Eric Nunez has joined Village Management Services as the new director of security, VMS CEO Siobhan Foster announced during a meeting of the Third Mutual board last week.

Nunez replaces Carlos Rojas, who is now serving as director of operations in the CEO’s office after two years at the security helm.

Nunez formerly served as the chief of police of two cities, Los Alamitos and La Palma, and brings more than 30 years of public safety experience to the community. In La Palma, he coordinated a community engagement response team, a group made up of volunteers who helped during disasters.

“The two cities … had very low crime rates, and as a result, we spent a lot of time dealing with quality-of-life issues and tried to respond as quickly as possible,” he said in the board meeting April 19.

Nunez holds a degree in public administration from the University of La Verne and an Executive Master of Leadership from USC, and he teaches criminal justice at Cal State Long Beach. He served as the president of the California Police Chiefs Association and the Police Chiefs Association of Orange County.

“I feel really privileged and fortunate to be here,” Nunez said, “and to be able to contribute in my way with the security.”

Insurance matters

Third board President Robert Mutchnick provided an update on the mutual’s status regarding insurance.

“We are now involved in obtaining quotes for the renewal of some of our insurances,” Mutchnick said. “Most importantly our property insurance.”

In the past few years, he said, Third has seen a tightening of the insurance market and sizable increases in premiums.

“The landscape over the past year, in terms of insurance, seems to have stabilized somewhat,” he added. “It also appears that additional capacity will be available, which is a good thing for us, since it probably means we’ll be experiencing somewhat stable prices.”

Third’s scheduled renewal date for property insurance is June 1.

“Next month, I should have more specific information about where we stand in terms of premiums for the renewal,” Mutchnick said.

Resident suggestion program

The Third board discussed opening a resident suggestion program, which would create a vehicle for members to offer their expertise in solving issues within the mutual.

“I think we have a vast wealth of knowledge and experience in our community,” Director Mark Laws said. “I don’t believe we ask enough for their suggestions about how we can improve things.”

The program will be discussed by the communications committee, which is headed by Director Annie McCary.

COVID-19 update

One death and eight additional cases related to COVID-19 have been reported in the city of Laguna Woods in the past week, according to the OC Health Care Agency.

To date, there have been 1,080 COVID-19 cases of the virus and 77 deaths reported in the city.

Public officials reported that as of Tuesday, the new daily cases of the virus are being reported at a rate of 3.6 cases per 100,000 residents in Orange County. The testing positivity rate — the number of swabs and spit tests that return positive – stands at 1.9%.

Resale report

The average resale price for a unit in Third Mutual in March was $477,380, up from $475,070 in March 2021, according to a VMS staff report.

Resales year to date numbered 116, up from 115 the year prior. Sales volume in March was $19 million compared with $21 million in March 2021.