Attending open board and committee meetings is a great way to stay informed and participate in your community. Attend meetings in person, watch them online via Granicus or Zoom, and view live and recorded board meetings on TV6.

The GRF, United and Third boards meet the first, second and third Tuesday (respectively) of each month at 9:30 a.m. View the board and committee meeting schedule at lagunawoodsvillage.com > Calendars > All Governance Boards Calendar (sometimes referred to as TeamUp). All meetings are subject to change; ending times are approximate. 

Board and Committee Meetings in Person

Attend open meetings held in the Community Center Board Room at 24351 El Toro Road and speak about topics not on the agenda during the Open Forum or about agenda items during the corresponding portion of the meeting. Members who wish to speak may fill out a card and turn it in to the corporate secretary basket located at the dais. Member comments are limited to three minutes. 

Board and Committee Meetings Via Granicus 

Visit lagunawoodsvillage.com/meetings to watch board and committee meetings online via Granicus. 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. 

Members also are invited to submit comments by emailing meeting@vmsinc.org any time before or during the 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 

Zoom allows attendees to virtually raise their hand, ask questions and speak to board and committee members in real time. This platform also automatically records and publishes board and committee meetings to lagunawoodsvillage.com/meetings (Granicus), so residents can watch them on demand. 

To attend virtual board or committee meetings, look for the Zoom meeting link in the Open Forum section of the respective board or committee agenda posted to lagunawoodsvillage.com > Calendars > All Governance Boards Calendar. Click on the link a few minutes prior to the meeting to launch Zoom. Then select Open Zoom Meetings and Launch Meeting when prompted. No password or registration is required. 

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

Board Meetings on Village Television

The GRF, United and Third monthly board meetings are aired live on Village Television on their respective Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. All board meetings are replayed on TV6 the following Thursday at 1:30 p.m. as well as the following week on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

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

Please note that from Monday, October 24, through Saturday, October 29, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., tennis courts 1 through 8 will be reserved for tennis club championship play. 

Please contact the tennis clubhouse at 949-268-2481 with questions.

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

On Saturday, December 31, at the Performing Arts Center at 7:30, five different great acts take the stage to take you right up to the ball drop:  Temptation Revue, Pete Barbutti, Les Arnold & Dazzle, Paul Boland and Swing Kittens, and the NYE Gold Band. Click the orange Download button below to read more about the evening’s performers.  

Purchase tickets for $30, $35 and $40 now at the PAC box office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at tickets.lagunawoodsvillage.com.

Call 949-597-4288 or email recreation@vmsinc.org for more information.

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

In August 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 326 (SB 326), which requires residential homeowners’ associations to perform visual and technological inspections of balconies, decks, landings, stairways, walkways, guardrails and handrails at condominium buildings.   

To comply with SB 326, United and Third mutuals have hired an outside consultant, Cardoso & Associates, to conduct state-mandated inspections of all building exterior elevated elements, which include balconies, decks, landings, stairways, walkways, guardrails and handrails. Inspections began in United in early September 2022; inspections for Third will begin in January 2023. Inspections for both mutuals must be completed by January 1, 2025. Click here for more information about Senate Bill No. 326.  

The inspector may require access to some balconies from inside certain units. Click here to view the schedule of United Mutual units to which the consultant will need interior access between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the corresponding day. If you are not available on your unit’s scheduled day and/or if you are unsure there is a current unit key on file with Resident Services, please contact Resident Services at 949-597-4600.  

If the inspector finds that repairs are necessary, a contractor will take immediate preventive steps until repair work is scheduled. If repairs are required, members will be notified by mail 15 days in advance. Click here to view a sample letter.

Important Details About the Inspections

Please note:

• Only scheduled units will be inspected, not all units.
• The units are selected randomly by the consultant.
• The Maintenance and Construction Department only gets three months in advance of schedule from the consultant.
• The inspection cannot be rescheduled.

How the Resident Services Key File Program Works

Resident Services maintains keys to manors within the community for the convenience of Laguna Woods Village residents. The key file program is completely voluntary; however, members are encouraged to file manor keys or keyless manor entry codes with Resident Services to ensure the following:

• In the event of an emergency, authorized personnel may gain access to a manor to perform necessary maintenance repairs.
• Residing members can obtain their manor keys or keyless manor entry codes to gain manor access if/when the need arises.

The code for keyless entry assistance is kept in the drawer with the other keys. For security, the code is never written or entered into the system. In the event a resident needs assistance gaining entry to their manor, Security Services would check out the key hook containing the code, aid the resident in gaining access and return the code to Resident Services where it is returned to the locked drawer file/key hook assigned to that manor.

To submit keys or keyless manor entry codes to the key file program, please visit Resident Services in the Laguna Woods Village Community Center (24351 El Toro Road) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

For more information, call 949-597-4600 or email residentservices@vmsinc.org. 

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

At the United Laguna Woods Mutual Board of Directors annual meeting on Tuesday, October 11, the roster of board officers was finalized: 

• Lenny Ross, President
• Thomas Tuning, First Vice President
• Reza Bastani, Second Vice President
• Mary Simon, Secretary
• Azar Asgari, Treasurer

The United board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. in the Laguna Woods Community Center at 24351 El Toro Road. 

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

The Village is surrounded by beautiful wilderness, meaning we live in close proximity to—and come in close contact with—all kinds of wildlife species. Some consider wildlife a nuisance or a threat; others enjoy animal sightings. 

Here’s how to coexist peacefully and carefully with rattlesnakes, coyotes, bees and other wildlife.

Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnake bites are uncommon but can lead to serious injury or worse. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 8,000 people are bitten in the U.S. every year by venomous snakes.

Rattlesnakes have a triangular head and, of course, a rattle at the end of their tail. They may only be seen without a rattle if it’s broken off. This distinguishes them from the other similar-looking snakes, like nonvenomous gopher snakes. Their scales are not smooth but “keeled”—raised and textured—and they are matte, not shiny. They are colored in earth tones and the pattern of their scales resembles diamonds.

Despite the intimidating rattle and fear of being bitten, rattlesnakes are not aggressive and tend to avoid people. When they do bite, it’s often because they were surprised.

However, you won’t always get a warning from snakes with a rattle. They may remain silent before striking and that strike might also be a “dry bite,” or one that is not envenomed to conserve the snake’s energy. Regardless, all bites should be taken seriously.

Also, snakes adjust their behavior to offset the effects of consistently hot or cold temperatures. 

After a cold night, they will sun themselves midmorning to raise their body temperature. But to prevent overheating during the spring and summer months, they also tend to be more active at dawn, dusk and night.

When walking/hiking:

• Stay vigilant.
• Stay on hiking trails where you’ll have a better chance of seeing and avoiding a snake. 
• If you see one, don’t panic. They will retreat if given enough space and if you do not provoke or approach them.
• Keep your pet on a leash. They are at an increased risk of being bitten by snakes because they sniff the ground when investigating new areas.
• Wear sturdy shoes and long pants.
• Make sure grandchildren also have proper footwear in the wild and watch over them on hikes.
• Do not hike alone.
• Stick to well-used trails.
• Watch your step at doorsteps; snakes like to slither along the edges of buildings.
• Do not approach or mess with a dead snake, as it can still inject venom.

If bitten by a rattlesnake:

• Stay calm.
• Act quickly.
• Remove anything that may constrict potential swelling in the affected area like watches, bracelets and shoes.
• Get to the hospital as quickly as possible or call 911.
• Don’t attempt to suck out the venom.
• Don’t apply a tourniquet.
• Don’t pack the bite area in ice.
• Don’t cut in or around the wound.

How to handle a bitten pet:

• Leave the snake alone.
• Move your pet away from the snake as quickly as possible, being careful not to threaten the reptile.
• Call an emergency veterinarian immediately.
• Keep your pet in a comfortable position while you await further instructions, ideally keeping the bite lower than the heart.
• Get your pet to the vet right away.
• Speak to your vet about canine rattlesnake vaccines.

Coyotes

Coyote sightings in the Village are common, as we are located adjacent to their natural habitat and they have little to no fear of humans. Know how to handle an encounter. During the first few months after birth of pups, female coyotes tend to be more protective of their young.

While not normally a danger to us, coyotes will display defensive behaviors if threatened or cornered, which is why it’s important to leave a comfortable distance between you and a coyote. If you do encounter one that behaves aggressively, you probably are too close to its prey or family and need to increase the “comfort zone” between you and the animal. 

According to OC Community Resources, OC Animal Care and other animal and wildlife government agencies, eradication and/or relocation of urban coyotes is ineffective. However, by practicing defensive measures, you can minimize the nuisance and prevent small pet losses caused by coyotes.

Information and Resources

The Laguna Beach Police Department’s Animal Services Division responds to wildlife situations in the Village. To report encounters, call 949-497-0701 or email coyotes@lagunabeachcity.net. 

Please Don’t Feed Village Wildlife

Feeding wildlife is illegal in California. Here in the Village, both mutuals also prohibit feeding or attracting animals. In Third, Resolution 03-16-117, Care & Maintenance of Patios, Balconies, Breezeways & Walkways states “… Items that constitute a nuisance to one’s neighbors should not be placed in common areas or limited common areas. Examples are … food or water, which will attract birds, insects, or other animals …”

In United, Resolution 01-03-134, Care & Maintenance of Patios, Balconies, Breezeways & Walkways states, “Items that constitute a nuisance to one’s neighbors should not be placed in common areas or limited common areas. Examples are, but not limited to, intrusive wind chimes, reflective objects, food or water that could attract birds, insects, rodents or other animals.”

If you see neighbors feeding wildlife, please call Security at 949-580-1400. Complaints may be anonymous.

Take the following steps to protect yourself, your pets and your property from wildlife: 

• Don’t ever feed coyotes or any wild animal
• Eliminate potential food and water sources, such as fallen fruit and standing water
• Feed pets indoors
• Keep cats and small dogs indoors or supervise closely when outdoors
• Store trash in covered heavy-duty containers
• Keep yard areas and patios free from potential shelter, such as thick brush and/or weeds

Bees

When bees swarm in hopes of creating a home in an unwanted space in the Village (a manor, a tree or shrub near a manor, balcony, etc.), residents can report bee swarms to Resident Services by calling 949-597-4600 or by emailing residentservices@vmsinc.org. Staff will notify a specialist to remove the hive. In some cases, the hive can be relocated to a safe location, where the bees will pollinate plants and trees without bothering people.

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

Village residents are invited to a potential new fire station town hall meeting that will be hosted by the City of Laguna Woods and Orange County Fire Authority on Wednesday, October 12, at 5:30 p.m. at Laguna Woods City Hall at 24264 El Toro Road. RSVPs are required to ensure adequate space; please contact Laguna Woods City Hall at 949-639-0500 or cityhall@cityoflagunawoods.org by Tuesday, October 11, at noon.

View the City of Laguna Woods’ press release regarding the conceptually approved fire station here. 

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

Tree crews will be doing work along the El Toro tunnel cart path, at the entrance and exit at buildings 235 and 2384 on Tuesday, October 11. The path will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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