Counterpoints to Leeming’s article
What happened?
Yesterday, August 13, 2020, was a day we won’t soon forget. HSVPOA Chairman of the Board, Diana Podawiltz was removed as Board Chair by a majority vote of 4 to 3. Subsequent to her removal from the chair position, Podawiltz decided to resign from the Board, effective immediately.
Why did this happen?
Folks, we are in the midst of a shakeup. The management and governance of the Village had gone haywire, to use an old-fashioned term. This happened under past management and Boards. We elected our current Board Members to correct this situation and they are doing an excellent job of implementing the changes.
When organizations are being restructured and governance and management are undergoing a correction, drastic changes can happen, some unpredictable. It is typical and it is nothing to be worried about or to lose faith in our Board or Charles King our new manager.
Thoughts on what led up to Diana’s resignation
Diana was voted out of the Chair position by four votes. The three remaining voters abstained. Abstention in itself did not show support to Diana remaining as chair, only the desire to not go against the majority or go against Diana.
As Frank Leeming said in one of his latest articles (August 13, 2020), “There has been grumbling for some time about Podawiltz’s dominating personality and her control of board meetings and activities.”
Today, August 14, 2020, Leeming has decidedly done a backflip and stated in his latest article, that the “most charitable viewpoint” is that Diana’s dominant personality impeded the board. He felt that a “less charitable point would be this board needs to grow up and consider how its actions will look to property owners before it acts.”
This statement is a bit harsh against the board. While Frank admits to “grumblings,” in his August 13, 2020 article, I suggest these “grumblings” should not be trivialized and made light of. If Frank is hearing grumblings, we can only imagine what the Board is hearing.
In his recent article, Frank Leeming also quoted an anonymous observer, “She’s [Diana has] done a lot for the board and the community, but her ego just got in the way.”
It is obvious from the vote to remove Podawiltz from the Chair position, that a majority of the Board felt there were some problems or they would not have taken this action. This is a drastic measure, so there must have been reasons that can’t be made public. This all transpired in an Executive Session.
The Board Members did not remove Diana from the Board, only from the Chair position. Podawiltz did not have to resign. That was her choice. That said, Podawiltz was an excellent Board Member during her tenure. I give my gratitude and respect to Diana Podawiltz for all she has done for this Village.
In just four short months, this board has done a major overhaul, almost akin to performing miracles. The Village waited years for this to happen.
If the Podawiltz resignation is just one more part of the growing pains that we have to endure to make these miracles happen, then that is just the way it is.
Leeming talks King
Leeming also stated in his most recent article, “governing is always hard and messy. This board was bound to hit some bumps and it has.”
Leeming continued, “the best thing it could do in the wake of Podawiltz’s resignation is to tell Charles King, the new general manager, it’s time to step up and start being the boss. He’s been virtually invisible in his first two weeks on the job.”
Villagers should suggest to Mr. Leeming that the Board does not need to tell Mr. King that it is “time to step up and start being the boss.” There is no doubt that Mr. King is already the boss and doesn’t need to be micromanaged by the Board and told to “step up.”
Taking shots at Charles King as the new General Manager is nowhere near justified. For two weeks King has been buried in learning about this organization, making organizational changes, and getting a handle on everything. In addition, the termination of the CMEO, which is a major decision probably took some time.
Now is not the time to take potshots at Mr. King. The Board hired King because he is strong, very strong and they knew he would succeed in the job. To not allow Mr. King time to prove himself is not fair.
Moving the Village forward
The Board is living it, Villagers are looking at it from the outside. Making judgments based on false or incomplete information is not the way for us to continue to move our Village forward. And moving the Village forward is what this Board is all about.
Podawiltz was not the whole of the Board. She was only one member out of nine – including Corporate/Board Secretary and Treasurer. The opinions and work of all of them are very valid and should be appreciated.
Please don’t give up on the Board. This is what our opposition wants us to do. If we do this, then they have won. This is the time for Villagers to pull together and support the board.
Let’s go over a little Village history
Looking in from the outside
The actions of the Board did not happen in a vacuum. We are not privy to all of the details, but a few things are obvious.
Diana was duly elected to the Board in 2019 and faced an uphill battle. She stuck it out amongst great opposition from her fellow board members. The ex-CEO even filed charges against Podawiltz. Even so, Diana prevailed and did her best to represent the Village majority. She spoke for us at every opportunity but was continuously shot down by the remaining board members and ex-CEO.
At the same time that Diana was elected in 2019, we also elected Tormey Campagna who made certain campaign promises but did not keep them. We are not aware of the reasons why this happened but there have been many guesses. We supported Campagna in his campaign for Board Director as he ran alongside Diana and Lloyd. I will not speculate why Tormey changed, but will say many were extremely disappointed with Tormey’s turn of position.
Dick Garrison was also elected in 2019 by like-minded Villagers. The ex-CEO brought charges against not only Podawiltz but also Garrison and the 2019 Board removed Garrison. We are not sure of the exact reason for the removal, as boards do not share this confidential information with Villagers. In my opinion, this removal from the board was not legitimate. This is how it looked. When Garrison was being investigated by the CEO, he brought Frank Leeming as his witness to the investigation. Frank subsequently published details of this meeting and Garrison was blamed for this.
2020 BOD election – Diana receives backup
Then came the 2020 election. Keep in mind, Diana is still hanging in there, a lone wolf, after Dick’s removal and Tormey’s defection.
The will of the majority of the village became even more apparent to even the biggest naysayers when we elected four like-minded Board Directors to take back our Village. The only opposing candidate, Nicky Choyce, suffered a resounding defeat. The Villagers spoke and their will prevailed.
Directors Tucker Omohundro, Lloyd Sherman, Dick Garrison, and Kirk Denger joined Directors Diana Podawiltz, Tormey Campagna, and Nancy Luehring on the Board.
Subsequently, Diana Podawiltz was appointed to Chair and Sherman to Vice-chair. As Podawiltz was the most experienced Board Director who supported the will of the people, this seemed like the logical choice. I do not think the others wanted this responsibility as new directors and who could blame them. Sherman seemed the likely choice for Vice-chair.
At the first few Board meetings after the new Board Members were seated, there was a lot of opposition from the ex-CEO, Campagna and Luehring directed at the new Board Members. It soon became apparent these three were a hindrance to the changes and progress the majority of the Village desired.
Luehring was removed. We know what we saw, but we do not know the official reason for this. It is my opinion that she was obstructing the progress of the new board. Others may have a different take.
Disagreeing with the removal of Luehring, Campagna resigned.
It must have become increasingly obvious to Campagna that once Luehring was removed and the termination of the ex-CEO’s contract was looming on the horizon, that he was going to be the lone wolf.
Campagna was also the vice-chair on the 2019 board and he was not elected in either top spot by the 2020 board.
Chuck Alvord was appointed as Director replacing Campagna and Pam Avila was chosen by the board to fill Luehring’s vacated spot.
The termination of the ex-CEO’s contract was executed. It was also decided by the Board to change the term CEO to General Manager.
Podawiltz told me she was solely responsible for the negotiation of the termination of the Ex-CEO’s contract. Diana said for every hour the attorneys put in on this, she put in even more. We do not doubt Diana’s work ethic and determination to do a good job.
In the meantime, due to differences of opinion in procedural practices, Alvord resigned from the Board saying he already helped to accomplish what he set out to do.
According to the Village Voice, Director Alvord said, “I am resigning from the HSV Board of Directors. A lot has been accomplished in the few weeks I have been on the board and I support the board’s major goals. We differ on how to go about accomplishing those goals and, as an appointed board member, I do not feel it is my place to be an obstacle in the way of duly elected board members.”
Regarding Alvord’s resignation, Podawiltz commented, “that until someone actually joins the board, it is difficult to comprehend the strong sense of teamwork as well as considerable time commitment that is required.
In all fairness, I have never seen anything wrong with Chuck Alvord’s sense of teamwork or with his commitment in time to Village affairs.
JoAnne Corry was chosen to fill Alvord’s position.
Charles King was hired as the new General Manager, effective August 1, 2020.
At this point, we should also give credit here where credit is due and not forget the work being done by the ex officio Board Members. Treasurer Dan Aylward and Board/Corporate Secretary Marcy G. Mermel were working diligently right along with the Board Directors. They were all working together towards common goals.
Upon announcement of hiring a new General Manager, Dan Aylward resigned as Treasurer. Aylward explained the reasons for his resignation in an interview with Hot Springs Village People.
“As far as the reason for my resignation, I was putting in about 30 hours a week on POA business plus working 40 to 50 hours on my regular job, and that was fine if I had been named the General Manager. When that didn’t happen, I would have to continue to do that kind of schedule. It was just too much. When it came time to make a decision, it was not even a close call to continue to work those kinds of hours.”
Dan Aylward, July 9, 2020
Wayne Foltz was chosen by the Board to replace Aylward as Board Treasurer.
Admittedly there were a lot of Board changes and also some HSVPOA personnel changes with the resignations of CFO, Liz Mathis; Director of Lands Acquisitions, Renee Haugen; and H R Director Shawnee Cooper. These employees left immediately after the ex-CEO’s contract was terminated.
Looking at the bigger picture
It is surprising that when the Board made the really, really bold moves and kept the promises that the Villagers were all behind them. As soon as the Board did one thing that the Village didn’t 100% agree with, the Village turned on the Board. Where is Village loyalty? The Board is not always going to do exactly what the Village thinks. We do not walk in the Board’s shoes. We don’t know exactly what happened and to second guess this decision is only detrimental to Hot Springs Village.
This article was not written to disparage any individual, but merely to help people look at this in a different way.
The timeline was included to help those who weren’t here or just don’t understand how we got to where are.
Frank Leeming is a valuable and respected member of Hot Springs Village and sometimes we differ in opinions, but we still love him.
Our future is looking bright.
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By Cheryl Dowden, August 14, 2020
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Scott
08/14/2020 — 9:08 pm
“Our future is bright” ???? I don’t know what financials you are basing that comment. It is not bright. We are in a survival mode. Take a look at projected cash 12/31/20. If current cash burn rate does not change soon we will be in dire straights near the end of 2021.
HSVP C
08/14/2020 — 9:16 pm
Scott, yes the future is what we make it. Who put us in jeopardy? It is not us or the board that is in control now. It is the person and board that you defended. Our board is working hard for a bright future for us. No thanks to you or your folks. Why keep trying to tear down the Village? It is not going to bring back your queen.
Scott
08/14/2020 — 9:51 pm
Just stating facts. I’m anxious to see if you and Joe will support an increase if our Board propose same.
I thought you didn’t disparage people on your site.
Vicki Husted
08/14/2020 — 10:26 pm
Thank you Cheryl for an excellent synopsis and counterpoints of the most recent events in the Village. There was never any doubt that the new BOD and GM were inheriting ghastly problems created by prior Boards and POA management. Our new leadership team (including Diana Podawiltz) produced amazing results in a very short period of time, and I am very proud of all of them. I am confident they will continue to sort things out with the help of our new GM, Charles King. The Village is on the right track in my opinion.
Linda Anderson
08/14/2020 — 11:07 pm
Thank You Cheryl for a great understanding of the turn of events of our Board as well as the unfortunate Board resignation of Diana Podawiltz who made great changes to move our village out of a desperate financial situation. A major achievement. A job well done. Diana made a difference and her hard work will always be appreciated.
Frank Leeming contributed valuable information about HSV when everyone was concerned about previous Board and CEO decisions that was leading our Village down the wrong path. Wish more people would become involved and bring awareness to problems and solutions.
Look forward to see our Board and GM ( Mr. King ) work together for the ongoing changes to keep HSV financially safe and secure.
Now there is hope for a great future.
Dan
08/14/2020 — 11:25 pm
I’m confused, does the new GM report to the board? Or does the BOD report to the GM?
Diana Podawiltz
08/14/2020 — 11:27 pm
It makes no difference who Did what when. What matters is that we have an unbalanced payroll, many managerial jobs where the actual job does not match the job description and have not used a professional agency to make sure they’re rated properly and compensated for the locale. And yet many of our employees have suffered abuse at the hands of their bosses and have been told many things about this and last years’ boards which were untrue.
Next issue which John Paul, Jama Lopez, Terry Allgood and others started improving was centralized purchasing. Our spending controls were an absolute joke and still have room for improvement. As Dan Aylward said in June,” we processed nearly 7300 invoices in the first 5 months of the year – that’s absurd for our size operation.
Our contracts have been dumpster fires. The state of the art Pickleball Complex – property owners paid $384,000. In 2018. The contract didn’t have well written specifications and the court surface began failing within the first month of opening. Doesn’t look like the POA has any recourse but to patch & paint.
We have buildings with very unsightly exteriors in need of repair. But, let’s just let them go because in the case of Balboa Clubhouse built in 1987 you property owners are concerned because no specific use for the interior has been identified. I guess I was too involved in Operations when after a July tour, I suggested we fix a 3/4 inch gap in the front door and try to get the skylight to stop leaking after many years of water coming into the interior. We’re a 4 season community. We need to have indoor recreation & socializing opportunities more than drinking & eating. We need to be able to use some of these facilities without having to pay exorbitant rental fees. In the case of the Woodlands complex, we can just Powerwash according to our board expert, Kirk Denger.
Next issue, our assessments are too low to cover the freight given that we have nearly 12,000 lots that pay ZERO in assessment dollars. It is crucial for the property owners to vote yes on an increase when you elect 4 new board members. Had I stayed on the Board I would’ve recommended an increase of $15/ month beginning in June, 2021 and another $15/month beginning in January, 2022. ONLY ON IMPROVED LOTS. A provision of $0 increase for proven Financial need by bringing in Your tax Return. We can afford to help the less fortunate members of our community.
Now, stop fighting with each other and start fighting for the Village. To Dick, Tucker, Pam & Joanie you have a job to do – you cannot abdicate your responsibilities to our General Manager. This is what past boards did – it was a disaster. I was trying to promote teamwork. I tried to delegate but it was virtually impossible except for working with Lloyd. If you doubt what I’m saying check out the “wonderful” interaction and dialogue in all of the recorded meetings.
Now, I’ll conquer Covid19, get healthy and spend my energy taking care of my loved ones.
I love the Village and am very proud of all the work I did on the behalf of trying to right this 50 year old ship.
Jayne
08/15/2020 — 2:32 pm
Diana, Thank you so much for all the time you spent on the board and all that you accomplished for us, the property owners. Sending prayers that you’ll be done with Covid19 before you know it!!
Gary Puffer
08/16/2020 — 2:01 pm
Diana, like you, I have voiced many times on this forum that the POA has way too many “chiefs” that LN created for her cronies. The GM has already terminated the CMEO position which shouldn’t have been created in the first place, and I think it’s a good start. If I’m not mistaken, there are 77 departments in POA structure and to me, this is beyond ridiculous. If I were the GM, I would consolidate many positions that serves no purpose IMO. For instance, I would operate all 8 golf courses as one unit and have one golf course superintendent, one greenskeeper to oversee all the maintenance, one clubhouse manager for all the courses, and make the other 7 golf course managers assistant managers. I would get rid of the Director of Golf position as well since I have no idea what Tom Heffer does on a daily basis except losing $1 to 1.5 million dollars every year. Eliminate the Director of Placemaking and Development position. This can be handled by the GM as a part of his job description. Because of LN, the operational cost of the village has soared with unnecessary made up positions. I have a lot more ideas but will stop for now. Thanks for all you have done to make the village a better place for all of us. I’m sorry you have contracted COVID, a terrible disease, and wish you a full recovery.
Valerie Phillis
08/16/2020 — 5:47 pm
Gary, I like how you are thinking and sharing. Please share with the BOD. Thanks, Valerie
Anonymous
10/24/2020 — 10:24 pm
I’ve been disappointed that our new GM has felt it was necessary to make a comment in each of his updates that dings his predecessor as a “dictator” or something similar. This is completely uncalled for and very unprofessional.
Louise and David Henderson
08/15/2020 — 10:46 am
Diana, your reply on 8-14-20 at 11:27 pm was spot on. We are truly sorry you are no longer on the Board. You have given the Village so much of your time, direction, and hope for a better Village. You will be missed. Hopefully those currently on the Board and the new GM can provide strong, cohesive direction so we do not get back in the terrible mess we were in. It takes strong leadership to overcome the pettiness of some people in the Village.
Thank you a million + times for your service on the Board and being a strong Villager we could all emulate. Good luck and best wishes for your health and happiness.
Jayne
08/15/2020 — 2:33 pm
Cheryl, Thank you again for all the great information!!
Minn Daly
08/15/2020 — 4:35 pm
Thank you Cheryl for a well written article. You are correct, LEGACY BOD members put HSV in the tank & did not want HSV to survive as a community. Some members are still trying to muddy the water for the NEW members. Our NEWLY elected BOD has saved HSV by eliminating the CEO position & other committees that have plagued HSV & the community with divisious actions. This BOD with the help of Dianna has performed like no other BOD’s actions have completed in the past 12 years. Dianna is thanked by all for her tenure, but she chose to resign her seat as chair, as well as BOD member. Her choice! We wish her well with her health. Like stated above by her personally we need to support our BOD & aid as needed our NEW GM who will report to HSV BOD. This NEW BOD had a total mess to clean up! They still have a lot to deal with. My intent is to support them in aiding our NEW GM to do what needs to be accomplished in takeing HSV back to a community working together for progress & unification of this community. It is not an issue if we dislike someone on the BOD, it becomes an issue if respect is lost for those who are there in attendance. If they were elected they should have voice to speak & be responsible & respected in the process. We have a great community, that is beautiful & cherished by all who live here, let’s continue forward & support our BOD. Minn Daly
Diana
08/15/2020 — 5:33 pm
I did not choose to resign I was removed by a motion made by Tucker Omohundro, seconded by Kirk Denger. 4 yes votes – those 2 plus the Pam Avila and Joanie Corry whom I helped to get appointed.
Once there was no confidence in me as a leader there was no need for me to continue on with the disrespect.
HSVP C
08/15/2020 — 7:30 pm
Minn, Diana did not resign as chair. She was removed and then she resigned from the Board. Thank you for all your support!
Linda Anderson
08/15/2020 — 7:59 pm
Minn, Your comment really hit home for a true understanding of the importance of working together and supporting our Board. Thank You.
Then there were comments to raise assessments without a full disclosure of HSV’s financial status. Really??? At this point it appears financials are in shambles. Why raise the assessments when no one knows how our money is being spent? Mr. King was hired for his experience and as a : Turn-ARound Specialist.
This will take time.
Look forward to hear Mr. King’s reports to the Board.
Bill Fritz
08/16/2020 — 2:23 am
Two statements seem quite unusual, I am under the impression that the reason LTD was victorious was their platform of “micromanaging “the operations of the Village. The second unusual statement was that the BOD will not do what the Village wants. If the BOD does opposite what the Village wants its quite a different type of governing body. I am not speaking of a minority ,but the”wants”of the majority.
HSVP C
08/16/2020 — 9:03 am
I have not seen anything from LTD that said they want to micromanage the operations of the Village. I am not sure exactly what you are trying to say in the second part of your comment.
George
08/16/2020 — 5:21 am
Any consideration of spending 200,000 dollars on the useless wreck of the Balboa Clubhouse would, in my mind, completely negate the argument for a rate increase.
One would have to be quite insane to think the rotting hulk needs anything but to be razed.
Please, people, get with the program.
Tom Blakeman
08/16/2020 — 3:49 pm
The cost to tear down plus the cost to build a new pro shop plus maybe a snack bar would exceed the cost of refurbishing the outside to stop further deterioration. This should have been done years ago. The building is relatively new and structurally sound.
Regardless, I can assure you that there is no appetite among residents (except a small few who often speak out) for any assessment rate increase any time soon. There are too many other options to increase cash flow that need to be exhausted before that idea (assessments) can be “sold” to the residents.
Further on the topic of assessment increases keep in mind that just a couple of years ago the leadership thought they could ram massive Declarations changes (including a rate increase gimmick) down our throats. You know how that went.
Valerie Phillis
08/16/2020 — 5:55 pm
Tom, Agree with your assessments. Thanks, Valerie
Minn Daly
08/16/2020 — 9:40 am
Cheryl & Dianna. Understanding that removal of chair status was a hit but no one but Dianna suggested she resign from the BOD. This decision was hers & hers alone. People do things when they are angry & re think later the issue. Respect is given to her as a job well done, working with LTD but sometimes change in leadership is necessary. This NEW BOD as Dianna was aware have diversified interest & skills along with amazing talents. Tucker is a very independent man with great humility & kindness as well as business building. He is not intimidated by any one. Kirk Dinger has endured lots of dings from Dianna. He was elected by membership, Like him or not he is to be respected as A BOD member, his voice should be heard. As stated by Dianna, the other two members were selected by her, there had to be strong reasoning for them to support her dismissal as Chair person. Pam & Joanie seem like very strong intelligent reasonable individuals, that think for issues that are rational & builds HSV. Now again we must get behind our BOD & keep moving forward. Support our NEW GM & let’s move forward.
Valerie Phillis
08/16/2020 — 5:54 pm
Minn, Very well said, thank you. Valerie
Minn Daly
08/16/2020 — 4:16 pm
Tom, you are so correct about Balboa building & assessment increase. Balboa Club needs to be fixed. We need to understand what the actual financial picture is & lots of Trust needs to be regained within this community. Before any assessment increase is even discussed. Again what is our financial issues, why don’t we know what they are? We need the GM to take hold of the POA staff issues as well as having respectful sound meeting guidance from our elected BOD members that he will report to. All need our support & continued feedback on issues related to getting HSV on sound solid ground. Again thank you for your sound comments. Minn Daly
George K (Ken) Phillis
08/16/2020 — 8:43 pm
I appreciate Mr. Leemings expertise and usually agree with him however I feel his latest post is a bit harsh for no good reason.
Me. Leeming , nor any of us, have a true idea of what all went on behind the scenes within the BOD.
Ms Podawiltz resigned from her position on the BOD….she was not fired from the BOD. She was removed from the “Chair” position. Mr. Leeming compared what was done to Mr. Garrison by the previous BOD/CEO as similar to the dismissal of Ms. podawiltz which is not equivocal in this situation….in my opinion.
My wife and I watched the work sessions/BOD meetings, and often, more than once to obtain a clear idea of what was said. Ms Podawiltz was heavy handed, interrupting and often talked down to her colleagues. That’s more than likely her modus operandi, which does not generally work well, especially in a professional setting.
I believe the great majority of property owners appreciate ALL the new BOD members for taking on such a daunting task to bring the Village out of the rubble that was left behind by past management/BODs. Will there be some bumps along the way? Of course, and that is to be expected. I do not believe the change in the chair position was a mistake. There is so much on the plate for this current BOD there must be a smooth operating machine to get the job done. In my opinion Ms Podawiltz could still have been a good addition to the BOD however she chose otherwise. The BOD did what they needed to do….so let’s move on.
As for the GM being quiet to this point (pointed out by Mr. Leeming) ….. Mr. King in my opinion is a wise man. I’m certain he has been taking copious notes as he surveyed the situation of the Village, and gauged the BOD talents in the last two weeks. A good sign of a new GM/leader is the patience to assess the current situation before jumping in and making changes. I’m confident he will be the right person at this time for the overall good of the Village and it’s property owners.
George K(Ken) Phillis–
George K (Ken) Phillis
08/16/2020 — 9:13 pm
I must admit I’m a bit disappointed in Ms Podawiltz’s latest comments. Her dismissal was not done in “disrespect” in my opinion however there certainly must have been something to create the need to dismiss Ms Podawiltz from the “Chair” position. I do believe she still has talents which would have been helpful to the BOD and HSV. Unfortunately she made the decision to resign.
George K (Ken) Phillis
08/16/2020 — 9:25 pm
Scott….I have not seen any disparaging of anyone on this thread. What was stated was fact. You and your fellow trolls relentlessly attacked those who did not support the CEO and her regime….and that’s a fact. Now you come on this site saying you are simply stating the facts…..so was Cheryl and Joe. Don’t play your “games” on this site as you and others do on ND
Mary Ann Kennedy
08/17/2020 — 10:36 am
I rarely comment on HSVVP or even ND, these days. I do read and comment when I want to express my opinion. Ken Phyllis, I’m responding to your comment (to Scott) as well as a few others. The Dowdens have chosen to make their website public. I would prefer it was private like their Facebook account to avoid publicly airing the challenges we face in our community. Every post they enter on ND leads to their website. Actually, they post more than any other contributor to ND, so I consider it an invitation if I choose to comment. I will concede their website is informative and it has improved since their candidates now comprise the BOD and a new admin is in place. As long as they continue to make it public, I’ll read the articles. Their website is not reserved for those of you who influenced the ousting of our former CEO and promoted the current board. Calling supporters of the previous administration and BOD “trolls/opposition”, sarcastically referring to our prior CEO as “your queen” and the continued harsh criticism in articles by Frank and the majority of contributors to this website and ND does not help to unify the community. Most often, comments are disparaging to anyone who disagrees with the majority who follow the Dowden’s agenda. IMO, most of us who continue to hold our former BOD and administration in high regard have remained reserved, respectful and often supportive of the new BOD and GM. I believe many are refraining from posting critical/negative comments publicly because we also want our new leaders to succeed and for our community to heal.
Many imply our financial condition is poor; however, when Dan Aylward reported his findings it was stated (more than once) that it’s better than anticipated. It’s evident by the information we’ve been given that the prior administration left our finances better than they found them. They also laid the foundation for the new board to succeed by hiring a good marketing firm, securing a $3M loan (which if handled properly will be forgiven), launching a scheduled maintenance program and making many other progressive decisions on our behalf. Not every move they made was to my liking, and I communicated directly with the board and CEO then as I have continued to do rather than publicly question or air my concerns.
The fact is that property owners still don’t know our exact financial condition – even after several months of new leaders combing through our financial records. I have faith that our new GM will be instrumental in presenting proposals that will be approved by our new board to benefit property owners. New revenue streams, expense reduction and wise spending will see us through. Property owners who are privileged to live here should have no objection to paying a reasonable monthly assessment when proposed. I would certainly vote for an assessment increase, and those who brought our current board to power should stand behind them.
Tom Blakeman
08/17/2020 — 3:57 pm
Your are correct in your last paragraph regarding finances. To paraphrase a recently former board member “we (still) don’t know what we don’t know”.
But I must also disagree. We are already paying “a reasonable monthly assessment”. I’m afraid that the “new revenue streams” you refer to is simply a metaphor for raising fees and assessments. That won’t fly.
On “expense reduction and wise spending” you’ve got my vote.
Susan Viecelli
08/25/2020 — 5:13 am
Dear Ms. Kennedy,
Perhaps you were not at the meeting where Ms. Nalley introduced the former interim general manager, as the FORMER QUEEN.
Thanking Ms Podawiltz for all her efforts on our behalf. Wishing her a very speedy recovery.
I appreciate this forum, because it did shed a lot of light on a number of matters concerning the evolution of the board. Appreciate the time and efforts of all.
Minn Daly
08/17/2020 — 4:48 pm
Tom Blakeman! Totally agree with you on subject of assessments. Let’s give the BOD time to address financial picture to HSV members, have the NEW GM address the bloated staff salaries of POA. Minn Daly
Walter Chance
08/18/2020 — 12:15 pm
Good article. I too would want to see how 2020 plays out with pandemic , and a complete picture of our financials before I would support an increase in assessments. Diana, thank you for all you did for the Village. I would not have supported your removal. If there were board members that had issues, it should have been discussed. It seemed to me like a blind side. I would have preferred the board discuss any issues they had with your chair management rather than toss you aside. You will be missed. I wish you good health with your COVID 19 battle.
George K (Ken) Phillis
08/25/2020 — 11:54 pm
Mary Ann Kennedy I’m responding to your comment to “Ken Phyllis”.
Not all of those who supported the former CEO were referred to as a “trolls” as you inferred. Those who were given that “title” well deserved it. Definition of troll…….Internet slang “troll” is a person who starts “flame wars” or intentionally upsets people on the internet by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous or off-topic messages in an on-line community with the intent of provoking emotional responses or deviating the course of the discussion. There were a handful of those who did that on a regular basis.
Your statement…….”Most often, comments are disparaging to anyone who disagrees with the majority who follow the Dowden’s agenda.” I don’t know what the Dowden’s agenda is. Those of us who opposed the strong arm tactics to steer the Village down a rabbit hole were not following anyones agenda. We were concerned about management decisions running Village finances into the ground. A 1.2 million dollar swimming pool project approved when our finances were already stretched thin…..see the March 2019 BOD meeting minutes. They discussed their concern about HSV finances yet passed it anyway. The $45,000 loan made to the person managing the Desoto Club….which will never be repaid. The half million dollars spent on a cookie cutter plan for an area not conducive to such a plan. The gate debacle and ensuing lawsuit. Eight lawsuits in 2 years!
We were fed up with no-transparency……which we now have with the new BOD. We very often provided facts and figures to support our statements.
You mentioned the CEO “launching a scheduled maintenance program.” Really?? How is it we had 20+ million in deferred maintenance….and that was two years ago…..so it’s no wonder the POA is now playing catch up with over grown areas, failed culverts, signage repairs, road repair and more. The CEO made the announcement one million dollars had been placed into the emergency fund in an effort to imply HSV financials were in good shape, however the truth was they simply moved the money from savings to the emergency fund….there was no new money….they just took it out of one pocket and put it into another. A deceptive measure from management.
You stated…”They also laid the foundation for the new board to succeed by hiring a good marketing firm.” You must be referring to the company who’s representative gave a presentation at a streamed meeting. After watching the presentation….which included stock photos (not even their own) of poor quality with no true presentation of a real marketing plan….the question in the air was….”What’s the marketing plan?” There’s not been a real marketing plan for seven years as pointed out in another post. Thank goodness the new BOD is actually putting in place a marketing committee who will get the ball rolling in the appropriate direction.
As for the statement the finances were “better than anticipated” is, in my opinion, like hearing one’s house has burned down while being away and when you get home you find the house a pile of rubble and ashes but the garage is OK.
You mention the 3 million dollar “loan” obtained by the CEO and what a great thing the CEO did. Yes, there is a good chance it will be forgiven. I’m sure the CEO breathed a sigh of relief when that opportunity popped up on the radar, as we were at the point HSV could not meet the monthly 1.2 million dollar payroll. We did not have enough to meet our payroll! BTW our finances were in the dumper long before March (SARSCoV2)……which has been used as an excuse. It saved her bacon. Top heavy in management positions our payroll for 385 equivalent full time employees was $1, 200,000 a month. The 17 top paid management positions took up over 40% of the payroll……and that did not include the CEO’s sweet deal.
Giving kudos to the CEO for obtaining the loan is, to me, like calling the arsonist who set the town hall on fire a hero for calling the fire department. The loan was not done for the sake of the Village or property owners….it was done to keep the CEO out of a rock and hard place. Am I glad the Village received it….of course, however let’s be honest about why it was needed.
You mention “harsh criticism” which is your opinion and you certainly have a right to it however if pointing out the facts is considered “harsh criticism” then so be it. You speak of “unifying the community”. I suggest one way to do that is to refrain from defending a dismissed CEO with broad brushed statements and no specifics. As long as anyone keeps defending the poor management regarding the previous CEO with generalized statements then I will continue to provide information/facts to the contrary of the idea management did a great job.
I do agree the new BOD and GM will do what it takes to right the ship. Property owners should be patient as it is going to be a long and difficult uphill climb. The Village is a great place to live despite the current situation.
Mary Ann Kennedy
08/31/2020 — 2:37 pm
I’ve been away and unable to respond to your comment, Ken Phillis, I didn’t intentionally misspell your name, and I apologize.
The point of my comment to you was that you and those who worked to accomplish the goal to eliminate the prior BOD and many of our former administrative staff were successful in doing so. I won’t revisit or engage in “specific” public disagreement over facts thoroughly debated during the last couple of years. It doesn’t matter which “side” we were on when there were sides to take. I believe we can be supportive of our new BOD and POA staff without demeaning those who served us before. It’s unfortunate that articles and the comments that follow on this website do not reflect the extreme friendliness and kindness of most of our residents.
I’ve been a property owner since the early 1980’s, and at that time, non residents/property owners and prospective buyers weren’t provided the open window of social media. Now, before consideration of relocating, they research every site that is titled “Hot Springs Village”. How encouraged they must feel to find HSVPeople – “working together”. The name implies it’s a site providing positive, productive and informative articles by the very people they may one day call their neighbors! Then come the comments and yes, the bickering….the reader would be led to think Villagers have no hope of survival because everything is crumbling and there’s no money to repair/restore because of mismanagement. That is just not honest nor is it accurate. Much of what’s published on this public website is costly negative marketing and will not draw anyone here, but it will certainly drive them away.
One of the comments in this author’s article states: “Please don’t give up on the Board. This is what our opposition wants us to do. If we do this, then they have won. This is the time for Villagers to pull together and support the board”. I and many of my friends supported the prior BOD and administration. We ALL want our new board and GM to succeed. We may have differing opinions about the past and what we want to see for the future, but there is no “opposition”.
HSVP C
09/03/2020 — 7:28 pm
Mary Ann Kennedy, there is indeed opposition. But I am not speaking of you. Thank you for your comment and support. That means a lot. Bless you and have a nice day.