RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - The unsafe operation of electric bicycles behind the gates was the primary topic when the Rancho Murieta Association board met on July 15.

Directors also addressed a range of other issues during the 46-minute session: the shortest meeting in recent memory. Topics included improving security at the front gates, lessons learned from the July 4 parade and a proposal  to place a kiosk-based pharmacy in Rancho Murieta. Director Danny Carrillo didn’t attend the meeting. 

Director Scott Adams raised the issue of electric bicycles during his report on the Governing Documents Committee, which he chairs.

Adams said it was time to draft a new rule in response to numerous complaints from residents and social media posts about kids riding e-bikes dangerously behind the gates. Adams noted the complexity of the issue, explaining that e-bikes vary by class and speed, which makes enforcement difficult. He added that identifying the bikes is also a challenge, since they aren’t required to have barcodes or other forms of identification. Adams cautioned that writing the rule could take several months.

Director Chris Childs said it was essential for the community to understand that the board’s concerns do not include adults safely riding e-bikes on the streets or “little kids riding electric scooters.”

He said the proposed rule is aimed at a group of underage riders on electric dirt bikes who are recklessly speeding through the community, trespassing on private property, using expletives, evading compliance officers and creating dangerous situations for residents and property alike.

“We are talking about behavior that I consider to be delinquent,” Childs said.

President Patrick O’Hern shared an anecdote about an encounter with two juvenile e-bike riders who weren’t wearing helmets on Murieta South Parkway. 

“They popped a wheelie and went down the hill and up Colbert Drive,” he said. “They probably went three-quarters of the way to the golf course before they put it down.”

O’Hern said the riders not only endangered themselves but also created hazards for motorists who had to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting them. 

“So, it created a whole bunch of hazards for our members,” he said.

Childs, who chairs the Perimeter Security Ad Hoc Committee, said the group has developed preliminary plans to improve security at both front gates. They have asked staff to analyze two key aspects: property ownership and cost estimates. Childs said he expects to present the report at the August meeting.

Hart and Director John Haviland, who chairs the Recreation Committee, both commented on the July 4 parade. Hart, who said he has worked in the community for 45 years, noted he had never seen so many parade entries. He also thanked the volunteers who helped with the event, including every RMA board member present at the meeting.

Haviland said the Recreation Committee realized that placing the vintage cars at the front of the parade helped prevent candy from being smashed, making it easier to pick up. He also reported that one entry used a confetti gun, and the resulting paper debris couldn’t be fully cleaned by the street sweeper because the confetti landed in bushes and medians. He said the committee is considering banning confetti guns next year due to the mess they created.

During his general manager’s report, Rod Hart briefly discussed Assembly Bill 130, which took effect July 1. He said the board is reviewing the bill’s language with legal counsel to determine how it can continue to address speed violations while maintaining community safety and complying with the new law. The bill limits homeowners associations to fines of no more than $100, except in limited circumstances.

During public comments, Robert Guerin announced that a healthcare company, Med n RX, has selected Rancho Murieta as the site of a “smart pharmacy” to be operated from a kiosk. He did not provide further details.

Audience member Dave Walters informed the board that the local post of Veterans of Foreign Wars plans to seek approval to install patriotic benches throughout the community.

Audience member Brian Rosebrock, who has long opposed the rule barring motorcycles on the North, asked for help understanding the process for proposing a rule change. President Patrick O’Hern advised him to meet with General Manager Rod Hart.

Adams said the Governing Documents Committee also sought approval of a rule change that had already completed a 30-day review. The new rule requires residents to report the issuance of new license plates to a gate officer within 14 days. The board approved the change in a 6-0 vote. 

The board voted to hold the annual meeting on Nov. 20 and set Sept. 10 as the record date for determining ownership. Directors also approved John Van Doren as chair of the Nominating Committee and appointed resident Jim Moore as elections inspector.

The next RMA board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19.