Sun City Anthem

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Going to the Candidate's Debate


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Hope and Change?
or is it
I’ll Keep the Dollars – You Keep the Change?

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By
Robert N.

I attended the past Sunday’s ‘Candidate Forum’ and was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed.

CAVEAT:

The following is MY opinion based on what I observed and heard at the forum. I did NOT take copious notes or covertly (or, for that matter overtly) use a tape recorder to copy every word spoken.

I made no attempt to make my presence known to the candidates; I was merely one of the anonymous faces in the crowd.

The forum was held in the Independence Hall Theater and the room was only about 2/3 – 3/4 full.

I was disappointed in that the candidates commented on the apparent lack of enthusiasm demonstrated by the “poor” turn-out and attributed it to the pervasive apathy of SCA residents.  

None of the candidates recognized the fact that the low turn-out MAY be the result of:

1.  the Residents’ pervasive distaste with the election process (as a result of the antics during last year’s election).

2. the non-responsiveness of Board members (once they sit on our Board)

and

3. the overall lack of Residents’ wishes and concerns reflected during Board meetings.

My informal survey of friends’ and neighbors’ reason for not attending the forum revealed that the most common response was:

Why bother – it never changes

The format of the meeting allowed each candidate an opening statement, followed by a Question & Answer session, and finally a closing statement from each.

Yes, each opening statement was a carefully-crafted diatribe we’ve all heard before about the importance of experience and the importance of fiscal responsibility.

Some of the questions and concerns were pertinent, and some bordered on ludicrous (and addressed problems not under the control of the Board); for example, the streets in SCA are PUBLIC streets and the Board has NO control over speed limits, etc.; that is the purview of the Henderson Police Department.

Another individual asked a question about the alleged “illegal” Disclosure and Indemnification statement enclosed in everyone’s quarterly coupon payment book, and went on about how it violates IRS Regulations…..if so, maybe we should elect a new HOA Attorney?

It was disappointing that more time was wasted on this topic than was spent on the pending Pulte lawsuit.

The recent crime-wave was touched upon, and Mr. Weddle (I BELIEVE) promoted the virtues of Neighborhood Watch Programs; now, while Neighborhood Watch Programs ARE important, it was disappointing that none of the candidates spent any time discussing  the virtues of the SCA Community Patrol.
                                                                                                             
Fiscal responsibility was a favorite topic.

Mr. Quinn and Ms. Tobin spoke at length about the topic. Mr. Weinstein made a statement to the effect that, as someone living on a fixed income, he is acutely aware of the effect of dues increases and always considers the plight of Residents in that position.

Ms. Tobin (I BELIEVE) made a statement to the effect that the last budget sounded like someone reading off a page of random numbers.

It does appear that a few candidates (especially Mr. Quinn and Ms. Tobin) have the experience and accounting acumen needed for our multi-million dollar budget. 

Ms. Tobin also made a refreshing statement that...

... the Board works for the Residents, and that the Residents should be treated like customers, not like an annoyance (haven’t I heard that before???)

There were, however, a few disappointments.

During the discussion of the future of the infamous restaurant, it APPEARED the ‘fix was in’ and some kind of food establishment is in the works.

Mr. Quinn made an arbitrary and capricious statement that
“re-purposing” the restaurant area to another use ‘would cost half a million dollars’.

REALLY?  - did he actually get contractors’ estimates OR was this an off-the-cuff comment supported by nothing more than an intimidating figure? (note to the Board: if it would REALLY cost $500,000 to‘re-purpose’ the restaurant, I’ll do it for $450,000). 

The point is, SCA has been subjected to poor accounting procedures supported by vague and capricious data – we DO NOT need (nor can we afford) any more of these antics.

I was surprised that there were no comments or discussions about the pending Pulte lawsuit – something that affects all of us.

Because of a personal commitment I needed to leave the forum shortly after 4:00 PM – thus I cannot comment on any discussions that took place after that time.

I would hope that an extensive discussion about the Pulte lawsuit took place during my absence.

I would also hope that some of the positive statements made by the candidates (especially the “newcomers”) are put into place IF they are elected,  and do not merely evaporate like so much desert rain.

THAT, in my opinion, is the reason for such a “poor” turn-out….

...as the saying goes...

 “Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We want to thank Robert for sending us his thoughts.

AND...

We'd like to know if any other Sun City Anthem unit owners attended the forum.

Do you agree or disagree with Robert N ?
Any other observations and/or comments we can share with our readers?
Send them to us at:
scaopinions@gmail.com
  1. From Rana Goodman..to...Anthem Opinions

    Dick,

    Your reader Robert was slightly incorrect, It was me that made the statement at the forum regarding the disclaimer. It is a violation of Nevada Revised Statutes and I believe all residents using the payment coupon should be aware that the disclaimer is false and illegal.

    By law, a payment made for an assessment can only be used by management for the assessment and cannot be applied to anything else.

    If the HOA has done so, they need to have that amount returned and applied to their assessment and any late fees returned to them if the incorrect deduction caused a late fee to be applied.

    NRS 116A.640,section 8

    "Community manager shall not:

    Section 8.... shall not intentionally apply a payment of an assessment from a unit's owner toward any fine, fee or any other charge that is due.

    The disclaimer in front of the payment book states:

    Please note that any payment made utilizing your payment coupon will be applied to assessments, late fees, or outstanding balance on your account.

    This may include, but is not limited to, fines, or collection fees. Management will not be responsible for any payment disbursements applied to a charge other than an assessment. If you would like your payment applied differently than stated above, you must submit in writing how you would like the payment applied to your account and mail it to Sun City Anthem Community Association, 2450 Hampton Rd, Henderson, NV 89052
  1. From Forrest Quinn...to...Anthem Opinions

    Is $500,000 a shockingly high cost to repurpose the Anthem Center restaurant space? Yes. However, my statement was not completely arbitrary, capricious and unsupported as Robert N. claimed.

    As of 12/31/16, the recorded cost for fixing the Liberty Center, which may not be a final figure, is about $2,030,000. This is about $92.00/square foot to refurbish/fix the Liberty Center. I have been told that the Anthem Center restaurant space is about 5,500 square feet.

    Doing the math: $92.00 x 5,500 = $506,000.

    While fixing the Liberty Center had some costly challenges, the restaurant’s split-level layout will also be a problematic work around. Plus we must add the cost of whichever furnishings and artwork are selected for the space (For example, per the Reserve Study, pool tables are $6,500 each).

    The main point of my remark was that the cost of repurposing the restaurant would not be free, as many residents seem to believe. Can it be done for less than $500,000? Maybe. But remember, the final cost to finish the Liberty Center was about four times higher than the first estimate. 
  2. From Robert N....to...Anthem Opinions

    Responding to the Forrest Quinn response:

    The cost per square foot of the Liberty Center reflected Mold Remediation...the cost of mold remediation far exceeds the cost of a basic (mostly cosmetic) renovation.

    Let me give you an example as to why using that cost is wrong and misleading:

    A Mercedes Model S weighs about 5000 lb and costs about $97,000 - that's around $19.40 per pound. Following the same "logic", a Chevy Impala (which weighs around 3300 lb) would cost about $64,000 - NOT !

    It is a classic case of comparing apples to oranges.
  3. Anthem Opinions finds it rather confusing that Mr. Quinn would comment on this topic, yet ignore our two requests to answer resident questions as to his candidacy publicly.

    Perhaps he might answer this question for Anthem Opinions readers in light of his wishes to represent them.
    1. Marty WMarch 1, 2017 at 4:36 PM
    2. Dick,

      Your comments (to me) were "right on, and to my surprise I actually attended the meeting, probably because there was nothing else to do that day.

      Rather than say what I thought of the people that are now running for the board seats, I'll just say I thought only two of them seemed like they have any acumen to do the job in spite of some serious education in other endeavors. In fact only one has the business experience to make rational business decisions because they have been there, done that, and had to reach in their own pocket and pay for services to run a business outside of the corporate exposure.

      And yes, it surprised me that there were only about 3/4's of the theater was filled. What surprised me was Mr Quinn's comment about a 1/2 mil to re-do the restaurant. I'm thinking it'd take a 1/2 mil to take that part of the structure down and plant grass in that area...done!

      Another comment was (again I won't say who), but I got his name, practically had to genuflect when he thanked Ms Meese for all her HARD WORK, please, give me a break. I did walk out early as I have heard the same rhetoric for so long.

      Thanks for your edit on this topic.
      1. Marty, the credit really goes to Robert N. for his attending the meeting and being kind enough to send us his "take".

        By the way, for those of you out there who read "The Spirit", we want to send our kudos to Robert Nusser. He's "our Robert N.

        On Page 16, Robert was named the Community Patrol's "November Volunteer of the Month".

        Nice going, Robert...we salute you and appreciate you and all the Community Patrol volunteers to cruise our streets at every hour of each day.

        Do we have a Board candidate in the future ?

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Organization Offices Departing Sun City Anthem...Now What ?


Changes Resulting

From Foundation Assisting Seniors Departure
from Sun City Anthem  



Many people are aware that there will be some changes as a result of what we will refer to as an "impasse" in negotiations between Sun City Anthem and The Foundation Assisting Seniors.

...but how will this affect those who reside in Sun City Anthem?

We thought we would summarize the changes that will take place in order that our readers can more fully understand the changes that are taking place.
Coffee Shop
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It WILL remain open, but unlike the past where the funds were collected by The Foundation Assisting Seniors and only a PORTION of them returned to the respective Club providing the volunteer staffing by way of having to make a FORMAL REQUEST FROM The Association, they will now be shared by the Community Service Group and the Club that volunteers its services to the Coffee Bar.

The prices will remain the same.

Voluntary Donations Made by Residents
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All donations made will go directly to the respective Community Service Group the individual making the donation wishes to support. 

Each Community Service Group will retain what they collect from residents without passing through the hands of The Foundation Assisting Seniors.

Medical Equipment

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The Foundation Assisting Seniors will take charge of receiving all medical equipment.  Those residents requesting usage of the equipment should make requests DIRECTLY to the Foundation Assisting Seniors.

Calls made to Community Services Groups will be directed directly to The Foundation for such services.

This arrangement is being conducted on a trial basis for a short period of time.

Other Services

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All other services will continue to be run by the respective Community Service Group.  (ex. home maintenance, support groups, etc.) 

There will be no change and residents should continue to contact the respective group if they need assistance.

Resulting Changes to Sun City Anthem Residents

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The Foundation Assisting Seniors will now be considered an OUTSIDE organization.

They will now be required to seek permission from the Sun City Anthem Activities Department to conduct various activities on Sun City Anthem premises. (Ex.  Bingo, raffles.)

The Foundation will be BARRED from going directly to Clubs to solicit donations.

Finally, The Foundation will be required to remove their headquarters and supplies to a location outside Sun City Anthem premises.

  1. From Virginia Finnegan...to...Anthem Opinions

    Your discussion of the Foundation and the CSC as it applied to the coffee shop was certainly very one sided. Many of the facts were misrepresented, perhaps because you didn’t know or perhaps it was deliberate.

    As you are aware, the Foundation is a Charity, so all donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.

    The same is not true for the CSC.

    You also implied that somehow the Foundation was cheating the Clubs that worked the Coffee Shop.

    The money raised from the Coffee Shop, less expenses was divided 50/50 with the clubs and the Foundation.

    The CSC, as a private entity will probably have to raise their prices because they will have to charge sales tax on the all the sales. If they don’t, the association members will have to pay this tax.

    There was no “banning” of the Foundation from making solicitations.

    As for the CSC having to “ask” for “it’s” money back from the Foundation, as a charity the Foundation gives money via grants.

    All the CSC had to do was to make a request.

    I served on the Board of the Foundation for several years and the requests for grants from the CSC were never questioned nor were any denied.

    This is merely a test of wills of very strong people.

    The complaints presented at the last Board Meeting by the CSC were very petty things such as “They don’t treat us as equals”.

    I don’t even know what that means.
    It sounds like teenager talking to his parents.

    I know that there are people on both side of this issue, but you demean the integrity of your blog when you presentation is so one sided.
  2. Virginia,

    We have in no way demeaned anyone or any organization, and we are sorry you interpreted our fact based article in the manner in which you did.

    I can assure you that we received our information from a very reliable source.

    I believe most of the people in Sun City Anthem have questioned a number of aspects of the Foundation Assisting Seniors for years, and evidently the Sun City Anthem Board has determined that the best manner in which to solve the issue, is to separate the parties.

    Please...don't shoot the messenger. Should this be an issue with you or others, we suggest you contact those in Sun City Anthem who made the decision.

Too Much Stuff...bu..Not Enough Room to Put It ?

Are you a pack rat ?

Need something to hide all your stuff ?

Perhaps you should consider...

Storage Furniture  


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or

See our Information Page...

"Why Didn't I Think About That ? ....Tips"

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Henderson Police Capture "James" Gang

Father & Son Team
 Arrested in Henderson 
for Robbing Two Credit Unions
 

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or
 
Click on our Information Page
 
"Keeping Our Neighborhood Safe"

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

They Got Anther One !

Henderson Police Arrest Another Individual
for
Residential Burglary

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or

Click on our Information Page

"Keeping Our Neighborhood Safe"

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Monday, February 20, 2017

Painting the Interior of your Home? Do it right with the right type of brush

Choosing the Right Paint Brush
 
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CLICK HERE for Full Information

or
 
Click on our Information Page...
 
 "Mr. Fix-It's World of Home Improvement"
 

Sometimes the Obvious...Isn't Obvious

Common Tactics for Lowering Utility Bills


 

 
or
 
See our Information Page...
 
"Why Didn't I Think About That ? ....Tips"

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Figure Passes into History

Norma McCorvey
A Woman Who Changed
The American Legal System

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Or

Click on our "Information Page"

"History & Holidays"

Board Member Reminds Anthem Communities of City Council Meeting Addressing Project

Sun City Anthem Board Director, Bella Meese, has requested Anthem Opinions to make the Anthem communities aware of this recent update.
 
SORO Project Update
 
 
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or
 
Click on our Information Page
 
"Nevada Know How"

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Looks Like Them Got 'em !

 

Henderson Police Arrest
6 Suspects in Multiple Residential Burglaries
 
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or
 
Click on our Information Page
 
"Keeping Our Neighborhood Safe"

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Construction Defect Litigation...Its Affect on the Sale of a Home

As many of our readers are now aware, Sun City Anthem has engaged in litigation with Pulte Homes of Nevada.  

This decision to proceed was made despite the Association President, Rex Weddle, stating that 3,583 unit approvals were required to do so.

Does this have an affect on home sales?

Our HOA expert, Tim Stebbins, has information you should be aware of as a result of that decision....something NOT DISCLOSED by the Sun City Anthem Board or General Manager in their biased attempts to proceed with litigation.


NRS 116.4109
Resales of Units

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or

Click on our Information Page

"Nevada Know How"

It Just Won't Drain...but...It Will...if...Use a Plunger the Right Way

Unclogging a Utility Sink Using a Plunger


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CLICK HERE for Full Information

or

Click on our Information Page...

 "Mr. Fix-It's World of Home Improvement"

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Monday, February 13, 2017

He Wrote it in an English prison !

Yesterday, we published an article about finding the Perfect Valentine's Day card.
 
But do you know the person who wrote the first one?
 
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The Oldest Valentine Card
 
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Or
 
Click on our "Information Page"
 
"History & Holidays"

We Hope This Will Give the Community An IMPARTIAL VIEW at the 2017 Sun City Anthem Board Candidates

Our Offer
to
All  Sun City Anthem Board Candidates

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Because we believe ALL unit owners in Sun City Anthem are fully entitled to know what each candidate represents; their positions as to key elements affecting the Sun City Anthem community; that they may be better informed as to WHO they choose to represent them... 

...Anthem Opinions will make the following offer to each candidate.

If that individual will agree to answer ANY and ALL reasonable questions made by Sun City Anthem owners, we will be happy to publish their election brochure, as well as, any position papers they would submit to Anthem Opinions during the election process.

Regarding incumbents, Carl Weinstein and Rex Weddle, we also wish to make clear that any questions regarding legal issues or decisions made in Executive Sessions asked, may not be answerable if such inquiries would violate Nevada law under NRS 116.

This offer is being made ONLY to those who will accept that condition, and we would like to receive any responses to this offer no later than  Tuesday, February 28, 2017

It is our intention that candidates participating in our offer will have their initial brochures published on March 1, 2017, and subsequent Position Papers posted as they are received.

Anthem Opinions WILL NOT endorse or SHOW FAVORITISM toward any particular candidate.

It is our belief that this decision is entirely up to Sun City Anthem unit owners; that any suggestion or endorsement of any particular individual by Anthem Opinions or ANY OTHER COMMUNITY PUBLICATION is both UNFAIR, as well as, BIASED.

We would hope other community publications will take a similar course in order to allow the election process to proceed in a manner respecting all who have chosen to run.

Candidates willing to accept our offer should contact Anthem Opinions directly at:


We hope this action will bring a greater knowledge and interest in our community governance, and would also like to hear your comments on our offer to the various candidates.

Send them to us at:


Anthem Opinions Administration

  1. excellent idea....except, can you beleive their answers?

    Remember 'If you like your health insurance, you can keep it'?
  2. Robert, that's for the community to decide. As we stated, we will not endorse any candidate or attempt to influence any unit owner.

    We hope candidates will take advantage of our offer as Anthem Opinions now has between 1,800 and 2,000 visits EACH DAY.

    1. Anthem Opinions has just received notification that Board candidate, Mark Burton, has withdrawn his name from consideration.

  1. Anthem Opinions has just received notification that Board candidate, Jack Reho, has withdrawn his name from consideration.

    That leaves 5 remaining candidates to fill 4 seats.