RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Rancho Murieta Community Services District officials warned during a May 6 Security Committee meeting that the district’s security operation is facing a major financial crunch, with members considering nighttime gate automation, reduced staffing and the need for community input on the future of security services.

Committee Chair Linda Butler also announced that she plans to step away from chairing the Security Committee, the Personnel Committee and the Camera Working Group in the coming months due to health issues.

The Security Committee is composed of Butler, Board President John Merchant, Interim General Manager Amelia Wilder, Security Sgt. Brandon Arino and other stuff. The committee looks at security issues in depth and makes recommendations to the entire board. Butler was the sole director serving on the committee for more than a year. 

Butler opened the meeting by saying the district is facing a shortfall of about $200,000 in the security budget because Measure J limits annual security fee increases to 2%, while operating costs continue to rise. 

She also referenced a Sacramento County Grand Jury recommendation that property tax revenues not be used to subsidize security operations.

“We are operating on a shoestring, literally a shoestring,” Butler said, describing the challenge of maintaining 24-hour gate staffing and patrol coverage with current staffing levels.

She said staffing shortages become especially difficult when employees are sick, on vacation or dealing with family emergencies. The district currently employs seven full-time gate officers, six part-time gate officers and four full-time patrol officers.

A major focus of the meeting was the district’s possible use of the “Go Access” gate entry system, which officials said could automate gate operations during overnight hours.

Go Access representatives were originally scheduled to give a presentation at the May 6 meeting, but the presentation was canceled after the company was unable to attend. Committee members discussed rescheduling the presentation for a future meeting so the board could hear more details about the system.

District officials said the technology could eventually automate gate entry during low-traffic hours, allowing the district to eliminate two overnight “graveyard shift” gate positions and reduce operating costs.

Security Supervisor Branden Arino said the actual estimate for the Go Access conversion had increased to about $71,000 upfront, plus higher monthly service fees. Officials said the savings from reducing overnight staffing could eventually offset much of the cost.

Butler said the district cannot continue operating security the same way without major financial changes. 

“We have to get $200,000 cheaper,” she said.

Finance and Administration Director Cecilia Min said the district may have roughly $50,000 remaining in security impact fee reserves after accounting for prior capital projects. She had tentatively budgeted about $30,000 for Go Access and another $5,000 for radio leases, leaving only about $15,000 remaining. before considering the Lago Gate repair.

Min also cautioned that the $50,000 figure remains only an estimate because district staff are still reconciling prior years of capital improvement spending and developer fee accounting.

Despite discussions about automation, both directors stressed that the community must be heavily involved before any overnight gate staffing is reduced.

Board President John Merchant repeatedly emphasized that residents need to understand the tradeoffs before the district moves forward with unattended gates during late-night hours. He also raised concerns about how visitors would enter the community overnight if the gates become automated and no gate officers are present.

Merchant noted that security historically ranks as the No. 1 reason residents choose to live in Rancho Murieta.

Merchant said broader public discussions are also needed because conversations are beginning about whether RMA could eventually take over security operations inside the gates.

He cautioned that any transfer would involve much more than simply shifting gate responsibilities. Merchant said the district also has obligations to residents and businesses outside the gates, including issues involving the shopping center, porch piracy, trespassing and incidents in Murieta Village.

Merchant also said any future discussions with RMA will require agreement on what type of technology and gate systems would ultimately be used.

Committee members also discussed repairs to the Lago Gate, expected to cost $7,000. Merchant said that the repair had to be made immediately, regardless of where the money came from, “because someone is going to crash into someone.”

Wilder said she would place the expenditure on the agenda for the next board meeting for ratification, agreeing that the district should not wait until the next budget cycle to address the issue.

Butler also gave an update on the Camera Work Group, which has been investigating the history and current status of Rancho Murieta’s fragmented camera system.

She said there had once been plans to implement a more comprehensive camera program when former General Manager Tom Hennig led the district. Butler said at least $66,000 had been spent over the years, and both RMCSD and RMA currently possess numerous cameras.

However, Butler said the working group has found considerable confusion about the system, including questions about ownership, monitoring responsibilities, camera locations, and whether footage is actively monitored. The workgroup has also been trying to determine whether a formal overall camera plan still exists.

Butler said she has not scheduled another Camera Working Group meeting because district leaders are focused on resolving the gate and security funding issues first. She said the district would need professional help to move forward with the cameras.

The workgroup included Butler, Arino, former RMA General Manager Rod Hart, RMA Compliance Supervisor Chris Smith and former RMCSD director Mike Martel.