HOW MUCH PROGRESS CAN BE MADE ON THE CLEAN UP WITH THOSE TOY TRUCKS & WAGONS???? WHY ARE THEY WORKING IN WHAT COULD APPEAR TO BE LITTLE STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, BEFORE THEY CLEAN UP THE MASS ROUTES IN AND OUT OF HERE?

I took my daily ride today to check up on how the clean up is progressing.  With paper and pen in hand I made notes and believe I went down almost every street in Wedgefield.  I started at the water and went all the way down to the condo area.  I encourage you to make the trip.  First there doesn't seem to be any real logical plan, second the legitimate debris on our main streets, Wraggs Ferry and Wedgefield is unbelievable.  It is ugly and could be dangerous on these narrow roads.  There are curves on both Wraggs Ferry and Wedgefield where it is difficult to know what is coming at you, often over the mid line, that with current piles, are making things worse. 

Why are we doing streets like Haig Ct., Captain Anthony White, Patriot Ct, before we take care of the roads that are traveled by all of us????  There is no pattern - Haig Court is on the other end of the association and impacts very few people. Can't wait for the trumped up answer to this! This could appear to be nothing more than favoritism by our Treasurer/Duke.  What other reason could there be?

Who put the Treasurer in charge of this project?  It appears from the outside that he is running this show.  I realize the Grounds Chair had a health problem, but he was at the meetings on the 12th and 18th.  The Duke has his hands in everything - Treasurer, Compliance, Legal, ARC, Drainage, and now this mad grab??????

As I rode around today, I didn't see any big trucks.  There were two pick up trucks dragging, in one case rental trailers the size of wagons!  None of the equipment said S & W. One truck said "Custom Builders" and the other - "Carolina Outdoors".  The wagons/trailers said "Come Back Rentals".  At 11:30am, I didn't see one S&W vehicle.  What is going on here?

Additionally, how are we ever going to get this done quickly, cost effective, with residents digging out ornamental grasses with all their weight, prunings, items that the storm couldn't possibly have damaged?  Take a drive, I've seen it for myself.

I've provided a the association map and colored in RED the areas served, to the best of my ability.  I'll continue to try and update it daily.  You should take a drive around and verify it for yourself.  NOTE:  THIS ALL BEGAN AT THE CENTER OF CONCERN OF OUR TREASURER, AT THE DUKEDOM, RATHER THAN THE CENTER OF OUR ASSOCIATION - THE CIRCLE, WEDGEFIELD ROAD, AND WRAGGS FERRY!

YOUR BOARD HAS SCHEDULED ANOTHER OPEN BOARD MEETING.THE AGENDA - DISCUSS & APPROVE MORE FUNDS FOR CLEAN UP. HOW CAN THAT BE, WHEN THEY'VE DONE SO LITTLE?

NOTE:  THE DEBRIS PILE WILL APPEAR EVERY DAY ON THE BLOG WITH COMMENTS, UNTIL YOUR BOARD TAKES CARE OF CLEAN UP FOR ALL OF US, AND NOT JUST THE DUKEDOM!

 

There is a sign near the office announcing yet another open board meeting.  The WPA official website announces the following "OPEN BOARD MEETING, February 26, 2014 @ 7:00pm at the WPA office.  AGENDA:  discussing & approving additional money for storm clean up."  It appears that the message on the WPA website was posted on February 21st.

 

From what I've seen while driving around the association, the only work completed by the 21st, was the Enclave (The Dukedom, special project area for our Treasurer.) and the Francis Parker area.  Your board approved up to $8,000 to start.  They started late and in an area (DUKEDOM) that provided the least benefit to the greater membership. There was some, very little, work today on Wedgefield Rd. Why is there a money problem this early, as early as the 21st?  Your board deserves this skepticism for a number of reasons.  Your board approved up to $8,000 the night of the storm (Feb. 12).  They failed to give any real detail at the February 18th board meeting.  They had hired this contractor, knew the rate per, said it was OK if people threw non storm debris items on the pile, and never told us when, who, and how this vendor was selected, or how he would be charging us.  Additionally they knowingly added to the cost by allowing residents to throw other debris on the pile.  This is our money they are spending and it doesn't look like they have handled it in the best interests of the general membership.

 

Again, take a drive by board member homes.  One for sure is adding non storm debris to the pile.  Most of the damage was done by pine trees.  There are little to no pine trees in his yard and not much in the pile by the road. His debris (lots) is mainly blunt cut tree limbs (non pine), and includes a shrub that was dug out and laid out there with the whole root ball.  See for yourself.  Your board has been unfair to all of us who follow the rules.  How much is this generosity adding to the bill we all have to pay?





THREE NEW ARTICLES WERE ADDED THIS WEEKEND

A LETTER TO THE BOARD: WILL THEY ANSWER? WILL I BE ALLOWED TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS REQUESTED?

The following letter was sent to the board this morning.  I am publishing it here as part of the record.  I hope the board will do the right thing and answer my question - in writing, and allow me to review the requested documents.  I don't trust them.  Here is the letter, FOR THE RECORD.  PLEASE NOTE:  The office notified me that the requested office visit date on this letter was Feb.4th.  I amended the letter properly changing the date to March 4th.  Thank you Kathy.

 

 

DOES IT STILL LOOK LIKE THIS AT YOUR HOUSE, OR HAVE YOU PILED ON MORE STUFF BECAUSE YOUR BOARD SAID YOU COULD? THE PILE AT ONE BOARD MEMBERS HOUSE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS!

As I drove through Wedgefield checking on the clean up, 95% of the debris piles looked like the one pictured below. 

 

For the most part, our ice storm brought down pine debris.  There might have been a rare incident where other trees were affected.  Some on your board have said they know some people will take advantage, and cut and throw unrelated yard debris on the pile, and they are OK with that.  Once again, your board serves the deviant behavior of some, and at times the same deviant behavior of individual board members. It appears as though they bless the bad behavior in advance, because they want to excuse the behavior of some on the board.  In the end, we all pay, as we follow the rules.  We should be use to it by now.  We are told to pay our assessments by the end of January. In order to look out for deviants, there are no fines until after March 1.  Most of us paid for our own drainage when our homes were built.  Maybe your builder wasn't on the favored list.  It appears if you are a board member and built homes, and don't like your drainage, or the drainage at the site of homes you helped build, we all pay.  If you are a private lot owner receiving mowing services from the association, we are paying for a substantial portion of your lot mowing fees.  If you are a board member you can leave large piles of dirt by the road for over a year, let weeds grow on it, and pile all kinds of what appears to be non storm debris, out for pick up, at our expense, and declare that it is OK if residents do it, to cover for yourself.  

Take a ride around for yourself.  There are instances where the bushes and trees were over grown and now are trimmed.  The debris is piled for pick up, at our expense.  I was reading about clean up in some areas of Myrtle Beach. If they notice non storm debris in the pile, it stays on your lawn!  This isn't hard.  Perhaps your board would like to provide this picture to the contractor, and he could do the same.  From what I heard at the meeting, debris weight is a measurement, of how much we pay.  We are already weighed down with the expense of paying for our board and fellow residents deviant behavior.

HOW IS THE CLEAN UP WORKING OUT FOR YOU? WOULDN'T YOU THINK THAT THE MAIN (EVERYBODY HAS TO DRIVE ON THEM) ROADWAYS OF THE ASSOCIATION WOULD BE DONE FIRST? NOT SO! THE DUKEDOM WAS DONE FIRST!

Today, I took a ride through Wedgefield.  For the most part, the sides of the roads are cluttered with debris.  That's the case unless you live in the Enclave, or on Francis Parker. I attended the Feb. 18 WPA board meeting.  Our Treasurer announced that the clean up contractor would be staging in the Enclave, and would start there first.  Wouldn't you think that for once, he'd consider what was best for the ENTIRE association?  He hasn't in the past, why would he now?  What does staging in an area have anything to do with' where YOU tell them to start. Oh, I forget.  The Treasurer lives in the Enclave and has taken care of it at our expense in the past.  He's and expert - self proclaimed. Every resident who lives in Wedgefield has to enter, or leave, on Wedgefield Rd., or Wraggs Ferry. Why weren't the masses considered first?

As I drove around Wedgefield, I noticed the number of homes that were for sale.  Wouldn't you think that clearing the main roads, would give a better first impression to buyers?  At least you could explain that it was a work in progress on less traveled roads.  You probably wouldn't want to explain why your board hired a vendor who they knew would have a delayed start, because the contractor was clearing a lot for a new build. 

It looks clean and spiffy in the Enclave, Dukedom of our Treasurer.  What is most insulting is that he appears to think that if he states something, that it must be so.  He appears to think that people are too stupid to figure out his motives.  This clean up contract wasn't for all of Georgetown County!  That contractor is going to have to make the same trips from the staging area now, that he would have if the MAIN ARTERIES OF THE ASSOCIATION HAD BEEN TAKEN CARE OF FIRST. 

Could anyone tell us when the serfs will receive clean up.

THE WPA WINTER STORM CLEAN UP. HOW WERE DECISIONS MADE? HAS THE CLEAN UP EVEN BEGUN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We'll begin at the very beginning, with the open board meeting on February 12, the monthly board meeting on February 18, and end with what anyone can observe, out their window and down their road.

The Wedgefield Examiner has listened to the tape of the February 12 meeting and attended the February 18 meeting.  An overview of what occurred will be provided.  In both cases, you should listen to the tapes of the meetings, for your own verification.  The overview is provided to the best of my ability.  COMMENTS ARE IN RED.

THE FEB. 12 MEETING:
President Walton had called the meeting with proper notification to the board to discuss the issues regarding our then Attorney of Record, Moody.  We reported on that portion of the meeting in a previous article.  The ice storm had occurred during the day of the 12th.  He announced that he was amending the agenda to include discussion of the storm and possible clean up.

They discussed the large amount of debris and questioned whether Great Lawns could handle it.  McMillin mentioned their equipment, contract stipulation, felt it might take them more time, etc.
At one point he offered to try and call them during the meeting.

Garrison, Legal Chair, states that there are a number of considerations.  Does the storm qualify under the governing documents?  While it is a named storm, it is a storm named by the Weather Channel.  He goes on to say that there's always a problem with people taking advantage of the clean up, begging the question as to where the board's responsibility ends?  Additionally, getting the word out regarding clean up has always been a problem, resulting in complaints.

We need to put the article on pause for a minute.  Garrison, as Legal Chair, has laid all the right cards on the table.  He has provided proper guidance from a legal leadership stand point for the board to make their decision.

The discussion then goes in several directions.  How would they begin to clear if they decide to move forward.  Private lots come into the picture.  Residents would be expected to bring their debris to the road side.  DeMarchi asks whether they really want to start sending bills to private lot owners?

McBride reminds them that as long as property owners brought their debris to the side of the road, they were removed. He says there is a history of clean up after major storms.  Garrison agrees but goes on to say people have always taken advantage.

They move to discussion that Great Lawns should be first considered, unless the board determines they are unable.  Should they bid it?  Should there be more than one pick up?  What would be a reasonable figure to allocate?  They discuss the land fill fees the vendor will incur for disposal of debris.

In the end a motion is made to allocate up to $8,000 for clean up and passes.  DeMarchi mentions a contractor, S & W (unsure of initials).  End of meeting.

THE FEB. 18 MEETING
The Grounds' Report includes the information about the clean up.  The contractor is SW, and has been busy on a lot clearing for a new home.  It is stated that there is a promise of much more work done on clean up in the next three days.  The contractor is not using the Georgetown land fill, but the one in Conway, and in some cases is taking the debris to his own site.  Someone on the board asks what is slowing them down?  DeMarchi announces the clean up starts in the Enclave (Where he lives.) and that they are staging from that area.  Both McMillin and McBride mentioned that they have tried to call, or visit the staging site.  McMillin says he called them at 10:00AM and they weren't even on site yet.  McBride says he visited the site at 2:00PM and no one was there.  McMillin mentions something about residents putting non storm debris limbs, etc. out by the road for the clean up.  He says something about not having a problem with it.

COMMENTS
First, the board should be complimented for moving quickly.  Second, named storm, or not, this storm impacted the entire association and our ability to travel safely on our roads.  They did the right thing when they determined we needed clean up.  Our Legal Chair advised the board appropriately, and discussion brought the board to the correct decision.  They announced clean up on the website and at the front gate.

It is often on the finer points of administration where this board falls down.  No one reported as to the reason Great Lawns isn't the contractor.  No one reported on how they determined who the contractor would be.  Was there a bid process? The board appeared to make excuses, as to why the contractor hadn't started quickly.  In a decision process, it would seem that previous commitments should have ruled this vendor out.  These items could have been covered in the report on the 18th.  While we aren't going to spend a lot of time on the history of our Treasurer & Compliance Chair coming first,(Remember, most of us were required to pay for our own drainage.) once again, he has an excuse as to why his area is first, and why we are contracting with a firm that he mentioned on the 12th.

Once again, the deviants are served.  Those individuals who decide to take advantage of the situation, prune their yards of non storm debris and include it at our general expense, and some on the board state they don't care.  Do a drive through Wedgefield and look at the debris.  Yes, it is still there on the main avenues of travel for all residents, entering or leaving Wedgefield.  During your drive by you might notice that one of the board members could easily look like they are numbered with the deviants.  If you are going to provide extended service for those who you know you are going to allow to just take it, you should announce it ,and publish it so that everyone can take advantage.  You would be violating the governing documents, but that doesn't appear to be a problem.  Sometimes it is tough to be a board member and follow through consistently, legally, and fairly, but that is a prime responsibility of holding a board seat.

The board receives and A for start up and a D for information, contracting and implementation.