The Bad News Coming is that the Board President has been called out via an attorney demand request for the financials of AGI and the alleged attorney opinion that has been used as reason not to disclose the requested financial data. Florida Statutes are very clear and certain on providing all financial data to the Residents upon request, i.e. where and how all the Residents’ funds (the AGI subsidies) are spent.
The Board President, with allusions of grandeur as Aquarina’s self-emboldened and self-appointed dictator, allegedly refused to accept the Registered Mail attorney request. Why? Is it because the financial data is being covertly withheld from the community, i.e. no transparency on the spending of the Residents’ funds? The $1,500,000 provided each year by us, the Residents, in fees has become the Board President’s war chest to fund his own personal agenda (explained below) in ruling Aquarina. The irony of all this will be when the President hires the Board attorney to defend him for not releasing the data. So here we are spending our insurance moneys to defend the Board President from breaking the law by refusing to be transparent with our own (the Residents’) funds. Do you think our liability insurance policy premium will rise?
Let’s
look at the sequence of events.
- A new Board President comes upon us with a personal agenda, i.e. to take over and rule Aquarina. The purpose of this hijack is to form a cabal of golfers and turn Aquarina into a Golf and Country Club. The cost for this endeavor will not be from the Golfers and Golf Club members, but from the whole community whether a Resident plays golf or not.
- The Onsite Property Manager at the time of the new Board President’s election and subsequent actions, realized the President’s agenda, and became in conflict with the President’s demands. The Property manager was threatened and released.
- A new Property Manager was provided by First Residential, and then nurtured to be, what many consider, the new Board President’s shill.
- The new Board President had a personal agenda (have Golf be the focus of the community), to drive Aquarina toward a Golf takeover, and he needed a political base, all loyal to him, to support his takeover.
- To establish his rule, and as a golfer, the President looked to his fellow golfers for recruits. He then establish a base of minions, acolytes, and disciples for his political support.
- The mechanics of AGI, i.e., Brassie Grille, Aquarina Golf, and Aquarina Tennis, were a perfect base to implement an offering of affordable fun, entertainment, and socialization for his political base to grow and foster a following. After all, the $1,500,000 in annual Resident fees would be available to fund the AGI businesses for maintaining and fueling his tribe.
- The new Onsite Property Manager, i.e. the President’s Communication Director, supported and promoted all the subsidized social activities to bond the tribe, acting as a social secretary, and not a mentor to the welfare of the community (the job First Residential expected her to do).
- Spending began to occur, mostly for golf and accommodating the President’s tribe of followers, e.g. a complete renovation of the Golf Maintenance Yard and the Administration Building, instead of opting for only cost effective repairs, spending tens of thousands of dollars for a golf tractor washing station instead of suitable showers for the Residents at the deck crossovers, moving the perfectly suitable gym facility, creating more costs, to a cave like location in the Admin Building (for the reason to expand the meeting room to house the President’s self-expected hordes of followers at his meetings and events).
Now a golf irrigation well
is being considered at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars with no
clearly explained reasoning to show that it makes sense – just a spin.
The purpose of the Board is to serve and maintain the community. The purpose is not to rule and change the community, as we now have. Any change to our common elements is a community and democratic decision; not a one man show decision.
The
Board is meant to protect the welfare of its Residents and their properties,
which, in this Board’s case, has not be done, e.g. the deterioration of our
roadway entrance, the lack of maintenance and housekeeping at our Club Houses
and common areas, including daily cleanup, which are obviously not a priority.
For
example, the beach crossovers have been controversial from the start. Our community is made up of mostly retirement
age folks. The stairs are a challenge
for many, as, very unfortunately and tragically, was exemplified by the terrible
accident with a Resident guest at the main crossover stairs. Our prayers are with this person for a speedy
recovery.
A
correctly placed handrail had recently been installed (long overdue) to assist
to navigate the arduous stairway. The south crossover still waits for
corrective action – why? Community Parties
are easily arranged and funded, but not a railing. Further, florescent skid proof caps should be
placed at the outer edges of each step for visibility and to protect the wood
edge from splintering. These deck planks
need annual sealing to put off deterioration and cracking. BTW -Why was fiber board not used, which
would be more durable?
Note all the effort put out by our Onsite Property Manager for social events communications. Note all the Newsletter ravings about new projects, which are fulfilling the President’s Golf Agenda. How about all the maintenance that has been ignored? With the number of Residents and the daily use of our many facilities, a daily sanitation/cleaning service should be in place to service these facilities for the welfare of the Residents. At any one time, 1,000 to 1,500 folks are using and pass through our facilities. This usage requires regular oversight for the welfare of the community.
I have been in this area and Aquarina for decades; the word on the street is that Aquarina has a strong party element and the community, on the whole, is looking tired and neglected. Is this what we want for Aquarina?
There
is a simple step process for the Board to address.
- The Board Members must see past the President’s personal agenda (note the email of the new Community Rules much of what was vague and unclear) that was sprung on us with no Resident input and, I am sure, very limited Board Members’ input). Maybe it’s time for the Board President and the Onsite Property Manager to step down and leave. There is an attorney now on the Board, who has been in Aquarina for decades and over the decades has and does specialize in HOA and Condominium Law. He knows Aquarina and the Law, and he should be selected to replace the current Board President. Enough damage has been done.
- All AGI businesses should be financially transparent and an attempt should be made for these businesses to run and fund themselves.
- A top to bottom evaluation needs to be done, starting with the basic common elements, e.g. daily mechanical operations, building and other common elements’ maintenance that experiences daily use, reserve fund evaluation for the expected repair and replacement of these common elements, and a daily, monthly, and a yearly checklist to monitor these common elements.
- An audit of the Community’s financial obligations.
- An audit of the AGI businesses to determine the most cost effective way to run them with the goal to be self-sufficient. Golf would be a focus because the course is mortgaged and needs to be viable.
- Funded social events for the community are to be considered based on the above items being addressed first.
BEWARE
OF “BETTERMENT”
The Board Meeting this week has “Betterment” on its agenda. “Betterment” is a term in our documents that describes a Board’s action with our reserves. Other actions include “Maintenance” and “Replacement”. Unfortunately, and with the mindset of the Board we have, these can be discretionary. We know that this Board, which means the Board President, does not have a cost effective approach with our funds. The “Betterment” card may be played, and rather than spend reserves on needed maintenance items, the reserves will be spent for added common elements for Golf and Social Activities, which would result in added maintenance expenses. Remember, our funds are already a Budget line item for several hundred thousand dollars to subsidize AGI. Listen closely for the “Betterment” explanation. Aquarina cries out now for “Maintenance” and any needed “Replacement” AND NOT “Betterment”. And BTW – “Replacement” does not mean complete renovation.
A
final note –
This
is not a Golf and Social Events bashing.
However, it must be remembered this a full resort community, of which
Golf and Social Events are but a part of the whole equation. In addition, there needs to be a priority and
measurement with the expenditures for the whole community to be served
equitably, from Resident participation to overseeing the common elements. The
current Board and its Board President have lost sight of our global community
and its global needs.
Good
Luck to us all.
