Saturday, October 27, 2018

Alarming facts revealed

Information you need to know...If this doesn't make you sick, I don't know what will.

This comment caught my attention in a big way. While I do know a lot, not to the extent that this anonymous person does. This contains some new information for me. They were obviously at the Board meeting, but shares information that was not public.  It seems to specific to be just a relay of information told to them by someone else that was at the meeting.  This anonymous person has done exactly what the blog was designed to do, share factual information.   This has provided me with information to be able to expand on what was revealed here.  I will reveal even more here, but first read again the comment below, more narrative and facts will follow below it.




Anonymous Anonymous said...
Well I thought we were all supposed to be notified of meetings as well. seems as though this Board thinks there is nobody else out there (the members) and they can just get together and have a jolly old time spending our money. I was surprised at the latest Board meeting when the President announced, as he has in the past, that all of the legal actions will "only" cost the HOA $10k. Just wonder how an insurance company would pay for legal fees if you just dropped the case as the HOA did. They don't pay for little exercises with no results.
 Also, as pointed out, we are at 150% of the budget for legal fees for this year ($75k spent, $50k budgeted) and note the legal budget for next year has been upped to $75k. Am wondering if this money is used to pay the $10k fine we incurred for no permit before building the water treatment plant, or the $13k we had to pay to remove the asbestos pipe, or the $27k fine we have to pay L&I, and the as yet undetermined fine yet to come from the EPA. 
The insurance company sure as hell isn't paying those fines because they are due to negligence on the part of the HOA. The treasurer moved most all of the projects for next year to the right for a year, save what he could contribute some small funds to left from this year. That was to keep the assessments lower this year, but hold on to your pocketbook for 2020, all to pay fines we should never have had.
 Glad the Board decided to give the employees a 3% raise and bonuses. Have to come out of retirement and work for them as the COLA (highest in years)is only 2.8%. As someone who has worked in organizations that leaders and workers, it amazes me how this organization has not recognized the "Peter Principle" runs rampant in the Board. Most of these people would have been replaced long ago, even in a highly bureaucratic organization that doesn't embrace change. but you know what folks, whether you praise or complain you haven't got much leverage.
 There were only 8, count'em 8 members outside of the BOT members at the last Board meeting. If you continue to sit on your collective asses, this organization will continue to founder at your expense. If you can live with some of the grossest incompetence I have seen in my 7+ decades, then don't bitch about it. If you don't want to continue this series of illegal missteps from the BOT, then come out and speak out!
October 24, 2018 at 4:37 PM
 Delete
Checking Tax Sifter, I saw building permit dated 9/18/2018 for the well field, building and vessels at 225,000 and reservoir for 102,753 dollars.  This is just recently, when we know the vessels, base and reservoir have been there for a year or more.  I think this is probably why there was a reported fine above of 10,000.00    I noticed in the financial report that a check was issued to Pacific County Community Development of 12,386.73 for "permit for carbon treatment plant building". I suspect the 10,000 dollar fine is hidden here. Is there a fine for under reporting the actual cost on a building permit?

The L&I fine was about worker safety related to the handling of asbestos pipe. That is stated at 27,000 dollars. We are now at a running total of 37,000 dollars in fines.  We are still waiting  for the fine from the EPA for burying the asbestos pipe. Add the 13,000 dollars for the cost of removal of pipe to the running total and we are up to 50,000 dollars with nothing to show for it.  There are also thousands of dollars in attorney fees that are ongoing right now. 

Thanks to the anonymous person above who provided the money details that I was not aware. This is what got me to checking tax sifter and the financial report looking for the fines. Oh yes, that gives me another question.  The fine payment for the permit violation was charged to the operational account.  It should be charged to the carbon treatment plant. Or, better yet, this should all be charged to North Beach as the responsible party.

Do you know that you and I are the only members that are aware of this mess? It is all hidden from the other members.  And they want us to approve a budget so they can continue with their good bonus management for another year. Count me as a no.

There are other related issues that I am working on such as wet land violations and comments about the carbon treatment falling over due to building in a flood zone. 


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Information about large expenditures and any changes in policies, procedures or covenants should be a matter of easy access on the Surfside website or articles in the Weekender and the newsletters. It is a shameful thing in this HOA that members must become detectives to try to figure out what is going on in our association.

Anonymous said...

You won’t find out anything in the WEAKENDER! Waste of money. Of course, they don’t want the the members to really know the happenings! There would be a uprising!

Anonymous said...

There should be an uprising to demand from the board that timely and transparent information is always available to the Surfside members.

Anonymous said...

I’m 100% in favor of an uprising. Protest by members not paying their dues? They would be in a world of hurt if we joined together regardless of what side you are on. Please membership. Unify now!

Anonymous said...

All of the above information is available to you if you would attend a Board Meeting and perhaps almost any committee meeting. The dollar figures were given out in the Board meeting, as I had not been aware of the $27k fine from L&I until the President mentioned it while answering a members query. Not mentioned above is the fact that any committee has $3000 available to them without the approval of the Board. It is evident that the Emergency Management Committee took advantage of that to purchase the material for the cache, and tree committee did likewise to purchase their their very expensive binoculars and fiber measuring stick. That purchase sort of reminds me of the $100,000 toilets for transport planes a few years back.

Anonymous said...

Not all members can attend each board meeting and committee meetings. The information should be available to ALL MEMBERS, not just the members who can attend meetings. How the hell can anyone vote when they don't have sufficient information about issues and candidates to make an informed vote. Is it any wonder that so few vote?

Anonymous said...

Hey 9:29, They don't want you informed and they don't want you to vote. Like you say, all the information should be available if you don't attend a meeting. It is just not right that we have to depend on a blog to find out what is really happening. On the blog, we have to sort out the truth from the lies perpetuated at meetings and repeated here by the same ones who lied at the meetings.

Anonymous said...

9:16 you need to think before you speak. Do you realize how many members don’t live full time in Surfside? If it wasn’t for the part time owners, this HOA would never be able to survive. Someone with integrity would apologize for that comment. Believe me, if all members were able to attend, you would have a packed house with the underhanded mess we have in SHOA.

Anonymous said...

You are taking offense where none was intended 8:31. 9:16 is simply stating the facts. It is of course also true that attending meetings should not be the only means of finding out important information in Surfside.


Our Board definitely has an adversarial approach, but that has developed over time with a lack of member interest and oversight. That tends to lead to a disconnect, and self-serving Boards.


It is interesting that Mr. Flood rarely attends monthly BOT meetings, so presumably does not attend committee meetings either. That is consistent with the lack of oversight by the Water Comm. of which Flood has been a part for years. As he has been the primary promoter of the pipe replacement project, and still isn't participating in person, he really should be removed from the Surfside Board of Trustees at the next meeting.

The Water dept. is in deep trouble largely from a lack of management oversight, and Mr. Flood is nowhere around. He has failed in his roles as president, vice-president and Water Comm. member, by ignoring improper procedures at the Waterworks, and is unwilling to help the community address the mess created by the HOA's incompetence. Get rid of him.

Anonymous said...

8:31 Wow, you are an angry person. I never meant to say (nor did I say) that everybody should attend all of the meetings, just that the information was available through those meetings. I realize not all can make the meetings, I only make a few. Just too bad more owners do not take a deeper interest in what is happening because nobody is willing to do anything about it. There is always somebody from the Tree Committee at the meetings, and they continue to do what they do without complaint.

Anonymous said...

Without complaint, good on,lol

Anonymous said...

Without complaint? Wow lol! 11:12 I’m open to your suggestions in resolving what is going on in this HOA. I’m almost positive that majority of members don’t really know what’s happening unless you are part of the elitist clan or active on this blog. I have visited with my neighbors (all stickbuilt) and they don’t have one clue. They pay their dues and use the compactor. My apologies if I came across as angry. The perfect description of me is disgusted and feeling hopeless.

Anonymous said...

If you say you only make it to a few meetings, then how exactly do you know that there is always somebody from the tree committee there?

To the above comment about Flood, I will agree about the attendance thing. Unfortunately it isn't just him, specially when it comes to committees. At least Patrick showed up for meetings but was rarely if ever at the committees meetings. Compare that to people like Annette who is on many and attends and like Rudd who has shown up at meetings of committees he isn't even a Trustee for.

But, with the part time aspect of SHOA it is just how things are.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps I misspoke. The Tree Committee is always represented at the Board Meetings and occasionally at certain Committees just to cover themselves from any bad press.. But then, if you are never there, it shouldn't make any difference to you.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, you still aren't making sense and it seems to me that you are just using this as another way to criticize the committee for no reason.

Some of the members attend the meetings more than likely to stay informed, unlike you. How you make the jump that they do so to "cover themselves from bad press" says a lot about you. The only press they get here is bad and there is nothing they could do to change that.

Anonymous said...

Unlike me? The reason I go is to find out what is going on, unlike others who don't participate at all yet seem to think they know everything that goes on here. If you think I am the only one giving them bad press, you haven't read any other sections of this blog. There is plenty to go around.

Anonymous said...

12:37 PM the Weakender can't be a waste of $$ when it doesn't cost anything in the first place. What else would Laura and Kimber do with the extra free time if relieved of this task?

Anonymous said...

I don't think you're the only one with the bad press 4:45 and I said as much. I also stated that just like you the committee members show up to meetings to be informed, not to "cover themselves", whatever that means.

Anonymous said...

All members can call into the meeting,isn't this the tech you've all been wanting? The call in option has been available for some time, yet no one call in?? I thought this is what everyone says they want but yet no one takes advantage, crazy

Anonymous said...

9:40 is one of the Surfside Jerks that is against transparency in any form. Go golfing w k and the cronies!

Anonymous said...

How am I against transparency?? You are too lazy to even call in, so you attach me? Sounds like people like you are the problem, you're given a way to participate but don't.

Anonymous said...

The number of available call in lines are limited by the phone system and one will undoubtedly be occupied by Flood.