A retirement golf community: That’s Sun City, Arizona

Does anyone else here believe that previous non-spending and lower salaries has more to do with keeping the community from coming unglued because of assessment hikes? I hear complaints more often than not that they think they're too high now which is ridiculous.

 

Those complaining about the current assessment rate haven't got a clue. They are probably listening to false rumors made by others who haven't got a clue?

I think if, and when, the community finally learns the real financial situation the RCSC is in they will have no objections. And to take that one step farther, I think when they learn the truth they will be pissed-off because much more moderate increases in the assessment over the last several years would have been much more palatable. We are now in the situation where a larger increase will be necessary to catch-up on all the things that have been neglected over the years and put us on a more stable footing.

I strongly urge everyone to attend any upcoming board or special meetings where the board and GM will have the opportunity to make sense of things!

 

Many live extremely simply and frugally. They feel there's no need for improvement because they don't feel it affects them other than in their wallets. They don't care about catching up with the times and especially not increasing wages. No amount of convincing will be enough. Get ready.

 

Tell them to go look around for a less expensive place to live.

 

Coming up…
RCSC Board and Committee Meetings
NOTE: All RCSC Cardholders are welcome to attend RCSC Board Meetings.

Board Meetings currently listed on the RCSC website:

• Monday, September 11th, 2023 at 9am Sundial Recreation Center - The Exchange - Member Board Exchange Meeting

• Thursday, September 28th, 2023 at 9am Sundial Recreation Center - Board of Director Meeting

• Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 at 6pm Sundial Recreation Center - Annual Membership Meeting

View Committee Meetings HERE

 

We had a period where people moved here because it was the cheapest place around. They could care less if the rec centers closed, and the golf courses turned into fields. Some have never, ever been to a rec center. No way they will change their mind.

 

Those members will also need to be taken into consideration if they show up to reflect true self-governance or else it will appear as if only members who use rec centers are taken into consideration.

 

Old and Tired...

I think you have a valid point. When we look at the population and the utilization numbers, some things don't add up. But not having reliable technology to track utilization contributes to our analysis problem.

As an example, there are an estimated 5k golfers. Does that justify 8 courses? It doesn't to me. I admit, I'm no longer a golfer. For those that can't get tee times, it's a big problem. But is it reasonable? It's a moot point because we own them and we can't sell them, so what do we do? Manage them to the best of our ability, and create a fee structure that is fair. But continuing to have the cheapest golf is not sustainable. As I understand, golf fees for residents Aldo have not increased for 6-7 years?

Are we we expecting too much? It's foolhardy to think we can delay critical facility maintenance and then just tear down these centers and rebuild new as they "age out." It's not sustainable. Allowing MTV to become so rundown should NEVER have happened in the first place, and should be a lesson for every Board moving forward - that they must take their responsibilities seriously.

It's the same with the mess with our capital project list. Playing catch up is a lot harder than keeping up a little at a time. I wonder how much time and money has been expended to keep repairing equipment or not replacing equipment that's past its useful life. At some point it's just plain penny wise and pound foolish. And, it makes the job of our employees harder, and could potentially cause more turnover. Who wants to go to work every day knowing there is a good possibility they may spend a large portion of their day just dealing with fixing "stuff." That contributes to low job satisfaction. Or, listening to members complain about the poor condition of golf carts, restroom/shower issues, the pool chair issue at Marinette that we had earlier this spring - just to name a few. They didn't create the issues, but they are face to face with the members every day.

Board members and especially Finance & Budget committee members have a fiduciary responsibility to protect our assets and spend resources responsibly. They also have a responsibility to ensure our employees have a safe work environment and the proper tools and equipment to properly carry out their work. This applies to all staff. That also means assessing fees when necessary to ensure all assets are protected.

When we buy property, we agree to certain terms to maintain our assets. If it's not the lifestyle and amenities a person wants or needs, then maybe a different community should be selected. Living here just because it's "cheaper" and then lobbying against increases just because a person chooses not to use them isn't acceptable reason. The amenities make the community an attractive place to live, PLUS help maintain the value of ALL of our homes.

We can't afford to continue the status quo. I really hope members take every opportunity between now and the time the budget is voted on to attend meetings or view them. Or talk to members of the Board or committees. It's important. The decisions aren't being made in a vacuum.

 

There is a another group of members we cannot discount aside from those who don't want to pay which are the elderly and those with disabilities and cannot drive, walk, etc. Yes we all have a responsibility however not every member is able to utilize the recreation to the same degree. They should still be heard if they show any interest in what is developing. The fees should be fair for all.

 

There are options for assistance through the RCSC Foundation that should be more fully explored. Steve Collins did make a comment about the need for more education about the assistance the Foundation can provide.

And, you make a good point about members with disabilities. Someone mentioned that a new pool at MTV could be designed with a walkin access vs steps for example. If I recall, that topic came up at the ASU work group - access.

 

Just a few thoughts…I suspect there are more residents who currently choose not to, or are no longer able to, use our recreation facilities than the number who do.

They agreed and are still required to pay their annual assessments. That’s not going to change. However, need to know their opinions are welcome and valued.

RCSC should communicate by every way possible to encourage participation. Reach out inclusively with consideration of all member abilities and access to technology.

In addition to attending or viewing video of
meetings, SunViews and e-blasts, consider promoting options:

CONTACTS
Board of Directors contact at 623-561-4620, e-mail or directly
Management contact phone and email
(RCSC Directory HERE)
Offer in home visit appointments two persons go

Libraries
Free internet access
Staff assistance available

Print
Mass mailing to every residence, periodic and urgent.
Advertise attention getting notices & info in Sun CIty Independent
Monthly SunViews used to be be in the FREE delivered Sun City Independent

Telephone
Board and recruited volunteer Members commit to call X-number of residents to personally invite to attend specific meeting(s).A brief contact with opportunity to ask if they have any questions or concerns.
Follow up if answer not known and assurance their concerns are shared with appropriate area of RCSC.

Transportation
Not all of Sun City is included in the FREE autonomous trial yet. What else can be offered?

Other
You!

 

Fees are fair for all. We all pay the same amount per household. If we need another 5 million for operations fees have to go up $185.

That brings us to the definition of "fair". I'm sure there would be 20 different definitions just from the people that post here.

 

Ok, now I get it.

 

Fair is a relative term O and T and i suspect you'd get a lot of argument from those singles buying here after 2003 about how fair it is when a couple owning the house next door gets a two-fer. We've been down that road and the more we discuss it, the more the aforementioned single or couple that use none of the amenities can plead their case. The counter-argument is that everyone buying into Sun City at the time knew (or should have known) the rules. It's one of the reasons i've always endorsed using a local realtor who wanted more than just their share of the commission. Way too many of them are ignorant about how Sun City works.

I'll do a deeper dive into this discussion later today, but the good news is, covering that 20 million dollars of deferred maintenance and whatever added costs there are regarding golf, it doesn't have to be done in a single year. The interim GM and budget guru, Kevin McCurdy, is taking the right course by laying out a 5 year plan to catch-up. By prioritizing the most important items they are looking somewhere around 6 million dollars the first year (2024) and added amounts each year thereafter. The challenge of course is additional items will pop up and need to be addressed.

This is exactly how the RCSC should have been doing business all along. Sadly the board gave absolute and total control to the GM and a few staff members assuming she was doing all the things that needed to be done. Instead, we shoved the money in the bank and let those improvements and the much needed maintenance slide. Like i said; oversight, accountability and responsibility are essential. It's that simple.

 

Why hasn't this been addressed before now? What was the driving force that has changed attitudes?

 

I recall Karen McAdam pointing to a recent cost analysis provided by Kevin McCurdy, that RCSC golf operations use about 46% of our annual budget. The remaining 54% goes to everything else! Then factor in if we aren't even keeping pace with basic maintenance and replacement, plus the amount of PIF we spend on golf. My observation - golf is getting more than a fair share of resources. Yes, we are a golfing community. Always has been. Always will be. But let's be honest and put it in perspective against everything else. Golf is a pay to play sport. That will never change.

 

Great question and one i can summarize quickly (or not): When i left the board in 2014 people asked me if i would ever run again? I stated bluntly, not unless i knew there was 5 other potential candidates who could run over a two year period (election cycle) who were like-minded and believed the RCSC should be membership driven, not GM driven.

It never happened and it never was going to until the board in 2021 fired Karen McAdam and she ran 6 months later and won. It prompted several of us to form the Sun City Advocates. We had one singular goal, elect three more candidates who were member-friendly. While it would have been easy to identify a half a dozen other goals wish list, we fought the urge. Winning the 2022 election changed everything. Especially when 3 board members promptly quit rather than serving in the minority.

Adding to the changing tide was when the GM left this summer. There's no value in belaboring his time in Sun City. The former, former GM wanted him as her replacement and while some board members didn't see him as the best candidate, he was hired anyway. He was a safe choice as they knew he wasn't going to stir the pot with anything negative about where we were after 15 years of some really questionable leadership. Think technology and his comment: "it's no one's fault." Duh.

With the sea change of both board members and the membership showing up and speaking out, we've come to understand the Sun City way of life we all love has been slipping away. Reversing the tide and asking/expecting the membership to become willing and active participants in the process of self-governance is a low slow slog back, but in my mind it's far more attractive than running away from the tenets Sun City was built on.

Damn, proved to myself once again, i write too much.

 

So if the community is in such dire straits, why is the SAC and lots of others, so hell bent on dropping $20m on a PAC that by the time it’s built it’s proponents will no longer be here to enjoy it and the next generation of buyers could care less about it being here? Maybe it’s time to start practicing some fiscal responsibility and quit believing that everytime you stick your hand in you can bring out a handful of money.

 

The Community is not in "dire" straits but found themselves in the current situation where they need to play catch-up after allowing so many things to be kicked down the road for way too long!

What good does all that "cash-forward" money do if it's not used to maintain the facilities?

Not saying an increase in the annual assessments are going to happen (time will tell) but if the assessments were raised by a mere $5 dollars every year for the last 6 years, we would be exactly where we are now ($525) but with many more dollars to use.

Just think about how many years behind we are on technology alone, and how much more cost effective it would have been to simply maintain and upgrade our hardware and software over the last 15 years rather than suddenly needing to play catch-up all at once! It not only affects the capabilities of the equipment and software itself, but it affects the administrative abilities of the RCSC (i.e. work load on our IT staff putting band-aid fixes on our systems or usage data collection or safety camera's). There are many things that would make everybody's life so much easier including for the Board, the Staff and the Clubs.

As far as Mountain View goes, I don't believe the SAC committee has had its come-to-Jesus moment yet and that needs to come from the Budget and Finance Committee when they finalize the budget.

I think this new board and pro-tem General Manager are headed in that exact direction. We will know fairly soon!