For the first time in many years The Colonies of McLean has actual interest within the community from co-owners to serve on the Board of Directors outside of incumbent candidates and those appointed by existing members and sadly those four candidates have been met with resistance every step of the way. The motives for all of the stops the current members of the board spearheaded by the absentee President with the assistance of the ever too helpful office staff that includes one incumbent member of the Board who is the Treasurer and Member of the Finance Committee has pulled since these four individuals secured their spots on the ballots should be questioned. One would think these elected volunteer Council of Homeowners Board of Director positions were paid with the way these individuals have been acting. It is now getting down to the wire with the Annual Meeting occurring tomorrow evening and now co-owners who are for the incumbent candidates are stepping in and defaming the new candidates on the Colonies Connection Google Groups online community forum likely at the behest of the Incumbent Board candidates and management office. One co-owner went so far as to take data out of context from a candidates Facebook page reporting to her friends about a 'Meet the Candidate' event that had occurred the previous evening (one's opinion is now a crime in The Colonies community it appears). Interestingly enough, I confirmed with the candidate and none of those candidate's Facebook friends even live in The Colonies community (with the exception of her boyfriend). This co-owner posted the following statements two days before the Annual Meeting:
- I have lived at The Colonies since 1988, and in all of those years, we have never experienced the ultimate discord and downright viciousness that is currently going on. I have written in the past that somehow, some way, we need to promote harmony; however, instead of getting better, it is just getting worse!!!
- It is a very sad state of affairs that we are now entangled with this mess of constant bickering and name calling.
- Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay.
She talks about promoting harmony and then proceeds to do everything to discredit them? That is one type of harmony I for one am not in favor of!
The four new candidates secured their spots on the ballot by Petition which entailed getting signatures from co-owners to sponsor their candidacy. All four of them obtained in excess of the required 15 signatures, some getting more than 30 signatures. The Colonies Coalition, a group formed by concerned co-owners that the Board and Management has done everything to discredit from its inception, sent a letter to co-owners announcing the 4 candidates and providing brief biographies and inviting co-owners to a Meet the Candidates event (all of these items are being paid at the new candidates expense). Since then, the Board of Directors has taken the following actions to discredit the new candidates:
In closing, one co-owner eloquently stated on the online community forum the following which is something for all to ponder:
For the last several years, the Colonies Board has barely had a quorum at the annual meeting. Does this tell you something? Lets be honest, people felt the disconnect and just didn't bother to vote.
This year, four qualified indviduals have stepped forward and, by petition, became candidates. Since that time, the incumbent Board and administrative staff have gone out of their way to discredit them. Why? What is wrong with this picture? And simultaneously things are being done around this community that have been needed for some time. Have you noticed the sprucing up of the guard house, painting that has occured in many building lobbies, and a general facade update? All this hapenning a couple of weeks before the Annual Meeting. Classic politics!
I think the Colonies Board should set term limits, like most operating Boards, that way no one can ever claim ownership. Why is everyone afraid of change? Things can't get much worse; maybe we'll benefit from some fresh insight, new ideas and reordered priorities.
- I have lived at The Colonies since 1988, and in all of those years, we have never experienced the ultimate discord and downright viciousness that is currently going on. I have written in the past that somehow, some way, we need to promote harmony; however, instead of getting better, it is just getting worse!!!
- It is a very sad state of affairs that we are now entangled with this mess of constant bickering and name calling.
- Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay.
She talks about promoting harmony and then proceeds to do everything to discredit them? That is one type of harmony I for one am not in favor of!
The four new candidates secured their spots on the ballot by Petition which entailed getting signatures from co-owners to sponsor their candidacy. All four of them obtained in excess of the required 15 signatures, some getting more than 30 signatures. The Colonies Coalition, a group formed by concerned co-owners that the Board and Management has done everything to discredit from its inception, sent a letter to co-owners announcing the 4 candidates and providing brief biographies and inviting co-owners to a Meet the Candidates event (all of these items are being paid at the new candidates expense). Since then, the Board of Directors has taken the following actions to discredit the new candidates:
- Mailed a 3 page single-sided letter in the condo statement sent to all co-owners at the beginning of April that cost $0.61/letter vs. $0.44 to 457 units (going to assume since 2 are owned by The Council of Colonies Homeowners that postage is not wasted for those mailings); dual sided would have resulted in it only being 2 sheets which would have also saved nearly a ream of paper as well. The Board has since countered saying a generous person has paid the difference in cost. The letter was titled Coalition Claims vs. Facts #3; interestingly enough a comparison of all Coalition letters to The Colonies rebuttals do not entirely match and the rebuttals are just defensive jargon of people feeling backed in a corner.
- Ballot sheet included in Annual Meeting Election Package was rather 'slanted'; the new candidates may well have been left off the page entirely which I am sure would rather have been the preference.
- Flyer put at each co-owner's/resident's door the evening before the new candidates Meet the Candidates event held at The Colonies Clubhouse Sunday, April 17 that was clearly derogatory (the Board has not refuted being the authors); this event at the expense of the new candidates
- April 26 Meet the Candidates Event was interesting and as an attendee, I found many things appalling. The incumbent candidates took pleasure in using their allotted 2 minutes to discredit the new candidates and bash them for retaining an Attorney that included complete oversight of the ballot process (who could blame them with the resistance they are facing?). I sat between two co-owners who had their hands raised during the question and answer portion and heard a person behind me comment the moderator (Colonies/Board Counsel) had to have been shown pictures of who to call upon because questions asked appeared to mostly be anything that would discredit the new candidates. During the mingle portion, an incumbent board candidate's unit co-owner angrily said to the wife of a new candidate something to the effect of 'These people work for me and they should expect to answer to me in the future' and then made a comment about unit's lease being defective (not knowledge a non-Board member should have but having a roommate who is a Board Member and a neighbor who is not only a Board Member but also works in the Administrative Office does provide for interesting source possibilities. The interaction is on digital tape. I am sure the Board is not paying for the clubhouse rental fees for this event unlike the event on the 17th that the new candidates paid for out of their own pocket.
- Mailed letter Friday, April 29 to all co-owners informing them of 3 resignations of three Administrative personnel (attached below); three of the four candidates sent letters in acknowledgement of these resignations.
- Negative postings from co-owners occuring on the community forum including one from a person who has not responded to a candidate request for clarification
In closing, one co-owner eloquently stated on the online community forum the following which is something for all to ponder:
For the last several years, the Colonies Board has barely had a quorum at the annual meeting. Does this tell you something? Lets be honest, people felt the disconnect and just didn't bother to vote.
This year, four qualified indviduals have stepped forward and, by petition, became candidates. Since that time, the incumbent Board and administrative staff have gone out of their way to discredit them. Why? What is wrong with this picture? And simultaneously things are being done around this community that have been needed for some time. Have you noticed the sprucing up of the guard house, painting that has occured in many building lobbies, and a general facade update? All this hapenning a couple of weeks before the Annual Meeting. Classic politics!
I think the Colonies Board should set term limits, like most operating Boards, that way no one can ever claim ownership. Why is everyone afraid of change? Things can't get much worse; maybe we'll benefit from some fresh insight, new ideas and reordered priorities.
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