THANK YOU TOM HOLT!
Making new friends is really cool especially if you share similar qualities. And some of the qualities you share may not be perceived by some as qualities they might like to have. Today intellectual honesty ranks high on my list so when someone points out a truth that is obvious regardless of personal agenda the person can accept the point graciously. Neither Tom Holt nor I are humble. We share a great sense of humor. We are both persistent and considered bull dogs. We believe in savvy business decisions. He is still running a business with his wife Miriam. He’s a smart guy. While he is a natural salesman and marketer and I am the natural accounting and financial person always measuring and seeking accountability. Our typical interchanges have two different perspectives viewing the same problem or challenge. He tends to look more at the upside and I at the downside.
He and I have debated the restaurant over and over. I tend to tell him what the contracts and governing documents and accounting records show or don’t or should. We do agree that the restaurant should have never gone forward but his attitude is despite that he is arguing about how to make it succeed. I on the other hand discourage him as 1. they won’t listen to him anyway and 2. why maximize our losses I argue? He is hoping for a better outcome. We both agree that the board’s decision not to install separate utility meters for the restaurant was not smart and a terrible problem. And clearly to date the board hasn’t addressed this serious allocation challenge that they created and easily brushed off until now. Just another example to the board’s poor planning. Now they must face that bad decision.
Tom is always looking to be innovative to reduce costs and improve financial performance. A board member told him that the Anthem Guard Shack or welcoming center was costing SCA thousands annually. He began looking for a solution as some were proposing at the time to use it for office space. He thought that was unsafe. It is located as you enter Anthem south of the Country Club on the left side as you are coming up the hill it is right there. Who knew it belonged to SCA? Or does it? I urged him to get to see the property bills from assessors office. I also suggested he inquire as to where the maintenance costs are being recorded in the financials. The CFO ought to be able to assist. So far no luck.
As we got into the budget cycle he and I looked at the Reserve Study Supplemental and Operating expenses looking for the Anthem Welcome Center both as an asset and its related expenses. Finding nothing raised a number of questions including what shows that it’s SCA responsibility? We couldn’t find it. So naturally I raised the question, “ then how did the board member believe it was a SCA issue?” DUH! Tom is on the case.
I salute Tom Holt for his persistence in contacting the board and wanting to contribute to solutions. I can’t contact the board as Tom does as I am under a weaponized gag order as part of board retaliation for filing complaints against management and the board for wrongful actions and because my suggested remedy for their wrongful actions was to replace the COO and counsel Adam Clarkson. Still the right outcome for SCA is possible. My filed complaints are now being evaluated by Department of Real Estate(NRED). I wouldn’t hold my breath because NRED is notoriously dysfunctional. But the board election May 1, 2024 can make a difference in changing the board culture and how we are governed. And that coupled with a financially responsible board will serve the entire community.
Tom Holt is notoriously persistent and I am glad to call him a friend. Together all of us can be creating better governance.
Thank you Tom Holt!
Until next time….. Robert