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Sunday, April 7, 2019
Resident Disturbed by "Old Ways"...Change Must Take Place....An Editoral
Past Decisions Proving Financial Waste
The Reason
New Tradition Team Must be Elected
by
Robert Latchford
Sun City Anthem Resident
When the idea of dismissing the professional management company from handling the operations of our community was mentioned, I, like many others, thought it was a good idea to eliminate the middle man in delegating jobs which could be administered by qualified residents, and getting more bang for our dues bucks.
However, a few years and mega dollars wasted have proven us wrong.
The level of transparency is vitally nonexistent to those of us who make an effort to find out what is being done on the sly before it comes to our attention.
The appeal of SCA to seniors looking for a comfortable place to spend our later years with a variety of activities and ambiance well kept in order to protect the property values, with homeowners dues that would not break the bank, especially on those of us without somewhat limited assets and/or retirement income, is likely to disappear.
We are seeing the ratings vs. similar communities plummet over the last few years, and in spite of how healthy our financial structure is, unless a deal was made during the last few weeks in our favor, we have the potential liability with a negative ruling in the Liberty Center damages lawsuit, which could be well into 7 figures.
This does not appear on the balance sheet as a liability, as it is pending.
This does not prevent our Board of Directors from spending like drunken sailors.
Most recently, I understand 4 new full time employees were hired by the management, with a benefit package that would made negotiators proud, in addition to the person hired at $40,000 per year to drive around and count trees.
All the additions to the payroll fail to keep the BOD or management from maintaining their “it ain’t my job’ attitude.
Within the last few months, in response to a homeowners complaint of advertisers leaving ads in driveways of vacant properties, a board member suggested it be turned over to the Police whom I would rather see solving burglaries and muggings in SCA.
Also, a Department head, rendering a response to a homeowner's report of door to door solicitation, gave the phone number of a city office to call, as they were not delegated enforcement privileges, while a phone call or a letter to the violator would likely solve such issues.
The current BOD has shown on many occasions that their lack of experience or respect for our expectations has been evident.
A previous Board, one member of which is running for re-election (Rex Weddle), was responsible for a loan of $40,000 to a deadbeat restaurant tenant, unsecured and below prime rate of our money, which defaulted.
Their hiring policy seemed to spend megabucks with a headhunter's search for a General Manager, but they could not find a job description to match that income, so their solution was merely changing the job title to bring the pay range up to the level they paid.
They hired an accounting firm to count the ballots of last year's recall election for a hideous sum (I believe close to $85,000), then rewarded the same firm with a 3 year contract.
This appears to be a warning to us not to upset their apple cart.
The favorite no-brainer they tried was to offer a company, G2G, a rent free restaurant lease with thousands of dollars in goodies in the Anthem center location after 5 failures, at terms that would cost us an estimated $250,000 per year.
They were willing to accept this deal without checking the company's financial past.
Being an LLC rather than a corporation should have been a giveaway that they couldn’t get credit.
The current Board VP recently stated in a meeting that 2/3 of the residents favored the restaurant reopening based on the mail poll they conducted.
Based on the ballots received, the poll read at a glance, the voter had a choice of paying $250 in subsidies or $750K per year as a figure selected randomly.
A no brainer with no other choices offered.
Also, renters with no vested interest were allowed to vote.
The BOD also claims a restaurant will enhance property values.
According to a respected real estate broker, that statement is untrue.
If this were true, higher values would only lead to higher taxes and would only benefit those selling in the near future or using the home's equity as collateral for a loan.
In light of this sub-par performance, a change is overdue.
The five candidates referred to as the New Tradition Team seems to have the background, desire and experience to get us out of this mess.
I strongly would endorse 5 seemingly most qualified:
Rana
Goodman
(1)
Karen Hadrick
(3)
Barry Goldstein
(8)
Larry Mayer
(9)
Bill Odelson
(10)
...to fill board positions.
We need a board who most likely will keep our community on the right track, so make sure your vote isn’t wasted.
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Saturday, April 6, 2019
Fractured Community in Need on "New Tradition Team" Says Former Sun City Anthem Board Member & Finance Committee Chairman (Part Two of Two)
Election 2019
"New Tradition"
Answering the Needs of a Ruptured Community
Answering the Needs of a Ruptured Community
by
Jim Mayfield
PART 2 of 2
The current SCA board election process and its effects on our community define for me the need for us, as homeowners and members of the SCA community, to step back and determine the philosophies of governance and their related values that will serve as the foundation of how our community is to be governed, and more importantly its culture.
Therefore, as a former board officer, board member and committee member and chair, I want to share with you some observations about the direction of SCA governance over the last eight years and the clear choice we have in this election.
What Has SCA Become?
Very few people I know, regardless of political party affiliation, approve of the mess of our Federal government and the US political process. The partisan process has become mean, and little progress is made to solve the critical issues of the day.
The daily operations of government are rarely under the control of the people we elect; instead, “professional” bureaucrats have real power, and elected officials know not to cross them.
Over the last six years, SCA has increasingly modeled itself after our Federal government.
Who Really Governs Our Association?
Under the existing governance philosophy, the role of the board and its committees is to protect management, particularly the General Manager, from the homeowners and those who are critical of her performance.
The board has never even adopted a set of criteria by which to objectively assess her performance or determine the basis for her bonus.
What is the Result?
Recent SCA boards punish its members who do not agree with the old-guard establishment majority currently in control.
Secret meetings, under the guise of “officer meetings” are used to exclude dissenting board members for full participation in the governance process and access to timely information.
The majority has even used various tools to intimidate or eliminate dissenting board members.
One result of these oppressive tactics is that many members of our community no longer desire to become involved in volunteer service on the board, committees, or even the clubs.
So, What is this Election Really About?
This election is really about a choice of two diametrically opposing philosophies about the purpose of SCA governance.
Under the traditional philosophy, the roles of the board are to serve the SCA management bureaucracy and to deliver special treatment (i.e., fancy dining) to a select small group of insiders, regardless of the cost.
The choice is really this simple, and it is the reason I support the New Tradition Team candidates.
Closing Comment
In deciding for whom to vote, I ask you to consider the words of the first President of the United States, George Washington.
"One of the difficulties in bringing about change in an organization is that you must do it in spite of the persons who have been most successful in that organization, no matter how faulty the system or organization is."
"To such persons, you see, it is the best of all possible organizations, because look who was selected by it and look who succeeded (and benefited) most within it."
Please return control of SCA to the homeowners and elect the New Traditions Team candidates so that SCA is run for the benefit of the majority of homeowners.
Rana Goodman
(1)
Karen Hadrick
(3)
Barry Goldstein
(8)
Larry Mayer
(9)
Bill Odelson
(10)
Another Former Sun City Anthem Board Member Endorses New Tradition Team
Your Vote Matters
Nona Tobin
Former Member of The Sun City Anthem Board
Remember these ballot positions
1, 3, 8, 9, 10
1, 3, 8, 9, 10
Personally, Im voting for a complete change and am supporting the Rana Goodman New Tradition Team.Rana Goodman (1)
Karen Hadrick (3)
Barry Goldstein (8)
Larry Mayer (9)
Bill Odelson (10)
Throw the scoundrels out.
A complete turnover will give us our community back.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
"New Tradition Team" Offers Fresh Approach to Stagnant Association Management (Part One of Two)
Election 2019
Looking at Sun City Anthem
through the Eyes of Yet Another
Former Sun City Anthem Board Member
Jim Mayfield
PART
1 of 2
I
have heard from many of you that three practical issues are facing
our community and that the board candidates’ responses are critical
to choosing who to trust in governing of our homeowners association.
Transition
to Active Enforcement of SCA Rules
The
poorly executed transition process from passive to active enforcement
of SCA governing document rules causes many people to feel that
management is not competent to execute basic tasks.
One of these
tasks is to insure that the SCA rules, the purpose of which is to
protect our home values, are enforced by properly trained and
supervised employees who are guided by common sense within a
well-planned, considerate process.
You are further upset by board
members who inaccurately use words like “fiduciary responsibility”
and “legally required” in an attempt to cover up their deficient
oversight of management’s planning and performance, instead of
looking out for the interests and feelings of SCA homeowners.
Planning for a Restaurant
Residents
within SCA have repeatedly expressed their support for a restaurant
and bar operation at SCA.
Most of you have also expressed your
expectation that a food and bar operation should provide basic, not
fancy, food and bar services.
It is now time to accept that even
modest food and bar services will need to be subsidized if they are
to be successful in the highly competitive and frequently subsidized
local environment.
Since all amenities (e.g. the pools, tennis
courts, meeting rooms) at SCA are underwritten by the proceeds from
your annual homeowners assessment, reasonable underwriting of a food
and bar operation in a limited, closed market should be expected.
What you do not expect is that the SCA Board and management should be
willing to “give away the ranch” to a for-profit, commercial
entity to satisfy the elaborate requirements of a very small group of
residents who still believe in a fancy food and bar operation concept—no
matter the cost.
You also do not support opening the door to special
assessments to fund either the refurbishment or operation of food and
bar operations.
Conservative Fiscal Operations
Recent
Board treasurers, their handpicked members of the Finance Committee,
and the overpaid sycophants recruited by the General Manager to
manipulate the SCA budget have constructed a story about why the
accumulation of surplus funds is a good business practice, even
though the accumulation of surplus funds is not permitted under
Nevada law, specifically NRS 116.31151.
By giving it a financially
appealing new name, “minimum excess capital”, they obtained an
opinion from the Nevada Real Estate Division (“NRED”) that overcharging you for your annual assessment under NRS 116 is OK because NRED doesn’t enforce the
law it is chartered to support.
They have also used a complex,
frequently confusing, reserve study to support a significant
reduction in the percent of funding of SCA reserve funds as the
source for the creation of surplus funds.
The question that
homeowners should be asking is why are these manipulative budget
devices necessary?
The “business as usual” candidates are running on a platform that their lack of answers to these issues shouldn’t be held against them and because they are experienced, you should trust them because of their experience and lessons learned from their mistakes.
Yes, experience is important, but only if it is valuable experience
that has proved beneficial to SCA homeowners.
The
New Traditions Team has offered new ideas and solutions to these
issues that their opponents attempt to drown out by accusing them of
being inexperienced in the way things are done at SCA.
But,
the New Traditions Team’s positions on these key issues are not the
primary reason that I support the New Traditions Team.
In Part 2, I will explain why I support them.
In Part 2, I will explain why I support them.
Rana Goodman
(1)
(3)
Barry Goldstein
(8)
Larry Mayer
(9)
Bill Odelson
(10)
Larry Mayer
(9)
Bill Odelson
(10)
April 4, 2019 at 9:58 AM
- From Matt Horween...to...Anthem Opinions
It is obvious that they have been classifying big ticket items as reserve items and have been reducing our reserves quite a bit in order to not have to raise dues.
I figure the dues increases will come in a year or so. -
Dick Arendt, Anthem OpinionsApril 4, 2019 at 10:03 AMNot if The New Tradition Team gets elected, Matt.
There is so much FAT in this budget that with line by line reviews of all expenses, that will avoid that dues increase.
There is no doubt in my mind.
This Team is composed of 4 business people and 1 individual with years of property management experience rather than the current bunch AND other candidates who are BUREAUCRATS.
What's Going On Down the Road in April
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Finance Committee Report Just Election Propaganda to Justify Outrageous Management Incomes by "Machine" Board...A Resident Editorial
Unsolicited Review of Sun City Anthem
Executive Compensation
by Association Finance Committee
Biased and Not Relevant to Sun City Anthem
by
Robert Latchford
Sun City Anthem Resident
Upon
reading ‘An Unsolicited Review of SCA Executive Compensation’
that was floating around Anthem Hall last week, I discovered a
document diligently prepared by the Finance Committee, with the
intended purpose of addressing the concerns of homeowners as to the
diligence used by the Board of Directors in selecting and determining the
compensation to those filling the offices of the management
team.
While the
Finance Committee spent hours of good intent in its preparation, the paper seemed to
do little more than endorse the Board and supporting its policies
of remaining tight mouthed by trying to justify it’s already highly
bloated packages given to the management people.
Did anyone wonder
why this concern became acknowledged shortly after the queen
bee’s title was changed from GM to COO?
It’s now obvious, it was
to enable them to use various websites in searches to
provide more lucrative figures in determining salaries and bonuses,
both present and future, as they are very generous with our money.
They claim the main criteria that found General Manager categories of communities similar to ours, meeting the job description, only many less units, were ruled as unsatisfactory, as the pay scale we were wishing to pay more.
Therefore they chose to use different job titles until
they could find something close by salary and job description.
They
also tried to compare the COO position to the Henderson
City Manager, which is ridiculous, not only by size, revenue and responsibilities.
However, the Board of Directors considered them similar.
(Why didn’t they compare it to Donald Trump, as he collects zero in
salary)
The
thought of comparing C.O.O. salary to the salary base in think
tank ERI Research data base, compared to what the paper refers to as
$11 million companies (if they mean assets that wouldn’t be a
lemonade stand), is meaningless as it would command $229K to $329
salary package, but could still be at the Board’s discretion.
Most of these websites deal with national data; nothing
was mentioned about our area.
A job in New York City or
LA, would command a much higher package than a small town in Iowa as
to the Cost of Living differences.
When I worked for Uncle Sam.
even the feds realized that and paid accordingly.
Sun City Anthem is different than almost any type of
residential community and has many reasons it should pose lesser
responsibilities than most.
May I mention a few examples?
The "adults only policy" allows no need for
school crossing walks or guards, school bus stops, parks &
recreation, and landscaping restrictions.
No SCA managed golf courses.
No marinas or boat docks as in waterfront
communities,
No horse stables or riding trails as in many upscale communities,
No problems with snow removal or trails for cross skiing or
snowmobiling as in colder climates,
All utilities are from city or county utilities, so no community owned wells or septic systems.
No storage areas to maintain for boats and RVs.
A great staff of dedicated volunteers are readily available for many less desirable tasks normally requiring paid workers.
Also, a person who has lived and worked in the area would likely have a knowledge of the quality, integrity and reliability of various vendors and suppliers, making the management positions more efficient, reflecting a better life style for residents.
It is not necessary to compete with Microsoft or other
giants of industry for qualified management.
Got a comment on Mr. Latchford's observations?
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Dick, I haven't written you lately but have to inform you of what is going on with the new tables and chairs for the gallery.
You know this has been a sticky point with me for quite a while.
Since we had a meeting last August and were promised the tables & chairs would be ordered in Oct or Nov to be delivered after the first of the year, nothing was done at that time.
Then the excuse of the potential sewer problem was brought up.
After that fiasco, bids were finally obtained in the last few weeks.
It seems as though new owners that have moved and bought here at SCA are not informed about the problems that the “old timers” have lived and suffered with as the Community has declined.
They think that those that criticize the machine and Dick Arendt's Anthem Opinions blog are terrible people.
This perception is so far from the truth!
Based upon the emails that I have received , THANKS TO YOU, the folks who are lucky enough to live here in Sun City, are behind the Tradition Team.
I saw that this was on the agenda:
I may not know much about furniture other than my wife purchasing it, but I did notice that they are planning to:
Approve the purchase of the lower gallery gaming furniture at Anthem Center from Castino Restaurant Equipment and Supply in the amount of$114,649.97 to be paid from reserves.
Basis for Recommendation:
The gallery gaming furniture is torn, chipped and broken and is in need of replacement.
Bids received:Arizona Gaming Rooms: $177,085.71
Billiard Factory: $160,786.56
BKMOffice Environments: $177,538.40
Castino Restaurant Equipment and Supply: $114,469.97
Hendricksen Butler: $137,666.94
Anthem Center Lower Gallery Gaming Furniture:
16 three-foot by three-foot square tables
$11,552.00
seven-foot oval gaming table
$2,620.00
five-foot octagonal gaming tables
$6,920.00
4.5-foot octagonal gaming tables $2,800.00
4-foot octagonal gaming tables $10,700.00
130 adjustable chairs with arms
$64,870.00
When my wife noticed that the chairs were ordered with arms, she was shocked. Those chairs will be destroyed in no time as a result of the arms.