PREFACE:
Residents, we are approaching the time when we will vote by proxy, or by ballot at the annual meeting. Three of our candidates currently serve on the Board. Their actions and votes are a matter of record. The Wedgefield Examiner will view the actions and votes at the Board table of each of the candidate board members - Anderson, DeMarchi, and Walton (John). They enter the record at different times. DeMarchi was elected for one year. His record starts in December 2011. Walton (John) and Anderson's appear later in the year as they were each appointed after the resignations of Huggins and Walters. The review of their performance will be reported month by month. Each time a month is reported the article will note which of the candidates were involved. I will publish this preface with each of the monthly reports.
My work has been difficult but I think that it is important to look to the records. At first I thought I could just review minutes. That wasn't possible because in my humble opinion, they have been sanitized. They don't include discussion, or closed executive meetings that are suppose to be open. I've had to go back in time to articles on the blog that include transcriptions of the tapes from monthly meetings, to notes taken at executive meetings - few were open and some closed after residents arrived.
In all cases I have transcribed tapes to the best of my ability. The notes that I have taken "other meetings" where there wasn't a tape, have been taken to the best of my ability, in an effort to report what occurred.
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DECEMBER 2011 RECORD
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NOTE: Candidate/Board Member is DeMarchiYour Board has been elected and is charged with electing officers. Previously, Board Attorney of Record Moran had put in writing that this meeting should be open to the public. An announcement is posted at the gate and published on the WPA website. The meeting is to take place on December 5th.
GARRISON SENDS THIS EMAIL TO THE BOARD:
DATE: November 29, 2011
TO: WPA Board
FROM: Bob Garrison
SUBJECT: Reorg. Meeting
"OK, one more and hopefully we got it.
Mon., Dec. 5 at 7:00pm. Required purpose is election of officers and appointment of committee chairs by the president.
Although I personally agree with Jason that this would better be done in Executive session, my understanding is the last word from the board attorney was that this should be an open meeting. As such, my suggestion is to do just that. This should be a short and to the point deal.
Larry, if you would ensure that the sign is posted. I'd appreciate it.
Kathy please make sure this is posted to the web and that both the posting and the sign are done at least 72 hours prior to Mon. evening as required.
Any questions or concerns, feel free to call me at home in the evening. As you have indicated the likelihood of your availability, we should be able to knock this out Monday.
Also note that the meeting as proposed to take place on December 5 has been postponed and the attorney has been notified."
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Residents attend the meeting. Garrison feigns surprise. He claims that they notified residents that there was a meeting but it didn't mean we were invited. Really? The following quote is taken from a letter from Attorney Moran to John McBride, Legal Chairman and Jackie Walton, President, dated April 11, 2011:"It is my understanding that a meeting is being held pursuant to a request from one or more of your Board Members for the purpose of reorganization of the Board. Initially I reiterate my advice to the Board to refrain from conducting business in executive session. There are very few purposes of conducting meetings which are not open to the Membership. Members may be prevented from participating in the meeting, but they should be given the opportunity to attend. This includes the organizational meeting conducted at the conclusion of the Annual meeting and, by implication, any subsequent re-organizational meeting. To the extent any business is ever conducted in executive session the results of the meeting needs to be re-affirmed in open session."
I wrote an article at the time and stated that DeMarchi and Cline needed to be let "off the hook" for what went on that night. They had both made campaign pledges for open meetings. Today, I'll say DeMarchi has called closed meetings himself. He ignores the attorney's advice and his pledge. Here is an announcement from his most recent:
In the end the meeting opens, a motion is made to "quit" the meeting, and those present are invited to stay for a "workshop"! I'm sorry I didn't even bother to check the governing documents for a meeting that wasn't a meeting and is now a workshop. Who believes this stuff?
Let the record stand, speak for itself. You'll have to decide as we move through the votes and actions of end of 2011 through current 2012, who you'll vote for. Our second article in the series will cover January 2012. Now, candidate Anderson enters as a Board member.
