May 4, 2021
To Residents of Thousand Oaks,
I understand we just sent a newsletter out regarding streetlights, but I already have another update and wanted to get it out as soon as possible. While I much rather bring good news to the community, sometimes I am unable to. You may have noticed Sosaya out today (Tues) working at Oasis and on our streetlights, they put in a full day in our community. It is looking like they will have to come out at least three or four more times to continue making repairs. It will be over the next several weeks due to demand and schedules. As stated in the newsletter, we do not have a person dedicated to fixing streetlights, and they have come out multiple times per month since January.
I do want to take a quick moment to discuss process again, it was put into the newsletter, but I would like to readdress. The Association does not use social media to manage the daily business, we operate 100% off of email and home visits. Additionally, we don’t want our volunteers inundated on their personal email/social media accounts, this is for two reasons. First, the Association tracks all communication for future reference and to protect itself. Second, our volunteers donate their time, it is not their responsibility to communicate official Association business on a private resident run group page. It opens the Association to liability due to the nature of the page. The only way to reach the Association is [email protected]. Emails are monitored Monday – Friday 8 to 5, and depending on activity it could potentially be 3-4 business days before you get a response. We have one employee who helps me manage all the day-to-day business including pools, and myself monitoring. We strive to respond same day, but isn’t always a possibility. It takes a lot to run a neighborhood this size.
Back to the topic of repairs; while many areas should begin to see the lights come back on over the next few weeks, unfortunately, 15 lights which encompass the front of the neighborhood at Nevada will remain out until the fall. This news impacts 68th, 67th and Nevada. I apologize for the detailed letter, but I want to ensure everyone understands the challenge.
Why can’t Nevada be fixed?
The reason for this is due to the fact the lines are so damaged. These lines are old, and have been cut, spliced, sections rerun, etc. They are beyond repair which means we will have to run brand new lines, an issue we knew would one day come to fruition. The current issue is we are unable to find the specific ground which is causing the breaker to trip. If I authorize to leave the lights on the breaker will just trip again, become a potential fire hazard, or as we saw a few years ago caused a dog to get shocked. We have entered the time of year when it is light almost until after 9, which means children playing outside will be visible to traffic.
For more specifics:
- It’s almost impossible to troubleshoot an issue that is only intermittent, the process is painstakingly slow and tedious and can cost thousands of dollars and 100’s of man hours with no guarantee of finding the issues
- The lines out there have been damaged and repaired so many times the system ground is almost certainly not intact which can cause potential fire hazards
- Installing a new underground circuit and switching all lights to LED while expensive initially will correct all system grounding issues and provide a stable low current system that will be more cost effective in the long run thus saving thousands in electricity costs annually
What action is being taken?
I have scheduled all 15 lights to be rerun with brand new line and LED lights, however due to supply chain issues, constraints, and funding we will have to wait until the fall to get them repaired. The truth being, the impacts of the pandemic go well beyond health. Supply chain has taken a major hit which has caused shortages and high prices. While I understand we can force the issue and get them sooner than this fall, it would be fiscally irresponsible. The Association has a fiduciary responsibility to all residents, and we must keep a balanced budget.
Oasis Pool Lights
I wanted to give an update on the Oasis pool lights which have been a challenge over the past few years. We attempted to replace them today, but the old lines would not pull out, which is needed to put in new. The only way we are going to be able to replace them, is to cut into concrete and replace. The pool is scheduled to open in a few weeks, and we do not want to cause delay. We will address this in the fall at the end of the season.
In order to ensure safety of swimmers and for Dive In Movie night, we will run some tests on different products to ensure maximum light. It’s not ideal, but we will have to limp through the season.
Best regards,
Sincerely,
Matt Smith
President – Thousand Oaks Homes Association, Inc.