Communications Link

From time to time it would be nice to be able to contact owners with information about maintenance plans, security concerns or other information from management. Many homeowner associations have created a means to notify all owners who have e-mail by sending one bulk message to all owners who choose to subscribe to the service.

We would like to establish a RCB Communications Link. If you would like to be listed in this link please send an e-mail to manager@rcboa.com filling in the subject as "Link" Give us the e-mail address that you wish to have listed in the Communication Link. That is all you have to do. If later your e-mail changes just send another e-mail to change or cancel your subscription. This service is open only to registered owners at RCB.

All messages will be sent to manager and all owner e-mail addresses will be protected from view by sending them as a blind copy. Our intent is to send a bulk e-mail when anything of interest occurs.

Thank you for your interest. Paul Sellers

Golf Center Square - Update

The construction on this mini mall just outside our front door continues. This view is from south of Avenue 44 with the G.C.P. intersection on the left. RCB is where the Oleanders are at the right of the photo. The walls are up and today some of the decorative portions have been added. The buildings will be quite tall from 20 feet to 25 feet at the highest point. The developer is still working to sign high end businesses but there is no word on any tenants for this location.

A lot of residential and commerical developments are going in around Avenue 42 and Jackson. We will have to send photos just so you can recognize the neighborhood.

Paul Sellers

Golf Center Square - Ave 44 & Golf Center Pkwy

Just a short post to keep owners up to date on the commercial construction at the corner lot. The development has been named Golf Center Square and management is keeping in touch with the developer to protect RCB interests.

Paul Sellers - General Manager

Water Shutoff

On Wednesday, February 28, 2007, from 9AM to 4PM the water supply will be shut off to the entire park while Lifetime Plumbing installs a water pressure regulator on each of the two six inch water supply lines coming into the community. If you do not have a back flow preventer installed on your water supply you should either turn the water off at the pedestal or shut off your water heater.

This installation should resolve the high pressures that we have been experiencing since the Indio Water Authority installed and activated four new pump stations intended to increase water pressure to supply new residential developments in the area.

Please plan ahead so that you are not too inconvenienced by this outage. This is a good opportunity to use up some of the bottled water you have stored for an emergency and then replace it with fresher water.

IRS Motion on 2007 Ballot

With the new ballot system and method of counting votes dictated by California Civil Code some unfamiliar items were included in the 2007 ballot. You will note an IRS motion that can be confusing. The following is a paragraph from an article written for a HOA professional publication as written by our auditor, Wayne Carlsen, CPA.

Revenue Ruling 70-604 is a common resolution that everyone makes at their annual meetings, but no one seems to be able to explain what it is for or for what year it is to be made. The 70-604 election is a harmless resolution that even if it is not needed is a good thing to do, but applies to an association that files Form 1120. Although there is no specific language in the Code when the election is to be made, it is suggested that the resolution be made at a meeting before the end of the tax year that it will apply to. Also, of most importance, there is a one year, and only one year carry over allowed of any excess member income over expenses for the year the election is made, AND the excess cannot be placed in the reserve accounts to satisfy the requirement of reducing the excess income to the next year's assessments.

Although this may not totally clarify the motion at least it is a professional's attempt to explain it. You are urged to vote yes on this motion. The motion has always been made and voted at the annual members meeting but now that there is no voting at the meeting it appears on your ballot. The same hold true with the approval of the minutes from the prior year.

The primary purpose for the election is to select two members who will serve on the Board of Directors for three years. We have a slate of three well qualified candidates. The return of your ballot is important not only to select those who will guide the community but also to establish a quorum to validate the meeting itself.

Welcome Back

Owners are returning to RCB in great numbers and the park is coming alive again. It is an amazing event each fall to see how the park changes from summer work projects to in-season activity and projects on behalf of owners and committees.

The Activity office that was quiet as a library in early October is now constantly busy with owners returning and stopping in just to say hello or to check schedules for their favorite activities. Event planners are already busy planning for the coming months. The Activity staff is off and running until the season is over toward the end of March.

Customer service is functioning well with our seasonal customer service employee Terri. She has been well trained and is there to meet your needs and answer your questions. Please allow her the time to assist you as she is new and there are always new things to learn about RCB. Jill will be away on vacation or medical leave for a while but is expected to return in late November or December.

This season I would like very much to be able to answer rumors before they are out of control. Already we have heard of several rumors that were based on false assumptions rather than the facts of the matter. Early clarification would have stopped the rumors before they started and became concerns for other owners. I welcome a call, e-mail or visit from any owner who would like to hear the truth about any matter. I assure you that I will honestly respond to any inquiry.

Welcome back to RCB to all returning owners. We are looking forward to a season full of activity and recreation for all. Stop in at customer service to register your return, to say hello and to pick up your welcome packet of information.

Annual Scalping

The annual scalping operation has begun with cutting back on irrigation times and frequency. The grass is being cut shorter and shorter until next week we will begin the actual scalping process.

Washing of park models is postponed until the first or second week of October depending upon the location in the park and the development of the turf in the immediate area. Washing too soon in the process revives the dormant Bermuda grass and excessive water later on tends to wash away the seed before it can become rooted. We have received 36,000 pounds of rye grass seed with about 4,000 pounds more carried over from last year. All but 2,000 pounds will be used to restore our winter turf and the balance will be used by the golf marshals and landscape crew in reseeding areas throughout the season as needed. Cooler nights will speed the germination and growing process so we pray for cool nights.

RCB will be a slightly dustier place for the next few weeks. Our landscape superientendent, Jose Quevedo, will be attending a valley wide conference for reducing scalping dust on Friday, 9/15. The golf course will open on November 4, 2006.

New Board Member

In a special regular session Board meeting held on August 31, 2006 the RCB Board of Directors voted to appoint Art Cole of space 695 to fill the unexpired term of director Carl Verrips who resigned as Member at Large effective August 1, 2006. Mr. Cole will serve on the board until February 2008. Welcome to the Board Mr. Cole.

Carl Verrips served on the Board of Directors in various capacities including Board President since February 16, 2002. We thank him for his loyal service to RCB.

Security Update - Burglary

On August 10, 2006 we reported a series of park model burglaries that were thought to have occurred on or about July 25, 2006. Please refer to that entry in the Manager’s Corner for details.

We experienced another run of burglaries on or about August 25, 2006. The difficulty in establishing a precise date of the burglary is that these incidents are being discovered by owners, neighbors and security days after the fact. The second series to date has involved 7 park models. In the first incidents most of the units were ransacked with items strewn about. The second series for the most part are neat with isolated losses and little if any ransacking.

In both series of burglaries we find that entry is gained by removing a window screen. For the most part these windows were left unlocked but even in the ones that were possibly locked there is no indication of force being used beyond the removal of the screen that is normally laid flat on the deck or placed behind the park model.

The burglars are using chairs or A/C units to stand on where the windows are high off the ground or even ladders left unsecured by other owners. Most losses have been minimal but several have been quite costly in property lost.

The Indio police have logged numerous reports from RCB and are aware of our situation. Security has increased efforts for evening and overnight patrols in an effort to deter or detect further problems. Our Security Director, “Q”, has been working many nights with his regularly assigned officers. All of the RCB staff is taking this quite seriously.

It is no consolation that most communities in the valley are experiencing similar burglaries and thefts. I have checked with managers in other communities including Outdoor Resorts and they have had similar situations in their parks. Indio police have made some apprehensions but none that can be tied to the cases at RCB.

RCBOA Statistics

We use a statistic tracker to determine what use our web site is getting. Recently we have found that daily use has increased and it is nice to see that RCB owners are using the Manager's Corner as a source of information. In the past 7 days rcboa.com has had 49 visitors with 15 of those being return visitors. Of the last 100 visitors 52 have been from the USA, 37 have been from Canada and the remaining 11 have been from England, Uruguay, Mexico and France.

Please continue to use our web site as a source of information not only for the governing documents and minutes of meetings posted there but for occasional updates to the Manager's Corner.

Let us know if you have suggestions as to what information would be helpful to you and that can be posted on the web pages. Don't forget that www.rcbfun.com was established toward the end of last season to keep you up to date on Activities. Be sure to visit that web site too. Encourage other RCB owners who have Internet access to visit us as well.

Summer Project Update

With schools and colleges resuming classes we are suddenly aware that the summer work time is rapidly coming to a close and the opening of the RCB golf course on November 4 is not that far away.

Our maintenance staff is finishing up the smaller, less noticeable projects such as touch up painting, vinyl floor stripping, kitchen cleaning and such. Landscape has their ongoing duties but also are close to implementing plans for scalping and reseeding.

The office staff is completing the 2006-2007 RCB Phone Directory and this will go to the printer on August 28. We are also updating the Employee Manual for presentation to the Board in November as well as a revised and updated Cash Handling Procedure. Our August mailing of the annual audit was mailed last week and should be in the hands of most owners by now. Do not overlook the paragraph in the cover letter that explains the "opt out" option for owners who wish to have their personal information and address withheld from anyone who may request a copy of the membership list. If you have questions please contact the general manager.

We will look forward to the return of our owners and the reawakening of RCB activities. Some begin to return in early October. A schedule for scalping will be posted here within the next week so that you can avoid the mess that goes with it. Also, Phase 1, Old Town, will have the streets seal coated on September 11 and 12.

Crime Report

Toward the end of July, on or about July 25, RCB experienced a series of 7 park model burglaries. One was occupied but the owners were away and 6 were unoccupied units. The entries were discovered over the next week.

Entry in each case was through an unlocked window and there was no evidence of force or actual breaking with any unit. The park models were ransacked but there was no vandalism. Actual loss was low as the offender/s were apparently looking for small easy to carry items. All owners affected have been contacted.

Indio Police has been notified and has indicated they will increase patrols in the area. This sort of incident is occurring throughout the valley as owners everywhere are absent for the summer months.

Landscape staff recovered two pillow cases full of clothing and a few music CD’s. We do not know who these may belong to. A computer printer was recovered and the owner has been identified.

Owners must take responsibility to be certain that all doors, windows and sheds are properly secured when closing up at the end of the season. It is easy to understand oversights but the thieves will take advantage of your mistake. Security has strengthened their night and early morning patrols in an effort to deter further incidents. Owners are urged to call Security if you see or hear anything suspicious or unusual.

City of Indio Building Code Letters

8/8/06 9:00AM: Management was advised by a Board member that some owners are receiving letters from the City of Indio Building Inspector concerning violations of the Title 25 Building Code.

8/8/06 10:13AM: A copy of the correspondence was faxed to RCB by an owner at management’s request.

8/8/06 11:40AM: After researching the information in the correspondence a call was made to City of Indio but Paul Winkler, Building Inspector, was not available so a message was left.

8/8/06 2:20PM: Mr. Winkler returned the call. He stated that an onsite inspection was made in response to two complaints. 91 units were identified as having blinds or shades completely enclosing the deck.

In the interest of safety in the event of fire or medical emergency the City of Indio will require that there be access through at least one section. Owners who received letters must call the City of Indio Building Inspector and make arrangements to pull a permit to have their blinds or shades inspected as well as the installation and electrical wiring.

Mr. Winkler indicated that at this time his only interest is those fully enclosed decks. Other blinds and shades installations may later be notified that a permit is required but no action is required now. New installations of blinds or shades should have a city permit.

Valley Sanitary District Notice of Hearing

Every property owner within the city of Indio recently received a "Notice of Public Hearing" from the Valley Sanitary District. This gives notice of an increase in sanitary sewer fees related primarily to new construction or new sanitary sewer hookups and service. This will not affect owners at RCB.

However, the first sentence in the first full paragraph under the chart of charges says, "Additionally, the Board of Directors adopted a new sewer use fee of $215.00 per year per unit of service." This fee appears on your county property tax bill each year. The current fee is $180.00 per year.

Since RCB is not a permanent residency park our owners pay one-half the annual fee. We were advised by Valley Sanitary District that currently $90 of your property tax bill is for sanitary sewer use. The fee will increase to $107.50 per year. If you have specific questions on this matter you should do as the notice directs and call Valley Sanitary District at 760-347-2356.

CH-I Ballroom Floor Completed June 24

The last coat of finish was applied to the parquet floor on Saturday, 6/24. Repairs were made to the water damaged areas and all loose spots were secured.

Palm tree trimming is on schedule to be completed by the end of this week. The maintenance staff is involved in several projects one is the replacement of sink counter-top tiles in the CH-I breezeway restrooms.

The security staff is doing a good job but remain one person short for full staffing. We continue to search for someone to fill that position. There have been no incidents since June 7.

The office staff is working on the 2006-2007 RCB directory, an updated employee manual and a consolidation of accounting procedures. We are also preparing for the member mailing that takes place in mid-August to include the recently completed annual audit.

CH-I Ballroom Floor

Repairs and refinishing of the CH-I ballroom floor began last week and should be completed by Saturday, June 24. The installer of the original floor back in 1986 is doing the work and has a 3-man crew here Monday through Saturday working from 9AM until after 8PM on some days. Final sanding is being worked on now and three coats of finish will be applied between now and Saturday. The ballroom essentially will have a complete new floor once this process is completed. Only the damaged areas were replaced but repairs and refinishing are taking place over the entire floor. The photo was taken on June 15.

Clubhouse I Lakes

You may recall from an earlier post that we were having problems with the west lake pump at CH-I. The pump apparently was shipped with a diverter plate installed too close to the impeller and this jammed the pump so that it would not operate. The plate has been readjusted by Palm Springs Pump and the pump is working as it should. The lake has been filled and the fish appear to be happy with the results. I am sure that all owners will see a difference in the lake now that it has been cleaned after 20 years of use.

We have included the other lakes (golf course rentention ponds) in the reserve study for cleaning on a regular schedule beginning in 2007.

Security Concerns

Eight owners have reported that overnight between June 7 and 8 that their vehicles were entered and searched. A few items were stolen such as music CD's and a gate card that was later voided. It appears as though all of the vehicles were not locked as there was no forced entry or broken glass.

As we have stated in the past...please secure your vehicle, your shed and your unit. Also, please report any suspicious circumstances or people to Security. We would rather investigate a renter on site than to miss out on observing a trespasser. Let your security officers make this determination by reporting immediately.

The role of Security is to observe and report. The presence of patrol officers serves as a deterrant to crime but only the individual owners can make sure that their property is locked and secured.

Summer Projects

In my vacation absence the past two weeks much has been accomplished in summer projects by the RCB staff. The Avenue 43 water efficient landscape project is completed. The two 15hp pumps for the CH-I lake were received and installed. The east pump works fine but the pump company is having difficulty with the west pump. This should be resolved soon. The entire lake was cleaned with the exception of a small area where the larger fish were contained. The exterior of the shuffleboard building has been painted. An access door has been installed into the art storage room so that there is no longer a necessity to go through the refrigeration and soda storage area to get to the art supplies. Palm tree trimming is well along the way to completion. A number of smaller but scheduled projects have also been completed. On our schedule for Monday 6/19 is the start of the CH-I ballroom floor repair and refinishing by the contractor who installed the original floor back in 1986.

I anticipate posting an update on summer maintenance activities every two to three weeks through this site. Please check back.

New Manager's Forum

I am away on vacation until June 12th 2006. When I return I will begin regular posts to this page to assist in keeping the membership up to date on projects and other matters of interest.

Check back for current information.