There are OVER 300 Associations in the village, yet even during season, barely little over half send their delegate to Assembly meetings every month. THIS IS APPALLING.
Does it mean that More than Half of the residents/owners do not care what goes on with the village or how their money is spent?
I don't want to believe that. Is it the board of directors just want the prestige of a title in their buildings just to make themselves feel self important? Most likely.
Over 5 thousand full time residents/owners are here year round and the number swells to 16 thousand easily during season.
Yes, snowbirds are also owners, but lets face it, they are not here full time, they only care about what they can get when they are here. Other than that, the village is way down on the list for them. The people that live here full time are the ones that bear the brunt of all the decisions made during season. We have to suffer through the construction phases and inconveniences of detours and workers all over the roads and parking lots. All so the snowbirds can come and enjoy everything the village has to offer without much impediment.
I don't mind having some of the inconveniences of detours, nor construction knowing that it is eventually going to make the village better.
What bothers me, what infuriates me, is the people that buy a unit here, and don't care what goes on after. This may be a vacation spot for some, but to us, it is home.
Each Association has a RESPONSIBILITY to their association to send a representative to the Delegate Assembly Meeting ant the first Friday of every month and represent the owners of their building. Too many shirk that responsibility and just don't care.
It is time to throw out the quorum requirement and go by majority rule if the quorum can not be met.
No more delegates walking out just to sabotage a vote or delay an outcome. No more putting off business needing to move forward because associations don't care enough to send a representative.
Either Require ASSOCIATIONS to attend, or let them lose their vote.
And if you are sending a Representative, Don't leave before the meeting is over. It was disgusting to see the local politicians faces when in the end, they had MAYBE forty people to talk to. I know, if I was running for office and people just kept getting up and walking out before I had my say, I wouldn't even bother with this place after. Such Disrespect.
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We have a small amount(117) for delegates in the summer because people who live here also go on vacation or have other commitments. But they should assign someone who is here to attend the delegate meetings. As far as politicians, we are not going to sit to hear them because it is best to read about them in the paper which reaches all the residents. Every voter before they vote should check out who is running and decide who they should vote for. As far as snowbirds they are concerned about what happens here but they have other homes. They have an investment here and I am sure they care on how our village is taken care of and also how much our budgets go up. I was a snowbird and now a all year round resident and I always cared about what was happening in the village. Remember you don't have to be a delegate to be informed you can come to all meetings. We don't put off business it goes back to the decision of the EXECUTIVE BOARD if we don't have a quorum.
ReplyDeleteTHREE Hundred and Five associations, some with multiple delegates, and they can't send ONE to the assembly? IT IS SHAMEFUL! Your delegate is normally your president, then you have as many as three alternates, possibly more than can attend when the regular delegate can not attend. where is the problem? Unless people just don't care, that is until the assembly does something, or raises a fee or heaven forbid, WPRF changes the Saturday Night Dance to Friday to alleviate the parking situation, Not that some people know how to park, but that's another subject for another day....
ReplyDeleteAll I say is IF THE ASSOCIATIONS let their officers and delegates get away with not representing them, then forget the quorum and go with the majority at the meeting. It is ridiculous to hold off the business at hand for months until the snowbirds arrive.
Bob...I am part of the administration of my association and I am also a SNOWBIRD and I follow what's going on at the delegate meetings. I agree with you about the attendance of all the associations delegates. It needs to improve. It's to bad there isn't some way that a snowbird who is an officer of the association can watch the the delegate meetings live and if they are a delegate be able to vote electronically from where they are. I know I'm asking a lot but maybe in the future this might be a way to solve some of this problem. I'm sure there are a lot of SNOWBIRDS who are interested in what's happening with the village but being away it is impossible to be involved. You are right what you say but there has to be a way to solve this problem. Maybe someone who reads your article has a answer. Thanks for your interest as always
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there must be at least one person in your Association who is not a snowbird! I am a Delegate and a snowbird and my Association is always aware when I am away and makes sure someone attends in my absence. I hear people complaining but yet they make no effort to be part of the solution. I also agree with Bob that if there is no quorum it should be the majority rules.
DeleteThank you both for your replies, I am glad to hear that some of the snowbirds DO care, and as an officer, you should have appointed someone that is here year round as an alternate delegate. There is room for as many delegates as needed to ensure the representation of the association. I realize that there may differences of opinion in each association and an alternate may not necessarily vote the way the association would want, or which may be in the interest of the association. This, of course, would be an issue that would have to be dealt with on the association level.
DeleteInvolvement from the associations would be paramount in order to have this work. If the owners do not want to be involved, or simply do not care, or even (as I personally know), some are afraid to make waves or offend the people in office for their associations. If you want to continue to be a doormat for the Condo Nazis, then continue as you are.
I would rather see a village where people are concerned for their associations, for their neighbors, and for the village.
Bob...that is easily said than done. We have eight year round people in our association and only two have any interest in the administration of the association. The two that are interested do a tremendous amount of work to keep the place going during the summer and both these people work. Unfortunately, they are working at the time of the monthly meeting. The owners claim that they are to busy and aren’t. really interested. I’m sure you must hear this all the time. I wish there was a easy solution but as of right now there isn’t. It comes down to leave it up to the “other” guy.Let something go wrong and these people are all over the board but with no support. I wish I had a answer to this situation.
DeleteMy reply to them would be simple: As long as you don't care enough to get involved, don't bother to gripe when something doesn't go the way you would like.
ReplyDeleteIt is really a shame that people have become so complacent with their surroundings and just don't care, or have the "I don't want to get involved" attitude. It is the same for the people that see a crime and don't report it because they "don't want to get involved". It is the very same people that get their house broken into, or car stolen, or beaten up on the street, and wonder why didn't someone help, or at least call for help. I always thought that we were the last generation that looked after each other, but have come to realize that I am wrong, very wrong. We are not that generation, nor is the one before us. That Generation died out in the forties and early fifties. The generations left are the ME's, Mine, and the f-U's. Our society has deteriorated to this point over the last 40-50 years. All the political correctness not to offend a small group of this or a small band of that. You can't say a certain word because it may offend someone or some group.
Some are on a high horse and think theirs is the only way, Solution?
TALK to each other, WORK ON SOLUTIONS together, SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, don't create more.
I want to get back to the generation that takes care of each other, that finds solutions to problems, and put simply, that really gives a crap about what goes on and where my money is being spent.
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ReplyDeleteSix points regarding the heartfelt and sincere opinions expressed by Mr. Rivera
ReplyDelete(1) "It is time to throw out the quorum requirement and go by majority rule if the quorum can not be met." Unfortunately Florida Statue 617.0824 mandates "no fewer than one-third of the prescribed number of directors determined under the articles of incorporation or the bylaws." CV bylaws create 349 delegates: 117 is that one-third.
(2) "Does it mean that More than Half of the residents/owners do not care what goes on with the village or how their money is spent?"
Well, low delegate attendance could also mean that "Half of the residents/owners" are quite satisfied with the activities and economics of the village.
(3)"I don't want to believe that. Is it the board of directors just want the prestige of a title in their buildings just to make themselves feel self important? Most likely."
Or unlikely. Anyone on my board endures incessant phone calls, face-to-face discussions, arguments, legal liability, paperwork, and constant vetting of sale and rentals.
Then there's politely asking a resident to pretty pullllez pick up after Fido. Or not to put a month's worth of newspapers in the blue bin, or shower curtains in the yellow.
And please tell the remodeler not to put cubic yards of construction debris around the dumpster on Monday, or anytime.
All for the munificent, the astronomical, salary of $00.00
(4) "Yes, snowbirds are also owners, but lets face it, they are not here full time, they only care about what they can get when they are here."
They get what every other owner gets - no more, actually less -see (5) below.
(5) "Other than that, the village is way down on the list for them. The people that live here full time are the ones that bear the brunt of all the decisions made during season. We have to suffer through the construction phases and inconveniences of detours and workers all over the roads and parking lots."
When part-timers are here, they have to suffer along with the year-rounders. And remember, the Atlantic Broadband contract was affirmed by a full quorum, with knowledge of the upgrading construction needed. As for the Hinterland Group's ubiquitous digging, that's Palm Beach County's necessary and needed enhancing of CV's fifty-year old sewer system.
(6) "All so the snowbirds can come and enjoy everything the village has to offer without much impediment."
Yet the snowbirds pay full fare for part-time use. COA fees are based on the square footage of one's condo, not on the time spent therein. And the amenities CV offers - the clubhouse shows, the buses, Hastings Gym, the WPRF pools, the tennis courts - go year round.
Fearing what I term "the tyranny of the minority", I would, and will, vote against any lessening of the quorum number. To explain. Paradoxically, a quorum is needed to vote on changing a quorum. Given that a minority could push through an ideological issue - term limits, for example - I would vote against any lessening of the number constituting a quorum. From May through September, 117
seated delegates constitutes a quorum. Half of 117, plus 1, is 59. Theoretically, then, a motion could be passed with 59 affirmative votes, about one-sixth of the 349 delegates representing the 309 Condominium Associations in Century Village. That fraction is, to me, far too few - but the state minimum is satisfied. And, sadly, if the apathy that Mr. Riveria excoriates continues, 59 votes could someday determine the course of Century Village.