Desert Resort Management (DRM) is pleased to announce Rich Smetana has been selected to be the General Manager at Sun City Shadow Hills. Rich has served SCSH since June 2014, as the Assistant General Manager. Rich Smetana replaces Interim Manager, Kerry Leavitt. Please welcome Rich to his new position.

Rich with his wife Cida

The most recent Meet A Board Member event took place on Thursday, November 9 at the Montecito Clubhouse. Approximately 35 residents attended. President Kim Fuller and Secretary Agi Kessler were the Board members in attendance. General Manager Kerry Leavitt was also in attendance.

Kim and Agi led an open discussion and answered resident questions. Among the topics discussed were the updating of the CC&R’s, the proposed changes to the fine schedule, the status of the Shadows Restaurant, fitness class fees, the status of financial discrepancy recovery, the new proposed pool rules and the clarification of golf course and common areas.

Meet A Board Member is an opportunity to get to know your Board members in a small and open setting. Board members, like the committees at SCSH, are volunteers acting in the best interest of all the homeowners in our community.

Plan to attend the next Meet the Board event scheduled for Thursday, December 14 at 3:00 pm at the Montecito Clubhouse.

Submitted by Kris Downey IAC Member

The season is upon us and that means fun and camaraderie for all. It also means it’s time for a refresh on earthquake preparedness. Earthquakes are not something most of us want to talk about, or think about - but this is Southern California and Southern California is highly susceptible to quakes.

Preparedness is an ongoing process. A good place to start is by attending the next Disaster Preparedness 101 class on Wed. Nov 22. The class is presented by Jeff Kirkpatrick, a SCSH resident and Chair of the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee.

For starters, let’s talk about what to do during an earthquake. It’s impossible to tell from the initial shaking if an earthquake will become intense. Federal, State and Local emergency management experts agree - DROP, COVER and HOLD ON.*

DROP to the ground, before the earthquake drops you.
COVER your head and neck with your arms and get under a sturdy desk or table.
HOLD ON to your shelter and be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.

The peace of mind preparedness brings will add to your enjoyment of the season. Grab a friend and register for the class.

Disaster Preparedness 101
Nov 22, 2017
Montecito Capistrano Room
4:30 pm - 7:00 pm
FREE Registration at Lifestyles Desk

* DROP, COVER and HOLD ON info sourced from: https://www.earthquakecountry.org/step5/

Submitted by Kris Downey, IAC Member

The Veterans Club of Sun City Shadow Hills has received a Certificate of Recognition from the 28th California State Senate District. The Certificate is signed by Senator Jeff Stone.

The SCSH Veteran’s Club is being honored for their support of first responders and local veterans in our community. Also cited is their support of local non-profits including the local high school, the JR ROTC and “Toys for Tots.”

As residents of Sun City Shadow Hills we join our community leaders in saluting the SCSH Veterans Club.

Aqua Zumba Mix with Rosa on Wednesday, November 15 at 10:30 AM is cancelled.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Reminder that the Phase 3 Dog Park is closed for overseeding. It will reopen December 8. The Phase 1 Dog Park reopened November 3.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Click here to see the full list of overseeding closures.

Final Red-Line Drafts Approved by the Board for Submittal to the Membership

SCSH-2018-Bylaws-Redline-final-for-vote-2-9-18

SCSH-2018-Bylaws-Clean-final-for-vote-2-9-18

SCSH-2018-CCRs-Redline-final-for-vote-2-9-18

SCSH-2018-CCRs-Clean-final-for-vote-2-9-18

Please note the deadline has once again been extended!

The new deadline is Friday, January 11, 2019. You may submit your ballot that day between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM. If you choose to mail it in instead, you need to make sure your ballot is received by January 10.

President's Message

Attached for your review are the proposed changes to the CC&R and By-laws. We anticipate mailing the ballots and documents along with instructions to the residents on March 12. There will be two separate envelopes with the information.

In one envelope you will receive a computer flash drive which will contain all the documents. There will be a red-line version and a clean copy of the changes for both the CC&R’s and By-laws on the flash drive. This was done to save the cost of mailing the entire document to each homeowner, at a cost of about $10 per home. Mailing a flash drive with the documents will save more than half the cost of mailing.

In a separate envelope will you will receive the ballot and the instructions for filling out the ballot. So be looking for two different envelopes.

After many comments from residents the Board decided to present the following four items for a vote:

1. Item 1 addresses the bulk of the document. These changes will remove Pulte from the documents where applicable and will make changes because of new laws which require the change to take place. Since Pulte is no longer here, it seemed responsible to remove them from the documents wherever possible. The other changes are changes that are required because of changes in the law. If item 1 passes, the documents should become clearer without Pulte being listed where applicable, and since we must implement the new law anyway, the documents would reflect that which is required by law.
2. Item 2 is a vote to remove term limits on committee members. Currently there is a two-term limit on committee members. Some have felt that some committee members should stay longer if they are willing because of their expertise. You will now vote to remove term limits or leave them in place.
3. Item 3 is a vote to remove Cumulative voting for Board member elections. Currently the HOA uses Cumulative voting every other year in the election process when 3 candidates are up for election. When only two candidates are up for election Regular voting is used. In Regular voting you may not put more than one vote on any one candidate. In Cumulative voting you may put more than one vote on any one candidate. This is the difference between the two voting methods.
4. Item 4 is to change the minimum rental period from 90 days to 45 days.

These are the four items to vote on for the changes to the CC&R’s and By-laws. Hopefully, whoever is President beginning March 5, will hold more Town Hall meetings to explain the changes and how the ballot will work. Please vote so we can conclude this process which began about 3 years ago.

CC&Rs, By-laws, and Ballot Explanation Video

We are an active and welcoming community. We welcome and encourage walking, jogging, biking and, of course, walking our four-legged, fuzzy friends. Just not on the Golf Course or its surrounding grass areas.

Recently use of the area along the intersection of Sun City Blvd and Avenida Sombra has come up for discussion. Initially, it was thought to be something that could potentially be negotiated among the interested parties.

However, it’s come to light that the *Grant Deeds define this area very clearly. The Grant Deeds state that areas along the Golf Course bordering streets ARE the Golf Course, up to the sidewalks or streets.

What does this mean?

It means what many thought was common area was actually Golf Course.

What about the dogs?

Dogs can be walked on streets, sidewalks, the North Channel and the 2 dog parks. Dogs can be walked on the sidewalk along the Golf Course, just not ON the Golf Course. This is no different than residents may walk dogs on the streets, but may not walk dogs on the private property that borders the streets. (Regardless of where you walk your dog, please pick up.)

New Signage

As residents we’re accustomed to the signs posted at the entrance to the Golf Course. “No walking, jogging, bicycling, or pet walking on the Golf Course.” We will soon see additional signs  added at key locations, including but not limited to Sun City Blvd. and Sombra.

Please be aware, this is not a new rule. We ask your understanding and support as we move forward in clarifying where the Golf Course ends and the common area begins.

*A Grant Deed is filed with the County Recorder and shows property designation, description and ownership. We all have recorded Grant Deeds for our homes showing the lot lines.

By Kris Downey
IAC Member

It’s time again for another collection of items to support the AnimalsFiji.org clinics in Nadi and Savusavu, Fiji. (Read our previous article on Animals Fiji.)

This past summer the residents of SCSH opened their hearts and donated hundreds of used or recently expired pet medicines, dog and cat collars, leashes, water bowls and countless toys for the neglected animals of the Fiji Islands.

One of our residents, John Phelps, is planning another trip in early January and this time they will be sponsoring a spay and neuter clinic encompassing four large villages in and around the town of Savusavu.

As many of you who donated last time know, the Fiji government has budgeted zero dollars for any kind for animal welfare services. AnimalsFiji has been filling that gap since 2011, by providing much needed veterinary care for domestic and farm animals on the three largest and most heavily populated islands in the small Pacific Island chain.

We are in desperate need of used towels, bed linens and throws to comfort dogs and cats recovering after they have been spayed and neutered. As before, John is available to stop by and pick up your donations anytime this month or next. Or, if you prefer, Sun City Shadow Hills residents can just drop them outside John’s front door. His address is 38537 Camino Aguacero in Phase Three.

If you would like, please provide your email information with your tax-deductible donation as AnimalsFiji.org would like to thank you for your donation. Finally, please take a look at their website for details on this terrific charity!

We are pleased to announce that the first four projects of the golf master plan have just been finished. These newly renovated amenities are now open and are available to all residents. They include:

• Montecito Putting Course, was renovated with new design, turf and is now under the lights. Residents and their guests can now enjoy the experience throughout the day and into the evening.
• South Course Bunker Renovation, was completed that modified the bunkers, installed liners and replaced all sand. The bunker modification will not guarantee your escape, yet bunkers should be easier.
• Driving Range Expansion, allows for more practice spots and should provide reduced or no waiting time to practice.
• New Practice Putting Green, near the south course pro-shop, it is significantly larger with less slope than our previous green. This should accommodate many more golfers and better simulate green conditions on the course.

This summer’s Golf Master Plan projects came in approximately 16% under budget saving the community almost $200K. The savings were achieved due to following efforts:

• A collaborative effort with help from the Golf Advisory Committee, Finance Advisory Committee, Troon Golf, Management and the Board all working closely together.
• Troon Golf’s substantial renovation experience and overall management of the project helped significantly.
• The selected contractor had just completed another renovation project in Palm Desert resulting in lower equipment transportation cost.
• Conservative estimating of material quantities required for the project.
• Plans and specifications were comprehensive and tightly managed.
• A project manager was hired and held the contractor accountable through continual monitoring and reporting of work performed vs the plan.
• No unexpected issues of any significance were experienced during construction.
• A competitive bidding process with multiple bidders and evaluators helped select lowest qualified bidder.
• Comprehensive contract and legal review provided contract accountability.

This team effort should serve as template and a valuable lesson learned for future projects. The outcome for the community, much improved amenities, resulting in a favorable experience by residents and guests. In addition, the improvement to the course should result a better golf experience, more golf rounds and revenue to the community. Thanks again, to all residents who helped make this a success.

The well-attended HOA Board of Director’s Open meeting was held Monday at the Montecito Clubhouse.  The following are some of the highlights.  In the next few days, we will present more details on each of these items.

• The Board voted unanimously to approve the 2018 Budget with only a scarce increase of the HOA dues of $4.00 per month.  The Board worked diligently to bring the budget into balance and the nominal dues increase was mostly due to the cost of living increases in staffing.
  • The Board voted (5-0).

• After lots of input from homeowners, the committee recommending the CC&R’s and By-Law changes have narrowed the proposed changes into four areas up for our votes.  These are:
  • 1).  Remove Pulte from all Documents.
  • 2).  Remove Term Limits from Committee Members.
  • 3).  Remove Cumulative Voting
  • 4).  Minimum Rental – 45 Days removing the ability to rent your home for a minimum of one night provided a property manager is utilized.
  • The Board voted (4-0-1 Hedlund abstained from voting).

• The documents we will be voting on will be sent on a thumb-drive for residents to view by the end of November.  There will also be documents available at the HOA for homeowner’s wanting a hard copy of these documents.
• The Security Committee recommended to the Board a revision to the current fine structure.  They recommend keeping the traffic fine structure as is, with the exception of a first-offense measure for stop sign or speeding infractions which would leave the first offense fine at $200, with $100 held in abeyance if no 2^nd offense within one year.  The board will need to distribute to the membership for a 30 day comment period prior to adopting the proposed change
  • The Board voted (5-0).

This year’s budgeting process was very comprehensive with help from residents, advisory committees, management and the Board of Directors. Three open meetings were held and resident feedback encouraged. As announced in the open board meeting on October 30^th, after reviewing the 2018 proposed budget, the Board of Directors approved an increase of $4.00 per unit per month or 1.6%. The new monthly assessment is $259.00, effective January 1, 2018. The Board of Directors continues to be committed to properly funding both the Operating and Replacement Funds.

The 2018 total $259.00 monthly assessment includes $211.51 allocated to the Operating Fund and $47.49 allocated to the Replacement Fund.

The amount of the increase is less than current inflation and is sufficient to cover the 2018 Budget. There is no anticipation of the need for any special assessments for the repair, replacement or restoration of any major component in the reserve study. A copy of the detailed 2018 Operating Budget and Reserve study will be available soon on the website at www.scshca.com.

Food & Beverage Hours
Santa Rosa Bistro: Now Open! 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Daily
Snack Shop: Reopens on Saturday November 4
Montecito Café: Reopens on Saturday November 4

Shadows Restaurant Hours
Sunday – Thursday - 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday – Saturday – 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Happy Hour All Day!

New Menu
Shadows Restaurant will roll out their new menu this Saturday, November 4.
Note: This upcoming season Shadows Restaurant will offer breakfast seven days a week from 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Monday Night Football at Shadows Restaurant – October 30
Denver Broncos (3-3) Vs. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
5:30 PM PST from Arrowhead Stadium
Full menu will also be available during the game. Come enjoy a hot dog or chili dog and enjoy the game.

Shadows Restaurant Wine Dinners Are Back!
“A Walk Through Sonoma”
Location: Shadows Restaurant
Date: Thursday November 16, 2017
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Price: $80.00 per person plus tax & gratuity

Please join us again for a wonderful evening here at Shadows Restaurant as we present “A Walk Through Sonoma” Join our wine representative as he takes you through various wineries in Sonoma, California. Our culinary team will present a five-ourse dinner to pair with each wine presented. Wine and menu will be announced shortly. This is a popular event so please make reservations. If you would like to be seated with friends, please mention it at the time your reservation is made.

For reservations, please contact our Food & Beverage Manager, Mario Chaffino, at mchaffino@troon.com or 760-574-3634.

Pasta Pasta Pasta Night
Tuesday November 21, 2017 - Reservations Highly Recommended!
Location: Shadows Restaurant
Date: November 21, 2017
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Price: $13.95

Thanksgiving at Shadows Restaurant
Location: Shadows Restaurant
Date: Thursday November 23, 2017
Time: Seating # 1: 1:00 PM / Seating # 2: 3:00 PM
Price: Adults: $26.95 Children: $11.95
Menu:

• Thanksgiving Buffet
• Carved Roast Turkey
• Carved Prime Rib
• Roast Leg of Lamb w’ Garlic Au Jus
• Seafood Medley
• Traditional Green Bean Casserole
• Squash Casserole
• Fresh Sage Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Mixed Green Salad
• Tropical Fruit Salad
• Assorted Desserts

Saturday Night Prime Rib Special
While supplies last!
Must make a prime rib request at reservation to be guaranteed prime rib.

• 8 oz. Cut - $19.00
• 12 oz. Cut - $23.00
• 16 oz. Cut - $27.00 (includes salad)

Stop by Shadows Restaurant for our weekly specials. Ask your servers for the daily special and also look out for information on our chalkboard outside the main entrance.

Please check the Shadows Restaurant website for upcoming events and details: www.theshadowsrestaurant.com.

Also follow us at:
www.facebook.com/shadowsrestaurant
www.twitter.com/shadowsindio
www.instagram.com/shadowsrestaurant

First, THANK YOU to each and every homeowner who sent in their comments on the Governing Documents during the last four months.  The Governing Documents Ad Hoc Committee is in receipt of these comments and they have made revisions based on homeowner comments.  These documents were then sent to our Attorney for final review and now the Board will be voting on Monday, October 30^th on the final version to send to homeowner’s for their vote.  Remember, we need 51% voter approval of eligible homeowner’s in order for the document changes to our Governing Documents to take effect.

We’d like to thank Fera Mostow, Chair of the Governing Documents Ad Hoc Committee, and her entire committee for all of their hard work and painstaking reading of our Governing Documents.  Thank you to residents Gordon Smith, Jim Kintner, RD Corette, Lee Powell and Bob Israel, who all served on this committee at various stages over the past 2 ½ years.

Please join us at the Board Meeting on Monday, October 30^th at 2 pm in the Montecito Clubhouse to hear what homeowners will be voting on.