december 28, 2016 volume 1, issue 12 hemlockresidentsfightback · hemlockresidentsfightback.com...

HemlockResidentsFightBack.com

December 28, 2016Volume 1, Issue 12

A New Approach to an Old Problem

The Hemlock Farms community, in the near future, will be faced with some very large projects, not only in the scope of work but financial obligations as well. What comes to mind is the IT upgrade with a price tag of approx. $350,000.00, The Heron Bay and Hillside Drive demonstration projects allowing the people a firsthand look at a piece of the storm water project with a price tag of approx. $200,000.00 and the proposed Jurisdictional pipes at $2,000,000.00. That is a lot of money to say the least.

Right now, the finance committee is crunching the numbers to get enough money to do these projects without raising the dues and the storm water fees. This will not last long because there is only so much crunching that can be done before the inevitable raises its ugly head. Question? If these projects come to fruition, are we getting our money’s worth? Are the contractors chosen doing what they are contracted to do? Is the community’s best interest the ultimate goal? These are the questions that must be asked and answered before, during and after the project is complete.

Management and the board will be asking you to pay for these projects with little or no oversight, accountability or responsibility. How can we prevent this? We can establish a separate and special oversite committee for any project costing $100,000.00 or more, with no regard as to whether it is labeled a maintenance or a capital project. These committees shall be made up of men and women who are knowledgeable of the project. They will provide resumes that will list their credentials and verify their area of expertise. These committee members must be willing to research the mechanics of the project and must be willing to go out in the field to observe ongoing work.

Examples of the lack of oversight are the dredging of McConnell Lake and the $1,300,000.00 plans done by Kleinschmidt. Once the contractor was designated, they began work. No one of any expertise was watching over the project. Perhaps we might need the oversight committee to help draft the RFP. In so doing, the parameters of the project will be stipulated and inspected and have to be met before compensation is handed over.

Sitting in a room and voting without any knowledge of what is out there is unacceptable. Claiming that the contractors and/or engineers recommendations are good enough because “I trust them” is downright naïve and irresponsible. At the November 19th board meeting, I spoke on this very topic. I feel these committees are necessary so members can get a good accounting of their money spent. The committee will also report on progress to the board monthly as other committees do. I asked the board to consider this proposal. The members of this community deserve nothing less. Therefore, I ask all to support this measure in any way possible to insure transparency and to alleviate community concern that ultimately is paying for all projects.

John Hannick

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OUR FINANCIAL FRIVOLTIES

SincelastJanuary,ourcommunityhasexpressedadesiretocurtailspendinginordertokeeptheduesaffordable.Thiscalltoarmshasawakenedmanyexpertsthatliveheretostepuptotheplateanddonatetheirtimeandenergyforajustcause.OnesuchpersonisEdBraniff.

EdhasjoinedtheFinanceCommittee.HewasalsoselectedfortheFinancialManagementAdHocCommitteeandtheHFCAProjectFundingAdHocCommittee.HehasactedasCOOandCEOforAT&Tandhasbeeninfinanceforover30years.Hislistofcredentialsforjoiningthesecommitteesspeaksforitself.

OnOctober15,theFinanceCommitteemettoreviewthe2017budget.AmotionwasbroughttothecommitteebyMr.Branifftorecommendtotheboardtodirectthemanager(MikeSibio)tolookintowaystoreducespendingeitherby3%,6%orbetteryet10%.Thismotionfailed.TheFinanceCommittee’srationalelwas“Managementhasheldexpensesdownin2017andproposedfurtherreductionof3%,6%,and10%isarbitrary.”

TheproposedbudgetincreasesforImprovedLotsfor2017is$39.Thisisa1.7%increaseand,althoughitmightappearsmallwhenpresentedthisway,itstilladdsupasfollows:

Dues(I)................$2293/yr.Dues(U).................$1535/yr.Dues(A).................$1023/yr.StormWaterFee.…$144/yr.SWFee....................$144/yr.SWFee...................$144/yr.BasicWaterFee....$300/yr.WaterAvail.Fee.......$174/yr.WaterAvail.Fee.......$174/yr.Total...................$2737/yr. Total.....................$1853/yr. Total.....................$1341/yr.

Thisisinadditiontorealestatetaxes,schooltaxes,andbasiclivingexpenses.ThenonchalantwaythatourFinanceCommittee(chairedbyLeeOakes)actsisirresponsibleandappalling.

AnotheritemthatwaspresentedtotheFinanceCommitteeasawaytoreducespendingwastoeliminatecompanycarsforM.Sibio,OfficerHamby,andDougBerg.Oncetheemployeeisatwork,usingacompanycartodrivefromonebuildingtothenextmakessenseandistheusualpracticeinlargecorporations.However,toprovideacartogotoandfromhomeandpossiblyusethevehicleforpersonaluseisanexcessivewasteofourmoney.Theproposaltoeliminatepersonalcarswasshotdownbyavoteof22to5(3abstained).Itwaspresentedas“TorecommendtotheBoardthatthe2006HRCommitteefindingsonHFCAvehicleusepolicybeupheldandnochangebemade.”Therationalfordoingsostates,“The2006HRCommitteewasmadeupofadiversegroupofexpertsandthatcurrentHFCApracticesarereasonableandmirrorothercommunityassociationpractices.”

Perhapsin2006whenourdueswasonly$1423,whenourbasicwaterfeewasonly$200,andtherewasnostormwaterfee,thiswasanacceptablepractice.Nowitisonlyafrivolousextravagance.Theseareonlytwoareaswherewecouldtrimthefat.Ifthediscontentinourcommunitythathasbeenexpressedsincelastyearisstillthere,thenwemustspeakout.Wemustbecognizantofwhatisgoingon.Wemustbecomeproactive.

LisaHannick


Bah Hum Bug

More than four years ago, the state sent the Lords Valley Country Club and Hemlock Farms a mandate to repair or replace the dam as needed. They also said that we should do this jointly. There are people in Hemlock Farms who seem to be interested in “disuniting the responsibilities” of that mandate and almost giving a free ride to the country club while Hemlock Farms has already laid out $92,000.00 in design and preparation fees.

Why are we paying for this while the country club watches? Why aren’t they involved financially from the beginning and adjust what is necessary at a later date? Many others and I, maybe a little reluctantly, feel the responsibility should be 50/50. If the country club is having difficulties, there are many very smart people in that country club – many with financial backgrounds who, if necessary, could get a loan like Hemlock Farms has done many times. Their receiving a loan should be easy considering the value of their real estate. What we need now is a letter of intent from the country club so the members of Hemlock Farms will know where they stand.

Jim Slevin

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

At the December 10th, 2016 HFCA Board Meeting, I spoke about the pending state mandated repair project at the dam located at the Lords Valley Country Club. The state deemed the dam to be jointly owned by both the HFCA and the LVCC.

According to Community Manager, Mike Sibio, who stated at this meeting that our community has already spent $92,000 preliminarily on this project, the LVCC has not contributed anything. I, along with many others who live here, feel the HFCA should stop “PUSSY FOOTING AROUND” with the country club and send them a bill for their fair share.

Reflecting back to the meeting, I asked those Board Members and anyone else in management to identify themselves as LVCC members. In addition, I asked them to identify if they are non-members in management and if they have ever received free services of any kind from the country club. Members Jeff Ferretti and Mike Spitzer were the only 2 to identify themselves. I asked this because, if and when there is any business before the Board that involves the LVCC, those individuals should remove themselves from any discussions, meetings and, most of all, recuse themselves from any “VOTE” involving the same. My opinion is credible, substantiated and can be found in the 2016 Hemlock Farms Handbook on page 23 in the section marked “CONFLICT OF INTEREST”.

Respectfully,

Joey Barca


Thank You!

As 2016 comes to an end, I would like to end the year on a positive note and take this time to thank everyone in our community who has gotten involved, and, more importantly, stayed involved all year long in the affairs of our community.

There are too many people to thank individually, but you all know the important part you have played in our efforts this year. Many community members have joined committees, have attended board meetings and committee meetings as guests, have written letters to our Newsletter and the Hemlock News and have personally spoken to us and members of the Board to share their feelings and concerns. Getting to this point may not have been pretty, but there is now an ongoing dialogue in our community so different points of view can be heard.

Thank you to the community members who volunteer their time to serve on the Board. (It’s a thankless job.) Thank you to the new Board members for speaking out on issues that have come before you and for giving us the time to speak more openly at the Board meetings.

Many people ask us what the goal of “Members First” is. We have no secret or hidden agenda. None of us are in this for personal gain. We all love this community and simply want the best for our community without getting into insurmountable debt for years to come. With full transparency, this just might be possible.

Please continue to attend committee and board meetings; continue to ask questions and stay involved. There are many issues that will be addressed in the coming months and we need your input and involvement. No one person can do it alone. But if we continue to work together, we can make a difference.

Please watch for the Members First meeting coming up in January or February. We hope you will come and show your support and learn about the progress we have made to date and the work we have ahead of us.

Best wishes for a very Happy New Year!

JoAnne Linden


Increase Voter Participation

Last evening I attended a meeting of the election sub-committee. The board’s task for them was to come up with alternative methods of voting to increase “voter participation”, submit their ideas to the election committee and then send their findings to the board. My frustration is, while the subcommittee has gotten information regarding the latest electronic voting machines, they admitted it would take additional time due to the lack of response from the companies to whom they sent inquiries. While I applaud their efforts, it seems that if we are having a difficult time getting companies to give us quotes and options, what makes us think they would respond to our needs if we acquired these units and then had a computer voting machine go down during an election?

Another negative is if we don’t get this proposed change in at least 75 days prior to the July annual meeting, this will be put it off until 2019. In addition, no matter what electronic method may be chosen, it will not increase “voter participation” one bit.

There is, however, a much simpler method we could employ and that is a mailed paper ballot. Our all-volunteer election committee can create the ballots and all the necessary documents, stuff the envelopes, and affix the postage. This would cut costs by mailing ballots to “every member” and in the privacy of their homes, they can vote. The ballots would be returned through the U.S. mail to our post office here in Lords Valley and stored in a secure safe ($125 cost to store) until the day of the count. In plain view of interested members, the election committee can count the ballots. Because we would be using the federal postal service, any tampering with these ballots or inappropriate handling of the counting procedure would be subject to federal prosecution –an assurance of careful and accurate procedures.

This is not rocket science and, most importantly, it will hold costs down and “increase voter participation.”

Respectfully,

Joey Barca They must often change, who would be constantin happiness or wisdom.

- Confucius


Ask Eileen!

Question: I have a Hemlock Farms 2010 Official Handbook with HFCA Code 191 – Short Term Rentals. Do you know if this code (191) was in the 2003 Official Handbook? I believe it was, however, I do not have a copy of that handbook.

I live at 804 Rimrock Court; yes, two doors down from the 808 “Party House” which is rented each and every week to five and six families, i.e.. ten and twelve adults.

Thank you in advance. Best regards,Burt Weinstein

Answer:

Dear Burt,

The Code – Chapter 191 Sections 1 through 7 was introduced into the Official Handbook on 1/17/2009. In 2010, an addition to Chapter 191 – 8 was introduced which included “Enforcement”.

Previous to that time, under “Things to Know about Owning and Living in Hemlock Farms” it stated that qualified renters with a lease of 2 weeks or longer may obtain a gate entry device for a NON-REFUNDABLE fee of $35.00. There was no Chapter 191.

Another statement in The Official Handbook regarding rentals was Chapter 117-3 entitled “Gate Entry Device” for renters – a NON-REFUNDABLE fee of $35.00 for registered vehicles.

Thank you for your question and I hope my answer has helped. I would also like to thank you for presenting this situation before the Board so the rest of Hemlock Farms residents are made aware of your on-going problem. We can solve any problem if we work together.

Happy Holidays!

Eileen Curry

Important Meetings(for a complete list of upcoming meetings, visit HemlockResidentsFightBack.com and click on “calendar”)

OPPI Committee Meeting - Saturday, December 31st - 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Conference Center George McDonald’s motion to be discussed.

HFCA Campaign Reform Workshop - Saturday, January 21 - 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Steer BarnThis Workshop furthers the Board’s goals of campaign reform and improving communications.

The objective of the Workshop is to develop positive recommendations to the Board in furtherance of these goals. An experienced, non-member Facilitator will lead the Workshop. Light refreshments will be served.

HFCA Board Meeting - Saturday, January 28 - 8:30 a.m. - Steer BarnPossible Executive Session 8:35 a.m. Committee Reports 10:00 a.m. Members’ Time 11:00 a.m.

Please note: the board meeting does NOT end after Members’ Time! Please come back after lunch when much more important business is discussed!

december 28, 2016 volume 1, issue 12 hemlockresidentsfightback · hemlockresidentsfightback.com...

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