The start of each New Year gives most people pause and the
opportunity to avow to make a fresh start.
Common resolutions for most are to lose weight, be better organized,
read more, etc. As with each year, there
will be seats on the Board of Directors up for election (the 4 seats include
Muriel Levin and Amarie Natividad followed by the two recently appointed members
Marie Gallagher and TJ Crain). All of the
problems this Board said during last year’s election they would resolve, they
have not addressed; the Reserve Fund balance is lower than ever (the latest
water main break in Building 12 likely means the $30 monthly condo fee increase
will not see the $15 dedicated to the Reserve Fund as promised), our condo
payment IS rapidly making other properties more desirable for purchasers, and
our property continues to look run down.
We as a community need to come together to elect leaders who are
committed to using income from the monthly condo assessment fees to protect and
improve our property. Feedback received
from numerous co-owners of some resolutions for the Board of Directors to adopt
for 2012 are as follows:
1. Hold the ‘beloved Management/Administrative
Staff’ accountable for their wrong-doings (albeit rather difficult to
effectively execute that resolution when one of the Board Members, Treasurer
Kathleen Kelleher, works part-time in the office, and is viewed as a conflict
of interest by many co-owners)
2. Come to terms with the realization King Sal’s
long reign over The Colonies was hardly on the up and up (from recruiting General
Manager Carole Carlton who was purportedly then working at Baskin-Robbins [what kind of fun was Sal after that fateful day as Baskin-Robbins motto is "We sell fun, not ice cream"?] to recently facilitating
the running of license plates on a vehicle parked at the Colonies, a violation
of the Driver's Privacy Protection Act [DPPA], a Class 1 Misdemeanor in
Virginia) and it is time to come clean to the co-owners and stop covering up
for him
3. Fully, truthfully and effectively answer
co-owner inquiries
4. Make the Administrative Office and Clubhouse
buildings non-smoking
5. Realize the co-owners, resident or non-resident
owners, are all ‘investors’, are all equal and deserve accountability and
respect; the co-owners who have brought issues to light over the last year like
the numerous companies which were dismissed by the Board as being ‘junk’ are
looking out for their property
6. Adopt many of the suggestions brought forward by
many co-owners at the recent Annual Budget Hearing
7. Allow co-owners to speak during Board Meetings
particularly when they may have knowledge on a New Business Agenda Item (actually
encourage the sharing of information);Why is The Colonies relying on a single
article they have that talks about limiting co-owner comments to "3-5
minutes” since The Colonies is not a member of the Community Association
Institute? Limiting speaking time is reasonable but Colonies Board Meetings hardly have tons of people in
attendance, or who speak, so should we consider imposing a five (5) minute limitation
when a meeting is crowded or running long? The limitation is designed to reduce
repetitive debate or to shorten long meetings. We have neither at Colonies
Board Meetings. At The Rotonda Condominium where Bruce Freitas, Chairman of The
Colonies Finance & Insurance Committee resides, Board of Directors Meetings
typically last until 10:00 PM or later and co-owner attendance and ultimate
participation is facilitated with the option of attending via a Skype/NetMeeting
type program streamed over the Intranet.
8. Proofread Board Meeting minutes prior to being published
in The Colonies Crier or have the writer take proper writing lessons by
reviewing the Rotonda Condominium’s Newsletter, The Rotonda Rostrum for examples (http://www.rotonda.org/document_category.asp?cat_id=17&name=Newsletters)
Additional resolutions/feedback is always welcome.
Wishing everyone a wonderful 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment