Finance Advisory Committee and its Sub-Committee for pricing investigation, inspection of the item for which replacement is requested, and preparation of a recommendation to the Board about whether the replacement request is justified and priced properly. The Board makes the ultimate decision on the replacement purchase using the replacement funds.

The list of items covered by the Replacement Fund numbers in the hundreds. The items range from patio furniture to ice machines and golf course mowers. The FAC Sub-Committee has members who have experience in various fields like construction, purchasing, and engineering. These members are all volunteers who spend their time assisting our community in evaluating if the replacement request is justified or if it can it be safely deferred.

A lot of consideration has gone into keeping this community in first class condition, and we are fortunate to have had management practices over the years that have created a sound replacement fund to meet the needs determined by the Reserve Study, without which we could be exposed to special assessments or community loans.

The FAC Sub-Committee has two openings. If you possess specialized skills or experience from your past or current work activities, we encourage you to complete a Committee Interest Form and help us keep this community financially sound.

Contact the author at finance@scshca.com.

Insect Pest Control Treatment in Common Areas

Treatment Service Locations: Landscape Common Areas, Dog Parks

  • Phase 1 Dog park will be closed on Tuesday, June 28, 2022
  • Phase 3 Dog Park will be closed on Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Time: Technician should arrive between 6:30 am – 4:00 pm

If you have any pets (animals) please keep them indoors or in a secure enclosed area outdoors while the technicians are on property for safety precautions.

If you have any questions, please contact the Association’s Facilities Maintenance Department, at 760-345-4349 ext. 2401.

CVWD Early Work Start Time Notice (June 24)

3:00 AM Early Work Start Time Notice

What: Sukut Construction will be pouring concrete along the Channel walls inside the North Channel Construction Zone.

When: Friday, June 24, 3:00 am – 2:30 pm

Construction Zone: The channel near the southeast corner of 40th Avenue and Jefferson Street. Near the old pond area in Sun City Shadow Hills. Same area as in late April, early May. Sukut Construction will be pouring concrete on the southern section half of the construction zone.

What to expect: A bit of noise as trucks move around the area. Depending on the weather and other factors, pours may last longer than 2:30 pm Crews will do their best to finish by 2:30 pm

We thank you for your patience on this project. For more information, please contact the SCSH Facilities Department at 760-345-4349, ext. 2401.

Introducing Cari Burleigh, Our New General Manager

Cari Burleigh is joining the Sun City Shadow Hills team this week as your new General Manager. Cari has over 15 years of community management experience with her most recent position being General Manager at Del Webb at Rancho Mirage. Cari has enjoyed spending the majority of her HOA career in active adult communities, which included seven years at SCSH.

Cari has been a desert resident since 1998 and loves all the wonderful things the Coachella Valley has to offer. She lives in La Quinta with her husband, Keith, of 35 years, and two doodles, Whiskey and Holly. Her son, Grant, and his fiancé live in the Bay Area and as a family they enjoy cruising and traveling to the beach and mountains.

Cari is looking forward to returning to SCSH and working with the Board, staff, and residents.

Breakfast Returns to Shadows

Dear SCSH residents,

We are excited to announce that Shadows Restaurant will now be open from Tuesday through Sunday, 8:00 am to 7:00 pm (closed on Mondays).

We invite you to join us Tuesday, June 21, 2022, for our breakfast service re-opening and our new lunch menu.

Reservations are encouraged, please call (760) 772-4342. Please remember voicemail reservations will not be accepted. If the line is busy, please call back and speak to a hostess or a server.

Thank you for your continued support.

Frontier Paper Billing Fee

Frontier has announced a new paper billing fee of $2.99.

If you do not have any other Frontier services on top of our HOA bulk internet, you are not affected by this new fee, as you don't receive a paper bill from Frontier.

If you have additional Frontier services and would like to avoid the fee, you must sign up for paper-less billing with Frontier:

Emergency Preparedness Tip of the Week: Just the Essentials

Tip: Learn how to do more with less. If a disaster causes your electricity or gas to go out, you may need to know how to improvise with what you have on hand. Tent camping is a good example of learning to survive with the essentials.

Photos: Baseball Game

Sunday, June 12, 2022
Angel Stadium
Anaheim, CA

Photos by Veronica Moya

Desert Living Tip of the Month: Light Up the Desert Sky

With our extreme summer heat, we can still enjoy social gatherings in our backyards in the evening when the temperatures drop. String lighting is a great way to light up our desert sky for barbecues and night time swims. Many residents may be unaware of our community requirements for string lighting. Below are some tips to ensure your safety and string lighting enjoyment.

Approval Before Installation:

  • String Lighting requires prior written approval from the Design Review Committee.
  • String lighting on rear patios will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the DRC.

String Lighting Installation Requirements:

  • You can hang String Lighting only on rear patios.
  • You must install string lighting totally inside the structure’s covered patio.
  • You must attach the lights on the inside of the patio cover’s structure, so bare bulbs are not visible from neighboring properties, the street, common areas, or the golf course.
  • They must comply with 4.15.1 Exterior Lighting and may not exceed 450 Lumens total illumination for the entire backyard.
  • Must be outdoor approved lights only.
  • The only colors allowed are clear, white, or amber lights.
  • A maximum of 40 Bulbs is permitted, subject to the restriction of total illumination.
  • No lighting will be permitted, which causes glare to neighboring owners, neighborhoods, or any common area.

Once the DRC approves your string lighting and you have completed installation properly, it’s time to light up the desert sky and enjoy your evenings outside. Wishing everyone a starry, starry night!

UPDATE: Montecito Tennis Courts Closure

RESCHEDULED

All tennis courts at Montecito Clubhouse will be closed Monday, June 20 through Friday, June 24. We will be replacing all the broken concrete at the seating/gathering area by the courts.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. For more information, please contact the Facilities Maintenance Department at 760-345-4349 ext. 2401.

CVWD Storm Channel Project Update: Dust Control

CVWD and Sukut Construction (Sukut) understand the concerns with dust caused by high winds in North Indio where the North Indio Flood Control Project – phase 2 (Project) is under construction. Sukut can control dust and any associated air pollution within the project footprint by following applicable laws, rules, and regulations of the governmental entities having jurisdiction (City, State, etc.) as outlined in the contract documents.

The Air Quality Management District has inspected the construction site on March 18, March 28, April 11, and May 26 and did not find any violations causing dust related to construction activity.

Many communities in the valley are surrounded by undeveloped desert including North Indio and are susceptible to dust and sand accumulation from the season’s unusual high winds.

Here are the actions being done to minimize dust from construction activities, which also meet contract requirements:

  • Watering dirt piles associated with construction.
  • Applying a soil binder to stockpiles of dirt.
  • Watering dirt on trucks before they leave for transportation.
  • Sweeping and vacuuming sand from the roads near constructions sites even if caused by wind from undeveloped land.

CVWD and its contractors will continue to minimize dust associated with construction activities but are not responsible for dust coming from undeveloped land. We thank everyone for their patience during this important project.

CVWD Project Website:
https://www.cvwd.org/NorthIndio

Fire Ant Treatment in Common Areas

Coachella Valley Vector Control will be on property to treat for red imported fire ants.

Treatment Service Locations: Landscape Common Areas, Phase 1 & 3 Dog Parks.

  • Phase 1 Dog Park will be closed on Thursday, June 16, 2022
  • Phase 3 Dog Park will be closed on Friday, June 17, 2022

Time: Technician should arrive between 6:30 am – 4:00 pm

If you have any pets (animals) please keep them indoors or in a secure enclosed area outdoors while the technicians are on property for safety precautions.

Product Information: Coachella Valley Vector Control has provided the following information regarding the treatment product: Control product are water soluble and will render ineffective when in contact with water. Control product are made at a very low dosage, enough to kill an ant and should not harm pets. If you have any pets, please keep them indoors while the technicians are on property for safety precaution.

If you have any questions, please contact the Association’s Facilities Maintenance Department, at 760-345-4349 ext. 2401.

Emergency Preparedness Tip of the Week: Retired Medical Professionals

Tip: If you are a retired medical professional: MD, Nurse, or EMT, the Sun City Shadow Hills Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) needs your help. Please consider volunteering. In the event of a major community incident, first aid centers will be set up for the injured. We need your help in these situations. If you are willing to help out, please get in touch with EPC Chairperson Jeff Kirkpatrick, epc@scshca.com.