Written by Phil Lemler May 30, 2019
HSV CMP – “A Living/Breathing Document”
Those defending the Comprehensive Master Plan (“CMP”) have stated “numerous” times that the CMP is a “living/breathing document”. I have been told … numerous times … that this means we can change it … modify it … implement some sections but not others … and, in essence, bend it to the future will of the POA board, POA management and Hot Springs Village.
This “living and breathing” argument is based on the fact that the POA Board and POA management have found that the entire plan is not defendable. They have admitted that the CMP has its good parts … and it has its bad parts. So, rather than admitting it has been a $million mistake and writing a viable plan, they have chosen to employ the “living/breathing” position so they (POA Board and POA management) can pick and choose the good parts for HSV’s future. And, save face from wasting this money.
Who will decide the good and the bad?
I concur there are “good parts” to the CMP. The problem I have is that who will decide what the good parts will be and what the bad parts will be? As long as the entire CMP remains in place, there will always be a conflict in how we define this issue.
Will future POA Boards … years from now … decide that a “Town Center” is a good part? Will someone … in the future … decide that our gates are inhibiting growth and need to come down? This determination of “good parts” versus “bad parts” will always be a major point of disagreement here in HSV and the “living/breathing” CMP will always represent a potential “land mine” of problems for residents. As long as the CMP remains in force, as a living/breathing document, we will be subject to its Village-damaging components.
Personally, I would be extremely cautious and concerned about allowing the POA Board/POA management (or any committee established for this purpose who reports to the board) to decide this “good parts/bad parts” issue. In my opinion, anyone who has created and supported such a strategically radical plan should not be involved in determining its future. I mean at some point they thought all of the CMP parts were “good”. The POA Board needs to formally reject the CMP in its entirety.
CMP fiasco is like a salad bar with poisonous dishes
The CMP fiasco is like having a restaurant salad bar with 10 bowls of different salad dishes. You know that five (5) of those dishes have poison in them. However, the salad bar manager’s position is yeah but five (5) of those are “good” dishes, with tasty salads. The salad bar manager stations a salad bar employee at the start of the salad bar to keep customers from taking any poisonous salad.
However, at some point, that employee goes home and a new manager comes on duty … no one can remember which salads have the poison in them and … you get sick customers.
The right decision is to empty the salad bar … and start over!
Written by Phil Lemler, Hot Springs Village Property Owner
Edited and formatted by Cheryl Dowden
Jerry Jay Carroll
05/30/2019 — 12:55 pm
The board and its works should be regarded with suspicion until the obstructive hold-outs and leftovers are gone and the new three have demonstrated by their track record that they reflect the will of the Village, or at least those people who pay attention to what is going on. I think that is about 20 percent or so of the whole, which is pretty standard for local politics. The policy of the BOD in past has been to dismiss these people as ignorant rabble and ranters up to no good. Its recent electoral rebuffs have shaken their confidence, which explains this week’s can’t-we-all-just-get-along together message. That is all well and good, and who could not agree with the spirit of the message? But it takes two to tango and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Yes, a mixed metaphor.
Anonymous
05/30/2019 — 1:13 pm
Now the ball is in their lap.
Tom Blakeman
05/30/2019 — 1:43 pm
Well stated Phil. What we need is a total reset, back about 5 to 7 years.
I’ve always hated salad bars.
Monica Impellizzeri
05/30/2019 — 4:08 pm
Excellent and well stated! Send it to all board members and the newspaper.
Walter
05/30/2019 — 4:37 pm
The transportation part of CMP wasn’t bad. But I would be happy to throw out the croutons for a piece meal salad.
Linda Anderson
05/30/2019 — 8:57 pm
Phil, You have hit a home run again with a no nonsense approach for a true understanding of the CMP and what it represents. I also believe that it is to be used as a cover-up to defuse the community with the thought that it is ” The Committee Approval ” that clears the way for the Pocket Neighborhoods and the fight against Mr. Cooper . Sound Insane? Maybe, but there has always been a method to this madness. The Board ( Old Guard and L.N. ) are racing as fast as they can to get what they want which is to “Build A Walkable Community ( New Urbanism ” City ” Concept ) on The West Side” with smaller roof tops at great expense which will divide the West and the East. Get ready for a huge backlash when more money is needed to defend the cost.
As you said Phil, it is time for the Board to reject it now.
Kirk Denger
05/30/2019 — 10:55 pm
Thanks Phil for your highly respected leadership, as for the CMP, there are no good parts. The CMP adopted by the board of directors and promoted as a living document, has been pronounced Dead On Arrival by the vast majority of HSV property owners. The CMP charade, used an absurd pretence to create a respectable appearance which served as a way to quickly generate “visions” for the future, wasting millions of property owner’s money, and has produced nothing but division. Tens of thousands of staff hours are wasted on implementing a CMP that simply is not feasible for HSV. For the last 4 years, the POA Board of Directors has wasted millions of our hard earned assessment dollars with failed grandiose ideas because of an over reaching Management. HSV property owners have never before in history been bushwhacked by a more disconnected and wasteful administration which includes the Congress of New Urbanism and their legal counselors from which they receive guidance. At ACC meetings we have 7 paid staff boondoggling volunteer committee members for hours, CMP laws on how the residents should be forced to trim their Crepe Myrtles. Standard building codes have worked for 48 years and are more than adequate. Why are we continuing to entertain this ludicrous CMP apocalypse? According to the Arkansas Articles of Incorporation Act of 1963 which governs the POA, the members of a Non-Profit Corporation are allowed two meetings per year, the purpose of the meetings of the Membership of the Non-Profit Corporation is to evaluate the Board of Directors of the Non-Profit Corporation. The Chair has been formally requested to notify all members of a members meeting, 30 days in advance of 10 days prior to the July 2019 Board meeting. Only the BOD is able to notify all members because they are hiding membership information. It is another failure of fiduciary duty to ignore this request for a members meeting to once and for all show the BOD who is in charge of HSV POA, and the BOD will be held accountable.
Andrew Kramek
05/31/2019 — 8:31 am
If the CMP is truly a “living, breathing document” then why are the duties and responsibilities of the CMP Advisory Committee so strongly curtailed?
The Committee charter, in section IV makes it pretty clear that the Committee’s function is to further the implementation of the CMP and not to consider, or propose, alternative strategies.
What I find particularly interesting is that in Section A (where the Stakeholders are listed) we have property owners (reasonable), staff, Board and Committees – i..e the POA itself (also reasonable) and then “Others”. Who are the Other “stakeholders” in this CMP if they are not actually property owners or part of the POA?
IV. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Hot Springs Village Comprehensive Master Plan Advisory Committee will:
A. Solicit input from all stakeholders, including property owners, staff, Board members, standing committees, and others, furthering the goal of transparency and public input in the CMP’s implementation;
B. Participate in annual educational updates with third party experts to ensure CMP elements reflect latest market best practices and trends;
C. Evaluate input against the implementation tables and enterprise goals, recommending priorities and revisions to staff by April each year as one input source in developing the Association’s annual budget and enterprise objectives. The CMP Advisory Committee’s recommendations shall not be considered as directives or spending authorization, given that the CFO and CEO will compile suggestions from all sources and make a final recommendation to the Board;
D. Prepare and discuss as a group, each quarter, a SWOT analysis of the CMP’s
implementation, resource requirements and status;
E. Prepare and present a progress overview in the annual membership meeting against the adopted annual budget and enterprise goals.
F. Support staff, as requested, in building partnerships, funding sources and
technical resources needed to accomplish the goals of the CMP and considerations surrounding suggested plan updates;
G. Support ACC, as requested, in recommended revisions to the Protective Covenants;
H. Be well versed and understand the CMP’s objectives, strategies and intended outcomes;
Kirk Denger
06/05/2019 — 11:31 pm
Andrew, it is interesting… and illegal. All of these committees are rigged by the CEO and BOD enablers. The Chairs who monopolize all narratives and directives during all meetings and in between are appointed instead of elected according to POA laws. All directives by these committees are illegal and therefore held for naught. Each decision made using these committees as reasons are held for naught and are liabilities to each of the past and current BOD and CEO for the negligence of their duties.
Andrew Kramek
06/06/2019 — 5:55 pm
Kirk, I guess it is just another example, as if we needed more, of the facade being presented by the BOD and their CEO (or is it CEO and her BOD?). It’s all a sham designed to keep the ignorant natives quiet while the smart people in charge get on with what they want to do.
Melinda Noble
05/31/2019 — 2:03 pm
In a two on two meeting with Lesley sometime ago I was told “the CMP is a done deal” with know need for discussion. Has Queen Lesley seen the light, I doubt it.
Anonymous
06/27/2019 — 8:44 am
Some analogies fit some don’t.
The sentiments expressed could said of any plan, including Phil’s expressed ideas.