The Wedgefield Examiner will provide a series of reports on the WPA February Board Meeting over the next week. I couldn't resist posting a beautiful flower from last year's garden, and a favorite appropriate quote before we begin. We'll start with good news, provided immediately after the following pictures. The first - beautiful nature makes me smile. The second a quote, hopefully will get residents concerned about the real "state of the union of Wedgefield", off their chairs, and moving to do something in behalf of improving the place we call home - Wedgefield.
The good news is that between 25 - 30 residents attended the February WPA Board Meeting. Good news? Yes, that is how low on the good participation/resident concern rating scale we have to go. Realize that at recent meetings, I believe that we had fewer residents than board members, in the room. The resident comment section brought members raising their hands, and discussing the golf course situation. They had ideas of what they would like to see done today, and their thoughts on possibilities for the future. Some were willing to take charge of their idea, and try and gather some financial support from others to clean things up.
Thank goodness for that, because the board mouth piece - Garrison, who appears to speak for the entire board on all issues, didn't appear to want to do anything. As residents/members, we should be afraid of the Garrison syndrome in this association. Where is the individual thought, presentation of discussion by individual board members, before these sweeping proclamations by Garrison on the "state of the Wedgefield union", board policy, the law ???????(verbal rather than written opinion), etc. It appears as though this board has no individual board member thought, or action - it all comes from Garrison's mouth, and usually it does not reflect our governing documents, or the best interests of all who live in Wedgefield. He divides us - canal lot owners, golf course lot owners, condo owners - and best of all sometimes he refers to "his constituency". His constituency doesn't even bother to attend meetings in mass anymore. They stay home, apparently from his side line assurance that he has things under control. Do you forget the days, when we would have over 80 people at meetings - his group disrupting meetings, paid security, etc? It appears that he has these board members under control, and is operating in every arena of Wedgefield's concerns, with total disregard for our governing documents, good governance, and sound business judgement.
So I had a few rays of hope after attending the February WPA Board meeting. 1) There were more people in attendance to witness the travesty of our board meetings. 2) Those in attendance - many spoke up during the proper time - resident comments - respectfully - and presented their ideas. 3) Some actually had the beginnings of a plan of action. The fourth ray of hope deserves a paragraph all by itself.
As I walked out from the meeting, I talked to a few residents. One fairly new resident (for you info - no long term friend of mine), said "Who are these people (the board)? Where did they get them from? They don't represent me! You could put a real lawyer in these board meetings full time, and they wouldn't find most of what they did tonight legal." Yes, a new set of eyes, and ears, untainted by the likes of me, and yet appears to be concerned for the future of Wedgefield, our current rapid decline of neighborhood, and assets, and the behavior and actions of this board.
Stay tuned for the articles regarding the WPA February Board Meeting.
