and

PRESENTATION: We are pleased to announce that Jan Vejraska, SCW Posse Professional, will provide tips for staying safe in your home and also when out and about in SCW. This presentation starts at 1:30!

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Board Election

This year we are electing four (4) Board members. Only Bob Toulouse has a year left on his term. Per the By-Laws our new Board will consist of One 3 year term, Two 2 year terms and Two 1 year terms. Bob Toulouse’s one remaining year uses a 1 year term.

For information or to obtain a ballot, please email our secretary.

Following in alphabetical order are the applicants to be considered for the 2019 Board.

Barb Bruno

My name is Barb Bruno and I am currently serving on the board as Vice President. During this past year, with the help of 20 volunteer homeowners, we were able to form six committees who worked on many issues to improve our community. Some of the major projects included the allowance of front yard patios and pony walls and forming the Welcome Wagon committee. I am especially grateful to these 20 volunteers who have spent many hours supporting these projects. I have truly enjoyed my time on the board and would love to serve another term.

Ken Cocklin

My name is Ken Cocklin and I am currently on the board in the Treasurer position. I was appointed to the board to fulfill the remaining term for Everette Salsberry, who resigned this past summer. I am a full time resident living on Via Montoya. Prior to my retirement, I worked in technical support for Cleveland State University and managed a multi million dollar annual budget. Being new to an HOA I attended a multi session program outlining the laws, regulation and structure of an HOA, which was sponsored by Sun City West Organization of HOA's.

David Gordon

I am a full-time resident of Surprise, and my house is located on Via Montoya where my mother lives. I am running for the board because my hobby has always been to help people. I am a past president of the Sonora Board 2014, and 2016 through 2019. My goal as a board member has always been to get the best services for the least amount of money. Because of my past experiences, I know I can make a difference for the people of the Sonora Homeowners Association.

Brenda Melcher

Almost 10 years ago my husband and I bought our Via Montoya home in Sun City West as a vacation home expecting to spend two or three months a year here to escape the Illinois winters. Two months became four, then six, and in 2018 we established this as our permanent residence. We feel fortunate to have landed in this community and enjoy the friendships we have made here. Since I finally retired last year, I want to do my part to support the efforts others have been making for us all. As a lifelong teacher, public school administrator, and educational consultant, I have had many opportunities to serve on governing boards and committees working with families and community members toward a common goal. Maybe those experiences can help me make a contribution here, too.

Karen K. Smith

I am currently Secretary of the Sonora HOA and am submitting my application for election in 2019. During my time as secretary I have worked to obtain email addresses for as many homeowners as possible. We currently have only about 15 homeowners without emails. Newsletters are now sent via email with only a few receiving them by snail mail. This has resulted in savings for the HOA. I would like to continue serving on the Board. I recently completed an HOA Leadership Course - 3 sessions of 2 hours each. I learned about AZ laws and many hints on conducting proper meetings.

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Treasurer’s Report

Ken Cocklin

2018 End of Year Budget Summary

$180,935 Income

$189,610 Expenditures

Which resulted in: $8675 over budget which was paid from our Operating Equity which is cumulative amounts over or under expenditures. This overage was primarily due to the storm damage and the cost of the attorney updating our By-Laws (which is required every 10 years.)

In addition to these expenses we spent:

1,321 on rock replacement from the Rock Replacement Reserve, and $14,044 from the Major Maintenance Reserve which paid for the balance of the cost of the storm damage.

The end of the year Budget Summary is on the website.

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Vice President’s Report

Barb Bruno

We had a hard freeze 3 nights in a row this winter which damaged a lot of our plants and shrubs. Many of these will come back with warmer weather, but we will also be planting approximately 80 new plants and shrubs. Plantings will begin the second week of February (weather permitting) and will take about four weeks to complete. They will be done by Armin & Son on their regular scheduled days.

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Pest Control Schedule

Our pest control company is now Tride and True Pest and Termite Control, LLC. We made this change as they provide service at a more reasonable cost. When they come, they will spray in the back if the gate is unlocked. They will ring the doorbell and ask if you want the garage sprayed. Garage spraying is included in this contract. If you want the interior sprayed, they will do that for a fee of $5. Their schedule is:

*Lots 1 - 92 Second Monday at 1:00 p.m.

*Lots 93-182 Fourth Monday at 1:00 p.m.

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Garbage Schedule

Garbage is picked up Monday and Thursday mornings - early. On major holidays the collections are delayed one day.

Recycle Schedule

Recycle is picked up the first and third Wednesdays each month. When there are five Wednesdays in the month, there is no pickup on that fifth Wednesday.

Front Yard Maintenance

This summer our schedule changed from Saturdays back to Tuesdays as follows:

*1st Tuesday: Zone 1 (lots 1 - 45)

*2nd Tuesday: Zone 2 (lots 71-115)

*3rd Tuesday: Zone 3 (lots 61-70 and 116-150

*4th Tuesday: Zone 4 (lots 46-60 and 151-182

The Sonora Homeowner

Official Newsletter of Your Sonora Homeowners Association: November, 2019

The Sonora Newsletter is an informational letter about our community.

WWW.sonorahoa.com

Board Member

Robert (Bob) Toulouse, Pres. Barb Bruno, Vice Pres.

rjtoulouse@gmail.com barbbruno7@gmail.com

Karen Smith, Sec./Newsletter William (Ken) Cocklin, Treas.

hoakaren3@gmail.com **NEW EMAIL** hoakenscw@gmail.com

Brenda Melcher, Member at Large

melchebrenda1@gmail.com

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HOA Update

We need volunteers to run for the Board. Elections will be here sooner than we think. Deadline to file: December 31, 2018. Contact Kathryn Nichols for information.

1) Everett Salsberry resigned from his position as Treasurer and Ken Cocklin has been appointed to be our new Treasurer. Thanks to Ken for stepping up.

2) Please note that Karen Smith, Secretary, has a new email address: hoakaren3@gmail.com I’ve been receiving many emails and it became apparent to me that I needed one for just the HOA business. So, please change my email in your records. Thanks.

3) Attached to this Newsletter are minutes of our Emergency Board Meeting on

August 14 and the Board Meeting on October 15, which was attended by the

Board and 18 other Homeowners.

4) Also attached is the 2019 Budget.

********************************************************************************Vice President’s Report

Barb Bruno

We would like to welcome Kathryn Nichols to our Nominating Committee. Thanks for volunteering Kathryn

It's that time of year again, we are looking for volunteers to run for the board. All but one member of the current board's terms expire in March. This is a great chance to serve your community, contribute new ideas and get to know your neighbors. Anyone interested, please contact Kathryn Nichols.

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Many of our snowbirds are not aware of the extreme damage caused by two enormous Monsoon storms this past summer. Sixteen trees came down plus an additional ten large limbs that required removal.

The board wants to convey to Leonard Maclaurin our sincere appreciation for all his time and hard work dealing with the mess we had. Leonard is the only member on the landscaping committee who is here year round and he certainly had his hands full!! We have recently added a new full time resident to that committee and want to welcome Jim Reterstoff. Thanks for volunteering Jim.

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We have recently had a lot of sales people putting fliers on our doors. Fliers left on doors where homeowners are gone for the summer is a dead give-away that the house is empty. The board has ordered signs for both entrances to our subdivision stating "No Solicitation". In the meantime, if you see fliers left at an empty house, please remove them.

LANDSCAPE UPDATE REPORT, :Leonard Maclaurin

-TREES: Our HOA has now been brought into compliance with the exception of 2 lots which will be completed soon. At that time, all replacement trees will have been planted. The goal is to complete all tree thinning before the next Monsoon season which should help prevent trees from coming down in the storms.

SHRUBS & FLOWERING PLANTS:

This past summer was very hard on shrubs & plants. We lost many due to extreme, prolonged hot weather. Many more were lost when trees fell on them during the storms. Between 100 & 120 plants will be replaced next year with more colorful, flowering plants requiring low water consumption. Many Rosemarys are in distress and will be removed.

IRRIGATION: We have been monitoring water usage for many months now in an effort to better regulate what is actually needed and reduce water usage. This will be an on-going effort and adjustments made as needed.

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Secretary’s Report

Karen Smith

This year I embarked on an email project. My goal was to obtain email addresses for everyone who had them. I am very pleased with the results. Only 15 of our homeowners do not have email. You can see on the 2019 budget that the amounts for office supplies and stamps are considerably reduced.

I also want to encourage everyone to consider RUNNING TO BE A BOARD MEMBER.

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Treasurer’s Report

Ken Cocklin

With the severe storm damage this past summer where a large number of trees were blown down and limbs broken, we were forced to contract our landscaper and third party landscapers to come onsite to clear this debris. The cost to pay these contractors had to come from our ‘Emergency Fund’ since this expense was not forecasted. Also with the increase in utilities, worker’s salary forecasted for 2019, and the replenishing of the SONORA HOA Emergency Fund our monthly dues must increase from $81.00 to $85.00 per month.

Pest Control Schedule

Our pest control company is now Tride and True Pest and Termite Control, LLC. We made this change as they provide service at a more reasonable cost. When they come, they will spray the in the back if the gate is unlocked. They will ring the doorbell and ask if you want the garage sprayed. Garage spraying is included in this contract. If you want the interior sprayed, they will do that for a fee of $5. Their schedule is:

*Lots 1 - 92 Second Monday at 1:00 p.m.

*Lots 93-182 Fourth Monday at 1:00 p.m.

Garbage Schedule

Garbage is picked up Monday and Thursday mornings - early. On major holidays the collections are delayed one day.

Recycle Schedule

Recycle is picked up the first and third Wednesdays each month. When there are five Wednesdays in the month, there is no pickup on that fifth Wednesday.

Front Yard Maintenance

This summer our schedule changed from Saturdays back to Tuesdays as follows:

*1st Tuesday: Zone 1 (lots 1 - 45)

*2nd Tuesday: Zone 2 (lots 71-115)

*3rd Tuesday: Zone 3 (lots 61-70 and 116-150

*4th Tuesday: Zone 4 (lots 46-60 and 151-182

Sonora HOA Board Meeting

Minutes

October 15, 2018

President Dave Gordon opened the meeting promptly at 9:00 a.m. All board members were present as well as 19 other homeowners.

Everett Salsberry resigned from the Board due to health reasons. The first order of business is to appoint a new Treasurer. Ken Cocklin has volunteered for the position. The Board members approved his appointment.

Vice President Barb Bruno’s Report:

She introduced Leonard Maclaurin - chair of the landscape committee to provide information on the storm damage. We lost 22 trees during the storms , mostly Willow Acacias and Palo Verdes. They have been replaced with Live Oak, Mesquite, Seedless Olive and Ironwood trees. These require less maintenance and are less prone to storm damage when properly thinned and cared for. We had 128 days of 100+ heat so we lost many shrubs. The shrub replacement will begin in January, 2019.

Barb commended Leonard for his hard work this summer. Applause followed. Barb asked for volunteers for the landscaping committee - we especially need some full time residents to help during the summer. Jim Reterstoff volunteered.

Spraying in back yards has been an issue for some homeowners. If you don’t want your back yard sprayed, you must lock the gate. Otherwise their contract includes that spraying.

There was a rumor that the HOA does roof repairs after a storm. This is absolutely not true.

We will need people to run for the Board next year and asked everyone to consider running. Also, we’ll need a nominating committee. This will be discussed in more details at the November meeting.

Secretary Karen Smith’s report:

The minutes of the Board’s Emergency meeting of August 18, 2018 were read and approved by the board.

The topic of that meeting was that the storm repair had depleted the tree maintenance budget and to complete this year’s cleanup we needed to take action. Use of up to $25,000 of the Reserve Fund was approved.

Karen discussed the email system. There are about 150 homes receiving emails. The 16 to 20 who have no email will continue to receive newsletters via snail mail (as usual) but they will not use the quick emails for items such as the garage sale announcement and storm updates. We ask that those with no email obtain that information from someone who does.

Emails will be sent to all homeowners and used for items of interest to the entire association. Any item for only a smaller portion of the homeowners will not be used.

Anyone who should receive emails but do not should contact Karen to get the issue corrected. There have been some incorrect addresses (I do make typo’s) and will be corrected.

Treasurer’s report

Dave Gordon presented the proposed 2019 budget. He explained that the “normal” part of the budget changed by less than $1.00. Some items such as water, electricity, landscape were increased, but other items decreased. However, we must now return the Reserve Fund to its target. Therefore, the dues would increase $3.50 per month to $84.50. Immediately two homeowners asked why not just make it $85.00 instead of $84.50. The discussion was positive to make this change. Pay now or Pay later was a comment. Bob moved and Barb seconded a motion, the Board voted to approve $85.00 for the 2019 dues.

This summer solicitors have been leaving notices on our front doors. This is an issue since many of us are snowbirds and these notices indicate that no-one is home. We ask that those of us who are here remove these when we see them. Bob recommends the we obtain signs for the two entrances into our HOA stating No Solicitation. There was positive discussion followed by a motion to obtain these signs. It was also approved by the Board. Bob will look into it.

A security item was mentioned: Please Don’t put a rock on your garbage can when you leave town. That’s an indication that no one is home.

The next meeting will be Friday 11/9/2018 at the Lecture Hall. The time hasn’t been set but it will definitely be in the afternoon.

Note: This meeting was cancelled.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:15.

Karen Smith

Secretary.

Emergency Meeting Report

August 14, 2018

Board President Dave Gordon called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Also present were Treasurer Everett Salsberry and Secretary Karen Smith. Vice President Barb Bruno arrived shortly thereafter. At-Large member Robert Toulouse was not present.

The purpose of this emergency meeting is to discuss the budget and the tree situation. We’ve recently had two large wind storms in one week. We lost 5 trees during the first storm and 6 during the second. We also lost a similar number of very large limbs (boughs).

Our concern is the cost we've incurred during the removal of trees, grinding of stumps, and cleanup of the debris resulting from the storm. The bills to date have been paid, depleting this budget category. Regardless of our decision on the tree replacement, there are ample funds to continue all other areas.

Everett presented information showing that we had used all of the budgeted amount for plant and tree replacement for this year. There are three options going forward:

1: Do nothing more to plants/trees work until January, 2019

2: Assess a one time payment to all homeowners

3: Use the Major Maintenance Reserve Allocation

In addition to the 16 trees that must be replaced, there are 5 trees in our HOA that must be removed for safety reasons. In addition, 30 trees need trimming. These preventative actions are needed before the next storms.

We discussed the three options and determined that #3, using the reserve would be the logical choice. Everett’s estimate for tree work for the rest of this year was from $15,000 to $22,000. We voted to authorize up to $25,000 to complete the necessary work this year.

We understand that the amount used from the Reserve needs to be replaced within a reasonable time - possibly 2 to 3 years.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00a.m.

Karen Smith

Secretary

Landscaping and Pest Control Changes

July 2, 2018

Landscaping Services

Armin and Son will now come on Tuesdays for the rest of the 2018 year.

Pest Control Services

"Tride and True" Pest Control Company will now be servicing our HOA. Amera was fired in June after too many excuses and a lack of consistent service on their specified days of service. Also, the lack of chemical applied and homeowners' complaints proved Amera's lack of professionalism. The new company charges the same monthly rate as the previous company.

Service days will be the second Monday for lots 1-92, and fourth Monday for lots 93-182. "Tride and True" will be using five trucks to spray these zones. All zones will be sprayed at approximately 1 P.M.

There will be monthly spraying of the exterior of your home: front and back yards, and also your garage, if you leave your gate and garage doors open on the scheduled date and time.

Target Pest Covered with Monthly service:

Cockroaches Spiders Crickets Beetles

Millipedes Centipedes Ants Earwigs

Silverfish Pill bugs Sow bugs

Specialty Services offered to all HOA Residents to be paid for by the home owner NOT THE HOA:

Interior Pest Control $5.00 for scheduled day

Interior Pest Control $15.00 for non scheduled day

Bees $80.00 Flat rate

Rodents $20.00 per month - up to 3 bait boxes

Bird/Pigeons $35.00 service call

Termite Services Discounted rate for home owners on any termite service.

Board Meeting

Date: May 4, 2018

Time: 10 A.M.

Place: 15309 W Via Montoya, Sun City West 85374

Purpose: Bylaws Vote Count

March 2018 Newsletter

The Sonora Homeowner

Official Newsletter of Your Sonora Homeowners Association: March 2018

The Sonora Newsletter is an informational letter about our community.

WWW.sonorahoa.com

Board Members

Dave Gordon, Pres. Barb Bruno, Vice Pres.

dgordon126@gmail.com barbbruno7@gmail.com

Karen Smith, Sec./Newsletter Everett Salsberry, Treas.

kar13how@gmail.com esals58@aol.com

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Election Results

Aretha Dellamo received the most votes and was declared winner and the new Board Member at Large. She stood up and declined the position. President Dave Gordon then appointed Robert Toulouse to the Board as Member at Large. Robert was not at the meeting. Dave notified him via email later that day.

NOTE: The board has not heard from Mr. Toulouse on whether he has accepted or denied his appointment on the Sonora HOA Board.

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Annual Meeting

This year’s meeting was well attended. The Board received lots of input. The minutes are attached to this Newsletter.

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Bylaws

The Bylaws Committee has been working with an attorney specializing in HOA business to review and update our bylaws. This work is nearing completion. Very soon the proposed amended bylaws will be mailed to all homeowners for your review and approval. That mailing will be done by the attorney’s office rather than by the Sonora HOA Board. The ballots for approval will be returned to and tallied by the attorney.

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ATTENTION SNOWBIRDS!

Before you leave for the summer, please stop your Independent Newspaper. This provides security for your home and also keeps the neighborhood tidy for those of us who are here all summer. Call them at 623-445-2831 or email at WVCirculation@newszap.com. Give your name, address, the date you want the Independent stopped and, if you know when you’ll return, also give the date to start it up again.

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We need email addresses!

In an effort to save the HOA money, we will attempt to send future Newsletters via email rather than snail mail. It costs us $91 postage and about $150 printing for each Newsletter mailing. Following is a form for you to complete and email to the secretary. If you do not have email or do not wish to receive our mailings via email, you will continue to receive your mailings either hand delivered or via US mail.

Email Registration

send to: kar13how@gmail.com

Homeowner Name: __________________________________Lot # ___________

email address: ____________________________________________

Phone Number (in case I have questions) _______________________

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Pest Control Schedule

Target Pest Covered with Monthly service:

Cockroaches Spiders Crickets Beetles

Millipedes Centipedes Ants Earwigs

Silverfish Pill bugs Sow bugs

Specialty Services offered to all HOA Residents to be paid for by the home owner NOT THE HOA:

Interior Pest Control $5.00 for scheduled day

Interior Pest Control $15.00 for non scheduled day

Bee’s $80.00 Flat rate

Rodents $20.00 per month up to 3 bait boxes

Bird/Pigeons $35.00 service call

Termite Services Discounted rate for home owners on any termite service.

A RECAP OF PEST CONTROL PROVIDED BY YOUR HOA/AMERA PEST CONTROL

Monthly spraying of the exterior of your home, front, back yard and garage if you leave your gate and garage door open at scheduled time.

Target Pest Covered with Monthly Service:

American Cockroaches Black Widows Crickets Beetles

Oriental Cockroaches Millipedes Centipedes Ants

Silverfish Earwigs Spiders Pill bugs

Sow Bugs

Specialty Services offered to all HOA Residents to be paid for by the home owner NOT HOA:

Interior Pest Control $5.00 for scheduled service day

Interior Pest Control $15.00 non scheduled service day

Bees $80.00 Flat rate

Rodents $20.00 per month

Pigeons/Birds $45.00 minimum service call

Dryer Vent Cleaning $24.95

Carpet Cleaning $89.95 whole home

Tile Cleaning $99.95 whole home

Termite Services

10% Discount on any termite service. Prices will vary from model to model as well as treatable area. Please call for details.

Note it is not mandatory that you use Amera for these specialty services fell free to get other bids and use other vendors if you wish

Sonora HOA Members Meeting

March 6, 2018

Minutes

The meeting was called to order by President, Dave Gordon. He introduced Board Members Barb Bruno (vice president), Everett Salsberry (treasurer) and Karen Smith (secretary). Dan Reeser was absent.

A homeowner stood to make a “point of order” per Roberts Rules of Order that three of the board members were not legally appointed members. Barb Bruno read a letter from our attorney that legally resolved the issue.

Dave Gordon explained the ballot counting process which was already in process.

The minutes of the 2017 meeting were read and approved.

Barb Bruno gave committee reports:

Secretary Assistance Committee

Nominating Committee

Welcome Wagon Committee

Architectural Review

By-Laws Revision

Landscape

Everett Salsberry gave the treasurers report.

Election Results:

Dave announced that Aletha Dellamo was elected. She then declined the position. Robert Toulouse was then announced as elected. He was not at the meeting but will be notified.

The New Rules/Guidelines were approved 92 yes and 18 no votes.

Regaining our Homeowners Association (HOA) was approved 101 yes to 12 no

The meeting was opened to homeowners comments:

Landscaping was the primary issue. Notes were taken and will be addressed.

Dues payments were also questioned - some have had problems contacting Colby.

On the street parking was questioned. The CC&’s have restrictions on-street parking of RVs and other large vehicles.

The meeting was then adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Smith

Secretary

"REMINDER: Please do not feed the birds or animals. If humans are feeding them, they lose the natural instinct to find their own food. They also carry diseases and can be dangerous to our domestic pets."

January 2018

The Sonora Homeowner

Official Newsletter of Your Sonora Homeowners Association: January 2018

The Sonora Newsletter is an informational letter about our community.

WWW.sonorahoa.com

Board Members:

Dave Gordon, Pres. Barb Bruno, Vice Pres.

dgordon126@gmail.com barbbruno7@gmail.com

Karen Smith, Sec./Newsletter Everett Salsberry, Treas.

kar13how@gmail.com esals58@aol.com

Dan Reeser, Member at Large

dltr@sbcglobal.net

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Annual Meeting

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Sign in 12:15, Meeting starts 1:00

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It’s time for ELECTION of a BOARD MEMBER

The board starting in March, 2018 will consist of 5 members. One current board member (Dave) was elected in 2017 for a two year term. The three others (Barb, Everett, & Karen) were appointed to replace three who also had been elected in 2017 for two year terms. Therefore, Dan is the only board member being replaced at this time. Following is the bio information for each candidate.

******

My name is Aletha Dellamo. I live at 15343 W Domingo Lane.

I am the original owner of my home and have been a full timer since 1997. I am willing to volunteer my time as a member of the Board of Directors. I was Vice-President of the first Sonora Home Owner's Association Board of Directors, and haven't been very involved since then. I have many years of management experience in various industries; high tech, real estate and most recently the financial industry. I have been on the board of directors of two Sun City West clubs in which I am most active, and am currently the President of one. It is impossible to make everyone in any group completely happy but I believe that by communicating and working together we can reach compromise where necessary, and have a smooth running association while maintaining our low fees and keeping a healthy reserve in order to cover the cost of unexpected repairs or improvements as necessary.

******

My name is Lisa Harris and I live at 15349 W. Domingo lane. I own my house, before we moved here I have been visiting here for a total of 29 years to this area. I have loved this community always, its united and would like to build it to stay that way. I can contribute to the community by working to make it safe and a united community by solving issues. I would like to volunteer my talent and input where ever possible..

******

My name is Ron Harris and I live at 15349 W. Domingo Lane, I am a home owner.I am interested in being on the board because I think with my Military background, I have served for the National Guard for approximately 30 years reserves, and 25 years as a helicopter technician for the Lincoln Nebraska National Guard. I have experience in management and conducting strategies to solve problems . I would like to run so I can contribute my ideas and work for the community

******

My name is Robert Toulouse

21919 N Via Arnoldo Sun City West

I want to be a candidate for the Sonora HOA Board.

I am a full time resident.

I am a financially conservative person and I believe that the residents of the HOA should get the best and the most from their monthly dues!

RJToulouse

******

I'm Bill Wester and I’m running for a seat on the Sonora HOA board. I bring 32 years of Corporate Management and 12 years in Transportation.

We moved from Illinois to be full time residents in 2005. I have been a Posse volunteer for 13 years, where I have served as Patrol posse person, Officer of the Day, Duty Officer, Asset Manager and Dispatcher.I look forward to utilizing my job skills while on the board and working with other members.

William A Wester II

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Important Reminder

REMINDER: Please do not feed the birds or animals. If humans are feeding them, they lose the natural instinct to find their own food. They also carry diseases and can be dangerous to our domestic pets. Birds leave their “signature” on the roofs and yards of neighboring houses.

Landscape Improvements

The board is happy to announce that we have removed eleven stumps! In addition, we will be replacing ten trees that were removed without homeowners’ permission or were mistakenly cut down by the previous Board, as well as two that died due to lack of water. Also, one hundred plants will be planted to replace dead plants or removal because of the watering system. The current Board will be adding rock where stumps were removed and where there are bare spots throughout the Sonora HOA.

Revised Rules/Guidelines are being presented

Attached please find revised rules/guidelines. They require a vote of the membership.

These Rules/Guidelines have been condensed with unnecessary verbiage removed.

Item #1: Front Courtyard Walls will be allowed providing restrictions are adhered to.

Item #13: Parking in your driveway is allowed.

Item #14: The restriction preventing homeowners from talking to landscapers is removed.

If you have questions before casting your ballot, please contact Barb Bruno at barbbruno7@gmail.com

Treasurer’s Report re: 2018 Budget

Because this budget caused concern and challenges at the recent board meeting, following is the Treasurer’s explanation of the increase in our monthly dues.

There are several differences in the budget proposed by the prior Board and the one approved by the new Board. The cost of the landscaper is just one of the line item increases - actually not as large an increase as it appears, as the new contract includes many items for which the previous vendor charged extra. Also increased were Postage, Office supplies and Dues & Meetings, all associated with communication - an area needing much improvement. Electricity, Trash Removal, Water and Insurance were adjusted either up or down depending on the increases quoted by each entity. The result is: Water down, Electricity up, Trash Removal up, and Insurance up. Extra YD Main i.e. Plant/tree main was almost doubled. It was underestimated due to the large amount of plant and tree replacements and trimming needed to catch up from the neglect of the last couple of years. In fact it was underestimated so much for 2017 that in the board meeting minutes from Jan Feb 2017 they needed to remove approximately $3500.00 from the reserve fund to pay for some tree removal and trimming.

In closing I would like to point out that this Budget was prepared and approved after much research by the Sonora HOA Board, committee members and many home owners in an effort to maintain the appearance and value of the homes in this association at a cost that equals the value being received.

***************************************************************************************************

Changes in Homeowner’s Information

Homeowners are responsible for notifying our management company, Colby, of any changes in homeowner name(s), mailing address, phone number(s) and email. Call, email, or visit their offices (open 8:00 to 3:00 Mon-Fri):

Colby Management, 17220 Boswell Blvd. #140, Sun City, AZ 85373

623-977-3860 tmatthews@colbymgt.com

Give your name, lot number, and a description of the requested change.

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Recycle Pick-up Dates

Recycle pick-up in our community is the first and third Wednesday of the month. It is NOT every other week. That is pertinent because some months have 5 Wednesdays resulting in an extra week between pickups.

Landscape Schedule

1st SATURDAY each month: Zone 1 - Lots 1 through 45

2nd SATURDAY each month: Zone 2 - Lots 71 through 115

3rd SATURDAY each month: Zone 3 - Lots 61 through 70 and 116 through 150

4th SATURDAY each month: Zone 4 - Lots 46 through 60 and 151 through 182

Pest Control Schedule

1st Wednesday each month: Lots 20-31 and 98-132

2nd Tuesday each month: Lots 37-70 and 167-182

3rd Thursday each month: Lots 1-19 and 71-92

4th Thursday each month: Lots 32-36 and 93-97 and 113-166

Garbage Pickup Dates

Garbage is picked up Monday and Thursday mornings (early). When there is a holiday, the pickups will be one day delayed.

Parks & Sons provides a Policies & Holiday Schedule for all residents every January. This sheet which was delivered to every home also shows special waste categories and recycling information.

November 2017

The Sonora Homeowner

Official Newsletter of Your Sonora Homeowners Association: November, 2017

The Sonora Newsletter is an informational letter about our community.

Board Members:

Dave Gordon, Pres. Barb Bruno, Vice Pres.

dgordon126@gmail.com barbbruno7@gmail.com

Karen Smith, Sec./Newsletter Everett Salsberry, Treas.

kar13how@gmail.com esals58@aol.com

Dan Reeser, Member at Large

dltr@sbcglobal.net

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President: Dave Gordon

I am happy to announce that Armin and Son has returned to be our landscaper this year. Starting December 1, Tor will be servicing us in four zones (as before), and will come on SATURDAYS. Remember, residents, the HOA Board is here to serve you. The Board will not remove any trees or bushes without your permission. Any tree or bush that needs to be removed will need an architectural change form signed by you before we can remove that tree or bush. Please feel free to talk with Tor about your landscaping needs. Please realize we are going to hold Armin and Son accountable for their landscaping duties based on our contract. If you want additional work done, that is between Armin and Son and you. Realize, though, you could be charged additional by Armin and Son for any additional work. Any time you have questions about the Board’s workings or specific items that are not clear to you, feel free to contact any board member.

It is unfortunate that we recently had two Board members resign from the Board. According to our CC&R’s, we can have an uneven numbers of Board members of three, five, seven or no more than nine members. Currently, we have five Board members, which is the recommended number by PORA.

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Vice President’s Corner: Barb Bruno

Four new committees are in the process of being informed. Serving on a committee is a good way to get acquainted with the workings of our HOA.

First is the Nominating Committee. This committee will scour the neighborhood to find those interested in serving on the Board. The election of new Board Members will be in March, 2018. We need volunteers for this committee as soon as possible.

Other committees are:

Architectural Review

Welcome Wagon

Landscaping

• Anyone wishing to volunteer for or obtain information about one of these comittees, please send an email to barbbuno7@gmail.com.

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Treasurer: Everett Salsberry

The attached 2018 budget is considerably higher than 2017. APS has increased the cost of electricity. Epcor has increased their water rates, and Parks & Sons has increased trash removal. In addition to these increases, we have contracted with a new landscaping company. For the past year, the most common complaint of homeowners has been the poor upkeep of our front yards. The new contract is higher than that in 2017. Landscaping breakdown cost will be $20.88 per household, per month. Please know that it would be difficult to find a landscaper to come to your house for less than $35.00 per month.

The bottom line is that total monthly HOA dues for 2018 will be $81.00 per household.

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Laws and Rules affecting our HOA:

All HOA’s in Arizona are governed by the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.), Section 33-1801-1818. Each of the 19 sections deals with a specific topic. Anyone can go online to azleg.gov to view the A.R.S.

Of interest today is A.R.S. 33-1804: Open meetings.

Arizona has an open meeting law that says ALL meetings of the Board of Directors are open to the entire membership. The Board may close an open meeting to discuss only specific items, usually dealing with legal or personal information.

The Sonora HOA has only one membership meeting; it is held annually in March. All other meetings are Board meetings. The Board meetings are announced to the membership via the sandwich boards placed at the two entrances to our community. All members are invited to attend these meetings.

The Bylaws of Sonora Homeowner Association, Inc., describe the specifics of operation of our HOA such as meetings, officers of the board, and committees. The bylaws may not conflict with the A.R.S. The bylaws were written by members of our association, and amended as needed over the years. Every homeowner receives the current bylaws when they close on their house.

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Recycle Pick-up Dates

Recycle pick-up in our community is the first and third Wednesday of the month. It is NOT every other week. That is pertinent this month since November has 5 Wednesdays. Pickup was 11/1 and 11/15. The next pickup will be December 6th when they’ll collect three weeks worth of recycle. (I know my bin overflows whenever there are three weeks between pickups.)

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Landscape Schedule

1st SATURDAY each month: Zone 1 - Lots 1 through 45

2nd SATURDAY each month: Zone 2 - Lots 71 through 115

3rd SATURDAY each month: Zone 3 - Lots 61 through 70 and 116 through 150

4th SATURDAY each month: Zone 4 - Lots 46 through 60 and 151 through 182

Pest Control Schedule

1st Wednesday each month: Lots 20-31 and 98-132

2nd Tuesday each month: Lots 37-70 and 167-182

3rd Thursday each month: Lots 1-19 and 71-92

4th Thursday each month: Lots 32-36 and 93-97 and 113-166

Garbage and Recycle Pickup

Garbage is picked up Monday and Thursday mornings (early). When there is a holiday, the pickups will be one day delayed. Recycle pickup (as mentioned above) is the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Parks & Sons provides a Policies & Holiday Schedule for all residents every January. This sheet also shows special waste categories and recycling information.

Sonora Board Minutes

Sonora HOA Board Meeting - Minutes

January 12, 2018 (Draft)

The meeting was called to order at 11:00 AM by President Dave Gordon.

Board members in attendance: Barb Bruno, Everett Salsberry, Dan Reeser and Karen Smith.

The meeting opened with membership discussion which included comments regarding the new website, new monthly dues amounts, landscape contracts and bids and recall votes pertaining to the previous board. Any requests to view these items should be submitted, in writing, to the board. The membership participation was then ended.

Vice President, Barb Bruno, then addressed the board regarding updating of the Sonora HOA Rules/Guidelines. The previous board updated the Rules/Guidelines, but no membership vote was obtained. Revised Rules/Guidelines are included with this mailing along with a ballot for membership vote. Three notable changes were made: The restriction of homeowners parking in their driveways and the restriction of homeowners speaking to landscapers have been removed. The allowance of front yard patio/courtyard pony walls has been added.

Barb Bruno then stated that the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) had taken pictures of every home in our HOA and recommended they be printed and kept in our master file with all approved/denied Change Request Forms. When a home is sold and Colby submits a compliance form, we will have all information on hand. Dave Gordon made a motion to accept this procedure, was seconded by Everett Salsberry and passed with a unanimous vote.

Treasurer, Everett Salsberry, stated that it is time to update our By-laws. A recommendation was made to establish a committee to work with an attorney to undertake this task and assure we are in compliance with AZ State laws governing HOA’s. Barb Bruno made a motion to accept this procedure, Dan Reeser seconded the motion and was passed with a unanimous vote.

The board then discussed how many new members will be needed in the March elections. Based on current workloads, the board agreed that five board members are sufficient. Dan Reeser’s term expires in March, 2018, therefore one new member will be needed in the March elections.

The meeting ended with a request that members consider running for the board and if interested, they should contact Katherine Whitaker and submit a short biography no later than 1/26/2018.

Dave Gordon adjourned the meeting at 11:43 AM.

Respectfully submitted by Karen Smith, Secretary.

2018 Budget Overview

Treasurer, Everett Salsberry

There are several differences between the budget proposed by the previous board and the budget approved by the current board.

The cost of landscaping service is just one of the items that increased. The current landscaping contract includes many items that the previous landscapers charged extra for. Additional services that incurred increases are: Postage, Office Supplies and Meetings, all associated with communication to the membership, which was in need of improvement. Additionally, the costs of Electricity, Trash Removal, Water and Insurance were adjusted either up or down depending on the increases quoted by the respective entity. The result: Electricity, Trash Removal and Insurance costs all went up, Water costs went down. Extra yard maintenance, i.e., plant/tree maintenance almost doubled. It was underestimated due to the large amount of plant and tree replacements and trimming needed to catch up from the neglect over the past few years. In fact, it was underestimated so much for 2017 that in the board meeting minutes from Jan/Feb 2017, that they needed to remove approximately $3500 from the Reserve Fund to pay for some tree removal and trimming. So, although our monthly dues last year were $69.00 for 2017, $3500 was taken from the Reserve Fund to make up the difference in what the actual costs were.

In closing, I would like to point out that this new Budget was prepared and approved after much research by the Sonora HOA Board, committee members and many homeowners in an effort to maintain the appearance and value of the homes in the Association at a cost that equals the value received.

Sonora HOA Board Meeting

Monday 11/13/2017

Board member Dave Gordon opened the meeting at 12:30 P.M. Other members present were: Barb Bruno, Karen Smith, Everett Salsberry and Dan Reeser. Absent were board members Chris Sagebiel and Judy Wester. A small group of interested residents were also in attendance.

First agenda was to fill vacant officer positions:

A motion was passed selecting Dave Gordon as President.

A motion was passed selecting Barb Bruno as Vice President.

A homeowner asked why only the board members vote on issues. Dave explained that per our by-laws the board is elected by the entire membership at an annual meeting in March. Vacancies during the year are appointed from requests for volunteers. Those selected to the board then meet to name officers. During the year, the board obtains input from the membership, then votes on all issues.

Everett presented a new budget for 2018. There are increases are in water, electricity, garbage and landscaping. Everett solicited landscaping bids from four companies. Two would not present a bid because the size of our HOA exceeds their capacity to provide service. Bids were received from Amera (our current landscapers) and Armin and Son (who previously provided service). After discussing the specifics of the bids, Armin and Son was selected as our new landscaping company starting December, 2017. Their fee is $3800 per month for a one year contract. The end result is that the monthly assessment in 2018 will be $81 per household.

Barb Bruno brought up the issue of approval of expenditures and presentation of receipts. Everett said there is a voucher to be submitted with every receipt. It is to be signed by two board members, one of which must be the Treasurer. The signed voucher is then presented to Colby for payment.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

Karen Smith, Secretary.

Sonora HOA Board Meeting

November 6, 2017

Minutes

Board member Dave Gordon called the meeting to order. Board member Dan

Reeser was also present. Board members Chris Sagebiel and Judy Wester were

absent. About 35 interested home owner residents were in attendance.

Dave mentioned that he had checked with PORA and determined that with two

board members he can legally call and hold this meeting today. He has learned

that one of the current board members is not a title homeowner according to

public records and therefore cannot be on the board or vote regarding board

issues.

Dave said that we need an odd number of board members - we currently have

four members. Therefore, he wants us to select three new members today.

First, there is an immediate need for a secretary. He asked for volunteers and

received only one taker. Karen Smith, owner at lot #5 volunteered to be a board

member and secretary. A motion approved for her appointment. She then came

to the front to begin taking minutes.

Dave took some time to discuss the legal process used to remove Sharon Smith

(interim President) and Cathy Stearns (secretary) Cathy had already resigned

retroactive to the date of her election in March. The Arizona Revised Statutes

(A.R.S.) defines specific steps to remove a board member. This calls for a

petition signed by at least 25% of the members to be presented to the board.

Then a meeting must be called within 30 days with a letter to all members

announcing that meeting to vote to retain or remove the board member. This

A.R.S. procedure was precisely followed.

An audience member asked if there were any rules dealing with Board members

skipping meetings. Response: As far as we know there are no such rules. To

keep all Board members up to date, Dave will send a courtesy email to all board

members regarding today’s meeting.

Dave asked for volunteers to fill two more Board Positions. Everett Salsberry

and Barb Bruno both volunteered. Both were approved by the three board

members present. The board now has seven members. We are allowed nine

board members, but seven is a workable number.

The next order of business was to start organizing committees to assist the board

by doing research and providing information and recommendations to the Board.

Residents in the HOA do not have to be homeowners to volunteer for

committees. The Board then makes all final decisions.

The committees that have been identified are:

Architectural Review

Landscaping

Secretarial Assistance (including Newsletter mailings)

Welcome Wagon

Nominating (for next year’s election of board members)

the secretary. These lists will be compiled and distributed.

The five board members briefly had a private discussion regarding personnel

matters.

Upon resumption of the open meeting, the problems with the proposed budget

were discussed. Since no research had been done to determine the proposed

new rates, we felt that the result was inaccurate and would not serve our

community in 2018.

A motion was proposed, seconded and approved to remove Judy Wester from

her position of Treasurer of the HOA. (note: she is still a Board Member at

large). Then there was a motion, seconded and approved to select Everett

Salsberry as the new Treasurer. Everett was the Treasurer in the past, and has

trained several of the recent selectees. He stated that he will work to resolve the

budget issues and present a revised budget as required 45 days before the

beginning of the new year.

We did not select a President. An audience member asked if we were required

to have a President. Yes, we must have a President - this will be taken care of

very soon. Another Board meeting will be called very soon as there are still

issues to discuss.

Today’s meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted

Karen Smith, Secretary

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