Water Amenities Chair, John Walton gives the report. He starts his report informing us that a number of vehicles were parked at the landing recently, apparently unauthorized, without stickers. In fact, they spoke to some people who would not identify themselves and left. He asks the board to allow enforcement through the use of towing unauthorized vehicles. There appears to be support. IMPORTANT NOTE TO RESIDENTS: you must have stickers on both your auto and your boat trailer. He also reports on the new landing gate card reader.
Next he notifies the board that the newest of the two docks has been hit. No one has come forward. They've asked contractor, Ronnie Campbell what to do to repair it. They may have to replace the float. He asks if our insurance will cover it.
John Walton says "end of report". President Walton says alright". It looks like we will move on without one word about the old dock in the canals. Very interesting that both Waltons seem to just want to let it go. It was still in the canals on July 16th, the third meeting since the Water Amenities Committee went against the vote of the board. We're not done yet, because Garrison has a question before they can move on to the next report. Transcription begins below.
Garrison asks whether the old dock has been removed. John Walton, "Not yet." We have run into interference. People have messed with the contractor.....tow it out of there. It is getting to be hard to get somebody to do any work here in Wedgefield. Constant interference with contractors." Garrison, "Specifically, what are you talking about?" John Walton, "Someone called the contractor set to tow it away." Garrison, "Campbell?" John Walton, "Yes, they've been contacted and they...It is making it very hard to get anybody to do any work in here anymore." Garrison, "Contacted about what?" John Walton, "When he's going to move it, how he's going to move it? Stuff like that. Where you going to move it to?" Garrison, "Who contacted him?" John Walton, "I was told it was a board member. I don't wish to say any names." I don't know who called Campbell. If I was a board member and information wasn't coming out openly at the board table after fellow board members did the direct opposite of what the board had approved, I'd do what I had to do to get answers. Read further and you'll see it is OK for other board members to make inquiries - no problem!!!! What is John Walton talking about when he says it is hard to get contractors to work here? WPA shouldn't be handling this, the owner should, or is there more we aren't being told? Back to transcription. Garrison, "The UNDERSTANDING was that this thing was going to be gone - alright." John Walton, "Yes" Garrison, "It was NEVER SUPPOSE TO BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE and now we're two months later and the STUPID thing.....We got our money, alright, and the STUPID thing is still here. Now, we need to come to a resolution. Get it OUT of here." John Walton, "Well, we're working on a resolution to get it out of there." Garrison, "Well is Campbell saying he won't move it?" John Walton, "No, I mean I suspect he probably .....be moving it alright." McMillin, "Can I say something to that? I've been in touch with the owner, a representative of the new owner, and they are ...... at the cost that Campbell....for moving it. They are looking for some other means to move it. What ever his fee was they thought it was excessive. They are trying to figure out another way of moving it. Last,, I heard from them. Another board member who is interfering and making calls, no problem. Why did John Walton try and blame the unknown board member for the problems? Here we are told that the buyer doesn't like Campbell's price? The bigger question here is, what kind of deal did this renegade committee make with the purchaser? What kind of business do they conduct in our behalf? Remember, DeMarchi, our treasurer claimed at a board meeting that he didn't know how much we received for the dock, when John Walton , Water Amenities Chair, wouldn't answer at the board table how much we received for it. We weren't selling a lamp. What kind of time lines, assurances that it would be insured for hauling out of our canals, in the protection of resident property? Why are we involved in any of the business of removal? How do these board members conduct our business? Back to transcription. Garrison, "The problem we've got ....We need to get it out of our jurisdiction - out of that canal." John Walton, "Well you can't put it anywhere because it needs to be permanent." Garrison, "I got that which is why ORIGINALLY, THE BOARD SAID DRAG IT UP ON SHORE AND CUT IT UP. BE DONE WITH IT. Now, we've made a whole $1,200 on it and probably bought ourselves two or three thousand dollars worth of problems. We're going to wind up paying to move this STUPID thing which is going to cost more than what we made on it by selling it. THAT'S NOT A GOOD PICTURE." John Walton, "I don't think we're going to spend any money on it." Garrison, "Well yeah, but it hasn't been moved." President Walton, "Can I add to this? Actually, John and some of his committee members, we spoke today. Actually, I spoke with the owner. We realize there is a problem. There is conflict, but we're trying to get that resolved within the next couple days. Should be moved and out of here. They are ready for this. What was explained to me....They want to get this, get it in place, because this group likes to take disabled veterans. They want to use this for people to have like hunting trips and things and something STABLE for them. They want it there. It is just that this conflict has created this problem. Now, I'm going to go tomorrow and look and see what if anything I can do to help speed this along,." Why is President Walton in the middle of this transportation mess? Because he turns a blind eye to all of the poor decisions of some on his board. As president, he names the committee chairs. He recently asked me what I would do? We had spoken about a few situations, the Canal Committee and the Community Liaison (No answers to residents and no reports for months and months.). I told him I'd fire the chairs. He can't fire them from the board but he can replace them with someone who will perform the duties. This Water Amenities Committee is a mess. He sat right at the board table when John Walton fired McBride from the Water Amenities Committee and McBride had been approved by the board. He sat at the board table when John Walton wouldn't answer another board members question about how much we got for the dock, when his board never approved listing it for sale. Why doesn't he do his administrative job properly and he wouldn't have to be moving docks?????This board aided and abetted by President Walton is strong arming the withholding of information from a board member we elected, not once, not twice, but three times. He could ask that board member to chair Community Liaison and handle what should be one of his prime responsibilities - communicating with the members. This board member has the knowledge and the ethics to chair the Water Amenities Committee, but our President appears to be afraid of sharing information with the entire board, and appears to be afraid of his board. What, would they remove him as president? Is being the president worth lack of integrity? Why does Garrison, Legal Chair, make statements each month regarding what the board did approve, and not assist in nailing the board members who delivered this mess to us? When I said the board never approved the sale of the dock, a WPA asset, he said they did at the May meeting. I reminded him I had pictures of the dock with a "for sale" sign on it prior to the meeting. Is this why we don't get written response from the board? Back to transcription. McBride, "Where's it going?" President Walton, " It's going down to Easterville, Esterville road near the end of South Island." Several on the board talk about what the road is called. Someone says it is going to a pond. McBride, "This pond, is there access from the water?" President Walton, "No, No" Garrison, "That's their problem." President Walton, "We're just going to try and get it down there. Load it on a trailer so they can deal with it. Main goal - get it out." McBride, "How do you get something on a trailer that's that wide.?" President Walton, "I'll sure try." President Walton ends the discussion and thanks John Walton for the report.
This report on the blog, follows the ridiculous Finance Report and the slight of your board's hands and mouths regarding the Reserve Study. Please read their own words, ridiculous motions, and ask yourself whether this is open, honest, in the best interests of Wedgefield, governance?
