LIVING
toscana
KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW
DISCOVERY AUGUST 2020
Our Staff. Community Manager Nicole Careaga ncareaga@toscanaliving.net Assistant Community Manager Christine Reeder creeder@toscanaliving.net Lifestyle Director Mark Gatchell mgatchell@toscanaliving.net Concierge Director Katie Lucas klucas@toscanaliving.net Administrative Assistant Wade Longworth wlongworth@toscanaliving.net Community Patrol/Admin Saffron Caudle scaudle@toscanaliving.net Facilities Director John Raabe jraabe@toscanaliving.net Maintenance Staff Ignacio Santana, Daniel Renteria, Tyler Driscoll Night Managers Don Meeks, Jackie Hernandez 480.861.0875 Gate House Staff Chet Sanders, Joshua Oakley, Laura Taylor, Nina Fader, MaryJane Vital, Brian Stower 480.513.0602 ASSOCIATION OFFICE 5450 E Deer Valley Drive Building 2 Phoenix, AZ 85054 480.585.0808
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY 602.234.9288
toscanaliving.net
want to be a Toscana Star? SEND YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOS OR STORIES TO KLUCAS@TOSCANALIVING.NET FOR THE CHANCE TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF TOSCANA LIVING
Nicole's Noteables DISCOVER A NEW WAY TO "MEET" by Nicole Careaga Over the past few months the world has been working to find new ways to continue being prosperous, educated and conduct business. With these goals in mind, many businesses have moved to virtual platforms to conduct in-person meetings. These platforms have allowed for business to continue to boom while keeping employees, teammates and others safe. Here at Toscana, you have been a part PAGE 3
of this movement as Mark has brought you virtual trivia nights, murder mysteries and hours to enjoy conversations and visit. Now, we move to the next step as we host our first General Session Board Meeting via Zoom on August 13, at 10am. In preparation for the meeting you will all receive the timed agenda, and question sheet via an Eblast. As this will be new for a lot of us, we are going to be asking for attendees to take these few steps to make it more effective and easier for everyone: Submit your questions to the management team prior to the meeting Keep yourself muted to eliminate background noise and interference Stay informed by reading the agenda in advance
During the meeting, we will mute all but the management team and Board Members to ensure that there is no interference due to erroneous sounds or conversations. The Homeowner Forum will be held at the end of the meeting should time permit. During this time, we would appreciate feedback about the Zoom experience and how to make the meetings more effective in the future. Below is a brief highlight of a few of the topics scheduled to be discussed: Additional Bids to re-paint Building 10 Replacement of the grills at Palazzo Grande and Palazzo Centro New Window Cleaning Contract
E L Y T S E F I L
toscana by Mark Gatchell
Discover Fun This Summer It’s yet another blistering hot summer, and finding ways to cool down has been more difficult with the COVID-19 virus. As your Lifestyle Director, I have been working hard on finding new ways to help keep you cool! The poolside surprises have gotten many great reviews, our root beer float kits were a huge hit with so many of you as we shared our float making skills over Zoom, which was a blast! I’m excited to bring you even more fun ideas and fresh treats to help keep you cool until this summer heat finally gives in! August is typically when most of our residents are preparing to go back to school. This year, going back to school is much different than it has been in the past. Whether schooling will be virtual or in-person for your family, we wanted to take a little of the stress out of the season with our Back to School Bags. The kits are created with primary school students in mind and will include pencils, notebooks, calculators, earbuds, tissues, and so much more! We know many of our Toscana moms and dads simply don’t have the time to manage the back to school shopping, so we did it for you!
Thank you to everyone that participated in our first-ever live Zoom murder mystery! It was a huge success, and the actors were fantastic! We virtually brought in actors from across the United States to play the parts of our suspects, which gave an extra level of excitement to our murder mysteries! Congratulations to the team that won dinner for two delivered to their home. I hear it was a delicious prize! August brings many great things for Toscana, such as more poolside surprises, craft kits, bingo nights, date night treat bags, and of course, more virtual activities to discover along with our popular Trivia Nights! Please be sure to register early, so you don’t miss out on all the great fun and prizes, and thank you again for all of your positive feedback and support!
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08
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
AUGUST SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT 1
Clubs/Classes Association Events
2
3
Back to School Bags
4
5
90's Trivia Night
PC 9am-5pm
9
10
6
7
8
14
15
6pm-7pm
11
Landscape Committee
12
13
Board of Directors Meeting
2pm-3pm
10am-11:30am
Creamsicle Day PC 10am-8pm
Finance Committee 10am-11am
16
17
Lifestyle Committee
18
19
20
21
22
Chit-Chat 3pm-3:30pm
2pm-3pm
23
30
NOTES:
24
31
25
26
B15, B24 Parkade Cleaning
Feud Night 6pm-7pm
27
28
Toscana Classics 2pm-3pm
29
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CONNECTION
community
by Katie Lucas
It's summertime and the living is...hot! Arizonans are pretty used to staying indoors during the hot summer, but after a few months of "quarantine," some of our residents are looking to discover a reason to get out of the house for a little fun. Luckily, many of your favorite places have put together programs to keep you entertained while staying physically-distanced! Westworld of Scottsdale has your movie, car show, and even gaming needs met with their Pop-Up Event series! The company has been scheduling movies and events each weekend over the summer, with tickets available now for Shrek and Ghostbusters, as well as their Game On event! Keep an eye on their calendar and be sure to snatch up your tickets fast. These events can sell out quickly! Detours American West is ready to get you and your family out of the house, and even out of the city, on an exciting tour of what Arizona has to offer. Head up north to experience Sedona's beautiful red rocks and cooler weather, or stay in the valley and explore the desert in a cool, air-conditioned jeep. The Detours team is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, ready to take care of you during one of their signature private tours. They'll even pick you up right here at Toscana! Attend a Family Zooventure with the Phoenix Zoo! These 30 to 45 minute programs feature kid-friendly antics and activities including animals making music and getting squeaky clean, while kids help search for clues as zoo detectives and get the wiggles out. It's only $10 per household and is the perfect way to spend a morning for kids ages 3-8. Looking for some fun at home? Explore the wonder of space with the Lowell Observatory's streaming series. With everything from Cosmic Coffee, where you can learn about planets, stars and more over your morning brew, to interactive stargazing, they're ready to expand your knowledge-base on the final frontier. This month, you can also tune in for their annual Perseids Meteor Shower event, where you can watch as an array of meteors fly by. The Lowell Observatory streaming events are free to view! PAGE 7
This infographic was created to share the team's accomplishments for the month of June. These are by no means the total of
update
OPERATIONS
tasks or projects completed, simply a high level review of items completed in addition to regular work throughout the month.
OVER 12,000 RESIDENT TOUCH-POINTS Including: Over 46 hours spent on Community Phone Calls Over 2500 emails sent 176 Violation Letters Sent 201 Violations Rectified
SOCIALLY-DISTANCED COMMUNICATIONS 28 Resident eBlasts Sent 129 Facebook Page Views
CONNECTING HOUSEHOLDS
100.8 HOURS SPENT ON REFUSE REMOVAL
139.2 HOURS SPENT ON WORK ORDERS including: 21.6 Hours on Lighting Concerns 19.2 Hours on Water Features 14.4 Hours on ResidentSpecific Concerns
13 virtual events were held 10 New Households Welcomed
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s ' n o Saffrircle c
by Saffron Caudle
POOL REMINDERS
As temperatures in Phoenix rise, more and more people are headed out to your lovely community pools. What better way for some fun in the sun and relaxation! Along with enjoying the crystal clear, temperature regulated, well-maintained pools, we do have a set of rules designed to maximize fun and safety for everyone. As a friendly reminder, we have signs displayed prominently at every gate surrounding the pool that outline everything from hours of operation to food and drink guidelines. With that being said, I would like to take a moment and go over some of the most frequent pool policy violations. Drinking of any liquids while in the pool. It may be fun to drink a glass of wine or a bottle of beer in the pool, but you run the risk of spilling those drinks into your pool water. Ideally, you should keep drinking and eating habits to tables on your pool deck, as far away from the water as possible. You can still socialize around your pool and enjoy the company of other residents without putting excess waste into your pool water. Handing out key fobs to non-residents. Per our ‘Toscana Living Guide,’ key fobs should not be loaned out for any reason. This is especially true in our current operations, as no guests are permitted in any amenity space. As a reminder, residents assume full responsibility for the actions of their guests. Glass. City ordinance prohibits glass inside pool areas. This includes wine and beer bottles, cooking ware, and glasses.
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Loud music. Only personal music devices may be used. This means headphones or earbuds only. Calling the office and day/night managers due to loud children or unrecognizable residents. For anyone who is not aware, Building 10 has a minimum of a 30-day rental. Many of the unfamiliar faces you see could be legitimate shorter-term renters, or even long-term residents returning from a long stay away. We have also received a multitude of calls due to children enthusiastically enjoying the pool area. We understand that there are some looking to relax, while others are at the pool to have a "splash!" Of course, it is always important to respect other pool goers' enjoyment of the space. Before entering the pool area, take note of the other patrons, if they seem to be enjoying it in a different way than you plan to, please consider visiting one of the other three sparkling pools!
Please take the time to read and educate yourself with Toscana's policies to help ensure everyone's enjoyment of the pool areas.
CORNER
Chris's by Chris Reeder
With so many of us spending more time at home these days, those little “I’ll get to it someday” home improvements are having their “someday.” Home Depot and Lowe’s are doing just fine as we discover new ceiling fans and bathroom lighting to make our houses our homes. Like all Home Owners Associations, Toscana has a process for Architectural changes. Over the past six months or so, we have had an increase in interior and exterior renovations throughout the property. As a reminder, any changes to the exterior of your unit, that deal with your flooring (even exchanging carpet for carpet), and any interior change that cuts into the walls (i.e. plumbing or electrical) must be approved by the Board prior to any work beginning. The Architectural Submission form is available on the ToscanaLiving.net website. Once the submission form has been completed and returned, the Board will review and possibly ask questions prior to sending their decision. More information is always beneficial, and supporting documentation is encouraged. When you’ve decided to make significant changes to your unit, remember, architectural submissions take up to 45 days to be approved/denied. To make architectural changes a little more streamlined, the Toscana Board of Directors has a list of pre-approved alteration materials. The list is in the process of being updated and the most updated list will be sent out in an email communication after Board approval. The current list is available on the resident website.
When performing any alteration project, a remodel deposit of $500 is required. This deposit is refundable, so long as your vendor does not cause damages to the common areas and follows all guidelines. The office team has found the top three concerns with vendors are: 1. Vendors starting too early or working too late (construction noise is permitted Monday-Saturday, 8am-5pm; not on holidays) 2. Vendors using or propping open side emergency doors, or keeping debris in emergency areas 3. Vendors leaving behind construction debris, either in common areas or in Toscana trash rooms Once your renovations have been completed, a management team member may make an appointment to visually inspector may request photos of the completed work. We can’t wait to see your renovation ideas all come to life!
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WADE'S WORLD by Wade Longworth
HOW TO: DWELLINGLIVE GUEST LIST Hello to our wonderful residents of Toscana! I hope all of you had a fantastic July! This month I wanted to share a little information on how to use one of your community websites, DwellingLive. Did you know that you can assign people to your personal guest list so that they are permitted onto the property without a call from the gate? This also works for setting up deliveries as well. There are just a few simple steps to this process to make life easy breezy for you and your guests. 1. Log in to your account with your username (your email) and password 2. Head to the “Review My Guest List” section on the right of the page
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WADE'S WORLD 3. Click "Add Guest"
4. Select temporary or permanent guest 5. Type in their first and last name
6a. If adding a temporary guest, ensure you update their access dates
6b. If adding a permanent guest, you are able to set the days of the week access is granted
7. Add any notes regarding your guest you'd like the gate attendant to know 8. Click "Save" at the bottom right of the screen
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THE
MAINTENANCE REPORT
by John Raabe
DISCOVER DIY MAINTENANCE Just like your vehicles, there are some things in your units you should be periodically checking on and servicing to make sure they are working properly. Let’s start with the shut-off valves. In most units, these are located somewhere in the laundry room behind a metal panel door on the wall (building 10 they are in the ceiling). It is a good practice to exercise these valves once a month. All that means is that you shut them off and then back on, about 7-10 times should do. This will help you make sure they are working and not binding up. In addition, it's a good practice to leave the valves in the "off" position for a few minutes after exercising them, to allow you time to check your faucets and ensure the valves have fully shut off the water supply. If the valve does not move easily or they are not shutting off the water supply completely, do not try to apply too much force. It probably just needs to be replaced. The next thing you want to check are your A/C filters. These are usually located in the ceiling, close to where the condenser unit is located. In some units they are down toward the floor in the den. Different units will have different sized filters, so either go off the sizing listed on your current filter, or you can measure the opening. When looking into filter replacements, be sure to check the recommended replacement time; each brand and style will have a different recommendation, though a general rule of thumb is to replace your filter once a month. If the filter is really dirty before the recommended replacement time, replace it. A dirty filter restricts airflow it can cause your A/C unit to work harder than it should, resulting in higher electricity bills or burn out. If you have a refrigerator that makes ice or dispenses water, then you have a water filter that needs to be periodically replaced, as well. Most fridges will have some sort of visible notification to let you know it is time to replace but if you haven't changed the filter in a while, it's always a good idea to check on it, just in case. Something most people don’t think about are their P traps (the piece of curved pipe under your sinks). If you drop something down your sinks on accident, it can get stuck in that curve and can cause a lot of nasty stuff to start building up, which could cause horrible smells or even a backup. It is a good idea to disconnect these every three PAGE 13
months and clean them out just to make sure there isn’t anything going on in there. Removing this piece is fairly simple, and just requires a few turns of the coupling by hand to remove. Just be sure to tightly secure them when placing the cleaned traps back! The above-listed items are fairly standard for every unit. If you have upgraded something in your unit, you should read your new information booklet to ensure you're maintaining them properly. A lot of new appliances have things that need to be serviced regularly to avoid voiding your warranty. These maintenance requirements typically aren't disclosed during purchase and you only find out about them when your unit breaks and it's not covered.
LUXURY LANDSCAPE by DLC Resources
August Update
As we move into August, DLC Resources crews are continuing to emphasize the protection of your landscape from both the upcoming monsoon season and the lingering summer heat. We will also be continuing to push the growth of your Bermuda turf, as Ryegrass lingers in spots through your common areas. We have recently de-thatched and fertilized these areas to remove Rye and push the growth of Bermuda. To best support this turf in its growth, we are adjusting the irrigation schedule throughout the Community for increasing temperatures and increased humidity. In tailoring your irrigation schedule, we look to ensure that each area gets the correct amount of hydration without any over or under-watering.
monsoons, our on-call team is also available for emergency situations where fallen trees block roads, sidewalks, etc. If you have emergency needs, notify your Community Management team. Nonemergency storm repair and clean-up is generally handled the following day.
Additionally, our crew has been pruning back trees and plants that have outgrown their designated growth spaces to keep sidewalks clear and remove any obstructions away from sightlines. We are also treating weed growth as necessary and clearing bean pods and other plant debris through our regular maintenance. The upcoming monsoon storms bring strong winds and rain that can damage the trees and other plants at Toscana. After a storm event, DLC crews will focus on clearing roads and pathways of storm debris and assess plants for monsoon damage. During PAGE 14