Expanded statement from Howard Entman
I am not a candidate for the Board looking to “put another notch in my belt.” In my service to our community, I am ALREADY the past president of our Association, the past President of the Palencia Property Owners Association (the Master Association), and the former Chairman (still a current Board member) of the Marshall Creek Community Development District (the CDD) that owns and operates all the common areas in Palencia.
I am a candidate for our Board because I am disappointed in the actions of our current board (and the people running for reelection). Specifically:
1. Our recent Board meeting was held 22 miles from Augustine Island instead of just down the street in the Palencia Amenity Center. None of the Board members showed up at that meeting; instead they participated by phone. At that meeting, it was disconcerting to learn that important decisions clearly had already been made by the Board and the meeting was only a pro forma ratification of a done deal. There is no good reason to keep members in the dark about important developments affecting our property, or to fail to solicit input from the membership prior to decisions being made.
Those of you who attended the Board meeting last May, which was held at the Amenity Center, might remember that the Board was ready to sign a deal with that developer; and it was only after the robust discussion by the members who attended that the Board backed away from the deal they had arranged WITHOUT ANY RESIDENT INPUT.
I will be committed to periodic updates from the Board to all members regarding matters affecting the Association. I pledge that there will be at least a monthly newsletter.
I will also maximize opportunities for input from all members to the Board. Meetings should be held within Palencia so that all members can readily attend for face to face discussions. Formal meetings should not be the only occasions inviting input from members; the Board should be open to and solicit such input at all times.
2. Expertise. We are about to spend $250,000 on roofing, painting, landscaping and other infrastructure. Soliciting proposals for roofing and painting specs, soliciting bids against those specs, and monitoring the progress of such work is not an exercise for the neophyte.
For example, if you were going to put a new roof on your own home (not in Palencia) and one of your neighbors offered to give you advice and help but told you “I’ve never done a roof repair but it can’t be too hard,” and another neighbor told you “I’d be glad to help. I’ve done several roof repairs and have experience with soliciting bids and contracting,” which one would you go to for help?
I have experience in roofing and painting. As the Director of Bank-owned property for Crocker Bank (now Wells Fargo Bank) I oversaw the physical facilities of 350 branches and two very large data centers. I was involved with many re-roofing projects, including the re-roofing of our 300,000 square foot data center.
We have other members in our community who have been involved in large roofing projects, and members who are professional engineers who can provide valuable input into any decision BEFORE that decision is made by the Board.
I am committed to gathering ALL the talent in our community to get us the best outcome for our money.
3. We will be doing some landscape improvements and maintenance. In the six years that I have been on the Board of the Marshall Creek CDD, I have participated extensively in the landscaping function of our management team. I was very involved in the contracting of the pruning and ‘molding’ of the 880 oak tress on CDD property. This project was completed last year
4. Experience. Having served on all the governing Boards that affect us in Palencia, I KNOW the rules and procedures for protecting our interests in the event a new developer comes in and want to build something that we don’t want. I helped draft both the Amendments to our Covenants, and the Augustine Island Architectural Restrictions (along with John Foster) that are now in place. Through my long involvement with the CDD, I have developed close working relationships with the architects and developer who must approve any new construction project in our community.
5. Our Board should offer maintenance services to members. For instance, when the common areas are pressure washed, the added cost of pressure washing everybody’s driveway would be minimal. Since everybody has a driveway, nobody would be “cheated” and everybody would have a clean driveway. FULL DISCLOSURE: I have a pressure washer. I clean my driveway twice a year. I’m not suggesting this to “get something for nothing.” Further, each of us has back dauber nests around the ceilings of our patios and garages. It would be easy to get a painter to clean everybody’s area and do some touch up painting. FULL DISCLOSURE: I have already done mine.
Each of us could hire somebody to do these jobs, or we could do it ourselves. But doing these as a group would be much more cost effective and - here’s the important part - less of a headache for each of us, the members of the Association.
6. Lastly, Our community looks awful. The sidewalks and streets are filthy (have not been pressure washed for a long time), and the landscaping is unremarkable. Yes, maintenance costs money, but without Board interaction with members through face to face meetings, nothing has been done.
Augustine Island was to be the Premier community in Palencia, but it had gotten run down. We can bring it back to where it should be by wisely executing projects, with community involvement.
If you elect me to the Board, I pledge to get this done.
