NOVEMBER SUGGESTIONS

We would love your suggestion that will improve our Village. Suggestions may be viewed by those visiting. We will renew the display each month. Anonymous are welcomed. So throw one in the box.

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There was a correction made in the Status Quo article. Don Hall was corrected to Bob Hall. Thankyou. Read more on this article...

STATUS QUO

I received a letter from LIV saying that there is to be a special meeting of the membership on December 6th. I wonder if this is the same meeting owner Bob Hall asked for and our President approved as an open meeting of the membership, so owners, in Bob Hall’s words, “could have their say” to the board. I’m questioning it because in our November 19th regular board meeting neither the President nor Don Hall stated that their meetings were for the sole purpose of discussing the conduct of the BOD.
Our President did not request specific agendas nor were there any brought up by Bob Hall. This proxy attached to the meeting notification letter which was sent to every Village owner was not asked for by Bob Hall or the President. This notification letter was never shown to the President or most of the directors before distribution.
So who took it upon themselves to manufacture these agenda items 1-4 for this supposedly open now turned selective meeting? Whose idea was it to elect a new chairman (Agenda #2) to replace our Board President? Which unknown individual, (Agenda #4-B) wants to use this meeting to force change in the way things are being done. What group wants (Agenda #4-C) to specifically draft in their own brand of ethics and code of conduct as future guidelines? Finally, who added this proxy? It’s not to elect a chairman, so what is its real purpose? Approved for discussions, who added these agendas that only serve to attack our directors?
I see Leroy R. Mulch’s signature at the bottom of this letter. He along with Reta Priest has pending litigation against six of our directors. Odd as to why these “items to be discussed” appear to be displaying the similar rhetoric that is in their pending lawsuit and in Reta Priest’s failed invalid recall attempt? Are these people who seek to change the original intention of this meeting, the same recall supporters who claim they “speak for the people”. They say they speak for you, me, and all other owners in our Village. Well, they definitely don’t speak for me. Do they you?
This was suppose to be an open meeting and not a continuance of this unsubstantiated recall vendetta and definitely not a prolongation of this unjustified, costly to our Village, lawsuit that was the creation by these two and their friends.
Owners should take a hard look as to what has really been happening here. The truth needs to be told over and over again, until every LIV owner hears and understands that it was the Board President, alone, who decided it was time to put in motion the one and only attempt to replace our GM, not these new directors. After the executive meeting in which our Board President called for, alone, it was decided by the majority that there was enough cause to bring the GM’s issue for his replacement to a motion and vote.
In the end our President was left with having to make a tie breaking vote. He reconsidered his position and opted to give our GM time to improve his performance with agreeing to what many thought was a hollow 90 day evaluation.
Soon after this event it became hard if not impossible at times for this board to conduct normal business functions due to what seemed a flow of confrontational instances levied by Directors Burke and Mulch. For the last six months they also had to cope with this out of order and constant waylay of interruptions caused by a group of rude and unruly owners who are friends with our GM, Burke, Mulch, and Priest. Throw in an invalid recall attempt, a few smear campaigns, and a lawsuit for trying to make our GM accountable for his actions and it’s a wonder any business was done at all. These new board members have persevered through all this and have helped our park when others would have quit.
This notification letter with its questionable agendas is just another attack on these directors and the people of this Village should put a stop to it. Read more on this article...

Thoughts from those who attended this last regular board meeting? Read more on this article...

At the Coffee w/Directors owners again complained of having problems with our pools. Not only were the pool and spa temperatures way off, but swimmers were also losing their body hair. In addition many swimsuits were changing colors and swimmers found it hard to rid themselves of a strong pool odor. Our GM said the chemicals Berry Pools are using would not cause these problems described.
Not disclosed in the meeting was the repair to Berry Pools chemical equipment that had fail during this period of time. Below shows that bromine odor is more difficult to shower off and probably even more so if the bromine level was extremely high from the equipment failure.

Bromine (pronounced /ˈbroʊmiːn/, /ˈbroʊmaɪn/, /ˈbroʊmɪn/, Greek: βρῶμος, brómos, meaning "stench

Bromine advantages and disadvantages
Convenient to use...put tablets into floater and refill every 10 to 14 days.
Readily available...most pool and spa dealers carry it.
Can be used with ozone
Does not have "chlorine smell"
No difference between the effectiveness of free vs. combined bromine
Has low pH (aprox. 3.5 - 4.5)...pH levels need to be adjusted frequently to prevent equipment damage.
More expensive than chlorine
Can not be used with Nature2
Bromine odor is more difficult to shower off
Requires the use of 'sodium bromide' when water is changed to establish a bromine reserve


The hair loss was another story. Read this website article and tell me if it resembles what occurred in our pool.

http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2008/10/30/Sports/Swimmers.Report.Hair.Loss.Irritation-3515661.shtml?pop

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COFFEE WITH THE DIRECTORS

Lot #106 complained that a lot next to them has not had anyone keeping it up and wanted some action. Management is looking into the matter.
Lot #165 asked five questions about Time Warner. Lot #165 asked how many lawsuits are currently pending. Director Burke described four.
A request to know the director’s names and their responsibilities. The board did a roll call stating their positions..
A complaint about the indoor pool and hot tubs were read with the loss on hair on the body and swim suits changing color.
SC #57 commented there must be an excessive amount of chemicals used in our pools. She asked what chemicals were being used for the pools. Our GM said Bromine is used in the indoor pool and chlorine is used in the outdoor. The commenter said she didn’t think bromine gave off a strong chlorine odor. She said there had been swimsuits drastically changing colors along with the loss of body hair. The swimsuits were shown. Even after twelve hours you still had the smell on you. She said the indoor pool was also 90 degrees and the hot tubs were at 109. Our Gm said that the chemicals that they are using would not cause these problems you have described and he will call Berry Pools to try to find out what the problem is.
Lot #754 had a problem with paying for an extra key for his mail box.
There was a complaint of people campaigning and doing a fundraiser at chicken night. Director Dodson said the campaigning was approved at the previous meeting but not the fundraising.
A complaint about the gate keepers were letting in people without checking the sticker. They said they’ve seen it happen many times.
A complaint about the park paying 27K more for security and wanted to know what we are getting for the extra cost. Director Dodson answered with close to a dozen of things off the top of her head and corrected the amount of extra cost at $18K.
Lot #175 said our signs at the front entrance needs repainted.
Lot #494 gave concerns and solutions towards owner information privacy and publishing.
An owner expressed we should have more procedures to use of the copier and fax.
We had a representative from Time Warner took an hour to answer owners’ questions. on our new cable.
Lot #329 asked if the president and vice president were signing the LIV contracts. The answer was yes.
John Krysiak, previous owner of Lot #870 and holding power of attorney for the new owner was allowed to speak in accordance to the by-laws of representation, asked our GM about the sewage odor problem that had been plaguing lot #870 and neighboring residences. Our GM said it will be brought up at the Workshop.
Lot #389 asked about the Board's procedure of replacement towards Mary, the person that was taking minutes and asked why it was not done by board action? Director Burke said it was not the obligation of or in their Aramark's contract to have their employee take the minutes and anyone can be appointed to take the minutes. Director Dodson asked why the Sect. Mulch or the Sect asst. McBride couldn’t take the minutes. This went back and forth a couple of times until Director McBride settled it all by saying it was in Aramark’s contract that they have to provide an employee to take the minutes. This seemed to put a little stun at what had been previously said. Director Mulch went on a mini rampage as to what was to be recorded in the minutes and was very confrontational. Pointing his finger he said that since this board took over they wanted every word in the minutes.
There was a heated discussion brought up by our GM about the current court order as to who can talk to Aramark employees.Our GM who seems to want to lay down his interpretation that no one can talk to any Aramark employee. He said no one but the president, or the vice president in his absence can talk to me and they have to come to me and me only. This started a heated exchanged. Director Mulch for some reason gave his excuses as to why he is allowed to talk to office employees when no one else is, saying it was in our by-laws somewhere.

THE WORKSHOP

Director Peterson asked how long the exercise room will be down to remodeling. The answer was one more day.
Director Peterson asked if our GM had found out if his electrician was licensed in the State of Texas. After the different reasons why we didn't have need for a licensed electrician, the answer was no. He had a Mexican licensed.
Director Hansen again brought up the issue of still having over $200,000 in a bank that was not protected by FDIC. He also pointed out that it appears we are losing over twenty thousand dollars from interest available to LIV if we were putting them in the right accounts. It was said that they are now in the process of trying to do this. Director Hansen again reminded our management that this has been going on for at least ten months now. Director Hansen has only went back to the first of the year obtaining his information.
Director Hansen asked if there was a better procedure for using the boat dock gate and its lock.
Director Hansen said he has never seen it written where only an owner can speak at our coffee meetings. He made the point that if there was a problem with our Park, he would like to know about it, regardless of ownership. Director Burke made the comment that it was always expressed as meetings of the membership. She then brought up the cost of finding out if John Krysiak had the right to speak. It was not pointed out that it was her and our GM who originally objected that he no right to speak since he was not an owner that made it a question of a legal right?
Director Hansen asked if the lights in the pool could be adjusted to come on earlier. He announced the first speakers get together called "LIV, LIV, how does your garden grow" will be next Wed. at 7pm. He requested that the annual budget get started. He mentioned of an e-mail he received about an executive meeting pertaining to the Arroyo Cable lawsuit. It will be right after the regular meeting next week. Director Hansen pointed out that the electrical box near the bike rack is in need of repair.
The garbage issue was brought up by our GM. He took a long about way to say he got a bid near the same money for pickup. Director Hansen asked why we are charged for 14 bins when we have only 13. The problem that Director Hansen said he had was the constant charges we pay to dump empty bins after our GM had said it was not happening.
The bids for the sidewalks had the lowest bid not having much in describing the way or what was to be done by the installers and Director Dodson expressed a more complete bid if it’s to be accepted. It was said by our GM that LIV was not to help with the installation or removal of the sidewalks in this bid and was agreed that they would provide more information.
There were three Pool bids, one additional from the two last month. The bid from Valley Plastering Pools was $30846, almost half as much as the two previous bids which were almost used if not for the insistence by Director Dodson and the other new directors for the minimum of three valid bids. There was a long discussion on the Texas Health Codes for the outdoor pool.
Director Steffensen asked how the maintenance roof will be done and the GM went through a long speech to finally say it will be done internally. Seven office computers and server is said to need of replacement. On top of that new software is wanted. Our LIV website needs to be redone. Between now through Dec. 8th, it was asked to review and list suggestions in prioritizing the list provided for next years budget.
Director Burke talked about a timeline for hurricane repairs and disbursements of insurance money. She wanted to set requirements on bids and that 3 bids are not required by law. She was told to write a policy about it and we’ll vote on it.
Director Steffensen mentioned the No Wake signs need to be replaced. The GM, trying to be cute, asked for permission if he was allowed to fix the signs. He was questioned as to why are you asking like that and the GM pointed his finger and said that every time I do something you come down my throat. He was reminded that this is his job to repair these signs and if it was over $1000, tell the board so it can be approved.
Our GM addressed the sewage smell problem with the attitude that there was no problem with the new sewer. Regardless it was confirmed there is a problem and will be continued to be addressed. Read more on this article...

LICENSED TO FILL

Because of this recent lawsuit by Director Mulch and invalid recall leader R.P, our Village will be deprived of a licensed security presence until January 1, 2009. Directors Burke, Mulch, and Steffensen have made it quite clear they do not support this new change. Their only real tangible objection seems to be its additional cost. Do these senior directors understand the effects of using untrained personnel as security and the magnification it creates towards our Village liability? They show opposition and concerns towards spending 8% more to better protect our Association, owners, and visitors, but apparently none when squandering the Village's money with not fixing the outdoor pool bottom correctly while under the pool warranty ($50,000+), wanting to construct this sidewalk to nowhere ($10,000+), paying Berry Pools to do management’s job ($10,000+per year), consistantly losing money after subcontracting the running of our laundry facility when management was suppose to have made our Village such a sweet deal, and my personal favorite of taking ten months to move a fire hydrant approximately 30 ft.($6400+) instead of relocating a new valve and pipe for a few hundred dollars. There’s more but is there a need to?
Even though the majority of your elected board approved this LICENSED security, there is little doubt that these three senior directors still wish to keep our currently unqualified GM and unlicensed Aramark as the masters of our gate.
Not once, but twice the general manager and company were approved to replace our Village Security. They were to do so as a LICENSED operation. Our GM failed twice to provide our Village with such a license.

In 2005 when Aramark first backed out, our GM’s excuse was that Texas had outrageous liability limits. It took just four months to come to that conclusion. In 2007, our GM tried for almost a year to get another security license only to give Village owners a cock-and-bull story as to why Aramark had once again changed their minds. He said at a Village Board meeting that Aramark decided not to acquire a security license because the State of Texas was going to charge them an out of state annual license fee of twenty thousand dollars.
At a Work Shop Meeting this May our GM repeated his fabrication, only this time he was asked to explain it. Director Burke intervened to say this was not an out of state fee but now a Texas franchise tax, as if that would explain it all. It did not. This franchise tax she spoke of passed in 2006, effective January 1st, 2008, applies a 1% franchise tax towards revenues (the initial being $187,000+) that Aramark receives for running security less the payroll and other deductions. We should be talking a cost of around $800 and nowhere close to this fictitious $20,000 number. Our GM finally admitted at this workshop that his corporate boss did not want to sign the appropriate Texas security paperwork.
Had anyone, especially those Directors wishing to keep our GM, dared to ask the purpose for his apparent deception? If not, why not? If so why no action towards some kind of accountability? This was not a lone incident and should concern every owner in our Village, regardless of the feelings about what’s going on currently in our Park
Our GM did tell us it was not because his management didn’t qualify for getting a security license but it was Aramark who declined on obtaining one. Now knowing that Texas is not going to charge Aramark this bogus $20K fee, might we ask them to step up to the plate the next time and get a Texas security license if they really want to run LIV security? I’m a little curious since the management supposedly did qualify to get a license why Aramark just didn’t get someone else to sign for the security license, especially now with knowing that it’s the reason they are being replaced?
What are your thoughts?

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BOARD MINUTES; MOUNTAINS BEGIN AS MOLE HILLS

Have certain people been blessed with reviewing our Board minutes ahead of our Directors? Are these same people being allowed to edit our minutes in lieu of our directors? One would think so by the self-assured answers Director Burke gave to our Board members when a small change with our August 27th minutes was requested. Director Dodson wanted these minutes to correctly reflect there was indeed a response given to a question she asked of invalid recall leader Reta Priest. Director Burke within seconds of this request initiated her rebuttal with stating that Priest’s had said she denied that.

Odd to why Reta Priest would wish to deny something that our Village minutes had clearly agreed with her on.

Prior to this meeting, the minute correction procedures I've witnessed was those on the Board who made a statement or who asked a particular question were the ones to point out the discrepancies that needed to be corrected.. Now it appears we may have outside entities being allowed to influence the validity of our Board minutes.

It’s also peculiar as to why our Director Burke seems so emphatic at defending this questionable denial. She was ranting about the legitimacy of a tape recording taken at this meeting followed by repeatedly asking was Mary, our minute’s recorder, facing Reta Priest when recording her statement so as to know for sure it was her speaking. For that matter should it be asked once more in order to get an answer this time as to which directors were bothering and making life so stressful for our ex-minute writer Mary?

Director Burke also said if our Board does this corrective measure, our Village should be concerned about the possibilities of later issues. That statement would be construe that legal action might be taken against our Village.

Not unusual was why Director Burke seemed so determined to keep the minutes as is and have it noted a director disputes this sentence. Director Burke should know that any later reference to these minutes must ultimately conclude that all statements in the board’s minutes are looked upon as being true, even ones with a director disputing it, when such is approved by the majority the BOD.

In the meeting it appeared that most of the Directors expressed that they recalled Priest giving a response. Even our Board President said he was looking right at Reta Priest after the question was asked and said he saw her mouth say yes to the question.

It will be interesting to see if Director Mulch will hand over as requested by the Board, the tape recording of the meeting and the original transcript done in Mary’s hand writing.

What are your feelings?

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PERCEPTION

Click the site below, press play video and SEE if you get the number of passes right.
http://michaelscomments.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/very-interesting-test-of-perception/ Read more on this article...