GRF president restores Board's decision-making option for mid-month meetings

Staff writer

GRF President Fred Barnes read sections of the bylaws at the mid-month meeting Aug. 12 before stating his proposed adjustments.

In future, he said, mid-month agendas will be published in advance of the meetings; the Board will be able to make decisions and take actions at mid-month meetings; and a regular Residents Forum will be included in the proceedings.

“While it has been traditional that no decisions have been made at the mid-month meeting, with the restoration of rules applicable to the Board meetings, the Board will now have that option and will exercise it when appropriate at future meetings,” Barnes said.

As there had been no advance agenda for this meeting, however, he said no actions would be taken or motions accepted at this time. The August mid-month meeting continued in the vein of informational/discussion session only.

But prior to all discussion, Barnes honored lifeguard Nicholas Eisenbart who was recently involved in a pool rescue. A resident's three-year-old granddaughter was playing in the pool when her grandmother's attention was diverted briefly and the child slipped under the water's surface. Eisenhart responded immediately and got the child out of the pool to safety.

Presenting the Rossmoor Award pin and a plaque to Eisenhart, Barnes thanked him for doing his duty so well.

Phases of Creekside

Alex Gunst of Pound Management, the construction management company hired to oversee the Creekside project, presented some facts and figures to the Board regarding feasibility and costs to phase the building on the north side of Stanley Dollar Drive.

This phasing would separate out the two northernmost buildings from the other two buildings. The first phase includes buildings to be used to house the News, Channel 28, public safety offices, golf course maintenance workers and equipment and storage for golf carts. The second phase would include the new Pro Shop and restaurant and a social center with meeting rooms.

As far as feasibility, Gunst said an engineer's evaluation of the plans indicated no reason the two sets of buildings could not be built at separate intervals. The work on one area should not impact continuing operations of the other.

The financial analysis indicates that the phasing would increase the costs for the project by approximately 15 percent, or close to $2 million. Some of these costs would be incurred because of the additional architectural work, including extended permitting processes and more would be added due to the increased length of time contractors would be needed on site, along with the need to “mobilize and de-mobilize twice,” Gunst said.

“That is a heck of a lot of money,” said Director Ron Moschel, who suggested it might be necessary to reconsider the phasing.

Barnes said it has been acknowledged that there would be a premium to pay in phasing the project but the Board had already made its decision to phase the project and “the premium is a reality of that decision.”

However, Moschel and directors Sheldon Solloway and David Smith all agreed it might be a good idea to think again about breaking the project down into the two phases.

“We have made a decision based upon facts that were available at the time,” Smith said. “When new facts become available, it's appropriate for us to revisit the decision that we made.”

But Barnes said reconsiderations can go on and on and achieve nothing. “It's not a new fact; we simply put a quantifiable figure on an assumed premium,” he said. “I think we accept the premium and we go forward.”

Stairway to Del Valle

In response to a petition signed by numerous First Mutual residents for the creation of a stairway/pathway leading from Lower Golden Rain Road to the Del Valle parking lot, Trust Operations Director Dan Schrantz wrote a report that Salmons summarized for the Board about its costs and feasibility. The proposed purpose of the path would be to shorten the distance for pedestrian travel from First Mutual to Del Valle.

The property that would be affected includes approximately two-thirds land belonging to Project 3 in the Mutual and the rest to GRF.

Schrantz pointed out in his report that there may be some issues with city permitting, handicapped access, environmental impact (erosion) and the usability of a long steep path and stairs. The cost estimate, he wrote, could possibly exceed $170,000.

Salmons said there has been no budget allowance for the project, but should the Board choose, it could be put in as a Trust work project or cost-shared with the Mutual.

Resident John Nutley pointed out that the property that is part of First Mutual should be the purview of First Mutual and not the GRF Board, a comment that received confirmation from Director Paul Rosenzweig who said the Board's only option is to refer the proposed project to First Mutual to see if the Mutual will entertain the concept and at what cost.

Moschel questioned the discussion altogether, stating that it would be First Mutual residents that would use it and it really only involves the Mutual.

Rosenzweig said even bringing it forward is “just burning up time and money.”

Smith asked Salmons if there might not be a better way to handle resident requests that may be impractical for one reason or another, however well-meaning they are, rather than bringing each and every one before the Board.

But Barnes said the proposal was on the agenda because so many residents went to “so much trouble” to get the petition signed, and he wanted to address it “as a courtesy and a recognition of a fair amount of research.”

Salmons suggested that there needs to be some type of process for vetting proposals such as this. He said he would like to propose one in coordination with the budgeting process at some point.

Fire abatement

The fire department has increased the defensible space requirement for the county from the former 30 feet to 100 feet, Salmons said. This means by law, fire-prone vegetation must be cut back 100 feet from all structures.

The Mutuals have been working on this for some time in anticipation of this new requirement, he said.

Since the GRF takeover of property from Shea, GRF now is responsible for lands that form common boundaries with some Mutuals - about 700 acres of open space, Salmons said. In some areas, the 100 feet of defensible space extends beyond Mutual properties into GRF property.

Having dealt with its defensible space requirements on its property, Mutual 68 has been urging GRF to attend to clearing its property that abuts the Mutual.

But this begs the question that, if GRF owns no structures on the land it owns, is it required by law to create defensible space for structures it does not own? There is only one structure owned by GRF that would be subject to the requirement, and that is Hillside Clubhouse, Salmons said. The cost of that clearance should be borne by GRF as it is a common clubhouse.

So the next question is: Should GRF be responsible for clearing vegetation on its property when that property is within 100 feet of structures owned by the Mutuals? If it does take on the responsibility for such clearance, who should pay for it? Is there a way to cost-share and cooperate?

Cost estimates for work to priority areas of GRF property that interface with Mutuals are $60,000, the largest portion of that being approximately $50,000 for the area bordering Mutual 68; and to address Hillside Clubhouse defensible space, $22,000.

Three residents from Mutual 68 addressed the Board regarding fire abatement. Robert Heyden told the Board that “it's a total Rossmoor problem” and if GRF doesn't do something in a timely manner and a fire breaks out, it will become a “blame situation.”

Diane Mader said the Mutual has taken care of its portion of the defensible space and GRF needs to step up and do its part. It's not about budget, she said. “This is a health and safety issue.”

“Our residents are very, very concerned,” Mutual 68 resident James Hartnett added.

Smith wanted to know who was legally obligated in this situation.

GRF General Counsel Shannon Walpole said that when Shea owned the property, she looked into the question of fire abatement and learned that Shea had no responsibility to create defensible space for structures on someone else's property (the Mutuals). The same would be true for GRF. While not legally obligated, however, there is such a thing as “maintenance of a nuisance” which might be considered, she said.

Overall, Salmons said the issues are funding and policy philosophy.

“My view is that it is a shared risk,” he said. “There probably should be some sort of compromise.”

Moschel agreed. “Let's do the right thing. Let's all share it Š let everyone put their part in and solve it.”

But Barnes wasn't sold on that idea. “It's not for us (the Board) to dictate to the Mutuals,” he said, adding that it could be a suggestion, but not a mandate.

However, he conceded, “fire doesn't recognize boundaries.”

Solloway said it might be hard to convince First Mutual residents that they are at risk from a fire near Mutual 68. But, he said, all Mutuals share the $100,000 insurance deductible and if there is a fire in Mutual 68, everyone would ultimately pay for it through the deductible.

“There is some exposure there,” he said, and added that there is a good neighbor aspect to be considered.

News/TV coverage

In response to CORG President Hugh Grey's request that the News and Channel 28 begin to report on and televise the Finance Committee meetings, Communications Manager Maureen O'Rourke gave an overview of the guidelines both the paper and the TV channel follow.

Both of the GRF Board monthly meetings - regular and mid-month - are reported on and televised. The budget process is covered in a series of meetings from the introduction to the community to the final meeting resulting in Board's actions and these meetings are also featured in the News and on Channel 28. Any special meetings that affect the community at large, such as those regarding Creekside, are also featured.

However, while the Finance Committee meetings are open to residents and are taped, and the tapes are available in the Rossmoor Library, the News and Channel 28 do not report on them other than in summary through the committee reports during the regular monthly GRF Board meeting.

There has been little call for more meeting coverage, O'Rourke said. In fact, the feedback she said she gets is that there are too many meetings on Channel 28. Residents tell her “Put more entertainment shows on,” she said.

Furthermore, there is simply not enough staff to cover all committee meetings, either for reporting or televising, she said.

Director Phoebe Cortessis said she believed Channel 28, being supported by GRF, should primarily be for information sharing to the residents and education, not entertainment. She doesn't see it like a “teeter-totter” with half education/information and half entertainment, she said, but instead, the weight should be more heavily on the former.

Residents like the entertainment, though, O'Rourke said, and, in the News, the feature stories and other types of articles. It's important not to overwhelm people with back-to-back meetings in print or on TV, O'Rourke said. “We offer a balance; we give everybody a variety,” she said.

Barnes jokingly said he took exception to the fact that O'Rourke didn't find the Board meetings to be scintillating enough for added coverage.

“We have drama; we have comedy; we have angst; we have it all here,” he said, but then taking a serious note, commended O'Rourke on her professionalism and said the Board sets policy, and she, as manager, follows it, which is as it should be.

Smith said it is up to O'Rourke to determine the balance of news and programming. “I would be the last person to tell her how to do her job,” he said.

Budget calendar

Salmons explained the upcoming program for presenting the 2009 budget to the community, allowing for the budget to be finalized by the end of September. A draft budget will be delivered to the Finance Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and two joint Finance Committee/GRF Board meetings are set for Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 9 and 10.

Salmons asked the Board for direction regarding the best way to inform residents about the budget in advance so the Board can receive feedback from residents prior to making decisions.

His suggestions included conducting town hall meetings on a chosen date between the Finance Committee draft budget meeting and the joint committee/Board meetings; summarizing the budget in the News; and placing copies of the budget summary and/or a fully detailed draft budget in the Library and/or on the Rossmoor Web site.

Barnes asked that staff pursue it and present details at the Thursday, Aug. 28, regular meeting of the Board.

Rosenzweig objected. He said the Finance Committee voted to add the summary budget to the Web site and make it available to anyone who attended the meeting.

Now, he said, the committee's decision is more or less being overridden. “Now we're saying let's blow it up even more, blow it out to special meetings,” Rosenzweig said. “I don't understand what we're doing except burning up staff time,” not to mention Board and Finance Committee members' time. He said he sees no real benefit to the community from the additional meetings.

There's no intent to override the committee, Barnes said. This has more to do with resident requests.

“(The residents are) very, very concerned about the budget process,” Barnes said. “And we want to involve them as much as possible.”

GRF president restores Board's decision-making option for mid-month meetings

Staff writer

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