Another department enters investigation...
I have received documentation from a member who obtained information under the freedom of information act. It details complaint information the department received. It contains a quote from an employee. That employee is not identified who was quoted or is the person who made the complaint.
Thank you to the member who took the time and made the effort to find the truth. This members efforts are continuing. Also, thank you for providing this information to me so that I might share it with the members. Our HOA has not said anything to the members about the legal issues we have.
Our members do not know of building in wet lands with out obtaining a permit.
They do not know about the 10,000.00 County Fines.
They do not know about the 27,000.00 L&I fine.
They do not know the thousands of dollars spent to dig up and dispose of AC pipe that was illegally buried. They do not know of the health risk imposed on the employees.
They do not know about the EPA criminal investigation, L&I investigation and now the Department of Ecology.
This Board has made every effort to hide the truth from the members. Their efforts are failing and their actions have only made the situation worse.
23 comments:
What's next? The FBI? Yes, surfside is a nice place. Criminals and crime. I tell people I live in Ocean Park, not surfside.
Our situation at the Waterworks seems urgent in terms of keeping the taps on if the CTP must be taken off-line. Neal had said the filter material needed replacing in late Oct. or early Nov., and it has also been related that the amount of carbon material used initially was not enough. It has also been related that the last flushing of the columns left debris in the filters, so was inadequate.
How does it follow that the replacement of the filter material has been delayed until March (and who knows if that will happen), and that only one column will be replaced, delaying still further the other column ? That would make the completed replacement over a year late. And how is it that doing one only, is adequate ? This also would put the periodic replacements in a continuous cycle of incontinuity.
How does this translate to our water quality being safe ? There is no flushing pond, so the filters cannot be flushed, or so it seems. None of this makes any rational sense. We have spent a half million dollars on a plant that is now standing in the snow unprotected, and the HOA has not been able to settle the permitting matter since the stop-work-order issued in August or early Sept.
This seems to be totally urgent, yet in the same way as the BOT has ignored the investigations and failed compliance issues, they seem to think they can ignore proper maintenance of our Water purification plant. How irresponsible can they get ? Meanwhile pursuing frivolous lawsuits at great expense. Mindblowing really. There seems to be no collective conscience or caring about the membership, our investment, our health, and our bank account.
Can there still be safe water in the taps if the plant is taken off-line ? That is the question.
A member has also requested documents from the EPA under FOIA and was referred to the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Washington DC. The member has filed a subsequent request with that department and when a response received, plans to provide to George to publish here. All of this documentation will be shared with the media also. Although the Board is hiding behind “legal advice” to avoid informing all members of the trouble SHOA is in, the word will get out. Thanks George for keeping us apprised and thanks to those members who are digging into the mess and sharing with George to post here.
We need more members to get involved. Will be interesting to see what the paper has to say. Thank you Deb for the information. We members have a right to know, even if it is depressing.
To all those here now and before who keep calling the board criminals and making statements that they are purposely ignoring safety concerns with the water, I have a question. What do they have to gain? Where do they get something in return for doing so? Why would they want the water to be bad when they too live here and drink it?
There were screw ups in the water department and hopefully after the investigations all will be answered but they are not done. I don't understand how an entire current board can be blamed. If that is the case then why only current Trustees? Why not any and all since the day the asbestos issue happened?
And while I can understand why certain people will accused the board of hiding behind legal advice to me it makes sense to wait until the matters are settled before commenting on it when you don't have all the answers.
There in lies our problem, you and others think the BOT is high almighty and is here to dictate as a dictatorship.
Those who have been involved on committees and those who got on the board in the past and attempted to democratize our hoa have been harrassed, attacked, silenced, frustrated, and understandably quit their direct involvement in this hoa.
This hoa has trouble getting committee members. The BOT refuses to acknowledge and accept why.
Who has been on the BOT for the longest? Has Gary Williams been the BOT President for 12 years? I believe, based on documents, the water system pipe has been being replaced for 10 years.
It concerns me that the discussion is all about how the BOT mishandled the Waterworks, when management and expertise on the water was contracted out to North Beach Water. What if they are proposed as the ultimate fix? Would the BOT go that far?
@ February 4, 2019 at 9:41 PM, I think everyone who has served on the board for the last 10 years will have to answer to the Feds and other authority in one way or another. Yes, this will include this Blog Administrator and others who frequently post here. This is the key reason for their posts; to prove that they are innocent of any wrong doing.
02/04 9:41 and 02/05 7:48: I have never been on the BOT or any hoa committee.
didn't say you were ever on the BOT, just making a statement that will probably be deleted soon by our host.
The BOT is negligent for not informing the membership of expenditure of funds for legal and fines imposed. Since the feds have not rendered any decision yet, it makes sense for the BOT to remain silent. But for actions that have been recorded and funded they have an obligation to inform the membership. The fact they continue to hide business matters from the membership is of grave concern. As I say, it makes sense to hold off on commenting about the fed investigation that at this point is nothing more than hear-say...but the other matters with court action against members, L&I fines and findings, county issues with permits, these are all items that should be published to the entire membership so we know what's going on and where OUR money is being spent. Keeping these secret serves no purpose and in the end will be a total disgrace for our HOA.
On 02/01, Gary Williams confirmed to me via email that there is an ongoing EPA investigation. Gary Williams claimed to me in that same email that the ongoing EPA investigation is into a one time mistake. We'll see about that.
The one time mistake was allowing Williams to run this thing for so long!
As to holding off on the discussion, there been so many attempts to distract. Dialog needs to go on until change is effected. Silence will not fix these issues.
The asbestos is but one part of the prosecutable items attributed to the Board. As important is complete neglect of their fiduciary responsibility. The squandering of member funds should convict them e en if the asbestos farce doesn’t.
How will you help 9:58 AM?
Bot members n spouses fool no one on this blog.
Sorry, I don't believe you're a mindreader - anonymous. neither is 7:48. No one has identified themselves as Trustees in ANY of the blog comments on these subjects. They may have made comments, but just as likely, some owners want to disbelieve the facts for the sake of their peace of mind. We all find these failures hard to believe, though verifiable and true.
Unlike Mr. William's account, this is not just a big misunderstanding, one little mistake - how ridiculous. The BOT's unwillingness to address or acknowledge any of this is inexcusable, and speaks of guilt and culpability.
The most critical matter is securing a waiver to keep the Waterworks and CTP at its' current location. Had asbestos pipe not been BURIED beneath the pond (!), and permits secured for the building and CTP before construction took place, this may have been more easily resolved. There have been too many mis-steps to let it go it seems.
appears the boycott message did not get to all commenters who oppose Blagg and her supporters. sorry. i guess i don't know everone who is commenting along with us who are boycotting.
Boycott what ? There is no active effort that Blagg is involved with at the moment. With the entire BOT stonewalling the community, there is a sound basis for recalling at least part of the BOT. There is no indication that the current Board takes any responsibility for the mess the community is in, yet this is a major breakdown of responsible management.
The contract with North Beach states clearly that all responsibility and liability lies with Surfside, yet there was NO oversight of procedures used by the Water Dept. The list of mis-steps is a long one, including hiding asbestos debris UNDER the holding pond that was constructed.
You have a warped sense of Deb's concerns. Everyone in Surfside should be on-board to scrutinize the actions and inaction of the BOT as relates to frivolous legal spending, failing to properly permit construction, mishandling of asbestos, and attempting to cover-up the evidence, both physical and published.
Progress in any reals sense has been continually hijacked in Surfside by the unwillingness of owners to hold the BOT accountable, and to respect the property rights of ALL owners in Surfside. That could be seen as a boycott that has been going on for years.
Re: February 5, 2019 at 9:58 AM
"e en if the asbestos farce doesn’t." Really... are you suffering from a bad case of denial?
Such a foolish thing to say.
Nice try 6:10. No where in my comment did I even imply that I think the board is high almighty. Obvious your board hate blinds you and you interpret anything that doesn't agree with your view as you like.
You committee comment is both wrong and laughable. Look which committees and their members get critized on here the most and by whom. While you're at it, look into the past on which boarmembers have voted AGAINST people serving on committees. Patrick, who I will assume is one of your hero's, is one. Along with other trusttees who comment here.
Patrick no longer owns property, nor is he a member of Surfside. This has no relevance to current issues.
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