2015 Sun City Anthem Board
A
Comedy of Financial Errors & Failures !
(Part Three of Three)
This is the final installment of a three part series of articles looking back over 2015 and the uncertain future we, as Sun City Anthem residents, will face as we enter 2016.
In our previous
articles, we discussed the utter calamity of decisions leading to the failure of
the restaurant, and the unanswered questions that remain about our transition to
self-management.
Today, we will
conclude with the many questions that remain
regarding the problems associated with the closing of the
Liberty Center.
Before we begin, we want all of you to know that the Association President announced that the projected date that the Liberty Center will reopen is THE END OF FEBRUARY, 2016.
And so...with
that statement in mind, let's examine a number of the concerns surrounding that
building as 2016 rapidly
approaches.
First....WHY would anyone have structured a deal where we would not
be allowed to examine a building prior to accepting
it?
That...is
simply....not only INCOMPETENT...but...INSANE.
Why would those
board members "cave" to the whims of a builder
regarding a simple request to inspect the third recreation center through an
independent and impartial firm before accepting the
building?
Actually, PULTE was LEGALLY
BOUND by a MASTER PLAN
CHANGE they,
as the builder,negotiated with the City of
Henderson.
This agreement
allowed the builder to both increase housing
density (that's why homes in the
Black Mountain Village and certain other areas are closer together than homes
built in earlier phases)...
...and...
...construct The LIberty
Center.
The
"catch"....a third golf course would not be
built.
These changes
allowed the builder to increase their profits while not being saddled with what
would have, in all likelihood, been a money losing golf
course.
Not constructing
that 3rd golf course was understandable....the rest WAS
NOT.
Pulte hesitated
on the Liberty Center construction much to the dismay of residents living in
that area of Sun City Anthem....
...and the
"natives grew restless" threatening legal action...with the ultimate result of
The Liberty Center finally being constructed.
Why did it take a
group of homeowners to threaten such action to obtain A PRODUCT THEY
WERE PROMISED IN A LEGAL SALES
DOCUMENT ????????
And...when it was
finally determined that it would be built...it as obviously assumed that it
would be done correctly.
What happens when
you ASSUME without dotting the "i's" and crossing the
"t's" ???
The inevitable
conclusion....
...you make an...
...you make an...
ASS out of U and ME !
Was negotiating a demand to merely independently EXAMINE A
BUILDING before accepting
it......too much to
ask?
Or...
WAS
IT INCOMPETENCE BY THOSE ON THAT BOARD FOR FAILING TO ASK ???????
In a previous "mailbag"
article written by resident, Forrest Fetherolf, and published by Anthem
Opinions on November 22, 2015, entitled
"Sun City Anthem Liberty
Center Debacle...
It Could Have Been Easily
Avoided"
...Mr. Fetherolf made a concerted effort as a concerned
citizen with over 30 years of experience at owning a contracting and
construction firm, to volunteer his expertise to then Board
President, Roz Berman...recommending a formal inspection by an
outside independent party.
What
was the result of an EXPERIENCED REQUEST ?
He
was not only
merely IGNORED...but in subsequent articles published on David's Anthem
Journal, was referred to as a CLOWN, at
the time Fetherolf ran for a Board Director
position.
What the community
seems to have forgotten, or many newer residents are unaware of...and never
brought up in David's Anthem Journal, was that David Berman was also a member of
the board at the time the Liberty Center deal was originally
determined.
Well...that
supposed "clown" evidently knew what he was talking about, didn't
he?
Only those who
"made the call" can answer the question of who is to blame, but the question
itself is legitimate.
Who ????
Someone was
responsible for the inadequate construction of that building that is now
closed, facing major expense to repair.
And whether we,
the community, must personally pay to have the Liberty Center restored, or if
insurance will cover some of the cost...
Sun City Anthem must face this
fact...
Those costs will be BORNE BY YOU....whether through assessments, or increased
insurance premiums due to the
poor experience claim rating that WILL RESULT.
Another
concern....RAIN.
!
It certainly has rained a number of times since the Liberty Center was built....and...when the Liberty Center roof leaked from the very onset, as it has been well documented over the years...
One would
think that any intelligent person would know the obvious
potential result if not promptly and properly addressed...
MOLD....MOLD...lots of MOLD
Is there anyone out there that would allow a leak to remain in your home without fixing it IMMEDIATELY?
Which
brings the next concern !
If
the management company WAS AWARE OF THE roof
leaking...
(Many times water on the floor had to be mopped, and
buckets placed to catch the water from constant numerous
leaks)
What
action or actions were taken BY THEM TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM
???
...AND...
If they did address
it.....
Did they properly fix
it ???
The
last question appears to have an obvious answer.
If it was originally fixed
PROPERLY...
Why
did it continue to leak and eventually allowed to create MOLD ????
That
certainly is a $64,000 question we should be asking !
Finally
there is the issue of WHY IT WAS
ACCEPTED ON AN "AS IS"
BASIS.
Arguments
have been made trying to make an excuse as to a former Sun City Anthem
president, Roz Berman, merely
carrying out the dictum of a previous board.
Roz
Berman
Are those people kidding and merely have their heads stuck in a bucket of sand?
That,
again, is ABSURD....and...in our opinion...merely BUCK PASSING....
...a common
trait by most former Board members who have refused to accept responsibility for
POOR DECISIONS they made, and refuse to admit THEY ERRED IN
JUDGMENT.
It has to stop...and...it leaves little left to the
imagination when it comes to the future of our community's financial well-being
if such governance is allowed to continue.
Let me
close this series of articles and ask all of you to join me at the
ballot box in the coming months
with this attitude:
...by choosing those whose past indicates COMPETENCE, not merely submitted biographies that are UNVETTED and all too often INFLATED, or listening to the all too often BS spoken at what I will loosely call "debates" or the obvious nonsense spoken in videos that we have proven have been LIES following their election as shown in our previous article.
Candidates should
voluntarily submit themselves to BACKGROUND CHECKS....avoiding ANY who
refuse.
My dear
departed father once made a statement to me that took years (and my retirement)
to fully understand.
He once
said...
"Some People Deserve to be
Screwed"
Paying little attention to those who run for Board positions
and electing incompetent board members in our association, has more than proven
the validity of his statement.
And...we suggest you keep that saying in mind and pass it on to
your neighbors as they choose succeeding Sun City Anthem Board members in 2016
and in the years to
come.
It takes a
very short amount of time to examine the worthiness and credentials of a board
candidate.
Don't be
one of those who complain, yet are unwilling to do
so...
...or my
dad's prophetic words will ring loud and clear.
If you are
one of those people...take a different approach this year.
And...consider
becoming a candidate who can contribute to changing the
past.
You owe it
to YOURSELF...and..to those you call FRIENDS and
NEIGHBORS.
Tomorrow
we will print an Epilogue to
these articles.
We
hope you read it....and consider the plea it will make of all who are dedicated
to making Sun City Anthem the dream we hoped would have
existed.
Send us a
comment.
Our email
address is:
Anthem
Opinions Administraton
....surprised that they haven't (already) said: "It's Bush's fault".
I have loved reading your articles about SCA and the boards that have run them.
Former Pres. Roz who accepted Liberty center what was she thinking when she approved this building?
Something happens when the people get voted into office at SCA they forget they are part of the community and should be thinking about the rest of us.
There hasn't been a board yet who knows about the restaurant business.
God help us in the future if we continue to get people who know nothing about running an association,
Thank you for your articles. I hope all residents of SCA have read them.
I like the idea of VETTING candidates for the Board. I also suggest that one DUTY of the new MANAGER be to do the vetting.
This would make more certain that she would know who she could rely on on the Board to help her and work with her in managing SCA.