Traffic & Safety Committee: Update Guest and Party Lists

Update Guest and Party Lists: With the summer season upon us we can expect more visitors than any other time of year. Patrol service staffing the front gate will be swamped screening and processing guests and service people. Those on the guest lists are easily issued a dashboard pass and admitted to our community. However, if a name does not appear on the guest list, the gate attendant will try to work with the potentially rejected individual, but often the frustrated person loses composure and the entire screening operation grinds to a standstill. These confrontations are captured on video and audio tape, leaving far too many residents embarrassed by the boorish behavior of their friends or associates.
We can avoid much of the conflict at the gate by ensuring that our guest lists are accurate and updated as soon as we learn that a guest or helper is scheduled. The surest and preferred method of updating the list is via the computer. To do this, go to www.niguelshores.org and click “Gate Login.”
However, sometimes that is not practical and there may be as much as a half hour delay before the name appears on the gatehouse computer. Of course, we can phone the Mariner Gate, but recently, with the heavy influx of traffic, the attendant on duty might be too busy screening prospective guests to answer. If that is the case, we suggest that you leave a message on the answering machine.
Should you decide to host a special function involving ten or more outside guests, you should provide the office with a party list at least one business day before the event.
One of the several benefits of this is to allow for preparing and printing of passes for the guests before their arrival, which expedites the flow of traffic.
Securitas Force Responsibilities: We normally have seven Securitas personnel assigned to our community, and on special occasions this number may be bumped up by one or two other persons. Their prime responsibility is to insure our perimeters are not breeched and to screen those entering via the Mariner Gate. Their secondary responsibilities are to monitor parking in our common areas, issue citations for violations of our parking rules and, if necessary, have vehicles towed away.
While visibly patrolling and monitoring parking, they may be good eyes and ears should a crime occur in front of them, but they are supposed to wait for law enforcement deputies and then give an accurate description of what occurred.
Presently we have an exceptionally good group of Securitas personnel working in our community and they regularly go out of their way to be helpful. However, they do not have police training or powers. Consequently, should an incident occur requiring police response you should first call our Dana Point Deputy Sheriffs. Our patrol service can best assist by giving directions and being good witnesses.
Fourth of July: Be extra cautious as there will be a bit of traffic congestion with folks watching the best Fourth of July Parade in California. Of course, parking will be limited near the clubhouse with people enjoying the pancake breakfast, then staging for the parade, and coming back for the games and hot dogs. After these preliminaries the real partying starts. A lot of folks will head down to the Bluff, but
some cars will be turned away as this is one of those days that only cars with resident parking stickers will be allowed down there. No guest stickers or guest passes allowed.
This year folks who, for what-ever reason, feel that they should not drive home will be allowed to park their vehicles down at the Bluff overnight without towing away. The only caveat is that the car cannot be picked up until 6:00 a.m. the following day.
Remember, we may love the celebrating but the Fourth of July is the worst day of the year for your dogs. If you can secure them in a Thunder Vest, medicate them if possible, and stay with them in your quietest room, you will be their hero.
—God Bless . . . Tim Murphy