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I haven't posted in a while, despite the fact that the canal dredging, and so many issues here in Wedgefield have been on my mind. I continue to deal with serious family medical issues here, and with state departments, attorneys in two states, on behalf of my youngest daughter. My article today may appear to be abrupt, and written in haste, but a visit to my home today by a canal committee member (not a board member), brought me to the key board. An immediate decision and a call for action is needed to make a decision about whether my husband and I will contribute the $4000 to dredge.
The visit by the canal committee member "CC" (won't print name in full - my decision to protect the innocent), was informative, direct, and identified an emergency with the proposed dredging. "CC" explained to me that although the current 10 year permit contains language that indicates that we could ask for an extension on the permit, that in reality the committee has been informed that we can't. Why? In layman's language - think I got this right, Wedgefield was issued a 10 year permit, when usually a permit is good for 5 years. 5 year permits do have an extension process. 10 year permits do not, despite the fact that our 10 year permit contains language in issuance that speaks to extension. We are all now placed in the position, that if we are forced to rush to dredge now, we must pay the $4000 each. If not, we will lose the benefit of the $162,000 canal lot owners voluntarily paid for almost 10 years ago.
I didn't beleaguer "CC" with questions about when the board and committee knew this. Quite frankly, as a member of the canal committee, I don't know how "CC" drew the short straw to come to the home of Madeline Y. Claveloux, and present this information. He, along with all of you are aware that I refused to pay the $400 required to move forward with the current dredge proposal, in open protest of the ILLEGAL - AGAINST OUR GOVERNING DOCUMENTS FOR YEARS, BY THIS BOARD IN THE LEAD UP TO THE RESERVE ACCOUNT FOR DREDGING, LACK OF VOTES FROM THE BOARD TABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE DREDGING, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE BOARD'S MACHINATIONS OF OUR GOVERNANCE IS SICKENING, AND UNFAIR TO ANY MEMBER WHEREVER YOU LIVE IN THIS ASSOCIATION. I can't hold him responsible. He didn't live here during the years leading up to the last dredging, and all the lawsuit entanglements, etc. I do hold long existing board and canal committee members responsible for this miserable mess. I blame Anderson, John Walton, president Walton, McMillin, Garrison, and former board members DeMarchi, and Cline, for not only this mess, but the general distruction of Wedgefield's governance.
I can't make this long, so we have to go to the moment of the current decision. Should you as a canal lot owner pay the $4000 to let this dredging go forward, and deal with the illegalities of this board later? My immediate thought was yes! Surprised? Don't be! That permit cost canal lot owners $162,000. Most of us gave gave every time we were asked. Some of us paid a bigger human cost than most, and were caught in lawsuits for about 3 1/2 to 4 years, and paid additional monies to counter sue. I hold the people who fought and paid up front along side me then and stood tall in the moment, who now walk around going "it was wrong, we'll do it better this time, in every aspect of the new dredge". Those people are MC MILLIN, ANDERSON, AND JOHN WALTON. GARRISON HAS LEAD THE CHARGE TO THIS POINT, AND THESE PEOPLE HAVE FOLLOWED HIM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY SUED HIM, IN THE LAST DREDGING, AND TURNED THIS PLACE UPSIDE DOWN WHILE DOING IT, AND HARMED GOOD PEOPLE'S WEDGEFIELD PUBLIC IMAGE AND BROKE UP STRONG FRIENDSHIPS WITH THEIR DISTORTIONS OF THE TRUTH OF GOVERNANCE.
I attended the canal meeting hosted at the WPA office about a week ago. In general the meeting was disheartening. While the attendance count would be between 40 and 50 people, only about 20 - 25 canal lots were represented, as most of the people there were couples. We were told that 50 of the 79 canal lots paid the $400. Your charming canal committee provided a map of the canals and lots, and published the lots with the names of people who failed to pay the $400. No problem to me, I'll stand front and center when I make a decision. Righteous people within the audience called the 29 non payers FREELOADERS! There was only two board members at the speakers table that evening - Anderson and John Walton. Where were the rest of the board? Those who have had plenty to say about the dredging along this miserable way - Garrison, Jacky Walton, McMillin, Keith Johnson, were hiding in the office. They didn't come out and speak, or take questions. They were accompanied by Phillips - surprise, surprise. One resident, who was here for the long ugly history of the permit, last dredging - and actively, and valiantly worked during that period, had a question from the floor. It centered around the permit - the process to seek the extension, the delays by this board in coming to a vote in previous - recent board meetings. The resident was getting no answers, never really did. The resident finally said the equivalent of - listen the most important thing right now is getting the extension on the permit. Time is of the essence, and finally the resident said that there were 5 canal lot owners sitting on the board. They had 5 votes to push forward a motion to seek to secure the extension, would they use their votes? The resident never got an answer. Those at the speakers table looked at the floor. It is moments like this, that I ask you, how can you support these guys, and anything they have said to you in the last 2 years (minimum).
As to whether I'm going to write the check for $4000 to save the permit, and therefore the dredging, I will decide after Tuesday's board meeting. I suggest to each and everyone of the lot owners who haven't paid the $4000, that you attend the meeting, and make your decision, if two things happen at that meeting. As of today, according to what I gathered from "CC", only 15 canal lot owners have paid the $4000. That leaves 64 canal lot owners who have a decision to make. I suggest that at least one, or two of you do the following, and get answers from the board table, at Tuesday's meeting.
1) One of you, write the board today, and ask Water Amenities Chair, John Walton to include in his report from the board table, the date that the board and committee knew that they couldn't seek an extension on the permit?
2) One of you write the board, and ask John Walton, McMillin, or Anderson, to bring a motion, discussion, and a vote to be recorded in the minutes, as to whether the board is going to continue to contribute funds at 15% after 2019 for future dredging. Will the the unused funds from this dredging if completed, be held in the canal dredging reserve? This is important, and should be to everyone, particularly you new canal lot owners who may not realize that if this current dredging is allowed, that you are one storm away - and we've had them back to back, two years in a row, silting in the canals, and this dredge has been advertised, as the last dredge, because the spoil site won't be able to be used again. That doesn't mean that we may have to pay a bigger price next time, and we won't have to work with having the dredge materials hauled out of here.
NOTICE TO ALL OTHER NON CANAL LOT OWNERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ON THE GOLF COURSE. There was fun at your expense at that last canal owners meeting. The righteous in the group wondered where you were. They said you should be contributing voluntarily, and assisting, because some on the canals helped pay for the mowing expense. After all they said, that when we had flooding from the storms, and most drainage from the association and the golf course came into our canals, we saved many of you from flooding with our canals.
Get to the next board meeting - this coming Tuesday. Let's see whether anyone was brave enough to ask this board to answer these questions? I won't write my check, until I have those answers, and you shouldn't either. Board, and canal committee, answer these questions, and I'll run to write the check and save the permit.
PS: Thank you "CC" for your integrity, and for being brave enough to knock on the door of my home, and discuss this.
