Aquarina Townhall Blog

Okay.  First they mail us, and tell us only two folks submitted an Intent to Run and a Personal Profile within the flawed deadline date, then they mail us again to tell us to complete a voting form, which included a Proxy Form for voting. But wait, they also tell us there will not be an election since only two folks submitted as Candidates for three vacant positions.  The two folks are default Candidate winners, and the Board will select someone for the third vacancy.

Why mail us Proxies to complete if there will not be an election?  Further, no item for which to vote was on the Agenda for the Annual Meeting.  Why a Proxy?  Is our responsible Onsite Property Manager, who is responsible for the Resident mailings, on the same page as our Board?  Who’s on First?  LOL.

The Board spends our Resident funds irresponsibly, and now they cannot organize an important election for the residents.  Apparent confusion with our voting rights and carelessness with our funds continue to run rampant.

BTW – among the process with Proxies, a Proxy can be open ended, where when it is signed, it states that a Board Member, if appointed, has your vote on any voting matter that may arise. Or, the Proxy can be for a specific item for which to vote.

May there be a further Board Notice, after Proxies have been received, revising the Meeting Agenda by adding matter(s) for which to vote. Hmm.

Here are some interesting events that have recently emerged.

• Residents were mailed an Invitation to be a candidate for a Board Director.  Three slots were available.

• The deadline date to submit the required and expected paperwork was wrong and ambiguous in the Invitation, i.e. the day and date did not match.

• Last year there were as many as ten candidates; this year there were allegedly two candidates.  We were told only two candidate submissions were received in a “timely manner”. The “timely manner’ was the erroneous day and date in the Invitation. Were other candidate submittals received in an ‘untimely manner” because of the erroneous day and date?  There was never a correction made and then communicated to the Residents on the incorrect date and day; I never received a correction.

• A second Notice of the Annual Meeting was sent out to the Residents with redone Information Sheets for the only two candidates.  These two candidates’ Information Sheets appeared as a part of and incorporated into this Board Notice, formulated with the same typed format and font as the Board Notice.

• The Information Sheets were two to three one-sided pages for each candidate. Note that the initial Invitation to the Residents required, and was limited to, two sides of one 11.5” by 8” piece of paper for the candidates’ Information Sheet, and not two to three one sided pages.

• Further, the candidates’ Information Sheets did not appear as “candidate prepared”, but Board prepared from, hopefully, the candidates’ own words. Normally Information Sheets would have been solely candidate prepared, included with the returned and signed Invitation.

• In the past, these Information Sheets would then be sent separately along with the Board Notice to the Residents, as it was done last year. The Residents received, by mail, a candidate separately prepared Information Sheet from each of the candidates themselves. 

• Why would the Board need to filter a candidates’ completed Information Sheet, dress up its appearance, and present it to the Residents with a Board controlled format?  The Residents should have the opportunity to review a candidate’s presentation of himself or herself without the Board’s intrusion and tampering.  The Board has never “polished” candidates’ Information Sheets in the past. Hmm.

• We were told only two folks offered their candidacy for three open positions, we were further told that no election was necessary, and that the Board would select a person for the other open position.

• If all this seems contrived, then it certainly appears that way.  The Residents had no say as to these unusual circumstances that evolved with this year’s flawed process of determining Board Director Candidates.

• Just think, from 10 Board Director Candidates last year, to two this year. Does this reflect on the mindset of the residents or on the direction the current Board is taking with its actions towards our community?

• Because of a flawed timeframe for returning Information Sheets and a signed Intention to Run Form, it would be expected that the Board announce its error to the community and extend the time period to encourage more willing and able Residents to volunteer their service as a Director Candidate.

Instead, it could be said that the Board may have created a situation to select and groom its own candidates. Hmm.

The process to run for a Board Director has been and is flawed, e.g. 1) last year I was permitted to vote twice, once with a hand delivered vote to the Onsite Property Manager at the Admin Building, and then was given a ballot and told to vote at the Annual Meeting, and 2) this year two different dates were mailed to the Residents to turn in Intent to Run Forms for Director.

Keep in mind that the Board controls the voting process, e.g. the Board filters the Intent to Run Forms from receipt, to mailing these Forms to the Residents. We know that this Board has an agenda that it wants to continue, which will require at least four of seven Board Members in its court. Three Director positions will be voted upon.

However, maybe the Residents can speak with their vote and by-pass the Board’s infiltration process.  This Blog (anaquarinavoice.com) offers a stage for the Residents to speak.  Rather than an Intent to Run Form, a Resident is welcome to place their Candidacy and Background on the Blog, which has direct communication to the Aquarina community.

Any voting process in a democracy offers a Write-in choice, other than the candidates printed on the ballot.  If a Write-in choice is not offered on the Aquarina Board ballot, then the voting process continues to be flawed in favor of the sitting Board.

Fellow Residents who see that a change is needed for Aquarina, can place their point of view, personal background, and Candidacy on the Blog, as exemplified below.

Candidate “anaquarinavoice.com”

355 Hammock Shore Dr.

I have been a Resident of Aquarina since 1995.  I have owned and lived in several homes here, i.e. Les Villas, River Oaks, Crane’s Point, Egret Trace, Blue Heron, Egret Trace again, Spoonbill Villas, and now River Oaks again.  I suppose I’m a restless soul. LOL. Regardless, I love the Aquarina community, and I currently believe that the community is not being serviced in a balanced manner by the current Board.  I created a Blog Site named anaquarinavoice.com, where you can read my convictions on what direction I see the community should take.

My background includes the following.

• Bachelor’s Degree in English and a minor in Accounting
• Master’s Degree in Education
• GRI – Graduate of the Realtor Institute.
• CRB – Council of Realtor Brokers
• CRS – Certified Residential Specialist
• MSA – Master Senior Appraiser
• Completed all classwork towards a designation for a CCIM (Certified Commercial Investor Member) and a MAI (Member Appraisal Institute).
• 1969-1979 – Public School Teacher in Ft. Lauderdale, where I ran a Federal Title 1 Reading Program for under privileged children.
• 1979 to present – Realtor Broker in Melbourne Beach and Brevard County.
• 1981 to 1983 – President of the Floridana Beach Civic Association (FBCA)
• 1987 to present – Realtor Broker on Maui.
• 1993 to present – established and own Premier Properties
• 1996-1997 – President of the Les Villas HOA.
• 2005 to present – established and own Premier Properties Maui.

As a Board Director, my goals would include:

• Though minor paver repairs have been done at the Roadway Entrance, a complete repair overhaul of the pavers needs addressing. In addition, a black coating and white striping of the roads, and a power washing of the curbing are also overdue.  A waterfall attraction is underway, which is nice; however, the tuning of the Roadway Entrance should be a priority at this time.  The Roadway Entrance sets the tone for the community, and helps our property values, which should always be of primary importance. 

• The beach crossovers need a suitable commercial shower commensurate with our Beach Clubhouse, and conveniently located at the deck crossover areas.

• An Internet Camera (Cam) should be placed at the Beach Clubhouse for folks to see the daily conditions at our beach.  Many communities have this device for the beach to be monitored for recreational use.

• A Janitorial Service with a daily agenda to service the entire common areas, e.g. all bathrooms and both Clubhouses, etc.

• A golf cart (if it’s not already available) for our onsite Property Manager to do at least one daily tour of the community and its facilities.  This daily tour is to engage Residents and to monitor our common elements.

• Have our golf and tennis operation subject to an outside audit to determine an efficient cost effective program. They are constantly losing money at our expense.

• Work out a program for The Brassie Grille to the point where it just pays us rent for space.  This would eliminate AGI risk and losses with the restaurant, and the possible temptation of collusion of the Board with its operation.

• More transparency is needed with the funding of the AGI businesses. The Residents fund 100’s of thousands of dollars that is poured into these mostly losing entities.

• A more measured spending among all the Aquarina common elements should be practiced.  It appears that the Golf business draws most of the Residents’ funds for its sustainability.  BTW – I like golf.  I was on my school’s golf team. LOL.

• More Resident involvement should be offered before funding decisions are made with our common elements, e.g. town hall meetings

• The current $900+ quarterly assessment needs to be re-evaluated, and a reduction of this fee should be addressed.

• The Golf irrigation Well needs further review for its cost effectiveness. The current reasoning does not add up. An unbiased and Professional Evaluation should be sought out, and then presented to the whole community for discussion.

• Keep, praise, and encourage the great body of Volunteers and their accomplishments that have served Aquarina, and continue with the wonderful social activities that bond our Residents as a vibrant community.

The focus of the Board of Directors is to service the Community and its Common Elements, and not rule and run the Community and its Common Elements, as a developer of a Community would do.  There has been too much emphasis on “Directing” rather than “Servicing”.  Aquarina is ready for a change!

If you agree with this assessment of where we are at this time, and you are ready for a voice of change on Aquarina’s Board of Directors, then on the ballot for a director, Write-in the candidate “anaquarinavoice.com” as your anonymous choice.  It’s not the person’s name that is important, but the new movement that the Blog represents and has heralded for the community.

Our ACSA mailed out to Residents the instructions for those Residents who may want to apply to be a candidate for a Board of Director position. Three positions are available. The instructions stated that the completed Form and Information Sheet was to be received by 5 PM on Friday, February 19, 2019 (Bold and Underlined in the instructions).

Dah . . . isn’t February 19, 2019 today, a Tuesday. Creating confusion with the application process may be a mistake or . . . The Board wants and needs to maintain its grip on the community to further its agenda of Board directed projects, which continue to eat up the Residents’ funds. It’s not surprising to see this application glitch.

There need to be three candidates who appose the direction of the current Board who would then fill the three available positions to neutralize the current Board’s majority, since one of the current members also sees a different direction for the community than what the present Board has foisted on the Residents.

It should be interesting to see how the onsite Property Manager and the Board will handle this (clerical?)mistake.

It seems like weeks have passed since Old Glory was swaying in the wind.  If it is being replaced, then Amazon can provide one in a few days with free delivery.  But still an empty and naked pole with its rope and cleats bang like a gallows.  Is this a political statement, maybe, e.g. an anti-national theme? We hope not.  Let’s get our flag back.  Our neglected and orphaned entrance needs to be uplifted in every way it can.

Well, Well, Well . . . so many questions about the Irrigation Well

• We are told that the savings from the irrigation expense is about $103,000 per year; the net cost of the yearly golf course irrigation. Actually, all sorts of numbers were thrown out to decipher. The most favorable ones for the well were used, to be fair and unbiased.
• We are told that the AUI rate increase for potable water to the Residents for the lost irrigation revenue is estimated to be $40,000 per year.  How was that determined?  A direct quote from AUI?  AUI loses $103,000 and makes it up with $40,000?  Hmm.
• We are told that the total savings for Aquarina in 20 years is $875,000.  Let’s see – that is $43,750 per year.  The potable water increase, we are told should be $40,000 per year.  Remember that rate is from whom?  It certainly is subject to increases over the next 20 years. It’s like a wash at the very best.  So we have a well and all its infrastructure to maintain as a common element, an added common element by the way, attained without a community vote.
• We played Spessard Holland, up the road, which is the same cost per round as Aquarina Golf.  The difference in the two courses is obvious, one is amply watered and maintained.  Guess which one appears not to be?
• The Residents subsidize Aquarina by 100’s of thousands of dollars annually.  Among other expenses, Golf cannot afford the irrigation expense with the subsidy (look at the course) and now the Residents will pay for an irrigation well too. As we all know, Golf Rules while the rest of the community suffers.
• What engineering firm did a cost benefit analysis for the acquisition of an irrigation well?  Where is analysis for it to be reviewed? Were bids put out to obtain a competitive price? Was AUI consulted with the decision for a well to maybe work out a compromise with the irrigation cost?
• As usual, and Board presents a spin with no convincing or any corroboration. This irrigation well presentation leaks of spin.
• Consider the placement of this well and its pumping action.  Did you see any nearby residential housing that could be impacted from the photos in the email attachment?
• The irony of all this, is that Golf Rules, yet it continues to fail as a business and its standing, compared to other nearby courses, can be considered substandard.  So sad.

Another fiasco from the Board as we idly watch and wait.

Fellow Residents,

The mailing is out soliciting for volunteers to be ACSA Board of Directors.  Three positions will be open.  Three like-minded volunteers are needed to turn the direction of the current Board from a personal agenda to a total community minded agenda.  This Blog, over the past months, has laid out a direction for a new approach to serving Aquarina rather than the current Board’s direction of ruling and running Aquarina.

If you, as a fellow Resident agree, then please Comment on the Blog, text, or call me (321-258-6151) to discuss a new path to take for our community.

Our time is now for productive change and transparency with our funds!

Is Aquarina Ready for a New Direction?

Those that have visited this Blog (anaquarinavoice.com) have seen a point of view that is quite different from the culture that has currently taken over the control of our community, i.e. a Board that has hijacked the community from the general populace, the Residents.

Our Board of Directors have a personal agenda backed by a developed and nurtured group of disciples and acolytes that have bullied the community, and foisted costs upon the Residents to pay for its agenda, i.e. golf, personal social activities, and whimsical and unnecessary changes to our community, e.g. a totally and needless renovation of the Golf Maintenance Yard, an unwanted move of the Gym Facility, an unwarranted renovation of the Admin Building to accommodate this move, and the personal use of The Brassie Grille for social events, all at the community’s cost. More so, there is the refusal to disclose the specific financials of AGI, which is a large and unexplained monetary cost burden for Aquarina Residents.

The focus of the current Board is to leverage and to use its selfish political machine for its personal end, the control and running of Aquarina. If you, the Residents, are satisfied with the current state of Aquarina, then democracy has spoken.  However, if you are concerned about our current state of affairs, as this Blog has been, then are you prepared to vote in a change of Board members, which the coming March Board Elections could provide?

Are there any of you out there, who may have an interest in a Board position to place the Aquarina Community on a better path for ALL the Residents as this Blog has suggested, and not just for a privileged few? It would take three new and like-minded Board Members to accomplish this change, which would create a majority vote.  If this Blog can gather followers and show support for a change, then there may be a number of folks who would have an incentive to place their names as like-minded candidates for the Board of Directors.  The Question at the Home Page of this Blog has been reset where a Yes or No is asked to support a decision for change or not.  Please check your response. Your response would be anonymous.  In addition, please call or text 321-258-6151 if you want to see and agree with a change in our community from what we have now.

It would be expected that a New Board of Directors would work towards the following.

• AGI will become financially transparent to the Residents.
• The AGI businesses will be groomed to be self-sufficient and independently run to remove the Residents’ financial risk.
• Changes and additions to the community, e.g. common elements, will be determined by an open community vote.
• The focus of a New Board of Directors is to serve and maintain the community and not “run it” as an owner or developer.
• All the amenities of Aquarina, i.e. golf, tennis, beach and community centers, river and ocean accesses, and restaurant, shall all have measured oversee and funding.
• There shall be a Board priority to refurbish the Roadway Entrance, i.e pavers, roads, and curbs.
• The Beach Access crossovers shall be tuned for convenience, e.g. shower, proper handrails, etc.
• The ACSA Quarterly Maintenance Fees shall be evaluated for a reduction.
• The onsite Property Manager’s role shall be assessed.

An opportunity is upon us in March for a positive change to address ALL Residents in our community, and uplift neighborhood comradery and invigorate property values.  

An Aquarina Voice