Apparently, seven Board of Director positions are up for filling. This makes for an interesting situation, since the complexion of the entire Board could change if some folks with a new administrative approach step up to run for these coming vacant Board seats, and cause a new majority from the majority we currently have. It’s curious that the Director elections are so late this year compared to past elections. Two possible reasons come to mind, 1) time was needed to have a vote on the new Amendments increasing the term of the Directors, and 2) at this time of the year many Residents have left for the summer, and may not be paying as much attention to voting matters.
It was also suggested that there would be no election if only seven folks placed their names on the ballot for the seven Director seats, e.g. the current seven Board members if they run again, or any other new candidates totaling seven. The current Board’s logistics of this election, voting when the Resident count is lowest, i.e. in the summer, and squeezing in the Amendments before the election, can certainly be seen as a means to return the current Directors or the Board’s chosen candidates, which could discourage any arising opposition candidates, and continue the Board’s past ways. We’ll see.
The current Board has an agenda to continue, e.g. the Brassie Grille expansion, and its obvious expansion of its social events calendar. What evolves with possibly new candidates, other than the current bevy of Board Directors, will be interesting, since we’ll see where the Resident majority will be, in favor of our current lavish spending course, or wanting a change for more fiscal responsibility.
Hopefully, there may be, even a minority opinion of frugality and common sense, who will be a strong and convincing voice, which espouses spending that will be for the whole community and the community’s infrastructure, and will trump the fun spending that has been rampant over these past years.
The informational Bylaws and Declaration explanations, among other topics, spilled out to the participating Residents at the Meeting on Thursday; however, Residents’ questions created a bumpy road for the Board’s spun explanations. As a result, the pointed questions eventually uncovered the truth of these proposed amendments. The most telling, as was not surprising, were that amendments 1 and 2 were changes that would increase the tenure of the Board Directors. The third amendment, which would affect a large portion of privately owned Aquarina property, was found to be in error in its legal description and in the amount of referenced property in the amendment.
It appears that the haste in assembling this vote resulted in a package of amendments that were not only self-serving, but lacked proper research, especially with the privately owned Aquarina property. It is so apparent with the daily email harassments to vote, that this Board has an agenda for itself with these amendments. Are the Residents and this private property owner being served in a fair and responsible manner?
We have a rushed vote with vague and self-indulgent explanations on matters that effect our founding documents, and a Aquarina landowner who finds himself in a defensive position because of a lack of the Board’s due diligence. The Board’s response is that the voting should continue, and we’ll fix things later. What? How about that the voting is suspended until the proper communication channels are set in place to determine what this vote is all about, and how it will affect the Residents, as a next step.
Remember this, we have been provided these amendments, which have been “promoted” and not sufficiently explained, not at the beginning of the voting process, but during the voting process with the daily email harassments to vote on them now. This amounts to dumping ballots before the date to vote. At the date to vote, and as it should be, the voting takes place, all the ballots are submitted, and a determination is made if the amendments have 1) a quorum for a vote and 2) whether they are voted to pass or fail.
It is so obvious that this whole scenario was devised to fool the Residents with an apparent official manner of voting, which in actuality was a scheme to cement the Board’s hold on the its position to continue its selfish and reckless agenda of squandering the Residents’ funds, and maybe play property chess with an individual’s hold on Aquarina land. None of this is good.
I vote NO on all the amendments with a turned in paper Ballot, and I won’t use or support computer based voting, which was implemented to facilitate this ruse.
The Board is obviously panicking that it won’t achieve a majority of Residents to vote on its new amendments to our Declaration and Bylaws. We were all sent these new amendments with no clear explanation for the reason they’re being foisted upon us. We have been pressured by the pounding of daily emails this past week on how important it is to vote, and that we need to vote now. Curiously, an attorney explanation of these amendments is to be explained at a Meeting this Thursday, April 27. Why the pressure to vote before the attorney explanation, and before May 1, the day where a vote can occur and be tabulated?
Based on the Board’s poor and reckless decisions with our funds, e.g., one being the Brassie Grille expansion, can we really trust it to be doing something to assist or enhance our welfare within the community, when it apparently is forcing an earlier vote from the Residents with these daily emails before an explanation of the amendments is offered?
Oh yes, now we know why a computer voting system was purchased by the Board. A virtual mail-in and earlier voting opportunity situation has been put in place via this computer voting. This alleged convenient manner of voting certainly will provided instant relief to the daily and repetitive browbeating to vote on these so called important amendments.
An urgency to vote, easy computer based voting (which can be subject to hacking), vague Amendments with no reasons explained, all smell suspicious to me. The reasonable approach is to make a preamble case for this surprise and rushed amendments’ move on the Residents, which has caused a concern of uncertainty in the community. Long standing rules and governance are changed with forethought and care; they are not changed with surprise and with no discussion.
The Board’s attorney(s) will make an explanation for these amendments in the middle of the offered voting period at a meeting; that’s strange. This late explanation for the amendments should have been made before the voting period for folks to digest the reasoning and make an informed decision. Remember too, that the attorney(s) work for the Board, and there is history where they have defended the Board to keep the detailed AGI financials from the Residents, where one Resident requested the financials and was rebuked.
What scenario do we have now? Instead of an expected and laid out process for the Residents to be properly informed before a decision to change our long standing and established Declaration and Bylaws is made, we have been hurried with harassing reminders to make us feel obligated to do the Board’s wishes – vote for the amendments. Hmm.
Your departing Board president signed off on a $700,000 Plus contract to expand the money losing Brassie Grille. As with construction remodel contracts, any unforeseen work (which typically occurs on remodels) that arises is an added expense, which means an open expense. In addition, there is a list of finalized finishing items that will be added as further costs. The $700,000 sign off will certainly balloon into a higher total amount. You can count on that.
Let’s look at some other matters to question.
Thousands are being spent by our Board on a computer voting system. With about a total of 400 plus property votes, do we need a computer voting system? Globally, there is much controversy on the security of this type of voting. France has paper ballot voting and hand counting, where the voting and tabulating is less subject to manipulation, which has been proven over and over again with computer based voting. This is an extravagant expense, with a system that can be vulnerable to manipulation.
Having a Green Turtle buffet dinner is nice, and if it is successful, it would be a more cost-effective way to offer this type of eating affair rather than placing the cost of it all on the Residents, i.e. by way of a Brassie Grille expansion to host and prepare for such an affair, in addition to a having a paid staff to service the affair. The Club House provides a suitable venue with kitchen facilities, space, and rest rooms. There is no financial risk since it’s prepaid and catered by an outside professional. The setup and cleanup can be manned by a limited staff that serves the current Brassie Grille, which would remain in its current format, a comfort food sports type bar.
The golf course may be better served with a management style that encourages more public play, e.g. a golf management company. It’s so obvious there is a need for more public play like exists with the Spessard Holland Golf Course just up the road, which always has a full parking lot compared to a consistent only scattering of parked vehicles in the Aquarina Golf Course lot. The Residents are subsidizing a virtual private course that offers itself to the public, but does it really? Based on its play, the Aquarina Golf membership should be at a higher price to cover all its costs.
Having a sub-Board, i.e. AGI, to handle the Brassie Grille and the golf course has resulted in a trail of poor management and a pile of debt for the Residents. We have a group of folks who have placed themselves in management positions of areas where they have no experience, i.e. restaurant and golf, and the Residents have had to bail these folks out of their mishaps time and time again. In addition, the specific financials for the AGI have been hidden from the Residents, with the excuse that these financials are privileged to the Board. Hmm. Per Florida Statute, the Residents should see how every penny is spent. Let’s see those journal entries. Let’s see the financial books. At a recent Board Meeting, even the Board Treasurer questioned the Food and Beverage financial presentation where costs could not be reasonably explained. What!
An excuse of inflation, with the rise of costs for food and beverage supplies, was used for explaining the losses. An expected business response to this situation is to raise the prices of goods sold to cover the any product price increase. And further to this scenario is, guess who pays for the shortfall and resulting loss? Yes, the Residents with their maintenance fees, which diminishes our Reserve growth to repair and replace Aquarina’s infrastructure. But of course, the Board needs to stroke its supporters, and prevent any inflationary costs for its Brassie Grille patrons to bear.
Huge insurance costs are coming. Some of the insurance policies are conditioned on roof repairs, e.g. Beach Club House, bathroom buildings on the golf course, and the pool Bath House for Blue Heron, Egret Trace, and Spoonbill Villas. Have we seen or heard of any ongoing repair work for these facilities? How about the Beach Club House service elevator that actually should be a pedestrian elevator? It’s been “Temporarily out of service” for years. Yet, in our country’s present economic state of affairs, e.g. rapid inflation being fed by irresponsible government spending, our Board feels the priority is to expand the Brassie Grille. Unbelievable.
It appears that more time is spent on entertainment matters than infrastructure and community presentation matters where the priorities should be. Look around as you drive our community. We are approaching 40 years in age, and it shows. There are communities of less cost that have presentations and upkeep much better than ours. Is there a base of new leadership within Aquarina that can recast the current focus of entertainment to a focus, which is an immediate need, of responsibility and action to repair and replace our tired infrastructure?
The Aquarina Board majority continues to spend the Residents’ funds in a reckless manner, most noted is the Brassie Grille expansion, in light of the skyrocketing and foreboding insurance costs and building roof repairs that are surely coming. Remember too, that the Board had to restructure Aquarina’s debt, per Bank of America, since our finances were over extended with its debt ratio. Imagine, an HOA being overextended with debt? It’s easy to spend money when it’s not yours.
You have AGI directors who find it hard to explain losses with the Food and Beverage finances, i.e. Brassie Grille, at a Board Meeting, yet the expansion of the Brassie Grille continues. We are told the proverbial “That ship has sailed.” Well, maybe that ship should be brought back and put in drydock.
Call the Administration Office for the current email addresses of the Board Directors, and email them your thoughts on the Board’s continuous and outrageous spending. Let yourself be heard.
Assessments are brewing to cover a cabal of Residents’ dalliances for whom and on which these unnecessary coming expenses will be foisted on all the Residents to pay.
Here is our Beach Club building that many of us have enjoyed using over the years. However, it lacks what can be considered for some, as vital for its complete use to all – a workable lift/elevator. It’s currently out of service, and it has been out of service for years and years, with the caveat, “Temporarily” out of order. Really? Do you think there may be some Residents that require the lift/elevator to take advantage of the whole building, an amenity for which all the Residents pay. The word has been “excuses” that it needs to be inspected, it needs to be reworked, and it could cost thousands to get it operational. The proverbial can has consistently been kicked down the road. Oh yes, “Temporarily” out of order, but for years and years?
To completely take advantage of the building’s benefits, that by the way, includes gatherings, parties, meetings, etc., wouldn’t you believe that items would be required to be hauled to the second level? More importantly, there are folks with disabilities, who will find themselves unable to reach the second floor, which is the essence of the building where folks congregate. I know of a particular incident, where a person’s fellow colleague had passed, and a celebration of life was occurring on the second floor of the Beach Club building. This person was in a wheel chair, and had to be carried up the stairs to pay respects to the colleague. Hmm.
The sad contrast to this situation with the Beach Clubhouse is how the Board has pushed and pushed the Residents with the expansion of the Brassie Grille, where an $75,000 assessment was levied on the Residents and an alleged $300,000 in unsecured loans was taken upon. Unsecured loans can have a Promissory Note to pay back the loan, and you can take the debtor to court to be repaid if it’s delinquent. Are the $300,000 in loans attached to promissory notes? Regardless, I’m sure these loans are on the backs of the Residents to repay. Written details to see the loans requirements are lacking for the residents to see. Hmm.
The Board, being in the restaurant business, is obviously overjoyed that it crafted a way to expand its pleasure palace, i.e. the Brassie Grille, and expand and embellish its house of joy, all again, on the backs of ALL the Residents. Choices made where expected practicality would prevail, e.g. the lift/elevator, perishes in neglect for the priority choice of the Brassie Grille.
Further irony, is the fact that the Brassie Grille is a money loser, terribly managed or managed with an intention to ignore breaking even or actually making a profit. For example, the cost of goods sold, i.e. food and beverage, actually the Brassie Grille, which has dramatically increased because of our current inflationary environment, has driven the Brassie Grille’s Profit and Loss to 10’s of thousands in losses, we have been told at a Board Meeting. But wait, when the cost of goods sold increases, don’t you increase the price to the customer? Apparently not at the Brassie Grille. Why? Because you have a Resident base to subsidize the cost increase. Further, we have an AGI business that is financially failing, yet the expansion plans continue, assessments are levied and loans issued. The expansion/ upgrade expected total price currently is $700,000.
It’s obvious that Board priorities are to cater to the social and partying base segment in our community rather than to the immediate needs that serve the whole community.
It would be great if the Board’s focus followed the working and mechanic needs of the Aquarina Community, and not the partying and entertaining demands of a selfish segment that apparently has again infiltrated a Board, where the fiduciary duty for the well being of the Residents has certainly been put aside as a secondary concern.
Regardless of what was said at the Brassie Grille Symposium, where the Residents were invited to speak and offer opinions for 3 minutes per person, the mere suggestion to move forward or not on a renovation of the Brassie Grille is a Board action that should be put off until a more stable economic and political landscape appear on the horizon. Simply put, inflation is running rampant with no reasonable policy to stop it, other than the current Fed policies that are fueling it. Construction materials are sky high in cost, labor rates and general construction costs continue to climb. Is this the time to spend on a discretionary amenity, i.e. The Brassie Grille? Does the partying portion of the Residents and the Board have their heads in the sand ignoring the current economic and political landscape? Is the need for enjoyment trumping the coming economic downward spiral? Will this cost improve the general appearance and value of Aquarina, rather than addressing its pressing needs, e.g. tired and worn roads and entrance, infrastructure maintenance, and building our Reserves? When a potential buyer or visitor comes into Aquarina, what will they first see, a subsidized food source (The Brassie Grille), or a well manicured and maintained community? In our case, they will see a tired and neglected infrastructure, which sullies the community, and our Reserves are spent like Monopoly Money. After all, the Board’s selfish decisions are creating costs on all Residents, rather than these costs just being personally taken on by the decision makers, i.e. the Board, and its followers.
This Blog has made multiple suggestions how to fine tune The Brassie Grille in a manner that is cost effective, and which will provide the basic food and beverage needs that may be required by the Community. If the folks in Aquarina that crave group partying and eating together (which is understood in a healthy community), then go gather to one of our Club Houses, where cover dishes and refreshments can be brought by the party-goers. Should it be a Resident subsidized restaurant? Why place this cost on all the Residents?
Do you want a Board that has the fiduciary duty to maintain our community and oversee our funds to be applied to the community’s maintenance and infrastructure needs, or do you want a Board who apparently wants to be in the restaurant business, where its time is spent with food, beverage, and employee oversight. It could be expected that there would be full community support if The Brassie Grille functioned as a profit center or even a breakeven operation. However, the Residents are prohibited from seeing the books, e.g. Journal Entries, which would show itemized expenses and itemized income. But wait! Aren’t the Residents’ funds, that feed The Brassie Grille if its income is insufficient or even non-existent, thus spent to keep The Brassie Grille running? Is there a specific line item in the Aquarina Budget to show an amount allotted to the Brassie Grille, or is it buried in the general AGI Budget? Hmm.
Have our new Board members, who had touted themselves for financial transparency, now absorbed and apostatized by past Board members? Unfortunately, Florida HOA Boards have more latitude with Resident funds than you could imagine, but they have, by Florida Statute, an obligation to show the Residents how each penny is spent. Do we have that occurring in Aquarina? What we do have is a past and maybe new Board that has spent the Residents’ funds to hire attorneys to prevent Residents who may want to see specific financial records of the AGI and the Community.
As past ways have shown, and what may still be continuing in the present climate, is that this HOA Board beseeches the Residents’ input, but in the end, history shows it does what it wants with its spending priorities, which is to cuddle the cadre that places pleasure and fun over the reality of Aquarina’s immediate needs.
I have spent decades living, owning, and selling and buying for clients in communities like Aquarina that have a “resort” flare. All these communities had excellent presentation with a focus on appearance and a working and maintained infrastructure, including well kept amenities. It was ensured that all assets of these communities were equally addressed, where one or more assets were not neglected for other assets. In addition, a full time and visible maintenance staff were onsite daily, working and tending to these communities. What should Aquarina’s priority be – a salaried, daily, and onsite Aquarina maintenance staff, or a Resident paid salaried restaurant staff? Wouldn’t it be better if the Board could balance both equally for the whole community within a Budget creating no assessments?
There may be the admonishment of ”If you don’t like it here, then leave.” However, after being here since 1995, it certainly shows my appreciation of Aquarina, and I feel there are other folks, like me, with the same perspective that I have been preaching with this Blog. Leaving is an easy remedy, but to share my belief, that there should be more prudent financial oversight and a balanced approach to spending, and vision for the “whole” Aquarina community, is a policy worth heralding to, over these past years, thousands of this Blog’s readers.
