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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Board Candidate Stephen Anderson Position Paper 3






What About a Restaurant ?

Position Paper 3
by
Stephen C. Anderson
Candidate for the Sun City Anthem Board of Directors

Contact:
 or
(702) 514-0059
  
Q. What is your position on having a restaurant in Anthem Center?

A. The Board needs to step back from making any decision at this time and wait to get self-management under way and in place for a period of time. 

Making a decision on the restaurant should not be a top priority as we undertake our move to self-management. 

Our new General Manager has had previous experience managing properties with restaurant operations, which should be helpful to making a decision for Sun City Anthem. 

With our new management structure, the General Manager will be a key person in having input into the decision. However, our new management team will need to have the time to develop alternatives that can be presented to the Board. 

The Board also needs to take the time to formulate sound policy that can guide management in moving ahead on this issue. This will include listening and dialoging with members about what they want and in clearly understanding the history of past restaurant failures at Sun City Anthem.

I know that the issue of subsidization and the word amenity often come up in regards to discussions about the restaurant. 

The association already subsidizes the restaurant (whether open or not) by owning the kitchen equipment, dining room furniture and other items necessary for a restaurant operation. 

One option might be to self-manage a food service operation or to look at another contractor run operation. 

Another option would be to have a food service operation that would include a call-in take out service. 

There are any number of great ideas that need to be carefully considered in making a decision.

 However, at this time my position is to be not either for or against a restaurant option. 

Critical to my making a decision is listening to what the members of the association have to say and the nature of the proposal(s) that come forth from management for a Board decision.

Any offer that the Association considers must have a sound business plan and address the issues that have plagued operations in the past. 

A food service operation ideally would provide at least some additional revenue to the association or serve as an offset to the costs we currently incur for the space. 

If an outside contractor were to be utilized then a contract needs to be structured in a business like manner. The costs for rent, trash and utilities need to be well structured in advance and be set at a reasonable level based upon past experience. 

Under no circumstance should the association ever engage in loans to the vendor.

 Again these are just some thoughts about this issue and key is listening to the input from the members.

This issue underscores the importance of the board in implementing a strong governance structure that focuses on strategic planning and performance assessment and evaluation. 

Dealing with this issue also places emphasis on LISTENING to the community.

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  1. Well stated Steve. You show a depth of understanding of the issue and an ability to listen to the residents that is needed to be a fine addition to our HOA board.
  2. From Kathy Dauerhauer...to...Anthem Opinions

    Good Morning:

    We have lived her since 2001 and sure have been disappointed with the Restaurants going under and I think it has a lot to do with the Contract that was written and not sticking to it.

    I'm a Real Estate Agent as well and quite involved with the Community.

    I would take my clients there and several times they didn’t have what was on the menu, prices to high and the list goes on. I have always liked the idea of having a place close to dine and a nice place but at this point, whatever works in the way of savings us money or even making us money,

    I’m all for it as long as it has to do with some kind of “Food.” I’ve heard Gambling etc and that just does not belong there.

    I guess if you had a Bar and Grill type place with a few Slot machines, that make us money.

    That would be fine but this is the fourth to 5th time going through this.

    As you know we are also dealing with the Liberty Center that wasn’t properly followed to closure.

    You never close on a building until you have an inspection. Doesn’t mean that would have shown anything, but I bet it would have showed some potential problems.


    No matter what kind of a dining place or eatery, you just cannot ignore a contract.

    It’s actually our fault for allowing this to happen if this is the case.

    I really hope you can find a good solution for this and a very long lasting one.

    Many thanks for all your time!

    1. From Marty & Donna....to...Anthem Opinions

      Sure sounds like Steve Anderson's reply (to me) is that as he places all those "options" in his answer, all he's doing is throwing enough stuff on the wall and maybe it'll stick. In other words, he still wants a restaurant, but doesn't know how to say it straight out. His stock answer is, "let's talk about it and maybe someone will come up with some magic formula to make number 5 work."

      Not a chance in hell, Steve, dream on.

      Take all those used pots and pans and send them to Goodwill or any charity of the new boards choice.

      Let private enterprise (at a "arm's length transaction") do what it does best.

      The last bunch of folks had all the credibility in the world, and that is that their experiences in the restaurant was, "they knew how to eat."

      If I said it once, I said it a hundred times, a triple net lease "WAS" the only way to offer a restaurant, and THAT included no options for changes knowing what transpired in the past, but those dolts didn't have a clue because they never, ever had to reach in their pocket and start and run a business. They all were "Corporate America MBA's," and thought they knew better.


      Take that piece of the building and put grass in it!

3 comments:

  1. Well stated Steve. You show a depth of understanding of the issue and an ability to listen to the residents that is needed to be a fine addition to our HOA board.

    ReplyDelete
  2. From Kathy Dauerhauer...to...Anthem Opinions

    Good Morning:


    We have lived her since 2001 and sure have been disappointed with the Restaurants going under and I think it has a lot to do with the Contract that was written and not sticking to it.

    I'm a Real Estate Agent as well and quite involved with the Community.

    I would take my clients there and several times they didn’t have what was on the menu, prices to high and the list goes on. I have always liked the idea of having a place close to dine and a nice place but at this point, whatever works in the way of savings us money or even making us money,

    I’m all for it as long as it has to do with some kind of “Food.” I’ve heard Gambling etc and that just does not belong there.

    I guess if you had a Bar and Grill type place with a few Slot machines, that make us money.

    That would be fine but this is the fourth to 5th time going through this.

    As you know we are also dealing with the Liberty Center that wasn’t properly followed to closure.

    You never close on a building until you have an inspection. Doesn’t mean that would have shown anything, but I bet it would have showed some potential problems.


    No matter what kind of a dining place or eatery, you just cannot ignore a contract.

    It’s actually our fault for allowing this to happen if this is the case.


    I really hope you can find a good solution for this and a very long lasting one.

    Many thanks for all your time!

    ReplyDelete

  3. From Marty & Donna....to...Anthem Opinions

    Sure sounds like Steve Anderson's reply (to me) is that as he places all those "options" in his answer, all he's doing is throwing enough stuff on the wall and maybe it'll stick. In other words, he still wants a restaurant, but doesn't know how to say it straight out. His stock answer is, "let's talk about it and maybe someone will come up with some magic formula to make number 5 work."

    Not a chance in hell, Steve, dream on.

    Take all those used pots and pans and send them to Goodwill or any charity of the new boards choice.

    Let private enterprise (at a "arm's length transaction") do what it does best.

    The last bunch of folks had all the credibility in the world, and that is that their experiences in the restaurant was, "they knew how to eat."

    If I said it once, I said it a hundred times, a triple net lease "WAS" the only way to offer a restaurant, and THAT included no options for changes knowing what transpired in the past, but those dolts didn't have a clue because they never, ever had to reach in their pocket and start and run a business. They all were "Corporate America MBA's," and thought they knew better.



    Take that piece of the building and put grass in it!

    ReplyDelete