Owners Info
Posted on Jan 18, 2023
Sonoran Sea HOA - Q1 2023 Newsletter
Welcome to the 1st Quarter 2023 edition of the Sonoran Sea Resort HOA newsletter.
Our Sonoran Sea Resort HOA newsletter is normally issued on a quarterly basis. Due to delays on the new website and other personal commitments it was not issued in Q3 or Q4 of 2022.
We encourage you to connect with other owners via the Facebook group – note this group is an owners group, not monitored or run by the HOA (https://www.facebook.com/groups/SonoranSeaHomeOwners) and sign up for the HOA updates via Vivook in order to get real time updates on our resort in the interim.
If you haven’t yet, please sign up for the owners section on the SonoranSeaResort.org website. Minutes, documents, newsletters and other information are available on the site. You can register for the site at this link: https://www.sonoransearesort.org/owners/register.
Important Dates
HOA AC Meetings: 3rd Tues Each Month
HOA SC Meetings: 2nd Tues Qtly (Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec)
Next GOM (General Owners Meeting):
Sat. Apr 22, 2023
Deep Dive Meetings, Fri. Apr 21st.
AC News – President: Dan Cooney
Welcome to the new year! We are full swing into the winter season with cooler temps, and less crowds. There is so much to talk about, so let’s jump right in.
The completed project for 2022 include a new jacuzzi heater, the pet areas refreshed, walkways to the pools, housekeeping lockers and carts, fire suppression system updated, new water pump controls, replacement of the UV lights, waterproofing the roofs, new gym weights, and new tile for the 1st floor patios.
As you’ve seen and heard, the heated aqua bar pool plaster is not acceptable. The pool was resurfaced in November of 2021, and over the past year the contractor has attempted to fix the issues twice under warranty. Each fix has ended up worse than where we began. The SC, AC, and HOA office is actively working to bring the pool back to resort quality and will continue to communicate decisions and progress.
The railing replacement project that was approved in the April 2022 GOM is underway. The first few columns are complete, looking good, and on schedule. The installation schedule for the West building is posted on the owner’s website, and the East building schedule is still being worked on and will be posted as soon as possible.
Security gate software, Seguser implementation has been delayed as we are awaiting on software improvements. Unfortunately, there has been a slowdown of entry/exit times beyond an acceptable level. The slowdown is an accumulation of the new software, running both the existing and new systems, and the enhanced visitor verification of who is on-site. The SC, AC, and HOA office is looking at a myriad of options to improve entry and exit times.
Looking forward for to the rest of 2023, the extraordinary projects this year include pump upgrades, replacing water filters, electric meter covers, electric car chargers, and roof tiles. The meter covers have been completed already, and purchase orders have been placed on other projects to secure the quoted pricing.
We continue to prioritize the improvements voted on and strive to achieve the four key principles for our resort – Safety, Professionally Serviced, Well-Maintained, & Financially Solvent. We will continue to work hard at the resort to take advantage of the low season as we collectively prepare for another busy season beginning in March.
As a reminder, please reach out to the HOA office for any questions, suggestions, or concerns, and of course to volunteer.
Please read on for the latest updates at the Sonoran Sea. If you have any newsletter suggestions, please email newsletter@sonoransearesort.org.
Best wishes to you and yours.
Dan Cooney
AC – President
SC News – Chairman: Keith Allen
Happy New Year to you all!
The SC Committee for the last 6 months was without a chairman, and it was difficult to get things accomplished without someone to lead the way, so I volunteered to take the position after being on the board for a year. This way we could be more productive on improvement projects for the Sonoran Sea for 2023 and beyond. Out of all the Sonoran Resorts, the Sea has always been my favorite!
Our new Railing installation project is well underway in the West Building with a target date of completion to be the end of April. The contractor will then begin installation on the East Building and once that building is completed the hallway railings will be installed. The comments have been incredibly positive as the height is now to code, they are more modern looking and are the same bronze color as our Security doors to have a more cohesive look.
An Architect has been hired to provide the board with Color Palette choices so we can create a COHESIVE RESORT PLAN to decide on all future color choices which will include the plaster color for the pools and more importantly the colors of the buildings as they will need to be painted soon. The SC will be presenting our recommendation at the next General Owners Meeting in April.
To ensure we continue to have a safe environment and we know who is always really on property we have implemented a new policy that requires that your Owner Tags (RFIDS) be attached to your windshield on the inside of the passenger side. If you own multiple vehicles, you can obtain additional Owners Tag at the HOA Office.
The first floor terrace tile project is now complete and is a major aesthetic improvement to the resort. We appreciate your patience as this was a huge undertaking to make happen.
Just a reminder to you all, if you are planning on completing any remodeling projects to your condo including replacing the tile on your patios you need to submit a form the SC for approval. You can obtain a form from the HOA office or from the Sea website.
Looking forward to seeing you all in April!
Sincerely,
Keith Allen
SC – Chairman
Head of Maintenance: Rodrigo Ruiz
As always, our maintenance staff has been busy keeping our resort up to date. Below is just some of the work that was done over the last couple of quarters.
Please contact the HOA office with any questions.
Upcoming Projects
Projects planned for Q1 2023
- Tennis Court Resurface (next week)
- Electric Pump Upgrade
- Charcoal water filters (softeners)
- Electric Car Stations
HOA Management Co: Kristian Osuna
HOA OnSite Manager: Cristina Arvizu
HOA Assistant: Marilyn Hurtado
Our last General Owners Meeting (GOM) was held on Saturday Nov 5th, 2022 at the resort.
November 2022 General Owners Meeting (GOM)
Nov 5, 2022
Voting Results from the Meeting:
- SC Positions
- Keith Allen was elected as Chairman.
- Howard Tolchinsky was elected as East Building Rep
- Bill O’Brien & Brian Kelley were elected to General Rep Positions
- West Building Alt position was vacated and there were no volunteers.
- Tina Elliot was elected as East Building Alternate
- AC Positions – There were no open positions on the AC
Other Voting Results:
- Extraordinary Projects Approved:
- Electrical Pump Upgrade
- Charcoal Water Filters
- New Roof Tiles
- Electric Car Chargers
- Tennis Court Resurface
- Electric Meter Coverings
- Extraordinary Projects Denied:
- Owners Exit Gate
- Parking Lot Resurfacing
Please contact the HOA with any questions regarding the HOA meeting. Meeting minutes are posted in the owners section of the sonoransearesort.org website.
NEXT GOM MEETING: April 22, 2023
News Briefs from the HOA Office
Balcony Railing Status
West building columns 12-9 have been completed as per the schedule.
We are working with the contractor and the AC/SC boards for dates for the East Building Columns. Those dates are being finalized this week and the information it will be posted on the website, via VIVOOK, and each owner will receive an email with their individual dates.
The first 4 columns of the west building (units ending in 12,11,10,9) have a gap size of 5.5 inch (max) from the middle of one post to the next. We agreed to reduce the gap for the remaining balconies to make the gap 5-inch max. Some of the gaps will be smaller but no gap will be bigger than 5 inches.
For those owners who have pets the HOA will provide an option of a “fence” in order to avoid small animals to not fall through.
Seguser Status
We have moved the Official date to go live with Seguser to February 1st, 2023. The delay is due to the app developer still working on some changes for the app. Those changes have been completed, and we expect to roll out the updated app next week.
- A User for CASAGO in order for them to have the information for all owners’ guests and be able to provide them wristbands.
- The option to mark if they are NPG or Renters.
New Owner Wristbands
New Owner Wristbands are available in the HOA Office.
Initial feedback indicates that the wristbands are too large for some adults and for children. We are currently looking for smaller wrist options for adults/kids.
The Owner Wristbands can only be worn by the owners and direct family if they are on the NPG preferred list.
The old wristbands will soon become obsolete – please come to the HOA office to get your new wristbands as soon as possible.
Kristian's Korner
Kristian Osuna is our HOA Management Company
Decision making process at Sonoran Sea
It is important for owners to understand how decisions are made when it comes to architectural projects, new policy or extra ordinary projects outside of the day to day operating activities.
We have 4 bodies:
- HOA Office: Onsite Manager – Cristina Arvizu
- Responsible for all day to day operations
- Monitoring onsite contractors
- Security
- Homeowner relations and communication
- AC Board: which is the administrator with three elected board members. The AC Board meets monthly. The AC responsibilities include:
- Reviewing the budget
- monitoring the HOA office
- approving policy.
- Surveillance Committee (SC) with 9 elected members representing East and West building. The SC meets quarterly. The SC responsibilities include:
- architectural reviews,
- approving non-budgeted items
- General Assembly (GA) which is all the owners who are represented during the General Owners Meetings (GOM) two times per year.
When it comes to major projects the HOA office requests recommendations from owners, maintenance staff and all other departments to consider when budgeting and planning for upcoming years. The HOA office then presents multiple proposals from contractors to both the AC during our monthly meetings and the SC during our quarterly meetings.
The approved / requested projects are then submitted during the GAM meetings to the General Assembly for approval or denial.
As you can see, there is a process and there are multiple people behind the decisions being made. In most cases the elected board members are making the major decisions.
Both AC and SC positions are voluntary and we appreciate everyone who volunteers. In most of our GOM meetings we have open positions and we encourage everyone to be a part of either one at some point in time to give you an insight on how everything works.
There will be a few open AC / SC positions at the April GOM – please let the HOA office know if you have an interest in running for any of the open positions:
AC: Treasurer & Secretary
SC: 2 General Rep postions; East Building Rep; and West Building Alternate.
Property Taxes:
Property taxes in town have increased considerably for everyone. After meeting with City Hall officials it doesn’t seem likely they will be changing their mind but there are locals lawyering up to see how to fight this outrageous increase that is affecting not only owners on Sandy Beach but our employees and their families.
Owner Files
Documents Required
Welcome to 2023! Reminder that some of the required documents must be submitted annually. Please make sure your documents are up to date in order to avoid fines. Note that the maintenance inspection is due in the HOA office by March 1, 2023.
The HOA requires you to provide the following items which are kept on file in the HOA office:
- A key (or code) to your condo for emergency access.
- Owner Information Form***
- Drivers License / Passport Copy**
- Homeowners Insurance Policy*
- Sales Contract or 1st Page of Trust Document
- Pet Registration (pet owners only)***
- Maintenance Inspection Results*
- SRO’s ONLY: Signed SRO Agreement.***
Current Board / HOA Contacts & Terms
| Name | Role | Term | |
| Dan Cooney | President-AC | 05/22 - 05/24 | DanielPCooney@gmail.com |
| Jerry McKinney | Treasurer-AC | 05/22 - 05/24 | jerry.will.mckinney@gmail.com |
| Leslie Roman | Secretary-AC | 05/21 - 05/23 | leslie@5romans.com |
| Keith Allen | SC Chairman | 11/22 - 11/23 | encantamesalesdirector@gmail.com |
| Lori Smith | East Building Rep | 05/22 - 05/23 | sassyseahorse109@cox.net |
| Tina Elliot | East Building Alt. | 11/22 - 11/23 | mexicotina@aol.com |
| Bill Woodward | General Rep | 05/22 - 05/23 | woodwarw@comcast.net |
| Brian Kelley | General Rep | 11/22 - 11/23 | emailbriankelley@gmail.com |
| Vacant | West Building Alt. | ||
| Bruce Barclay | General Rep. | 05/22 - 05/23 | RockyPointBruno@gmail.com |
| Bill O'Brien | General Rep. | 11/22 - 11/23 | wvobrien@msn.com.com |
| Howard Tolchinsky | West Building Rep. | 11/22 - 11/23 | htolchinsky@yahoo.com |
| Kristian Osuna | HOA Manager | Annual Renewal | kristian@sonoransearesort.org |
| Cristina Arvizu | HOA Office Manager | N/A | hoamanager@sonoransearesort.org |
| Marilyn Hurtado | HOA Assistant | N/A | hoaoffice@sonoransearesort.org |
Water Shortage Update – Having a Well Maintained Resort
Reduced and limited water supply is not unusual along Sandy Beach during the summer months. This past summer, the City of Puerto Penasco water department experienced a severe water shortage.
The water shortage required all resorts to ration their water usage. Sonoran Sea restricted water use in some areas, limited landscape watering and replaced some grass areas with desert landscaping.
As discussed at the November GOM meeting, in order to have a safe, well maintained, and financially solvent property, it is very important that all of us work together to help conserve the water supply. This could include looking for drips and leaks, the HOA placing postings in common areas, notifying renters limit unnecessary water usage, and installing water saving fixtures and faucets.
Please feel free to share with the HOA office any thoughts on how to help conserve the local water supply, Gracias.
HOA Forms – Online
All of the HOA forms are now available to submit online via the SonoranSeaResort.org owners portal. If you don’t have access you can request it by going to https://sonoransearesort.org/owners/login and clicking on the yellow “Request Access” button.
Our security, maintenance, cleaning, and administrative staff at the Sonoran Sea are critical to our safe, professionally serviced, well maintained, and financially solvent operations. Our people make our resort a wonderful place to be! Starting in 2023 we are recognizing service anniversaries for our employees. The employees below have been with the Sea for 1-4 years; 5-9 years, and 10+ years as of Q1.
- Teresa de Jesus De La Torre Acuna, Housekeeping – 18 Years
- Roman Mendiola Garcia, Maintenance – 18 Years
- Isrrael Camacho Ruelas, Bus Driver – 18 Years
- Arturo Lee Valdez, Security – 18 Years
- Emilio Bautista Merino, Maintenance – 17 Years
- Jesus Lugo Garcia, Security – 15 Years
- Gildardo Angulo Angulo, Maintenance – 5 Years
- Maria Del Rosario Monreal, Housekeeping – 2 Years
- Rey David Angulo Castro, Security – 2 Years
- Maria Del Carmen Islas Ruiz, Security – 2 Years
- Miguel Raymundo Orozco Laborin, Security – 1 Year
Director of Security: Rey David Castro
As always, our security staff is very busy. The following chart represents the types and number of issues the security department handled in 2022. Note that the list is not all inclusive, it is a representation of the items highlighted to the AC and SC board.
HOA Holiday Party was another success! Held on Dec 8th at Manny’s Beach Club. All employees attended the party and had a great time. Manny’s Bar hosted with live music and a nice dinner – the employees did a round of shots to celebrate one more year together!
The employees always look forward to this event and would like to thank the owners for making this event happen!
Below are some pics of the event. Thanks to everyone who donated items and cash in support of our employees!
