CMPAC Meeting – 2/14/2020

Written by Cheryl Dowden, February 17, 2020

The Comprehensive Master Plan Advisory Committee (CMPAC) held its regular monthly meeting on February 14, 2020. This month the meeting time was moved up from 1:00 p.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Committee members in attendance were Chairperson, Nikki Choyce; Vice-chair, Rolland White; Secretary, Tom Heau; Pam Avila; Murray Claasen; Jody Latham; Diane Bielanski and Ray Lehman.

Also in attendance were BOD Chair Cindi Erickson (sitting in as Board liaison for Buddy Dixon) and Stephanie Heffer, Staff Liaison (HSVPOA Director of Placemaking and Development). Excused absences were Clint Blackman and Buddy Dixon.

Board liaison comments (Erickson)

• The Board approved establishment of a Finance Committee last month and is conducting interviews for this committee. There is still time to apply.

• The Governance Committee established a sub-committee to recommend election day policies to the Board. The Board approved the policies last month.

• Similar policies for all non-BOD elections will be coming up in February.

• There will be a couple of interesting/new topics in February’s BOD agenda.

• The Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) will make a presentation to the Board in February.

Staff comments (Heffer)

• The ACC has been hard at work on recommended revisions to the Protective Covenants. The plan is to have an annual review of the Protective Covenants.

• Permitting and Inspection (P and I) and the Compliance Department have rejoined forces. They are still somewhat separate but share the same office, allowing them to work more efficiently.

Educational moment – POA’s role in development (Heffer)

• There has always been a POA role in development through the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) and Permitting.

• The POA is not in the business of funding development.

• CCI installs roadways originally on anything that is reserved (coming into the community). Heffer said, “Once the roadways are there, we’re responsible for maintenance.”

• The POA is responsible for water and sewer.

• The POA also assumes responsibility for building additional amenities (pickleball is an example).

• The POA assists developers with their projects in order to make sure the process is easier for them. The POA has a facilitator role with developers.

• The POA is not advocating to be developers.

CMP Implementation Tables draft (Heffer)

• The staff has finished the initial updating to the CMP Implementation Tables. This is only a draft. This updating will occur annually.

• Red print indicates what staff has added. Black print indicates what was originally in the Implementation Tables.

• The CMPAC will evaluate the CMP Implementation Tables and make recommendations.

Version control

• Each CMPAC member will receive a full copy to look over. This full version will probably be read-only in order to keep from having multiple versions floating around.

• Each CMPAC member will also receive a subset, according to their area of expertise (committee liaison role) to make the recommended updates.

Priorities (goals) for CMP Implementation Table updating

1. Enterprise Goal alignment,
2. Tracking and noting accomplishments,
3. Work towards a more strategic and tactical plan, and
4. Priorities in the budget.

Action item: All committee members will review all recommendations.

Any changes to the CMP Implementation Table must be approved by the Board of Directors.

The CMP Implementation Tables and the O and M Tables should be separated from the CMP so that it will be easier to update them.

Sub-committee and committee reports

Marketing Sub-committee (Avila)

Pam Avila said, “The Marketing Sub-committee would like to know the status of the ‘Summary of Findings’ that was submitted a couple of months ago.”

Choyce said, “That it is in progress. It’s…and I think that we should probably take that one offline and discuss that separately, where we’re going to go on that one. That’s been kind of a hot potato.”

“We do have the recommendations that came up with…we already took…we already accepted the ones that are included in the marketing plan. But we have not, for the ones that are not. So I did want to accept that document and I did send that around to everyone for a review,” explained Choyce.

Choyce said, “The one comment that I discussed with Pam was that we need to realize that there have been major changes and feel free to jump in on this one, Pam. Because we have marketing staff and they’ve been making progress, this document has been a way in coming. So obviously there is a potential that there are things that are now included in the marketing plan that wasn’t as prescribing, is my understanding. Is that correct, Pam?”

Ms. Avila said, “Right, well, not included in the marketing plan but things that they’ve actually implemented – that were recommended. That initial recommendation was actually completed and submitted more than four months ago and a lot has happened in the Marketing Department since then and they are moving forward and so this is now basically kind of an old document, unfortunately. If it had been acted upon or recognized when it was submitted, it might have had more value.”

Ms. Choyce said, “Well, the original intent when we met with Keith, all that time ago, was that we wanted some kind of processes to say, we have a marketing plan [indecipherable] unapproved. What are the recommendations that you had that were in and what was out? I didn’t have an expectation at the time that it be two separate documents. I thought it would be a single document. So yes, I’d like to get that off of our plate and get that taken care of, with the recognition or understanding that it is constantly evolving in terms of what’s been done with the marketing efforts as [indecipherable]. So are you all okay if we accept that document?”

The members agreed to accept the recommendations document.

Recreation Committee (Lehman)

The Recreation Committee is talking about maintenance updates and is waiting on improved weather to be able to report on this.

The Recreation Committee has questions about CCI property.

There is a concern in the Recreation Committee about losing trails if certain CCI properties are sold. (Jody Latham answers the questions pertaining to CCI at the end of the CMPAC meeting – see below.)

Public Services Committee (Claasen)

The Public Services Committee has been working with Mike Sykora to evaluate the POA-owned facilities (buildings). In conjunction with Mr. Sykora, the Public Services Committee has developed a facility checklist and inspection schedule. Every POA-owned building in the Village will be thoroughly inspected (except for electrical and roofs).

The Public Services Committee is also working on the phasing of the culvert refurbishment plan and development of a conceptual strategy for timber management.

Marketing sub-committee recommendations report revisited (Heffer)

Going back to the subject of marketing, Ms. Heffer said, “Recognizing that the report is somewhat dated, I think I’d like to come back because I do know that there are, like Nikki said, things that have happened, occurred or are currently in place as [indecipherable] strategies. So we need to come back with a staff response saying these things have been introduced or are currently being practiced or that sort of thing. I’d like to make sure we are clear that since it’s [indecipherable] we need to make sure we know now what has been acknowledged as the work of the committee, provided. Is that okay?”

Choyce and Avila agreed.

SWOT Analysis (Choyce)

The CMPAC Charter requires that the committee complete four SWOT Analyses per year. SWOT Analysis is a procedure where the committee identifies the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats for each quarterly topic. There was reluctance during the last SWOT Analysis about showing our weaknesses and threats to the public. It was decided the SWOT Analyses should be used to help the CMPAC prioritize and identify things that they need to do. It does have value to share SOME of the results and this would be the public document. According to Choyce, in a prior meeting, Clint Blackman said, “do we really want to be airing dirty laundry?”

Choyce said she revised the SWOT results into a dialogue format.

Lehman said that it is a challenge for people to recognize their weaknesses. Weaknesses shouldn’t be pushed under the rug.

White said he thought it would be a valuable tool for the staff.

Heffer said that recommendations can be made for the weaknesses so the weaknesses can be addressed.

Choyce said they would not only identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, but accompany those with committee recommendations.

Action item to update SWOT Analysis to also include recommendations.

CMP website content update (Bielanski)

Ms. Avila and Ms. Bielanski partnered with Jamie Caperton and Nikki Choyce in late January. They discussed possible changes to the Explore the Village website, “particularly as it relates to the Comprehensive Master Plan.”

Ms. Caperton suggested they work with a “marketing firm to see if we are fully leveraging the Village site.”

Possible changes to the member resources website and the public website were discussed.

The recommended website changes will be presented to the Board of Directors soon (possibly on Wednesday, February 19, 2020).

Action item: Research whether the videos on Explore the Village are duplicated on YouTube.

Report to the Board in April (Choyce)

In April’s report to the Board of Directors, the Board wants to be updated on the focus of the CMPAC. This focus will be determined by using what the committee has learned about the CMP and what the committee “is aware of in terms of the implementation updates, etc.”

The CMPAC made a list of focus areas. This list is very similar to the Board’s Budget Policy plan.

Erickson said the Board had a three-year plan for about eight different areas. The CMPAC hit on about five or six of these areas in their list. Chair Erickson said, “It would be well if you could somehow map the work that you are doing to the Board’s policy.”

The areas included in the Board’s policy are:

• Revenue

• Deferred maintenance reduction

• Marketing

• Reserves

• Subsidization

• New commercial, operational, and residential development

• Land acquisition and divestiture

• Debt addition/reduction

Tom Heau inquired whether we have three to five-year strategies. Erickson replied saying that we do not have three to five-year strategies at this time.

Choyce said the CMPAC needs to prioritize the categories. Choyce said, “At a minimum, we need to define what we believe should…is it a goal statement of what we want it to accomplish and then let’s start breaking it down in terms of what kind of recommendations specific in each of those areas, obviously as it relates to the CMP.”

White said, “Everything on the list requires money.” Maintaining and increasing revenue should be the first priority.

The committee agreed to focus on the top three of the Board’s policy.

Lehman said that revenue growth is also generated with expense reduction.

Wayfinding project (Heffer)

The committee is going to take a closer look at Wayfinding. Choyce said, “Wayfinding is defined in the CMP, relates a little bit to the visitor experience because can they figure out a way on our 500 roads to get to wherever they want, if it’s anywhere off of DeSoto. It also includes signage inconsistencies and standards. It could also include other things.”

Heffer said, “Wayfinding is a long term, it doesn’t happen quickly and it is nothing we are going to try to accomplish in a year. But what we hope to accomplish this year is to put a team of people together, staff as well as from some of the committees as I mentioned, to start to define the areas that need our attention. So where do we need directional signage? What do our facilities’ signs even look like? Are we properly branded? Do we have the right logos – things like that? Materials – are they in good repair, good condition? All of that stuff.” Our signs do not conform to one standard. This year we hope to catalog all the signs and then come up with recommendations.

Bielanski talked about the club sign located at the west gate but there wasn’t one at the east gate. She also mentioned the option of using electronic signs at the gates, which could be used to welcome groups.

Committee members final comments

Click here to read Jody Latham’s update on CCI.

Avila: “As we all know because we saw the emails flying back and forth, it was a really contentious set of emails going. And I would hope that you would encourage in the future that all of us as members be respectful of one another’s opinions and feelings and on someone asking or telling Ray to resign from this committee was not appropriate. I think we need to make it very clear.”

Choyce: “I’ve been taking that one offline and working that one.”

Guest comments/questions

Guest: The time change for this meeting was not updated on the community calendar. I just checked again and this meeting was still scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

***

Guest: What social media was the CCI press release posted on?

Latham: It was posted on Nextdoor, Facebook and the Village Voice.

***

Guest: All the for sale signs give the impression that the whole village is for sale. It was scary to see this.

Latham: If CCI is lucky, they will sell the property quickly. Latham asked if you had your home for sale, would you take your sign down if you thought there were too many for sale signs posted?

Guest: “I don’t understand why there has to be a sign every mile or so. If I had ten houses I wanted to sell, I wouldn’t put ten signs up.” Will we be getting updates as the properties sell?

Latham: The sign will go down. CCI will be happy to share, but will not put out a status report.

***

Guest: Is the CMPAC planning on permanently changing their meeting time?

Choyce: The time change was an exception at this point.

***

Guest: There have been a lot of reports with people having trouble with Suddenlink. Can you offer any suggestions?

Avila: Go up the chain of command at Suddenlink. Be persistent. There is nothing the GAC can do.

***

Guest: Does this committee (CMPAC) have private work sessions and if so, are the subjects which are discussed in the private meetings then discussed at the next regular meeting? And if there are private work sessions, how often do you have these?

Choyce answered: “We do plan on having work sessions in the future. We do them on an as-needed basis and yes, per the policy we will, anything that’s done in a work session will be brought here so they can be in the minutes.”

Guest: Have you had any private meetings?

Choyce, “We’ve only had one and the topic was the SWOT Analysis, so therefore we discussed it here.”

***

Guest: Is a big report coming out in April and if so, at which meeting will this report be shared?

Choyce: All committees are required to give an annual report to the Board of Directors and the CMPAC annual report will be given in April, per our charter.

Guest: “So you are doing it the last day the old Board is onboard?”

Choyce: “April is what our charter says.”

Click here to watch the CMPAC 2/14/2020 meeting video.

We apologize for the poor sound quality of the video. A much nosier meeting was being held in the next room and there was only a plastic curtain as separation.

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Written by Cheryl Dowden, February 17, 2020