This is our latest in a series of monthly updates regarding the ranch’s responses to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.  AS OF July 6, the State of California is now second in the nation after Florida in the 72-hour rate of new reported Covid-19 cases, although death rates have not kept pace; however, these lag the reported cases by 10 to 21 days. As a result, just before the Fourth of July weekend, the Governor provided a new directive shutting down beaches in heavily affected communities, closing indoor restaurants, movie theaters and similar venues, and all bars.  At the same time, several counties were added to the list of counties affected by this directive, including San Bernardino County.  The Ranch will attempt to mirror all relevant State and County guidelines.  As to the status of the Ranch’s operations, these are as follows:

·         The Resident Support Center (7136 Club View Drive) and the Community Service Office (6892 Cloverhill Drive) will remain closed for face-to-face operations.  You are probably aware that we have continued to man the Resident Support Center on a 50:50 basis, using two teams.  One team works in the office for three business days, while the other team works remotely for those three days; then, the teams switch.  This has allowed us to continue business operations should one team be forced to quarantine for 14 days.  However, this arrangement has presented a few difficulties, and since this shutdown may continue for some time, as of July 20, we will have finalized some inexpensive retrofits of the Stonehouse (which is on-site, next to the Resident Support Center) which will allow the team working remotely to do so using this facility, while still remaining separate from the team working at the Resident Support Center. This arrangement will allow us to conduct on-site inspections and other work more efficiently.  Please note that the Stonehouse will also remain closed to the public.

·         Member or resident transactions with staff should continue to be handled as follows:

o   If you have non-ACH assessments or other payments to make, please deposit them in the small mailboxes (one is white, the other black) just outside the Resident Support Center front door.  If you want a receipt, please note that request on the envelope or on a slip of paper attached to the check or money order, and we will mail it to you. THIS INCLUDES PAYMENTS FOR ANY VIOLATIONS…Please leave them in the Resident Support Center mailbox, not at the Community Service Office.

o   If you have any Modifications applications or related paperwork to drop off, please drop them in the white or black boxes noted above; these are checked on a very regular basis.  There will be telephonically held Modifications meetings.  If you have any questions regarding a Modification that you are considering attending, please contact the office at (909) 425-3971 to discuss.

o   If you need to contact staff, please call the Resident Support Center at (909) 864-0215 or email: msa@easthighlandsranch.com or the Community Services Office at (909) 864-3190, email: cso@easthighlandsranch.com.  We are also available by text or fax.  Please call us for those text/fax contact points.  If a face-to-face meeting is determined to be absolutely necessary, an appointment can then be made as appropriate.

o   If you need an activities card, please call the office and we will arrange that for you.  Cards will be delivered to your door at 4 p.m. each day.  If you need a new photo, you can provide one via email.  If we need to take that photo for you, we will have to do that at a future point…this can be discussed with staff by phone.

·         Our pools and spas have been reopened since Friday, June 12, with conditions.  Signs are posted at each pool entrance and on our bulletin boards, as well as on the website, listing these conditions.  These conditions include reduced hours of operations, a recommended maximum of 20 persons in the pools and 2 persons in the spas and wading pools at a time.  Furniture has been placed with social distancing in mind, and should not be moved from the locations marked on the pool deck beneath each piece.  No guests are allowed.  Care should be taken to comply with these conditions, as we don’t want to risk closures of these pools by County health officials. 

·         It should be noted that numerous infractions of the posted guidelines, and of our general pool and spa rules, have been observed since the re-opening.  These include overcrowding of the spas, bringing in guests, not observing social distancing (family groups excepted), not wearing facial coverings when out of the water, moving furniture into groups, hopping the fences and riding bikes and skateboards within the pool fences, among others.  If these trends continue, we may be forced to take actions up to and including further pool area closures.  If you see these types of activities occurring, you are encouraged to report them to our CSO personnel or to our business office, so that we can keep the pool areas open and safe for community use.

·         ACME Janitorial Services continues to provide a robust Covid-19 related cleaning service to the pool areas, focusing on furniture, high-contact surfaces, handles, handrails, shower areas and washroom facilities, using a one-half hour rotation from noon to 8 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, supplemented by our on-site janitorial staff.   

·         All playground structures will remain closed at this time, pending an appropriate directive from the County of San Bernardino and/or the State of California.

·         Tennis courts and pickleball courts have been opened for a few weeks now, and the walking trails were never closed. If you are using the tennis and/or pickleball facilities, please note the rules in these areas, where play is limited to members of the same family per court.   Based on County guidance, the basketball court unfortunately must remain closed at this time.

·         All Ranch-sponsored events remain canceled until further notice.

·         All private events scheduled for any Ranch facility or common area are canceled or postponed until further notice.  If you still have such an event for which you have provided a deposit, please contact the Activities Department at (909) 425-3973 or email: activities@easthighlandsranch.com to either reschedule the event or to receive a refund.  This restriction will remain in place until the State and County governments authorize gatherings of 50 or more to occur again.

·         For the protection of all, we have appreciated your efforts to maintain a 6-foot separation from our Community Service Officers and our contractors (i.e. landscapers and other workers) whose jobs require them to be on site and outside.

·         Financial Monitoring Committee meetings have resumed telephonically as of May 25, and will again occur monthly on the last Monday of the month.  The Covenants Committee will resume its sessions on August 10, possibly telephonically depending on conditions at that time, and will continue monthly on the second Monday of each month.  The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled, most likely telephonically, for Wednesday July 29.   

 

We hope you understand and agree that these measures, in compliance with the State and local government guidelines, are necessary to protect the health and safety of all Ranch residents.  If we are all cautious and considerate in our behavior and actions in the use of our facilities and our interactions with others when using these facilities, there is an excellent chance that some of the conditions that are currently in place can be eased over a period of time. 

I am grateful for the continued support from our divisional office of the Management Trust in Palm Desert as well as our corporate office in Tustin.  As always, we remain committed to continue to do our very best for our members during this strange period in our history.  Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

 

 

Gary Leobold, CCAM®, CMCA, AMS | General Manager

East Highlands Ranch MHOA

Champion Employee Owner
The Management Trust
7136 Club View Drive • Highland, California 92346
P: (909) 864-0215 | F: (909) 864-0416