For good, or bad...
Most of the retired members in Surfside, moved here for a relaxed stress free way of living during their remaining years. They have paid their dues during their working years. They have endured all kinds of life experiences, some good and some bad. All they want is for their life to finally be free of most of the stress they have had. It has to be disappointing for them to again be placed under stress by the very place they came to be away from it.
The part time members, be they home owners here, campers or RV members, they are here for similar reasons. They are living and working in stressful life conditions, and they thought they would have a place at the beach where they could have a break from stress. They must also be disappointed in what is happening in Surfside.
A few elitist selfish members are hell bent on making Surfside into their vision of what they want it to be. They seem to have satisfaction in making stress for all members except themselves. While they do this, they want to keep their identity hidden. Be they on the Board or active in a committee, they keep their activity secrete. Minutes are brief and not available for months. They want to control everything and have it their way.
A warning to these power grabbing few...
The members are becoming aware of your scheme to control, and they are fighting back to take control of their association. You are fools to think you can have it all your way. You are destroying the HOA that has given you special privileges.
What will 2020 bring?
If allowed to continue, we can expect more of the same, only more costly. 2020 may be our last chance to regain member control of our association and return it to the purpose for which it was intended and the reason so many invested here. A relaxed stress free place to live and recreate.
Needed changes:
Removal of at least three Board members.
Covenant change by member vote only.
Board members by area.
Board term limits.
Return to a Business Manager.
Abolish Tree Committee (complaints investigated by compliance officer)
End tree and home height limits.
Complete review of all committee's, their function and need.
Hire a Water/Field Manager.
Reduce budget at least 10%
Limit member complaints.
Charge for making a false complaint.
Make changes in the Bylaws.
An up to date web site with current minutes and other information.
Etc. Etc.
16 comments:
To blatantly call for a 10% reduction in dues you need to itemize what are's of our current budget that are bloated.
Name the three Board member's that need to go.
Explain how a mostly rotating board always results in conspiracies, special privileges etc.
Explain what would drive your neighbor's (hopefully some friends included) to run for the board or a committee and then become the enemy.
Explain why you now want to return to a business manager format. It sure didn't work with Laura Frazier.
We don't fit the successful model of a home owner's association. Far too diverse in far too many ways. A noble experiment gone awry.
Was thinking along those same lines today. When we moved here more than a decade ago, things were pretty calm. Neighbors met and talked to each other, there was no animosity, there were no "No Trespassing" signs at each home and lot. We did have A compliance Officer. Jim was a nice guy. If you had some sort of issue, he would, in a friendly way, let you know what it was, and talk it over with you. Since then we have endured thee influx of folks who think this is Medina in Seattle, or the West Hills in Portland. As they could not afford to live in either place, they moved here an are trying to institute the same type of atmosphere. We are just lacking the gated roads. This isn't an uppity neighborhood. Not a one of us is any better than another and cannot exercise any authority over others. They have been allowed to ruin this community by dividing it through lies, BOT punitive actions, et al. I suggest if they want tocontinue as they, are, there must be some third world country that would welcome them and their retirement income. Take us up on it and let this community return to friendlier days.
I think most of your suggestions are good ones George. I believe that Williams, deLeest, and Mark Scott, will end 3 year terms come next election, and the seat left empty rather than to appoint me, will also be open to new candidates. I have heard that Mr. Winegar may also choose to resign.
Rudd Taylor still has a year left, and he and Minich seem to be the least driven by their own agendas. Curt Olds has a year or 2, and James Clancy was elected last year. Clancy is infamous for getting his hands into everything possible, and driving enforcement by packing the docket with bogus complaints taken from a list or map.
Without a bunch of reasonable humble folks to volunteer as candidates, the same b.s. will continue to bog down what could be a happy community. To the extent that all 8 Trustees have approved a "Proactive Enforcement" Plan, we will see compliance officers roaming the community trying to show they are worth their wages, by tallying up violations. And add to that, without BOT mandated restrictions on self-ordained community police, Mr. Clancy and others will be feeding the Compliance Mill.
The Board blocked appointing me because I am too outspoken and honest, so it becomes a question of who is willing to run, and whether the few who vote will see that our community is becoming a police state, and pissing away vast sums of member funds hassling the owners who pay the freight.
Increased restrictions and paying a compliance police force costs lots of money, and all of this nonsense contributes to huge expenses in legal fees and Court costs. So far, the HOA has done little but waste money on such silly lawsuits, which Superior Courts see as superfluous clutter in their Courtrooms, a waste of taxpayer dollars, and issues that the HOAs should easily mediate themselves.
Remember, before Reber was hired, Laura managed the office AND was head compliance officer. One fulltime member handled all of this. Reber can't even manage the office, or assure that accurate records are kept of compliance issues. Accurate records make it unnecessary to have closing inspections. The "NEW" closing inspections require paid compliance people. Pick one.
If you daon’t know which three, you are part of the problem.
We’ve definitely been having second thoughts about our decision in 2017 to sell our home in eastern Washington and move to our beachouse we bought in 2008 permanently! When we made our pros and cons list then, the only 2 items on the con side were healthcare and distance from family! Never once did we have second thoughts about being in a HOA. This past summer has certainly tried our patience and now has us doubting our decision. We definitely do not want to live in an area where we feel singled out and treated unfairly.
Agree with George on changes that need to be made for sure. When you look on line to the website these past few months and the minutes of the architectural committee meeting says not even the basic information of who attended the meeting, leave alone what was discussed or motions made! We are completely in the dark has to what has happened to our neighborhood!
Receiving the complaint about our “too bright” outdoor lights in July and still wondering what the final decision will be, is to say the least more than upsetting
We must make some corrective decisions this new year or I’m not sure what the outcome will be. I do think there are more common sense members than unreasonable ones! At least I hope so!
For Steve, JoAnne and others who are new here.
I am sorry for what you are experiencing here. It has not always been this way. It is only in the past several years that things have turned bad.
There has always been differences among members, but not to the present extent or as ugly. There has also been a minority on the Board and in committees that were controlled by common sense other members. That has all changed and that minority has become the majority. Until that is changed, we will continue down the ugly road we are on.
The general membership has not changed and the majority are kind caring people who are more than willing to help their neighbors. In the "old days", and not that old, things were much better than now. I remember the whole community pitching in to help in various projects that made Surfside better. The old "Surfside spirit" of friendly members, no matter where you lived or status, were equal in everyone's eyes.
The mistake was in thinking that every thing would continue as it was. A time when there was trust in the trustee's. That trust is now gone, but it will take time to again earn that respect. An increase in dues and assessments was a big deal. #% increase was a hard sell, and required a full explanation and justification. Not like it is now. "pay up and shut up"
It seems that the more we spend, the worse it gets. I sure miss "the good old days" I am sorry you missed it. I have to admit that I also thought that things would continue that would only make Surfside a better place for everyone. Boy, was I wrong. It is like a thief came in the middle of the night and stole every thing. At least, every thing that was good and now we are left holding an empty bag.
I remember are former Water/Field Manager, Bob Haskin saying..."One day your going to wake up and say...What the hell happened?" I am sorry to say, that day has happened.
It can be fixed. All it takes is the will to do it.
4:13 - Really defensive there. Opinions begin a discussion. But if you've lived in the community a while, you should have recognized the changing dynamic of the BOT to a secretive and enforcement focused management style. Only a few hundred people are in Surfside at a time, for about half of the year. Why should there be ever increasing restrictions which require ever increasing agents of enforcement ?
I can tell you that my impression having attended some BOT and Committee meetings, is that there is little concern about spending limits. The size of our community makes the budget outsized to the actual traffic and use of facilities in Surfside. I suggested at a Water Dept. Comm. meeting that maybe scaling back the pipe laying project ($150,000 annually} would enable some other Water Dept. improvements.
I was told that the HOA had access to plenty of money when it wants it. I was kind of shocked by the attitude. The point was made and a legitimate one, that they currently have a crew that is working well in the waterline project. Getting good employees is a challenge on the peninsula. But there seems to be a cavalier attitude about spending that is driving things, such as enforcement overkill, while Board secrecy has become routine.
There is no real accountability, so yeah, there's lots of money, lots and lots of money. Oh, by the way we would like to reach 300 Tree complaints next year !! Go trim your trees damn it !!
A couple of observations. As per the 9:20 post, it is our out of control Clancy who has been witnessed stating that the HOA has more money than they know what to do with, thus his involvement in many failed contracts, no responsibility, and so what if a few $10,000 accounts go missing. Couple that with complaint activity and the dues increases when he was treasurer, that provides copious data for his removal from the Board as he should be nowhere near any position involving commitment of HOA funds or rules. As per Steve Cox’s post, this is the perfect timing to do exactly what the current Board has done to us. That is, with four ( hopefully five) positions coming up for grabs in 2020, we need to form (as did the current members) a coalition to find and support candidates that can erase the harm this Board has, and continues to do to our community.
Wow! I just moved here 2 weeks ago. I didn't want to live in an HOA area but that is where I found the house I love. Now you have me thinking, what the hell have I gotten into. I just wanted to retire and be happy.
Welcome to the club. We were on top of the world when we purchased in 2007. The last few years we have seen a dramatic decline in the "HAPPY PLACE" at the beach. This HOA is a pathetic mess led by the Elitist Board. Bob Haskin stated it right on: WHAT THE H--L HAPPENED. Is it too late for a turnaround? I fear it is while these fools are in charge of the "till". BTW: sent an email in protest of crazy lighting notion. Bet only one who saw it was GM.
Did you get a hard copy of the hoa governing documents when you were purchasing your property 6:38 PM?
I am so sorry 6:38
I have been here 15 years and was an active volunteer for over ten years. This was a great place, but in the recent years a small group of people decided we needed changes, while the majority liked it just fine the way it was. No one, including myself, thought it would change. Why should it? I don't know if it will ever return to what it was for so many years. The whole world seems to be in a mess and maybe we are just a small reflection of it all. There is still hope that sane minds will prevail. We will know the answer to that sooner rather than later. I can tell you that most of the members here, are great caring and loving people. That is the best part of Surfside. Good luck in your new adventure here. I guess the bottom line is.."If it is worth having, it is worth fighting for".
Well it is still 2019 so I guess the events observed yesterday don't have to change until tomorrow. The chair of the tree committee and a member of the same committee were observed by several folks as they cruised down I and G Streets, noted that they occasionally stopped to observe. They were busily making notes on a listing of addresses. Now some have said that the Tree Committee does not make complaints. In fact it was said all they do is to verify complaints. Well, there couldn't have been that many new tree complaints to verify since most of the lots west of J are already being complained about, but what about lighting? They were parked nearby a pole mounted halogen light around 312th I that doesn't meet the "to be deliberated" allowed criteria. But of course there is no new covenant covering lighting, is there? So, if they weren't generating new complaints, most, if not all have, been "verified", are they now our new compliance officers, or at least acting as such? They should serve one function (and really not even that one) to verify complaints and then leave alone as then it is only a matter between the HOA management and the property owner
The thing that might be going on is that there are many many homes that are out of compliance under the current lighting covenant as we observed after receiving our complaint in July. Maybe these “two” are just going to try and prove a point and lodge as many complaints as possible. Then they can to try and show us how we need a new covenant! Nothing would surprise me at this point! Perhaps it’s time to dissolve the committees and just try and be civil around here!
This morning as I walked past the HOA building, I observed the American Flag flying upside down as it had torn from its attachment. I removed the Flag and will see to it that it is given a proper disposal. In addition to the torn attachment, the Flag was extremely tattered. This was no doubt due to the fact that it was left up during yesterdays windstorm. Flag protocol demands that the flag be lowered and stored during inclement weather. Obviously this was not done. I have purchased several flags in the past for the HOA, I will not do so again. I have too much respect for the Flag and what it stands for to allow it to be mistreated in this careless manner. If you don't have pride in yourself, you might want to at least have pride in the symbols of our country.
Thanks Mark!
I don't blame you for not buying flags for this HOA ever again. They obviously didn't appreciate it.
All they care about is spending our money.
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