Set up a Communications Subcommittee. The committee would be responsible for the sending of newsletters each month, maintenance of the web site, and other delegated communications responsibilities. The Committee would be composed of 3-5 members, and would be elected by separate vote from the owners on a staggered basis serving 2-year terms. The Communications Committee would be separate from the HOA and would not report to them, and would have access to all relevant documents as defined in their charter. They would also not have their budget controlled by the HOA, but the budget would be a mandated percentage of the total budget. For example, if the Budget for the year is $3 million, the communications budget might be set at .007%... or $21,000. In other words, the original charter would set this out and the formula would be prearranged and not subject to review or budget cuts from the HOA so the Committee can do its job and not fear retribution if the Board does not like what it prints.
Having independence, the Committee might be able to hire a part time reporter, maybe someone semi retired, and turn the newsletter which now has little news value, into a community newspaper printed once a month with editorials, analysis of the budget and spending, letters to the editor, features of owners, and other news and information real newspapers provide. We can also sell advertising to help offset the cost. It is no coincidence that the first thing army's do when they invade a country is controlling the flow of information. It is time we got that control back for the owners.
All elected officials need to have either an email address, a fax address, or a phone number where they can be reached directly by owners, and they need to reply back in a timely manor. Enough of this "if you want to talk to the President you need to send an email to the office and we will forward it to him." If people want to serve, they need to be accessible, and they need to give us the courtesy of a reply.
All minutes of meetings need to be posted on a HOA web site within 48 hours of the meeting adjournment, and to be detailed in nature. Subcommittee meetings as well. We have a right to know what is discussed and agreed upon, and not just once a year.
We need to have the budget presented to us in plain language. And we need to know that if we are spending $100,000 on legal fees that it is legal fees and not just "Administrative Costs". Then we can ask WHY are we spending $100,000 on legal fees??
We need to set up an elected Efficiency Committee, which like the Communications Committee, is elected not appointed, and that is independent to review the expenses, income, capital projects, and other items in the budget. The Committee should also be charged with presenting new, creative, and better ideas to Board to make Mesquite a better place to live. One example of this might be to put solar panels on the tops of our carports to generate enough electricity to cover our costs of heating the pools and providing power to the common areas and the gatehouses. One complex, Desert Princess Country Club installed solar panels on the roofs of their condos about a year ago, and believes they will pay for themselves in just a few years.
The Committee would make their reports a minimum of 4 times a year directly to the Communications Committee for publication. It could not be edited, except for grammar. And although the Board would not be bound by their recommendations, the rest of us would be able to review the published reports, and vote to replace Board members who we believe are unresponsive.
Why are we spending @ $200,000 a year for the "non-exclusive right" to hold meetings at the HOA Clubhouse? I am not making this up! Yes this was a contract written by the developer when he was also, in essence, controlling the HOA. But for once as owners we need to have this reviewed by competent legal staff and a full report issued to us so we know if we do have any options to more than $2 million of our dues being paid out on this over the next 10 years!
We also need to make sure that our Board awards contracts to competent licensed and bonded coontractors. That sounds simple. However, a case in point here was the special assessment of $2100 we all had to pay a couple of years ago for the deck replacement in the units. According to the HOA in an email dated 5/5/00 ...."All defects were litigated to the fullest extent possible. However, Phase IV was the only phase involved in the litigation. The decks could not be litigated due to a release signed previously by then Board President, who is no longer an owner at Mesquite . There was a minor out of court settlement received for the decks ($75,000)." The new deck replacement contract -- $2.25million dollars.
Again, the more people that know what is going on the better. That is the benefit of setting up committees in Efficiency/Oversight and Communications.
Let's review the qualification and backgrounds of those who wish to represent us in office. I believe the time is past when it was acceptable to just reprint a 4-paragraph biography that someone has provided to the HOA. They are basically running a multimillion-dollar enterprise. We need to have candidate's answer real question and have those interviews printed, and also review their backgrounds. For example, if there was a series of legal problems that a candidate has had in the past that should be public knowledge available to owners so they can weight that into their decision.
Most of us do not know these candidate personally because of the transient nature of Mesquite . These are people that will make multimillion dollar decisions with our money and our investments. We need to get the best possible people elected to these positions.
We must insist that our Board members are open and honest with us. No more sliding provisions into votes under the guise of an "emergency". No more telling us one thing and doing another. It is a political axiom that people get the government that they deserve. Let's see if we deserve to get something better. That choice is now up to us.
