Board election most important in years.
May 3rd is the deadline to submit applications to be placed on the ballot as a Trustee on the Surfside Board of Directors.
This is a very decisive election that will determine the very future of our homeowners association.
This may very well be the last chance to get a Board back on track that will reclaim an HOA that represents all members in a professional and fair way.
We have legal and management issues that need to be addressed and not covered up. James Flood, Gary Williams, James Clancy, Kirby Smith and others have contributed to our problems. These people should not be allowed to participate in any Surfside activity. They are contributing factors to our problems and certainly not a solution.
With the election of three "new" Trustees, there will be the opportunity to change the current direction of the Board. An important first step has been taken with the hire of a professional, qualified General Manager. He must be given the opportunity to succeed without the micro management that existed in the past and currently. New faces on the Board with fresh thinking will help the GM succeed.
I am aware of several "new faces" that will be running for the Board this year. If we really want our association to succeed, the old faces must be rejected along with their self serving practice of micro managing on all levels. New Trustees working with a few of the present Trustees will return the Board to a group of members that really do care about all the members, employees and staff.
The Annual Meeting and Board election in July, will give the members the opportunity to be involved in making our community a place we can all be proud. Our future depends on the members. This could very well be our last chance to recover from the awful circumstances we are in now.
31 comments:
Well stated, George.
Kudos George! Sad state of affairs in SHOA.
Been here since 2004 and it's always been the same also. That's probably because that is what most of the members want?
No, it hasn't. The SHOA was much more efficient and less inefficient and intrusive.
We are held hostage by a board the repeatedly stacks the deck, and I still question the veracity of any election they supervise.
If you've been since 2004, perhaps you should watch closer.
Perhaps you shouldn't make B.S. statements. Exactly how do the board "stacks the deck". Please explain how they have stopped you or anyone else from running for the board.
As 2:07 said it's the same all over again.
They stack the deck with their proxy votes. They stack the deck in who they get to run for the board. We saw the stacked deck when they appointed olds to the board. They support an election process that keeps the member vote low. They do away with committee's that work to make governing improvements. The illegal, secrete meetings and out of control spending, is why manay will not run because they do not want to be associated with a bunch of law breakers. What is the same all over again, is your charge of B>S>. You fool no one but yourself.
Where were all those who could have gone out and gotten votes just like Olds did? Are you mad Bro? They beat you because you don't participate. If they are the only ones running who do you expect to win?
What we expect is honesty, regardless of who wins. We no longer get that here. That has to change.
Since you and 207 are probably the same person, lets address that.
You support people that have proven their dishonesty and lack of care for their fellow neighbors, with the exception of the ones that share their specific self interest.
So which are you, a Board Member or one who supports their special interests?
The point is PEOPLE NEED TO START RUNNING AND STOP COMPLAINING
If you complain about dishonesty, then run and be an honest trustee
If no one runs but the same 3 then you are doing the same disservice by letting the status quo win
Just for the argument, why would you extend yourself to applying for the board of directors, knowing that the people are dishonest, and that you will be isolated and villified?
Sounds like a great formula for getting top candidates...not.
The only disservice being done here is by the people standing for re election, and the other syncophants supporting them.
I didn't read any complaints about write in candidates on here when George recommended it and gave his choices. So people did. Then when the majority went to someone they disliked people then decided to complain. Typical, just like for the election.
Also typical is the complaints about special interests. ALL of the people who run for the board have special interests, even those who were the self proclaimed saviors of Surfside. Most if not all let it be known what they are when they run for the position or when they get asked questions during the campaign. They then get votes from those that agree with them.
As 2:50 states, stop complaining and run for office or get someone with your interests to do so. If you don't do either then you will be back on here in July with the same complaining and name calling.
Why do you think complaints about special interests are typical?
Your statement presumes a fair playing ground. We do not have that here. Get over yourself.
Proxies are submitted to a friend or neighbor you trust to merely turn in. If you fill it out properly (my eight year old grandson could do it)there is no chance of fraud. Even if you submit it without a designation it is merely a statutory regulation. Enough with the continual bashing of this process.
Olds didn't run, Bro!
Just by getting on the board itself doesn't mean chsnge or improvement will happen. Additionally, if the board leaders don't follow the rules, there is no recourse against them. The state AG doesn't care. The state Secretary doesn't care. Nobody will sue. We, as a group could force some mediation, but we probably couldn't get enough members to do something.
Tired of the same ol comment "you don't like it, you run!".
Cheap card to play. We all have the right to criticize those representing us as a group. If they're doing a terrible job, it should me made known.
There is a lack of honesty and a lot of favoritism. This board is far from transparent and far from working for the majority of people. Period. We criticise because we are tired of it.
I don't like it, but no, I won't be running for board president or board member. Not all who disagree are made for that position. To think any old member should walk in and blow it out of the water because they don't like the way things are run is asinine. The job needs a deserving individual who will work for the people, not for themselves or a personal agenda.
If there was a solid explanation for any malicious acts we've seen and discussed here in the blog, it would be given to the people to be transparent and assure them that the best interest of the people is the focus of the board. That statement doesn't exist. So it doesn't get discussed. What does get discussed is in one of many secret meetings.
Williams, Flood, Olds and Clancy have the board control just the way they want it. Why would they want change? It is working just fine for their ego's, self interest and illegal secretive meetings. They are not held accountable by the members. They will be held accountable by the Fed's. Flood won't attend the board meetings because he is afraid he will be served papers to answer charges in the asbestos mess. Looking forward to seeing their sorry asses in jail.
Kurt Olds, board trustee. Mrs. Kurt Olds, tree committee chair person. Mrs. de leest, board trustee. All J Place and neighbors and friends.
Classic conflict of interest. These self interest and agenda interest, all need to go. They in no way represent the interests of all members. Just a few J Place elite. These are not good people.
Mr. Clancy was overheard bragging about the recent high number of complaints he has written. Nice guy? I think not. Board material? For sure not. He is the one behind the well field and carbon treatment mess with lack of permits. He has cost the association thousands of dollars.
I agree. These folks are what gives surfside a bad image that is accurate. They should all resign for the good of the community. That would help property values increase.
No on who has any integrity would want to be on this board with a bunch of law breakers and be considered as a part of "the board"?
Again, more B.S. These same J place complaints by some have been going on for years here.
Notice that the 3 mentioned this time by 4:45 just happen to also volunteer their time on many occasions for the community. So it appears that their self interest involves helping the community outside of the duties of Trustee's and committee chair. I'd be interested what 4:45 has done besides complain and do some catch phase name calling.
To say that they are not good people is just plain rude and uncalled for. This just shows the character of the person saying this. They are nothing more than a mean spirited miserable individual.
Yes, they volunteer their time by making life miserable for others. They are great at spending the members dues on law suits and lawyers. It is better to do nothing than do something that destroys a community. They fool no one and neither do you.
We have all witnessed the usual shortage of candidates when elections come around. Terms are 3 years, and some Trustees currently on the Board have served multiple terms. Mr. flood is serving his 12th year, and wants to run again.
The point being, of a membership of over 2025 households, very few choose to become involved with the HOA by serving on the BOT or committees. Members need not serve the HOA governance to be entitled to opinions, and only a small percentage become directly involved.
There is both selfless service and selfish service among those who volunteer, and while the community needs and appreciates the many good things that volunteers do, inept management and selfish objectives have been dominating the scene, and have put the community in a very bad situation. It's not "all good" as they say.
Let's all chip in another $ 100 a year ( $ 200,000 + )and have a professionally run team take care of our community. $ 8.50 per month shouldn't break the bank for 95% of us. Problem solved and I won't even charge a consulting fee for the advice.
and to add to 10:17's post, a good professional might even be able to save us all back the $100 per year after s/he gets things straightened out?
With professional management you introduce a for-profit model. I'm not sure that's the direction to take.
8:43 AM what the hell are you talking about?
To 4:15 & 11:13 pm, it's a sad day that you are allowed to hide behind anonymous and spout off incorrect information and your personal biased opinions on folks you obviously do not know but feel you need to slander. Like it or not, you signed the same paperwork we did about what it takes to comply with the covenants. We moved here because of them, we keep our trees trimmed and our property tidy as we enjoy our neighborhood of fixed homes and rv neighbors. Now having said that, do some of our covenants need to be updated and/or changed, yes of course, but you are not helping with your rude, negative, abusive comments that help no one. You do not know what it takes to make change and or how long it takes. Have mistakes been made? Yes that's why a manager has been hired to help resolve some of these issues and put the responsibility where it needs to be and not with 9 volunteers, some of who really are trying to make a difference! You want to help? Run for the board! Get rid of a few, Stop your whining, stop spouting off incorrect information, go to meetings, ask questions, demand answers. Don't criticize until you have walked in their shoes. Oh I forgot! You are allowed to do that and worse by going anonymous!
Fred de Leest, your special interests are showing!
Keep protesting the people the have been treated unfairly, as you have helped stack that particular deck for years.
As to walking in shoes, this is a homeowners association, not space flight. It shouldn't be this hard; small minded people make it so.
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