by Tom Blakeman, August 8, 2019
Cheryl’s note: Tom Blakeman put a lot of thought and work into developing “A new plan” for HSVPOA. In this plan, Tom outlines an eight-step process to turn the Village around. It includes the identification of multiple problems and proposes solutions. Of special note is Appendix 1 which contains ideas and solutions on HSV Golf.
Clarification: This article was originally published in August of 2019 and Tom is referring to past leaders.
“In Hot Springs Village it appears that over the last several years our Board of Directors has been attempting to change the philosophy or ‘moral compass’ of the POA. By original definition, the HSV-POA was created as an organization to serve and protect the Members and assets with a corresponding philosophy.”
Tom Blakeman
Click on the PDF below to enlarge & read Tom’s plan
A-New-Plan-08-08-2019About the author
“Tom Blakeman has been a full-time resident homeowner in Hot Springs Village since January 2016. He is retired. His background includes:
• Bachelor of Science Degree – Engineering
• Masters Degree – Business Administration
• Licensed Real Estate Broker (Texas)
• Over 20 years experience in various corporate positions
• Over 20 years as owner of his own business
Tom is a golfer and a do-it-yourselfer. He likes to fix things. His professional work experiences included, among other things, business management and operations, real estate sales and marketing, project engineering, economic analysis, business writing and review and interpretation of contracts.“
By Tom Blakeman
Formatted by Cheryl Dowden
HSV Photography by Joe Dowden
Published August 9, 2019
Brent G.
08/09/2019 — 2:05 pm
Excellent!! You would think that with all the “brilliant” people on our board someone would realize what he is saying. I have been saying these things for years, but, of course, I don’t count. Thank you, Tom, for putting it in an organized form for members to read.
Linda Van Scotter
08/13/2019 — 2:59 pm
Excellent comments George! doesn’t an effective organization take a look at what its spending and if they’re getting the results they want and if not, change their scope. This particularly pertains to Village home and land. The restaurants .
We don’t need a director of tourism we need a marketing person. We don’t need a director placemaking and development. We definitely don’t need a don’t-worry-be-happy Cmeo. We don’t need a lodge.
George T.
08/09/2019 — 2:52 pm
Tremendous amount of work Tom. I hope the board responds and better yet, has a meeting with Nalley to pursue answers and actions.
All these committees are smoke screens for inaction and lack of accountability.
We are told not to criticize Nalley for her contract and the board is not responsible for operations. Sorry, can’t have it both ways, someone needs to stand up and ask the tough questions. Why are we spending millions on executive staff, divisions and plans that bring so little results? Accountability appears to be nonexistent with this organization. Anyone with conservative mindset, which many here lived and worked under, will not agree with the attitude of spending uncontrollably.
Let’s hope common sense prevails very soon.
Mike
08/09/2019 — 2:55 pm
All of this plan is great. Especially the plea for Marketing. Thanks, Tom for the effort, and for your good brain.
Sam
08/09/2019 — 3:36 pm
Excellent work and observations Tom. Thank you for be willing to take all the time that it took to prepare it! I’ve ofter thought that a tweak downward in golf fees might produce more revenue than the higher fees do. Let’s hope it catches on.
Anne Shears
08/09/2019 — 4:32 pm
Tom, since you like to fix things, a board position would be right up your alley!
Kathy Henderson
08/09/2019 — 5:11 pm
Great job, Tom!
Gary Puffer
08/09/2019 — 5:15 pm
One of the things that bother me most about the POA’s annual budget forecast is the assumption of revenue to be generated by the golf courses by how many rounds would be played by POA members and outside players without actually generating revenues projected. It is misleading to utmost and specious at best when projecting or planning an annual budget. How can you consider money not yet generated or actually in hand to count as income when the weather, and any number of variables will counter this.
I completely agree with Tom that we need to encourage the annual golf membership by what ever incentives we need to use to encourage more annual membership. We know this to be a solid source of income because it is paid up-front whereas, counting the income from outside players at an expense of about $100 per round is a pure guess work and it has never met the projected income year after year.
By fixing the annual membership prices for both green fees and cart rentals and thus increasing the annual membership, the POA would have a better revenue stream than guessing at how much revenue can be generated by outside players.
Tom is so right about many other ideas to improve the village finances, and so on the point about all the unnecessary “Admirals and Captains” we need to get rid of . We are way too top-heavy in POA management structure. We, the property owners, have every right to view the pay scales and benefit packages for all employees. We used to have this info on our finger tips a while back when one signed on to hsvpoa.org. I used to look at this and wonder why the director of golf was paid as much as he/she was for what they did (or not). For that matter I haven’t a clue as to what the CEO does to get paid close to $300K. She has all these department heads and directors, managers, etc., what does she actually do on a daily basis to earn this outrageously high pay. This needs to be very transparent to all of us property owners. Two managers (that’s what they were titled) before Leslie became our so called”CEO”, he (Scott Randall) was hired to be a so called “ax man” to reduce the top-heavy POA, and he did this well. For example, he got rid of department heads who only supervised one or two people, and consolidated unnecessary departments or similar positions. At that time, it was clear to me that the POA Board was in control, not the GM or as it seems now, Leslie Neeley. Then the POA Board Chairman was Jerry Kosoglow, and in my opinion, he had the interest of the village foremost and actually ran the POA as an interim unpaid GM after he fired the GM for cause. Ever since then, we’ve had questionable board members and Neeley has run this village as an autocrat. She has created so many new “management positions, such as CMEO, Director of Agronomy, and such. It seems she creates these new position by fiat and cart-blanch with the blessings of the previous board, especially, Mr. Weiss as the Chairman of the board. In any event, we have “too many chiefs and not enough indians.” Now my two cents worth!
We should have a mandated vote (if legally possible) called by the property owners to:
– Go back to a simpler 3 page governance directive as originally intended
– Get rid of the CEO in a vote to override the board
– Get rid of the CMP as a governing document
– Establish, once and for all, that simple majority of the board is sufficient to fire the GM or CEO
– There will be no more unspecified means to earn bonuses like Neely did with her very unspecified and nebulous goals that the Weiss led board gave her.
This is just my meandering thoughts, I’m sure others can expound on it and I welcome it.
Linda Van Scotter
08/13/2019 — 3:02 pm
I support your ideas , Gary! Did you hear me clapping and cheering as I read your post?
gary puffer
08/13/2019 — 3:17 pm
Thank You, Linda.
Pat McCullough
08/09/2019 — 8:21 pm
Thank you Tom. Your observations are so spot on. If this “CEO” and current board do not pick up on this stuff we are finished. I am so angry with the things going on here right now that I can not think of anything else even in the middle of the night when I really need to be getting some sleep. Lesley , give it up you have no clue. You are wrecking a once beautiful place and hurting a lot of people. You are no “CEO” . you are CPA at best. Call me if you would like to debate this any further.
Minn Daly
08/10/2019 — 8:48 am
Tom, your presentation was GREAT! Gary Puffer statements so true! Unfortunately we have a BOD that Does not care! Minn Daly
Tom G.
08/10/2019 — 10:29 am
Spot on it would seem Tom. Thanks for spelling this out as well as you did. You are correct that it basically is the same thing the majority of us have been saying for the last few years for sure. The marketing is an easy fix and one I have been trying to promote for the last few years as well by telling all who would listen about Omni Channel marketing. That is basically using all of the different digital platforms along with a few others and using AI to dictate the marketing spend based on what has been most effective at any given time. The SEO you speak of would actually be too expensive to do on national basis but could be more highly targeted to certain areas. The website we have needs to be more mobile optimized so that it follows Google’s best practices. I have been doing digital marketing for multi million dollar businesses for the last 20 years and know what a proper program can do for a company. We aren’t doing it right now.
Andy Kramek
08/10/2019 — 11:37 am
An excellent review of the current status of the village with clear, simple and positive suggestions as to how to change it for the better. This should be required reading for every resident. For us, it is of academic interest only as we no longer live in the Village.
I can, however, add some current information about how Public golf works here in Tucson. The city has 4 public courses, all of which are in good shape and which offer 3 different prices for any tee time: Member, Resident and Non-Resident.
Membership requires purchasing an annual card (currently costs about $175.00) that then gets the holder a discount off the Resident rates. What are the rates? Well, it does vary by time of day but, on average, the Member rate is about $30.00, the Resident $34.00 and Non-Resident $38.00. (The astute mathematician will have noticed that the Annual Membership pays for itself after playing 45 rounds per year – even though this is in a place with at least 300 playable days annually).
Getting a tee time at weekends can be a challenge as course are pretty well full all day Saturday and Sunday. Mid-week is a little better – especially in the afternoons (1 – 4pm) and, would you believe the rates are lower then? As low as $20 riding! BUT, after 4:00pm the rates go up again – odd isn’t it? Of course it is cooler then, people are finishing work and so demand is higher…enough said.
There is so much common sense in this document, and in the golf plan in particular, that I really wish there was some chance that the powers that be would actually pay attention to it. Unfortunately, based on previous experience, I fear the chances of that are zero unless there is a major change at the top of the POA.
We do miss our friends in HSV but we are so glad to be out from under the POA’s rule. Good luck to you all.
George Sorrell
08/10/2019 — 1:13 pm
I agree with Andy Kramek, everyone should have an opportunity to read Tom’s analysis. Since we are paying for the HSV website, we should all send letters to the CEO/BOD and request they include it on their (our) website. We should also request that instead of sending out more color brochures on the wonders of the CMP, send out a copy of Tom’s writings.
It is a safe bet, she (CEO) won’t do that. So how do we communicate with every owner in Hot Springs Village? Its a big problem isn’t it. We have neither the funds, addresses or email addresses to accomplish such a task.
Word of mouth is our only option at this time. Please print/copy Tom’s writings and provide each of your neighbors with his point of view. Let them make up their own minds.
Word of month stopped the vote last year, even with all the money spent by the POA Board to influence people to vote yes. I’m still amazed it didn’t work. So I have hope HSV people are out there listening and worrying what the CEO is trying to do to our Village.
I am confident if an up or down vote were taken today from the entire village population whether or not to keep the CEO on the payroll, it would be a landslide NO vote. But of course, it would mean nothing since the BOD is the only body who can cancel her contract.
Also, I would urge everyone to consider contributing to HSV Matters. You can find out more by using the “HSV Matters Please Donate” menu option on the main page of HotSpringsVillagePeople.com. I say this as a contributor not as a spokesperson.
Phil Lemler
08/11/2019 — 6:00 am
Good job Tom … on Friday, Callaway Golf reported that their net income EXCEEDED expectations and they are saying that year end results will be HIGHER than they originally thought … I guess GOLF is not dying .. we are just not good at marketing!
Mac
08/11/2019 — 6:14 am
Sadly the board nor the “ceo” will ever respond to this report. They have shown themselves to be so totally isolated from reality that nothing short of removal Is going to change anything.
Mac
08/11/2019 — 6:16 am
Sadly the board nor the “ceo” will ever respond to this report. They have shown themselves to be so totally isolated from reality that nothing short of removal Is going to change anything.
Gary Godfrey
08/11/2019 — 9:06 am
Tom well done. Hits all the nails right on the head. Interesting about rain being such a factor. I believe it was 2004 or 2005. We had 87 inches of rain that year and had 350,000 rounds. Only difference is pricing just like your charts show.
Michael R (Rick) Varley
08/11/2019 — 2:40 pm
Interesting read Tom Blakeman.
I myself like many others that live here in the Village have served on Boards of golfing Country Clubs in the mid-west. I have been reading all the complaints and suggestions about the courses and what appears to be a ongoing spiraling downward problem for all of us here in HSV. You in your 42 page plan have addressed many of the problems with a common sense solutions.
I owned a few Automobile dealerships and when cost reductions were important the only thing that works is either “increase sales or reduce costs”. Many businesses lay-off the lowest cost employees when in fact they need to look at the higher salaried workers and see if they can double a work load by shifting additional responsibilities. Look at what cost you the most (fixed expense)
You could start using the term ‘Championship Styled Courses’ Troon Designed.
Magazine adv. Play 171 holes on Championship Styled Courses and be home in less than 10 minutes…….Only place in the US ….HSV, Ar…Live the Dream
Maybe also a focus group of 3-5 qualified individuals might help with suggestions. The Village has a monumental task ahead of them…they need expert help…the residents are not the enemy…..we could be part of the solution.
Nevertheless….well written down to earth 42 page suggestions..hopefully not on deaf ears
Mike
08/12/2019 — 5:28 am
Question to the Board. Do you even know where your going? Where is the compassion or conscience or misgivings about the direction you all are taking us? Do you really believe this direction is sustainable?
These kind of tactics are certainly not going to work in the long run, trying to jam Lesley and her stupid plan down our throats.
But that is the bane of all of us villagers. It could be a long long run. But we are galvanized.
It is only human nature to revolt against something being jammed down your throat. The gag effect is taking over! That and common sense is starting to come to the fore for us villagers.
These are unscrupulous cheaters and seeing them behind the wheel of the bus, that will surely crash eventually, gives me no pleasure. It is just a matter of time of which we haven’t much.
We are getting stronger. People are defecting to our side. The people see this fools errand for what it is. Not in my backyard.
Thanks to Tom Blakeman for his plan that is spot on. My new CMP.
Just hope there is enough left of the bus to put it back together after the crash takes place.
Anonymous
08/12/2019 — 5:54 am
I’m sure the old guard Board members think they are above reproach. How dare anyone have reservations about their astute decision making. But guess what? We do. I bet you do too if you did some deep introspection.
Question to the Board. Do you even know where your going? Where is the compassion or conscience or misgivings about the direction you all are taking us? Do you really believe this direction is sustainable? It is not because the people have spoken.
These kind of tactics are certainly not going to work in the long run, trying to jam Lesley and her stupid plan down our throats.
But that is the bane of all of us villagers. It could be a long long run. But we are galvanized.
It is only human nature to revolt against something being jammed down your throat. The gag effect is taking over! That and common sense is starting to come to the fore for us villagers.
These are unscrupulous cheaters and seeing them behind the wheel of the bus, that will surely crash eventually, gives me no pleasure. It is just a matter of time of which we haven’t much.
We are getting stronger. People are defecting to our side. The people see this fools errand for what it is. Not in my backyard.
Thanks to Tom Blakeman for his plan that is spot on. My new CMP. The price is right too.
Just hope there is enough left of the bus to put it back together after the crash takes place.
Maybe their direction is towards that municipality? Vindictive. Scorched earth mentality to me. But wouldn’t put it past Lesley as she readies her resume.
Linda Anderson
08/12/2019 — 2:17 pm
TOM, THANK YOU for a Great effort to get an understanding of other avenues to sources of income and ways to keep “GOLF” stable and thriving. We always hear the concept about being open to change and new ideas. With no POA leadership,
let’s hope that you have made an impact on someone that will take what you have said to heart and implement the desperately needed changes. Without dedication to “GOLF”, our golf courses will decline and leave the village fractured and destroyed. Appreciate your attempt to save the Village because you care.
Anonymous
08/13/2019 — 6:01 am
That was a post I put on Nextdoor.
Mike
Mike Fleming
08/13/2019 — 5:59 am
Pattie Jones you are correct. The dilemma is in the HOW. I only know that we have a person here of great intellect and he gives a yeoman’s effort that should have value. But it is tossed away by petty and small people. The plan that Tom Blakeman has authored is no where near only complaining. Solutions are addressed.
This is the second time it has been posted, as it was taken down by some unscrupulous lead.
Yes, the playground (ND) is not ours. Our side has has been fighting this all along even way before last year’s declaration vote. But this really doesn’t matter, as these tactics, addressed in the U.S. Constitution 1st amendment, are just alien to American principles.
Don’t really understand how the taking down of a mere link to another website is fair. What is the point? Lesley puts out links all the time. Everyone does it.
Could it be that one of our opponents’
greater arguments that “you guys only complain and do not have a plan of your own” has been addressed? Now they haven’t a viable narrative.
This kind of oppression only steels me to fight harder.
I will reach into my pocket and put this in the Voice each week if I have to. The Voice reaches a wider audience anyway.
Linda Van Scotter
08/13/2019 — 3:02 pm
Excellent comments George! doesn’t an effective organization take a look at what its spending and if they’re getting the results they want and if not, change their scope. This particularly pertains to Village home and land. The restaurants .
We don’t need a director of tourism we need a marketing person. We don’t need a director placemaking and development. We definitely don’t need a don’t-worry-be-happy Cmeo. We don’t need a lodge.
Gary Puffer
08/13/2019 — 4:23 pm
I think the last HSV Board Chairman who really cared about the Village and the direction it was headed, and did something about it was Jerry Kosoglow. How about asking his thoughts about the current board, Leslie, and the immediate past chairman Weiss and the board he led that created this mess we have now, especially, Leslie, our so-called CEO. All these new crazy and wacky positions such as CMEO, etc., seems suspicious and smacks of croynism (wink, wink, if you are a friend of Leslie) to me. When Jerry was the Chairman, he got rid of many redundant and or made-up jobs by hiring a manager to do just that. He also didn’t have any qualms about getting rid of the manager for cause. For that matter, I would like to see the pay of Tom Heffer, the Director of Golf, and an accurate job description to see how somebody who can lose millions of dollars annually and get paid the high salary (I’m guessing it’s over $125K a year and more, if he was given bonuses). At each golf course you have a manager, a course superintendent, a professional greens keeper, a bunch of golf maintenance workers, and now, a Director of Agronomy. Plus, he follows whatever ideas or course management guidance from Troon so he really doesn’t have a golf marketing idea of his own; so again, I ask, what does he really do day-to-day for his exorbitant pay? And, btw, his wife is also a high salaried person (who knows how much that is) with a questionable and nebulous job title. I’m not picking on the Heffers, but why are we paying them close to $250K a year or more. I would like to see their pay and compare them to the pays of our Chief of Police, and the Chief of the Fire Department. Let’s make some sense out of the overall pay structure of HSV POA employees. I know the worth and the job of our police and fire department personnel, but I have no clue as to what the Heffers do or their value to our community. This goes for all these newly created chief of this, director of that and such. We, the property owners, with our assessment fees, pay these people to work for US, not for them to become lords of us!!!. We must reclaim the power and control back to the property owners. Let’s figure out how to do this legally and let’s get to it. Amen!!!!
Kirk Denger
08/16/2019 — 10:15 pm
Search: Glover vs Overstreet, and the simple mistakes that can easily be rectified by the study of the case and the judge’s opinion. Please put our collective minds together and assemble the guardrails that will make this member’s meeting Iron Clad.
Ralph
08/29/2019 — 12:04 pm
Kosoglow left because of this mess. He will be of no help.
500 at the board meeting…the only way left…
Kirk Denger
08/13/2019 — 10:06 pm
All members, meet at the next board meeting, the third Wednesday of this and every month to evaluate the HSV BOD and tell those Board members who will not listen to the overwhelming majority of property owners, that we oppose the CMP and that we will replace illegal Board members by a majority vote at a member’s meeting.
Pat Jordan
08/16/2019 — 7:59 am
Please post the time and place of this meeting.
Kirk Denger
08/16/2019 — 10:31 pm
May 15th, 2019, Brian Darst formally requested the BOD to notify all members to meet July third, 2019. The BOD failed to do this as at the time they were the only entity capable of notifying all members because they fraudulently and illegally withheld members addresses. Now by court order, this information is available to all members so that we can notify all members 30 days in advance of such a meeting.
Mark Meyers
08/29/2019 — 12:30 pm
Why?
Why does our CEO who is a CPA and has no background in community development make more than the Governor?
Why is her bonus payments pretty much based on attendance instead of accomplishments?
Why did our last BOD change the requirements for CEO termination from 4 out of 7 members to 6 out of 7??
Why are there almost more highly-paid managers than employees? We’re going to have to add a third floor to the POA building for more offices….
Why do we have a manager that gets a new title yearly, not due to education, but due to on-the-job training, and why does the spouse also work in management?
Why isn’t any of the newly created manager jobs posted?
Why do we keep hiring food and beverage managers that are unable to make the POA restaurants profitable, and have also resulted in shorter hours?
Why do we have managers managing managers?
Our Village is an exceptional place, and could be so much better with the BOD & CEO following their fiduciary responsibilities, eliminating lawsuits, and using our budget to improve the Village instead of ridiculous salaries and unjustified reasons for their actions. Perhaps some answers to these questions next week in the Voice?
Stark
08/29/2019 — 8:11 pm
There will be no answers in The Voice. It has dropped all pretense of journalism. It is only a mouthpiece for the POA and the BOD.
Minn Daly
08/29/2019 — 1:49 pm
Mr Blakeman, your plan is on target, however we are all witnessing a Legacy BOD/CEO that will never consider these changes unless there is court actions filed against them, or total revolt of POA membership. Arkansas law states that arbitration can be generated if only one BOD members signature is on the CEO contract. Tom Weiss is the only signature on CEO contract. How many on legacy board Agreed to contract? If CEO can call for grievance arbitration on 2 board members, why can’t they file on issues involving CEO contract for arbitration. Gene Garner stated this last week on this site. We are in a mess & it will not get better until changes are made. Respectfully, Minn Daly
Fred Gatewood
03/06/2020 — 4:43 pm
I see a lot of points about those who play golf live in the village or own a lot in the village but live outside the village and play golf… How about those of us who years ago purchased property in the village (nice lots not a piece of crap you can’t build on but play golf)and we cant sell them for near what we paid …They seem to want my monthly money but my lot is basically worthless.. There are a lot of people who own lots and said screw this I am not paying my monthly fee for a worthless lot .. Seems like somebody forgot about how supply and demand works.. if you don’t own a lake lot or perhaps a golf course lot your screwed and the POA doesn’t give a crap… If I am wrong please let me know then I can tell you how it is living out of state and paying monthly fees that have far exceeded the cost of my property over many years.. I am sure I am not alone.
Tom Blakeman
08/24/2020 — 7:25 am
Thanks Cheryl for tagging this paper to the front page of the website. Much has happened in the year since this was published. We have a whole new board with a whole new outlook on how the village should be run. We also have a changed management team in place with probably more changes to come under the leadership of Mr King. CMP is gone and there are other great accomplishments over the last few months. All good news.
But a few things seem, so far at least, to be remaining the same. Among them are GOLF and RESTAURANTS. To some extent these areas have been affected by COVID-19 and that’s understandable. But for the most part there’s been no change, in fact some of the problems have become worse. I urge our new board and Mr King to take time to visit (or revisit) the appendix portion of the paper which begins on page 23. We are in “budget season” now and it is way past timely to correct the basic issues surrounding these two aspects of our Village.
Thanks for reading.
Mike Parker
09/09/2020 — 11:07 am
Just an outsiders opinion…
I have been following HSV for the past year. My Wife and I are very interested in HSV for our retirement home and will be visiting once again for the month of September. We are narrowing down places of interest and hope to make our final decision before the end of this year. I want to applaud Mr. Tom Blakeman for his interest and insights on finding workable solutions for an understandably struggling society of retirees. Not only does Mr. Blakeman uncover what appears to an outsider to be obvious problems and issues, he makes intelligent suggestions for solutions. Solution orientated people are certainly what any self governing group of Villagers need. Not just another complaining armchair quarterback. I have a similar background to Mr. Blakeman in Engineering, Real Estate, Residential/Commercial/Industrial Contracting, Land Development, Self-Employment, and have many similar sentiments towards the resolutions he submits for your perusal and discussion.
Research into Mr. Coopers visions for his developments are part of what originally attracted me to check out HSV and other Cooper developments. The beauty, simplistic lifestyle, reasonable home prices, are a plus for your diamond of a community and should be a great draw for prospective new Villagers.
HSV residents are fortunate to have concerned input like you get from Mr. Blakeman and others. I will be looking forward to meeting Tom during the coming weeks.
Mike Parker
Murfreesboro, TN