By Sam Richards

Staff writer

Thursday, July 3 (8:30 a.m.): The RWC Board voted unanimously Thursday to issue a request for proposals (RFP) seeking prospective operators of what is now the Creekside Bar and Grill, the only restaurant in Rossmoor.

With Thursday’s vote, the RFPs were expected to be sent out starting this week.

This action is part of phase two of the ongoing Food and Beverage Study, first approved in late 2023, designed to determine what Rossmoorians want, the market in Rossmoor for various food-related services and Rossmoor Walnut Creek’s capacity to accommodate various types and levels of food service.

In February, two partners from Synergy Restaurant Consultants, hired by RWC to lead the study, said that in phase one of the study, about 1,400 Rossmoorians completed a food-and-beverage-related survey in which almost 70% of respondents said they want a restaurant that offers full table service. Sixty-plus percent want a “bakery café” in Rossmoor. Almost 60% said they want to see a less formal “counter service” restaurant, one at which guests go to a counter to order, pay for and pick up their food.

Phase two of the study includes the physical assessment of the Creekside Grill, and selection of an operator for whatever food/beverage business ends up in that space. Whoever is eventually selected would be expected to take an “operating partner” role with RWC, a more involved relationship than RWC and Creekside Grill now have.

The goal is to have this operator in place by the fourth quarter of this year, with an eye toward a physical refresh of the facility itself in early 2026. That refresh, when it takes place, is expected to temporarily shut down the restaurant.

There was little discussion of this item Thursday. But at the RWC Finance Committee meeting June 24, RWC General Manager Jeff Matheson said Stan Gedeon, who has leased the current Creekside Grill space since it opened in 2010, could choose to respond to the RFP.

“This is an open process,” he said, “and (Gedeon) is encouraged and welcome to take part in the process. This is not a referendum on Creekside.”

Members-only Residents Forum?

Prompted by a recommendation by the Policy Committee, the Board on Thursday debated whether to change the letters section in the Rossmoor News from “Residents Forum” to “Members Forum.” This would mean members – defined by RWC bylaws as manor owners, co-op shareholders or designated occupants of those homes – are the only people whose letters could be published.

This change to RWC Policy 601.2-6c would be from “Letters are accepted from Rossmoor residents only” to “Letters are accepted from RWC members only.”

This change, Communications Director Ann Peterson told the Board, would be consistent with other situations in which “members” have privileges others don’t. Only members are permitted to sign a petition for nomination of a candidate or vote in Mutual and RWC elections; only members can run for election to a Mutual or RWC Board; and only members can speak at Board or committee meetings.

But Board member Dwight Walker said the News is not a “members’ newsletter,” and that it’s important that any resident, member or not, should be able to have their letters published. “It’s a healthy thing,” Walker said. Board member Susan Hildreth said a members-only letter policy would restrict how residents can communicate, and fellow Board member Adrian Byram said such a change would foster a “sense of exclusion.”

This was the “first reading” on the subject; the Board is expected to take an official vote on it in July.

Board goals for 2025-26

The Board on Thursday voted 8-0 (with Roy Yang absent) to pursue four major Board goals for 2025 – evaluating water conservation and recycle water opportunities; developing a metrics program to assist in the evaluation of Rossmoor community services; supporting the Mutuals and the RWC Insurance Task Force to evaluate solution options for insurance coverage; and continuing to pursue working relationships with legislative leaders.

These goals were conceived to be “SMART” – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely). Since a current Board generally cannot bind future Boards to its own goals, such goals are designed to be achievable during the Board year, beginning in May each year.

At a June 10 Board retreat, 11 tentative goals were established. They were discussed again at Thursday’s Board meeting, and the above four selected Thursday as the most important.

The Board is expected to vote in July to formally adopt these, and/or other goals.

Committee appointments

The Board on Thursday also approved several resident members of various RWC committees. They were: Aquatics and Fitness Advisory Committee – Joan Boyle, Cynthia Davis and Gary Miller; Audit Committee – Sefton Boyars and Mike Volan; Finance Committee – Cheryl Hines, David Jennings and Harinder Singh; and Golf Advisory Committee – Burke Ferrari. Appointed to one-year terms as committee chairs were Barry Devine, Aquatics and Fitness Advisory Committee; Dan Ring, Audit Committee (interim) and Finance Committee; and Ferrari, Golf Advisory Committee. All the above appointments’ terms are effective July 1.

Board President Leanne Hamaji said 22 people applied for the above nine three-year positions.

“I am thrilled to see residents wanting to step forward and be part of our governance,” she said.

Deep dives

The Board said they want to see Counseling Services and Online Services as the next subjects for “service level analysis,” more often referred to as “deep dives,” in-depth presentations made to the Board at one of its monthly meetings.

Since the first such deep dive was presented in January 2019 focusing on Transportation, 12 RWC departments, plus topics including “RWC level of service and general operations” and “Impact of pandemic on RWC service levels,” have been covered at least once.

Staffing overview

The Board also reviews some staffing numbers provided by Human Resources Director Arnold Sevillano.

Rossmoor, as of May 31, employed a total of 258 people – 117 regular full-time, seven regular part-time, 49 part-time/call-in/temporary, and 85 unionized workers. The unionized employees – landscape crew members, carpenters, custodians, golf maintenance workers, mechanical/electrical workers and transportation workers – are members of Laborers Local 324.

Of the 258 employees, 40 are salaried managers, and 218 are hourly workers; 155 of them are men, 103 women. Forty-three percent of them are members of Generation X (ages 45 to 60), 26% are Baby Boomers (61-79), 17% are Millennials (29-44) and 14% are Gen Z (up to 28 years old).

The average employee tenure in 2025 is 8.3 years, slightly longer than the 8.1-years average tenure for the first five months of 2024.

Twenty-two of those employees started working here during calendar year 2025; 16 others left employment with Rossmoor during that time, five of those retiring.

The employee turnover rate for the first five months of 2025 was 6.3%, compared with 9.9% for the first five months of 2024.