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Casting your ballot in any election is a right as well as an obligation. It is a right because you are a citizen or belong to an organization where you have earned the privilege. It is an obligation because you have, of your own free will, signed up for the position or assumed the obligation. When moving to a senior complex where you become an owner in all of the assets of the Homeowners Association you assume the obligation of a participant. It would seem an odd situation where you would walk away and let someone manage your financial position without any input from you. In the past, homeowners at Sun Lakes seemed to have more of an interest in our complex. They knew the CC&R's, knew the rules and we had a very high percentage of ballots cast in our elections. The percentage was always in the 80s and 90s. We can't say that today. The recent vote on the solar project which involved more than a million dollars was 28 percent. The Board of Directors wanted to spend a whole bunch of your money and you weren't interested enough to tell them "yes" or "no." Not long ago at a Pot Luck dinner, the homeowners were asked to tell everyone what prompted them to move to Sun Lakes. The variety of reasons were amazing. But not many realized what it meant to move into a senior community nor knew the obligations they assumed by residing in the community. The State of California has a whole set of laws, rules and regulations that govern complexes similar to ours. Moving into a senior complex is not the same as moving into a neighborhood in any given city. First of all, your neighbors are pretty much your age, there are no kids running around in the area. The complex is the same as a small town where everyone knows everyone else or at least a lot of other people. There are many activities and clubs and things to do within the confines of your "little town." It is difficult to understand how some people can join a community such as Sun Lakes and not participate in any activities nor use any of the facilities. There are residents who have never been in a clubhouse, let alone, used a pool or visited the restaurants. We have two important situations occurring in 2016. A ballot will be mailed to you at the beginning of March for the election of three members of our Board of Directors. For your convenience and assistance, there will be two Candidates' Forums whereby the candidates will talk and be asked questions. You will also vote for your District Delegate and Alternate Delegate. Please cast your ballot with knowledge of whom you are voting for. Finally, by Oct. 1, we must have 80 percent of our community file a form stating they are old enough to live in a Senior Community. Please file this form, without the filings, we could lose our Senior status. It only takes a few minutes and could make your life a whole lot easier. DELEGATE ASSEMBLY REPORT Joe Formino, Chairman, District Delegate Assembly 6 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2016 | Spring Gardening Tips Tree Policies • Once all danger of frost is passed, prune frost-damaged plants but don't fertilize them for a couple of weeks after the frost date. • Fertilize roses and perennials and keep them watered as needed, especially new plantings. • Fertilize citrus and avocado trees now and continue throughout the warm months of the year. • Mulch planter and flowerbeds so that it's 2-3 inches deep. • Organic mulches include things like compost, grass clippings, manure, bark & wood chips. These materials can improve water absorption, add nutrients to the soil as they break down, insulate soil in the summer, prevent soil compaction and suppress weed growth. • As conditions become dry, spider mites or aphids may start to appear on your plants. Control them by giving plants a strong daily blast with the hose, being sure to get underneath the leaves. Here are two more fun tips: • To prevent dirt under your fingernails while you work in the garden, draw your fingernails across a bar of soap and you'll effectively seal the undersides of your nails so dirt can't collect beneath them. Then, after you've finished in the garden, use a nailbrush to remove the soap and your nails will be sparkling clean. • The next time you boil or steam vegetables, don't pour the water down the drain, use it to water potted patio plants, and you'll be amazed at how the plants respond to the "vegetable soup." (Make sure the water has cooled to room temperature before you add it to your plants.) We hope you'll find these tips helpful while spending time in your garden this spring. ~ Mark Schleiden, Director of Operations Sun Lakes has an outstanding landscape which include numerous beautiful trees throughout the community. Many of these trees have gotten very large and have crossed a property line or two which is considered encroaching plant material and one of the most common violations found during inspections. The Sun Lakes Rules and Regulations state: "Trees, shrubs, plants and other vegetation are not to encroach into or onto adjoining lots or common areas. This includes the root ball or root system, as well as the crown or foliage of a tree, shrub or other vegetation at maturity." However, if you have a encroaching tree and the affected neighbor would like to keep the tree in its current state, a Tree Variance Request Form can be submitted to the Master Architectural Committee for consideration and approval with the signatures of all parties affected. The Encroaching Tree Variance Request Form can be obtained in the Sun Lakes Administration Office during normal business hours. ~ Heather Killian, Planning and Compliance Manager

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