Some VOCA members raised funds to produce and mail 1,000 postcards in an attempt to inform members of their position that the current VOCA Board of Directors has failed its duty to association homeowners for fair and transparent leadership.
Sedona AZ (March 17, 2015) – The following is a letter to the SedonaEye.com editor:
Five candidates will be on the ballot for the Village of Oakcreek Association Board of Directors in Sedona, Arizona. Rick Comfort, Earl Svenningsen and Jan Lisowski will be on the ballot, along with incumbents Joe Jansen and Jim Kautz, for consideration.
Three positions will be filled through this election. They include the two positions being vacated by Joe Jansen and Jim Kautz, and the unexpired term of former board member Barb Gordon, who resigned in October. Gordon alleged the VOCA Board violated state open meeting laws and VOCA bylaws. She could not in good conscious remain on the board.
VOCA homeowners, identified as several groups favoring transparency and democracy, are recommending NOT re-electing the incumbents.
The incumbents were party to the board decision to hire a Prescott management company, ignoring a petition signed by 150 homeowners asking for the right to participate in the decision.
The Board continues to be plagued by allegations of violations of state open meeting laws and VOCA bylaws. The most recent examples include information involving the golf course not shared with non-golf VOCA members, and forty (40) pages of Board policy revisions voted into action accompanied by the position, “We don’t need input from members.”
The VOCA Board of Directors will sponsor a “Meet the Candidates” event on April 7, 2015. Criticism has been expressed about the event being held well after VOCA homeowners receive ballots. It has been pointed out that homeowners won’t have time to attend the event or receive a report from the event before the voting deadline.
For more information, contact: MemberAlliance@use.startmail.com or PO Box 20453, Sedona AZ 86341.
Thank you,
Barb Gordon
928-284-9090
For the best in BREAKING NEWS and views, read SedonaEye.com daily!
shared this article with social network!
It is up to each one of us to ensure…
“… that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (A. LIncoln)
A simple HOA board election might not seem important. However, in my opinion, if we continue to allow anarchy in our own neighborhoods and communities, we are failing as Americans.
I had to memorize the entire Gettysburg address in 3rd grade. Do we even teach the Gettysburg address to school children these days? Maybe we should.
Where to begin?
They must not be reelected and after the election a RECALL against the presently seated board members will commence. This will include the incumbants if they were to win.
There is spending, you know nothing about. There has been land reassessments that you know nothing about. There has been document shredding that you know nothing about. There has been selling of golf equipment and major leases signed, that you know nothing about.
Everything is being divided among third party vendors that you know nothing about. Ever increasing benefits(that we are not required to carry), overdue bills of owners now going to another business, HOA accounting, golf accounting monies all going to other cities.
There is a 130 page policy book to dilute members authority.
Meanwhile, no one is in place to enforce our ordinances. Weeds, Landscaping.
The golf course greens are spotty. No golf course business is being shared with homeowners.
There is no General Manager . You must do more than read the smoke and mirrors reports we are given. Show up for meetings.
My neighbor tried to plant a natural garden/greenhouse. VOCA placed a lien on his home. They are out of touch with today’s reality.
There is a Facebook group which you can join if you’d like to stay current on topics that involve the Village.
If you are a Facebook member, search for “Village of Oak Creek Homeowners VOIC”. You’ll be asked to request a group membership. That means you’ll be able to write freely as this is not a public Facebook page.
Barb Gordon is a member and posts updates and notes of meetings she attends.
Others post information they know of such as weather forecast, new building proposals, etc.
Thanks, Emmie, for promoting the Facebook page. I can’t attend all the meetings. Please go to meetings and learn for yourself what is going on. In my opinion, you cannot rely on the current board for accurate information and we must not re-elect the incumbents. Please get informed.
Please read and forward to all interested parties. Thank you Members Alliance. Thank you VOCA neighbors.
Fairway Oaks Neighbors Alliance
— On Fri, 3/20/15, memberalliance@use.startmail.com wrote:
VOCA ballots today – don’t be fooled
You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in VOCA issues. Please accept our apologies if this is an inconvenience.
Don’t be fooled by the reserve numbers quoted by Jim Kautz in his bio that accompanied the VOCA election ballot in the mail today.
He put the golf reserves and HOA reserves together. The reserves shot up in 2014 because the golf course had not contributed to the golf reserves for 3 years and the bylaws required the payment. So three years of golf reserves were added in 2014. Also the revenue from selling the golf carts was added in 2014 but was supposed to be attributed to 2015. Those two issues are the main reason for the jump in the total.
The HOA reserves grow steadily based on a set formula and can only be used for capital expenditures such as the restaurant remodel. Once the HOA reserves grow again, what will the board spend it on next?
Don’t be fooled by Joe Jansen’s claim that we are a small but vocal group. We are many members and from diverse sources.
We recommend NOT re-electing Jim Kautz and Joe Jansen.
Neighbors:
Another neighbor speaks out to the association members. See below.
Please get involved. Next Board meeting Wed. March 25, 3PM
See attached flyer. Please pass to all interested parties.
https://sedonaeye.com/voca-board-of-directors-candidates-announced
You may post comments.
Thank You.
— On Mon, 3/16/15, Robert Butterworth wrote:
> From: Robert Butterworth
> Subject: Re: CRIMEMAPPING/Maintaining our investments
> To: “Strength in Community”
> Date: Monday, March 16, 2015, 3:44 PM
> Hello Neighbors,
>
> You may have already seen the attached postcard. In spite of
> that, please circulate it to your members so we can vote out
> two of the incumbents and instill some new blood on the VOCA
> board. FYI, Member Alliance has other irons in the fire
> which we will make public in a short while. also, I have
> written a letter to the editor or RR News with the hope it
> will come out this week and encourage VOCA members to
> vote as the card suggests. Feel free to share it as well.
> We have to preserve our rights to govern the board and not
> let the board dictate to us. I cannot stress this strongly
> enough. Like a lot of folks, I am mainly apolitical, but
> this has my dander up and I could not let the opportunity to
> get involved pass.
>
> Barb Gordon has stuck her neck out a long way in the
> interest of fair play and transparency.
>
> As we say in Texas “git er’ done.”
>
> Bob Butterworth
>
>
> “Genius may have its limitations
> but stupidity is not thus handicapped.”
> Elbert Hubbard
>
>
> —–Original Message—–
> >From: Strength in Community
> >Sent: Mar 15, 2015 9:03 AM
> >To: fairwayoaksneighbors@yahoo.com
> >Subject: CRIMEMAPPING/Maintaining our investments
> >
> >Good Day Neighbors:
> >
> >CRIMEMAPPING
> >
> >Home buyers and investors often check this site when
> considering an investment in our Fairway Oaks.
> >
> >Please take a moment to enter your address and see what
> is happening at your property, your neighborhood and all of
> the Village . You can look back 6 months and see what may be
> affecting the value of all of our properties.
> >This is most helpful for part time, out of state
> residents and monitoring what is happening with tenants at
> your rental properties, etc. We must strive to keep our
> neighborhood safe to maintain the highest value for all of
> our properties.
> >
> >http://www.crimemapping.com/map.aspx?loc=86351
> >
> >
> >We have a neighborhood watch in Fairway Oaks. To add
> your name to the neighborhood watch email list send a
> request to:
> >fairwayoaks1NW@gmail.com
> >
> >Thank You.
> >Fairway Oaks Neighbors Alliance
> >
> >
> >Please forward to all interested parties
Barb Gordon deserves more than praise. She deserves respect and gratitude.
MONEY TALKS!!!
Are you going to wait until we are forced to raise our HOA assessments to show up? Please attend the meetings. We are headed down a slippery slope. No need for all that.
FAIRWAY OAKS CCRs prohibit full two story buildings. Guess what? Do you want one next to your home?
Why does the board need a 50,0000 legal fund just in case? Please read email.
Please attend the March Board meeting. Ask questions and take notes.
Thank you.
— On Sun, 3/22/15, memberalliance@use.startmail.com wrote:
From: memberalliance@use.startmail.com
Subject: Wednesday, March 25, 2015, 3pm VOCA board meeting
To: memberalliance@use.startmail.com
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2015, 5:26 PM
You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in VOCA issues.
Please accept our apologies if this is an inconvenience.
The agenda for the March board meeting (Wednesday) is online. The minutes from the February board meeting are not online yet. No financial report since January. Still nothing in the finance committee report.
The minutes from the March ARRC meeting are not online yet. I attended that meeting. The only item of significance, in my opinion, is that the 4-plex going up was called a “two-story” building on the agenda. The homeowners in Fairway Oaks have objected to the building because the Fairway Oaks CC&Rs prohibit two story buildings. Steve Nelson, ARRC chair, stated at the last board meeting that ARRC allows two story buildings if the first level is 80% garage.
The lot owner asked for an extension on the construction permit. That was approved. The lot owner has been asked to provide a survey report confirming the 4-plex height meets requirements.
The golf and greens committee predicted at their February meeting that revenue would be over budget due to great weather admitting they did not have a financial report since Jim Kautz did not allow the Hoamco financial report for February to be distributed. Then it rained in March.
It will be interesting to see what kind of financial report we get. The minutes from the finance committee neglect any report of financial status.
Also in the minutes of the financial meeting is mention of “a motion to establish a Legal Reserve fund in the amount of $50,000. Funds to be moved from VOCA Operating Funds and the need for the Reserve Fund is subject to review at year-end. Motion passed unanimously.”
It has been reported that THREE board member attended the finance committee meeting asking for the funds. When did they meet to decide this? Why do they need $50,000 when there is a D&O insurance policy? The reserve fund is for capital expenses only….hmmmm.
Note on the agenda that member requested agenda items do NOT appear. This is a violation of the bylaws, in the opinion of some members.
Note on the agenda the continued VAGUE listings and lack of information that, in this opinion, is reasonably necessary to inform members about items to be discussed and to prepare comments. This is a legal requirement. ARS 33-1804.
Please attend the board meeting if you are available. We deserve to know why the board continues to meet and make decisions away from the members. We deserve to know where $50,000 is coming from and why they need a legal fund. We need to protect the HOA reserve fund. The budget only shows a $33,300 profit for the HOA. And that is if everything stays on budget.
DON’T MISS TODAY’S MEETING AT 3 PM. YOU NEED TO BE THERE. AT LEAST GO AND LISTEN.
GIVE A DAMN PEOPLE. AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME ISN’T TOO MUCH TO ASK??????
$50,000 litigation contingency fund unanimously approved at VOCA board meeting today. Board secretary defended the need by saying, “We might need to sue a homeowner for slander.”
If that was said and not challenged by any person on the sitting board, all must go. Terrible. I am ashamed of a certain friend.
I will now join voices with those to not reelect the incumbents and the others in the future.
Yep, Ken. It was said and not challenged by any person sitting on the board. Sign the petition for recall when it comes around. Some are working on it. The petition will demand a vote for recall at a special meeting.
You may send your email to
member.alliance@use.startmail.com
and also
fairwayoaksneighbors@yahoo.com
There are many hidden issues here in the Village, especially where is all the money going? Sign for updates on VOCA and all the committees that are running through our dollars and taking them to other cities. Big Park Wastewater, Red Rock Enhancement District(remember the SID that almost tore the town apart?), they are getting into issues that may not be good for the bottom line.
We will be informing on all that good stuff.
Barb & alliances,
Will the notices be here? (Don’t read the paper)
Gene
Wait a minute. A recall AFTER Jansen and Kautz are re-elected? What sense does that make? If the majority of VOCA property owners re-elect someone, why attempt a recall? Won’t the vote be the same? Seems like a waste of time and MONEY!!!! And if my Reserves have increased, I don’t care if the increase happened in December or January. I’m just happy that they’ve increased. Seems like this “Barb” has a chip on her shoulder. My dues are fixed at $180 a year. I truly don’t understand your problems.
I forgot to mention that the hiring of a mgm’t company was approved 2:1 by the VOCA property owners. I think someone mentioned a “Prescott” company, but I visited their office in Bell Rock Plaza here in the Village. Heck, yes it’s a local co.
Gene: Several groups and people are sharing information. You are welcome to put your name on the email lists mentioned. That might be the best way to stay updated. Sedona Eye has been a great way to get information out and it is appreciated. It is unfortunate that the VOCA board has, in my opinion, distributed misleading and inaccurate information. It is challenging to get facts out so homeowners can be accurately informed and vote as such.
Hello Neighbors:
Lots going on here!
There are only TWO days left to have your “smart” meter removed from your home with no penalty.
In the beginning, APS was trying to charge a 30.00 per month fee to NOT have a smart meter as well as a 75.00 fee to “set up” your account.
Through the efforts of a few good neighbors in Sedona, these fees are now 5.00 per month and no set up fee until April 1. Then it will cost 50.00 to have your meter brought back and 5.00 per month. We opted out in 2012.
Utilities have been destroying the trusted, tried and true analog meters that we have all had on our homes.
The smart meter program is a GLOBAL “deployment”(their word) and there has been GLOBAL push back by home owners across the globe who do not want microwave radiation pulsing through their homes over their wiring so corporations can to spy/collect data on every action, when you are there, when you are not, when only one person is home. When you shower, use the washer and dryer, tv, everything. The data from the pulses are being picked up by the cell towers. The cell carriers are now exempt from lawsuits due to data breaches which have already happened.
There have also been fires. Housewives have been arrested in Chicago for refusing the installation on their home. Yet, nothing in the papers or national news.
Some people are waking up in the middle of the night when the data “chatter” starts. This is disrupting the natural sleep patterns of some neighbors. Are you one?
There are studies to show what the radiation does to your blood on the Sedona smart meter awareness website.
http://www.sedonasmartmeterawareness.com/TAKE-BACK-YOUR-POWER.html
http://www.sedonasmartmeterawareness.com/HOW-TO-OPT-OUT-NOW.html
Smart Meters are unproven/untested technology that may hurt some of you or your neighbors health and longevity.
These meters connect from home to home and shoot out the outside of the meter as well. If you walk in your neighborhood, imagine what is likely hitting you.
Please, remove the smart meter until they are proven safe. Big Park Council wrote a letter to the Arizona Corporation Commission to first prove safety. That has not been done yet. Sedona too. The city of Sedona is an intervenor for it’s residents. Thirty three percent of your neighbors have already opted OUT. We feel that we should have had to opt IN.
Do not take no for an answer and do not accept a non transmitting digital meter. Solar can have analog meters. Do not be bullied. APS 1-800-253-9405. DEMAND ANALOG. If you have a rental, the renters must call. Whomever pays the electric bill. Please forward to any of your renters.
Also of interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soIvrkfKg-I&feature=youtu.be
Thank You.
Fairway Oaks Neighbors Alliance
VOCA Board does not want to help collect letters for our dark sky designation.
Please see the Villager article and write a letter. This is good for our community.
http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=239&SubSectionID=904&ArticleID=64689&TM=57653.09
Yet, they want to support THE VERDE Lynx to bring underpaid employees to the local business owners. They want us to help pay for it too.
Do you think the homeless people living in Sedona had a home, lost it and decided to stay there? Not likely. It is likely that they got there on a bus.
Do we want that in the Village too?
The so called survey from the community for it’s vision was actually a compilation of surveys that were left at Ace Hardware and the ranger district for ANYONE passing through to fill out. They collected about 100 and by time the Big Park Council was done, it was 10% of the community. I have the emails from the former president who orchestrated the survey.
Again, orchestrated by very few people with a plan.
We are not a town, just a designated place and there are many kingdoms in the Village. There are special improvement districts that are getting ready to charge fees that will grow every year.
Pay attention, neighbors. Get involved.
TO VOCA BOARD DOESN’T WANT TO HELP DARK SKIES —– Yet, they want to support THE VERDE Lynx to bring underpaid employees to the local business owners. They want us to help pay for it too. Do you think the homeless people living in Sedona had a home, lost it and decided to stay there? Not likely. It is likely that they got there on a bus. Do we want that in the Village too? The so called survey from the community for it’s vision was actually a compilation of surveys that were left at Ace Hardware and the ranger district for ANYONE passing through to fill out. They collected about 100 and by time the Big Park Council was done, it was 10% of the community. I have the emails from the former president who orchestrated the survey.
OK HERE”S WHAT I FOUND OUT TODAY—————-
FOR THE FUN OF IT AT THIS MORNING’S BREAKFAST I ASKED IF ANY BODY HAD FILLED OUT THE ABOVE FORM AND THEN READ THE COMMENTS TO THEM FROM HERE.
NO ONE DID. NO ONE HEARD OF THE LYNX BUS IDEA. NO ONE THOUGHT THERE WEREN’T ENOUGH HIGH SCHOOL KIDS AND RESIDENTS TO FILL VILLAGE JOBS BUT ALMOST ALL AGREED THEY CAN T GET HIRED BECAUSE THE OWNERS WANT TO AVOID PAYING PROPER BENEFITS & WAGES.
A FEW SAID MEL COPEN PUSHED THIS IDEA YEARS AGO, DUMB THEN, DUMB NOW.
BUT THAT WASN’T COPEN’S FAULT IT WAS PEOPLE AROUND HIM —– IT WAS THE FEW VOCAL RESIDENTS WITH DOLLARS IN THE GAME OR WANTING TO BE BIG SHOTS. WE SAID YOUR NAMES BUT I WON’T PASS THAT ON HERE.
EVERY ONE TO A PERSON AGREED NO WE DON’T NEED A BUS SYSTEM TO BRING IN WORKERS. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH WORK OR BUSINESSES. A FEW SAID THE VOC BOARD NEEDS TO STOP FINDING CAUSES AND GET JOBS IF YOU’VE NOTHING BETTER TO DO.
WE WERE 10% OF YOUR HUNDRED AND MORE. BETTER COUNT US IN.
I want to see that email? Why didn’t you publish it?
From a vision article in The Villager:
It’s hard to estimate participation. Approximately 300 responses were received, many on questionnaires provided by The Villager, others from responses on the Big Park Council’s web site and still others via email and on copies distributed around the Village area. Most, but not all, represented responses from households.
If we estimate that two-thirds were of this nature, we can assume that the results reflect the views of about 500 people.
If we further assume that our population is approximately 7,000 and of these, 40 percent are non-resident homeowners (most of whom were not reached by the survey), the response rate would be well in excess of 10 percent. One can play with these numbers and come up with different results, but suffice it to say that a significant number of you took the time to respond!
It was said 100 surveys came from the Big Park Council Website……..
Another Villager article:
An issue becomes hot. The situation is not black and white – there are many different interests to be satisfied. Some people respond. But the silent majority stays silent. How does one judge public sentiment under such circumstances? Last months front-page Villager article on redistricting quotes Supervisor Thurman as pointing out that 450 people responded to the redistricting survey out of a total of 211,000 residents. How does one deal with this situation?
Maybe Yavapai County should have Big Park do their surveys. We always get such above the norm statistics compared to the rest of the state?
Survey results listed here:
http://www.vvreo.com/_docs/Big%20Park_Print_Profile.pdf
http://www.vvreo.com/_docs/Big%20Park_Print_Profile.pdf
From The Villager:
On a somewhat promising note, Guest Speaker Bruce Morrow, the Transportation Manager for Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT) and the Verde Lynx was invited to speak on the possibility of extending their Lynx bus service to VOC. The desire for mass transit service to the Village was clearly expressed in the 2014 Community Visioning surveys, and the need is obvious. Bruce explained the complex financial and logistic difficulties in providing service at this point, but the Council seemed intent on exploring the concept much further. Expect to see, and be ready to give, your valuable input to surveys regarding this important issue in the coming months.
Only a small group of businesses want this.
Four people asked for public transportation and these surveys were interpreted over a couple years. It was taken from surveys left at public places and included non residents. It did not go to out of town owners for some unknown reason. Now it is clear we all want it? BUNK! NOT TRUE!!! Most people in the Village can not walk to the bus stops nor would they.
What happens if you’ve thrown your ballot away? What can you do to vote?
Rosie…why are you asking that question here? Call VOCA.