PMLA General Managers Message

Joe Powell, PCAM, CCAM-LS, CMCA, AMS

Negative impacts of AB 130

On June 30, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 130 into law. The new law significantly limits a community association's ability to enforce its governing documents by capping fines at $100 per violation, unless the violation “may result in an adverse health or safety impact on the common area or another member’s property”.

As a result of this last minute, significant change to the law, we have been working with our General Counsel to update our schedule of monetary penalties and governing document enforcement procedures. Given that this change to the law severely restricts our ability to compel members to voluntarily comply with the CC&Rs and rules that they agreed to follow when they purchased in our Association, we are most certainly going to see a huge increase in our legal budget. The Board of Directors has a fiduciary duty to ensure that the CC&Rs and rules are enforced. Unfortunately, that comes with a cost.

If the Association is unable to levy an appropriate monetary fine to compel a member to comply, we will be forced to move a lot faster into litigation. As everyone knows, lawsuits are costly and very time-consuming.

Thankfully, the majority of our members follow the CC&Rs and rules and if they are unaware of a rule, a courtesy notice from the Association is usually sufficient to bring it to their attention so that they can correct the situation.

PG&E Powerline Undergrounding Project update

PG&E continues their powerline undergrounding project down Pine Mountain Drive. They have trenched, installed and covered the underground powerlines with an asphalt patch and a few metal plates. Unfortunately, the project areas remain rough for drivers on Pine Mountain Drive. We have expressed our concerns and PG&E has bumped up the schedule for the asphalt repairs to put our roadway back in the original or better condition that existed at the start of the project.

While the PG&E powerline undergrounding division has mostly communicated well, the power-pole replacement division has caused multiple issues mostly by the outside contractors hired to perform the pole replacement work. Everything from blocking both lanes of traffic with no notification to dropping large generators in the middle of the lane with no notification or traffic control. Additionally, we have observed their employees driving large equipment trucks and drifting into oncoming traffic causing a potential accident. We are working to make contact with the leadership of this division to get them to control their contractors and handle these safety issues and communicate more effectively so that we can pass on this information to our membership.

 From a member communication standpoint, we put out PG&E project work schedule information through our PML eSNAP direct email program and post on the official PML Website as soon as we receive this information from PG&E. We encourage all members to sign up for our email communication platform so that they can stay informed regarding this project and other important Association information.

PML Roads Refurbishment Project

As I mentioned in a previous article, our roads refurbishment project was originally scheduled to start in May. We decided to reschedule it for September so that it would not cause a conflict with the PG&E project.

We will put out specific information regarding when and where our contractor will be working and how the roads project will affect members and guests as we get closer to the start of the project. As for the road line striping work, this will be completed after our contractors complete the roads refurbishment project.

PML Swim Center Pool Rules

A draft copy of the proposed new Pool rules was presented at the July Board meeting. A copy of the proposed rules has been published in this edition of the PML News and have been posted to the official PMLA website for member review and comment. Members who are interested in providing feedback are asked to email the Board of Directors at PMLABoard@pinemountainlake.com and attend the August 16th monthly board meeting. The Board appreciates all member feedback and they take this into consideration before the adoption of any PML operational rules.

PML Independence Day Fireworks Event

Our annual Independence Day Fireworks event went well this year, with no major injuries or accidents. We did have a situation with an unauthorized drone during the event. A drone disrupted the fireworks show, interfering with one of the firework's radio signal and altering its trajectory. While some of the firework’s debris landed near a PML residence, CAL FIRE responded quickly and extinguished two small burn areas. No property damage reported.

Prior to the event, we notified every lakefront owner to let them know that all drones were prohibited over the lake and Association common area. We asked them to also notify their vacation renters and guests. Given the fireworks deflection incident, we are developing a formal drone policy and investigating drone mitigation technology so that we can prevent these types of safety issues in the future.

Overall, our Marina, Department of Safety, Maintenance and management team did a great job coordinating and running this event. We have received nothing but positive comments from our members and guests and we appreciate the extra effort by our team during this important holiday week.

PML Advisory Committee Openings

We currently have openings on three committees, specifically, the Covenants Committee Environmental Control Committee and Equine Advisory Committee. Members can apply online by going to the PML Website. We also have a PDF version of the form that you can fill out that is on the website. These are all voluntary position and a great way for members to get involved in the governance of our community.

Until next month, wishing everyone a fun and safe August!

President’s Message

MIKE GUSTAFSON – PMLA BOARD PRESIDENT

As I write this, we are in the full blown “July 4th” mania!! Truth be told, i sorta like all the hubbub and action. Nice to see the usually dark houses all lit up and people having fun. The fireworks were wonderful, and the boat parade organized by friends of the lake was outstanding. There were about 20 boats amazingly decorated. The spectators at the beach and all along the shore cheered as the decorated boats cruised by. The judges had a hard time selecting the winners!

Around 9:15pm we were all treated to a 30-minute display of fireworks. We like to go out on the lake and get the best seat in the “house;” I never get tired of the event. Well done!

Special thanks to the PMLA’s dedicated staff who worked so hard to make our celebration fun and safe.

On June 28 we held a Town Hall meeting. The board holds quarterly Town Halls where we can be less formal that the usual monthly Board meetings and people can bring up any topic at all.

One of the first questions was about the rumor that the HOA was going to apply a $5,000 Special Assessment for the dredging project. Like most all rumors spread on Social Media, this one is totally false. There is not any thoughts, action, or discussion by the board or management to do a special assessment for any reason!! The dredging project is still very new and is only in the information gathering process. Over the years silt builds up, especially in the coves, and periodically needs to be removed.

Speeding inside PML was another hot topic. This is a big problem for us and gets worse during the summer season. The speed limit on our streets is 25 MPH. We have installed a few electronic speed signs to remind folks to slow down. We are considering speed bumps and rumble strips and electronic speed signs that take a photo of the offending car and then we could send out a ticket/fine. All ideas are on the table. Speeding is dangerous to wildlife, other drivers and pedestrians. Please slow down; you are in the mountains, relax, take a breath!

It seems that our local bears have discovered which homes put out their trash before pick up day and the bears avail themselves to the left over food. Obviously this is a really bad idea, we do not want to encourage the bears to be here. So please do not put your trash out the night or days before pick up. You can also consider installing bear boxes to dissuade bears and all the other hungry animals from dining on your left overs. Thank you.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE

Congratulations to Luke Granger, who has reached an incredible milestone of 25 years with our Maintenance team. His hard work and dedication over the years has made a lasting impact. He’s been through storms, upgrades, emergencies, and everything in between, always with a can-do attitude. His commitment behind the scenes has not gone unnoticed. Thank you, Luke, for all you’ve done and continue to do!

Luke Granger (left) and Board President, Mike Gustafson (right) are pictured.

Let’s Ask Angela

Angela Hicks - PML Administration Office

Welcome to August everyone!! By now you have probably already had many ice cream cones, hot dogs, French fries, a mild sunburn and of course, summer memories with family and friends. Summer is almost out of sight. We do have a little time left to go until fall arrives, but there is nothing wrong with visualizing bonfires, hot cocoa, warm fuzzy blankets, and flannel sheets. The autumn season will be upon us before I finish writing this article.

Pssst…

The PML administration offices are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office closes daily from noon until 1p.m. for lunch and is closed on weekends.

Feel free to call 209-962-8600 or email me at admin@pinemountainlake.com with any questions or concerns. We are always here to help!

Let’s get into it!

What is the Speed Limit in Pine Mountain Lake?

The streets within the Pine Mountain Lake Subdivision have a speed limit of 25 MPH. There are no exceptions. Please follow accordingly. Slow and steady always wins the race. We want to keep the streets safe for everyone that is enjoying the environment.

Can I have my friends follow me through the gates?

NO! All Pine Mountain Lake Entry gates are designed to allow access to one vehicle through at a time. Any person in a motorized vehicle following another vehicle through the access gates will be subject to a monetary penalty (a warning letter will be issued for the first offense: a monetary penalty may be levied for the second offense). Individuals following vehicles through the gates will be treated as trespassers, and appropriate charges will be filed with the Sherriff’s Department. All damage done to a gate or equipment caused by individuals following a vehicle through the gate or attempting improper entry or exit will be the responsibility of the individual, including parts and labor. If someone does get through the gate on your entry, please call the Main Gate (209) 962-8615 immediately and report that a car followed you through and you did NOT let them in. Please do not engage with anyone about where they are going, just call the Main Gate and let them proceed with the issue.

What else can we do for summer before school starts?

There are several specially recognized fun days in August for everyone. Many children will start going back to school during this month, so here are a few ideas that may be well suited for you and yours. When all else fails, you can also plan an entire day of just moving slow, taking it all in and doing a whole lot of nothing. Bodies and minds need rest, especially after a wild summer of doing all the things.

August 2 – National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

There is never a wrong time to enjoy an ice cream sandwich. It is also suitable for dinner on a very hot summer night. Here is a delicious recipe for you and your family to try:

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

1 (15.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.

Mix cake mix, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and vanilla in a large bowl. Roll dough into 2-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not overbake; the cookies should be set, but still soft. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.

Using an ice cream scoop, mold ice cream into a ball about the size of the cookies. Place scoop of ice cream between two cookies and gently press together. If you like a smooth edge, run the back of a spoon around the edge of the ice cream sandwich. Working quickly, fill all the cookies, lay out on a baking sheet, and place in the freezer to harden. Serve when the ice cream has frozen solid. Sandwich cookies can be stored in a freezer bag for up to two weeks.

August 3 - National Friendship Day

This day will specifically acknowledge many kinds of friendships, but obviously any day friendship can be celebrated. Friendships should be cherished and nurtured throughout our lives. A few ways to show appreciation are listed below:

·       Spend quality time with a friend

·       Bring your friend a cup of coffee or their favorite snack

·       Send along a card or letter letting the friend know how much they mean to you

·       Learn to make Friendship Bracelets:

Try some of these color combinations for making friendship bracelets that represent certain attributes for National Friendship Day. These bracelets can be made with beads, lanyards, yarn or string.

Green, Blue and White

Green represents hope, nature and compassion, blue is for peace, loyalty and inspiration and white is for truth, kindness and clarity.

Purple, Black and Pink

Purple expresses sophistication and luxury, Pink is about kindness, affection and love, and black shows confidence, power and energy.

Brown and Orange

This blend of colors is earthy and cheery as brown means stability, reliability and comfort while orange speaks for excitement, happiness and joy.

Wishing everyone a smooth transition from summer to fall without missing a beat!

Give me a call or send me an email with any questions or concerns because I am happy to help you find a solution.

Enjoy the little things in life, as they are truly the BIG THINGS!!

Angela Hicks

209-962-8600

admin@pinemountainlake.com

PMLA Money Matter$

By Dan Szathmary, Association Controller

We’re well into summer which also means we’re wrapping up our busiest time of year, and right around the corner is the start of our budget planning process for next year. One of the first steps in that process is updating our reserve study and refreshing our 30-year projection of what it will cost to repair or replace the association’s assets.

Our reserve component list currently includes 781 items, with individual replacement values ranging from $1,000 to over $1 Million. Each year, we review and update this list. From there, we estimate how much it will cost to repair or replace each item next year, and for the next 29 years beyond that.

Ultimately, the Board must decide how much of the money generated from assessments goes toward operations now, and how much is set aside to fund the future repair and replacement of PMLA’s assets over the long term. There’s a direct trade-off: use more cash today to run operations and keep assessments down, or set more aside for tomorrow to fund long-term sustainability of all the assets of the association.

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for this decision. Every community is different, with varying needs, levels of risk tolerance, and overall financial health—all of which play into determining what a “well-funded” reserve should look like.

If you’ve done some Googling on the topic, you’ve probably run across websites from reserve study specialists suggesting that being “at least 70% funded” is the gold standard. While this number is frequently quoted, it’s often unrealistic and inefficient; especially for larger, more stable associations like ours. In fact, most associations in California are funded well below that 70% benchmark.

Our current reserve study specialist, who has more than 20 years of industry experience, has noted that given PMLA’s scale and relatively steady reserve spending patterns, a 30% funded level is generally more than sufficient. If we were a smaller or less predictable organization, we might need to aim higher; but in our case, it would likely mean tying up funds that could be used more effectively elsewhere.

On the flip side, there are some who argue that funding reserves at all is wasteful, that anything more than the bare minimum (often 10% of operating expenses) is a dollar better spent on current operations. This school of thought points out that the more we put into reserves, the higher our assessments have to be, so why burden members today with expenses that will be incurred well into the future?

As always, the best answer lies somewhere in the middle. It’s about finding the right balance for our community, under our current conditions.

PMLA’s reserve fund is in a strong, healthy position. In fact, we’re nearing record levels and are projected to have over $3 million in reserves by year’s end. That puts us in an excellent place; not only able to cover upcoming planned expenses, but also with enough cushion to handle multiple years of reserve spending. Even if contributions were reduced or even paused entirely, there is still plenty of room to fund our needs for multiple years.

This strong reserve position gives us the flexibility to thoughtfully plan for the future without compromising the needs of today. As we enter this next budget cycle, that’s exactly the kind of balance we’ll be working to maintain this year and those that follow.

As always, would love to hear from you anytime at Controller@PineMountainLake.Com or 1-209-962-8606.

Garbage and Bears

John Ferles, Rental Compliance Coordinator

Hi everyone, John here again, this time to talk about garbage. Everyone has it, nobody wants it, let’s work together to get it secured and hauled away and not scattered in our streets!

Other than unregistered rentals, garbage cans left out on days other than pick up days, and scattered garbage are the major reasons you'll get a call from our office and see a letter from me in your mailbox. When you or your renters leave garbage cans out, empty or not, it heightens the chances that bears and other wildlife will be coming by looking for an easy meal. They aren’t the neatest eaters, so you can bet the garbage will be scattered by the time they're done!

An overreliance on human waste is a major reason in the closing of the dump sites in Yosemite back in the 1970s. The bears became so comfortable around humans that it posed a major hazard to park guests. While black bears are naturally wary of humans, they can pose a danger if they become habituated to human food or are surprised. As most of you know Yosemite has made various measures to reduce bear reliance on human waste like securing garbage in bear proof receptacles to keep both the wildlife and humans safe as well as regularly cleaning receptacle to reduce any lingering smells.

A bear has more than a hundred times as many smell receptors as people do, and can follow scents back to their source as far as a mile or more. They learn quick as well, returning year after year if the meals are abundant. I have been trying to teach them to be self-sufficient, but my training sessions haven't had much traction! Just kidding, but seriously keeping your cans in a clean, secured enclosure, such as a bear box, is the best steps you can take to decrease bear reliance on human waste as well as keeping your trash from being scattered amongst our charming mountain community.

If you ever have any questions on ways to keep your garbage where it’s meant to be call me at 1(209)962-1245 or email me at RCC@Pinemountainlake.com  I’m always happy to help with any knowledge that I can pass along to make our community cleaner and safer. Together, by properly managing trash and educate guest and renters we can reduce those chances of having an unexpected evening visitor.

Can’t sleep because the bears are activating your security cameras, go visit our web page at www.pinemountainlake.com, click on the Resource page, then on the Community Standards icon. Here you will have access to submit to the PMLA ECC for that much needed bear box. While you’re there, you can get a copy of the Renter’s Brochure, or get answers to some frequently asked questions.

Some Helpful Reminders

Ashley Henderson - Architectural Control Specialist

With the season in full swing, now seemed like a good time for some midseason reminders:

First and foremost, our recently overhauled ECC Guidelines have been adopted, and are available online. And the guidelines didn’t just have your run of the mill nip and tuck—nope, they had the full works! We streamlined the entire document to walk you through the entire ECC process from beginning to end. We added projects, updated terminology, County code, and reformatted the entire document so that it has an easy to follow, user friendly flow.

We continue to have issues with the wildlife rummaging through unsecured trash cans. So, what better way to keep our furry neighbors from scattering your many, many pints of Haagen-Dazs all over your property, than with a bear box? For your convenience, a single, two-can capacity bear box is now approvable within the 20-foot front property setback (or any other previously compliant location). Like with all other exterior projects, you can submit a bear box online at: https://www.pinemountainlake.com/ecc-project-submittal-process/ The Committee will need a plot plan documenting the location and dimensions of the bear box, which exact bear box you are proposing to install, and how the bear box will be anchored to the ground.

Inspections, inspections, inspections! Once your project has been approved, please make sure that you are scheduling your inspections. Your approval letter will advise you as to when an inspection is needed. You can easily schedule an inspection online at: https://www.pinemountainlake.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=frm_forms_preview&form=request-an-ecc-inspection

And as always, it is important to note that all exterior projects must be submitted for approval. If you have any questions about how, when, and where to submit your projects, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions—I would be happy to assist you! I can be reached at: ecc@pinemountainlake.com or 1-209-962-8605.

Keeping Horses Happy & Healthy in the Summer Heat

KENDRA BROWN – EQUESTRIAN CENTER MANAGER

As temperatures rise in Pine Mountain Lake, it’s more important than ever to keep your horses cool, comfortable, and protected from pests. At the PML Equestrian Center, we’re taking every step to ensure our horses stay healthy through the heat and the height of fly season.

Hydration is key during these hot days—always make sure your horses have access to plenty of clean, fresh water. Flies can also become a major nuisance this time of year, so we recommend spraying your horses with fly spray at least once a day.

At both of our barns, we have a full fly spray misting system installed in each stall and throughout the aisleways. This year, we’re using a natural-based fly spray in our system, and we’ve been thrilled with how well it’s working. In addition to the automatic system, our horses wear fly masks during daytime turnout to protect their eyes and ears from bugs, and the masks are removed each evening when they return to their stalls.

Fly prevention doesn’t stop with spray—cleanliness is key. Our compost pile is hauled away at least twice a week to reduce fly breeding grounds, and keeping our facility clean is always a top priority.

Did You Hear? We’re Hosting Birthday Parties Now!
We’re excited to offer themed Birthday Party Packages featuring our horses! Perfect for local families, our party themes include:
🎉 Unicorn
🎉 Ninja Turtle
🎉 Superhero
🎉 Cowboy
🎉 Cowgirl

Whether your child dreams of riding into the sunset or celebrating with magical ponies, we’ve got a party for you. Call the barn office for more information or to reserve your date!

Mark Your Calendar: Concert at the Barn – October 18th
Join us for an evening of great music and community fun at the barn on Saturday, October 18th, featuring performances by Dave Stamey and Jennifer Grant! It’s sure to be a night to remember. More information on tickets and times will be released soon—stay tuned!

Kendra Brown

Equestrian Center

13309 Clifton Way

Office: 209-962-8667

stables@pinemountainlake.com

website: www.pmlequestriancenter.com  

PML MEMBER NOTICE

PML 2025 MEMBER SURVEY!

Every three years the PML Long Range Planning Committee conducts a comprehensive member satisfaction and information survey of the membership to get input on how we are doing as an Association, and recommended areas of focus for the Board for the future of PML. The survey runs from through September 30th. Members may access the survey online at the Official PML Website. Members who do not have access to the online survey will be able to pick up a hard copy at the PML Administration Office.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2025POSS

We appreciate member input and encourage all members to take the survey. Members who provide their name and contact information at the end of the survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of three PML gift cards ($100, $50, and $25).

For more information, please call 1 (209) 962-8600