THE OPEN WPA BOARD MEETING POSTED AT THE GATE FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS, HAS BEEN CANCELLED. WONDER WHAT HAPPENED, OR WHAT IT WAS ABOUT?

As you drove through the front gate the last few days, as appropriate, there was a sign notifying residents of an open board meeting, scheduled for this evening, August 28th.  This morning I went to the WPA website to see if the agenda for the meeting was noted.  I was surprised to see the following, "Meeting for Thursday has been cancelled."  I've been busy, had planned on attending tonight's meeting, but hadn't checked the WPA website prior to this morning, to look for the agenda.  I was at the August board meeting, and your board had indicated to McMlllin, that they would deal with some of his proposals, during an open meeting.

Today, I'm left wondering whether your board would have dealt with his dreams of a fountain.

 

OR

 CLEAN UP ONE OF THESE OTHER HALF BAKED, INCOMPLETE PROJECTS -

 

THE WEDGEFIELD DRAINAGE PROJECT

 

 

 

 

OR

 

THE GATE HOUSE FIX - LITERALLY AT SOME POINTS,

 

THAT IS STILL INCOMPLETE, AFTER THEIR MISERABLE,

 

 ILLEGAL AWARDING OF A

 

CONTRACT TO OUR PRESIDENT????

 

 

MAYBE YOU SHOULD WRITE THE BOARD AND ASK

 

 THEM WHEN THEY'LL ADDRESS

 

THESE HALF FINISHED, UNRESOLVED PROJECTS,

 

 BEFORE THEY MOVE ON TO

 

MORE HALF BAKED PROJECTS?

 

 

 





A NOTICE ON THE WPA WEBSITE REGARDING VANDALIZED WPA PROPERTY AND BREAK INS ON FRANCIS PARKER, CAUSE THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER TO ASK WHETHER THE LANDING AREA WAS VANDALIZED, OR WAS SOMETHING STOLEN?

The WPA Board posted the following on the WPA website earlier this week:

"Residents:  Please be aware that the entrance was vandalized with toilet paper sometime last night (Monday 8-18-3014).  The office also had a report of 2 house break ins on Francis Parker Road.  Please notify your neighbors and keep an eye out.  If there is any suspicious behavior please report it immediately to the Sheriffs' Department."

Your board announced this at the August Board Meeting.  McMillin said that there have been young people gathering after dark in the plantation.  He further reported that he had been following some of them in golf carts and knew who they were.  There is other suspicious activity here.

After thinking about it, I drove to the landing.  It is looking better.  In the past there have been reports of improper use and vandalism there.  I have more company coming and went to see if the fire feature and piles of wood to burn in it were still there.  I hadn't been to the landing in quite some time, but end of May, or early June, several friends had taken a boat ride.  We all noticed the metal above ground fire feature that had been added near the little fenced utility area.  Someone had been kind enough to chop and place fire wood there.  Last evening, it was all gone - fire feature included.  Was it vandalism? If it was, I'm surprised that the Water Amenities hasn't reported it.  I don't recall them reporting we had added those features to the landing.

OR

Could it be that if you have connections here, that you can drag any old hazard to WPA property down there and risk our assets?

TWO ARTICLES WERE PUT UP OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS. PART II HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE ARTICLE REGARDING THE WEDGEFIELD DRAINAGE PROJECT AND PICTURES OF THE UNCOMPLETED GATE HOUSE PROJECT HAVE BEEN POSTED. STAY TUNED. NEXT THE FULL AUGUST GROUNDS' REPORT

THE NEXT UNCOMPLETED PROJECT - THE GATE HOUSE FIX. ALMOST A YEAR AGO, ONE BOARD MEMBER STATED THEY WANTED IT COMPLETED IN A MONTH. MONTHS LATER MOST ON THIS BOARD BREACHED THE "CONFLICT OF INTEREST" EACH HAD SIGNED AND GAVE A CONTRACT FOR THE GATE HOUSE FIX TO YOUR WPA PRESIDENT'S COMPANY. AFTER THE ATTORNEY TOLD THE BOARD THAT THEY HAD BREACHED THE DOCUMENT EACH HAD SIGNED, YOUR PRESIDENT RETURNED THE CONTRACT. YOUR BOARD REIMBURSED THE PRESIDENT'S COMPANY FOR WINDOWS PURCHASED, AND SAID THEY HAVE TO GO TO BID TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO INSTALL THE WINDOWS. THAT WAS MONTHS AGO. WHERE ARE THE WINDOWS NOW? LOOK AT THE PICTURES. THEY AREN'T ON THE GATE HOUSE. IT APPEARS WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, THAT THIS BOARD JUST MOVES ON TO THEIR NEXT NEWEST AND GREATEST PROJECT





UPDATED ADDED PART II ON AUGUST 21:UNCOMPLETED PROJECTS BY THE WPA BOARD LEAD TO FRUSTRATION.

Last night, immediately following the August 19, 2014 Board Meeting, The Wedgefield Examiner posted an angry article regarding the Grounds Report which lasted about 40 minutes (approximation).  Don't get me wrong, I'd publish the article again, every last word of it.  Today, I wondered what was at the bottom of the anger.  It was frustration in the use of our funds.  It was frustration of the lack of respect by most on this board, of those board members that question during meetings, items such as following the governing documents, sound consistent good standard business practice, and at times, plain old human decency.  Then I moved to what beyond feelings, is concrete and measureable, in this dissatisfaction.  There were a number of things, beyond the outrageous behavior and voting, demonstrated by most on this board over an extended period.  Why do you find board members who perform the way most of these do, credible?

McMillin, Grounds Chair, took way too much time, unprofessionally last night.  He spoke about bulk heading over by the pond on the right hand side as you enter Wedgefield.  He spoke about a fountain for the middle of that pond.  He spoke about a ridiculous project on lot 6A, which is stated to be owned by the WPA.  McMillin has taken long periods of time at our board meetings, that as a meeting attendee, I wonder, who gave him this role, and why is he talking about it? In the past, he spoke at length about his plan to do a maintenance dredge on the canals, it was just added to the minutes, no vote, and he wasn't even the Water Amenities Chair.  He spoke about changing the office parking lot even though there were no official complains.  It went away like a bad cloud carried by the wind on a stormy day.  Again, no vote, nothing.  As I reviewed reports from the past, he wasn't in charge of the pond project, DeMarchi has been, and he wasn't in attendance last night.  Who is in charge?

This lead me to two recent projects, the Gatehouse Fix, and the Wedgefield Drainage Project, also managed by DeMarchi, and ultimately this board, and it demonstrates, in both cases, how they fail to complete.  If you follow the blog, you know how I feel about the Gate House Fix.  According to the minutes, it still isn't fixed.  I won't spend time with that now.  I decided to follow the Wedgefield Drainage Project.  I went all the way back to the end of 2012 in reviewing the minutes..  Our sanitized minutes, first speak to the Wedgefield Drainage Project, under the Drainage Report, in March 2013.  I will provide a time line from every month, under Drainage Report, that information is provided in the minutes.  Before I continued, I went and took pictures of the project this morning.  There obviously continue to be problems.  More will be written after the pictures are presented.

This is a picture of the project as you stand on the road.  I will remind you that besides taking care of drainage problems, electrical boxes that were truly at risk of being washed away, THAT THIS WAS A PLACE ALL RESIDENTS COULD ENJOY THE CANALS, AND FISH.  How do you like the lack of grass, a place to sit, etc.  The land, as you see in some of the following pictures, is washing into the canal.  As we review the minutes later on, be aware that a resident bulk headed part of his/her property with the same contractor during this project ( Resident paid their portion of expense.), and their bulk head appears to be tied into the WPA bulk head.

 

Picture #2, wash away about mid ground in the project.

 



 

Picture #3, drain basin set in the project.

 

 

Picture #4, first wash away spot at bulk head.

 

 

Picture #5, another wash away spot at bulk head.

 

 

Picture #6, standing near the bulk head looking at the water, notice to your right the run off soil in the canal, from seepage.  This resident is new, not part of the project.  Where are the questions from the Water Amenities' Committee?

 

 

Picture #7, a close up of the soil in the canal on the right hand side.

 

 

Picture #8, view standing at the bulk head looking toward Wedgefield Rd.

 

 

Picture #9, view of plantings selected to put on boarder  line of WPA and private resident with new bulk head on left.

 

 

Picture #10, close up of plantings which appear to be in poor shape.  Look like the might be Butterfly Bushes.

 

 

NOTE:    The Wedgefield Examiner hopes to complete this article by end of day on August 21st.  We'll follow the sanitized minutes for money motions, and any discussion on the project progress, under Drainage Report.  In the mean time, if you had been at last nights meeting, you might be asking why we haven't heard about THIS MESS OF A PROJECT since April 2014?  Maybe you'd ask why McMillin was talking about fountains and bulk heads on DeMarchi's pond project, when as a board member, and a member of the Water Amenities' Committee, that he obviously, hasn't had any questions according to the minutes, regarding this mess.  LOOK FOR A UPDATE NOTICE ON THIS ARTICLE LATE ON AUGUST 21.

 

 

UPDATE ADDED ON 8/21/14 FOLLOWS:

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



THE WPA AUGUST 19TH BOARD MEETING - A SHORT "HEADS UP"

The Wedgefield Examiner has been on vacation off and on, for most of the summer.  We've had lots of company and made a few trips.  Tonight, we headed back to the WPA Board Meeting.  Here are a few quick notes and comments.  The comments will appear in red.  The Wedgefield Times will have a tape of the meeting up in a few days.  Verify information for yourself, by listening to the tape at the Wedgefield Times.  The Wedgefield Examiner has done their best to provide accurate information.  COMMENTS are the opinion of The Wedgefield Examiner and are provided in red.

Board members in attendance:  McBride, Anderson, Garrison, President Walton, Johnson, and McMillin.  Board members absent:  Cline, DeMarchi, and John Walton. 13 residents were in attendance.

Since the board meeting ran long, due to McMillin (about 40 minutes of our time), we are just going to hit two main areas - roads and grounds.

Road Chair, Anderson, reported the big project is nearly complete and the contractor is cleaning up.  As the current work was being finalized, Anderson had the contractor review pot holes in the association.  There are 41 places that need attention, for the most part, not a little attention, but root cut backs, etc.  It is estimated that the cost to adequately solve the problems in those identified areas would cost another $60,000.  There weren't any motions to move forward,  Most of these areas are beyond "cold patch".  COMMENTS:  First, Anderson appears to be responsible in his handling of the current project, and his effort to seek cost estimates for the balance of real problems.  With the current effort completed, our funds at least of now, appear to be exhausted.  Want to say, "oh well"?  You shouldn't stop there.  We have elections coming up soon.  As in all elections, on what ever level, if the candidate has a record, it would be wise to review it.  Additionally, if a board members term isn't up, you should be tracking their performance for credibility on votes and information, and for the place in time, when they run again.  In 2011 we spent approximately $29,000 for road repair with a contractor that was eventually sited by the state.  Three current board members - President Walton, Garrison, & McMillin, voted, ignored another - McBride, who said we needed engineering, root cut back, etc., and threw good money to a worthless project - $29,000, and a less than stellar contractor.  Now, McMillin is running for board again.  McBride is running for board.  People, please start your homework now. Wouldn't it have been better for all of us if your board had listened to McBride in 2011, and saved $29,000?  Today, we might be looking at finding an additional $31,000 instead of $60,000, to solve our road problems.

Tonight's snap shot will include portions of McMillin's Grounds' Report.  It was about 40 minutes long.  WE ARE MOVING TO COMMENTS IMMEDIATELY.  THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER WILL PROVIDE A CLEAR REPORT LATER.  QUITE FRANKLY THIS GROUNDS REPORT WAS RIDICULOUS!   First, why does a legitimate legal entity, a board in this case, give license to any member repeatedly taking this much of our time, without legitimate substance?  I have raised three daughters who by proximity in age, were all teenagers at the same time.  I would have never expected, or allowed, the simpering, eye batting, coy, lack of clear thinking behavior, from any one of them, including the youngest, on what should be valuable time (ours), and the provision of concrete information, intended for firm decision making.  Listen to the tape.  He is worse than any comic cartoon of female teenage behavior.  He is all over the place.  He makes a motion.  He holds the motion. His project is $1,500, but he saves the day, negotiates it down to $995.00.  That is contingent on his getting a resident to pay the large portion of a equipment rental fee that he/she will pay the bulk of.  He will run the equipment on that residents property, pay a small fee over that for a second day, and he and his volunteers, will do part of the work.  Then he mentions something about since it is under $1,000, he doesn't have to get other bids.  HMMMMM, it is a miracle, suddenly, it is under $1,000, by $5.00.  He states that rule is written someplace, he isn't sure where.  REALLY?????? We have too much of this nonsense, and he is one of the worst.  He is a board member first, his first job as a board member is to adhere to our governing documents and know which ones he is following.  He's always saving us money.  Other projects were mentioned tonight which we will relate later.  How much money did we save on roads when we spent $29,000 in 2011?

More to follow.  It was a long, unfruitful night at the WPA board meeting - at least for about 40 minutes.

THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER HAS WORKED WITH YAHOO TO CREATE A NEW EMAIL ACCOUNT FOR THE BLOG

The Wedgefield Examiner's new blog email account is:  wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com.  Please use this rather than the previously announced sc.rr.com address.

THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER CHANGES CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS

The Wedgefield Examiner has changed our email address, due to someone attempting to hack into our previous address. The email address is provided so that you can write The Wedgefield Examiner.  Your point of view has always been published, minus the writer's name, unless it is someone from the board.  I fail to see what value any of you would get from attempting to disrupt this service.  For those who have tried, it is a bird's eye view of your character, and that of your cronies.

If you sent anything to The Wedgefield Examiner in the last two weeks, you'll need to resend it to:  mclaveloux@sc.rr.com.

RESIDENT RECEIVES ANSWER FROM THE WPA BOARD REGARDING POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO ROADS AND PROPERTY DUE TO ROAD WORK

Here is the letter from the board to the resident.  As always the resident name has been removed.



RESIDENT WRITES THE WPA BOARD REGARDING CURRENT ROAD PROJECT AND WHETHER ROADS DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS WILL BE REPAIRED

The letter is provided below.  As always, I've removed the name of the resident.



YOUR BOARD OFTEN EXHIBITS TOTAL DISREGARD FOR FOLLOWING OUR BY-LAWS, WHILE TRYING TO CONVINCE US THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING THEM. IN MOST CASES , IT IS JUST SMOKE AND MIRRORS, AS THEY TRY TO PULL THE WOOL OVER OUR EYES. WOULD THEY TRY AND CONVINCE US THAT THESE ARE POODLES? PROBABLY, IF THEY THOUGHT YOU'D BELIEVE THEM, AND LET THEM DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.



THE WEDGEFIELD EXAMINER'S VIEW OF THE 2014 ROAD REPAIR, COUPLED WITH THE FRUSTRATION OF A LITTLE HISTORY OF THREE OUT FOUR CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS FAILURE TO ACT IN OUR BEST INTERESTS

The $178,000 + 2014 Road Project is underway, has been for a few weeks.  I've been able to observe some of the work from my back porch, as the contractor is working across the canal, on Pine Grove.  Yesterday, I took a drive around some of the other sites and took pictures that will be added throughout the article. 

In general, we should all be proud of the efforts of Road Chair, Anderson.  First, if you have attended board meetings, you'll probably note that he took his time, followed the Reserve Study recommendations, and sought professional engineering, contract development and contractor procurement and oversight.  More than once, as he brought the project to the board table, some on this board questioned his process and the expense of the professionals. He appeared to patiently come back with answers.

Most of us don't have road repair in our background.  I suspect that most on this board don't either.  Anderson stated during a recent meeting that he didn't.  When in question follow the expert advise of the Reserve Study, we paid for it, and seek the help of professionals, and he did.  To the general observer, having been here during the mishandling of the 2011 road repair, it looks like a great job in process.  HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES - DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL SITES:

Pine Grove

 

 

William Screven

 

 

Possum Trot

 

 

Wedgefield Leading to Landing

 

 

Wedgefield Near Live Oak Intersection

 

 

Francis Parker Near Wedgefield Intersection

 

 

Entering Wedgefield After Circle

 

 

There is a major hitch to this project.  It is a familiar and frequent problem, and that is COMMUNICATION.  This well orchestrated project, by it's very nature, is lengthy and upsets the daily lives of the residents who live in these areas.  As the board approved the project, Garrison asked whether residents who were directly affected by the work, would be informed.  It was agreed that there would be notification. To my knowledge, and through a little further research, there wasn't any notification to affected residents by the board.  My street has some repair in two places and we didn't receive anything.  Additionally, a friend spoke to two residents in an area where a large project was in process - trees and roots cut, etc., and they didn't receive notification.

 

All residents affected by the work should have been notified as agreed.  If you don't live in one of these areas, you don't know that the process is relatively long - not dump, spread, and leave.  The noise is loud and constant.  It is messy and the machinery can be damaging.  The board should know that as residents, we want the work done right.  We are willing to put up with inconvenience, but we should know in advance and be provided some basic information.  We all know for instance that the WPA owns from the middle of the road, into our property.  Yet, we are responsible for day to day maintenance.  If that property is destroyed with big ruts, etc., who is going to do the work to bring it back to normal appearance?  If machinery, big machinery is parked there and on our real property and causes destruction, who fixes it?  Why is the machinery parked there anyway?  Remember, DeMarchi's staging area (??????) when storm damage clean up was completed on his favorite road first?  Why wasn't there a staging area?  HERE ARE SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT CAUSE QUESTION:

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early in the project a resident wrote the board about the contractor dumping debris at the end of Governor Johnston, in what appeared to be utility company property.  I have removed the resident's name (as always), and provided pictures of the mess I found at the site on 8/1/14.  HERE ARE THE LETTERS TO THE BOARD AND THE PICTURES.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

As we finish the article, we should put things in perspective.  First we thank Anderson for a fine job in securing the contractor, and what appears to be excellent road work.  This was an expensive and needed project.  Yes, residents affected should have been noticed by this board.  Yes, it looks like staging equipment could be a problem.  It may be one of those lessons learned regarding the project, but lack of truthful communication from this board is "same old, same old", and quite frankly, it could appear they want it that way.

 

There is a bigger lesson - bigger picture here.  Anderson handled this project as though he had observed previous projects, and learned.  He hasn't spoken, and we haven't asked, but he did the right thing.  He gets respect for that.  This whole board, Anderson, included, have watched too much go by, at times from current board members, who have a sorry history of doing what is right.  The have a deviant history of abusing anyone who tries to do the right thing.

 

This road project brought my mind back to the 2011 road project.  The total amount spent was around $29,000.  You have four current board members who were on the board then, and are now.  They are McMillin, Garrison, Jacky Walton, and John McBride.  During that project, it was proven that around $20,000 was handled without contract, the contractor didn't show for long periods of time, a contract was finally developed for the last piece of money by McMillin that gave a huge up front payment, and had no total amount on it.  A resident (not me), turned the project information over to the LLC and the contractor was fined. 

 

McBride kept asking the board to seek qualified contractors and engineering services for root and grass cut backs, etc.  In 2011 Garrison said this, "We've got plenty of stuff to do that doesn't take an engineer or a rocket scientist, or any body else to figure out where some of these holes are"  The Road Chair in 2011, who had already spent about $20,000 without a contract, with a contractor that the state eventually fined, said this before the vote for an additional $9,000, "I just want to finish this little chunk of CHANGE where the $9,000 with the guy we go and then kiss him goodbye."  No one listened to McBride, and McMillin, Garrison, and Jacky Walton voted to spend the "$9,000 "chunk change" on this project.

 

What happened to McBride, the questioning board member, then, and now?  Jacky Walton became President.  As such, he gets to name committee chairs.  It could appear that when you question this President, and it goes against what he and his cronies want, that he makes sure that you get the Welcome Committee, and nothing else.  If you question what his other favored - named by our President, committee chairs want, he assists in abusing you verbally at the board table, along with his named Legal Chair, "I'm not inclined to seek a legal opinion" -  Garrison, supported by a new player, DeMarchi, "no report", Compliance Chair.  As for McMillin, he'll sit by with the others on this current board, and vote with the cronies, like he did in 2011.

 

It should be noted that some of the major work that was done in 2011, is being redone now, with engineering involvement.  Not a "rocket scientist", Garrison, but it was necessary after all!

 

PLEASE NOTE:  I encourage you to go to the WPA website, under reports, and read the August 16, 2011 Corrected & Replaced Road Report"

 



 

 

 









LATER SATURDAY, AUGUST 2ND, A ROADS REPORT