Estates

Minutes

Estates District Advisory Committee Workshop                                                                 

An Estates District Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting was held on October 24,2025  at 4PM at Foothill Center. It was open to Estate Homeowners.

Present:

Donna Ostheimer (DAC) Chair and Homeowners Board Director

Committee Members:  Margaret Yi Fang, Maryann Haggerty (Secretary), Wayne Bodamer, Nenette Gallaway, Lois Townsand

Management Team Members Present   Julia Meadows (Senior AGM-Chief of Staff) Ryan Bell (Assistant Manager of Public Works)

Call to Order:

Donna called the meeting to order at 4PM. She welcomed all to the meeting and introduced Lois Townsand as a new board member. There was a vote to accept Lois as a member and to renew Nenette Galaway’s  committee membership for a second term. There was a unanimous committee vote for both.

Donna stated that this was a working meeting to discuss items on the agenda. The DAC committee will approve certain recommendations.  These recommendations will then go to the Homeowners board. A vote for all Estates residences will be held in January. 

Management Updates:

1, Julia Meadows stated that for the time being mulch installation has stopped at The Villages pending further clarification from California Fire Chief (Ret) Dave Winnaker and SJFD Captain Ibarra – both are scheduled guests for the October 29 Fireside Chat at The Clubhouse.

2. Updating on the Reserves budget is coming. Management is monitoring water.

3. In response to Donna’s question on sprinklers--- Julia provided an irrigation map that was color coded and summarized the placement of valves. 

Wayne added input: “We need to spend money wisely. The point is to conserve water and be more efficient.” We could change the heads of the rainbird sprinklers and leave the rest in the ground. A test was done on three homes in the Estates, and no significant changes were seen. We should wait until Spring to make a final decision. He also talked about types of grass and how some were yellow.

Ryan answered questions on lawn shade and dry grass.  He stated some invasive grass has caused lawn yellowing. He talked about Kurapia as an alternative.

Subcommittee Reports:

1. Wayne Bodamor- Landscaping- To augment his previous statements, Wayne presented a thorough review of the irrigation testing project with a handout including the  prospect of using Kurapia.  Perhaps this is an alternative to redoing turf. 

2. House Paint Pallet- Nenette presented a new house paint pallet based on Benjamin Moore paint colors.  Kelly Moore is no longer in business so change was needed. She explained how there were two sets of pallets, each with their own trims and accent colors.  She also had designs of three fences that could be used by homeowners and a new paint color for replacing fences.  Certain  color changes  and fence styles  are only required for  water feature residents. Other residents will have more choices.  A question about Firewise was answered that redwood was fire safe.   The pallets and fences were put to a motion. Maryann moved to accept.  Nenette seconded and the vote was affirmative.

3. Water Committee-  Margaret is the  liaison for our DAC. The committee is mainly managing other villages besides our Estates. The committee’s main concern is water leakages. According to a Valley Water report, over 90% of leaks are caused by the toilets. The committee is also trying to find ways to conserve water usages.

4. Signage- Wayne reported on a proposal for an Estates sign. He had researched the reasons in the past for a new sign (Monetary and need).  He stated reasons for signs (Directional and information).  A sand-blasted panel and pole  sign could be placed on the wall of the water feature for $3-4 thousand dollars. After a discussion, Nenette moved to approve the sign. Maryann seconded and it was carried.  Wayne will investigate designs and prices.

Estates Projects: On hold.

New Business: Donna presented the updated Estates charter.  It now has 5 voting members and can have more.

Donna asked us to remember Jeff Schlagter and all the work he did to preserve water use.  Now it is up to us to point out leaks and broken sprinklers.

Meeting Adjourned: Meeting adjourned at 5:03 PM    Maryann Haggerty  Secretary