We Have Problems

The first step in solving any problem is to recognize that we have a problem

In My Opinion....

My experience from living here 14 years is that most members are good people.  This includes members on the Board as well as most who serve on committees. I have seen many enter and leave our community for various reasons.  Many of the increasing problems are not apparent to many of the members.  As the problems increase, more and more of the members are becoming aware of them. As the problems surface, members are demanding solutions. Hiding or covering up the problems is not a solution.  These problems did not just happen over night.  They have been building for years.  Pointing fingers and the blame game is not a solution.

As a non-profit corporation with a budget of over a million dollars, requires professional management. Good intentions can never replace qualified, experienced personnel at all levels.  Our operations become more complex every day as we expand, age and new and updated rules and regulations are imposed on us from all levels of government.  Volunteers can play an important role in moving us forward.  That should be their primary goal.

Are we expecting a volunteer Board to provide the management we need and deserve in our changing world?  It appears we have, and that is not a fair expectation, especially when they lack management experience.  This is not an attack on good people, it is just a fact that business is business.  The Board has the responsibility to provide management at a professional level.  They can do this without business experience.  They can simply hire professionals for day to day and long term management.  This would free up their time to set policy.

We have problems with our water operations, fines imposed on us and even a criminal investigation. We are seeing dwindling reserve accounts and prospects of higher dues and assessments. It is reasonable to expect costs of operations to increase, but that increase should not be due to poor management decisions.

It would be a real shame for the only solution to our problems being the demise of our association. There may still be time to make the needed corrections.  That time is now.