NOTE: Before we begin, the following is not casting blame, nor the spotlight on our paid WPA staff.
Previous Boards have had a long history of taping our monthly meetings and posting the tape on the WPA website. That hasn't been the case since January of 2013. Go to the WPA website and verify it for yourself. The Wedgefield Examiner has always used, and recommended readers go to The Wedgefield Times to listen to the tape and verify that the transcriptions posted on this blog are accurate. The Wedgefield Examiner has felt that we had complete information when we listened to the tape posted there, rather than the WPA website. Why? I haven't trusted the WPA recordings since 2011 when McMillin learned that the association president had asked the paid staff to erase part of the tape. While McMillin shared the information with a committee and swore them to secrecy, he later made attacks against the individuals who repeated the story, but never brought the information to the board table. Board member, McBride questioned the president at the board table and our president admitted he had asked that a portion of the tape be erased. Garrison, Jacky Walton, McMillin, and Barrier were all board members at the time, and no action was taken against a president who admitted he attempted to alter an association record.
Whether you completely trust the tape, or not, the posted recordings have been a long standing information service to the residents. When, where (It wasn't at the board table.), and why did your board decide to no longer provide the tapes to the membership? We can't depend on the minutes. The minutes have been sanitized. There was a long history of transcribing the tapes word for word and providing the transcription of EXACTLY what was said as the monthly minutes. Many sitting at this very board table determined that was unnecessary. Quite frankly, The Wedgefield Examiner believes it could be that they don't want their unprofessional behavior at the board table revealed anywhere. Their behavior at the board table is often vicious toward anyone on the board that questions their actions and motions, that at times, could be viewed in violation of sound business judgment, and possibly in violation of our governing documents.
The limiting of information to the membership runs rampart with this board. This is just one more example. They don't answer resident questions. If you write to review documents, you often are denied and told they are confidential, receive piece meal documents for review, and are treated like a pariah for asking. If you have an opinion contrary to that of the board, one of the board member's wives might take one of the two monthly residents speaker spots to dress you down during a meeting.. It happened here. We can't review legal opinions because they don't get them in writing.
Who is at fault? Frankly, the entire board, because they have sat back and let this crew diminish our right to information. Your board elects the officers. Do you think our president was unaware that the recordings haven't been available since January 2013? Next in line are the Board Secretary, and because of our bizarre office set up, the Board Treasurer. In the past our paid staff person has put the recording up on the WPA website. Historically, the Board Secretary supervised the office staff. Now, the Treasurer (We don't know for how many hours each week. He hasn't told us.) has made our only paid staff person, part of his "accounting function". In any case, provision of information to the membership isn't important to this board. In fact, failure to post the recordings may be intentional on the part of your board.
We owe a huge thank you to The Wedgefield Times for providing a service that your board fails to.
