Resident Ted Hart believes the three major entities in the community are on the same track heading for a train wreck. He spoke at the Rancho Murieta Association Board meeting on Feb. 20 and at the CSD Board meeting on Feb. 21.

RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - A resident’s warning about an imminent train wreck, a storm damage report, a new water fountain at Clementia Park, and upcoming street repairs were topics when the Rancho Murieta Association Board met on Feb. 20. Several committee chairs also updated the board on recent activities.

Train wreck

Longtime resident Ted Hart told the board he was worried about liability falling onto homeowners because of problems being experienced by the three major entities in Rancho Murieta. Besides RMA, the entities are the, Rancho Murieta Community Services District (CSD)  and the Rancho Murieta Country Club. Hart made his remarks during public comments.

“For years they have run down separate tracks,” he said. “Now they are converging onto the same track, heading for a collision.”

As examples of the problems, Hart said the country club is pursuing bankruptcy, CSD has security issues and another lawsuit, and RMA is trying to decide whether to take over security.

Hart said homeowners end of paying for all of the entities.

“These entities, each one of them, needs to be turned over to an outside contractor. We need to be rid of them,” Hart said. “The primary reason is to remove the homeowner liability for all of these things  that have gone on and seem to continue going on with a proven inability to manage.”

Hart urged the RMA Board to take over security immediately and to contract with a private security company that doesn’t arm its employees with guns.

Hart said his primary focus was to get the community to come together with the board. “This board, CSD, and the country club, you need to sit down together and say if this happens in bankruptcy, that will have an effect on everyone,” he said.

Because Hart made his remarks during public comments and his topic wasn’t on the agenda the board didn’t respond. This is the customary practice under the law covering HOAs.

Hart made similar remarks at the CSD Board meeting the following night. He said what happens at the country club and elsewhere will influence what happens with security.  “You will never be able to compare to an outside private entity as for cost and coverage,” he said.

CSD Board President Time Maybee thanked Hart for his comments and said he understood the issues he had raised.

Storm Damage

Maintenance Manager Troy Schaffer reported that all three of the work crews had been cleaning up storm damage for a couple of weeks. During and after the worst storm on Feb. 4, they cut up a couple dozen trees including two that fell on houses. The Feb. 29 storm only took down one large tree on Terreno Drive, but employees had to respond on the holiday.

The storm also caused some damage to a baseball field at Stonehouse Park, the Chesbro Lake boat dock, and nine signs. He said the crews also stayed busy cleaning up the streets and hauling away debris piles.

Asked about flooding, Schaffner said he hadn’t received any reports. That was likely due to the crews clearing the storm drains before and after the storms.

Water Fountain

Director Renee Bechthold, who also is the president of the Rancho Murieta Optimist Club, said her group was disbanding at the end of the month and was donating $2,000 to install a new water fountain at Clementia Park. She asked the board to approve spending $1,500 from the exclusive use fund to cover the remaining cost of the bi-level water fountain that is ADA compliant and includes a pet bowl. The vote to approve her motion was unanimous.

 A new fountain is to be installed at Clementia with the Optimist Club paying $2,000 of the $3,500. The old one was taken out after it failed due to old age.

General Manager Rod Hart said the old fountain was falling apart because of age and was taken out when the crews expanded the concrete at the park. He said employees installed plumbing to a new location for a replacement fountain so it wouldn’t get hit by vehicles.

Street repairs

During his general manager’s report. Hart said he and Schaffner had met with the association's consultant and have selected the roads that will be addressed this year and said the bids would be moving forward.

Hart said that Domingo Court will receive an overlay, partial concrete gutter replacement, concrete valley gutter replacement, and additional valley gutter to address a drainage issue. Lago Circle will be overlayed including the parks and miscellaneous concrete repairs. Reynosa Drive from the golf cart crossing to Riverview Park will be overlayed.

Streets that will be crack-sealed with a micro surface include Murieta Parkway from first Guadalupe Drive to Camino Del Lago, Nueva Drive, Medella Circle and Rebano Court.

Hart said asphalt dig-out repairs and concrete repairs will take place throughout the community.

Other business

-In his president’s report, Director Scott Adams said the board received an update from the attorney at the Greenfield lawsuit and legal enforcement of the community’s trail system, both in executive session. He said the board also discussed how to deal with a specific vendor who has had numerous speed violations.

-Director Danny Carrillo, who chairs the Communication Committee, said his group discussed many issues such as updating RMA forms and improving the website.

-Director Tom Reimers, who chairs the Compliance Committee, said CSD security officers issues nine citations in January while RMA compliance officers issued 39. He said the committee also discussed revising nonarchitectural rule to address parking by vehicles and golf carts in red zones and areas roped off for special events.

-Director Renee Bechthold said her group spent most of the last meeting scheduling upcoming events for 2024 that included four Bingo games, the opening of the spray park, and events for Halloween and Christmas.

The board will hold its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. on March 19.