THE WPA AUGUST 18 BOARD MEETING: HIGHLIGHTS

NOTE:  I will relate what occurred to the best of my ability.  As always, I highly suggest that you go to the tape of the meeting at the WPA website, or The Wedgefield Times, to verify information for yourself.  COMMENTS, are provided at the end of the article, and noted as such.

The meeting was called to order with 7 board members at the table.  Present:  McMillin, Anderson, Cline, DeMarchi, John Walton, Garrison, and President Walton.  Absent:  Ebert, and Johnson.  9 members attended the meeting.

HIGHLIGHTS:

*The minutes of the July meeting were unanimously approved, despite the fact that the copy provided in each board member packet was incorrect.  When a board member asked if each board member had received the correct copy via email, prior to the meeting, Garrison laughed and said that some board members claim that they don't have email.  

*President's Report:
President Walton, announced that there were three people who had turned their resumes in to run for board.  They are the same three people on the board, whose terms are ending - DeMarchi, Anderson, and John Walton.

*Vice President's Report:
Garrison reported that while the nominating process is complete, that he had concern that with an uncontested election, residents might not vote.  It is important that we all turn in our proxies, or vote the day of the election, because there are important items on the ballot, and if enough people don't vote, and there isn't a quorum, we'd have to have a do over.

*Secretary's Report:
Cline reported that all the printing for the annual meeting packets would be done in house.  A motion was made and passed, to purchase the necessary supplies, not to exceed $1,700.

Cline announced that Peggy Phillips would serve as the election inspector, and named the following as the election committee:  D. Aguilera, C. McBride, J. & M. Sasso, V. Segelken, M.Cavanaugh, S. Hastings.  She would like two more people.

*Treasurer's Report:
DeMarchi announced that the 2016 proposed budget had been presented to the board, and would be voted on in September.  The budget was based on 2016 assessments at $525.00.  Discussion by Garrison, brought concern about the assessment, and it was agreed that DeMarchi would redo the proposed budget based on the assessment staying at $500.00.  

Articles will follow regarding the confusing, and proposed changes to the percent of allocation to each of the categories of the reserves.  Safe to say, regarding the 2015 budget, funds from Marina, Landscaping, and Drainage, will be reallocated to a total of $101,000, to Roads.  This may allow the board to contract with the recently approved road contractor, and complete more of the areas on the road repair list.  Last month, the board approved over $150,000 for a road contract that would repair 13 areas, on a list of over 25.  

As the board was discussing the reallocation of percentage of reserve categories, a resident in the audience yelled, "take it from canals".

*Legal Report:  
Garrison reported that the board had received 3 proposed  changes to our governing documents, for the annual meeting ballot.  They would be forwarded to the attorney for review.  This wasn't to determine whether they were good ideas, or not, but whether they were legal.  Briefly, they are:

1) By-Law change to require the board to contract with a CPA to perform bookkeeping/accounting functions (my words).  Garrison  stated that this was about the third time this was presented for a vote.  (Comment:  Thanks persistent resident!)

2)  By-Law addition, that would require the board to take canal dredging to a full membership vote, if it were proposed.

3)  Covenant proposal, that would allow changes to the covenants, with a vote of 60% of the eligible voters, rather than the 100%, currently required.

It should be noted that the board held a closed meeting, to discuss "legal issues", and Garrison did not report that the meeting was held, who attended, or what it was about.

*Drainage Report:
DeMarchi opened a bid for proposed work on Francis Parker, and Joanna Gillard Lane, for $600, and made a motion to award a contract to the bidder.  The motion passed unanimously.

Grounds' Report:
The most important part of this report, given by McMillin, is that a bid to fix the exterior of the gatehouse, not to exceed $4,400 was opened, a motion made, and approved to go to contract.  The work would include items such as putting in the windows that have been in storage for over two years, extension of roof line, gutters and down spouts, filling in of openings in brick grout, new doors and frames, etc.  (Comment:  This is like the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The good - finally it looks like credible work will be done.  The bad - it has taken two years, conflict of interest, and a some what prior, appearance of corruptness, and poor board management to get to this point.  The ugly - even when you think you've gotten past the poor management issues, McMillin would like to give the contractor money in advance, if you had looked at a road contract he authored a few years ago, you'd have had fear in your head for what he proposed.  Cline, President Walton, and Garrison, spoke against it.  Thank you!)

*The Bookkeeping Proposal:
DeMarchi presented two bids.  One was for $600 a month, and the other from the CPA who had performed our audit for the last two years, in the amount of $150.00 a month.  A motion was made, and passed to go to contract with the $150.00/month.  We'll do an article later on.

*A Resident's Comments, Brings DeMarchi Back To Speed Bumps!
During resident comments, the resident who has spoken about speed bumps three months consecutively, stated that he wasn't asking for speed bumps, but continued to have concerns for the dangers of turning left from the stop sign, at the corner of Wraggs Ferry, and Wedgefield.  DeMarchi stated that he had consulted several entities, all of which indicated that speed bumps were the answer, and he felt that it should take a vote of the FULL board.  (Comment:  DeMarchi can not let speed bumps GO.  The board voted with 8 members at the table.  The vote was 4-4, and the motion was not approved.  If he can't accept that, then the question to him is, "What are you proposing to do about ALL the votes that have been taken with less than nine members at the table, with a quorum, or is this nonsense just because it didn't go your way?

THE END, EXCEPT FOR THIS.  MORE ARTICLES WILL FOLLOW, BUT IT IS TIME TO GET THE HIGHLIGHTS UP!

AUGUST 18: THE WPA BOARD MEETING

HERE'S THE AGENDA.  WILL YOU ATTEND?

WPA MONTHLY MEETING AGENDA August 18, 2015
Call to Order – President
Attendance - President
Quorum- Secretary
Approve – All Board Members- Approve July 2015 minutes
Officer Reports
President – Jacky Walton 
Vice President – Bob Garrison 
Secretary –Janine Cline 
Treasurer – Al DeMarchi
Committee Reports
ARC – Keith Johnson
Legal – Bob Garrison
Finance – Al DeMarchi 
Communications- Janine Cline 
Community Liaison- Adam Anderson 
Welcome Committee- Inge Ebert Drainage – Al DeMarchi
Water Amenities- John Walton 
Roads- Adam Anderson 
Condo Liaison- Inge Ebert 
Grounds – Larry McMillin 
Compliance- Bob Garrison
Old Business

•   2nd reading Policy, Section XIV- Welcome Committee
  Section XIV- To Add: 1.05- The committee may mail sympathy or condolence cards to the families of WPA members who pass away upon receipt of notice of the member's passing."
  
  
•   Bookkeeper proposals
  
•   Gatehouse Proposal
  
  New Business
   Security Camera at Entrance
   Notification of the next Monthly Meeting- September 15, 2015
  Comment Section- Resident Comments Adjourn – Jacky Walton 
  

OUR WPA PRESIDENT HAS CALLED FOR A CLOSED BOARD MEETING TO DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES. WHY? WHERE'S THE MEETING THAT GARRISON REQUESTED TO FILL THE VACANT ACCOUNTING POSITION?

FROM THE WPA WEBSITE:
"President Walton has called a closed Board Meeting on Monday August 10th at 7:00 pm at the WPA office. The reason is Legal Issues."

WHY A CLOSED MEETING?  HERE IS WHAT A PREVIOUS BOARD ATTORNEY OF RECORD SAID ABOUT THESE MEETINGS:
April 11, 2011:  "I reiterate my advice to the Board to refrain from conducting business in executive session.  There are very few purposes of conducting meetings which are not OPEN TO THE MEMBERSHIP.  Members may be prevented from participating in the meeting, BUT THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND."

MAY 14, 2011:  "My advice WAS, and ALWAYS WILL BE, that executive sessions only need to be held in the most narrow of circumstances."

To the best of my knowledge, this is the last written legal opinion from a board attorney of record, regarding closed meetings.  What legal issues are there, that could not be discussed in front of the membership?  Currently, three board members sit on the board today, that sat on the board when these opinions were rendered.  They are President Walton, Legal/Compliance Chair, Garrison, and Grounds Chair, McMillin.  During their years of tenure on the board, they have seen this board discuss the canal lawsuits, threats of prison time to two female board members, denial of resident rights by the board to call for a recall of 5 board members utilizing state law (right verified by the board attorney of record), and residents publicly called idiots, morons, dumb as another resident, unauthorized video taping of residents, etc., and a board member slugging a member, exiting a board meeting.  What could be so delicate that we cannot hear, or see our board at work?  Nothing!

Perhaps, it is the canal owner who refused to pay the canal assessment lawsuit.  Can't be.  Your board voted to settle it.  Shouldn't we all know what they are up to now, or is it another done deal, settlement, on the tail end of this type of legal issue?

I've been waiting for notice of another board meeting, hopefully "OPEN", for the board to discuss a replacement for the accounting function contractor, who has been gone for "months and months", and our treasurer failed to inform us from the board table.  During the July meeting, Garrison asked our treasurer to take steps, get moving with correcting the vacancy, and call the board together to discuss it, around the first of August.