BY JOAN DZURO
PRESIDENT
Some residents have asked why the Board doesn’t send out their issues for a vote of the entire membership before the Board makes a decision.
The Board does try to get as much information as possible from residents and thoroughly discuss the issues before any vote is taken by theBoard. All Board members get input from residents by phone calls, emails, through Hot Topics, and sometimes in special emails we set up such as strategicplan@scshca.com.
An example is with the latest refreshing that is being done in the ballroom and lobby. The samples of the carpet, drapes, and coverings for the moveable walls were recommended by an interior designer. We had the sample boards for residents to comment on, the Board reviewed, and then it was voted on at a Board meeting. The Design Rules that are being updated have been sent to the residents and we are getting their feedback on what people think of the changes. These will be discussed and then decisions voted on by the board.
Some people have stated they would like to see the Board send out items for a vote of the membership. In a perfect world this would probably be good but here are the concerns with this:
- We would have to prepare information on the item to be voted on as well as the ballots and mailed to each household;
- We would need to hire a third party administrator to gather the ballots, certify they are valid (the people who voted are allowed to vote) and then certify the vote.
All of these steps take time which would delay the decision being made or implemented.
This voting process costs the association about $15,000 (this is the same process used for when we hold elections for our Board of Directors) per vote.
Another downside is if the people whose vote didn’t prevail they would still be upset. So voting does not guarantee that all residents will like the decision that is made.
When people serve on any board they have a responsibility to make sure they review all data and make the best decision they can for the majority of members they cover. Unfortunately, with over 6000 people living in our community trying to please everyone is impossible, but we hope that the majority of the people who live here like the community and the fact that we are financially sound and that our reserves are 91% funded.
As you see issues coming before the board and you have either suggestions or concerns about the issue please let the board know. The more information that we receive the better able we are to make a sound decision. What helps the Board are recommendations on possible solutions to the problem. If you have a question about something you see in the community the best source to find out about it is hottopics@scshca.com where the question is sent to the person who is handling that issue so you get facts on the situation.