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| OHCC LIVING | JULY 2024 | 3 President's Message By Greg Kusiak, HOA President (2023-2024) Continued on following page May gray was right on target and June gloom has so far lived up to its reputation. The bright sun we usually associate with outdoor activities here frequently escapes us during these months. But I'm hoping for a little good old-fashioned fry an egg on the sidewalk weather because I want to see what the climate is like in our new lanai! Construction was officially completed on Flag Day, June 14, and even those of us more closely involved in its design and construction are in a little bit of awe. It will take time to get all the Audio-Visual systems working, and there will be some furniture replaced, but we are open and ready to party! The casa has also been renovated and upgraded as a proper companion to the lanai, with more accessible restrooms and an entirely new interior. Soon the patio covers will be installed and the patio deck spruced up. After that, we'll just have to wait a bit while the landscaping grows in. Note that we have contracted to clean up and relandscape the f lag court, but work couldn't begin until lanai construction was completed. Our other big project has also moved forward, but as has been the case for over three years, we seem to be condemned to three steps forward and two steps back. (I sometimes refer to it as the damned dam project since it appears to be cursed!) We approved a proposal from Well Tec of Escondido to serve as the general contractor to complete the project. We also received a response from the City that we would be required to have a Storm Water Quality Management Plan or SWQMP which involves capturing runoff and permitting it to percolate back into the soil rather than into storm drains. The Board has already commissioned the work from the civil engineering firm we have been working closely with on the project, but it will delay the permitting process by about six weeks. With the city's commitment to turn resubmittals around in twenty days, that means a minimum of ten weeks before the project can begin. This puts us into the latter half of August, or possibly after Labor Day. The grading of the lake and creation of the dam will occur in the first part of the process, but we have an increasing risk of weather delays as we are pushed to later in the year. There are certain items that can proceed without further permitting. The area to be graded will be prepped and other items readied. The power is available from the new transformer and the well pump can be installed. The well can then supply the needed construction water and be ready to fill the lake. From the time the permit is received until the project is completed is estimated to be ninety days. As one of our Technical Oversight Committee members said, "If it weren't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all." But with a little good luck, a finished project could be our big holiday present. As a spin-off of the lake construction, we are applying for a turf removal rebate as we relandscape over an acre of land beyond the golf course near the back gate intersection. We hope to qualify for $200,000 which would cover the entire cost of the conversion to water-wise plants and drip irrigation. All residents have been notified that the Emergency Monitoring System or EMS currently cannot be monitored. For any serious emergency, residents are advised as always to call 911 or otherwise rely on the other systems that many have installed. For those who have been using the EMS, the smoke detectors are still active, but they will only sound an alarm in your home like the common, free- standing smoke detectors. The mechanism which connects them to the Community Patrol has had multiple failures, and we are currently evaluating whether it can be resurrected. All residents have the option of having the system monitored by a third party for a small monthly fee. The Board noted in 2022 that the system was outdated and difficult to continue to support, but at the urging of a few residents, continued to operate it up until the recent failure. We will continue to advise all residents of the EMS status. The paving and sealing and street repainting project is now complete. It is an unavoidable inconvenience when street maintenance is necessary, but the rotational plan worked well to make it as tolerable as possible. We have new paving in several areas and have resealed the streets in greatest need. Additional work is scheduled for every year into the future to maintain infrastructure that could easily be taken for granted and allowed to deteriorate. Street maintenance is the largest part of our reserve investments year in and year out. The formal celebrations of our 40th Anniversary have now been completed. The Committee and the staff were very successful in organizing the events and deserve a very hearty "Thank you!" Ocean Hills Country Club is itself an ongoing celebration; may we all continue to enjoy it for many years to come! Our advisory group on community connectivity continues to explore fiber-optic cable options. Discussions are ongoing with at least three providers, and at least one formal proposal is being prepared. Any significant information will be shared when it develops.

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