Occupation: Retired from a 35 year career as an urban and transportation planner

Number of Years Living in Poway: 29 years

LMD: 83-1 (Twin Peaks Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: When I first moved to Rancho Arbolitos in 1992, the entrances to my neighborhood at Deerwood and Silverset were beautifully landscaped. The LMD even planted poinsettias there during the holiday season. There were also fewer and shorter trees along Twin Peaks Road which provided a pleasant complement to the entrances. About 10 years ago, I began to get concerned when the landscaping started to deteriorate until there is now nothing left except overgrown, unruly and dangerous trees. When, in 2018, the City asked homeowners to increase our LMD assessments to rectify the situation I was all in. What an aesthetic and safety improvement it would be for our neighborhood. After the ballot failed, I contacted the City to see if there was still a way to improve the situation. I joined the LMDAG to help devise a plan with the City and other concerned neighbors to rehabilitate the landscaping and trees and create an LMD that we can sustain into the future from both a maintenance and financial standpoint.

Occupation: Retired US Navy and Program Management Consultant

Number of Years Living in Poway: Over 23 years

LMD: 83-1

How I became interested in the LMDAG: After no LMD assessment changes since 1998, the failed Assessment Increase Ballot of March 2018 got my attention that continued viability of the LMDs and the City of Poway to properly maintain and care for LMD property was a problem for the city and LMD members. The City Manager of Poway solicited volunteers to participate in a Landscape Management District Advisory Committee/Group. I volunteered believing that an assessment increase was necessary due to the deterioration of LMD vegetation due to drought and substantially reduced maintenance/clean-up/watering efforts due to lack of funding. I also believed that keeping Poway’s main access roads presentable and healthy is important to me and the community. Participating in the LMDAC/G gave me an opportunity to contribute to rectifying LMD financial viability.

Occupation: Retired high school principal.

Number of Years Living in Poway: 31

LMD: 83-1 (Twin Peaks Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: I live in Rancho Arbolitos and I joined the LMD Advisory Group because I care about the safety, well-being and cleanliness of an environmentally sound Poway community. The trees, hillsides and residential entryways on Twin Peaks Road need to be maintained and beautified to the levels they once were to keep our neighborhoods attractive.

Occupation: CPA, owner of Hinzman & Associates CPA’s, a small CPA firm in Scripps Ranch

Number of Years Living in Poway: Over 32 years, my wife and I moved into our brand new house in the Parkside development off Carriage Road in 1989

LMD: 83-1 (Twin Peaks Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: Probably like most residents within landscape maintenance districts I had no idea how the landscaping in my neighborhood and along Twin Peaks and Espola Roads were paid for, I assumed that the City of Poway paid for everything. I never noticed the $118.48 charge on my annual property tax statement titled “Landscape District 83-1A”. When the City announced a ballot measure in 2018 regarding our LMD I attended one of the City’s workshops and was astounded to learn that the annual LMD fee had no built-in inflation adjustment, which meant that as maintenance costs increased over time the LMD was forced to reduce maintenance service levels. This reduction in service levels is painfully obvious in the landscaping along Twin Peaks and Espola roads, as well as the entrances to the Parkside development. As a CPA and homeowner I decided to volunteer my time and expertise to the LMD Advisory Group to learn more about LMD finances and help develop potential solutions for all residents in the LMD’s.

Occupation: Director for Science & Technology, PEO C4I; former Naval Aviator for 24 years. I have also been a volunteer at the San Diego Botanical Garden for 10 years.

Number of Years Living in Poway: 18 years

LMD: 83-1 (Twin Peaks Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: In the summer of 2000 while still on active duty, we returned to San Diego and wanted to live in Poway for the excellent school system. Due to limited time to look for a house, we found one nearby in the neighborhood off of Esprit and Ted Williams. I would often drive down Twin Peaks and admire the trees. Within two years we had the opportunity to find a wonderful home off of Maplewood and Twin Peaks. The trees along Twin Peaks played a factor in choosing to where to live. I also like to run and do so almost every week down Twin Peaks on the path along the road. Over the years, I noticed the decline in the care of the landscaping and despite the poorly written LMD proposal in 2018, I voted yes. When it didn't pass, I decided to get involved because it's one thing to complain about the problem and another to help solve it. Working with other members of the community and City officials, I look forward to finding a long term, viable plan for the LMDs.

Occupation: Retired Navy Commander; Retired defense industry systems engineer and project manager

Number of Years Living in Poway: Over 35 years

LMD: 86-1 (Espola Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: After retiring in 2015 I took up walking primarily along Espola Rd. Over time I became really disappointed in the condition of the landscaping that I knew we paid an assessment for on our property taxes, but really didn’t know or understand how the LMD worked or the process by which changes/improvements occurred. When the ballot measure came up for consideration in 2018, I attended the public workshops where the city and it’s consultants presented what I felt was a confusing plan that really didn’t feel like a plan, that more than doubled our assessments. When that ballot measure failed and the city asked for volunteers in forming a citizen advisory group to explore why it failed and how the issue could be addressed differently, I figured I had the time and the interest to be involved.

Occupation: I am retired from a 44 year Military/Commercial Aerospace Manufacturing career with an emphasis in Manufacturing, Quality, Maintenance and Production Management.

Number of years Living in Poway: Over 32

How I became Interested in the LMDAG: As I noticed the LMD areas along Espola Road beginning to deteriorate, I questioned the city as to the reason(s), I learned of the LMD issues. I then attended the initial City meetings concerning the various LMD sub-sections and the proposed vote asking property owners within the LMD to increase their assessments to provide for better LMD maintenance. I became outspoken in my criticism of the City’s lack of a “plan” for improvement and predicted the negative outcome of the 2018 vote. I think as result of my “outspokenness”, I was recruited to participate in the LMDAG…which I quickly and gladly accepted in the hope of achieving a better outcome for the LMD.

Occupation: Semi-retired mainframe programmer supporting financial, insurance & utility systems

Number of Years Living in Poway: Over 35 years

LMD: 86-1 (Espola Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: After the last major drought (roughly 2014) when the street entrance to my neighborhood turned from green grass to brown rubber mulch, I asked the Poway City Manager how long it would remain like that? His answer: forever. I was unaware our LMD assessment rates hadn’t changed in decades, and was equally surprised to learn the City had no authority to raise them to a level sufficient to maintain the LMD in my area. I decided then it would be worth my time and effort to see if other homeowners were as unhappy as I was with the state of the landscaping on Espola Rd. That led to my participation in the LMDAG.

Occupation: Civil Engineer, 31 years in private practice designing water, wastewater, and recycled water conveyance, treatment and storage projects for public agencies.

Number of Years Living in Poway: 7 years

LMD: 83-1 (Twin Peaks Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: I drive Twin Peaks Road to and from work every day and have always appreciated the beauty of the trees but noticed a steady decline in maintenance of the trees and continued build up of leaves and bark on the ground. As a property owner in Poway I also have many eucalyptus trees on and around my property and understand how difficult they are to properly maintain. Concern over potential fire hazard and tree maintenance led me to attend one of the City’s outreach workshops prior to the 2018 LMD vote. After failure of the 2018 assessment by a large margin the City reached out and I decided to join the LMDAG to better understand the issues and work with my neighbors to try and build consensus on how to best move forward towards a sustainable approach that would be palatable to all.

Occupation: Self-employed commercial real estate appraiser specializing in the valuation of airport property

Number of Years Living in Poway: 28 years

LMD: 86-1 (Espola Road)

How I became interested in the LMDAG: I was becoming increasingly concerned about the deterioration of the formerly beautiful Espola Road corridor. As a real estate appraiser, I know that maintaining an attractive “window” to a neighborhood contributes to property values. As the corridor’s maintenance level steadily declined, grass was replaced by weeds and dirt, trees were dying and dangerously falling over for lack of water, and the struggling landscaping at the corner entrances to many of the neighborhoods off of Espola was replaced by recycled tire chips. That did it for me. My thinking was that, if an opportunity arose for me to contribute to a long-term solution to the problem, I’d jump at it!

Occupation: Currently a lecturer at California State University San Marcos and a Historian-Educator at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum. Retired after 32 years as a California State University Information Technology project manager and technical lead. Currently serving as a Board Trustee of the non-profit Forever Balboa Park (formerly the Balboa Park Conservancy).

Number of Years Living in Poway: 17 years

LMD: 83-1

How I became interested in the LMDAG: When my wife and I first moved to Rancho Arbolitos in 1994 we admired the beautiful trees along Twin Peaks Road. Since then, we've learned eucalyptus trees have fire and wind safety hazards and long-term maintenance issues. I want to help figure out a way to return to the higher landscape maintenance service levels of years past and to revitalize the landscape with appropriate trees that are environmentally beneficial. I believe that my experience as a Board Trustee of Forever Balboa Park, in which I understand public agency processes to achieve municipal park and landscaping goals, will be beneficial in helping to develop viable strategies for the LMDs.