Letters to the Editor

BY

Golf Course Goes Public

Just dropping a note to say how confused I am about the Golf Course going public.

While I understand from a business standpoint the Board feels it may bring extra revenue, but being a golfer I know first-hand how disgruntled many of the golfers are. This is our course.

One of the beauties of Canyon Lake is having a semi-private lake and golf course to enjoy. It builds camaraderie and everyone does their part to maintain the hard work of our golf staff.

Opening the course to the public jeopardizes the integrity and beauty of the course as most casual golfers will destroy the course because they will not fill divots, ball marks or follow general course rules. If the course begins getting super busy, you will lose annual golf members, which means a decrease in guaranteed money.

I’m saddened that, as a golfer, we were not even given a voice in this decision.

Chef Anton

Water Waste

After launching or recovering our boats, we leave a water trail to the parking lot or to our homes. I followed a boat and trailer to the East Gate from the launch ramp and water was still dripping off trailer and pouring out of the transom. We need to save water wherever we can and we as boaters can really help.

Stop on the ramp and let the “run off” water run back into the lake. Drain live wells and ballast tanks on the water as you head to the ramp. I would like to see the POA post signs at all launch ramps to help remind us in our time of a severe drought.

The water we save might be the water we ski on or fish in later this year or next.

Kirk Yauchzee

Increase Dues

I will most likely need to wear a football helmet when I play golf next time and probably dodge golf carts trying to run me over, but the solution to all the monetary problems we are constantly bickering over is we need to dramatically increase our POA and golf dues.

I realize this will be met with derision and ridicule but it’s time. While I understand and greatly respect those living on fixed budgets, and know any increase will be painful, we must realize the days of us all living the champagne lifestyle on a beer budget are over and start paying our fair share.

It’s time to propel Canyon Lake into the 21st Century and transition from a second home/retirement environment to a first class luxury community.

The current POA dues are so far less than what other similar private, gate guarded luxury developments built around a beautiful lake and a newly remodeled golf course that we need to come to reality.

Places like Coto de Caza or Big Canyon or any of the luxury developments in Palm Springs charge three times what we pay, and it shows in the quality of the community and eliminates all the complaining that constantly causes perpetual friction around here.

I realize this will be controversial and the vast majority will consider me to be a pariah, but I’m not running for anything so I really don’t care. Someone has to say something.

Jim B. Parsons’

Mad Men’ Party

I would like to thank the (Woman’s Club) “Mad Men” pre-party committee members for a fantastic job.

This was the fifth and final party leading up to the Woman’s Club Fashion Show on April 24. The party included members’ husbands and a good time was had by all.

Thanks to Marlene Cathro,  Karen DeSalvo, Lyne Hall, Bonnie Harlow, Linda Johnson, Carol Newsome, Pat Smith, Karen Wallace, Vicki Young, Leslie Zalk and Dee Zasio for the decorations, the great food, and a job well done. A special thank you to Robb Smith, our fantastic bartender!

Barbara Duncan, Chairman

Scare Tactics

It was no surprise to me that a very large audience attended the open meeting at the Lodge and demonstrated against the withheld payment of the lake lease.

EVMWD learned a valuable lesson from the mayor and City Council of Canyon Lake before the last special election to raise utility taxes to “save the Fire Department.”

That lesson was that enough people in Canyon Lake will respond to scare tactics (similar to Jerry Brown threatening to stop all school busing and funding old people’s  amenities in order to get Californians to beg for more sales taxes).

Scare tactics bring out fear in Canyon Lake very well. It should have been no surprise to the POA Board members, who nearly unanimously supported the tax increase.

What’s next, the Motorcycle Club threatening to rev up at midnight every night until we beg them to “ride on in?”

Kirk Brown

Golf Course Subsidy

After receiving my copy of the fiscal year 2016 budget publication, it was encouraging to see the page headline that the POA candidates would discuss the amenities subsidies. Unfortunately, I was disappointed because The Friday Flyer failed to push the candidates for substantive responses.

Having retired from an engineering discipline, I always had to conduct a cost-benefit analysis as part of every business plan. While cost is an important aspect of every amenity, the benefit also needs to be considered.

The question should be answered as to what percent of the membership benefits from each amenity? Every amenity is certainly not for “every resident to enjoy.”

Example: Based on sales and revenues of the Golf Course, if you assume that revenue is only from a green fees average of $1,500, only 520 members take advantage of the amenity. This is less than 5 percent of the members (population of Canyon Lake).

Is it acceptable for 95 percent of the members to bear the subsidized cost of the amenity? The $860,000 subsidy might be acceptable if 95 percent of the members were enjoying this amenity

I believe that fiscal responsibility requires that each amenity should be evaluated similarly to justify reducing the subsidy and placing a greater burden on the users where possible.

In the example above, it may require increasing the green fees and opening the Golf Course to other communities.

Ben Robledo

Lake Lease

Draw up a proposal to the water district. Have one person meet with one person at the water board, not an attorney.

This proposal should concern new lease and the money you think is owed to the POA. If the POA gets a counter offer, at least it’s a starting point. If the POA thinks the counter is unfair, spread the money over a period of time, or settle for nothing.

You don’t need an attorney who really does not care, and the longer the better for them. Just an attorney to draw the lease.

To us homeowners, this is our financial life. We are not interested in egos. Just a solution. It seems like two kids kicking sand at each other. Let’s get this behind us and move on. Even if we have to raise dues, so be it.

Jim McNamara