My name is Rico Pietropaolo,
I am not a banker, lawyer or doctor. I am just a regular guy who has worked all his life, saved a little money, and been an owner at Mesquite for the past 15 years.
I am running for the Board of Directors because I believe it is time that we started to let owners make decisions at Mesquite again.
If you vote for me I will pledge to be honest, open, and accessible. I will also give you my home phone number where you can contact me. And I will call you back. Here is what I will try to do:
1. I will work to avoid another special assessment . No one wants one, including me. Why is our Maintenance Fund under-funded by nearly 90% in the first place? Why do we need to replace it all at once? The other candidates running for re-election have been in control while this sad situation has developed. I suggest that we put off painting this year. There is also a legitimate question of whether we want to paint stucco in the first place? I don't believe we need a $3700 special assessment per unit to cover the poor management decisions of others. Let's think smart, do what needs to be done this year, and build for the future. But let's not try to replace this money all at once with a special assessment.
2. I will work to open up the meetings. How many times have you gone to Board Meetings only to have the real issues discussed and voted on in Executive Session? Why even bother attending meetings if all of the important decisions are made when we are not there? These are our homes. These are our investments. The Board meetings should be for all owners not just Board Members!
3. I will work to see the Minutes of meetings posted on a web site outside each guardhouse within 48 business hours of the end of the meeting . The Minutes also need to actually tell us what went on at the meetings. Then let's set up a workable web site. The 85% of our owners that are part-time residents need to know how their money is being spent, too. Right now we have a web site with a secret password that requires a locksmith to get into it! Let's make the Internet a useful, helpful tool, and one that is easy to use-- even for some of us that are older.
4. Let's start to work smart . Why are we paying for an HOA office when we have 5 guardhouses that can work just as well and won't cost us anything? And they are AT Mesquite! Let's start to water the lawns and not the parking lots. Why aren't we using solar energy like other complexes to pay for our pool heating? I think it is time we worked smart and spent our money right .
5. The Board of Directors is not a secret society! I will not ask you to vote on something that is not clearly and openly presented for your consideration. I will not support lumping legal fees into other categories that only confuse you. And if you believe that an election at Mesquite has not been conducted fairly or openly I will not vote to pay our HOA attorney to conceal the results from you. Mesquite is, after all, still located in America!
That is how I feel and why I am running. I will pledge to attend the meetings and to do my best. I am only one person, but I will represent you on the Board and watch out for your money. If you would like me to serve send in your proxy today in this envelope, and we'll start getting things back to where they should be.
Sincerely,
Rico
Phone: 310-398-1048
