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As voting day nears, residents should ponder the following information before casting their votes:
- With persistence Larry McMillan got his way. The board voted to allow him to reconfigure the parking lot to accommodate his driving deficiencies. Larry has difficulty backing his truck up without driving on the grass or making several maneuvers. During his presentation, Larry proposed eliminating the handicapped spot to enhance his plan because in the past several years, he's failed to see any disabled residents use them. (Wow!! Larry obviously never heard of the ADA). This project initially was going to cost residents $2500, but Larry misread the bid quote and mistakenly took the number 8 for a 3. His oopsy went unfazed and was approved by the members of the board for an additional $500.00. So if you have nothing scheduled for Monday, November 20th, bring your lawn chair to the HOA office and watch as Larry's parking lot is installed. Admission is only $3000 of your assessment money.
- While the board is willing to waste $3000 on a parking lot that NO ONE has complained about except the whiner Warry, Bob Garrison made a motion to remove the policy that provides residents with updated annual phone directories. This is despite the fact that for several years, with this year being the exception, they were of NO cost to the HOA. The printer sold advertising to pay the full freight of the books. The board stood in line and voted along side Bob to get rid of the waste of energy directories that benefit YOU. You probably won't see another directory after this year, so hang on to them.
- Last year a week before the election, the board members up for re-election joined a large group of residents to help clean up the golf course after Hurricane Matthew. Most of them postured on heavy equipment while the residents did the heavy lifting of tree trunks and the like. This year there will be more posturing as the golf course cleanup is scheduled for November 4th. Don't let this display of manipulation suck you in. Where were these board members this summer when residents were volunteering their time and money to mow the golf course and Butch Williams assumed the role of both board president and vice president to organize and oversee a community mowing program? I guess it was too hot out to campaign in June, July, and August.
- The board is getting ready for another canal dredge. They held a meeting exclusively for canal owners to discuss the plan. Other residents need not attend, it's none of your business. 15% of our annual assessments go to the canal reserves. As of July 31, 2017, there was $140,379.16 in reserves. (There has been no updated figure since this date). Think about it, what have we non-canal lot owners gotten this year? Stop signs? NO, Anderson's brain is still smoking from mulling that one over. Speed bumps? NO, they are dragging this issue out to a community vote (a voting process that is staffed with a few committee members knee deep in conflicts of interest). Clearing of common drainage ditches? I don't think so. HOA funds utilized to mow the golf course and keep it looking aesthetically pleasing? HELL NO, let them eat crow. How about something as cheap and simple as new holiday decorations? NAH!, we can get another decade of use out of those faded plastic pumpkins and who says the wooing scarecrows never get old? But guarantee, the dredging will get done. Is the board skimping on us to please a few? The board tries to tell you that the canals are maintained for the enjoyment of the community. If we are going to pay for this "enjoyment," how about boating parties on the canals? I'm all in. Remember, if McMillan and Vasey get on the board, the majority of the members will be canal owners.
- During the Candidate's Night Meet and Greet, Steve Vasey was unable to answer a few questions because he naturally assumed he would be heading up the ARC and anything else was irrelevant to his role. It's possible that he never read the by-laws, policies, or covenants based on his (lack of) performance. He says doing the job of the ARC will be easy because of his work experience in the construction field. But how is someone this unprepared going to perform on the job? Is he an extension of what is wrong with our current board?.... you may not be afforded the same privileges as others. How will his project approvals change the landscape of Wedgefield, will it add value to our community, and will they fall within the regulations based on his comprehension of the policies?
- Bob Garrison wants to remove the policy that mandates the hiring of a CPA to oversee the HOA bookkeeping. He wants to save the $150.00 a month they are paying a CPA currently on contract. During the July board meeting, Bob introduced Wedgefield's new bookkeeper (and his personal friend of several years) to attending residents. He apparently believes that this hire is sufficiently meeting the accounting needs of the community. With ALL due respect to this bookkeeper and with NO accusations whatsoever being passed regarding her work performance or qualifications, this move only raises questions, whether warranted or not. So why is Bob so arrogant that he believes he can get away with skimping on us again and manipulating important policies of this magnitude?
You don't have to vote for 3 candidates just because there are 3 open seats. You can do a write in. Or just vote for 1 or 2.... or 3 if you have confidence in the current board and their performance. But please don't just blindly fill out your ballot without looking at all the candidates carefully and the issues that could have a negative impact on the future of our community. But most important, VOTE!!! It's important that everyone participates in this election cycle.
