LETTER TO THE BOARD
If you are a resident who attends Board Meetings, or listens to the tapes of the meetings at The Wedgefield Times, you know that Jason Barrier, Community Liaison hasn't given a report in at least six months. That is probably because your Board hasn't answered anyone in six months. They don't answer questions in writing. They won't send you an email when you've asked to see documents, as to whether you will be allowed to see them or not. They must be entertained by your drive to the office for naught. It is Barrier's responsibility to report on the Board's interaction with the community. He doesn't have to answer the questions personally, but he does have a responsibility to insure that someone (appropriate committee chair, etc.) is answering, and report what concerned community members since the last meeting, and what the Board response was.
The majority Board Members are Concerned Citizens. They have their own agenda and don't have a need to answer anyone but their consistuency. They wouldn't want to report outright, what they did for them, and the rest of us aren't worth their time.
I've determined, since they won't tell you what other resident concerns exist, that I'll publish my letter to the Board. It is nearing time to vote, wouldn't you like to know their response to some of these issues?
HERE IS THE LETTER:
October 24, 2011
Dear WPA Board;
Please place a copy of my letter in the correspondence file.
I am writing you on several issues regarding the October 2011 Board Meeting. I was not able to attend, but have listened to a complete tape of the meeting. Please respond by November 5th. McMillin, Thomas, Wilson, Walters, and McBride are running for re-election to the Board, and your answers are important to how I will vote.
You have ignored my questions in the past, so I have decided to print my letter on http://thewedgefieldexaminer.blogspot.com/. This simple little site has had over 350 viewings, in the three short weeks it has been available. Perhaps when my letter is read over the Internet, many of the readers will wait for your answer to be published, before they vote If you fail to answer, I'll be sure and let them know prior to any vote deadlines.
Board Member Huggins:
*President Wilson stated that there were no minutes to be approved and there should have been two months - August & September, but the secretary (paid???) wasn't there. You were present at the meeting. It is your responsibility as Board Secretary to have them available for a vote. You had 60 days on the August minutes, and approximately 30 days for the September. Where were they? Why weren't they available for the meeting? Don't you think it is important that residents have the opportunity to review Board Member votes, prior to the Annual Meeting?
*Why didn't you report on the secret Executive meeting held since the September Board Meeting, to remove Legal Committee Member, Wheeler? I'm told you called it personnel, in an effort to keep it a closed meeting. Wheeler, isn't an employee. Why as Secretary, didn't you at least see that the date, time, and subject of the meeting was posted on the website? Your Board passed motion to post all such meetings on the website, and on a sign outside the office. While I don't believe it was a personnel issue, but a cover up, the motion was for all such meetings to be posted. You could have posted it and stated, it was closed to the public.
The Board also agreed to put the tape of each Board Meeting up on the Board website. Where are all those meeting tapes on the website? I can't locate them. It is your responsibility to manage that effort.
As Legal Chair, how do you explain that either your Board Attorney of Record - Moody, isn't putting opinions in writing, or if he is, that you aren't sharing them with all Board Members? McMillin questioned this at the October Meeting. Why aren't residents allowed to see Attorney Moody's Invoices, Letter of Engagement, etc? Would you please explain how Attorney Moody received a payment of $500, for services to you and Board Member Wilson, prior to Board approval of his engagement? Will you and Wilson, pay it back?
Board Member Thomas:
Why did you find it necessary to attempt to bring a motion to the Board table to hold an additional "executive meeting", each month, without the residents present? You were Legal Chair, when Attorney Moran, advised you in writing to stop holding your "executive meetings". The current Board, voted to post them so residents can observe their elected Board Members, at work.
Why with your concerns about old invoices, old checks, and a need to make false attacks on Board Member McBride, haven't you sought answers to the unapproved payment to Moody, by Wilson and Huggins?
You brought a motion to the table regarding engaging the attorney. I've transcribed it to the best of my ability. It is difficult to hear you. Without being insulting, could you please use a microphone in the future so residents can hear what you are saying? Here is what I was able to hear: "I make a motion that we authorize counsel...(something First Federal) ...authorize counsel to take necessary legal....to solve issues remaining as a result of the canal dredging suit" McMillin questions why you are blaming the bank and insurance company and why you are doing anything before the final order issued? You didn't answer him, will you answer a resident? Obviously, I can't hear what McMillin heard in your motion, but it is important, and I'd like an answer.
Board Member McMillin:
I appreciated your questions regarding Thomas' motions for executive meetings and regarding the motion for legal counsel and the remaining issues to the canal dredging suit. Wilson may have had a slip of the tongue, when you asked about the bank being notified. He stated, "they have been notified...legal action being taken....win - owe, lose - don't". Do you have any knowledge of Wilson, or any other Board Member, having taken action regarding this issue, prior to the vote? Have all the loan payments been made on time? I appreciated your comments during the meeting and hope that you will provide an answer. Too much, is at jeopardy.
I have a questions, as a voter who supported you unquestionably, until the June Board Meeting, with increased concern during the August and September Board Meetings. Up until that time, you supported open meetings, complete information, concrete bidding process, and complete detailed contracts. What happened to those values with the $9,000 road contract (You authored it)? Why didn't you bring Wilson's request to erase portions of the June Board Meeting tape to the Board table (It was so important to you, that you carried the story to your Finance Committee.)? Why didn't you notify the Board and public that the former accountant had threatened to sue, for your remarks about him? Why didn't you support McBride, when he brought some of these issues to the Board table? Why did you use a friendship to remove an accurate report to another website, documenting some of your actions? Why did you run to anyone in the community who would listen to your excuses, in an effort to destroy me, to cover the documented facts? Aren't you proud of your Board actions and votes? If you truly want openess and truth, explain and answer.
Board Member Wilson:
Did you send any notification to First Federal, or have the Board Attorney, send any notice, prior to the October Board vote?
Board Member Walters:
How could you support the vote to engage the attorney regarding the unanswered issues of the canal suit, without the final order?
I look forward to your responses.
COMMENTS
Do you think some of these questions are harsh? Over the last two years, as residents, we have lived through lawsuits, a mob carrying signs with ugly verbage outside our meeting, violence on a resident, calls to 911 for disorder - unless it was Concerned Citizens, threats of prison terms made against innocent people, residents ridiculed if they ask questions, secret meetings, disappearing and sealed files - for no reason, lawyers hired - fired - and paid with our funds to change a legal opinion for a Board vote, cover ups by usually honest Board Members, poor bidding - vendor awards - and contracting, and those we trusted to identify problems, document them, and publish them - turning their backs on the truth for a favored son. It is time to vote, and those who have Board seats and are running again should speak to their records. Their silence may speak to their lack of conviction that what they did was right, or not.
