Let's start at the beginning. When I prepared to write this article it was outlined as a piece about correspondence, but it isn't just about correspondence. We'll start there but keep your mind open. During the September meeting President Jacky Walton announced that a committee would be formed to determine how to answer resident questions. Immediately, John McBride volunteered to sit on the committee. He was ignored and DeMarchi and Barrier were appointed to the committee. Additionally, one of the board members leaned over and told President Walton that he could appoint who he wanted. It appeared to support President Walton ignoring McBride.
What is going on? In many cases, residents haven't been answered for months! Why? Who knows for sure? There are rumors that DeMarchi is responsible. We know for sure that Barrier, Community Liaison, responsible for answering residents, doesn't answer at all. He rarely has a report and when he does, it is verbal, nasty, and if the resident isn't in the audience they don't know they have been answered. If they are in the audience, they still really haven't been answered because of unsupported, undocumented information that is often no more than a strike at the individual.
During the September meeting Barrier offered compliments to DeMarchi regarding correspondence. Bottom line is that your President nominated the two board members to the committee to fix a problem caused by one - Barrier, and hindered by rule, after rule, by the other - DeMarchi. What do I mean? DeMarchi chaired the committee that dealt with the policy manual. There are rules in it regarding answering residents. During the July meeting DeMarchi added a new set of rules. Here is a portion of the July Meeting:
The transcription follows. I've transcribed to the best of my ability. As always I recommend that you go to The Wedgefield Times and listen to the section yourself. THANK YOU WEDGEFIELD TIMES!!!
HERE IS A PORTION OF THE SECRETARY'S REPORT:
"Several correspondence have been received at the office and the management company, Mr.LaFrance has been answering the correspondence as rapidly as possible.
Section 12 of the Policy Manual states the Community Liaison has 10 days to acknowledge receipt of the correspondence and 30 days for a final response. Some residents feel they are entitled to immediate responses and it is not always possible since the volunteer Board Members are not always available to respond immediately. A procedure will go into effect in which Mr.La France will receive the correspondence. He will communicate those to the Board Members. The Board Members have 48 hours in which to respond to Mr. La France, at which point he will put together a response to the resident. The Board Member will then receive that final response. If approved, Mr. La France will proceed with sending it out. This should eliminate any conflicts from what Board Members feel is an appropriate response."
Nothing improved, nothing changed as far as response to residents. Residents have written on important issues - to them. They are in good standing. What have they gotten so far? Nothing, except in some cases, abuse from the Board table. We get no answers. Your Board, under the direction of President Walton is inefficient. No one is held to their committee job description. We've added a "scape goat" - the management company. More rules are made and not followed and the answer is more rules designed by the very people who made new rules and ignored them. It is compounded by the whole Board sitting by and calling their RULE cohesive. They pat each other on the back - as in, "I'll wash your back, you'll wash mine", and quite frankly their inaction is just like that bath water - stagnant. Any board member who brings question to the table is ignored, eyes roll, and sometimes they are treated like less than children. In the mean time when things roll to the attention of some board members, at least two of them say they weren't aware because they don't "do email". Really? Could they make an arrangement to have their emails printed off at the office and pick them up? Additionally, your board doesn't share all information with all board members, particularly if they usually ask questions.
Think about it. We had a resident write the Board and update them on the 2011 road fiasco. He included a report from the state that said the road vendor had been fined for issues that the 2011 road chair lied about and said they weren't so. Your Board didn't answer the resident. Your Board didn't report it during the Community Report, or anywhere else. The same resident wrote twice to the Board about the Arbors. Did he get a written response? No! Garrison took him to task during the September Board Meeting. I'm not going to transcribe it. Go to the Wedgefield Times and listen to the Legal Report. Humiliation is a common standard for this cohesive board.
Almost every facet of our governance is being handled this way. We haven't had real complete financial reports in months. Whose fault is it now? The scape goat - the management company. Why aren't residents being answered? The board is making new rules for the management company. We haven't had one road fixed. The board, under the direction of the Drainage Chair is digging "small ditches" (according to a report in September). Our reserves have been assigned by percentages - no one has told us what they are. A new and "better" finance report is being developed by the month. We can't compare them - it is like comparing apples to cucumbers. The Board voted to pay down $81,000 of the canal dredging loan when minutes before they were told that the projected 2013 budget wasn't ready because there was a projected $25,000 short fall. They had to hold another board meeting a week later to approve it. If you've done projected budgets, the next year's budget shouldn't be figured on what your doing today except to look at trends. You balance your projections on income and set your flexible expenses accordingly. We have never been told what the total amount of the management contract is and we aren't allowed to see the contract! We don't have written opinions on major issues from the very attorney we are paying. Your board has failed to deal with unapproved services provided by the attorney to some on the board members who went on a whim to seek advice. That would break cohesiveness. This is cohesive governance? I guess they can call it that. They are making the rules and they are in charge. I call it dysfunctional! When is each board member going to act with their brain, education, work experience and ask the critical questions necessary to making decisions "on behalf of the best interests of Wedgefield Plantation Association"? I'd dare to say it hasn't happened all year and won't be before the Annual Meeting? Could your board led by DeMarchi and Barrier, possibly come up with new rules that would answer all the questions that have been left because your entire Board allowed it, prior to the Annual Meeting? I'm not laughing. The sound you hear is news dog Brady. He is belly laughing.
You have decisions to make. Soon your Annual Meeting packet will arrive. Current Board Members DeMarchi, Walton (John), and Anderson are candidates. None of these men have stood up "on behalf of the best interests of Wedgefield Plantation Association". They have sat back and let things happened. No questions, no comments, and a lot of raising their hands and voting with the flow. The fourth candidate is not a board member. He has never served on the Board. I'm going to vote for Wijthoff and hope that he is elected and will ask questions, make the residents aware of what is going on, and won't cut deals. We have three board seats to fill. Last year, I faced a similar dilemma. I wouldn't vote for the Concerned Citizen candidates and one of the others had lied, covered up, and then went after me for bringing it all out. I refused to use all of my votes. I couldn't bring myself to vote for someone I didn't trust. I refused to vote for someone that I could not respect. I could not vote for someone who wouldn't fight or stand up to what was right. I'll do what I think is best this year but right now I can only support Wijthoff. This statement was not requested or approved by Wijthoff, nor was the article content reviewed or approved by Wijthoff.)
I sent the following to the Board today. I'll update you as to whether I'm answered and if I get to view the documents and have copies if I request some.
Please distribute to the Board, Edmund LaFrance, and place a copy in the
Correspondence File.
Board,
I'd like to visit the office on Wednesday, October 3rd. at 10:00AM to review the
following:
1) Correspondence File
2) Legal Opinions on each of the three proposed by-law amendments
3) Legal Invoices and supporting documentation for billings - if the WPA was
billed for a written legal opinion there should be a corresponding document.
4) Legal opinion on the Arbors
I also would like to be provided copies of the documents that I request a copy
of. In the recent past, I have been taking notes as needed, however, in
reviewing minutes I find that I can have copies.
QUESTION: What is happening with the curb? There was no report in September.
The curb is still there.
Thank you.
Madeline Y. Claveloux
Anyone is welcome to write to The Wedgefield Examiner via email: wedgefieldexaminer@yahoo.com. Remember to note whether you would like your name published with your article. The option is open to anyone who writes.
