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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JUNE 2022 27 ARC exists for one purpose, which is stated in the CC&Rs. "The ARC seeks to preserve and improve the appearance of the community and ensures continuity of design and does not seek to restrict individual creativity or personal preference." The developers of the community established an architectural design that was intended to complement the geographical location of our community. The design included types of buildings, color choices, and other features that define our continuity of design. ARC is guided by a document titled Architectural Guidelines and Standards. This document is the instruction manual for the ARC Committee. A copy of the document is available on our website, www.fourseasonsbeaumont.org. Each application is reviewed for adherence to the document. In addition to our review, we try to offer alternatives in those few instances when a homeowner is seeking approval for something that simply will not work within the guidelines. In most instances these suggestions have been adopted and the homeowner was able to adapt their plans to fit the guidelines and ensure continuity of design within the community. Part of the ARC application process includes a review of the work after the project is completed. Recently ARC has seen a substantial increase in work that was not completed as approved. Most of the time the homeowner reports that the contractor or handyman they used to do the work told them to ignore the requirement or to just do what they want and ignore the ARC and guidelines. In these instances, ARC has no option other than to disapprove the work until the homeowner corrects the issue. This often results in additional expense to the homeowner. In most cases, the contractor or handyman has collected the fee and is unwilling to correct the problem. Please check the references of the people you hire to do your work. Verify that the contractor is licensed, demand proof of worker compensation insurance, and check with others that have used the contractor. We currently have a patio cover installer working in the community who up-sells homeowners to add unapproved items to the work, fails to obtain permits, and substitutes colors and materials. When ARC checked the contractor's website, we found that most postings warned that the work was never completed or was substandard. If you have questions or are unsure of what can be approved or how to complete an application, please contact me or any ARC member. All homeowners and their contractors are welcome at our meetings held the first and third Wednesday of each month at 8:30 am in the RCN Conference Room. ~ Steve Cooley, cooleyaudit@gmail.com, (801) 815-5302 Architectural Review Committee Summer Breeze The ongoing drought and a small snow pack have led experts to believe that Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) will return. The outcome will be the same as usual but the cause is different. Instead of the grid being shut down for fears of potential fire danger from high winds, it will close because of a lack of available electricity. We will attempt to tell you the cause of it and ways that you can try and mitigate it. California has been in a drought for the last five years. Climate change makes this year different. In a normal year, Southern Californians can get water from the melting snow pack. This year the Sierras only received about one-third of their normal level. We also get water from the Colorado River but that may be greatly reduced because of the drought in the west. Water is used to create hydroelectric power from water being released from dams. Lake Powell in Utah is dangerously close to shutting down its hydroelectric plant because of the lack of snowfall in the Rockies. What steps can we take to decrease our power usage? The easiest way is to try and limit our movements in and out of the house to keep the cool air inside. Growing up in Los Angeles, my mother would let the cool morning air into the house and sometime between 9:00 and 10 am she would close all of the doors and windows and draw the curtains shut. The back of the house overlooked the city; it faced directly to the west. Keeping the curtains drawn kept it noticeably cooler. We should try to do an audit of our homes to make sure that we are meeting our needs. This audit should include turning off any unnecessary lights and charging stations. You should monitor what you are charging and shut it off once this has been completed. We can review the way we do things: clothes and dish washing for example to make sure that we are using them in the most efficient way. Solar is a good alternative but supply chain issues regarding solar panels and batteries may make it difficult to obtain. If you use a medical device like a breathing machine or a C-pap machine, you should check with Southern California Edison about their battery assistance program. The Four Seasons Beaumont EPC Committee meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 10 am in the RCN Conference Room. Our next meeting will be on June 21. ~ Michael A. Mendoza, srmendoza@verizon.net Emergency Preparedness Committee

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