The Wedgefield Examiner took notes during the December WPA board meeting, and provides the following information to the best of my ability. As always, take the time to verify information for yourself by listening to the tape of the meeting provided at The Wedgefield Times, as your board no longer provides the recordings, or much of anything on their website. COMMENTS from the Wedgefield Examiner will be noted as such, and be typed in RED. If you have a comment you would like to share (we remove your name) - agree or disagree, you are welcome to send it to: wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00PM by president Walton. Board members in attendance: president Walton, Ebert, John Walton, Phillips, Anderson, McMillin. Board members absent: Cline, Garrison, Johnson. Members in attendance - 7.
Minutes were approved for the following meetings:
1) October 6 - CLOSED MEETING - regarding hiring of new office staff person, and a couple of things regarding landscaping. Comments: "the couple of things regarding landscaping" should have been handled in an open meeting. It appears this is when the board awarded a contract to a new landscaper who would finish 6-7 months of a landscaping contract. We don't know how the board selected the contractor, and the contract awards for grounds have been questionable at best. Additionally, then this very contractor was hired to do storm clean up. We have no idea of the discussion regarding that contract, or other related subcontracts.
Vice president's report - read by president Walton, in Garrison's absence:
It was reported that the golf course was in escrow with local groups who would reinstate the golf course, and involve the community, and would close at the end of the month. Comments: We don't know the date the report was written. We hope that it is correct, and that recent rumors of a delay are just that rumors.
Treasurers report:
The treasurer reported the following balances in reserves:
1) Emergency - $29,390.01* see note
2) Roads - $118,803.00
3) Drainage - $10,682.08
4) Marina - $12,819,82
5) Canals - $113,301.39
6) Landscaping - $46,497.45
*Note: The treasurer reported that $25,000 had been moved from operating to emergency funds to cover the expense of storm clean up.
Finance report:
The treasurer reported that in preparation to send out the 2017 assessments that they were working to restore lost data, and the assessments would be mailed the last week of December.
Drainage report:
Jacky Walton reported that there were a couple of problems. The first was on Wedgefield Village Road. A ditch had filled in, and was flooding some condo units during heavy rains. He then reported that during the process of a lot being sold on Joanna Gillard Lane, after a survey, a drainage pipe was found going directly across the property. Comments: Much of our drainage work has been done by the seat of the board's declaration of "we have the expertise. We don't need engineers". I wasn't surprised to hear that a pipe ran right through the middle of a lot. A few years back, they ran a pipe right across a private road in that area, and argued with the owner of several lots on the road that they had the right to do it. Could this be part of that miscreant job?
Water amenities:
John Walton made the report in a couple of areas.
1) There has been storm damage in the landing area, and the canals. Trees are down and obstructing navigation, and will need to be removed.
2) To date, $17,800 has been collected toward the $20,000 needed for the first phase of the dredging effort. Several have said they would pay after the holidays. Some Wedgefield residents off the canals have asked why they weren't asked to contribute. Contributions from them would be welcomed. Comments: There are 79 canal lot properties. To date, approximately 45 have contributed. Each canal lot owner was asked in August to contribute $400 for the first stage of the effort. The following is a quote from the committee's handout to canal lot owners regarding the $400 -"While the exact cost of dredging is not yet unknown, the engineering and surveying cost are approximately $20,000. The rough dredging bids we have range from $210,000 to just over $600,000. We want to raise this money in two phases with the engineering phase first. Our goal is to ask for voluntary contributions of $400 per lot. Once the engineering work is complete, we will know an exact figure for phase 2. The money we raise will be held in an account at Anderson Brothers Bank. The checks will be 2 signee checks and a complete accounting of all incoming and out going funds will be kept with complete transparency. All of these tractions will be reported in depth at the monthly WPA meetings and all bookkeeping will be available to be viewed at any time by any contributor. If for any reason the project is abandoned, the money will returned to the contributor. However, the survey money once contracted, will not be." As of this date, I, as a canal lot owner, will not contribute, or participate, until a open, legal, ethical plan is presented. Briefly, board member Anderson has put in writing to me that there was no vote from the board table to commit up to $135,000 to the effort. The commitment was made in a private, undisclosed meeting between the committee, and the president and vice president. Illegal! The committee would not allow non canal lot owners to attend the information meeting to canal lot owners. The written plan speaks to last dredge - good for 10 to 15 years, and no plan to care for the canals beyond this dredge. Finally, because this committee just wants what they want now, and appear to not care for the future, they don't legally, and ethically disclose all. For instance, I'm told - rumor, that we should be concerned about this ENGINEERING phase, because it is believed that they are not engineers, but surveyors. I simply don't trust this group with the future of the canals, and their avoidance of truth, and closed meetings, and total disregard for our governing documents. A little later in this report you'll see just how inept, and untruthful they are. Beware of investing in a promise for Wedgefield that simply isn't a investment in progress, but a pig in a poke.
3) Then John Walton moved to a report on the spoil site. He starts by saying that the maintenance has been NEGLECTED! He goes on to say that it is OVERGROWN, and suggested a burn, and that it must be completed by March. He makes a motion requesting a controlled burn. He states it would be rather COSTLY. Anderson seconds the motion! Jacky Walton wants to know what the alternative is. Someone at the board table says what they need is a driver tract (my best guess because I'm not familiar with the equipment). It would be expensive because they would have to get it out there. The words again, that the spoil site was NEGLECTED. Now, McMillin says, "WE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEMS WERE WITH THAT". No one from that board table acknowledges what THEY KNEW. McMillin goes on to say that he'll get Howard Landscaping out there - a crew of 4 with CHAIN SAWS. Someone says the trees have to come down. Jacky Walton says that he is concerned. He states that there was a problem near water in the condo area where a burn was tried. He states he doesn't want a wind change, and a Wedgefield house to burn down. Another board member says that it is expensive to do a PROFESSIONAL CONTROLLED BURN, AND THERE WASN'T ANY MONEY FACTORED INTO THE PROJECT FOR THIS. The motion is tabled until next month when more investigation into cost, etc. can be developed. Comments: Some of you find me to be hard on this board. I have no patience for people who fail to follow the governing documents, who exercise their power using my money foolishly, and lie to me thinking I am too stupid to see through it! This is where I live - my home, and I am sick and tired of losing value, and reputation to where I live, because of fools. How did this NEGLECT HAPPEN? Your entire board, their mismanagement - failure to follow sound business contracting - oversight - arrogance - and total disregard for our governing documents. Most of this NEGLIGENCE rests on McMillin's shoulders, and on the heads of every board member for allowing it, because they all ignore what each other does, and for sure McMillin's opps! The maintenance of the spoil site resides in the grounds contract. I believe that it called for 2 clean ups a year. We don't know what he puts out to bid in his requests for proposals. We don't know how he contracts, and selects. His vendors just appear, after some CLOSED MEETING, and your board just lets it all happen, because many of them are just as bad. McMillin lied to me, during a recent open meeting. When your board gave Southern Lawns an approval on a second year contract with a raise, knowing they were going to be fired on a condo contract, I had some questions. I directly asked McMillin about the spoil site maintenance. I asked if the terms of contract had been met the previous year, and current year, and he stated YES! Forget the fact that he won't look at you, makes gestures, and has total disregard for any respectful treatment of a questioning resident, who followed the rules of when you could question. I won't contribute to an illegal, mismanaged project!
As to whether I'm concerned about your board, or McMillin's nasty retaliation to a resident who isn't afraid to speak out when things are this bad. I'm not concerned. They have allowed, participated, and condoned crude, rude, retaliation against me. Here was one of McMillin's. One of his family members painted it with my house number on it. Your board met with him for three hours, after complaints were received, and he refused to take it down. The board later reported that they had received one complaint - NOT TRUE, and it was VIEWED as a Christmas display. Merry Christmas - McMillin, and WPA BOARD STYLE. WANT ONE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
