Anthem Opinions receives many comments from individuals that we gladly post, but occasionally we get some that, in our opinion, are so profound and so thought provoking, that we choose to make a separate article.
This is one of those times.
Looking at Sun City Anthem
Through the Eyes of a Resident Who Cares
by
Patricia Yeaman
Sun City Anthem Resident
I am not the most eloquent at writing or speaking, but hopefully I can get my points across in an easily comprehensive manner.
I watched the channel 13 report on the salaries paid to SCA executive employees.
This response to all we’ve seen and heard here in Anthem and now on Channel 13 news is directed at the current and past Board members (I will refer to those people as Board members only without further explanation) who have been responsible for the outrageous spending and poor management of our fine community.
It is not directed at our newest Board members who have not yet voted on such unbelievably reckless spending.
The Board members should be totally ashamed and embarrassed about the money they are dishing out to our employees while the floors in the Anthem building are so badly cracked and the grout is filthy!
The whole floor tile at Anthem needs to be replaced.
I am embarrassed to show the facility to friends!
I watched the channel 13 report on the salaries paid to SCA executive employees.
This response to all we’ve seen and heard here in Anthem and now on Channel 13 news is directed at the current and past Board members (I will refer to those people as Board members only without further explanation) who have been responsible for the outrageous spending and poor management of our fine community.
It is not directed at our newest Board members who have not yet voted on such unbelievably reckless spending.
The Board members should be totally ashamed and embarrassed about the money they are dishing out to our employees while the floors in the Anthem building are so badly cracked and the grout is filthy!
The whole floor tile at Anthem needs to be replaced.
I am embarrassed to show the facility to friends!
The Anthem pool filter still must not be working properly because the whirlpool section is still full of diatomaceous earth and needs to be vacuumed out and the grout and tile around the top of the pool desperately need to be scrubbed with pumice or replaced.
The cell service here is hit or miss.
I spoke with a rep from AT&T, asking him if our community could be considered for installation of a cell tower.
He told me the HOA does not want a cell tower here.
What???
A new cell tower would take up no more space than a palm tree and would make our ability to communicate with friends and family a whole lot easier!
The cell service here is hit or miss.
I spoke with a rep from AT&T, asking him if our community could be considered for installation of a cell tower.
He told me the HOA does not want a cell tower here.
What???
A new cell tower would take up no more space than a palm tree and would make our ability to communicate with friends and family a whole lot easier!
Oh! And how about providing many more handicapped parking spaces at each of the community centers?
I see many residents (including me) walking with canes and walkers who have to park halfway into the parking lot, having to walk across the lot (and we do walk slower than healthy residents), finding it extremely difficult to avoid all the cars driving by, who aren’t looking where they’re going and aren’t looking for slow-walking pedestrians.
With all the dance and exercise classes offered, perhaps it should be remembered this is an adult community and a huge number of our residents are handicapped.
Could there be a little more compassion for the handicapped?
Most of them cannot participate in the numerous classes, but they do go to swim, play cards and participate in sit down types of activities. It would be a great service to them if they could park closer to the community buildings.
But...there doesn’t seem to be enough money for improvements as aforementioned..
I see many residents (including me) walking with canes and walkers who have to park halfway into the parking lot, having to walk across the lot (and we do walk slower than healthy residents), finding it extremely difficult to avoid all the cars driving by, who aren’t looking where they’re going and aren’t looking for slow-walking pedestrians.
With all the dance and exercise classes offered, perhaps it should be remembered this is an adult community and a huge number of our residents are handicapped.
Could there be a little more compassion for the handicapped?
Most of them cannot participate in the numerous classes, but they do go to swim, play cards and participate in sit down types of activities. It would be a great service to them if they could park closer to the community buildings.
But...there doesn’t seem to be enough money for improvements as aforementioned..
But.....let’s buy new equipment for a TV station that is watched only by a handful of SCA residents. That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
Let’s consider allowing a restaurant to come in without paying rent or contributing to the cost of necessary updates to the facility.
And by all means, let’s pay our general manager two to three times what other HOA managers and the Henderson and Las Vegas managers are making!
How dare (the Board members who voted in Sandy Seddon) offer her such an outrageous salary AND additional bonuses without so much as a job description in writing? How dare the current Board members vote to keep her here on such a financially irresponsible salary!
Let’s consider allowing a restaurant to come in without paying rent or contributing to the cost of necessary updates to the facility.
And by all means, let’s pay our general manager two to three times what other HOA managers and the Henderson and Las Vegas managers are making!
How dare (the Board members who voted in Sandy Seddon) offer her such an outrageous salary AND additional bonuses without so much as a job description in writing? How dare the current Board members vote to keep her here on such a financially irresponsible salary!
Most of our Board members are extremely well educated individuals who claim to have experience in running large corporations or owning successful businesses.
My question:
Did you spend all that time going to school because you have NO common sense and are unable to figure things out by yourself without what’s written in a book?
Or has the honor of serving on the SCA Board gone to your heads?
Have you developed the attitude of so many of our country’s politicians:
You’re in it for what you can get out of it?
Board Membership is a privilege.
This is NOT a dictatorship.
It is meant for you to work WITH the residents. To make decisions in their best interest.
My question:
Did you spend all that time going to school because you have NO common sense and are unable to figure things out by yourself without what’s written in a book?
Or has the honor of serving on the SCA Board gone to your heads?
Have you developed the attitude of so many of our country’s politicians:
You’re in it for what you can get out of it?
Board Membership is a privilege.
This is NOT a dictatorship.
It is meant for you to work WITH the residents. To make decisions in their best interest.
Now a question for the residents who have buried their heads in the sand.
It’s like they are thinking, “If I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”
Why did Bob Burch get voted back in to serve as a Board member, let alone president?!
The only way this community is going to thrive in the future is if more responsible decisions are made with regard to expenses (salaries, purchases, actual needs vs wants, etc.).
It’s like they are thinking, “If I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”
Why did Bob Burch get voted back in to serve as a Board member, let alone president?!
The only way this community is going to thrive in the future is if more responsible decisions are made with regard to expenses (salaries, purchases, actual needs vs wants, etc.).
The next time we vote for new Board members, lets encourage our friends and neighbors to run for the positions.
Those who may not have Master’s Degrees or corporate experience.
Lets find one or two residents who have successfully run and managed their household finances (which, for some, could be quite a bankroll).
How about someone who has worked as a bookkeeper or someone responsible for their local PTA budget?
Someone who received their education partially by formal education, but also by the school of hard knocks?
This person would be intelligent, but also would have developed an abundance of common sense and a serious sense of right and wrong.
This person would have the ability and common sense needed in doing the research, compiling the relevant information, and then developing a plan to implement the necessary steps to move forward.
Someone who is driven to serve others.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Those who may not have Master’s Degrees or corporate experience.
Lets find one or two residents who have successfully run and managed their household finances (which, for some, could be quite a bankroll).
How about someone who has worked as a bookkeeper or someone responsible for their local PTA budget?
Someone who received their education partially by formal education, but also by the school of hard knocks?
This person would be intelligent, but also would have developed an abundance of common sense and a serious sense of right and wrong.
This person would have the ability and common sense needed in doing the research, compiling the relevant information, and then developing a plan to implement the necessary steps to move forward.
Someone who is driven to serve others.
Anthem Opinions sends our deepest thanks to Patricia Yeaman for taking the time to send this to us.
Got a comment on Patricia's commentary?
Got a comment on Patricia's commentary?
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Has anyone made tallied our annual operational costs since we've gone to self management as compared to the annual cost before that time?
Such a comparison would be complicated because it would have to fairly account for deferred maintenance that occurred prior to start of self management and had to be picked up by the self management team.
Such a comparison, done fairly, is necessary to see whether the high salaries are worth the cost.
Supposedly, we hired the very best GM that money can buy.
Maybe we'd find that she is worth it.
I truly think the prior board decisions were made in the best interests of the community.
I think the board members had no personal gain from these decisions. Before we condemn the decision of prior boards, we should at least evaluate the results.
Its' called "supply & demand", the capitalistic system by which we live and have prospered for 242 years.
There was absolutely no reason as to why we should compensate any individual at twice the "going rate".
I think Pat Seaman did a wonderful job.
And John, I have been stopped by residents, and even strangers that don't reside in Sun City Anthem, and in 100% of the cases, those individuals complimented the Darcy Spears report and singled out Jim Mayfield and myself for having the courage to come forth and make the Las Vegas valley aware of the ridiculousness incomes we are paying our GM and top management.
It appears that other then just a few, the only supporters of her income and those of certain of her subordinates, are those who authorized it, or who have little experience in the real business world.
Great article and very true.
Thanks for the post, Pat.
For someone who does not think she is an eloquent writer, think again.
Pat, I think you hit the nail on the head regarding what is happening to our community with SCA board members, and Sandy.
You have expressed the opinions of many residents.
Thank you for your comments!
From Carolyn Schmalz...to...Anthem Opinions
Hopefully Patricia will run for the board.
She certainly will have my vote!
Kudos to Patricia Yeaman for her fine letter addressing issues specific to the elderly and handicapped residents may face going unnoticed by others in the community which hopefully may bring suggestions to the forefront which may be of value making their lives a bit more enjoyable in our community.
An example of the oversight or lack of concern for these folks was kicking the group that provided various medical supplies and advice to residents “off campus’ to allow a club to accept their space.
She also stressed the need for change of those on the Board.
Looking back, the largest factors in stirring up local interest in how we are being taken is first the ridiculous costs of finding and then agreeing to pay in salary and benefits to the manager and her overpriced entourage by the 7 bumblers.
The second, somewhat a blessing in disguise, is the publicity received regarding the restaurant debacle, which stirred up enough resentment to force the wolves to withdraw their offer.
Many other examples of mismanagement are certainly evident, and enough heat seemingly caused one of the responsible parties to jump ship.
Now that we see how public outcry helped prevent another near disaster, it would serve our interests for all property owners to become more cognizant of where our dues are going.
The exit of one of those in the forefront is not enough to solve the problems we still have.
Is it time to return to professional management?
Do we need legal advice better serving our needs?
Decisions we face!!!
Wonderfully written letter. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
This is how so many of us living here feel, including myself.
Let’s clean this place up once and for all.
Thanks again to Patricia.
I have a comment about your "slow walking" residents, handicapped or not. How about taking responsibility for yourselves?
How does one explain people walking directly behind drivers, who are backing out of parking spaces?
Or, how about those that do the same thing gunning it in their cars behind a person backing out of a space?
Not pointing any fingers, but I was always taught to look before you cross.
The news gives us many incidents about pedestrians being hit by cars, because the pedestrian thinks that people should be able to stop on a dime to give them the right of way.
We are all seniors in this community.
Seniors, generally, don't have the same quick reflexes that they once had.
I'm not one to speed in our parking lots, but I see many irresponsible people, who will just walk in front of a moving car.
HELLOI!
Accidents do happen.
Dick – I think Patricia would be a great board member.
I liked and agreed with what she said. She seems to have great common sense.
(LOL)