Village of Oak Creek Photo by Bill Kusner
Sedona AZ (September 28, 2014) – The following is a letter to the SedonaEye.com editor:
VOCA CALL TO ACTION– BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
We have 2500 homes in VOCA, about half of the Village population.
There will be a workshop at the Oakcreek Country Club on October 3, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. Will the meeting be a continuation of the board’s propaganda to convince the members that hiring Hoamco, a for-profit property management company, is in the best interest of the Village and VOCA?
There will be a SPECIAL meeting at the Oakcreek Country Club on October 9, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Will the board vote to change the structure of VOCA as we know it from a General Manager and run by our NON profit association to a FOR profit property management company taking instructions from the board president? Board Presidents are constantly changing and in some cases not fast enough.
The board meeting will be October 22, 2014. Is that when the board intends to formally announce their decision?
Be sure to check vocaonline.com for date changes.
The board is scrambling to hold three meetings in October. Why?
You might imagine they are running past the original timeline to sign the contract with Homaco because association members are now aware of what has been taking place behind closed doors.
VOCA has been without a paid General Manager since the end of December 2013. The head pro resigned after less than a year.
Board members Gwen Hanna and Joe Jansen have been taking authority under the general manager and golf manager job descriptions. At the same time, these same board members have taken authority as board members. There has been no separation of power.
There have been accusations of AZ State Statute open meeting violations by a board member.
The VOCA board first revealed the Hoamco proposal at the regular board meeting on August 27, 2014, after 8 months of closed meetings. Association members were not included in these discussions to change VOCA.
The VOCA board held a special meeting on September 17, 2014. Over 100 members attended.
At the meeting, there were more questions than answers about why the board wants to contract with Hoamco rather than hire a competent general manager and at what cost.
The VOCA board held a regular board meeting on September 24, 2014. The Hoamco update on the agenda was vague and minimal.
The minutes of the August 27, 2014 board meeting submitted by board member May Ann Waldron state: contracting with Hoamco, a property management company, “could save VOCA up to $100,000.” Yet, the CEO of Hoamco, Justin Scott, stated that VOCA would likely break even.
All we need now is the correct version.
Hoamco has waived fees to earn the VOCA account. Mr. Scott considers our business a feather in his cap. He is here to make money. We have 25 subdivisions. VOCA could make that money under proper leadership.
It was also stated that Hoamco would take 50% of the VOCA income from disclosure fees. (When people sell homes) These yearly fees bring many tens of thousands of dollars to VOCA. How will the association make up that 50% loss? Dues.
Will our annual dues go up? As soon as we spend more than we bring in, you will have to raise assessments on yourself. VOCA is spending. Therefore, yes, the annual dues will go up.
There are 25 subdivisions in VOCA. If you live in one of the subdivisions that are pristine, you may only notice the increase in dues. If you live in one of the subdivisions that are out of compliance, get ready for fines and other increased expenses.
Will the bylaws be gutted? Will property values go up or down? Are you prepared to accept the uncertain consequences?
Hoamco will likely be aggressive issuing fines. They will profit from fines. Would you have voted in April to add the fine system to the Master Declaration if you had known secret meetings were being held to bring in a business who will earn a percentage of the fines? For-profit property managers are usually proactive rather than VOCA’s and the Yavapai County’s reactive system.
Would you feel vulnerable if you knew we do not have an impartial lawyer advising the board? The board is taking legal advise from a voting-board member.
The board treasurer has not attended two of the last three board meetings.
There is a laundry list of other issues that the association has been left out of.
Still feeling confident in all the hard work of this board? It may not be for the association’s benefit.
What will change? You decide.
Tell the board you do not want a property management company and the uncertainty of increased expenses and increased violations that comes with it. Tell the board to hire a general manager and get on with the business of VOCA.
For further information on signing a petition to hold a members meeting or signing a petition to remove board members, please send your comments to:
vocaneighbors@use.startmail.com
Sincerely.
Three VOCA neighbors Village of Oak Creek, Sedona AZ
For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!
Catches Thunder posted a link to Cottonwood AZ (Todays News and Events)!!’s timeline.
Liked this article
Hoamco: VOCA’s version of “Sedona” Chamber of Commerce? Beware!
What the bleep is going on?
This is only what has surfaced so far. There is more.
Unbudgeted spending in the golf course. Marketing dollars being spent with no reporting.
They just painted the restaurant RED after spending almost a million dollars on a renovation.
NO approval from the board.
Changing enforcement strategy without board approval or knowledge!!
(Even the board is being left in the dark).
Go to your meetings and organize your community.
@Doug – It looks like VOCA wants to pass on any accountability for its actions. The way I see it, it’s like “privatizing.”
sames issues with Cottonwood over over reaching their administrative powers especially to adjacent unincorporated communities!
Likes and shared this article!
NAZI”S!!!!
This issue here is the VOC HOA wanting to hire a FOR PROFIT company to manage the HOA business – who pays is the question and HOW MUCH PROFIT will this company make ??? Sounds like some financial malfeasance going on!
Interesting
Appreciated this article and shared it with friends.
Needs to be a serious investigation over this. Lots of weird stuff going on out there….
I don’t need a president to manage my property. Hoa are ridiculous. Only in America
Likes Jonathan Sprague comment.
Shared this article with friends.
Shared this article.
The VOCA board is not listening to opposing views. Instead opposition is being discredited. Stop the manipulation. The CEO of Hoamco said he didn’t want to be where he wasn’t wanted. We don’t want you, sir.
Who do they think they are fooling?
Corporatization is the process of transforming state assets, government agencies, or municipal organizations into corporations.
Now it is time for communities to be controlled by profit makers and control freaks? BULL
Remember this next time you vote.
Our problems will diminish when the replacement of the board.
We need a community panel to look at the budget before it is approved, which is very soon.
We need someone to look at golf spending.
Accountants and retired golfers in the association please step up to help.
This information is very important to any homeowners in VOCA. They are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. How about having a meeting in the evening when working people can attend.
There needs to be a better way to get the news out to VOCA owners. This is the first I heard of it and have owned a home in VOCA for 19 years!
There is a better way but everyone is not being communicated to or involved or asked. Please email your questions to the board:
bod@vocaonline.com
Yes, Jill, there needs to be a better way to get the news out.
Do you know there is supposed to be a public hearing to present the VOCA budget to the members? Wouldn’t it be nice if that news was on the front page of The Villager newspaper?
Or how about the front page article informing the community that the board is going to hold a special meeting on October 9 to finalize the Hoamco decision?
Are the budget deadline and the timing of the Hoamco decision related?
Why are is the front page of The Villager filled with an article about the philosophy of corporate organization at the same time VOCA members are being kept in the dark about important decisions?
@Jerry, Sedona City Limits, you are correct. This for sure is a different version of the take over of incorporated Sedona by the “regional” Chamber of Commerce. And we had a council that approved of it! Then, in order to maintain their control (C of C) they manipulated the election with their attacks on candidates who maybe would not cooperate. But whatever you do, VOCA, I hope none will consider incorporation as a solution to the problem. For Sedona it has been disaster.
In addition to the:
bod@vocaonline.com
Please cc all of board.
Gwen Hanna, Board President, Acting General Manager, ghanna@vocaonline.com
Joe Jansen, 1st Vice President, Acting Golf Manager, jjansen@vocaonline.com
Jim Kautz, Treasurer, jkautz@vocaonline.com
Mary Ann Waldron, Secretary, mwaldron@vocaonline.com
Jeff Singsaas, Vice President, jsingsaas@vocaonline.com
Barb Gordon, Vice President, bgordon@vocaonline.com
Rob Schaefer, Vice President, rschafer@vocaonline.com
Thanks for posting we wouldn’t have known!
If ignorance is bliss, then commentators are extremely happy. Bunch of know-nothings commenting in a vacuum.
@fumducks.
You are what keeps the village a less desirable place to live.
Village of old creeps
ALL VOC Home owners Pay Attention —- OCTOBER 9 —– You’ve Been Given Information and need to Be There! Have you told your neighbor? YOU need to get information OUT TO THEM.
There will be a SPECIAL meeting at the Oakcreek Country Club on October 9, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Will the board vote to change the structure of VOCA as we know it from a General Manager and run by our NON profit association to a FOR profit property management company taking instructions from the board president? Board Presidents are constantly changing and in some cases not fast enough.
Why the Oakcreek Country Club for the meeting when we have a community center and restaurant that needs patronizing?
It does sound like a recall election is needed. The SFD recall was successful and this covers much the same territory. Let’s get these folks activated again. Find out who stands against or for the HOAMCO idea, and vote out those that won’t publicly stand with the community to keep our local control.
Someone needs to order the Board secretary to notify the Sedona Eye and the Villager. I looked here and VOCA events are covered and notices are here. Seems to me a fair shake goes on here. Post office trash cans have dozens and dozens of Villagers nobody ever takes time to read and that’s when I pick up my mail. Bill (VOCA aggravated home owner)
Thank you Sedona Eye and ‘Three VOCA neighbors’. I too live in the village and would not have known about this out of control board and the things that they are doing had it not been for your efforts.
I wholeheartedly agree with Jill Kyriakopulos, how about having meetings in the evenings so that those of us who are working can play an active part in the decisions that directly effect us?
So, I’d like to ask what seems to me an obvious question.
Why is a non-profit homeowner’s association running a golf course?
This screams conflict of interest!
At the “working meeting” of the board last week, one of the members made a comment “since we started the new bag drop, golfers are no longer buying golf balls from the pro shop, they’re using range balls.” That is absurd. Any golfer that pays $80 – $100 to play a round, wouldn’t be caught dead using range balls.They are just smart and rather than pay $12 for one sleeve, they are purchasing balls before they get to the course. I love to golf, but it’s a joke that people who know very little about golf are running a golf resort. This is also very apparent by the complete shambles of letting the restaurant be on the homeowners welfare. These entities should never have been put together.
They haven’t had a general manager for quite some time? That is even more absurd. It appears that the reason they are interested in hiring Hoamco is because the board is convinced it will save over $100k, and be much easier for them than hiring a general manager. What happened to the last general manager?
I propose that we figure out how to remove the existing board, put the golf course up for sale and elect a new board to administer the non-profit homeowners association.
The golf course needs to stay even if few play. The green space keeps the area viable and attractive. Owned a place elsewhere and when the golf course was sold off, the entire HOA went under and homes lost a huge percentage of value. Bite the bullet. It looks better than having a shopping center built on it which is a possibility if it gets sold off.
Voca local:
VOCA owns the golf course because the original developer defaulted back in the late 60s. The original homeowners in the area bought the golf course and formed the association to protect their property values and keep the golf course operating. The original development was a golf course community. Is the HOA relevant today?
Yep, it is absurd that there hasn’t been a general manager for quite some time. The board got rid of the last one in December. Why? They claim he was terrible. Just like they claim all the past general managers and the past boards have been terrible. They seem to think they are the only ones that can do anything right.
Yep, figure out how to remove the existing board. That would be a step in the right direction.
UPDATE: The board ignored a petition signed by 150 people who wanted to let the members vote about Hoamco. The board voted in Hoamco at a special meeting at 1pm on Thursday. Vote was 6 to 1. Rumor has it that the one board member who voted “no” was so disgusted she resigned.
Watch for the budget. The board claims there will be $82,000 saved as a result of their decision to hire Hoamco. Joe Jansen, board VP, implied that same $82,000 would go into the reserve fund. Watch for that.
Yep, figure out how to remove the existing board. That would be a step in the right direction.
Who resigned?
Barbara Gordon resigned. She exposed violations which were ignored.
The only way to stop this board is with a civil lawsuit or a recall.
This board must never be reelected.
Pay attention to the next election and we can remove Hoamco. From the looks of it, the other two women ran the show and the subservient men followed like puppies.
The golf course needs to be watched very closely, they are trying to raise the budget unnecessarily, in my opinion, proposing additional staff,bonuses and raises, meanwhile no one there knows how to do a budget. Sure, give them a raise.
There are many layers to this.
The board member who resigned is Barb Gordon. She was the one who got attacked by the lawyer guy at the meeting in August. Attacked because she let the members know the board was plotting behind closed doors to hire Hoamco.
The only way to stop some HOA boards from breaking laws and abusing power is to sue. This HOA sounds ripe for an ambulance-chasing HOA attorney to clean out the reserve fund.
…the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3c-4 RSV)
This character would be an utterly godless individual, and yet so remarkable that people would actually accept him as a divinely empowered being who could deliver them from their difficulties.
Coming soon to your neighborhood. Please sign to remove these board members.
VOCA Call to Action. Follow up.
On October 9, 2014, there was a special meeting of the VOCA board of directors. At that meeting, the board was presented with a petition signed by 150 association members. The petition demanded that the board allow VOCA members to vote about the decision to change the management from VOCA employees to HOAMCO employees.
Putting the petition aside and in spite of much opposition, “the board voted to move forward and formalize an agreement with HOAMCO.”
On October 10, 2014, one board member resigned stating the petition issue and other ethical differences as some reasons she resigned.
After the meeting on October 9, the board admitted they were required to respond to the petition. As a response, the board mailed a letter and ballot to the membership. The letter states, “…this vote of the membership is an advisory vote only and the result is not binding on the board.” The ballot states, “Your Board recommends a yes vote.”
No opposing opinions were included with the ballot and letter.
The ballots are due by 10 am on October 29, 2014. The special meeting that the board is required to hold is set for 3:30 pm on October 29. Members can’t even hear opposing opinions by attending the meeting. The ballots are due prior to the meeting. Again, no opposing opinions were included with the letter and ballot.
Judge for yourself if this is manipulation.
Referring to the most recent rant by VOCA board president, Gwen Hanna, in the The Villager, here are some answers to her questions.
“What could lead people to believe the board wants to harm the community?” How about the intentional violation of bylaws and Arizona state statues? The board has admitted to meeting apart from the membership to “formulate a recommendation” to hire Hoamco. Those closed meetings were against the law, which puts the association at risk for a lawsuit.
“The agenda of a few” is more harm. The few board members who refuse to include the membership in decision making are the ones with the “agenda of a few.”
“The board has attempted its best to inform and educate the community.” Really? Not by publishing impartial and factual information in The Villager, a newspaper that costs VOCA over $13,000 to mail to members. Where are the articles about switching from VOCA employees to Hoamco employees? The board began discussions leading to the change over 6 months ago. Instead The Villager pages are wasted with articles about San Jose and insulting commentary about VOCA members.
Or was the recent ballot the educational material? One sided and biased. Where was the opposing view? Not allowed. Discredited.
Discrediting those who present any opposition seems to be the culture of the VOCA board. Claims that the opposition is uninformed, uncivil and attacking are not true and are just plain bullying behavior. A board member was uncivil one when she attempted to pull a microphone away from a VOCA member at a board meeting.
How many honest board members need to resign and how many good employees need to quit before the VOCA membership unites to put a stop to the insulting and destructive behavior by the board?
THIS,my friends,IS A GLIMPSE INTO VOCA LEADERSHIP.
Is it community minded to share a private email publicly or did you get this woman’s consent? Is this a good example of the meaning of community in action?
See latest article from The Villager below.
We(Try you at voca) at VOCA have been going through quite a lively series of discussions and debates as of late, centering on a possible solution to hire a professional company to help us with the management and administration of our homeowners association.
As with any change, there have been lots of questions asked and concerns presented. Understanding that this is a different direction than just hiring a general manager, the board has attempted its best to inform and educate the community.
We have heard from many members who have embraced the idea, as well as those opposed. This is expected of any initiative that embarks on a path that departs from traditional models.
What I also expected out of the VOCA membership was rational, reasonable, and respectful behavior, where both sides of the argument would be presented in good faith, with appropriate dialogue and responses thereby following. The majority of VOCA members did just that, and the overwhelming support and feedback has been much appreciated.
We also had first hand experience with a small number of members who for right or wrong, in an effort to derail the recommendation from the board resulted to tactics that I found unbefitting of our community. No doubt, the email cited below, came from a person who was somehow sparked to action by this group. Parts of the email read as follows:
“Ms. Hanna …….. You were elected as president of VOCA and I understand also filling in as temporary general manager. The first diatribe you posted in the Villager (that I read) focused on nothing but golf. I understand that you may have a great interest in playing golf, most of us could care less!!!!!!! . . . Your next contribution was, it appeared, a download from a manual. A waste of paper and ink. Still nothing of any comprehensible contribution by you to showing any understanding of our community and its needs. . . It is beyond my understanding how you managed to have the position that you do!!!! , Or even less on how you plan on being a worthwhile contributor???? And now your suggestion is that we hire someone to run our HOA. I was unable to attend the meeting about that. But I hope there were some intelligent people there to disagree with your ludicrous plan. If you cannot do your job correctly I suggest you depart. The sooner the better.”
I sent a short response asking her to volunteer and help us with the work we do on the board or on committees, and directed her efforts towards more productive community conversations, to which came a second equally disrespectful response:
“. . . Perhaps you should volunteer for openings that you are qualified for. . . Perhaps your ego is the reason for your need to volunteer, but as of yet nothing else presents itself to the contrary. . . If I felt the need to present myself to a position as yours, I would actually bring something to the table. At present my business and life have other demands that keep me from it. . . It would have been more appropriate had you thought about that before you wanted another notch on your list of ” oh look what else is on my list of, gee I can brag about this during cocktail parties. “You can’t possibly tell yourself you are proud of “PHONING IT IN”. . . You picked it now show us something!!!!!!”
As I read her criticism of both my literary proficiency and my board performance, I started to reflect on the meaning of community. I believe it should be a place of fellowship with others, which results from sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
This doesn’t mean we all agree with one another all the time, but differing opinions aside, people show respect for one another, remain civil, and refrain from personal attacks.
The person who sent the email, has not met me, read only two of my articles, admitted that she has not come to any HOA meetings, and says other demands keep her from bringing “something to the table?” Yet she seems qualified to “diatribe” about a person and an initiative she knows nothing about.
I ask: Why would intelligent people who might very well be pleasant at a “cocktail party” or during a round of golf, behave in ways that don’t appear to represent the best interest of the community?
As board members, we also own property here, and are part of this very neighborhood that we are trying to serve. What could possibly lead people to believe that we would want to intentionally harm the community to which we also have a vested interest?
My vision for VOCA is that we are able to take this good community and make it better: To have it be a place where neighbors look out for one another, and resolve their differences, be it trees hanging over the property line, or weeds overgrown, without filing a complaint with our compliance officer.
It’s a place where more people want to get involved with the activities committee so that we can host more shredding days, yard sales, and parties for Labor Day, Halloween, and New Year’s Eve.
It would be nice if each subdivision had a neighborhood watch, and people looked out for one another so that if a neighbor doesn’t have email, someone knocks on his/her door, and offers to bring him/her to one of our board meetings.
It should be a neighborhood where dogs stay on leashes, and EVERY dog and walker stays off the golf course when play is in session.
Ideally, it’s where a greater purpose far outweighs the agenda of a few, where people create a history guided not by how long we live, but by how sustainably we leave it for others to enjoy.
As sociologist Amitai Etzioni once said, “when the term ‘community’ is used, the notion that typically comes to mind is a place in which people know and care for one another — the kind of place in which people do not merely ask ‘How are you?’ as a formality, but care about the answer.”
Practice what you preach.
What’s the latest?
Holiday season a busy time at VOCA
(Excerpts from The Villager written by the board president and acting general manager-same person)
It is almost the end of the year, and I don’t know where the time has gone.
(and you won’t because your secret meetings were not documented so members have no idea either if you don’t!)
I find it hard to believe that the holidays will be coming soon.
This time of year will be busy for VOCA. There will be trees to decorate, employee luncheons to plan, and several activities that will be hosted by VOCA
(What the activities will be is anyone’s guess, no notices have been sent out for activities hosted by VOCA for association members, just golfers at this time. In fact, the board is toying with the idea of eliminating the activities committee for the association members next year.)
Outside groups and individuals will also be using our clubhouse for their holiday celebrations. (We will see that story reflected in the budget report, can’t wait)
Some other activities we have planned are as follows:
Wednesday, December 3rd: Golf Forum for our Oakcreek Country Club (OCC) members.
(Association members were not informed nor invited, you do own the golf course and should be watching what is happening very carefully. They are spending 400,000 on the leasing of new equipment, yet it is not a capital expense……plus more)
Among the agenda items: Introduction to Club Corp — a new member benefit, a review of 2014 activities and financials, update on the Golf Master Plan, followed by Q&A. (Are we documenting the different groups being given steep discounts and using our golf course to advertise on their websites? So far, no we have not)
Last but certainly not least: As VOCA prepares for the holidays, we also have a very important transition to make. As most (some) of the VOCA members are aware, we have spent the last couple of months engaged in conversations with both the VOCA community and with HOAMCO, an HOA Management Company, to pursue the possibility of having HOAMCO help VOCA in managing the Homeowners Association side of our business.
(Blatant omission, Hoamco is also managing the golf accounting at the tune of 60,000 plus just for golf!!! Any accountants willing to do that for less give us a call. Funny how they always leave out parts of the story)
(They met is secret for months behind closed doors, in private homes, breaking AZ State Statutes for open meeting laws with no knowledge of the association members who did not ASK for this Hoamco option, the board force fed it on the unsuspecting members who think their fees are not going to go up.)
We had several community meetings, including a Special Member meeting on October 29th. This meeting, convened as a result of a petition from concerned VOCA members, provided us with additional validation of community support. (They informed the membership about the meeting with a pro Hoamco letter written by the board with the boards’ desires. The recommended a yes vote and then proceeded to hold the meeting they had no right to control.)
Of the lot owners that responded to the petition and ballot, 456 indicated their support for the board’s recommendation, and 269 were opposed. Given this affirmation, the board negotiated and executed an agreement with HOAMCO in mid-November. (Lie. The board had been working on the contract before members were informed of anything, done deal)
Although our official contract begins on January 1, 2015, the HOAMCO team will be on-site working with our VOCA staff during the month of December. They will work on SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) that will guide our relationship in accordance with our governing documents. (Right now we are double paying staff positions. We were told at a meeting that Hoamco could take over accounting in one day. It will be about 60 days instead)
We are confident that this collaboration will lead to greater efficiency, discipline, and compliance. I would like to thank everyone who participated in the discussions, gave us feedback, challenged our assumptions, and helped us in making an informed decision. Whether VOCA members agree or disagree with the final outcome, I believe we all benefited from the participation of our active community during this process.
(We learned that things can, in fact, get worse. We would like to thank you for not running for the board again)
Happy holidays to everyone! The staff and board of VOCA hope you have an enjoyable season, celebrating with friends and family.
Amen
(Translation)
With 2014 behind us, it is now an appropriate time to reflect back on what VOCA and Oakcreek Country Club accomplished over this past year. It was a busy time for us, and it was truly a team effort that resulted in this year’s achievements. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our employees, committee members, and board. Also significant is the support we received from the Oakcreek Country Club and VOCA members whose corroboration was invaluable in our ability to make changes to our business. Listed below are some of the highlights:
• In late 2013, we outsourced HR and payroll services to a Professional Employer Organization called Oasis. The transition continued into 2014 and went smoothly. We now have improved HR and payroll practices. With the support of Oasis, we also have an Employee Handbook that is legally compliant and updated with our current employee practices.
(Oasis had a 9% cost increase over the previous year and VOCA justified this by saying some companies in the US had 20% increase.)
• In early January, our GM (Tony Rizzo) left VOCA to pursue other opportunities. Since then, the board took a critical look at the operation and the competencies needed to run an HOA of our size, and after much due diligence, hired HOAMCO, an homeowners association management company, to help run the HOA side of our business. This will bring more expertise and efficiency to VOCA, and we look forward to having HOAMCO officially start the engagement effective January 1, 2015.
(Rizzo escaped is more like it. Hoamco is also doing accounting for the Golf side to the tune of $45,000 to $60,000 and we keep leaving that out of the story just like the $417,000 we are spending for new leased golf equipment. They took out a $121,000 loan for new golf carts rather than borrow it from the association reserves. Due diligence was done by 6 board members at secret meetings in private homes without any input from association members. AZ State Statutes were broken for open meetings and now they are rewriting open meeting policies.)
• In February, we entered into a modified agreement with our restaurant operator. The objective of this agreement was to preserve capital by minimizing cash outflow. Since then, our restaurant operators have met all of their financial obligations on a timely basis. Their business continues to build as they book weddings, host special events with hotels and community members, and partner with us on golf events and tournaments. We will continue this collaboration in 2015.
(In August, the present board honored the past boards alleged promise to waive a years rent, made an agreement in August, changed the budget in September, held a fake member forum for input in November having already decided in August and waited until February to vote on it at a board meeting with no open conversation between the board members.)
• The VOCA office was busily occupied with a variety of initiatives over the past year. We had our first shredding day this spring, and as we disposed of our no longer needed files, we extended the service to our VOCA members. Many residents brought boxes of files to shred. We also held a yard sale to get rid of VOCA items that had long been in storage, and invited the VOCA community to hold their own yard sales on the same day through joint advertising. VOCA was able to dispose of items stored both at VOCA and in a rented storage unit. Now we have more room at our community center, and also saved on the monthly cost of offsite storage.
(They disposed of their no longer needed files, this sounds frightening given the decision makers.)
• In our VOCA-owned Kiwanis Park, there were much needed renovations required both on the tennis courts and the playground areas. With much of the funding coming from the tennis members, the courts were recently resurfaced, and windscreens placed around the perimeter. Although weather precluded us from starting the work on our playground, we were able to secure outside funding to help us to replace the area with a rubberized surface. Stay tuned for more information on this project, as well as the generous donors who helped make this project possible.
(Tennis court replacement was included in the last 5-year plan that the current board ignored. The resurfacing was expensive and won’t last long.)
• Last but not least, we are extremely excited to announce a very profitable year for Oakcreek Country Club. We increased membership, as well as outside play through initiatives that helped with pace of play, and enhanced customer experience. We worked on marketing strategies that ensured better return on investment. We put in place competitive and equitable pricing structure that brought in more members as well as outside guests. All the while, we had a course that was in excellent condition.
(Golf side has not contributed to the golf reserve fund for three years. And the funding is still behind for 2014. The so-called profit is actually a result of allowing some memberships to be paid whenever a member joins rather than during the calendar year. The 2015 budget predicts $100,000 income over 2014 and expensed increased $122,000. The superintendent is happy because the board “let’s us do whatever we want.” The golf side is required by the bylaws to contribute financially to the HOA any “unrestricted cash balance. There is never any cash balance contributed.)
All these efforts and more, led to some significant accomplishments including a solid financial year for VOCA and the Oakcreek Country Club. Importantly as a board, we believe that we carried out our duties during 2014 with fiscal responsibility and in compliance with all applicable statutes, and we will continue in 2015 to exercise the same diligence in working towards initiatives that represent the best interests of the overall community.
(Take notice of the word “believe”. Many members “believe” evidence exists that the board has in fact violated state statues and bylaws. Beware of the Architectural and Restrictions committee. They have the most power. How will they wield that power under Hoamco?)
Upon reflection, I’m reminded of what teams as well as communities can accomplish when working towards the same objectives. As president of VOCA, I extend my sincere gratitude to all those who helped and supported us in 2014, and look forward to working together in 2015 for an equally productive year.
(There is no “I” in team.)
Having read with interest “VOCA, A look back at past year” it’s impossible to overlook the similarities related to Sedona city government management. Really, line by line the script is pretty much identical. Just change a few figures and the cast of characters and it results in the concluding remark: “(There is no “I” in team.)” The controlling “team” in Sedona being the Chamber of Commerce. It might all be laughable if not so utterly pathetic.
People in power weld that power to violate rights everywhere. Decisions are made in secret. Then there is this pretending that goes on…Pretending that the rights of the people matter. But the rights don’t matter. The people in power make sure they get what they want. Pretense is decreasing as Intimidation and bullying to keep opposition quiet is increasing. People are either afraid or have just given up. HOAs have been like this from the beginning and are just getting worse. Why do we even need VOCA? Each VOCA subdivision already has CC&Rs and the county has enough ordinances to reign over us. As the previous comment states: utterly pathetic.
SAVE THE DATE!!!
VOCA is holding an emergency(what could be such an emergency?) to consider a sewer easement along our multimillion dollar, prime,179 facing parcel so a sewer line can be placed into the Fairway Oaks Subdivision.
January 13: Tuesday SPECIAL VOCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING AT 3:00 PM -VOCA Community Center- Banquet Room, 690 Bell Rock Blvd. Request by Big Park Domestic Wastewater Improvement District for Sewer Line Easement on Oakcreek Country Club Golf Course.
In keeping with this boards covert pattern of behavior, the important detail of placing the sewer line into FAIRWAY OAKS subdivision has been left out of the above announcement from The Villager.
FAIRWAY OAKS subdivision has not approved this. There are major consequences should the line enter the subdivision. Last year the Big Park Wastewater Improvement District placed a MANDATORY CONNECT in their ordinance for anyone that is placed in a special improvement district.
We are looking average 20,000 a home x 250 homes = $5,000,000.00
Big Park Wastewater District has just completed a $5,000,000.00 expansion.
Be aware that VOCA has held workshop meetings in the past and there are other targeted subdivisions.
Bell Rock Vistas
Bell Rock Vistas Unit Two
Bell Rock Vistas Unit Three
Fairway Oaks
Sundance
Please plan to attend.
There are better ways to grow a business. Don’t pick up bad habits from VOCA, Big Park Wastewater……….