Board approves Main Gate beautification

GRF BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

by Ruth Osborn

Communications Director

At its meeting May 26, the GRF Board tackled a full agenda that led to approvals for community beautification projects, powerful new audio and video equipment and safety measures at the pedestrian gates and the intersection at St. Andrews Drive and Golden Rain Road.

More than a dozen people took the podium during the public comment time, most of them expressing support for a plan to spruce up the Main Gate to make it more welcoming to guests and residents alike.

GRFPresidentLindaHermanthanked the board for its hard work during the 2025-2026 term, which officially ends with the GRF Annual Meeting June 9. That is when newly elected members will be installed, and the new term begins.

Dave Potter, GRF executive manager of mutual services, reviewed the 20252026 budget. GRF finished fiscal year 2025 with a healthy surplus of $220,847, the first since 2021.

The surplus was driven by savings on salaries and wages, insurance and janitorial services, all of which came in under budget.

The 2026 budget also has a positive variance as of the end of the first quarter. Salaries and wages, insurance and janitorial services continue to be drivers.

Over the next three-and-ahalf hours, the board approved projects that will make Leisure World living more pleasant, safe and accessible. The following is a partial overview of board actions. The meeting can be streamed in its entirety at lwsb. com.

Main Gate Beautification

In a 17-1 vote, the board approved nearly $90,000 to refurbish the Main Gate with a goal of restoring its visual appeal. The upgrade, which was the work on an ad hoc committee led by GRF Director Mike Banfield, who represents Mutual 8, will include new paint, new signage with a “Welcome Home” message on the Security Building facade at the Main Gate, the removal of beat-up traffic cones and barrels, replacing them with blue delineators, a consolidation of signs, and the addition of planters and an irrigation system among other improvements.

The project cost of $89,562 includes a contingency and will be covered from reserve and capital funding.

The ad hoc committee sought to create a cohesive and welcoming ambiance to the main entry experience for existing and future shareholders and to build a brand for Leisure World Seal Beach from the moment of entry, according to its report.

Channel Planting

Upon the recommendation of the Facilities Committee, the board unanimously approved the purchase and planting of 220 bougainvillea along the flood control channel to replace those lost during the installation of new fencing. The $12,500 cost, to be taken from reserves, will also cover repairs to the sprinkler system.

Left Turn at St. Andrews and Golden Rain

Upon the recommendation of the Facilities Committee, the board voted 17-1 to approve $6,000 from reserve funding to evaluate the possibility of adding a separate left-turn phase to the light cycle at Golden Rain Road and St. Andrews Drive.

This would give all four approaches dedicated left-turn phases, plus the pedestrian phase, which stops all traffic at the light so people can freely cross. Currently, only the eastand westbound traffic on Golden Rain Road have dedicated left turns.

Audio and Visual Equipment Replacements Upon the recommendation of the Member Services Committee, the board voted to upgrade audio systems in Clubhouses 1, 2 and 3 and purchase a powerful new movie projector to use at the Amphitheater.

The audio equipment, which will replace obsolete systems, is expected to cost about $111,604, which includes a contingency fund, and will come from reserves.

The projector will replace an 11-year-old relic, and will cost about $43,500, including the contingency, from reserves. The new projector will emit 21,000 lumens. A lumen is the total amount of visible light output. The existing projector emits 7,000 lumens, which is ineffective for a large, outdoor venue like the Amphitheater.

ID Card and Pedestrian Gate Access System The board voted 17-0 with one abstention to approve a new ID card system as part of a comprehensive project to upgrade Leisure World’s failing pedestrian gates.

After months of discussion and revision, the project was whittled from around $400,000 to less than $100,000. The cost savings is mainly attributed to reducing technology such as intercoms and security cameras at the gate.

Also, the GRF Board voted April 28 to ratify a contract with a new service provider to support Proptia, which is Leisure World’s visitor and gate access system. This helped address urgent operational needs and further reduced project costs as the vendor price was lower than the previous company.

The new cost is $78,945, from reserves, covering the replacement of Leisure World’s seven gates, plus $21,000 from operations for 3,000 new ID cards. The improvements include installing card readers, controllers, backup batteries and ID card software.

The encrypted ID cards will allow community access into Leisure World for all shareholders and one day, into amenities that now require manual signins.

With the upgrade, the community as a whole will be more secure. Watch the full board meeting online at www.lwsb.com/ livestream.

New bougainvillea will be planted along the fence lining the flood control channel. Landscapers expect it to grow quickly.