Board lauds LWers’ gifts for shade structure, LW Library
GRF BOARD HIGHLIGHTS
by Ruth Osborn
managing editor
At its Aug. 3 meeting, the GRF Board accepted a $5,000 check from the Friends of the Leisure World Library. The Friends group operates a bookstore across the patio from the library that sells used books, cards, puzzles and other brica- brac to raise money for the library and other special causes.
The Friends group makes a generous donation every year, according to GRF Director Leah Perrotti, who thanked Irene Lovas, Friend’s finance coordinator, for the group’s faithful support. Lovas was there to present the check to Library Manager Taylor Green.
In other meeting highlights: Shade Structure at Pool
The board awarded a contract to Shade Comforts, Inc., for the installation of a 60-by-20-foot shade structure at the Aquatic Center, based on approved selections by the GRF Architectural Design and Review Committee. The estimated cost is $71,866.
LW resident James M. Clement of Mutual 14 donated $50,000 for the structure through the Golden Age Foundation, reducing the cost to the GRF to $21,866.
The James M. Clement Family will be acknowledged on the structure. James, his father Harry M. Clement and his uncle William A. Clement have “resided and enjoyed living in Leisure World for many years,” according to a letter that accompanied the donation.
The structure will take about two weeks to install, according to GRF Physical Property Manager Mark Weaver. It will be installed at the end of December, when the pool is typically closed for maintenance.
Board members thanked Clement for his generous donation.
Mini Farm Design
At the recommendation of the GRF Physical Property Department, the board voted to award a contract not to exceed $20,900 to Farmscape to draft a design and plan for the Mini Farm at the 1.8-Acre Site.
Farmscape is the largest urban farming company in California. Since 2008, it has designed, installed and maintained hundreds of farms across the state.
Board members emphasized that this is just the first step to assess the best use of the site and that a Mini Farm is just one option being considered.
During the public comment period, several residents spoke in favor of restoring farming to the site, citing health benefits, building community and adding to the natural beauty of LW.
“This is a bid to see how much it will cost, not a green light for the Mini Farm,” said GRF Director Perrotti.
“I think this is ill-advised,” said GRF Director William Thompson, citing the strict water conservation measures now in place due to drought conditions and the prospect of higher-than-usual assessments in a financially unstable year. His was the lone “no” vote. The motion passed with one no and one abstention.
Holiday Lights and Decorations At the recommendation of the GRF Recreation Committee, the board approved the purchase of a new holiday tree for a total cost not to exceed $8,500.
Magical Holiday Designs will install a 20-foot tree with warm white lights at Clubhouse 3 this holiday season.
The board also approved a
Friends of the LW Library finance coordinator Irene Lovas presented Library Manager Taylor Green with a $5,000 check. scope-of-work proposal (pending a contract not to exceed $23,295) for holiday decorations. Decorations will include roofline lights, wreaths and holiday signage at high-traffic areas throughout LW.
The recommendation was made by the GRF Architectural Design and Review Committee.
GRF Director Donna Gambol criticized last year’s holiday display because lights were not turned on or only intermittently lit, and some roofline lights had unlit lamps.
Recreation Manager Kathy Thayer acknowledged that there were issues, many caused by ground-fault circuit interrupters (GCFI). Even a little moisture leaking into Christmas lighting or electrical systems will trip the lights and require someone to reset the system.
The board asked for a scope of work proposal to precede the contract to make sure that adequate provisions are included to ensure all lamps are lit and lights stay on throughout LW during the holidays.
The motion carried with three no votes.
Traffic Analysis at Golden Rain and St. Andrews Based on a recommendation by the Physical Property Committee, the board voted to award a contract to Stantec Consulting to analyze the intersection at St. Andrews Drive and Golden Rain Road eliminate left-turn conflicts. The total cost of the study cannot exceed $10,954, which includes a $1,000 contingency.
The study will look at traffic signal phasing, including split signal phasing, which separates vehicle conflicts by assigning the right-of-way sequentially to the two opposing approaches.
The Physical Property Department sent out requests for proposals to three consultants to provide analysis, a conceptual plan and cost estimates for the project. Bids were submitted by Urban Crossroads, $16,600; Stantec Consulting, $9,954, which won the bid; and K2 Traffic Engineering, $ 4,850.
“In the interest of safety, this is absolutely essential,” said GRF Director Carol Levine before casting her yes vote.
Entry Passes
At the recommendation of the Security, Bus and Traffic Committee, the board voted to approve the printing of four 2023 annual entry passes per unit for resident members and Mutual 17 owners.
A gate access system that was expected to render passes obsolete is not yet viable. It will cost about $16,000 to print the annual passes, which are distributed in year-end packets through Stock Tr.
Golf Ball Removal
The board approved a contract giving Top of The Line Golf Balls the right to remove old golf balls from Turtle Lake Golf Course, paying the GRF five cents per usable golf ball.
LW Weekly Preservation
Thirty-six years of the Golden Rain News—from 1963 to June 1999—were released on newspapers.com in July 2022, according to Leisure World Historical Society President Margaret Gillon in her report to the board. She has been leading the effort to digitize 60 years of the weekly newspaper that serves LW on behalf of the Historical Society and is happy to report that 59,197 pages, are now accessible online.
