As published in The View, May 2023:
President
Hello fellow homeowners.
I want to thank the outgoing Board members for their volunteer service to our community during the last two years. Unless a person has walked in their shoes, they will not know how many sleepless nights and countless hours are required to fulfill the role of a Board member. Please remember that we are a community with divergent views, but we all have the same goal of making Sun City Shadow Hills a great place to live. Once again, thank you.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I was raised in El Centro, CA, just 90 miles southeast of here. I grew up playing sports and somehow managed to parlay that into a career teaching tennis. I went to UC Berkeley and studied Physical Anthropology with the expectation of teaching someday. Little did I know that tennis would become my specialty. I met my wife (Lin) while teaching, and after a quick 40 years, we decided to move to Sun City Shadow Hills where I have made a home that I truly love. I have met people from all walks of life and experiences, and as a result, am a much better person.
I imagine this is a good time to give you an idea of my goals for our Association, which I hope will meet with your approval. The issues that face the Association are numerous. First, we have an ongoing project with CVWD concerning the runoff into our community. We are engaged in negotiations with CVWD at this time so I cannot relate a lot about that right now. I can say that there have been some missteps along the way in communication with the Association, and they are being addressed as I write this.
The Pulte project to build 1,500 homes immediately adjacent to our property is very much a sooner rather than later issue. There are several potential problems ranging from where Pulte will be allowed to put either a stop light or roundabout entrance, to sewage work that may encroach severely into our property south of Avenue 40. Where a new electrical substation will be located is another issue to be determined. The Board will be fully engaged in working on all these topics, and I hope the homeowners will also make their views known to the Indio City Council.
Finally, I want to give you an idea of my feelings about how we might address our needs as a community. With the difficulties that may face us because of a potential recession, the large increase in this year’s dues, and the issues I described above, I think a belt tightening is in order. Keeping what we have in good order and trying to find ways to answer our immediate needs should be our priority. I am not saying that I don’t want additional venues to be developed (like the Montecito Café), but perhaps a short step back from new spending is reasonable.
Contact the author at jerry.conrad@scshca.com.