Dover Shores News - February
DOVER SHORES NEWS, February 1, 2024
We hope all our Dover Shores neighbors are enjoying a happy, healthy, and safe new year as we move into February. We are grateful to often enjoy 70-degree weather as the rest of the country is zipping up their winter jackets.
DOVER SHORES HOA GENERAL MEETING January 16, 2024
Here is a brief overview of the main discussions and actions taken at our most recent Dover Shores Board Meeting:
- Social – The social committee is hard at work planning for the new summer BBQ format. As a reminder, this summer we will try a new format where all events are catered by the social committee, so we no longer need weekly volunteers. BBQ’s will likely be every other week and possibly on different days instead of a Tuesday. All our neighbors have to do is show up! If you have opinions, feedback, or ideas please let the social committee know by reaching out to Tate Luesebrink or Emily Leach, or by replying to this newsletter.
- Beach – In anticipation of a busy spring and summer, your beach committee met in January to walk Larry’s Beach and ensure maintenance and repairs are on track, and our facilities will be ready for your use. A new hot water heater has been installed, and more improvements will soon restore the BBQ island. If you find something broken or in need of repair while you are on the beach, please let one of our beach committee chairpersons know by reaching out to Sherry Bilbeisi or Emily Leach.
- Landscape - The landscape committee reviewed tree trimming plans for the neighborhood and will soon review proposals for a landscape refresh on the Antigua/Galaxy slope.
- Legal - The State of California, City of Newport Beach, and several others, including our Association, have been named in a lawsuit relating to the slope failure on Galaxy. More information is available at the Superior Court web site case number: 30-2023-01365757-CU-EI-CXC.
A Message from BHE Management Corporation:
Waiting for Spring to Spring!
The weather has been so unpredictable lately that we think that “Strange is the New Normal”! Please keep a close eye on your irrigation. Currently, the Association’s water is turned off. As a homeowner, you will need to be vigilant about monitoring your own water to prevent overwatering and at the same time to keep your yard beautiful.
HOA Elections
Homeowner Association election procedures have been somewhat confusing for the past few years. Typically, Dover Shores has fewer candidates than board seats, although we did have more this past year. At the March meeting, the Board will discuss the possibility of “Acclamation”, whereby the slate is accepted by acclamation if there are the same number of candidates as there are seats. This procedure will require MORE mailing to the community (so we spend more money on postage for those mailings), but we will SAVE money by avoiding the use of the Inspector of Elections and the mailing out of ballots. More to come about this after the March meeting!
BHE Management Corporation
Marla Hemmel, Managing Agent, MarlaH@bhemanagement.com
Lisa Parra, Community Manager, LParra@BHEManagement.com
Melissa Mora, Assistant Community Manager, MMora@BHEManagement.com
www.BHEManagement.com
PO Box 7736, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-7736
(949)363-1963
Next Dover Shores HOA General Meeting: March 19, 5:00 PM
The board is continuing to offer Zoom access to board meetings. All meetings will use the same credentials listed below. The general session for homeowner participation for these meetings begins at 5PM.
Join Zoom Meeting with your browser
Meeting ID: 880 4927 2107
Passcode: 940601
One tap mobile: (669)900-6833
For the foreseeable future, those wishing to attend in person can attend at the principal office of the Association which has been designated by the Board as the place of business of BHE Management, located at 30011 Ivy Glen Dr., Ste.118, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. BHE Management will be present.
Board meetings occur bimonthly on the 3rd Tuesday. In 2024 meetings will be:
- March 19
- May 21
- July 16
- September 17
- November 19
CERT – Neighborhood Watch Updates:
Solicitors
Newport Beach has an ordinance that prohibits solicitation if the residence displays a "Do Not Solicit" sign. For more information, visit the city web site here. The city also has a do not solicit registry here but you must re-register again every year. You can call the NBPD non-emergency number 949-644-3717 to report solicitors who do not respect your sign or registration.
Report Traffic Concerns
The NBPD has added a form here on their web site where you can report on-going or chronic traffic concerns. Specific incidents should be reported on the non-emergency number: 949-644-3717.
NBPD Statistics for 2023
- 169,171 calls handled in dispatch
- 40,940 were 911 calls, 99.54% answered within 10 seconds
- Average response time for crime in progress calls (Priority 1: 57 total): 3 minutes
- Total arrests: 2566
- Residential burglaries: 162, 8 in Dover Shores (city wide in 2022: 156, peaked at 237 in 2018)
Earthquake Preparedness
Several small earthquakes have recently occurred near us. While there is no evidence these are foreshocks to something larger, they are reminders that we live in an earthquake zone. Sooner or later either the Newport-Inglewood Fault or the San Andreas Fault will impact us with a major earthquake.
We can't prevent earthquakes, but we can reduce the impact to us by making preparations:
- Make a plan to connect with family members if cell service goes down by getting messages to a distant relative or friend.
- Create a "Go Bag" with money, medicines, papers and supplies so you can evacuate if your home is damaged.
- Secure objects in your home, make sure it is structurally sound and consider earthquake insurance.
- Create a stash of water and food if you need to shelter in place when roads and services are damaged.
The City has created an excellent preparedness guide, Newport Beach Ready that you can download here.
CERT Classes
One of the best ways to prepare for an earthquake or any emergency is to take NBFD's free CERT classes. Spring classes start March 5. Class schedules, registration and more information is available on the city web site here.
Downed Power Lines
Many of you may have seen the tragic story from Oregon recently when 3 people were killed when a downed power line fell on a car. If by some remote chance you are in a car that contacts a power line, unless the car is on fire STAY IN THE CAR. If you can, call 911, but always wait for first responders to tell you it's safe to leave the vehicle. The reason is that even when a car is energized to a high voltage, the entire car is at the same voltage so no current will flow. You are not in danger until you step from a high voltage car to the lower voltage ground which will cause current to flow through your body.
Similarly, never approach a downed power line on the ground, even if you see an injured person near the power line. You will likely make things worse for the injured person and electrocute yourself in the process. The reason is that a downed power line creates a voltage gradient in the earth itself, meaning there is a higher voltage in the ground near the power line and a lower voltage in the ground further away. Even the distance between your feet as you walk may have enough voltage difference for current to flow up your legs and possibly electrocute you. Report the incident and wait for trained professionals to arrive. You can learn more about power line safety here.
Committees:
- Architecture: Tim Hawke (Chair), Tate Luesebrink, Peggy Pugh
- Beach: Sherry Bilbeisi (Co-chair), Emily Leach (Co-chair), Jodi Cassutt, Dan Converse
- CERT/Neighborhood Watch: Jim Gula and the CERT team
- Communications: Jim Gula (Chair), Sherry Bilbeisi, Cindy Talbott, Esther Fine, Emily Leach
- Dredging: Tim Hawke
- Finance: Jim Gula, Ross Nelson
- Landscape: Gwen Feiner, Anne Michaelsen Yahn, Ross Nelson. Chair to be determined. Sue Ashwell, Gail Jones, and Julie Patterson are on-board to help the new landscape committee members until they get up and running.
- Legal, CC&Rs: Steve Briggs (Co-chair), Sherry Bilbeisi (Co-Chair)
- Social: Emily Leach (Chair), Tate Luesebrink
- Welcome: Gwen Feiner (Chair)
Finally
If you would like to submit an article for publication in the Newsletter that you think might be of interest to Dover Shores, please let us know by responding to this Newsletter by email.
Please let your neighbors know how to contact us at board@dovershoreshoa.org if they are not part of our email list and would like to join. Or please forward this email to them. Our goal is to reach every Dover Shores neighbor.
Note that past newsletters are always available at our archives.