THE GOOD! THE BAD! & THE UGLY!
listened in on the Thursday Board of Directors meeting and have the following observations:
THE GOOD
The board and others spent some time acknowledging certain volunteers for their outstanding contributions to the Finance and Audit Committees as they were on a mission to provide a new incoming board a clean tax slate. This clearly underscores that some things from the past were clearly mismanaged by management and focusing on that in my view is also good. Jim Mayfield, bless his heart, emphasized that protecting the process was one of his major goals and was pleased that he had accomplished that. Jim’s contribution to cleaning up the tax mess is acknowledged. He also was very proud to establishing 2025 Budget timelines and guidelines. An early start to this process is a good thing.
THE BAD
This coming election is a month away and there is a large group of homeowners seeking some dramatic changes if a new board majority can be established. This current board and management arrogantly introduced the HOA equivalent of a “poison pill”, A poison pill in corporate America is a provision for suitors or others that discourages changing certain things as the negative consequences outweigh the benefits. And because of that provision the deal or otherwise doesn’t go forward.
It is no secret that management( COO Sandy Seddon) has been criticized for bad hiring decisions especially CFO’s and has been charged with incompetence not possessing adequate skill sets to do the job. So the board with one month away from election results authorizes a reorganization that eliminates the CFO and another accounting position and replaces them with a Controller and an Assistant Chief Operating Officer.
That board arrogance is equivalent to a possible “poison pill” Here’s why. Current board member Rick Ernest proposed outsourcing accounting and eliminating certain accounting jobs. I wrote some time ago that new hires should be given a disclaimer that a potential reorganization by a new board might put their jobs at risk. Do you think that happened?
Also hiring an Assistant COO is equivalent of acknowledging all or part of the criticism of the current COO. If the board majority offered contracts to any of these new hires it is pure arrogance on their part.
THE UGLY
Jim Mayfield made a big deal about respecting process and complimenting the Audit Committee on its fine work. And to the extent they performed certain tasks well they deserved the accolades. The Audit Committee charter includes a provision to monitor compliance of rules and regulations and to advise the board. Article VIII of the CCNRs is very specific about the budget process and ratification rights of the homeowners. In early January the board violated Article 8 by adding two nonbudgeted new positions. The reorganization adding the Assistant COO without amended budget ratification process as required by Article VIII violates homeowners rights. That’s UGLY!
Candidate Forrest Quinn wrote an analysis piece posted on Rana Goodman’s Anthem Today exposing the February YORKTOWN GRILL financial report as false. I too had noticed that something was off . Forrest lays it out beautifully and claims with some justification that the deception presentation was politically motivated by Steve Anderson and David Berman. If true, that’s UGLY!
On the agenda were change orders to the Pickleball New Construction project. While the COO failed to provide a professional presentation of this project( which is UGLY incompetence) it is clear that this project is going to have a cost overrun of at least approximately $140,000. Probably more.
Adding to the ugliness is the Anderson/Berman alliance on his Blog interview and endorsement that there have been no cost overruns. Pure Fiction. Pure Lie. Pure political posturing. And VERY UGLY.
Fellow homeowners. We have a choice. Elections matter. Anderson and Seddon should both be retired, Elect a new board majority.
Please vote for John Marshall, Ben Leibson and Forrest Quinn,
Until next time…Robert