President’s Report – April 2024

As published in The View, April 2024:

Jerry Conrad
President

Hello, neighbors. Realizing this is my last article for The View, I felt a need to proudly share three substantial accomplishments of my tenure and briefly cover others.

First, the small 2.7% dues increase in the 2024 budget. The willingness of our vendors to negotiate their cost increases to under 4% was the main reason. Thank you to DRM, Troon, Vintage Landscaping, and Allied Security for doing their part in making our dues increase manageable.

Interesting and important note: At a valley-wide DRM February symposium attended by all SCSH Board Members, and all but one candidate running in our upcoming annual elections, we learned the average increase in local HOA dues throughout the Coachella Valley this past year was 9%!

Second, keeping the Capital Reserve Funding (CRF) percentage at 70.8%. This number is a benchmark for a healthy CRF and, thus, a healthy community. Our financial health is extraordinarily strong because of to the sound management of our Financial Advisory Committee. I want to commend Bob Jester and all the crew on this committee, as they truly are the backstop to our financial health.

Third, the City Development Coordinating Committee led the charge that forced Pulte to abandon the attempt to run their Desert Retreat Project sewer line through the middle of our community! This was one of the finest decisions the Board made in choosing this incredible group of committed residents to negotiate and get results.

Decisions by the Board are made through careful review and debate over contracts and bids. Reserve Funds (RF) are used to renovate and/or upgrade our public areas for the benefit of the entire community based on a 30-year life expectancy schedule. Those projects are noted below by RF. However, those funds, along with operating funds, are also used for unexpected repairs. Briefly, below are other accomplishments this Board, our vendors, and committees have worked hard to complete:

  • Repainted common area walls in Phase RF
  • Repainted all wrought iron fences in common areas. RF
  • Phase 1 median landscape renovation RF
  • Montecito Fitness Center flooring RF
  • Santa Rosa Fitness Center flooring RF
  • Montecito outdoor pool concrete deck and under- ground drainage system renovation. RF
  • Montecito Clubhouse and Fitness Center foam roofs recoating. RF
  • Replaced all Montecito outdoor pool RF
  • Resurfaced Montecito tennis courts (four courts). RF
  • Pickleball and tennis dual lining of courts 5 and 6. Operating Fund.
  • Installed eight AED Machines throughout the property, for a total of 13 AEDs Operating Fund. Common Area Improvement.
  • Replaced the pump on hole #4 with the incredible help of Troon and DRM.
  • Replaced the Montecito Clubhouse outdoor speakers. RF
  • Replaced the Shadow Restaurant sound and music system. RF
  • Replace the chairs, carpet, and audio/video at the Montecito Ballroom. RF schedule
  • Resurfaced the Santa Rosa indoor walking track. RF
  • Resurfaced the Santa Rosa pool deck. RF
  • Installed a handicap ramp near Bocce courts. Operating Fund. Common Area Improvement
  • Installed a handicapped ramp at Santa Rosa facility. Operating Fund. Common Area Improvement
  • Contracted to replace the dehumidifier in indoor pool. RF. Install pending.
  • Contracted to replaster the indoor swimming pool. RF. Project pending.
  • Reopened the Montecito Café after two years of closure. (Hopefully, the next Board will find a way to expand both hours and features.)

These are not all the improvements and replacements in our community, but this list will give you an idea of the work required to make our community a wonderful place to live. Thank you to DRM and Troon for their continued support of the Board – without their hard work, the above improvements could not have been completed. I know they will continue to be an important part of our continued success.

Finally, I want to wish the next Board members good luck with all that comes before them in the coming year. And, of course, thank you all for letting me serve you these past two years as Board member and President. It has been an honor and a privilege.

Contact the author at jerry.conrad@scshca.com.

Finance Advisory Committee – April 2024

By Robert Jester
Chair, Finance Advisory Committee

As published in The View, April 2024:

Question of the Month: What has the Finance Advisory Committee been doing over the past months for this community?

Since we are in the midst of the Board election season and a new Board configuration will be put in place in April, this seemed like a good time to look back over what the committee has been doing the past months.

One of the committee’s biggest tasks in 2023 was to assist in the budget process. We started on this in July 2023 and worked through the months until the final budget was approved in October 2023. Frankly, the committee had some input that did not make it into the 2024 budget, but the Board speaks for the community, and a budget was approved. We will carefully monitor the budget over the next months, and we will tackle the process again this summer. The committee is also drafting a budget process for the Board to follow for the 2025 budget, and we hope that the new Board will find it helpful and consider following it in the creation of the 2025 budget.

The committee is also close to approving an “operating cash available” formula for Board consideration and approval very soon. This is an extremely important formula to have so that the Board does not have to guess or assume how much “operating cash available” is present. Without this formula, the Board could be spending Association cash that would jeopardize the Association’s ability to pay its bills as they come due in both normal and crisis times. The guideline is to have enough available cash to meet two to three times the Association’s average monthly expenses. This is really just like all of us. We need that cash cushion for unexpected expenses.

We have also been doing an extensive analysis of our Reserve Fund and the items funded on the replacement list of components. They number approximately 834 components that have a useful life of less than 30 years. Most of these useful life and replacement cost figures have not been intensively studied for some time. Now that we have a vice-chair devoted to this purpose, we are plowing ahead. You just learned that as of December 31, 2023, we had 16.7 million dollars in our Reserve Fund.

But that is not the whole story, as there are more serious Reserve Fund concerns that are being considered by this committee. Today, if it was necessary to replace everything on the 30-year replacement list, it would cost 43 million dollars and that does not consider inflation and other economic factors. But thankfully, we yearly retain a licensed reserve specialist to calculate what the monthly resident reserve assessment should be to cover those costs spread over 30 years.

In addition, in the next five years we expect to spend 12 million dollars, so we will be focusing on adequate cash flows and the timing of the invoices that need to be paid. It is a laborious job, but it must be done. The Vice-Chair has spotlighted 80 components that comprise the highest dollar demands on the fund over the next 5 years. This requires the committee to carefully reexamine useful life and replacement cost on these 80 components, or we will not have the needed funds. We acknowledge that we are the “volunteers” who must spend the time to be sure the community is financially secure. We will accomplish our obligations, but we will need a Board that accepts our carefully researched recommendations for a healthy Reserve Fund.  Remember  that  golf  course  maintenance equipment alone over the period of 2019 to 2024 has experienced cost increases of 62%.

A final thought on the future of the Association’s financial health, is the absolute need for a capital improvement fund and funding mechanism. We all hear the “we need a new or larger amenity” or “we need expanded clubhouse space.” But to date, we do not have a funding mechanism other than a special assessment, which everyone wants to avoid.

So, the committee’s request of you is to think outside the box and consider options and then be willing to accept new and inventive funding sources for your Association.

Contact the author at finance@scshca.com.

Traffic Alert for North Indio Regional Flood Control Project

Traffic alert Avenue 38

Avenue 38 west of Jefferson Street will reopen to through traffic on April 1, 2024.

Traffic alert Jefferson Street

The temporary detour at Jefferson Street and Avenue 40 will be removed and permanently paved before reopening to through traffic on April 1, 2024.

Traffic alert Adams Street near Avenue 39

A section of Adams Street will close starting the first week of April through the end of July while crews construct a new reinforced concrete box culvert across Adams Street.

Adams Street detour plan

Northbound traffic: East on Avenue 40, north on Jefferson Street, west on Avenue 39.

Southbound traffic: East on Avenue 38 or Avenue 39, south on Jefferson Street, west on Avenue 40

Signs will redirect drivers around the closure.

See detour map here.

For more information on this project visit the North Indio Regional Flood Control Project webpage.

Coachella Valley Water District, PO Box 1058 Coachella, CA 92236
Phone (760) 398-2651 | Contact Us

HOA Elections & Ballots

Need to contact HOA Elections?

HOA ELECTIONS OF CALIFORNIA, INC.
(951) 667-7191 | (888) 589-VOTE (8683)
info@hoaelections.com
1001 Avenida Pico, Ste. C-496, San Clemente, CA 92673

Need a replacement ballot?

Please complete the individual personal affidavit at the link below:

https://hoaelections.net/need-a-replacement-ballot

Voting Deadlines

Please exercise your voting rights by delivering it using the following options:

  • Mail your Irrevocable Secret Ballot with the pre-addressed envelope.
  • Utilize one of the on-site ballot boxes located at the Montecito Clubhouse or the Santa Rosa Clubhouse by Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 8:45 am.
  • Deadline before the Annual Meeting: Mailed Irrevocable Secret Ballots to HOA Elections must be received by: Monday, April 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm.
  • Deadline the day of the Annual Meeting: Whether voting at the meeting or dropping off your Irrevocable Secret Ballot at the meeting, completed Ballots must be received by HOA Elections by: Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 10:00 am.

All Irrevocable Secret Ballots received by the HOA Elections by the deadline will be kept with the HOA Elections for the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

Should you have any questions regarding any election materials, please contact: HOA Elections of California, Inc. by: Phone: (951) 667-7191 • Email: info@hoaelections.com • Fax: (800) 809-4535.

Podcast Episode 408: Bryan Montgomery, Indio City Manager

In this episode, Bob Firring welcomes back Bryan Montgomery, City Manager for the City of Indio. Tune in for an update on what's happening in our city.

Links:

Transcription:

📄 Transcription of Podcast Episode 408

Bryan Montgomery

Do you have an idea for a podcast episode? Contact Bob Firring at podcast@scshca.com.

This is an audio-only episode.

City of Indio Welcomes new Director of Finance

Ruby D. Walla Joins the City of Indio with Over 20 Years Municipal Finance Experience

INDIO, CA (March 15, 2024) – The City of Indio is pleased to welcome Ruby D. Walla as the new Director of Finance. Following a thorough recruitment, Director Walla brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the City of Indio’s financial management team.

In her new role, Director Walla will oversee all aspects of the city’s financial operations, including budget development, revenue management, financial reporting, and compliance. Her leadership will be instrumental in continuing to lead the city towards fiscal stability, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are utilized efficiently and responsibly.

“Ruby’s adept understanding and thorough approach to enhancing the city’s robust revenue management and accounting processes are truly commendable,” said Bryan Montgomery, City Manager. “In her capacity as the Director of Finance, she will leverage her extensive experience to enhance our strategic initiatives and optimize resources, safeguarding the financial well-being of our city for the benefit of all residents.”

Walla is an accomplished finance leader with more than two decades of experience dedicated to driving operational excellence. Her career began in 2002 with the City of Brawley as an Accounting Assistant, followed by a brief period with Imperial Irrigation District as an Accounts Payable Specialist and Financial Accountant. In 2007, she returned to the City of Brawley as an Assistant Finance Officer, becoming the Finance Director in 2010. Serving as the Finance Director from 2010-2018, she oversaw and implemented many successful initiatives, including driving the development of fiscal policies and internal controls, grant oversight, labor negotiations, audits, and budget management and reporting. Walla and her family moved to the Coachella Valley in 2018, serving as the Assistance Finance Director for the City of Indian Wells. In this capacity, she supervised and managed all operational functions of the city’s finance department.

Walla holds a Bachelor of Science in Administration, with an Accounting concentration, from California State University, San Bernardino, and is pursuing a Master of Public Administration, with a concentration in Financial Management.

With an operating budget of $326.6 million and 258 employees, the City’s Finance Director’s responsibility is to manage, protect and report on the City of Indio’s financial resources to enhance its financial condition for residents and businesses. The City of Indio has earned numerous national awards for its commitment to thorough financial management practices. Most notably, the City received a Certificate of Award for Operating Budget Excellence for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 by the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers.

Source: https://www.indio.org/Home/Components/News/News/201/15

Desert Living Tip of the Month: Sneeze, Wheeze, & Blow Your Nose!

Allergy season arrived early this year and will be worse than ever due to the dreaded Pollen Bombs! Pollen bombs occur when trees release millions of grains of pollen in a short time. Your eyes, nose, and throat are instantly irritated, producing seasonal allergies that make you miserable. Fun activities like walking through the neighborhood, playing tennis, golf, pickleball, or gardening with allergies can be a nightmare. Read below to determine whether you have allergies or a cold. We also have tips to help alleviate allergy symptoms outside and at home.

Is it Allergies or A Cold?

Allergies occur when your body’s immune system reacts to pollen, animal dander, or certain foods. Your body produces antibodies to fight allergies, and as your immune system reacts, it can cause inflammation of your sinuses, skin, airways, or digestive system.

For both allergies and colds, it’s common to have congestion, sneezing, a runny nose, a sore throat, headaches, or sinus pain. Following are several differences:

  • Allergy symptoms occur as soon as you are exposed to an allergen.
  • Colds usually come on slowly and worsen over a couple of days.
  • Allergies cause itching in your eyes, nose, and throat.
  • Colds rarely cause itching.
  • Allergies do not cause body aches or a fever.
  • Colds can bring on both a fever and body aches.
  • Allergies can affect you for days, weeks, and possibly months.
  • Colds usually clear up in a week or two.

Prepare a Plan to Treat Pollen Allergies:

  • Check the weather and follow local pollen count reports.
  • Don’t schedule outdoor activities before 10 a.m. when pollen levels are highest.
  • Avoid areas with freshly cut grass.
  • Wear a mask in outdoor areas with trees.
  • Close windows and use air conditioning.
  • Vacuum and dust regularly.
  • Wash bedding weekly and use hypoallergenic sheets and towels.
  • Take a shower before bed to wash away pollen.
  • Try nasal irrigation.
  • Drink lots of fluids.
  • Try over-the-counter allergy remedies.
  • Use an air purifier.
  • Replace filters regularly and use HEPA filters.
  • Remember to see your doctor if symptoms persist or worsen.

City of Indio Hosts Send Off Concert For Abi Carter

The City of Indio is proud to host a FREE send-off concert in honor of one of its own, Abi Carter! Join us on Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Downtown Indio, to rally together to support Abi Carter before she embarks on the next stage of her journey. Enjoy live music, food trucks, and the chance to purchase her exclusive merchandise. Plus, don't miss the debut performance of Abi's first single!

The concert will not only serve as a celebration of Abi’s remarkable talent but also as a fundraising effort to assist her on her journey. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase limited edition merchandise and an exclusive VIP event will be held at Little Street Music Hall, 82707 Miles Avenue, before the concert.

A limited quantity of VIP event tickets are available for purchase here!

Pre-save Abi's first single: bit.ly/abicarter

Source: https://www.indio.org/Home/Components/News/News/199/15

Easter Baskets for Coachella Valley Foster Kids

This is a follow-up to the Coachella Valley Foster Kids fundraiser last November.

Stacy Boeskin spearheaded the drive for Easter baskets . . . and our residents responded!

This will make Easter special for many children in foster care.

President of SCSH Republicans Receives Recognition

Pete Anderson, president of the SCSH Republicans, recently received congressional recognition from Congressman Ken Calvert for years of community service in the Coachella Valley.

City of Indio Councilmember Glenn Miller presenting the recognition to Pete Anderson

Photos: Women’s Golf Club

Podcast Episode 407: The Creative Eye

In this episode, Bob Firring welcomes Jewelry Club member Jutta Ruehl and Camera Club member Paul Priebe. They are here to talk about their clubs' upcoming exhibition and sale on Saturday, March 9, called "The Creative Eye."  Tune in for all the details.

Links:

Samples of some of the Camera Club and Jewelry Club items that will be featured at the exhibition:

📄 Transcription of Podcast Episode 407

Do you have an idea for a podcast episode? Contact Bob Firring at podcast@scshca.com.

This is an audio-only episode.

Citrus RoundUp Recap

The Desert Gardeners Club hosted a Citrus RoundUp receiving excess citrus from residents of SCSH. 29 volunteers received, cleaned, sorted and bagged 330 bags of assorted citrus. These bags of fruit were donated to St. Margaret’s Neighbor4Neighbor food distribution program to families in need from the Coachella Valley. Thank you to residents and Desert Gardeners for helping us be good neighbors.