Presidents Letter

As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter a number of Palo Verde trees have been infested with witches’ broom. The landscape committee toured the property recently looking at the condition of the Palo Verde trees. While the committee feels that trees add shade and are a real asset to the community it was with great reluctance that the committee has decided that removing the infested trees is in the best interests of the community. In an attempt to try and get ahead of the infestation and try to keep it from going further the committee decided to remove 24 Palo Verdes from Coachline north of Twin Peaks and replace them with 36 inch boxed trees. This was not something that was planned for but by careful management of their budget they will be able to achieve this goal while staying in budget. The committee will be looking at other infested trees when they have a new budget in November.

On a happier note the new play structure was completed at Windmill Park and if the amount of usage is any indication I would venture a guess that it is being warmly received by both the parents and the kids. It is a great addition to Windmill and continues the mission of this BOD to keeping our assets up to highest standard that we all deserve.

I find it quite interesting that the kiddie pool at the community center has far fewer problems keeping the pH level correct while the hot tub/spa at Windmill pool has constant issues in maintaining the proper pH levels due to urination. You would think that little children would be urinating in the pool while adults using the spa would not be. Apparently this is not the case and can cause very serious consequences for anyone using the spa. Chlorine interacts with ammonia from urine to form chloramines which have been associated with lung and nasal problems. It is really sad that the little children have better control of their bladders than adults in this case.

With Memorial Day behind us school is out for summer break meaning the kids have more free time. I am sure we will see more use of our community pools by these children and their families. Just a reminder, that the pool committee has established a set of rules for behavior in the pool areas so that everyone can have a safe and enjoyable time while using the pools. Management is not responsible for making the rules but they are sometimes responsible for enforcing them. That being said, it seems that a few people feel it is their right to get confrontational with management when they are approached about breaking the pool rules. Management is following the rules that the pool committee established and the BOD ratified. The BOD put in place a policy that anyone acting in an intimidating, confrontational or demeaning manner toward management or the pool monitors will have their pool key suspended for 30-days and may face up to a $100 fine. Please follow the rules and treat management and the pool monitors with respect- they are only doing what they are told.

The trees in the common areas within CRCA have a replacement value of 2.4 million dollars. They are a great asset providing shade and enhancing the environment for all. The landscape committee is tasked with overseeing the care of the trees as well as the plants and flowers. It was noticed that a number of Palo Verde trees were not appearing healthy. The arborist was consulted and he noted that a number of them are infested with witches’ broom. Witches’ broom causes a proliferation of dense twig growth and is associated with the eriophyid mite, but the cause of the problem is unclear at this time. It eventually will kill the tree and there is no cure except removal of affected areas, but removal does not prevent reoccurrence. If you prune out witches’ broom you need to sterilize your tools before using them elsewhere or you can spread it further. If you have Palo Verde trees please keep an eye on them for witches’ broom so it does not spread throughout the community. CRCA has over 170 Palo Verde trees and the landscape committee will be addressing what actions need to be taken with the affected trees so we can protect our investment.

The Association hosted the annual Easter Egg hunt at Windmill park on the Saturday before Easter. Judging from the large turnout (over 500 children) accompanied by parents, older siblings, and a few grandparents I would have to say it was a great success. Thanks to Jocelyn and all the volunteers as well as the rest of the management staff for putting so much work into making this such a great event. A special thanks to Stephen and Ryan for dressing up in the Easter bunny suit- they deserve it as you have no idea how hot that suit is. It was really nice to see the families coming together and enjoying our beautiful park and their families. There were lots of smiling children running around and enjoying the petting zoo, face painters, balloon artists and jumping castles as well as the egg hunts.

The BOD, Finance committee and management will be working on the budget for next year starting in May. We have not seen a dues increase since I have been on the BOD (6 years) but we have seen increases in the of cost services, utilities and required contributions to the reserve fund continually rise. In 2010 our reserve contribution was $90,000.00. The current contribution requirement is $170,000.00 with it rising to $216,968.00 by 2018. We have held management and other contractors to no increases for over two years and will be facing increases this coming year. Looking at a number of expenditures the cost of keeping Windmill pool open November to February has stood out as one of question. In 2006 the then BOD decided to keep Windmill open year round on a trial basis. With the associated costs and usage by a very small number or residents the BOD decided to send a survey out in May for input from all homeowners on the justification of this expenditure. Please return the survey so we can make plans while budgeting for next year and hopefully not have to raise dues.

I have asked myself for the last six years being President of the association- why do I put up with the attacks on the BOD for our actions, dealing with collections of delinquent accounts, overseeing the financials and how homeowners monies are spent, making sure that the reserve study is followed, selecting and overseeing contractors for the myriad of projects- both planned and unplanned- that are undertaken and a host of other issues and challenges faced as a BOD member. Making sure that ALL homeowners are treated equally with no one group receiving preferential treatment over another and making sure that we meet all of the conditions of the CC&R’s while not intruding on a homeowners right to live an enjoyable life here in CRCA. I take this task very seriously and have put a lot of time and effort into this association. WHY?

I guess the answer would be I really enjoy seeing the transformation that has taken place in CRCA. The Windmill office is welcoming to homeowners and it is nice to see visitors looking for their house on the wall map in the lobby. Seeing the interaction between homeowners and the staff of management is most always a good experience for both. Seeing the baseball diamond being used at night by the little league team is especially enjoyable to me- I think I enjoy it as much as the players are. Seeing the families using the picnic area under the armadas at Windmill Park and the kids playing ball and flying kites on the weekends makes all the work put into making the park what it is today all worthwhile. It is a definite asset to CRCA and is being used as it should be by homeowners. Seeing the large turnout for the food truck round up as well as the pool being used by families with the kids enjoying the facilities.

With that said I would like to remind you of the upcoming Easter Egg hunt at Windmill park on April 19^th. This event has grown each year with the children having a great time and taking home their share of the eggs. If you have the time it would be great to have you volunteer to help with the Easter Egg hunt- it is a little bit of work but the rewards cannot be measured when you see the joy in the children.

One last thing- starting on April 3^rd there will be a Farmers Market at the west end parking lot of Windmill Park from 9AM to 1PM. This will be every Thursday so we hope to see you there so it can continue and grow.

Have a safe and happy Easter and enjoy what CRCA has to offer each homeowner.

I thought it was time to call the attention of homeowners and businesses in CRCA to a portion of your property taxes for which you receive no benefit- what I would call a “taxation without representation” sort of thing. I am referring to the part of your tax bill that reads “CMID”. This CMID tax is assessed by the Cortaro Marana Irrigation District for which you are levied $69 per acre (or percentage of an acre) on your property taxes each year.

CMID (aka Cortaro Water Users Association) has been in existence since 1919 and services approximately 70 irrigation customers. Before Continental Ranch was first developed in the mid-80’s, the area was farmland owned by lettuce grower Bud Antle. I am sure that Mr. Antle used the services of CMID to water his fields. I find it quite disturbing that over 90% of CRCA- as well as the businesses at the Arizona Pavilions- are included in the CMID water district for tax purposes and we receive nothing in return other than the privilege of offsetting some costs to the 70 customers who use CMID water for irrigation. Doing a rough calculation CMID receives in excess of $70,000 a year from properties in CRCA and give nothing back to us in return.

I have included a map in this newsletter showing the boundaries of CMID for taxation purposes. Is there anything we can do to stop paying for something we receive no benefit from? We can petition the Pima County Board of Supervisors to be excluded from this taxing district. If you are interested in lowering your tax bill please contact the office for a petition. This will not happen without a lot of homeowners voicing their opinion.

As we head into February and the holiday cheer begins to fade, I wanted to share a touching letter that was addressed to our community by a CRCA adopt-a-family. I hope everyone who donated gifts this year has a chance to read this and know that you are appreciated!

January 22, 2014

Dear all the Continental Ranch Christmas Angels,

When my kids were little they weren’t allowed to enjoy their gifts until the thank you notes had been written and placed in the mail. I’m afraid that this year we’ve broken that rule.

Please forgive that this note is so late, but the ALS my son is battling has completely changed life for us. It seems that one day melts into another and before we know it, we are days, or weeks … or months, down the road.

Many, many, MANY! Thanks to you and all the Angels who made our Christmas possible. You truly blessed us with your generosity.

I wish you could have heard our grand-daughter’s excitement as she opened her gifts and shared her smile as she thanked her Daddy for spoiling her. (We told her the gifts were from her Daddy). She has enjoyed the scooter, the Nerf toys, the movies, the clothes, the red dress … OH MY! She loved it! If she could, she would wear it 24-7. She looked so pretty in it. One day she put it on with some of her jewelry and pretended she was a queen  J . She proudly displays her jewelry box that is overflowing with her nail polishes and jewelry.

Daddy is enjoying the pajama bottoms, socks, movies and wasted no time logging onto iTunes to use the gift cards.

Grandpa’s popcorn is long gone, and he has been enjoying the movie tickets. He wasted no time using his Barnes and Noble gift cards. We will be enjoying the barbecue sauces this weekend.

I am loving my pajamas, slippers and robes. The Walmart gift card has put food on the table since Christmas.

Thank you doesn’t seem enough but know that it comes from the bottom of our hearts.

We are grateful. May God richly bless each and every one of you and return your kindness many times over.

-Your adopted family

2013 is now behind us with a new year before all of us. Hopefully everyone had a safe and enjoyable Christmas; and now with the new year comes new challenges and opportunities. I’d like to reflect back on CRCA’s milestones of success for 2013.

The Easter Egg Hunt seems to get better every year and this past year saw its largest crowd of parents and children turning out for this annual event. The Christmas lighting contest was a lot of work and imagination put forth by the entrants and was appreciated by all. The Christmas caroling went well and hopefully will grow into an annual event. Santa was present for pictures with a food donation (and he may have enjoyed it even more than the kids did). The adopt-a-family project generated very caring donations which were surely appreciated by those adopted families who’s Christmas were brightened through the generosity of homeowners here in CRCA. The food drives once again supplied a large donation to the food bank (over 500 pounds) and shows how caring the homeowners here are to those in need.

The Board of Directors and members of our committees have survived another year of challenges and obstacles. I am sure we will face more challenges in the year ahead but I think every member is up to those challenges.  CRCA has been shaped into a beautiful place to live thanks to our committees’ oversight of the pools, parks, common area landscape, and finances; as well as their upholding of covenants and architectural guidelines.  These members of our committees are homeowners here and deserve our thanks for the time and effort they put into serving our community.

I realize that everyone is wrapped up in the busy hustle of their day-to-day lives, but it would be nice if more neighbors here could consider attending a Board or Committee meeting once in a while. This Association is only as good as the people involved in it.

I would like to welcome the two new members of your Board of Directors– Bill Dawes and Nick Westphal as well as returning Board members Peggy Bracken and Marilyn Stimpson. The community spoke quite loudly with their votes and your Board of Directors will continue on its path of making CRCA one of the best communities in Arizona in which to live.

Thanksgiving came later than normal this year, and so quickly we will now start preparing for the Christmas holiday season. While the majority of us have a lot to be thankful for some of our neighbors have been less fortunate and could use a helping hand during this holiday season. Santa will be available for free pictures with a canned food donation on December 7^th at the Windmill office with the donations going to the food bank- there are also bins at the office to bring donations for the food bank all month. As in years past, there is also a Giving Tree setup at the office for the two families which the association has “adopted” for Christmas. Help make their “wishes” come true by picking up a gift tag from the tree to help fulfill what they are wishing for this Christmas. Once again there will be holiday caroling starting at Windmill Park on December 21^st and then carrying on throughout the neighborhoods on horse drawn wagons to help spread some holiday cheer through parts of CRCA.

Our special committee is working on getting bids for replacement of the play structure at Windmill Park as required under the reserve study. They have a lot of options and hope to find something everyone will be able to enjoy as much as they have with old one. I’ve heard they are even trying to incorporate some swings. We wish them luck on this project!

The Board of Directors would like to wish you all a safe and wonderful Christmas wherever you celebrate it and a prosperous New Year.

By now, you should have all received your ballots for the Board of Directors election. If you have not voted please take a few minutes to fill it out and mail it in. How this association interacts and treats homeowners depends on homeowners casting their vote.

Fall is here and the dogs are enjoying the lower temperatures for their walks. Hopefully this will also bring out even more people to the monthly Block Party/Food Truck Roundup at Windmill Park each second Monday of every month. There were over 300 people in attendance at last month’s despite the rain. See you there.

Please consider setting aside some time on Saturday October 5^th to volunteer to help us build a brick pathway from the west parking lot at Windmill Park to the field so that some of our residents with mobility challenges can more easily make it from the parking lot to the field and share in the enjoyment of the park. Our community’s landscape contractor, Titan Landscape, has donated the bricks and some labor but we could always use more volunteer help for this community project. Let Jocelyn know in the office if you would like to help.

As always, I look forward to the next several months as we have a number of community and charity opportunities. While it is too late this year to organize a Halloween event, we’re hoping that next year we can have enough volunteers to hold some type of Halloween event like we did in the past; one that a large number of CRCA families can enjoy. 

The annual Thanksgiving food drive to help those facing hard times is still planned for next month, and in December we’ll have the holiday lighting contest and horse-drawn wagon caroling. Once again the ‘Pictures with Santa’ food drive is being organized with free pictures with Santa for a food item donation.  These are all worthy events here in CRCA, and I hope everyone will come together as a community to participate – please help spread the word to your neighbors who might not read this newsletter.

One bright accomplishment that CRCA owners should note, is that after the careful conservative spending by the Board over the past several years, we’re finishing up this fiscal year well under budget and using some of the remaining budget to pay forward the reserve savings contributions so that dues won’t need to be raised.  (Each year the reserve contributes go up to help keep our savings account in check for future repairs.)  In the world of HOAs, associations who have reserve savings accounts which are 70% funded are given a rating of “excellent”.  CRCA is 103% funded, meaning that we are well above an “excellent” rating and are in good shape for our future.

With September here now school is back in session, temperatures should start decreasing and the ballots for the Board of Directors positions will be distributed. I would urge all homeowners to attend the Meet the Candidates night on Thursday September 12th at 7:00PM at the Community Center. There are very diverse opinions from each of the candidates on covenants enforcement and common area landscaping, as well as a number of other issues that will greatly affect how CRCA moves forward in the future. This is a good opportunity to get first hand information before you receive your ballot and cast your vote. The choice is yours as to how the association will progress on issues affecting all of us.

The 2014 balanced budget was approved by Board this month, and I want to say that we are in great shape financially. Kudos to the Finance Committee and all Committees for their hard work on developing their budget recommendations and submitting them on time to the Board.  The current Board has worked very hard over the last several years to clean things up and get them to where they are now.  It’s amazing to see how we’ve improved this Association; comparing past affairs, like when the audit found $210,000 that had to be re-allocated from operating to reserves due to unsatisfactory savings practices in 2004 – to now, when we are making reserve account contributions exactly like they are spelled out in the reserve study.  We are currently 103% funded in our savings accounts, which is better than an A+ report card (70% funded is considered “strong” in most HOAs; and we’re 103%).  By making sure we competitively bid all projects and ensuring our Association funds are spent wisely, we’ve been able to afford maintenance of our facilities to high standards (which is a requirement of the CC&R’s), put money into our Association’s savings account, address unforeseen emergencies when they arise; all this without raising assessment dues. It makes me proud to hear residents say that “for the first time I can see where my assessment money goes”, in response to the well maintained facilities and landscaping throughout our community.

It is really too bad that some people do not have the integrity to stand behind their thoughts and instead choose to mail in “anonymous” letters; typically filled with inaccuracies to which the Board has no way to respond. The latest one is so utterly over the top and absurd I thought I would share portions.

“Far too many plants have been planted far too close together…We don’t live in a custom home development, and we don’t live in a secluded high end development, we LIVE in track homes with many of the homeowners making middle income earnings.”

Is this anonymous resident saying that CRCA’s landscape should not look good because we don’t live in custom homes or a secluded high end development? I do not agree- the CC&R’s require that the BOD maintain the common areas to a high standard. Every homeowner living here deserves to have well maintained and common areas they can be proud of and that enhance property values. Maybe the anonymous resident thinks this Board is “breaking the bank” on landscaping; to the contrary, we’ve actually reduced the annual landscape budget by half since 2007.  Under a previous Board, the 2007 landscape project budget was $130,000.  Our current landscape project budget is only $60,000 and has been such since 2009; meanwhile, look at how much the landscape committee has accomplished over the past few years.  Also disconcerting to me, is how the former president of the seniors group is now insisting that we consider abandoning use of winter rye grass in CRCA, leaving us with dead brown grass half the year and only having lush green grass during the summer months (so much for the Easter Egg Hunt!).  The bottom line is that we are getting more for our money than ever before, and we have done so while maintaining the same budget for 6 years running.

The September of 2009 president’s message included a warning about checking your water line pressure regulation valve that controls the pressure of the water delivered to your home. Paula- the covenants enforcement member of management- mentioned a number of homes have sustained broken pipes within their homes resulting in major water damage so I thought it might be a good idea to mention this again with the number of new homeowners in CRCA. All homes have a valve regulating the pressure of the water delivered to each home by Tucson water. Tucson water delivers the water between 76 and 83 psi from it’s main lines. This pressure is too high for home plumbing (50 to 60 psi is recommended) and is reduced by the pressure regulating valve where the water comes into your home. Two things can happen to the valve- it can fail completely which will result in excessive pressure in the plumbing lines in your home which can cause them to burst. I had noticed my water pressure dropping slowly over the last year I had a plumber check my valve. It was a builders “cheapo” and was not working properly- allowing only 40psi to my home. I had them change the valve and the difference in pressure is astounding. Tucson Water told me that it is a good idea to check those valves as they seem to fail usually after 10 years- sometimes less.