Board approves donation event, non-slip coating for lockers and more

GRF BOARD RECAP

by Ruth Osborn

Communications Director

The Golden Rain Foundation Board met Aug. 27 with a full agenda that was mostly approved with several unanimous votes. Even the one item that failed—a proposal to add parking outside the Main Gate—was nearly unanimous in its rejection, a sign of early unity and cohesion, given that there are five brand new members on the board.

Topics ranged from finding new ways to help residents dispose of household surplus to making the pool locker room floor less slippery, with safety and saving money top priorities. The following covers meeting highlights.

Salvation Army Donation Event Upon the recommendation of the Facilities Committee, the GRF Board unanimously approved a community-wide Salvation Army donation event to help residents dispose of surplus household goods— and to call attention to the cost of

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trash removal services in LW.

Residents currently dispose of large-bulk and other items at the two specified bins at the 1.8acre site. Much of the detritus comes from move-outs. It costs $700 every time the roll-off bins are emptied.

The community is filling five or more bins each month, according to GRF Director Michael Banfield, representing Mutual 8.

To bring residents’ attention to trash haul-away costs and find a better way, he arranged for the Salvation Army to station six box trucks throughout Leisure World on Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Donation bags will be distributed in the weeks leading up to the event.

GRF Security will provide traffic control. For a list of accepted donations—no mattresses, for example—and more information on the exact locations of trucks, see page 6. Furniture will be accepted.

The goal is to collect the equivalent of at least two roll-off bins that day. Banfield hopes this could become a regular collection event, which could save the community $1,500 a month, the cost of removing two bins of trash.

“The long-term potential gain is in educating the shareholders about a better option for disposing of excess goods by donating to charitable organizations rather than using an ever more expensive amenity,” Banfield said.

Traffic Reconfiguration at the Main Gate Despite the recommendation of the Facilities Committee, the board voted 15-2, to reject a $5,000 engineering plan for visitor parking outside of Leisure World between the Main Gate globe and the Security office. The goal was to provide more efficient access for potential buyers visiting the On-Site Home Sales office.

On-Site Sales pays about 1.2% of total sales in rent to the GRF. This income offsets operating expenses and reduces member assessments. From 2021-2023, this annual income averaged $633,000, but has been decreasing despite higher home costs, according to a staff report.

In a separate effort to augment On-Site Sales exposure, GRF approved a monument sign, which was erected outside the Main Gate in July.

But moving On-Site Sales customers through the Main Gate has proved to be challenging. Potential buyers typically arrive with no visitor pass on file. Vehicles can stack up as Security authorizes their visits through the On-Site office.

Locker Room Floors at the Pool Upon the recommendation of the Facilities Committee, the GRF Board voted 10-6, with one abstention to award a contract to Advantage Concrete Coating to install a slip-resistant coating to pool locker room floors at the pool at a cost not to exceed $6,580, reserve funding.

Slip resistance testing, which measures how slippery a floor is according to set safety standards, was conducted in July, and concluded that the pool locker room floors had a high slip potential.

The floors met safety codes when the new pool opened in May 2022, but texture can erode over time and is hastened by oils, creams and lotions. Despite the daily cleaning of floors, slip resistance erodes over time.

Other Approvals

• Air Conditioning: The board unanimously voted to replace a Clubhouse 6 HVAC unit at a cost not to exceed $11,985, from reserve funding, which means the money was set aside for this specific project.

• Table Replacement: The board unanimously voted to replace 10 broken and heavily used round tables in Clubhouse 2 at a cost of $1,372.35, reserve funding.

• Divider Replacement: The board unanimously voted to replace a large portable room divider for $2,641.71, reserve funding.

The Board rejected a plan to create visitor parking outside of LW. Bringing potential buyers into LW remains a challenge for On-Site Sales and Security.