February 2021 E-Newsletter
Table of Contents
Community News
Contributed by Sarah Nelson, Vistoso Community Association President
Happy New Year, Vistoso neighbors! A special welcome to our winter visitors! We may not see each other much this winter given the Covid-19 precautions, but we always look forward to greeting our winter residents and guests. We encourage you to visit our Oro Valley businesses during your stay and get outside to enjoy the warmth of sunshine as well as our beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
The VCA Master Association Board has been working very hard this past year to bring forward several very large projects that were not accomplished over the past few years: painting of common area walls in select Master neighborhoods; identifying Reserve Study elements within our Common Area that require repair, maintenance, or replacement; and a Town of Oro Valley request to inventory, repair, maintain or replace Drainage Facilities throughout the Master Association. We have over 120 drainage projects, several which will begin this month, and many reserve studies items to move forward that are being discussed at Committee and Board currently.
Our accomplishments for 2020 are due to the commitment of Volunteer board and committee members as well as a dedicated, hard-working staff. Thank you to all volunteers that help move conversations along, even when the conversations are difficult to discuss. Thank you to FSResidential staff that find a way to “make it so” when given direction, even when the tasks are mounting up on desks. Yes, we are all working very hard. Thank you to all residents that trust us to make prudent decisions on behalf of all VCA membership. We value your trust, your input, and your commitment to being a good neighbor.
During the December 3 Board of Directors meeting, the Board unanimously approved the implementation of Prop 207 (Marijuana Legalization Initiative 2020) within our VCA community. Please review the resolution, posted on the RanchoVistosoHOA.com website. Our next related project is to update the Park Rules to include this newly adopted rule, coming this spring.
We are continuing to “meet” via zoom and other digital platforms. While it is currently filling the void of “in person” meetings, we miss seeing our neighbors and interacting with each other. All Committee and General Board Sessions are open to homeowners and we encourage you to attend. We encourage you to consider participating in one or more of our meetings. Agendas and ZOOM links are provided on our website calendar. Hopefully, we will be able to convene later this year after the Public Health Emergency is lifted.
On behalf of board, committees, and staff members, we wish everyone a peaceful and healthy new year.
2021 Association Ballot Processing and Procedures
The goal of the 2021 Board of Directors election is to encourage electronic voting to maximize the tallying process for the Vistoso Community Association’s (VCA) electronic voting (IVOTE) vendor. Electronic voting is easy, convenient, completely self-service and confidential, but if a property owner/member has questions or requires additional support, the VCA management staff is available to provide personal and confidential assistance.
You will receive a letter and email that will provide instructions for how to cast your vote during the February 26 – March 19, 2021 election period. These communications will discuss the three ways you can submit your vote and be assured it has been properly tallied: on-line/electronically using IVOTE, US mail, or hand delivery to the VCA onsite office at 945 W. Vistoso Highlands Dr. Regardless of the mode used, only VCA onsite FirstService Residential staff are authorized to assist you with your voting efforts or handle ballots.
When you choose to vote electronically using your own device, you will receive a confirmation email from the IVOTE system upon successfully completing your input. If you would like to vote electronically but would like additional support, a computer will be available for your use at the VCA community office between 10 AM and 2 PM each weekday during the election period. If requested, a VCA staff member will provide you with additional assistance as needed to support your efforts to vote electronically.
If you choose to return your completed ballot by US mail, it will be scanned and recorded into the IVOTE system by a VCA staff member on the same day it is received. As part of the scanning entry process, the staff member will document the date and time the IVOTE entry is completed along with their signature, scan the paper ballot to record an electronic version of it in the VCA database, and retain the original hardcopy on file. If you provide an email address in your mailing, you will receive an email from the VCA staff member confirming that your ballot was received and recorded.
Residents that prefer to hand deliver of their ballot to the VCA office are asked to drop it in the on-site ballot box on a weekday from 10 AM to 2 PM. Each day at 2 PM a VCA staff member will collect the hand-delivered ballots and enter each into the IVOTE system using the same process as for mailed ballots.
Finally, please remember that per the VCA governing documents, VCA members who are homeowners are provided and allowed to submit only one ballot for each property that they own. Per the VCA ByLaws, Section 2.3, in the event more than one person casts or attempts to cast a vote for a particular lot or parcel, all votes shall be deemed void.
If you have any questions about voting or voting electronically (online), feel free to contact FSR staff at (520) 354-2729.
Please VOTE!
February Landscaping from AAA!
The AAA information for February includes clean up and planting.
Remember the important Care Tips for this month:
- Freshen up flowerbeds by removing faded or spent blooms
- Wait to prune frost damage until the later part of February.
- Now is the time for shaping citrus trees a little, if you must.
Download the Full AAA Color Flyer Here
02-91208-AAA-Flyer_febString Lighting – Reminder!
A friendly reminder to all residents to remove any string lighting from your property. As many of you may know, string lighting is not permitted in our association. We would love to see your décor to enhance elegance and light up the dark nights, but we cannot allow string lighting. Since the holidays are over, we are moving to full enforcement with any non-compliant lighting and if noticed, it will be addressed. Let’s work together to abide by our CC&R’s and remain compliant. Thank you!
Don’t Forget the Clean Up!
As we welcome the second month of the New Year, we are hopeful to achieve new goals moving forward. Per the CC&R’s 5.2.2 Animals . . . “All permitted pets shall be leashed when not on a Lot owned by the pet’s owner or in which the pet’s owner is a Tenant, guest or invitee; and persons walking pets shall carry a “pooper scooper” (a hand held shovel or other instrument designed for removing animal excrement from the ground) with them at all times and shall remove the pet’s excrement from the Covered Property.”
Moving forward please be mindful of your animals and be sure to clean up after them so that we can keep the community clean and safe for all. We provide numerous pet stations throughout the association, please utilize them if you bring your pets out unprepared.
We enjoy watching your animals explore and enjoy the dog parks and would like for all to have the same experience. We hope to accomplish this goal and will continue to provide the necessary tools to help you clean up after your animals.
Get to know your Committees: Finance Committee!
Gayle Lopez, Treasurer
It has been my pleasure to serve as the Vistoso Community Association’s (VCA) Treasurer and Chairperson of the Finance Committee (FC) since March 2020. I’d like to introduce the FC’s role, committee members/contributors, and our joint successes.
Role of the FC
The FC’s primary role is to make financial recommendations to the BOD and assist the Treasurer in his/her duties. Proposing the annual budget (operating and reserve) and the investment strategy/plan are but a few of the FC’s responsibilities. In addition, the FC recommends when to increase assessments, how to finance expenditures, where/when to invest VCA money, assists in contract language and bidding, audits suppliers to ensure contract compliance, makes recommendations to reduce the VCA’s exposure to fraud and hacking, and recommends policy/process improvements. The FC delivers sound financial recommendations.
Meet the People Working on Your Behalf
The community was blessed this year to have a very talented and committed FC team. We met twice a month vs. the traditional once a month. Our team members possessed skills and expertise in areas such as financial forecasting, financial fraud, extensive reserve study & funding knowledge, commercial real estate development, banking, P&L management, auditing, contract negotiations, cyber security, and prior VCA/HOA FC experience. The FC knows how to make your assessments work for the community.
| Name | Role | Neighborhood |
| Gayle Lopez | Treasurer | Vistoso Hills (soon to be Honey Bee Ridge) |
| Norm Bogen | Member | St. Andrews II |
| David Light | Member | Estates at High Mesa |
| Rob Quiri | Member | The Pinnacle at Center Pointe |
| Susann Ventzke | Member | Vistoso Highlands 1 |
| Matt Wood | Alternate | Summit North at Center Pointe |
| Tracy Anne Phillips | Contributor | Alterra |
| Veronica Alverez | Accountant | First Service Residential |
| Colleen Holland | General Manager | VCA Onsite Office |
FC 2020 Accomplishments
The FC is proud to share that we completed 25 projects this year. These projects improved efficiencies and have saved and/or identified savings valued in excess of $30,000 by:
- auditing top 5 suppliers
- getting reimbursed for billing errors
- decreasing contract costs
- holding suppliers accountable to contract terms
- renegotiating fair and balanced contracts
- implementing procedures that reduced exposure to financial fraud
- developing a gifting policy
Finally, Our Success = Your Success. Thanks for letting the FC serve our community.
If you have any ideas or want to help with the Finance Committee – reach out to [email protected].