Governing board highlights strategic plan and dozens of capital projects; pool‑deck warranty repair scheduled for September

Sun City West’s general manager described a newly adopted strategic plan and recapped extensive capital work completed this fiscal year, and staff answered member questions about ongoing pool‑deck warranty repairs. The governing board also approved a capital allocation to replace the carpeting in the billiards room.

General Manager Steven Arno, in his first annual meeting after joining the association, said a strategic plan developed with board and staff input lays out "six strategic focus areas" and about 40 projects the association will work on over the next one to three years. He said the plan will be treated as a living document and updated annually.

Arno reviewed capital work the association completed this year, saying about 50 capital projects were finished. Highlights he listed included resurfacing and shade at pickleball courts, upgrades to the Desert Trails Pro Shop, pool‑deck renovation at Palm Ridge and other facility improvements that aim to extend asset life.

Members raised questions during the public Q&A about the pool‑deck replacement at R. H. Johnson and Palm Ridge. A facilities manager (Dave, staff) told the meeting that the original pool‑deck replacement was still under warranty and that “there are some locations that don't look good that need to be repaired.” He said the contractor walked the sites with staff and is scheduled to return in September to complete repairs; the association prefers the contractor perform warranty repairs rather than do its own repairs to preserve warranty coverage.

A resident who spoke at the mic described attendees ‘‘picking pieces off’’ the decking and asked about warranty length; the staff member answered that the association has an extended warranty and estimated it at about five years, and that staff would hold the vendor to warranty obligations.

The governing board approved one capital funding motion during the meeting: Director Rhodes moved and the board unanimously approved $56,160 from this year’s capital improvement budget to replace the carpet in the billiards room where staff and committee members noted fraying and potential trip hazards. The motion directs staff to proceed with procurement and construction within FY2024–25 funds.

Arno and board members also discussed facility maintenance staffing levels. Arno and staff noted maintenance teams handle more than 2,600 work tickets last year, manage nearly one million gallons of irrigation water across courses, and maintain high use facilities — all while operating with a relatively small, lean workforce. Staff said landscaping crews once numbered about 29 and now are smaller; an outsourced landscaping contractor supplements work and the association plans to add contract support where needed.

Other capital‑scale projects mentioned in the presentation include Echo Mesa irrigation replacement and overseeding on schedule for August–September, and a variety of golf course and course‑amenity improvements. Staff said conservation allotment for water is 3,897 acre‑feet and that they were about 38 acre‑feet under that conservation target at the reporting period.

Directors and staff encouraged members to read the strategic plan and project updates posted on the association website. Staff said they will continue to hold contractors to warranty commitments and to return to members with progress reports when major repairs — such as the pool decking — are completed.

Members who want more details on specific capital projects were directed to staff and committee reports available online and in the GM report.