PLEASE NOTE: Member residents if you have a comment, or concern - agree or not, you are welcome to write the blog at: wedgefieldexaminerthe@yahoo.com As always, I will remove your name - any identifying information, and publish it.
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The following is provided to the best of my ability. I took notes during the meeting. To confirm the information for yourself, please check for the recording at The Wedgefield Times website, when it becomes available. The tapes of meetings were provided on the WPA website for years. Your board no longer provides the tapes - another article. COMMENTS will be provided in red at the end of the article.
HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE VACANT LOT NEXT TO MY PROPERTY, TAKEN THIS MORNING, WONDERFUL! NOT A THING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, UNTIL YOU HEAR THE JANUARY GROUNDS REPORT!
It looks pretty good doesn't it? It has looked this way since early December because it was mowed, and then went dormant. Remember the word dormant. The lot owner is a good neighbor. They contract, and pay a fee to the WPA to keep it mowed. The WPA builds the mowing and associated revenues into the grounds contractor's contract. Each lot owner who has purchased the services for grassy lots is to receive 4 cuttings. McMillin, grounds chair, supervises the cuttings.
The lots under these contracts were left to grow to heights as high as five feet, as measured by myself, and reported in letters by other residents. I took pictures of the one next to me, and several others in the community during the 2016 GROWING season. A few residents, including myself, sent letters to the board. Here are a few of those pictures for verification.
Now, to the irksome January 2017grounds report, given by McMillin. He reported that everything was looking pretty good, and that these lots were DORMANT now. Later, he went on to say that it was time to seek bids for the new grounds contract, and there would be some changes to the contract regarding vacant lots, and that the grassy lots would probably be the only vacant lots considered for the contracts, because these were the ones that people were most concerned about. If you aren't aware, the WPA had contracts with owners of wooded lots, at a different fee. As McMillin gets into discussion he reminds the board that there are still cuttings that have not been performed on the grassy lots in this last contract, but he is going to work them in between now, and the new contract start. He has until the end of February. Basically, McMillin is going to blow through the balance of the contracts, mowing lots that are dormant - don't need it, when he neglected them to 5 feet heights during the GROWING SEASON. What kind of management is that? Your board is charged with following the governing documents regarding the maintenance by property owners, to maintain a community standard! We have none, but the games of this board! Even when residents pay an additional fee, and contract to meet standard, your board fails them, and our community! That board just sat there, and let it happen - AGAIN! The other board members have been ignoring this kind of ignorant governance from each other to get the votes needed at the board table (when they bother to vote from the board table at all) for years! Our community has finally reached such decay that it is hardly noticeable!
Think this is picky? Hardly! It speaks to not only what the board allows, but what you allow without question, and the will to make changes to bring our community back. I use the term illegal, because it violates our covenants, restrictions, and by-laws. When I used that term on even a more serious violation at the January board meeting, board member Anderson smirked, and told me "to call the police". This board governs with favors to some, and penalty to those they don't like, all while flitting in, and out of our governing documents!
We'll stay with lot mowing. Last fall McMillin announced at a board meeting that he had 5 lots bush hogged in a certain area that all belonged to one owner, and that he had sent the bill to the owner. He further stated that he was sick and tired of hearing about those lots. These lots are not under contract by the WPA. Initially, I thought - GOOD. Then I thought what kind of blatant inconsistency is this? They don't maintain lots - grow to 5 feet - yet they use the governing documents when it suits them, to step in mow, and charge those who neglect as they are. I took it a step further and drove over to see the 5 bush hogged lots. They were mowed, but what was more concerning was that there was another set of multiple lots next to them, that were wild and high, and they hadn't been touched. I'm not naming the resident of the set that were mowed, or the one whose lots were left over grown with no fines. I have been following these things for a long time. The second lot owner is a long time friend to this board and their moves, and motives. If we had a decent, true to governing documents board (a few members who stood up for Wedgefield), I would ask where ARC, LEGAL, COMPLIANCE, AND OUR PRESIDENT WAS. AS DEMONSTRATED SO MANY TIMES, THAT WOULD BE A WASTE OF MY TIME, AND EFFORTS!
