____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Could It Be Time to Re-Evaluate FirstService Residential? AND The Past ACSA’s Roller Coaster Performance.
May the past majority of the ACSA Board be now subjected to a shift of opinion and policy as a result of the recent Board of Directors’ election outcome? Also, may the direction provided by FirstService Residential come under scrutiny from its past and continued actions, which have not been in the best interest of a particular block of Residents, i.e. the Pool Residents? Let’s look at each of these matters.
First, let’s review the past majority of the ACSA Board’s actions, which has been a roller coaster of exhausting rides of ups and downs. From the downs of the community infrastructure’s past neglect, (e.g. putting off road repairs and entrance up keeping), and extravagant misspent funds on selfish betterments, e.g. the Brassie Grille renovation, to the ups of the finally built handicap ramp beach crossover, (which was nearly too late, where expired permits could have occurred), and to finally having the roads addressed. However, these resulting both dramatic ups and downs should have not occurred. What should have occurred was a leveled performance of fiscal responsibility and priority decision making for ALL the Residents, and not decisions favoring the cabal group of Residents.
The most crushing cost to most of the Residents, other than to the recipient cabal group of Residents, was the selfish, non-needed, and extravagant spending of the Brassie Grille expansion, to which All the Residents are now inextricably tethered with enormous debt. This decision of massive financial consequences was taken without consideration of a community voice or vote. Did the Residents come to Aquarina to be in the restaurant business, with all of its inherent risks? This was the past majority of the Board’s most colossal blunder, which was decided upon in spite of ongoing harsh economic times, e.g. rampant inflation, and rising costs for the community, e.g. rising insurance premiums.
One take on this majority of the ACSA Board’s spending spree is that it’s purely political. Keep in mind that being a Resident of Aquarina does not require to be a member of either the golf club nor the tennis club. These recreation offerings are for discretionary membership. It’s obvious that the golf and tennis members drive the socialization and the required facilities for these social gatherings, which can be expected; however, should not these expenses and costs for social activities and the facilities be borne by the participants, who enjoy them, and not the non-member Residents, who do not participate. If membership in the golf and tennis clubs are not a requirement for residency, then why should the Residents, who are not required to be members in these clubs, pay for club members’ indulgences? In addition, these paid for indulgences do not even support themselves, but are subsidized by the non-member Residents.
The Brassie Grille was a sufficient facility for the whole community, but not for the cabal of limited members of the clubs. Maybe it could have been tuned up a bit, but an excess of an apparent $1.3M renovation was off the charts for a facility that was questionably managed and continued to be subsidized. The best approach after this debacle is to have it leased to a professional restaurant company, which may be happening now; time will tell. Actually, the golf course should have a management company considered, i.e. the same path that current renovated restaurant has taken. The ACSA Board does not need to be in the restaurant and golf business, where these two entertainment entities are overseen by the folks that use them, which could be considered a self-serving arrangement, and at a selfish subsidized cost to those that don’t participate in these clubs. Why would members of a golf course encourage public play to increase revenue to carry the golf course costs, when the Residents provide subsidies to carry these cost shortfalls? Hmm. An independent management company needs to be considered at the members’ cost. Private member golf courses do exist, where all Residents pay, Aquarina is not one of those communities, yet our majority Board expects all Residents to pay for the club member participants, and those members’ amenities. This is the cabals’ unspoken fact to their Aquarina heaven.
Second, FirstService Residential (FSR) needs to be reviewed. The Lakeside Pool Residents have been without a repairable pool for 18 months, as a result of a an FSR non-Resident paid employee acting as a bullying controller, for the majority of the ACSA Board, with all Lakeside Pool matters. This non-Resident paid employee has promulgated misleading information, withheld information, provided unsupported information, and shown an attitude of do as I say, with no allowed opportunity for a dialogue of explanation.
This Blog has consistently disclosed the unacceptable actions of the majority of the ACSA Board as voiced by this FSR non-Resident paid employee. As a result of the FSR non-Resident paid employee’s directed actions, injury and harm have arisen, and have been placed on the three Pool Neighborhood Residents. They include the following.
- The Pool closing has caused Pool maintenance to be limited to be nearly eliminated, causing the Pool to be a community eyesore to Residents, guests, and potential Buyers. A year has passed, since the abandonment has been mildly addressed, but still more work is needed. Ironically, the majority of the ACSA Board stated it had to take control of the Pool, since the Pool was not previously provided proper care by the three Pool Resident Neighborhoods. This determination was based on prejudicial and exaggerated opinions from non-professional and unlicensed laymen. All deteriorated at the Pool Area following the ACSA Board take over.
- Non-professional and unlicensed laymen were also enlisted by the ACSA Board to secure a damaged roof, which failed, causing further roof damage threatening the interior of the building.
- Residents who bought into the Pool Neighborhoods for expected Pool enjoyment and physical therapy have now had these paid for expectations taken.
- The controlled and prolonged demise of the Pool has caused economic harm and injury to the Pool Residents’ units. Prospective Buyers and Renters have moved away from purchasing or renting these units because of the controlled uncertainty that has been manipulated by the past majority of the ACSA Board over these past 18 months.
- A one month time of repair and restore of the Pool was offered by a licensed building contractor shortly after the Pool was closed. The Pool Residents, i.e. 70% of the units and nearly 100 of the units’ Residents, via an email vote, all agreed by 100% of the votes to repair and restore the Pool, per the licensed builder. The majority of the ACSA Board ignored this Pool Resident decision without a Board response, with the RSR non-Resident paid employ telling the Residents that the repair and restore resolution to the Pool was not supported. No explanation was offered why it was not supported.
- Non-professional and unlicensed laymen also determined that the Pool was sinking and needed to be demolished. An engineering soil test apparently determined that the sinking did not exist. The Pool Residents’ paid soil report was never shared with the Pool Residents.
- The ACSA Board, through the FSR non-Resident paid employee, stated that the Pool shell had to be dug out and exposed to determine if Pool pipes were leaking, which would require all the pavers to be removed. Also, what was stated was that the Pool needs to be resurfaced. Documentation from licensed pool contractors showed that neither of these two actions are needed.
More stall tactics and misinformation could be disclosed, but it is quite apparent that the past majority of the ACSA Board and its FSR non-Resident paid employee, over these past 18 months, have stalled and slow-walked the restitution of the Lakeside Pool. It also is apparent that FirstService Residential is complicit with the majority of the ACSA Board in this unacceptable, reckless, and irresponsible behavior upon its Pool Residents, whom they took an oath to serve.
RESOLUTION AND ACTION
The facts are documented as to all the injurious actions to the Pool Residents, and all the reckless and selfish actions foisted upon the Community Residents, all done by the past majority of the ACSA Board. The Residents spoke loud and clear with the recent Board of Directors’ election, where Directors of the majority Board were removed and replaced with, hopefully, new Directors that recognize the past contrived blunders of the past majority of the Board, and, hopefully, these new Directors will provide reasonable and fair policies for All the Residents, e.g. maybe having a professional restaurant company being responsible for restaurant costs, with no AGI political interference, will be the norm and policy. Hopefully, too, a fair business lease is in place for all to succeed, both for the Tenant, restaurant, and for the Landlord, ACSA.
However, though part of the past majority of the Board problem may be resolved with newly elected Directors, FirstService Residential (FSR) and its non-Resident paid employee still exist in their current positions. It would seem that FSR would be complicit with its employee of these past unfair actions, for which Aquarina and its Residents ironically pay them. Based on the injurious behavior and actions, as previously detailed, which have been forced on the Pool Residents, both the non-Resident paid employee and FSR need to be reviewed on their performance, especially, if a renewal of their contract is near. What the Pool Residents have suffered over these past 18 months was preventable (as documentation shows), and more seriously, the harmful actions were done without repent nor by accident nor by mistake.
The now new Board, not the past majority of the Board, has an obligation to support the Pool Residents and help them recover asap from the disrespect and harm that was bestowed on them over these past 18 months of grief.