During big wind and rain events, the Landscaping Department maintains storm patrols to ensure resident safety, keep streets and sidewalks clear and minimize property damage. During these events, landscaping maintenance crews patrol the eight maintenance sections to remove fallen limbs, clear clogged drains and place sandbags at areas of high-water flow. In addition to these patrols, both contracted and staff tree crews are on stand-by in case of a fallen tree. 

In the Village and most of Southern California, trees are planted in irrigated areas, leading to shallow root systems. When the ground becomes saturated from rains, these shallow roots can lead to a greater susceptibility of trees falling. Three years ago, the Landscaping Department instituted a species-based tree trimming schedule, which has allowed more frequent trimming of trees, reducing the risk of uprooted trees.

During the recent storms created by the atmospheric river phenomenon, the Village experienced only a handful of fallen trees and only a dozen or so limbs down. There were no reports of flooding or clogged drains and no after-hour callouts for emergency tree work. Resident Services received approximately 15 calls regarding branches down; the majority of those calls were handled by the maintenance sections. Four locations in the Village requested sand bags; no damage was reported.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

The bottom of every “What’s Up in the Village” newsletter features a static story that contains a downloadable list of all upcoming board and committee meetings in the Village—“Village Meeting Calendar: View upcoming board and committee meetings for the next two weeks.”

However, there are other ways to stay abreast of future meetings.

To view the most current schedule of all Laguna Woods Village board and committee meetings, go to lagunawoodsvillage.com > Calendars (sometimes referred to as TeamUp). All meetings are subject to change; ending times are approximate.

Board and Committee Meetings Via Granicus

Visit lagunawoodsvillage.com/meetings to watch board and committee meetings online via Granicus (board meetings are also televised on TV6). Meetings are listed by date, with the most recent at the top. Click Video to watch the meetings and view agenda documents, or click Agenda to see the documents and backup materials. Viewers also can locate agenda items by typing keywords into the Search box.

Comment Period During Meetings

Members are invited to submit feedback and questions by emailing meeting@vmsinc.org any time before or during a meeting. Include your name, unit number and the meeting on which you’re commenting in the email subject field.

Board and Committee Meetings Via Zoom

Residents can participate live in board and committee meetings when held via Zoom.

Zoom allows Village residents to virtually raise their hand, ask questions and speak to board and committee members in real time.

To attend virtual board or committee meetings, just look for the Zoom meeting link in the Open Forum section of the respective board or committee agenda posted on lagunawoodsvillage.com > Calendars (TeamUp). Click on the link a few minutes prior to the meeting to launch Zoom. Then select Open Zoom Meetings and Launch Meeting when prompted. Residents will not need to register or enter a password to attend.

Members who wish to speak during the member comment agenda item may use the Raise Hand button on the Zoom screen. Members will be recognized in the order in which they have raised the hand. The corporate secretary will then enable the member to speak.

Click here to watch Zoom video how-tos and tutorials, including Join a Meeting. 

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

Third and United mutuals are creating urban forest management plans that will set the long-term vision and actions VMS staff will take so that all can enjoy the maximum benefits of trees. Third Mutual’s Landscape Committee met today and the video will be available on the website here. United Mutual’s Landscape Committee meets Monday, January 23, at 1:30 p.m. in the Community Center board room (24351 El Toro Road). The consultant, Dudek, will give a presentation and seek constructive input to ensure the plan reflects the ideas and priorities of Village residents. 

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

The United Laguna Woods Mutual Board of Directors is seeking four United members to serve on the temporary Private Loan Research Ad Hoc Committee.

The purpose of this committee is to research loan options and reexamine existing policies that currently restrict the use of private loans.

Please click here to view and/or download important details regarding committee member duties and submission guidelines.

Community members with professional lending experience are encouraged to participate. Please submit a brief, three- to four-sentence email stating your professional background to VMS Financial Services staff Erika Hernandez at Erika.Hernandez@vmsinc.org. 

The deadline to email submissions is Friday, January 20.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

Did you know that translating a website to the language of your choice is as easy as one, two, three, four, five? Google Translate makes this service available for free. Follow these steps:

1. Type Google Translate into your browser’s search bar and select https://translate.google.com.
2. Set the original language to “Detect language.”
3. Click the “Websites” button at the top.
4. Enter a URL in the “Website” field.
5. Click “Go” or the blue right-arrow button and, voilá, your translated website will open up in a new window.

For more Village news, click on the tag “What’s Up in the Village” below.

Starting today, table tennis is open for extended play Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Weekend hours are from noon to 5 p.m. 

The table tennis room is located on the third floor of the Laguna Woods Community Center at 24351 El Toro Road.

For more Village news, click on the tag “News” below.