By Adonna Anderson Patyk, January 7, 2020
PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO READ and REFLECT
TIA [Thanks in advance] for your time
For me, it’s not just about cutting costs which I am all for – we are too top-heavy and some make too much money plus their benefits packages for the results yielded in a community of this size. The population has not grown proportional to the added salaried staff.
It would be a start and step to right the ship we all care so much about. We all agree we love our village. A villager once said:
THE VILLAGE IS A SLICE OF HEAVEN ON EARTH…
I believe this and want to continue to believe it.
The past monetary waste seems unacceptable.
The rude condescension and disrespectful lack of manners shown at board meetings toward residents are extremely unacceptable. (One example is the video of the board meeting with villager Stephen Rust comes to mind.)😞
Its also about spending our dues wisely
The current solution always seems to be raising dues or special assessments to pay for the project of the day.
- Cutting hourly staff is not a solution.
- Closing golf courses in rotation and adversely affecting small business owners in our village is not a solution.
- Increasing amenity fees to villagers is not a solution at this time.
- Adding executive staff and at the same time outsourcing or contracting out the same responsibilities associated with those very positions is not a solution.
That is not to say dues should never ever be raised possibly in the future. We might all even agree on that.
How many of us might and I say might be willing to pay a little more if our leaders were using our money differently for the true betterment of the village?
Spinning anything in any direction doesn’t make it the truth. Results, in this case, are tangible.
How many of us might not have issues with some salaries if from the onset of the village was run with more competence and we had a voice? We deserve to be heard.
The village is full of smart & educated people
There are many many smart and educated people with real-life experience living here with excellent ideas that have been properly shared and presented to our management and have been dismissed.
Why anyone would NOT want to consider or EVEN ADOPT some of the ways offered for free to grow our community and to improve infrastructure and to be successful is beyond my comprehension.
Planning and budgeting and accountability and transparency don’t seem to be in the vocabulary.
Let’s don’t present pure negativity
It might also be crucial to those who are new to the village or the Hot Springs Village People Group that our ongoing long-time history of frustrations is not presented as pure negativity and whining, of which is so easy to follow into that trap.
Do your research
I would encourage due diligence and everyone please do their own research and reading and then decide for yourself. Read posts. Watch videos. Review the CMP and org charts. Read, read, read the information on Hot Springs Village People dot com. and the countless POA letters and documents provided in the Hot Springs Village People Facebook Group by the admins and all those who work tirelessly to keep us up to date.
Go to the POA and request to see contracts, etc. It was ruled by a judge in court last year we have that very right. Be informed. Engage in constructive discussions and ask questions with your neighbors that have lived here for years or decades.
PLEASE VOTE IN MARCH
We need to remind ourselves that a year ago not only did we succeed in getting the NO vote to changes to the amendments but we got no votes for all 14 changes!
These are my opinions based on what the facts are as I understand them. However…If you disagree with all or part I respect that but it will not change what I think. Thank you.
By Adonna Anderson Patyk, January 7, 2020
Image by PopcornSusanN from Pixabay
Serena
01/07/2020 — 2:55 pm
I will surely VOTE FOR – Lloyd – Tucker & Dick. They will be great additions to the BOD and in reality – our ONLY chance to take back our Village from those in power now who have caused ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS.
Anonymous
01/07/2020 — 11:32 pm
I would really like to know who you are. Do you live in the village??
Dave Sintich
01/07/2020 — 2:58 pm
• Dave Sintich It can be again if the right knowledgeable people are elected. Hire a GM with credentials
and make necessary changes in by-laws, covenants and such to let the residents have a voice in major
decisions. Don’t renew this contract and during the interim, take all duties and access to everything away but
have the presence to sit silently to earn the salary. Have committees of residents without bod members to
make suggestions and get us into a better financial situation. Involve the many educated residents with
certain back grounds to advise and use their experience to aid in a better master plan. If people make a
suggestion, explain if it’s good or bad but don’t blow them off like has been done. And give direction to
departments as to what needs addressing in a timely manner. Get involved in the laws so our police can act
accordingly to crimes without being blocked by policies and by-laws.
Vicki Husted
01/07/2020 — 4:50 pm
Adonna Anderson Patyk and Dave Sintich,
Your opinions and suggestions serve to reflect mine almost exactly. I very much appreciate the time and effort it takes to put these things in perspective and in writing. And being willing to do it under your own names, not hiding in the shadows.
I’ve seen others who share similar opinions and good suggestions begin to emerge and share their thoughts, and that encourages me to believe that returning control to our members CAN and WILL be accomplished with election of new BOD members who will take back the reigns of governance and employ them to reflect the desires of the majority.
Voting in the upcoming BOD Election is the crucial step toward this process. Get to know the candidates, ask them about their positions on things that matter most to you, and then vote accordingly.
Currently there is a Poll about the CMP, if you are on NextDoor. It’s only a straw poll with 3 options, but it sends a message to leadership, and reflects broadly where sentiments rest of those who voted. Property owners (in the shadows or not) should click this link and weigh in with their sentiments if you are on NextDoor. https://nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=133284988
Do your research, engage in the dialogue, present your opinions and suggestions! STAND UP, SPEAK UP AND VOTE IN THE BOD ELECTION!
Vicki Husted
01/07/2020 — 11:48 pm
I regret to inform you that censorship on NextDoor is totally alive and well and under complete control of those who oppose the large majority of members. The Poll about the CMP I posted about above and in several places about 6PM on January 6th has now been deleted. It showed that it had been posted for 6 days, but that was the first time I had seen it, and I go there several times a day. There has been a lot of incorrect categorization of posts on ND recently, so I recommended people visit it and cast their votes. The original poster simply said:
*************************************
Poll: C.M.P. meaning
Which of the following options most accurately describes the CMP?
Cheers to the 2020 HSV BOD candidates !!!!
Choose one:
1. Complete Money Pit
2. Comprehensive Master Plan
3. Complete Pile of Manure
**************************************
It was not scientific, just a “straw poll”, but clearly showed where the majority sentiment lies. At the time I started posting on ND and Websites and FB groups that are not censored, there had been 27 votes, with 84% total between 2 of the options, and 14% for the other.
The last talley I can personally confirm was in response I made to a post I made on an uncensored site at 2:40 pm today, January 7th:
“Sadly, that’s true, (name removed). However those of us who haven’t been ejected yet are responding, and the current tally shows there have been 76 votes. There is 80% total between 2 of the options, and 19% for the other.”
This is not the first instance of deletions when the subject matter was not in agreement with the CEO’s agenda. Posts have also been re-classified from the poster’s selection and moved into categories where they are unlikely to be seen by many, as I suspect was the fate of this poll post for the first 6 days!
More evidence of how crucial it is to VOTE IN MARCH for NEW BOD members who will pursue an agenda desired by the majority of members, not just the agenda of the CEO.
Man from the clouds
01/07/2020 — 6:27 pm
Perhaps the POA could go back to managing the village and let the Realtors sell the village in my own opinion
Man from the clouds
01/07/2020 — 6:27 pm
And yes we are so top-heavy in salaries it makes me want to barf
Anonymous
01/13/2020 — 7:31 pm
Thank you Man from the clouds, keep helping us Earthlings, we need your thoughts.
mike
01/07/2020 — 7:43 pm
Agree Adonna.
Dolores
01/07/2020 — 7:54 pm
Great article. Support this 100%. This organization is entirely too top heavy and must be re structured.
Sam Taylor
01/07/2020 — 8:46 pm
Simply put … Yep!
Linda anderson
01/08/2020 — 8:49 am
ADONNA, Thank You for describing our wonderful Village with a sensitive and reasonable understanding of our concerns. The Board has become a cold , hard Corporate machine bent on binding it’s will upon the community in lock step with the desires of management , while ignoring the devastating financial effects that have surfaced. The majority of property owners are listening and taking notice and will VOTE ” NO ” to any assessments raise and VOTE for new Board Candidates that will defend and protect our ” SLICE OF HEAVEN ON EARTH “
Paul
01/08/2020 — 9:39 am
According to https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Industry=Retirement_Community/Salary
Average salaries in the Retirement Community industry in the US are as follows:
executive chef 57k
Human Resources (HR Director 87k
Executive Director 98k
Maintenance Director 51k
Director of Sales and Marketing 63k
Business Office Manager 50k
Director of Dining Services 65k
US Governor Salaries according to data from The Council of State Governments (CSG), current annual earnings range from a low of $70,000 to a high of $201,680. Specific salaries can be found here https://ballotpedia.org/Comparison_of_gubernatorial_salaries
Something’s rotten in the Village…
George Phillis
01/08/2020 — 11:57 pm
The 10,000 “Baby Boomers” retiring everyday (and that figure is forecasted to last for 20 years) will have 70% of all disposable income over the next five years. If HSV could market the 58,400 retirees who move to another state every year and 1 out of 10 decide to move to HSV that’s 5,840 property owners. If 1 out of 100 made the decision that’s 584 new property owners. So what if they are scattered over the country? That’s why Marketing Plans are developed. The CMP is a 20 year urbanization plan. It’s a mis-direction for HSV which was designed as a retirement gated community providing green belt areas, a multitude of hiking trails, lakes, golf courses, scattered housing, and a serenity found in a country setting. That’s why Villagers are here. Management has failed in making sound financial decisions, maintaining infrastructure, has no transparency, is top heavy with overpaid positions and no marketing plan. The BOD has failed their fiduciary responsibilities to the property owners (except for two, of which one was removed) and has allowed a dictatorial style of governing by the CEO. The steps to right this broached ship is to elect BOD members Lloyd, Tucker and Dick in March, do not renew the CEO’s contract, reduce the top heavy condition of management, build trust with transparency, re-visit our bylaws that have been altered to fit the backdoor operations, develop a true marketing plan geared to those 10,000 retiring everyday, stop all non-essential spending for a designated period, and provide a true budget to property owners without the smoke and mirrors. Get the POA out of the restaurant business and listen to the Villagers……there are many intelligent well educated people here with expertise and good ideas. HSV is truly a beautiful place however it cannot survive without making these changes…..make 2020 the year HSV gets back on track.
Karen
01/09/2020 — 5:28 am
Well said and totally correct. Doubt it will happen, though. “ceo” has contract for life. Board is inept. CMP is in everything.
I sense that we are doomed.
Sorry, but it is hard to feel otherwise.
Tucker Omohundro
01/10/2020 — 9:29 pm
Wow George, can I use all you just said in my campaign. You so Just hit the nail on the head.
Anonymous
01/13/2020 — 7:25 pm
Good luck George with not renewing the ceo contract which is renewed automatically every two years unless terminated by 6 out of 7 board members.
Sharon Welborn
01/09/2020 — 11:48 am
Exactly right! To bad BOD/CEO won’t read this or consider the benefit of changing their attitude or way of doing business.
Anonymous
01/13/2020 — 7:38 pm
CMP Craterous Money Pit.
Anonymous
01/13/2020 — 8:56 pm
Need to change sitting members of the bod is so far the only way forward .
Sue
01/17/2020 — 6:43 pm
Actually, the other way forward is to buy out her contract before Ms. Nalley can do anymore damage. I think it would be cheaper than what havoc she can wreck in the next 2 years.
Sue
justme
01/17/2020 — 6:49 pm
I am trying to get my thick head around all this mess but I just seem to get headaches.
Some folk talk about this place as if it was just an retirement facility.
However it has a huge overhead of outdoor facilities that also needs to be maintained. It does not seem to be able to be funded by residents alone so it depends on outside participation (money) to survive. So my belief is that there is conflicts here that I do not see people addressing.
Sue
01/21/2020 — 8:07 am
Nice article!