Closed Board Meetings Proposed by HSVPOA
B.M.B.S. (Board Monthly Brain Storming) Meetings, besides being a horrible acronym, are a horrible idea. What is a B.M.B.S. meeting, you might be asking?
It’s a really bad idea that was birthed the first day of the Board Retreat on May 1, 2019. This idea saw the light of day and was introduced to the public on the second day of Board Retreat (May 2, 2019).
Monthly Work Sessions Suggested
On Day two, it started as a suggestion from one (new) board member to revisit the idea of having monthly work sessions. For anyone new to the village in the past couple of years, these were open planning and discussion meetings held every month two weeks before every board meeting; members were welcome and could address the board in a less structured format. These meetings were done away with during the Twiggs era as it was said that staff was spending much too much time preparing for two meetings every month. The Board at that time also seemed to feel they found it too much effort and perhaps didn’t like having to face homeowners twice a month.
Mistake to do away with monthly work sessions
Anyway, there’s always been a strong contingent of folks that felt it was a mistake to do away with those meetings, especially in the interests of transparency. Instead, the Board began meeting once a month in private to establish the meeting agenda, and again in private on a separate monthly date with the CEO for “updates”.
In an article in the Hot Springs Village Voice, written by Lewis Delevan and dated March 22, 2016, Board Director Jeff Atkins discusses the topic of private meetings by the Board,
Quoting Atkins from the Voice article
“Next, Atkins said the other directors were trying to hide private meetings. ‘What a nice spin,’ Atkins said, saying the meetings violate the board’s policy to conduct POA business in open meetings, except for items that must be discussed in executive session.”
“ ‘What they did not tell you is this has been going on for months,’ Akins said, saying he had learned about the sessions recently. Further, Atkins said it wasn’t right to hold board meetings without even notifying all the directors.”
“’Several board members starting a private meeting on their own, and didn’t inform the rest of the board members,’ he said. ‘I think it was very inappropriate to be meeting without the rest of the board in attendance. I would say I’m disappointed in the rest of the board, but I guess I should have expected it.'”
Monthly work sessions morphed into B.M.B.S.
Fast forward to May 1, 2019. The board had a lovely first day of Retreat meeting privately and talking on anything they wanted. Day two would be with members in attendance.
Perhaps with the memory of the day before fresh in their minds, the board members moved around the table on day two with their four or five top priorities to be put up on the poster board and “voted on” by colored sticky dots.
Suddenly there was a plan gaining momentum that Board Monthly Brain Storming meetings (B.M.B.S.) would really be cool fun. And then a Board member (new) said these would be closed meetings – well, I almost fell out of my chair. WHERE’S THE TRANSPARENCY IN THAT???
I’m sure they thought this would maybe fly under the radar because they were justifying that it would incorporate the two monthly closed meetings they are already having and they could add Brain Storming as a third topic….all to be done outside the view of property owners. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to know what they are “brainstorming” about.
They still have the privilege of Executive Sessions to discuss “sensitive matters” privately, isn’t that enough?
Incorporate some of B.M.B.S. topics into “Let’s Talk” sessions
In fairness to the new board member who championed the idea that these meetings would be closed, this board member did suggest that maybe some of their ideas could be “incorporated” into the newly invented “Let’s Talk” sessions. Sorry, but those meetings don’t rise to the level of the attending board members du jour sharing much more than canned platitudes.
Trust cannot be built with secret meetings
Mind you, their number one top take away from their day two meeting was the need to build owner trust. Do you see why I’m frustrated? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING???? It is my understanding that they plan to bless giving themselves permission to hold these meetings at the upcoming board meeting (May 15, 2019).
Written by a Villager, May 12, 2019
Note from Editor:
This was submitted by someone who wishes to remain anonymous. The purpose of this website is to report the news and give a Voice to Villagers. Some Villagers, for very legitimate reasons, do not feel comfortable voicing their thoughts and opinions. I would not publish anything that is not from a legitimate source. Even though this writer wishes to remain anonymous, that does not make his/her points any less valid. It could have been written by me, but it was not. Thank you for respecting the wishes of this individual to remain anonymous.
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Gene Garner
05/12/2019 — 11:24 am
It didn’t take long for the new board member to reveal his/her willingness to not only cooperate but to “one up” the four hold-over directors. The suggestion to keep these meetings closed is a giant step backwards in the POA’s attempt at transparency. Are we surprised? I’m not, but maybe I’ve grown cynical over the last five years.
Actions speak louder than words and the actions of the POA & CEO keep telling me they really don’t care what we think or want. It’s obvious that this is a no quarters given struggle and anythings goes.
I was leery of the “Let’s Talk” sessions at first and I now see them for what they are; self-serving propaganda to pacify the property owners and convince us that they really care. —Gene
Jayne Dell
05/12/2019 — 1:00 pm
BMBS – You are so right – that is a horrible, yet hilarious and really quite appropriate acronym for these behind closed door board meetings. I’d like to know who the new BM was who offered this up. Gene, you are also so right, those “Let’s Talk” meetings are pure and complete BS.
Steve Rust
05/12/2019 — 3:19 pm
Gene Garner, you are exactly right in everything you stated.
Having closed brainstorming meetings just states again the BOD is not interested in what Villagers have to say and are not interested in any help from Villagers. Tormey Campagna, Diana Podawiltz and Dick Garrison if you support closed meetings, I for one will be very disappointed in you. Please do not turn out like previous directors that ignore the Villagers.
Jeff Atkins
05/12/2019 — 3:26 pm
Glad someone is paying attention.
Kirk Denger
05/13/2019 — 10:19 am
Tell us that it isn’t true.
Let’s not forget that it is the CEO who prints, stores and counts the final votes.
Stalin is absolutely correct when he stated: “It’s not how the people vote that counts, it’s who counts the vote that counts. This should be at the top of the agenda to remove the CEO from anything to do with the vote.
Kay Santi
05/15/2019 — 7:26 am
I agree with Gene, Steve, Jayne and Kirk. We were promised change, more of the same “crap”.
Karen Lundberg
05/20/2019 — 10:55 pm
Thank you, Cheryl Dowden, for sharing important information that we members need to know. I most certainly understand the author’s wish for this article to remain Anonymous. It matters not to me at all who wrote it, but I am very impressed that he/she stood out and wrote the article. To Anonymous, thank you.
Along with this article regarding BMBS (I would take the two middle letters out and call it what it is), but there are rumors and warnings that we are very close to having closed Board meetings. Even the Board meeting that will be continued from the May 15 Board meeting, there will be no comments allowed. My question to that demand of the Board is: “So what makes that any different? Even when we are allowed to speak, we are not heard.” Any 3 minute audience participation is totally ignored.
Does anyone else feel like a Board meeting is nothing more than “Class is in Session?” We must all sit in our seats nice and politely and our “teachers” are telling us all what to do, and there will be no back talk from anyone. We are not children, but we are being treated like children, and somehow, the results of the May 15th Board meeting has turned around and been totally blamed on the members. The Board is taking no responsibility whatsoever for what caused that meeting. Many people, including our CEO, is saying that she was threatened, and feared for her life. Our CEO’s husband and an employee’s husband rushing that woman and getting in her face, was that reasonable or necessary? There were police present, who were actually very kind considering what was going on, and they adequately performed their job and went over to where the “supposed” threat came from. It is totally inappropriate that spouses of POA employees insinuated themselves into that situation. But we are to blame? A practicing attorney who lives here in the Village, even weighed in on the situation and posted that what was said to our CEO did not meet the standards of a “threat.” As a matter of fact, if you watch the video, you will see our CEO, herself, doing her share of screaming.
The only real “threat” that took place in that Board meeting that the Board chooses to keep ignoring is the threat that Board Member Mike Medica started screaming so loudly that his voice could be heard over all of the ruckus going on in the room, and when I screamed at him stating that he could not scream at us like that, he charged straight at me, ending up in my face. Several people, including myself, saw the vicious look on his face and gathered behind me because they and I thought he was going to hit me. The police interceded at that point and backed him away from me, or I do believe he would have hit me. The vicious look of anger on his face was scary. Interestingly, though, my husband, who was standing right beside me, did not act inappropriately as our CEO’s and employee’s spouses did, and my husband let the police handle it.
What I find to be the most heinous insult of this situation is that I have now requested a meeting twice with our Chairwoman of the Board, Mr. Medica, and a new Board member, and I have been denied the meeting both times. Since several days have now passed with no word from the Chairwoman of the Board, I am led to assume that this matter will not be addressed, and Mr. Medica will be allowed to continue as a Board member.
I hope Cheryl Dowden does not mind, but to use her words, “this is not going to be a popular post,” but a member of our Village posted today that while it is not something any of us wish to happen, I, myself, am beginning to wonder if requesting the State of Arkansas to incorporate us is not the answer. I am not at this point saying it is, but it is making me wonder. The first thing people will say is that we will lose our gates. That is not true! There are thousands and thousands of gated communities in the United States, which are also incorporated in the State.
Folks, take a look around. We are living in a dictatorship, and while I certainly agree that we need to give the new Board members a chance, the damage that our CEO and the portion of the Board that supports her every whim, at the pace they are going, we may not have time to wait for the next election. All I am asking is, at the rate things are moving, which is the worst of two evils, living in a dictatorship or living by the Laws of the State of Arkansas? If our Board and CEO continue on the path they have their minds set on, then I think we probably all will eventually come to the same conclusion.