It appears that a new Board President has been decided upon after the Organizational Meeting that followed the Board of Directors’ election. It seems that an existing Board Member was elected to be Board President. The newly elected President had previously offered an email before the election, which stated that the email could be shared with the community. Let’s take a look some of what this email stated. Our response is in red.
Regarding the candidates below please be aware that one has sued us (Parrish) and one openly expressed repeatedly that he wanted to take legal action against us (Whidden). This information is not my opinion, it is public record.
It’s apparent in the community that these two individuals, which the email targets, must have strong opinions on some matters. It’s also known that the Board practiced a lack of transparency with its finances, and enlisted attorneys who would support its position of none disclosure. The Board triggered the lawsuit and the suggestion of legal action. It refused to open its financial documentation of spending to the Residents, which should be public records to the Community. Why was this background information not included in the email?
Anyone who uses legal action against us as a way to deal with our Aquarina matters, challenges and conflicts is suing and hurting us all, you, me, themselves, all of us. Legal counsel costs impact the budget significantly. Lawyers can always argue both sides of any matters and it’s easy to throw claims around without actual proof.
See above. Why would a Board, whose fiduciary responsibility is to use the Residents’ funds with full disclosure, withhold information on these funds showing how these funds are spent? This refusal to open the financial books only creates an assumption of spending abuse. What we have is a situation where the Residents’ funds, ironically, are being spent to defend a Board from not complying with Florida Statutes. How selfish and non-fiduciary is that! The author’s email certainly supports the Board’s position without looking at both sides of the disagreement.
Therefore, I cannot support any candidate who has a mindset for legal action as it’s almost never in the best interest of the greater good.
Is the “the greater good” the non-disclosure of financial records to the Residents, without whom there would be no financial data? It’s the Residents funds, which the data reports. Is it that only the Board, which spends funds of the Residents, has the sole access to the records of its spending? Hmm.
Even with no legal standing, or if the claim in not taken forward, suits cause financial losses, divisions and acrimony throughout a community as people become confused and angry in taking sides.
The sentence is not clear; however, the statement of “Even with no legal standing” is wrong and prejudicial. The author has shown a bias with no compassion for a community that seeks to see how their funds are spent. Notice that no explanation is given on why the financial records are being kept away from public view. As a reminder – the author is now the Board President. Hmm.
Nobody wins in the end and insurance rates can be impacted. Yes there will always be differences of opinions and that’s ok but working through our differences in a civil manner is what we’re challenged to do so again, I encourage you to vote thoughtfully.
The author’s talking points here are the ones we’ve heard from the past two Board Presidents (the second one being an apostle and acolyte of the first one), which tells us that this President is yet another apostle and acolyte of the first one too. Remember this is all spin, i.e. working through our “differences” is noise and not fact. The Board has continued to do what it wants without regard to a whole community approach. Building reserves for future replacement and restoration, and current needed repairs, has given way to funding self-indulgent Betterments for the segment that has controlled the Board.
Vote for the candidates that you know will represent you and Aquarina, the community we all live in, best and for those who are willing to do the hard work of negotiating and finding compromises instead jumping in last minute in anger with threats and false accusations.
There has been no “finding of compromises”, only a refusal to address the questioning of the Board’s actions by inquiring Residents. This refusal forced the Residents to seek legal counsel.
Talk to the candidates if you don’t know them. Who has demonstrated they have all of Aquarina in their best interests? Are they role models? Do they respect all of the differences in the what our community has to offer, the ocean, golf, tennis, various events, a gym, a restaurant, bingo, card games, etc or they only favoring what they are personally interested in. I will never play tennis but I respect those who do and I’m glad for the amenity as it brings diversity of activity and people to Aquarina. It all adds value to our community. From my view point anyone willing to take legal action isn’t a person who will serve the community in the long run and doesn’t deserve your vote.
This whole paragraph is noise and not signal; it is a political rant that has no truth of the facts, i.e. there are Residents who are more concerned about the infrastructure, finances, and presentation of their community than the fun items that have been itemized above.
Please fill free to share this email with whomever you chose. As an ACSA board member who is not running and only has one more year to serve I feel very passionate about this upcoming election and the impact it will have on all on our futures. Don’t vote for anger, discord, and narrow thinking. Serving on either board is a lot of hard work, and it involves respecting and honoring ALL people if you’re going to serve well. It should be a privilege to serve others that’s earned. Serving on the board not only requires dealing with the challenges of today but also planing for Aquarina’s future. Open our future up by voting for those who want to see Aquarina not just survive but thrive.
The bold face ending sentence tells you everything you need to know about our new President. The Board’s primary responsibility is not to see Aquarina “thrive”. The Board’s primary responsibility is to see Aquarina more than “survive”, but to be maintained in its original intention and presentation to its Residents without examples of neglect, i.e. with its roadways, entrance, signage, lighting, irrigation, Beach Club House upkeep, and its irresponsible spending for indulgent betterments, etc.
Though difficult, It’s been an honor and privilege to serve you and all of Aquarina these past three years. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Darlene Vrotsos
VP ACSA
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The bottom line is simple. Will the new Board members speak up with reason to the irresponsible spending on betterments, the continued neglect of our infrastructure maintenance, and the non-priority of our reserve funds? Or will these new Board members be cajoled and invited into the segment of folks the past Boards have manipulated into its apostles and acolytes? Hopefully, these new Board members will see their fiduciary responsibility to the Residents funds, and demonstrate a vigilant maintaining of the community we currently have, and not a community of what we could be, since what we could be is up to the Residents, and not the Board.
Stay tuned.