Warren Hughes is president of the Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club that is paying $10,000 of the cost to install new lights at the Stonehouse Park courts. The Rancho Murieta Association board unanimously approved the remaining $23,015 needed for the lighting at its March 19 meeting.

RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - It was much ado about amenities and infrastructure when the Rancho Murieta Association Board held its monthly meeting on March 19 that lasted only 32 minutes.

General Manager Rod Hart reported that he is investigating the costs of adding new ball fields to Stone House Park. The board approved expenditures for three other amenities: new lighting at the pickleball courts, three new scoreboards at Stonehouse Park and the July 4 fireworks show.

Investing in infrastructure, the board voted to spend more than half a million dollars on pavement repairs.

In other business, the board took in updates on hiring deputies for July 4, midge fly remediation, committee chair reports and a favorable audit report.

Board President Scott Adams also reported on the earlier closed session. He said the directors discussed a small claims court case in which the association is the defendant and the trail system for the Residences East subdivision. The Rancho Murieta Association and the developer are at odds on how the trail should be built. See the story about the dispute in the Jan. 26  issue of the River Valley Times. Past issues are now available on the River Valley Times website at www.therivervalleytimes.com.

Escuela Drive

In his general manager’s report, Hart said that he and architectural manager Mark Parksons are exploring the cost of developing the Escuela Drive park site as an extension to Stonehouse Park. The 14-acre site sits on the south side of Escuela Drive, which was originally proposed as a school site and later as the location for a community center, neither of which panned out. The site currently has a practice field, thanks to a donation from Summerfest.

Hart told the board that existing ball fields at Stone House Park are overtaxed, especially on the weekends. He said they are considering the addition of a major’s ball field for use by the older Little Leaguers, another field designated for adult softball that also could be used by Little League, and a soccer field.

Off-duty deputies

Hart also informed the board that he had initiated the process of requesting the presence of six off-duty Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies for duty on July 4. The Rancho Murieta Association faced challenges in hiring deputies for last year’s celebration. Hart is also exploring alternative options, including arrangements with private security firms.

Midge flies

Hart asked maintenance manager Troy Schaffner for an update on midge fly mitigation at Laguna Joaquin. Schaffner indicated that the same strategies used last year led to a significant reduction in midge fly populations. The staff will implement a two-step approach to tackle the algae, which serves as the primary food source for midge flies: first, the application of a green dye to limit sunlight penetration and second, the use of a peroxide-based product. Schaffner noted that recent rainfall delayed the start of these measures and necessitated a request to the Rancho Murieta Community Services District to lower the water level by a few inches.

Other business

-After Accounting Manager Coleen Hagyard reported the association had received “a clean audit” for the 2023 fiscal year, Adams said that the Rancho Murieta Association should get an A+ for its financial condition when compared to other homeowner associations.

-The board unanimously approved spending $525,000 for upcoming asphalt repairs and $21,000 for asphalt consulting services. The funds will come from the reserves.

-A contract worth "$21,500 for this year’s fireworks show on July 4" was also approved by the board.

-The board unanimously approved spending $23,015 to add new lighting at the pickleball courts at Stone House Park. Additionally, the Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club is contributing $10,000 to the total cost of $33,015. Schaffner estimates the installation timing at six to eight weeks. The Rancho Murieta Association share is coming from the exclusive use fund.

-A unanimous decision was made to allocate $18,172 to replace the three aging scoreboards at Stonehouse Park. These funds will be drawn from the reserves.

-Director Patrick O’Hern, the Architectural Review Committee chair, reported that the Residences East developer attended the March meeting to ask about annexation into the Rancho Murieta Association.