Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1540592
| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2025 | 3 From the Master Board The ghosts and ghouls are behind us now along with the Nightmare Before Christmas. (Does anyone else love that Tim Burton movie?) But first there is Thanksgiving. What could be more important than a heart full of thankfulness and wonder at our blessings of living in America and especially here in Sun Lakes. Fall brings such great weather filled with views of our beautiful mountains and beautiful landscaping and golf courses. Let's find time to savor the pumpkin spice coffee, maple leaf cookies, and the vibrant colors of fall. The Board has been hard at work on a number of projects, not the least of which is reviewing proposals for management of our community. What has become abundantly clear is the uniqueness of Sun Lakes. We are a "large-scale community" and some companies have a Vice President dedicated to those. In fact, at 3,327 homes we seem to be on the large end of the large-scale definition. We are 55+ so our use of amenities and types of homes and desire for activities is much different than the majority of HOAs for younger adults and families. Plus, we have dining options and golf courses which are all private, so the options to grow participation is limited and that is fairly unique. The thought that we would secure a company that has good experience managing HOAs "like ours" has quickly evaporated because there are very few HOAs "like ours" in the U.S., let alone in Southern California. Many of these companies have experience managing HOAs but not golf and dining. Or they are experts in running private clubs with amenities, whereas managing residential HOAs requires a different skill set. Managing a championship golf course and multiple dining venues requires support from corporate expertise and several proposals to run the HOA recommend that we find other options to run those amenities. These are the challenges that your elected Board members have wrestled with, pouring over every word in these documents, creating comparison charts, hosting on-site presentations with our top candidates, and having earnest conversations to evaluate the options compared to our priorities. Please be grateful for the time we are spending, setting aside many activities in our own lives to be dedicated to serving you and making good decisions. By now the budget will have been approved and we should have new insurance rates to be sure our community is properly protected. The Reserve Study is complete, and we are setting in motion what is needed in 2026 and the required funding. Happy Thanksgiving to all our residents and your loved ones, and remember to wear your stretchy pants! "Over and over I marvel at the blessings of my life: each year has grown better than the last." ~ Lawrence Welk Joe Ganino, Bob Walter, Gary Burkel, Sandra Gutknecht, and Mary Jo McElwain