September 2017
Budget Process Begins for 2018
Vivian Timian, General Manager he budget process for 2018 has started. There are three different parts to the community budget. Those are the: operational department budgets, Replacement Reserve Fund (RRF) and Capital Improvement Fund (CIF).
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Operational Department Budgets The operational budgets include costs for labor, materials, insurance and taxes for each department. Last year, the minimum wage increase in Arizona was approved in November, and the Management team was faced with re-working the budget in order to reflect the additional labor costs. For 2018, the minimum wage rate increases to $10.50 per hour, a 5% increase over 2017. Replacement Reserve Fund (RRF) The Replacement Reserve Schedule identifies the majority of the assets owned by the Association. Its purpose is to plan, financially, for the eventual replacement of each asset over a period of time (in our case, 20-years). A capital asset is a single item (or group of similar items that are all purchased at the same time) that normally exceed $1,000 in cost and last for more than one year. Our current Replacement Reserve Schedule lists close to 1,600 various assets (equipment, amenities, roads, components within each building, vehicles, furniture, etc.). All items identified on the schedule, while listed individually, are grouped by department or amenity. For each asset, the following is tracked: • description of the item, • the year of purchase, • an assigned useful life (based on manufacturers' estimate, industry standards, and/or the Association's own historical experience), • years in service and estimated remaining useful life, • current estimated cost to replace, • annual funding requirement (e.g. if an asset costs $10,000 and has a useful life of ten years, the annual funding contribution would be $1,000), • a column that shows how much (on a cumulative basis) should have been set aside given the age of the asset (using the prior example, if the asset was five years old, the Association should have put aside $5,000 to be fully-funded), and • years the asset will be replaced over the next twenty years (2017 – 2037). Continued on Page 3
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF www.saddlebrooke.org
HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION 64500 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd
Daily Notes It's a beautiful day in SaddleBrooke! 1. The Board and Management wish Barbara Civian farewell and "Happy Trails" retiring after 11 years working for us. She was the "hostess with the mostest" in her many years in the Vistas Dining Room. 2. There have been almost 100 home resales in HOA1 so far this year, outpacing all previous years. We are obviously one of the first choices of people looking forward to a home in SW Arizona. Our biggest competitor is SaddleBrooke Ranch, with the offer of new home building lots. 3. As an aging, not growing, community we have a lot to offer. The Board and Management have committed to keeping the amenities, roads and common areas in excellent condition and have been doing a great job. 4. Homeowners can and must help in keeping curb appeal high. This means painting your house (10 year life of paint), keeping weeds, trees, and plants from being overgrown and sprucing up the front yard. The ALC can help if you having any questions. (Don't forget your mailbox too.) 5. All of us can continue to be nice to each other via the "SaddleBrooke Wave" when passing each other and greeting everyone with a smile even if we don't feel great at that moment. Courtesy in the Restaurants, Fitness Center and on the Golf Courses and toward employees and staff should continue as it has become the norm now, along with adhering to our dress code. These items make a great lasting impression on visitors and potential buyers. 6. And by the way, be extra nice to anyone over 6'4'' tall. 7. If you have not heard, the HOA2 vote to buy the golf courses and facilities for sale was approved by a large margin. This just starts the process to becoming independent from Robson. Expectations are January 2018 for transition. Until next month . . . Jim (President Board of Directors)
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Budget Process Begins for 2018 . . . continued from Page 1 Capital Improvement Fund (CIF) The Capital Improvement Fund is used to upgrade current/purchase new assets (that normally exceed $1,000 in cost and last for more than one year) not listed on the RRF budget. For example, the improvements completed in 2016 for the RoadRunner Grill Patio used funding from the RRF to replace existing furniture, and funding from the CIF to install fire pits to enhance the area. How does the budget process work? This process has multiple steps in order to create a budget that meets the needs of the Community and does not strain the cash reserves: June: 1) Review the forecast of the current budget year to anticipate the spending for the current year.
July: 2) Input cost assumptions involving labor, materials, insurance and projects in the 10-year projection to identify whether an increase in the CSF is required. The Finance Committee is responsible for this review and recommendations to the Board of Directors. 3) In the July Board meeting, the Board of Directors issued budget guidance to Management that included no increase to the Community Service Fees (CSF) for the residents. August: 4) Management involves the appropriate committees in the development of the Business Plans. 5) Golf fees are presented to Board of Directors for review. September: 6) Draft Business Plans are presented to the Board of Directors, Finance Committee and other appropriate committees. 7) Draft budgets are reviewed by Management prior to presentation to the committees. October: 8) Finance Committee has open hearings for review of the draft budget with Management, committees and community residents. The open hearing is scheduled for October 9th in the Vermilion room of the Clubhouse. 9) First draft budget and revised Business Plans are reviewed by the Board of Directors. November: 10) Final draft of the budget is submitted to the Finance Committee and Board of Directors for approval. For the past seventeen years, the Board Directors have been tasked with making prudent and smart financial decisions which would grow a healthy Replacement Reserve Fund and produce an operational budget that will maintain the Community. Their efforts have paid off, as we currently have a strong reserve cash position and operational funds to preserve the SaddleBrooke One community.
Update on Mailbox Maintenance Thanks to all who responded and painted their mailboxes/posts/tubes. Out of the 189 boxes requiring work, more than 80 of them were addressed by the homeowners. The Board of Directors did approve an outside contractor to paint the remaining boxes and install new numbers, at a cost of $25.00 per mailbox, to be billed to the homeowners.
Update on Clubhouse Closures Food and Beverage venues will be closed from October 2nd – October 8th. Maintenance projects will be completed during this time period which will include: new wood flooring in the Vermilion room and new porcelain tile installed in the Agave Lounge areas.
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SaddleBrooke One Overseeding 2017
Mike Roddy, Golf Course Superintendent t is hard to believe that the summer is over and the overseeding process is here again. The annual process that is so important to the golf courses will begin on Monday, September 18th with the closure of the SaddleBrooke Course and the Practice Facility. Each course will be closed for three weeks for establishment of Ryegrass on the fine turf areas and green surrounds.
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Course SaddleBrooke Course and Practice Facility Tucson Course and Main Putting Greens Catalina Course and Catalina Putting Green
Closes Sept. 18th Sept. 25th Oct. 2nd
Re-Opens Oct. 9th Oct. 16th Oct. 23rd
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e will be using a similar process to what we have used successfully the last several years. This will include limiting Bermuda grass injury while still creating an adequate seedbed for the Ryegrass. Light vertical mowing has been ongoing throughout the summer and will continue right up until seeding. We will also be using growth regulators to help control Bermuda grass growth while the Ryegrass gets established. This process has allowed some Bermuda grass to provide competition to the establishing Ryegrass; however, the benefits to the health of the Bermuda and next year’s transition far outweigh these short term cosmetic issues.
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he Ryegrass that we will be using this year is also very similar to ones we have used in the past. We will be using a blended seed that contains three different varieties of Perennial Ryegrass. The varieties have been chosen based on their growth characteristics, such as color, density and traffic tolerance. We will be using year old seed that was harvested in 2016. Year old seed has higher germination rates than seed planted in the same year in which it was harvested.
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e have chosen this time period to maximize the chances of beneficial weather conditions. As always, Mother Nature plays a large role in our initial success. We will be prepared to deal with whatever obstacles occur again this year. The entire Golf Maintenance Team is looking forward to providing you with a healthy stand of cool season grass for the next eight months. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with the course closures and cart restrictions during this important process. We look forward to seeing you on the courses.
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SaddleBrooke One Walking in SaddleBrooke
Ron Tuxbury, Patrol Manager istracted drivers are a major cause of accidents in SaddleBrooke. That is why Patrol One is always making sure that walkers and joggers walk and run facing traffic. Every month, we get reports of close calls where walkers or joggers have been forced to jump out of the way to avoid being hit by a distracted driver. As we move towards fall, many more walkers and joggers are enjoying the cooler weather. Please remember, when you walk or jog on our streets, left is right when you are walking or jogging in SaddleBrooke. By that, we mean that your left arm and side should always be toward the landscape when walking or jogging on Ridgeview Blvd., or any side of our streets where there is no sidewalk. Always walk with your left side closest to the landscape and homes, wave to your friends and neighbors with your right hand. When walking or jogging on SaddleBrooke Blvd please use the gravel pathway and avoid walking or jogging on the roadway. Just because one side of the street is shadier than the other is not a good reason to risk injury. Walking or jogging with the flow of traffic is a serious safety hazard. Also, always be aware of your surroundings when walking. We notice walkers reading a book while they walk. They are walking facing traffic, but are not aware of their surroundings. Please keep these safety suggestions in mind when you go out to walk or jog in our beautiful community.
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Safety Tip If you happen to make a 911 call by mistake or happen to knock one of our autodial 911 emergency phones of the hook, please DO NOT HANG UP. Stay on the line and tell the dispatcher that it is not an emergency and you made the call by mistake. If you do not stay on the line, a Pinal County Deputy Sheriff will have to drive to SaddleBrooke and check to make sure that there is not an emergency situation.
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2016/2017 NOV STATISTICS for JULY Violations
2017
2016
Speeding
9
5
Stop Signs
1
8
Handicap Parking
3
0
RV Parking
5
1
Other Parking
10
9
28
23
2017
2016
Totals Fines Imposed Violations Multiple or Flagrant Traffic
$100
2
2
2nd Traffic in 12 Months
$50
0
1
Golf Course Walking/Dog Walking
$200
0
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SADDLEBROOKE ONE SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE REGULAR PICK-UP • Labor Day Week Monday, Sept. 4th delayed until Tuesday, Sept. 5th RECYCLE PICK-UP • Labor Day Week Friday, Sept. 8th delayed until Saturday, Sept. 9th BULK ITEM PICK-UP • Saturday, October 7th
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We have another author who has a writing companion. This time it is Stuart Woods and his companion author is Parnell Hall, who also co-authored Smooth Operator. Barely Legal is the title of this one and there is a new main character. Herbie Fisher has become the protégé of Stone Barrington and I can imagine there will be more books with Herbie as the main character. Knowing Woods, this will be a fun-filled mystery and should be enjoyed by many of you. The next book, Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta, is not for the prude. It is a sexual romp that includes Mrs. F and several different people, as well as her college age son and his girlfriends. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy or find something else that might interest you. Maybe Gone Gull by Donna Andrews is more your speed. Here is another wacky tale where Meg Langslow spends the summer with her grandmother, Cordelia running a craft center. Anyone who has been reading Sue Grafton and her alphabet books will be happy to see Y is for Yesterday. This means we are almost to the end. Will Ms. Grafton retire? This new title is the darkest and most disturbing yet. The story starts in 1979 when four teenage classmates from a private school sexually assault a classmate and film it. The tape goes missing and the suspected thief is found murdered. Pick up this book to find out what happens next. There is a debut novel here that is getting raves for the author, Emily Culliton. The book is The Misfortune of Marion Palm. It seems this wife and mother of two daughters has been embezzling from her children’s private school and stuffs the money in a bag when an audit is about to happen at the school. Off she goes. This is a Publisher’s Weekly starred review so it might be just as fun as they say. Another Publisher’s Weekly starred review is very different. This one is by T. Jefferson Parker and is titled The Room of White Fire. Roland Ford, now a Private Investigator, is hired to find Clay Hickman who has escaped from a mental institution. Both men are veterans and Ford understands what Hickman has gone through, but why the secrecy that hangs over the disappearance?
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Jonathan Kellerman and his son Jesse have a new novel, Crime Scene. The deputy coroner, Clay Edison, does not usually do anything but determine the cause of death, but the decedent's daughter insists her father has been murdered and has not fallen down the stairs in a drunken stupor. A colleague of Rennert’s has died in a nearly identical manner and this raises suspicions in Clay’s mind. He needs to look further. Maybe a gentle way to end this article is to mention a new Debbie Macomber novel, Any Dream Will Do. This book is not for the guys as the previous one, but many ladies will like it. This is a standalone novel and is about a woman who must start her life anew. She finds a place where love and trust reside and what they really mean. As you can see, there is something for everyone and then some. Don’t forget to look in the nonfiction section, as well as the fiction. Also, large print books and CDs & MP3s are always being added. BookPage, which can be found in the organizer by the right side of the window, is always something to peruse and maybe you will find something inspiring there.
Architectural & Landscaping Committee ALC Email: alcadmin@saddlebrooke.org ALC Secretary: Linda Irwin All ALC forms, as well as exterior home color selections, may be accessed on the ALC webpage or in the Administration Office.
September Meetings September 7th September 21st
ALC Hotline 917-3767
Meetings are 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month 9:00am Bobcat Suite (Lower level of the SB One Clubhouse)
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SaddleBrooke One Guidelines to Follow for Weight Loss Sheryl Nugent, Recreation Coordinator
#1 BELIEVE YOU CAN. “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” Henry Ford Henry Ford’s quote indicates that he knew your beliefs can influence the outcome. Any time we undertake a new task, believing we can have success is important. #2 Curb out of control hunger by eating more often. A drop in blood sugar can cause your mood and focus to plummet. That can sabotage your weight loss plan. You are likely to grab anything to eat without regard for whether it is healthy. Eating several healthy meals a day can keep your hunger monster at bay and help you stay true to your program. #3 Be good to yourself. Research has shown that deciding to make a particular food or food group off limits is counterproductive. We need to give ourselves permission to enjoy our favorite foods. They just need to be in our plan. #4 Eat for enjoyment. Learn to enjoy what we eat or drink by doing it slowly, mindfully and without distraction. This will give us time to realize that we have had enough. We can relish every bite and be more satisfied. #5 We need plenty of rest. Seven to eight hours of sleep is essential for weight loss. Sleep deprivation leads to higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and lower levels of the fullness hormone leptin. This causes us to eat more calories. We need to get our slimming sleep! #6 Breakfast is our most important meal. The best way to jump start our metabolism is to eat within the first hour of waking. If we skip breakfast, studies have shown that we are likely to over-consume at lunchtime or later in the day. We need to have a healthy morning meal to help set us up for success later in the day. #7 Don’t forget the carbs. There are good carbs and bad carbs. We need to include the healthy sources of carbs in our plan. These include healthful fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains and dairy products. #8 Remember to exercise. The best exercise is the one we will do. Finding an activity that we enjoy and will do is the important thing. If we match our exercise plan to our preferences and personality, we will be more consistent and have greater success. #9 Short workouts are better. Several short workouts a day will have similar calorie burning and health benefits as long sustained sessions. Moving is the important element. Three 10 minute walks can help us achieve our workout goals. #10 This is not a diet. Going on a diet implies a start and a stop. This is not how we achieve sustainable weight loss. If we change or adjust our lifestyle habits a little at a time, we will lose excess pounds and maintain the healthy body weight that is right for us. Sources Dweck, Carol. 2006. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books. Psychology Today, "Why Diets Don't Work...And What Does," www.psychologytoday.com, accessed on October 3, 2013. WebMD, "Coping with Excessive Sleepiness: Sleep and Weight Gain," www.webmd.com, accessed on October 3, 2013.
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SaddleBrooke One Buying the Right Products
Dave Bishow, Food & Beverage Director/Executive Chef
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e received an overwhelming response to our last article so I wanted to follow it up in similar fashion. I would like to take a moment to discuss the procurement of some of our other items such as produce and specialty goods.
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uying produce is more than a phone call. It’s knowing the right people. Here at SaddleBrooke One, we are primarily a Shamrock Foods house. Shamrock offers a “first Choice” produce program. What does that mean? They are among a select few companies that get to pick what produce they want first and more importantly, where it was grown in the field. For example, lettuce grows in large square fields, in rows. Our purveyor gets the lettuce from the center of the field where it has been protected from the wind and other damaging natural elements by the outer layer of lettuce. To our customer, that means less bruising and a crisper product. They also only get produce from fields that are far from the highways and roads so there is no chance of vehicle exhaust emissions getting on the produce. This practice is true for all their produce that bares the Markon label and that is what we use. From herbs to lettuce, tomatoes to citrus, this standard ensures a quality vegetable and fruit program to deliver to our customer.
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ther products we source are specialty goods. We use seven (7) different food purveyors so we can source quality imported meats, cheeses, pastas and oils just to name a few. The flavor difference is staggering between a domestic prosciutto and imported prosciutto di parma and so is the price. But the question is, cost or quality? QUALITY wins every time. By having the ability to source through so many different companies, we can find almost anything we could possibly want at affordable prices. For example, we only use pasta, cured meats and canned tomatoes that are imported from Italy. Why? These products have a higher standard of quality because they are known for these items. This is the thought process we approach in all of our buying. We must find the best possible ingredients that suite our clientele.
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s always, we appreciate all of your continued support and feedback. We look forward to seeing you at the Club.
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OKTOBERFEST 2017 Thursday, October 11th
Save
te a D the
The Bouncing Czechs join us again this fall and will get you in the oomp-pah-pah mood with authentic German polka and waltz music for your listening and dancing enjoyment. Celebrate this German tradition with a meal consisting of: • Warm pretzels with two dipping sauces (creamy grain mustard and beer cheese sauce • Sauerbraten • Bratwurst • Sauerkraut
• Spaetzle • Oven roasted root vegetables • Beer, bacon and apple braised red cabbage • For dessert Black Forest cake
No host bar at 5:30pm, buffet dinner at 6:30pm. Price is $29 per person inclusive. Tickets go on sale September 13th in the Clubhouse foyer.
Please help us welcome our new SaddleBrooke One residents. NAME
UNIT
NAME
UNIT
Charles Sherman & Joy Lewis
1
James Steger
7
Raymond & Jacobson Charles & Sandra Crown Ronald & Betty Wood
12 11 7
Philip & Nancy Steffes Owen & Elizabeth Gladfelder
1 7
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SaddleBrooke One Erosion Control in Unit 6 Chris Romiti, Operations Manager
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ome major erosion control work was done on the slope next to Catalina View Drive. Many things have been tried in the past without much success. Marco Rubio, our Common Grounds Manager, contacted a contractor to brainstorm a solution. Together, they came up with a way to capture and divert much of the water runoff from above. The plan was to dig a trough on top of the slope and install rip rap set in concrete. The trough would then tie into a channel (also rip rap set in concrete) and head down the hill to the drainage ditch along the road. This project was very labor intensive and took six men, three weeks to complete. The finished product is not only functional, but adds to the beatification of the slope. Other projects of this type are in the planning stage for the future.
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