OPPOSITION TO TWO SUGGESTED BYLAW CHANGES

This blog discusses, and opposes, two of the 22 “Olga's ByLaw Suggestions” listed on page A5, bottom, of the May UCO Reporter.

#4 “2 – 2-year term limits for all UCO officers and executive board members. “

I oppose for these reasons:

UCO officers and board members are volunteers, not politicians;

they are not compensated, and too often criticized;

they do not award contracts – the delegate assembly does

they form no political parties, but run on their individual merits

are nine month minimum residents of Century Village, an intimate part of the constituency that elects them;

are immediately approachable (you might have to sit and wait at the UCO office);

the CV president, unlike any state governor or the POTUS, has no veto powers;

any bylaw suggestion, like the two discussed here, must undergo a rigorous five-step process before becoming an amendment: the president has no input.

Officers and board members cannot be delegates – they have no vote at delegate meetings

all candidates – incumbents and challengers – are given equal space in the Reporter and equal time in the forums.

The delegates know the candidates, and voting is 100% - not the (approximately) 56% in the 2016 presidential election. A small but active group cannot depend upon the apathy of others to elect a niche candidate.

#9. “. No resident of Century Village shall be a paid employee of UCO “. I oppose for one reason, or person, resident Mr. Donald Foster, our current LCAM (Licensed Community Association Manager).

First, to obtain his license, Mr. Foster had to go through a five step state required process (see below), including paying license and criminal investigation fees, completing an 18 hour course, and passing a three hour test.

Second, on the CV Blog website, he has posted weekly LCAM reports, with pictures.

Third, because he is a resident, he knows about, and solves, local issues: (a) got a volunteer to paint “LAUNDRY” on the laundromat; (b) knew about pedestrian dangers at the East Drive/Century Boulevard 4-way intersection and posted two colorful “Fl. Law: Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk” signs; (c) put up warning reflective signs at the North/West Drive curve; (d) erected guard posts along the West Drive exit approach. His future plans include (a) working with president Israel on a 2018 UCO budget proposal to "refurbish and widen the heavily trafficked pedestrian walkway along the south side of Century Boulevard, connecting East Drive and Haverhill Road." (b) placing “Fl. Law” signs at all the pedestrian crossings, and (c) improving sight lines presently obscured by shrubs.

Mr. Foster's salary is less than half that of the previous UCO LCAM, who was not a resident manager, did not work on nights, weekends and Christmas, and put in half the hours that he does. As Mr. Foster notes, "Nobody expects me to put in a fifty or sixty hour week- I just like the work and the commute cannot be beat. I used to spend ten or twelve hours per week sitting on the Long Island Railroad or the E Train- now I am on the clock as soon as I exit my unit."

A committed and professional resident employee is a valuable asset for any association.

Richard Handelsman

166 Plymouth W

PS. In this week's (May 8) LCAM report (CVBlog), Mr. Foster notes that the “Leak at North Drive pump station was repaired on 5/4. Artificial hedges were installed over weekend.” Guess who installed those hedges, spending several hours under the Florida sun.

To receive a CAM license, Mr. Foster had to:

Step 1: Register for class: 18 Hour CAM License Course - $279 tuition. (Paid for by UCO) All applicants are required to satisfactorily complete 18 classroom hours of pre-licensure education

Step 2: State Application. a. Submit a license application to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation..include a fee of $223.50 payable to the DBPR. b. Register for electronic fingerprinting Cost of fingerprinting is $53.50.

Step 3. Attend the 18 Hour CAM License Course. The 18 Hour CAM License course must be completed in its entirety prior to taking the state exam.

Step 4: Submit your Course Completion Certificate

Step 5: Schedule and Pass the State Exam.The exam fee is $31.50 payable at the time of registration. A passing score is 75 out of 100 questions answered correctly.)