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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2021 5 By Kathy Craven, Board Vice President December is here and another year has flown by. This year was better than 2020, but we are all hoping for a better 2022. In 2021, we saw all of our amenities reopen and so many residents coming out to enjoy. The Wine Club, Amphitheater concerts, swimming pools, and card games were all back in full swing and I can say it was a beautiful sight to behold! The Board of Directors (BOD) and the Finance Committee have spent many hours in budget workshops, over the past couple of months, to arrive at the budget for 2022. We went line by line and looked to see where we could cut and where we needed to add money so we could continue to maintain the community at its current standard. We looked at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Riverside County, which was the highest in the nation, with the newest number at 6.8 percent. We looked at inflation and the cost of goods and services. Energy numbers rose 26.9 percent. Wages for professional jobs came in at 5.7 percent and non-farm workers were at 5.6 percent. Building materials increased by 15.5 percent. This will be the fourth year the budget has been completed without K. Hovnanian participating. Each year we have hit the budget right on the nose with what is necessary to operate our $5.7 million corporation. The BOD and Finance both look at it conservatively and strive to not overspend while saving money for the proverbial rainy day. We utilized the newest Reserve Study and were able to lower the amount that goes into it every month from the base of $38 to $37 all while keeping our reserves slightly over 100 percent. Last year when we were doing the budget for 2021, we were fortunate to have a surplus of cash from closures during COVID and we were able to apply that surplus to HOA assessments and pay it down for the year for all 1,853 homes. This year we started at $3.40, that would have been a raise for 2021, and worked from there. The 2022 budget came in after many drafts and changes, along with some cuts, at an increase of $15 for the base which includes the $3.40 increase from the 2021 budget and $11.60 for the 2022 increase. This is a 6.61 percent increase which is in line with the CPI for Riverside County. This will increase the base from $227 to $242. The Front Yard Cost Center will remain at $70 in addition to the new base. The Springdales will increase $10.42 for Plan 1, $11.24 for Plan 2, and $12.68 for Plan 3 in addition to the base. The increase for the Springdales is for the insurance. The HOA assessments will be effective January 2022. If you are on an auto payment plan, please remember to make the adjustments to your bank. As a reminder, the BOD meets the second Thursday of each month at 1 pm in the Ballroom. If you are looking for a more informal meeting to speak with the Board directly and receive answers to your questions, consider attending Meet the Board. Meet the Board is the third Wednesday at 1 pm in the RCN Main Room, or you can reach me at (714) 722-1301 with any questions or concerns. The BOD would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a wonderful, safe and healthy New Year! Be kind to one another. Message From The Board

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