I've listened to the tape of the April 16 WPA board meeting. I'm not going to transcribe every word of each report. I'm reporting what I heard to the best of my ability. Please listen to the tape yourself. TRANSCRIPTION IS UNDERLINED. COMMENTS IN RED
I usually listen to the meeting tapes from the beginning, stop at various reports, write, and then move back to the tape. I got a few phone calls telling me that I needed to get to the end of the tape. The stories varied. Today, I went almost to the end of the tape, listened, and really couldn't believe what I heard. Remember, sometimes the old boy's network "I'll wash your back, you wash mine", coupled with the "inner circle" works, and other times it comes back to bite you on behind. Well it did for some.
I can't refer you to the agenda because this ITEM WASN'T ON THE AGENDA. Your board completes the last item of business on the agenda, under NEW BUSINESS, and Garrison makes a motion. Here it is: "One more under new business. Make a motion that the board instruct the treasurer and finance committee to construct a 2014 budget assuming an annual assessment in the amount of $475." The motion is seconded by DeMarchi. Cline, Why are we not waiting to get a reserve study, which might be of value?" President Walton, "Doesn't have any bearing." Cline, "Why wouldn't it have any bearing?" Garrison, "Regardless of how the reserve study comes out, my feeling is that we need to be committed to put a CEILING on the available dollars and then we make the rest of it fit. If its fit able. If it turns out that it can't be done - although I recall believe that it can and should be, with plenty of money for reserve, between $24,000/year not spent on the management company, thousands of dollars a year we're not spending on the loan. We should be able to bring assessments back down near the pre-dredging level. Build reserves over a....period of time." Cline, "Thinking $500." Garrison, "See where it comes out...at the moment I think it is important for the residents to understand ...that the board has been serious about getting this loan paid off....way ahead of time. That we've said consistently, I HAVE ANYWAY...period of time ...was to bring the assessments back down. By preparing, this doesn't mean it is etched in stone, but it gives you a guideline in terms of budget that ought to be approve able when we get there and let residents know that the assessments are going to come down." President Walton, "We have a motion and a second." He repeats the motion. McMillin, "WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE" I knew a few people talked, but I didn't know that was the end of it. What happens...say if you (can't catch the words) ....say there is not enough money to even consider (can't catch words)". Walton, "That's why we're instructing the treasurer to work on a project for 2014 based around..." McMillin, "This is not for approval then?" President Walton, "No, No." McBride, "In the first place, this was not on the agenda. You just brought it up and you are cold cocking us." President Walton, "The president has a RIGHT to adjust the agenda so" McBride, "I think this is an important case." President Walton, "YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER!" McBride, "....An important topic like this......It is WRONG". NOTE: There are other voices talking at the table. They can't be identified on the tape. Cline, "Put it on next month's agenda. We'll talk about it." McBride, "Maybe we'll have a reserve study done and we can base some....Important agenda item like this just..." President Walton, "All WE WANT IS A BUDGET" (I couldn't contain myself. Whose WE?) McBride, ".....do a budget but don't" DeMarchi, "Please just put it on next month's agenda. We're going to propose another budget for this year any way so" President Walton, "WE'RE DONE! President Walton bangs the gavel. Several conversations are going on at the table. President Walton can be heard, "I AM ALLOWED" The tape is shut off. For the second month in a row, no resident comments are taken.
COMMENTS:
The tape of the meeting provided plenty of insight as to what went on. I'm sorry I didn't get to attend this theatrical production. This was the kind of drama you get when you run a board, have them sign ethic statements, don't live up to the Code of Ethics yourself, let alone demand it of your board members. Our PRESIDENT has sat back, ignored conventional wisdom and common sense, Robert's rules, our governing documents, sound business practice, committee structure, allowed abuse of certain board members at the board table, and now calls on his PRESIDENT STATUS????? Please!!! Can the president add something to the agenda? Yes, if unusual circumstance has presented itself, after the agenda was published, and prior to the meeting. Good practice would call for him to publish an amended agenda, make his TOTAL board aware - even if he had to do it just prior to the meeting, and explain the EMERGENCY. Otherwise, he is just playing games with favored members of HIS crew, and blind siding the rest. THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A BACK ROOM DEAL.
Who do you think the knowing players were? From what I heard on the tape, I would say President Walton and Garrison. While McMillin protests, he inadvertently admits, "I knew a few people talked". Isn't that a kick in the behind? He appears to have no problem working behind some board members' backs, but the good old boys network blind sided him this time. He does help bring this episode to a halt, but he doesn't appear happy about what some of his cohorts did behind his back. You can't quite tell how much DeMarchi knew. He stays silent through most of it. Wouldn't you think the treasurer, who made the "accounting function" decisions behind closed doors, would have said, "Wait, that's my department and committee/" You decide. Cline seems surprised but doesn't appear to object to President Walton's wild move. Then we have the silent ones: Anderson and Barrier (John Walton is absent). President Walton's move must be ok with them. Listen to the tape. Did you hear them protest? Did they know? Sometimes, silence isn't golden.
Overall, this is the mess this back room administration has created over several months. Keep sitting by quietly, let it happen, don't bother to call them out. I'd like lower assessments, but I'd like to get them governed by a board who follows everything listed above, that they aren't. I thank McBride for calling them out. By the way McBride, you aren't 'out of order", it appears you know what ORDER and ethical governance is.
