Owners Info
Posted on Dec 7, 2020
Welcome to the 3rd quarter 2020 edition of the Sonoran Sea Resort HOA newsletter.
Our Sonoran Sea Resort HOA newsletter is issued on a quarterly basis. 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. To get access, send an email to [email protected] with your Name, Condo #, and preferred User Name.
If you’d like to suggest content (or better yet volunteer) for the Newsletter, please send an email to [email protected].
Important Dates
HOA AC Meetings: 3rd Tues Each Month
Next GOM (General Owners Meeting):November 14, 2020
AC News – President: Jerry McKinney
Dear Sonoran Sea Owners,
We continue to progress through unprecedented times around the world and in Puerto Penasco. Our hearts and best wishes are extended to all during these difficult times.
We are pleased to see activities in Puerto Penasco continue the return to a new normal. It is wonderful to see our resort and Puerto Penasco return to life. From the most recent information in the Rocky Point Times newspaper, the city curfew will change to 12am – 6am beginning September 1 st, sanitary filters at town entrances will be removed on September 8th, and the beach is open with restrictions. Strict protocol will remain in place as Puerto Penasco transitions back. You are encouraged to visit https://www.facebook.com/RockyPointTimes/ for the latest updates. Leslie Roman will continue to post updates to her Sonoran Sea Facebook page in order to keep us informed of this dynamic situation. I am confident we are all excited to fully enjoy our Puerto Penasco paradise and see our friends and family.
The Sonoran Sea continues to be unfavorably impacted by the current travel environment. Our occupancy utilization (Owners and rental guests) is improving however still remains very low for this time of year. Our rental utilization during the summer was around 20%. Although the peso has strengthened in the last several months (which is unfavorable to our financials since most of our costs are in pesos), we have continued cost management activities by the HOA staff. We are also beginning to receive modest impact fees as rental occupancy improves. Considering the various financial variables this year, the AC and HOA office are still projecting we will generate positive cash-flow this year. We will cover these financial topics in the next General Owner’s meeting currently scheduled for November 14th at 1pm (Sonoran Sea).
Our priorities and approach toward achieving a balanced scorecard of safety, professionally serviced, well-maintained, and financially solvent needs to be proportionally refined considering the current environment. These are challenging times and require continued strong action by all Owners, employees, suppliers, and guests at the Sonoran Sea.
In terms of safety at the Sonoran Sea, we will continue to implement a robust set of actions to protect our employees, Owners, guests, and our assets:
- COVID-19 Safety measures:
- Employees are requested to practice social distancing with all activities and wear facemasks when applicable per local requirements
- Housecleaning continues to perform certain essential cleaning services (e.g. elevators, buttons, certain common areas) in addition to expanding their cleaning activities per city recommendations
- Body temperature is checked daily for the staff
- We expect Owners and Guests to comply with COVID-19 protocol issued by the city and practiced at the resort.
We encourage you and your guests to frequent the local businesses and support their recovery. On-site, Ramon’s Restaurant is a popular option for a wonderful dining experience. Local purchases make a real difference to local establishments and their employees.
Several projects are in progress at the Sonoran Sea. The screen door powder coating is almost complete. If you have questions on your screen door, please contact the HOA office. The heated pool refinishing is progressing well and we are anticipating returning the pool to operation in late September or early October. This is a critical project for us to successfully complete before the winter months are upon us. We are revisiting the waterfall/rock refinishing and its rapid degradation. The quality of this job has not met expectations. The HOA office has met with the contractor and corrective actions will begin after the Labor Day busy weekend.
We are preparing for our upcoming Sonoran Sea General Owners Meeting on November 14th. We will publish the agenda by October 13 th. Topics include review and approval of the CY21 financial budget including projects contemplated for CY21. We will also hold elections for the positions of the AC – President and certain Surveillance Committee roles. If you are interested in helping improve the Sonoran Sea, please support your passion with action by volunteering for a position on the Sonoran Sea boards. A deep-dive on various topics will be held on Friday afternoon similar to prior meetings. It will be nice to see fellow Owners in person during this meeting.
We remain in difficult times. Collectively, we can make a difference by being kind, respectful, and working to support our paradise on the ocean. Until we meet again, my best wishes to you and yours.
Sincerely,
Jerry McKinney
AC President
Please read on for the latest updates at the Sonoran Sea. If you have any newsletter suggestions, please email Leslie Roman at [email protected]
SC News – Chairman: Ron Lilishkies
No update at this time – we will have a new update in the next quarterly newsletter.
Head of Maintenance: Rodrigo Ruiz
Rentals may have been down, but we still had lots of activity at our resort during the quarter!
Automatic Hand Towel Dispenser in Bathrooms
Hand Sanitizers in Lobby and HOA Office
Acrylic put at desks in Computer Room and HOA Office.
Courtyard Lamps Repainted
Security Gate Speedbumps Added
Shower Valves Replaced
Lobby and coffee shop/store area repainting.
Hallway Ceiling Repair
New baseboard for lobby stairs.
Gym carpets cleaned.
Gym Ceiling Repair
New Housekeeping Uniforms
Purchased used van for employees to repace old van. Old van is being sold.
Purchased used maintenance truck.
Heated pool refurbishment is in process and on track to be completed in late September or early October.
Screen door powder coating is completed up through the 9th floor.
Upcoming Projects
Projects planned for 2020
- Evaluate / refurbish old elevators on east & west sides. Evaluation started, project moved to 2021 due to COVID 19
- New Repair Waterfall Rocks – scheduled to begin after Labor Day- Sept 8th.
- Repaint top of facade on East & West Buildings.
- Investigating Neoprene covers for pool handrails.
HOA Manager: Kristian Osuna
HOA Office Manager: Fabian Urrea
HOA Assistant: Cristina Arvizu
Our April GOM (General Owners Meeting) originally scheduled for April 25th, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. The AC and SC boards held emergency sessions during March and April to evaluate the budget and operations. The next GOM will be held in November 2020.
November General Owners Meeting (GOM)
Scheduled for Nov 14th
We are researching options for our next GOM. We need to ensure that we are in compliance with the COVID 19 protocols.
- May be held outside in the parking lot, tennis courts or Ramon’s patio.
- Seating will be set up in condo groups spaced 6′ apart.
- Friday afternoon “deep dives” will require RSVP’s – if more than 10 individuals are expected, the deep dives may have to be broken into multiple meetings or moved outside.
Interested in running for an AC or SC position? Turn your passion for the resort into participation. The AC President position will be up for vote, and all SC positions up for vote in November. More information about how to get your name on the ballot will be coming out before the meeting.
COVID 19 Update
Covid 19 Impact at the Sea
We have had 8 employees test positive for COVID since August. Below is the process we are going through to keep our resort safe:
- All employees temperatures are being checked daily.
- Any employee whose temperature is high or has any symptoms of COVID 19 is tested.
- If tested positive – that employee is quarantined for 14 days, and the HOA notifies anyone that employee has been in contact with.
- After the 14 day quarantine, the employee is re-tested. If they are cleared by the doctor, they can return to work.
There have been no positive cases for the last 3 weeks.
Administrative Reminders
Late Fee’s and Impact Fee’s for Rentals
Late Fee’s: It’s important to pay your HOA dues and other fee’s on time. You can check your account balance at any time via the Vivook application (available on your computer or smartphone). Login and click the drop down box in the upper right, to get to your Account Statement. To avoid late fees and comply with Article 74 of the CC&Rs, please make sure you keep your account current.
Impact Fee’s for Rentals: We have three rental models at the Sonoran Sea (Casago Full-Service & Owner Provided Rental and Self-Renting Owners) which comply with the CC&Rs. Owners who are renting on their own through “non-paying guests’ authorization forms” are not in compliance with the CCR’s and are not paying required impact fees. As approved in the Sept’17 HOA meeting, a $200/night will be charged to Owners found to be in infringement of CC&R rental requirements.
Owner Files
Documents Required
The HOA requires you to provide the following items which are kept on file in the HOA office:
- Information Update Form
- Drivers License / Passport Copy
- Homeowners Insurance Policy
- Sales Contract or 1st Page of Trust Document
- Pet Registration (pet owners only)
- (pet owners only)
If you are unsure if your file is complete, please contact Cristina in the HOA office.
Current Board / HOA Contacts & Terms
Note: Corrections to AC Member Term – AC created and all members voted in Feb 2018; all SC members term corrected to 1 Yr.
| Name | Role | Term | |
| Ron Lilishkies | Chairman SC | 02/19 - 02/20 | [email protected] |
| Mike Sheffield | East Building Rep | 09/18 - 09/19 | [email protected] |
| Howard Tolshinsky | East Building Alternate | 02/19 - 02/20 | [email protected] |
| Steve Suhre | West Building Alternate | 09/18 - 09/19 | [email protected] |
| Karen Matson | West Building Rep | 11/18 - 11/19 | [email protected] |
| David Foley | General Rep. | 11/19 - 11/20 | [email protected] |
| Phil Wehrli | General Rep. | 09/18 - 09/19 | [email protected] |
| Tina Elliott | General Rep. | 02/19 - 02/20 | [email protected] |
| Steve Schwab | General Rep. | 09/18 - 09/19 | [email protected] |
| Jerry McKinney | President-AC | 02/19 - 02/21 | [email protected] |
| Ray Bishop | Treasurer-AC | 02/19 - 02/21 | [email protected] |
| Leslie Roman | Secretary-AC | 02/19 - 02/21 | [email protected] |
| Kristian Osuna | HOA Manager | Annual Renewal | [email protected] |
| Fabian Urrea | HOA Office Manager | N/A | [email protected] |
| Cristina Arvizu | HOA Assistant | N/A | [email protected] |
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! We will highlight a couple of employees in each newsletter.
Guadalupe Cruz Lopez (Cleaning Staff)
Born and raised in Juarez, Chiapas. Guadalupe has been living in Puerto Peñasco for over 12 years. In her spare time she likes to play with her son and grandsons in the park, and all her family loves the Christmas season. Guadalupe feels great to be working for Sonoran Sea, she thinks it has a great work environment.
Diego Abelardo Rodriguez Gonzales (Security)
Born and raised in Puerto Peñasco. Diego is happily married and likes to spend time with his family by going to the beach. In his spare time if he is not working a fast food delivery, he his practicing cycling.
Head of Security: Arturo Lepe Valdez
May Incidents:
- 5/23/2020: Owner guest in E505 broke the renter entry gate arm. The guest has paid for the replacement.
June Incidents:
- 6/11/2020: Security helped the owner of W502 get to his car so a friend could drive him to the hospital when he was not feeling well.
- 6/13/2020: All public areas of the resort were sanitized in compliance with City regulations.
- 6/13/2020: 6 year old girl fell from the pool slide to the floor and hit her head. Security called red cross immediately to transport her to the hospital.
- 6/27/2020: Water leak in W511 which damaged some units below.
July Incidents:
- 7/3/2020: A guest from unit 102E was caught by Touristic Police for swimming in the ocean when it was closed. The guest was taken to the police station and a fine was assessed.
- 7/14/2020: Water leak reported in west parking lot.
- 7/27/2020: Renters in unit 112E were caught using the jacuzzi after hours.
August Incidents:
- 8/11/2020: Cholla Bay resident came to the restaurant, but it was closed. When he left the Resort, he hit the cabinet of the gate arm (exit). He was drunk and security called the police to get a report of the damages. He paid $ 700.00 usd to HOA for damages, and a new cabinet replacement is on order.
- 8/18/2020: A guest from the unit 611E was angry with the owner of the condo E702 (Schmidt) because he was taking photos of the guests son in the adults pool. Security informed the guest that children are not allowed in the adults pool. The guest understood, but was still upset about the photos that were taken of his son. He requested Security to have these pictures deleted from the owner’s cell phone. This owner deleted the photos.
- 8/30/2020: Renters from the unit 112W hit the front door because they couldn’t open it with the code. They were very aggressive to Security. The police was called and one of these guests went to jail and the wife of this person in jail was evicted by the owner of this condo because of this incident for misconduct.
Maintenance Reminder
All owners are encouraged to check the following items at least yearly to prevent leaks. Maintenance of these items is each owners responsibility:
- Water Valves
- Toilet Wax Rings
- Water Heaters
- Refrigerators
- Dishwashers
- Shower Grouting
- Patio Grouting
- Ice Makers
- Faucets
Put out that cigarette (or e-cigarrete)…smoking laws in Mexico
In 2008 federal law mandated a partial ban on smoking in public places, but Mexico is yet to implement a full smoking ban at the national level. Since that time 11 Mexican states have adopted a complete smoking ban in public places. The state of Sonora is not one of those 11 states. In Sonora they are still under the partial ban rules. Although e-cigarettes have been banned in Mexico since May 2008, on February 19, 2020 the Government of Mexico issued a presidential decree prohibiting the import of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products into the country. Tobacco control efforts in Mexico have shown positive results, with the national smoking rate declining from 28% in 1990 to 16% in 2017.
Little known ways you can get arrested in Mexico
There are obvious ways to get arrested in Mexico, from drug smuggling and public fighting to overstaying your visa, but there are also plenty of lesser-known ways to get arrested – here are a few:
- Drinking in the street: Does it happen? Sure. Is it legal? No. There are many tourist areas where this is not enforced, but it is not a crime that will go overlooked everywhere and the punishments can be hefty and arbitrary.
- Naming your child Hermione, Batman or Pocohontas: If on the off-chance you were thinking about having a baby in the Mexican state of Sonora, you’d be faced with a list of illegal baby names. The government has prohibited numerous weird names (like Lady Di, Rolling Stone or Cesárea), that are deemed “derogatory, pejorative, discriminatory or lacking in meaning”. OK, so you won’t be arrested for it, but you’ll definitely get some funny looks if you try and use one of these banned baby names in Sonora.
- Urinating in public: Either hold it in or face the consequences.
- Wearing shorts: What?? If you’re a man in Mexico, it technically remains illegal to wear anything but trousers, according to one antiquated law. It’s very unlikely you’ll be arrested for it nowadays, but you are still technically a law breaker of you go bare-legged.
- Drinking in the 72 hours before an election: Whether you’re a citizen or not, able to vote in the election or not, drinking in the 72-hour period leading up to either a state or national Mexican election is banned. Along these lines, you’ll find it tough to get your hands on alcohol from corner shops during the Holy Week period too.