Oakmont’s Semimonthly Newspaper
Berger Refresh Approved; Will Cost Up To $110K nAl Haggerty
The OVA will spend up to $110,000 to refresh Berger Center with new paint, lighting and electrical upgrades, automated room-darkening shades, a new stage curtain and repairs to sliding partitions and doors. The work, which Director Noel Lyons called “long overdue,” was unanimously approved on Aug. 17. Association General Manager Kimberly Rowland said the changes will give Berger “a more modern appearance” and begin “in the very near future.” The cost estimates are $17,000 for the painting, $32,000 for lighting and electrical upgrades, $43,000 for shades, $4,000 for repairs and a $14,000 contingency that includes the stage curtain. President Tom Kendrick said the funds will come from the Asset Replacement Fund. The board unanimously approved spending up to $200,000 at the West Recreation Center to better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, to repair a sewer line beneath the building and to repair broken fencing above the tennis courts. The timing of the work is dictated by the facility being currently shut down for repairs of water damage caused by a faulty sprinkler head. The board voted to discontinue the printed Community Directory and Resource Guide, which lists addresses and phone numbers of Oakmont residents, and replace it with an online directory on the OVA website. Paper copies will be available at no cost at the OVA office. The Communications Committee recommended the on-line directory after the firm that had been creating and printing the directory couldn’t continue. The committee concluded that OVA would not want to spend the $25,000 to $30,000 it would cost to do the job in house. The online directory would be protected by a firewall, making it available only to Oakmont residents, who could opt out of the directory. There is a possibility of including email addresses in future directories. See board on page 4
Town Hall
September 7, 1 pm On zoom Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Electric Cars
A panel of experts, drivers and owners will talk about making transitions to electric vehicles. Go to the link to this virtual meeting: https:// oakmontvillage.com/live, and then click on the event.
www.oakmontvillage.com/news
Firewise: New Focus
nOakmont News Staff Report
The OVA Board has approved a new charter changing the name and focus of the Firewise Safety Committee from compliance to “wanting to be of service and helping our neighbors” meet the Firewise Policy guidelines. “I am seeing that we are entering a new phase that requires more of us not to be scaring people, but reaching out—move it to a place where neighbors are helping neighbors,” said Jeff Young, the director who authored the new charter to rename the group to Firewise Resource Committee. The board voted 5-2 at its August meeting, with directors Heidi Klyn and Jess Marzak objecting, but for different reasons. Marzak said he liked all of the new charter except a requirement that assessment reports not be shared with the Architectural Committee without permission of the homeowner. Klyn opposed the name change and a charter headline “How Can We Help?” The OVA adopted a firewise landscape policy last year requiring combustible materials and mulches See firewise on page 4
Sunday Symposium Season to Open Zoom Only September 12 nStaff Report
Oakmont Sunday Symposium, one of Oakmont’s largest events with regular attendance of 100–200 residents, has decided not to hold live meetings when its fall seasons begins September 12 featuring State Senator Mike McGuire. The symposium board voted to make at least its first two programs, Sept. 12 and 19, Zoom-only events due to the alarming increase on Covid-19 cases caused by the so-called Delta Variant, particularly among the vulnerable elderly. “The board felt that too many Oakmont residents have medical conditions of concern to have large meetings in Berger, even with masking,” said OSS president George McKinney. We hope Sonoma County COVID conditions will improve sufficiently to allow in-person meetings to begin later in September or in October.” McGuire on Sept. 12 is expected to focus on firerelated issues, COVID-19, and the drought. Following Mcguire, the September 19 program features Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget who will talk about the problems with our national debt. A complete list of the symposium fall program schedule will appear in the next edition of the Oakmont News. More detailed information is available on the OSS website, www.oakmontsundaysymposium.org. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SANTA ROSA, CA PERMIT NO. 323
August 28, 2021 • Volume 60, Number 16
OVA Facilities Manager to Retire nJackie Reinhardt
After six and half years as OVA Facilities Manager, Rick Aubert will be retiring on October 1 and leaving Oakmont in a better place that has benefitted from his 47 years of experience with Hewlett Packard, hospitality operations and senior developments. In addition to overseeing all the facilities, Aubert has been actively involved in the reserve study and annual budgeting process and shared his expertise with several standing committees. In 2015 after renegotiating contracts with vendors, he was able to reduce operating costs by an amount equivalent to his own salary. That year sheep were introduced to take care of vegetation overgrowth. During his tenure the West Rec. and East Rec. were completely remodeled, the pool and spa were renovated at the CAC, Berger was seismically retrofitted, the floor replaced and the parking lot resurfaced. Pools have been converted to saline systems and mechanical systems updated. All facilities were converted from DSL to high-speed internet via Comcast. Most recently, Aubert has worked with Christel Antone on vegetation management and mapping to help Oakmont become a Firewise community. He understands how frightening wildfires can be personally when the 2019 Kincade outbreak came within 200 feet of his Windsor home. In June 2020 he and his wife made the decision to move to Chico where their son lives. He has been working remotely, utilizing zoom to facilitate communications and problem-solving. “I’ll miss my team the most,” Aubert said, adding they are a “lean machine who know what to do.” Seven of the 10 maintenance staff worked with him previously at Varena and at Santa Rosa’s downtown Hyatt where he managed both housekeeping and maintenance functions. He hopes his successor will have a similar approach to the job as he does. “I hire competent people, train them and then let them do their job,” he said, adding the maintenance staff gets compliments all the time from residents.
Flu Shots in Oakmont September 9
nOakmont News Staff
Free flu shots will be available in Oakmont at two clinics—the first on Monday, Sept. 13 at the East Recreation Center. A second clinic will be held Monday, Oct. 4. Hours for both days are 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Residents need to make appointments for their vaccinations. That can be done online at http:// mhealthsystem.com/OakmontSantaRosa Flu2021. That site also has sign-up forms that can be downloaded and completed to bring to the clinic. For your appointment, bring insurance cards— for Medicare and for prescription coverage. The clinic staff is provided by Safeway.