I'm running this morning so I'll provide a few brief bullets about the meeting. More will follow over the next week. The meeting started promptly at 7:00 PM. All Board members except McMillin and Barrier were present. They would enter later in the meeting. Highlights follow:
*THE PRE, PRE-MEETING SHOW: I had barely sat down in my spectator seat when I am approached by Secretary DeMarchi who hands me a letter, says I must have missed it in the correspondence file, and that I had written that he responded immediately and it wasn't so. The letter relates to the issue of Thomas' inquiry regarding Wijthoff's right or ability to vote his 31 lots. I told DeMarchi I stood by what I had written. The fact was that he jumped within hours of receiving Thomas' letter to calling Wijthoff. More to follow later. When has he taken this kind of quick action to answer the rest of the "writing" residents?
*THE PRE-MEETING SHOW: As we settled in our seats seven board members were discussing various items amongst themselves. McBride attempted to ask Cline about something. She admonished him and sent him back to his seat to read. It could be heard throughout the room. It took me back to the days of irate teacher and least favored student atmosphere. It was unpleasant and uncalled for. Unfortunately most of your board has thrown out the signed Code of Ethics. Obviously, not worth the paper it is written on. More behavior like this, perpetrated by other board members follows throughout the meeting. At points residents are treated in similar manner during the reports.
THE MEETING:
*Garrison announces that a resident has withdrawn from the Election Committee. He names the resident. Three more residents are approved to sit on the committee. McBride asks if they have enough volunteers? Answer they barely have. Could it be because of the document volunteers must sign?
*Treasurer's Report: Cline covers a number of areas. The handout is another new style document. She proposes paying down the canal loan by $81,000. A motion is made and the Robert's Rules duel holds the vote while we proceed to other reports and your board members read the rules. Later the motion to pay down $81,000 is passed. It will be paid today! We don't have an approved 2012 budget. That is a problem. How will they mail out our annual meeting packets? More to follow.
*Garrison reports; on 3 properties in Magistrate's Court, goes after a resident who wrote on the Arbors (unnamed), discusses three proposed amendments to by-laws and which will appear on ballot, discusses bids on surveys for WPA properties that abut canals and private resident property. He totally messes up explanation on the two approved by-law amendments for the ballot. Was it on purpose? Much more to follow.
*The Welcome Committee Is Changing: Board will provide governing documents at a meet and greet at the office, quarterly. New residents may get a cookie when they attend. Please!
*Drainage - DeMarchi: tells resident who has complained of standing water that they don't have standing water in their yard. Oh yes, more to follow. Reports they are digging small ditches. More to follow
*Roads - Anderson: Provides info on securing services of an arborist.
*New Committee Formed To Determine Guidelines For Answering Resident Correspondence: You just know there will be more on this! How many revisions does this make? McBride volunteers to sit on committee and is ignored. At some points during this meeting they mention call the board, drop in the office, write the board, etc. Could we get it straight please? Could we receive answers when we do write?
*Garrison Discusses Verbal Canal Option Legal Opinion: Don't make me go there now. More to follow.
*Resident Comments: First there is a new rule. What rule book will this be in? Will it have to be read twice, voted on, and then where does it go. We will cover resident comments later.
That's all I have time for now. Each meeting makes me more and more concerned. Your board rules. I'm not talking about governance. I'm talking about more rules, upon rules, changing their own rules, and failing to represent good sound governance, business sense, or you!
Listen to the tape at The Wedgefield Times. I will be. If I've missed something, we'll get to it over the next week or so.
