Sunday, July 6, 2008

Update on Board Meeting Note

Wow...this Board Meeting note...seems to have struck a nerve. Someone left a post on the subject of the guest blogger (June posting) that I'd like to address (their text is at the bottom in italics):

First off, please place comments in the right entry. It is much easier for people to follow the subject matter.

Second point, I'm sure people ask Arlington Village all the time for things that they shouldn't get. I know that some residents spent money on plants to improve their area and were approved to get reimbursed for them under a new small grant program. Shouldn't they have gotten permission first...then done the plantings?

Third, let's not confuse the resident's case with other negligent willy nilly folks that ask for anything. The resident at the Board Meeting had a real problem (which could affect other people in the village just as easily as it did that unit) and gave the Board a few options. Money for help with the repairs was asked for but there is a precedent for this already in place for the Board. Just look at the Board Meeting Notes to see for yourself. I'd be surprised if they weren't at the next Board Meeting this month asking again for a change of the by-laws so that no one else in the village will have the same problem.

Fourth, this blog is for dialogue and communication. Not to make the Board or the staff look like the enemy. I applaud anyone that volunteers for a Board or Committee position. However, that said, I do not appreciate hearing that residents are being treated disrespectfully at the Board Meetings. That is unacceptable and was attested to from more than one meeting attendant. If you have heard otherwise...I'd be happy to blog about it.

Hope everyone had a Happy Fourth!!!

"Re the entries on the recent Board meeting-- It's easy to paint the Board/staff as the enemy -- it's not always true. Owners ask AV to pay for damage, etc., that the owner is responsible for on a regular basis. In some cases, the owner was explicitly warned about the problem by AV staff and ignored the warning until the damage was obvious. Those owners are unlikely to mention these facts when drumming up support for position that money should be coming their way. Do YOU want your condo fees paying for problems that are other owners' responsibilities? If so, I would like to get new towels for my bathroom -- would you chip in?" (From Anonymous, Guest Blogger Post)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! At first I didn't know what to think about you posting notes about my hardships with the board. I'm glad that you did because I think it is important that people in the Village know what is happening at the Board meetings. It is not just residents being treated with disrespect it is Board members being consdescending to other Board members during the open meeting. It was actually embarrassing at times to watch how people were treated...especially knowing that the Board is all volunteer. I personally think that some people have spent too many years on the Board and feel like they are entitled to do what they want...when they want. In my opinion and I've also heard from others that they (some Board members) also will let their friends do whatever they want in the village and deny other residents the same priviledges given to others. Why can some people extend their decks and others can't? Why can some board issues get taken care of by email and others can't? Personally, I think it is up to the whims of the president of the Board on what gets done. My experience has been extremely disheartening. I used to think that the Village and its staff were always looking out for my unit...now I worry that I would even get notice if something was wrong.