Maintenance Committee: August 2021

How much fun it was to see all the Community out together for the 4th of July events! While we were all enjoying that wonderful day, we might not have realized the work that went into preparing everything so it was ready for our enjoyment. The event was literally “all hands on deck” for our onsite maintenance staff—and one member, in particular, deserves special recognition.
Dave Smith, our Maintenance Supervisor, worked a 12-hour day on the 4th, and it was not just this most recent holiday that he worked long hours. Dave has been part of the team here since 2005 and has rarely missed any holiday. Dave’s normal day at Niguel Shores starts at 4:00 a.m. caring for our beautiful Junior Olympic size pool. We could never contract out this service because it is done daily before the earliest swimmers arrive. Dave begins by checking our pool equipment, which I am told is one of the most “sophisticated filtration systems available.” Dave checks the chemical levels, pump systems, and vacuum systems every day before he cleans the pool. Dave is a Certified Commercial Pool Operator so he is well qualified to manage such a system. It is also
worth noting that on numerous occasions the County of Orange Health Department inspectors have complimented George Cooley, our Facilities Manager, about how clean and well managed our pool is! Not to mention the many residents who say how happy they are to be back after using other community pools after a closure of ours. High praise for Dave! Next Dave drives the more than 13 miles of roads that are within our gates making a visual inspection of all the pumps, sprinklers, gates—basically making sure everything is running smoothly. Then he moves on to the repair or maintenance project of the day, be it a gate, lamp, camera, or any of the hundreds of systems that go into keeping things running. Next time you are out for a walk and see a white truck driving the community with a man in sunglasses behind the wheel, give Dave a wave of thanks for making Niguel Shores the “extremely well maintained community” it is. But go early because Dave is gone by 12 Noon.
—Geoff Dunlevie