8-20-12 GM Ops Meeting
GM Operations Meeting Minutes
Monday August 20, 2012/ 1:30pm
Governing Board Conference Room
Directors Present: Griff Williams, Ed VanCott, Jack Steiner, Patricia Tomlin and David Wilson
Excused: Terry Hamman, Marion Mosley, Kenny Jordahl, and Nolan Reed
STAFF Present: Mike Whiting, with brief reports by Katy O’Grady.
Guest(s): Joe VerVoort, Sandy VerVoort, Tony Sambol, Dusty Rhodes, Ray Kirwin, Mike Trent, Kay Williams, James West, Mary Jane Meyerholtz, and John Mc Farland.
The meeting was called to order by Acting President Patricia Tomlin at 1:28 p.m. A quorum was present.
The Agenda was approved as printed.
1.0 The minutes of the July 9, 2012 GM Operations Meeting were accepted.
2.0 General Manager Weekly Activity Report for August 20th was distributed and discussed.
#4- Is there an estimated time for reopening the Shuffleboard Courts? Some work has not been completed, but we expect to reopen in about 3 weeks.
#12 & 13 Are these referenced projects being competitively bid? Yes, we get three bids on such projects. A concern was expressed as to when bid reports are provided to the Gov. Board. Usually if the bid amount exceeds the Budget estimate. Mike elaborated on more details of this process.
#16 Question regarding computer software? There are new programs installed and more to come. Areas affected and undergoing training are: Golf, Membership, and Finance.
Open comment: Comments were made regarding golf course wells and the associated costs, timeliness of repairs and the difficulty in predicting when a well will fail.
#21-23 Comments complimenting Mike and Association on the excellent response to SCW Survey suggestions for expanded hours in the Library and the Ticket Sales Office.
#28 Correction: The Dive-in Movie is at RHJ Pool.
3.0 Discussion Items:
3.1 Ray Kirwin, Dues: Mr. Kirwin addressed the GB about a concern he has regarding the people living in SCW that are having difficulty paying their Owner Member Dues. He reported that he hears from many folks that the situation seems to be getting worse. He is aware that the Community Fund does serve the community in circumstances like this. Directors and the General Manager indicated that financial assistance for Owner Members is beyond the scope ofRecreationCenterduties and or responsibility. Directors are empathetic to Mr. Kirwins statements and encouraged SCW residents to give generously to the Community Fund to help with this situation.
3.2LongRangePlan Update: It was mentioned that the Budget and Finance Committee had drafted suggested elements for consideration by Association Staff as they work to complete the latest LRP Draft. The suggestions are under review.
3.3 LPGA Update: Progress is being made on drafting an agreement that would allow SCW to host the 2013 LPGA Senior Tournament. There are many aspects to be considered and details to be negotiated.
3.4 Update on unpaid Member Dues: Information is being compiled with details about uncollected dues. Recent efforts have involved outside collection agency assistance with good results. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
3.5 Idea Exchange Forum: The PR Committee is gearing up for the next Forum scheduled for September 27th. The attendees are by invitation only, selected at random by the Membership department. Directors present were reminded about the process and encouraged to watch their mail boxes for more information.
4.0 New Business and Open Discussion and 5.0 Director Comments: Might it be possible to add photos to Mikes Weekly Activity Report when Capital projects are being reported? Mike will do some checking.
6.0 Resident Comments:
6.1 What is this “remote access” regarding the Pickleball Courts? Electronic access will help control non-resident play and keep the courts more secure. More information will be provided.
6.2 Why close the Palm Ridge indoor pool? The inside temperature gets too warm for the air-handling equipment, but it does not happen that often.
6.3 People not paying dues! Why doesn’t the successor owner pay? There are many reasons dues are not paid, but our current system is keeping tabs.
6.4 How did SCW come out financially on the 2012 LPGA Tournament? We came out about $6,000 ahead.
The meeting adjourned at 2:45 pm.
Jack Steiner, Acting Secretary
Greg and others,
Our yearly capital expenditures are generally in the area of about $3M dollars – this is an average that has established over the past 8 years or so – and are funded yearly along with the maintenance and operation expenses.
APF (Asset Preservation Funds)dollars are what we earn when a home is sold to a new resident. The APF funds are those that have helped us to build up our reserves from about $2M in 2004 to the current $9M+. The reserve funds are the backbone of our community’s infrastructure preservation and provide the Association with funds which may be needed for a catastrophic situation that is not covered by our insurance polices.
It is the fiduciary responsibility of the Governing Board to maintain such funds as required by diligent risk management. A good example is the replacement of a well. Our wells are not covered by insurance and the loss of one could very well cost approximately $1M. Someone also mentioned the expected life of a parking lot being 20 years – well, SCW is over 30 years old and so are some of the parking lots. Good management examines these issues and makes plans for various contingencies – poor management does not.
The GB and Budget & Finance Committee (as Jack Steiner has previously mentioned) are currently studying all aspects of our infrastructure issues so that there will be a plan in place for the future. All well-run communities, cities, counties, states, and federal entities do this. To not plan ahead would be to leave our residents up the proverbial creek!
I am not an “official” voice but have served on the B&F Committee since 2003 and also served as your Treasurer and President ’04-’07. As others have expressed, please come to the meetings and ask your questions so other residents can share in your concerns and the also hear the answers from your Directors and Association staff.
Mr. Noble,
Of the positions you mentioned, the only new one is the Golf Events Director, which is a part-time position aimed at bringing in more outside, revenue-generating events such as the LPGA tournament. We are trying new things to see if we can generate more revenue in the Golf Division. You may not agree with the position, but I would hope you’d agree we should be trying something to stem the downward trend in rounds – which is happening across the nation. As for the manager who is in place at two courses – that’s true, but he replaced two part-timers, so there was no net change. The purchaser position is not new and does all the pro shop purchasing for Grandview and the other six courses. The events and tournament director schedules internal tournaments for our residents, which may not generate a lot of revenue but is something we consider an important service to our residents. The golf ops coordinator is the business hub of golf and handles all the phone calls, group play scheduling, lottery staff, holes in one certificates, and the many varied questions and projects that come up in our operation. We are not a small golf operation. The golf division brings in nearly $7.9 million in revenue and costs about $9.2 million to operate. It’s that $1.3 million gap we are trying to narrow through new ideas such as outside tournaments that the new Golf Events Director will be responsible for.
As for the golf employee privilege you reference – that proposal is still being worked out. Some of the proposed changes are govered by the IRS, some by what we’ve found in surveying other area golf courses, and some based on input from the Governing Board, staff and golf community. We know we won’t make everyone happy with the final decision we make, but we will make the decision based on what we believe is in the best, long-term interest of the community.
Sincerely, Griff Williams
I was only repsonding to something the RCSCW posted in their reply. As I read the responses, those posted by “RCSCW” are the “official” replies. They don’t list the NAME of the person responding and are the OFFICIAL word. Apparently the “official word” coming from the Rec Center Board Member that posted that implies that our dues actually DO pay for building, not just maintaining. I’ll be happy to send a private e-mail, but was hoping that other posters who have read the official repsonse would have a chance to have clarity on the issue. Seems a shame to undo privately whats been done publicly??? Does anyone agree? I will ask for clarification, biut perhaps other should, as well! Thank you for your offer. I’d like to take RSSCW rep up on that.
Mr. Scherrer, capital is funded through net revenue and depreciation. Depreciation is funded primarily through APF. Net revenue is funded in part by dues. That has been the case for many years. It seems you have a number of questions and concerns – too many for us to address efficiently on the blog. It would be fruitful for you to make a list of all your concerns and questions and set up an appointment with a staff member or two so we can address them all in one appointment instead of addressing them continually in this format. You have Katy’s email address. Please send her an email with a time when we may we meet with you and address all of your concerns and questions. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments Mr. Murphy. If the lots don’t need to be redone, we won’t redo them until they need it. But we need to have the money ready when the lots need to be redone. To do that, we have to set a little aside every year so we have a pot of money set aside when the time comes. The alternative is not planning ahead, hoping nothing goes wrong, and then if something does break and needs fixing, doing a special assessment. We prefer to set aside reserves so we are ready when things do need to be replaced and repaired. We estimate how much we need to have set aside by doing a reserve study that looks at average lifespans of parking lots, etc.
Jack Steiner’s article on infrastructure expenses was troubling. Trying to justify $700,000 for paving RHJ parking lots by saying that 20 years is the lifespan of asphalt is just plain silly. The board should look at the lot and see that there are no major cracks, no potholes, in fairly good condition and in no immediate need for repaving. It’s like saying the average lifespan of a male is 75 yrs old and therefore that should be the end of life. Sometimes we last longer than that and sometimes less. The same is true of asphalt. Sometimes, as is the case with RHJ lots, the asphalt could last 10 years over the average life. I would rather see us give the money to homeless shelters than waste it on this project.
RCSCW, In your repsonse to Mr. Armstrong, I noted that you say that the need to raise dues is to offset the “building and maintenance” of facilities. It has always been my understanding that our dues do NOT go toward building projects, but the funds for building are supposed to come from the prservation fees. Our dues are supposed to MAINTAIN our facilities. Has that now changed and are we now utilizing our dues to BUILD??? If that is the case, every owner member should become aware of the change! That certainly would explain the steadily increasing mandatory fees each and every year. Something many here have been ranting about for years now. Have I been misinformed for the past eight years or did the writer mis-state him/herself?? It makes quite a difference in how our dues are assessed and spent. Please clarify for all, if you would.
Thank You.
Greg Scherrer
Mr. Williams,
Thanks for your response. I felt that since we had a Golf Co-ordinator, A Golf Events Director, And an Events & Tournament Director,
A PGA Member that is a Manager at two Courses and a Golf Merchandise Purchaser. that we did not need the _EXPENSE_ of a Golf OPS MGR. I feel
that We Already had such PEOPLE in PLACE!
I also feel, that since you did not ask any questions at the Friday Workshop, regarding the consequences of Mr. Whiting’s Proposal Regarding Resident Golf Employees…that you are in favor of this proposal that will very much change the COST of GOLf and The COST of Golf to the Resident
of SUN CITY WEST!
If this Proposal is implemented…..It will be very detrimental to Sun City West!!!!!
Yours for BETTER GOLF,
Bill Noble
Hi Mr. Armstrong. Thank you for your comments. We will share them with the Governing Board. The member dues have always supported capital expenditures. The APF was started as a method of supporting capital expenditures because we were falling behind in basic maintenance of the Rec Centers and, at about the same time, the Governing Board eliminated the trail fee for golf carts. This, combined with several years of no dues increases, resulted in the need to increase the APF fee, which started in 2000 at $800 and is now $2,500. We hope to continue this increase until most of our capital improvements are funded by APF, but for now, we must continue to rely on some member dues to support our yearly capital maintenance and building projects.
As to the issue of pickleball, this was a policy decision and was hotly debated for years. The Board made a decision based on the best information they had, balancing the wishes of existing residents with the need to keep Sun City West relevant by recognizing that our demographics are changing and we must keep up with those changes or risk alienating future residents. This was accomplished by making RH Johnson the tennis center and Palm Ridge the pickleball hub.
Our facilities are designed for peak use. We certainly don’t need seven golf courses all year-round, but in January, February and March, we do. Tennis and pickleball are the same. If, for example, we could get tennis and pickleball to schedule more efficiently, we could probably do with fewer facilities. (We recently did away with fivesomes at the golf courses because the playing experience with foursomes is more favorable if not more efficient.) But we do have peaks, and we do have tournaments, which require more courts. We also cannot ignore the political groundswell that pushed the pickleball issue. One thing is for certain – the Board is unlikely to revisit the Palm Ridge pickleball issue and that project is moving forward.
In closing, we remind our residents that the Bylaw vote was a vote of confidence for the Board and management. Having said that, we remain concerned and vigilant with our finances. The 4 percent increase was moderate given our increasing energy, minimum wage and commodity costs.
Mr. Scherrer. Thank you for the information on the Arts, Beats and Eats event. It sounds pretty neat, and our events department is looking into whether we might be able to adopt something similar here on an appropriate scale. We’re sorry you’ve had a bad experience speaking at a Board meeting in the past. We reviewed your post with Mrs. Knowlton; she does not recall a meeting at which you spoke, nor does she recall ever having a conversation with you. If you felt in any way that anything a staff member did at a meeting implied you were not welcome, we assure you that is not the case. We encourage our members to come to Board meetings to listen or express their views. And in no case do we ever keep “tick marks” by anyone’s name.
As a Governing Board Director and Chair of the Golf Committee, I would like to respond to a few of the recent comments from Greg Scherrer and Bill Noble.
Mr. Scherrer mentioned that he has had “…contact with management … but little changes.” Obviously, since specifics were not mentioned, I cannot respond to this particular comment, but there have been “big changes” in the RCSCW “world of golf.” In the past two years we have added the Reid West Golf Academy, increased public access to all RCSCW golf courses, and added the LPGA Legends tournament, which we expect to return in 2013.
I have received several complaints and questions regarding RCSCW golf advertising, most offering the opinion that more advertising is needed. In my opinion, the LPGA Legends event was excellent advertising, although a price tag cannot be put on all the benefits realized. Especially since the event was favorably received by the LPGA players, fans in attendance, pro am participants, and Walgreens, the title sponsor, it seems to me that Sun City West received very positive publicity.
Mr. Scherrer also mentioned the addition of a cart barn at Grandview and the possible relationship of such to the LPGA Legends tournament. The cart barn is being built because we need more room for rental carts. Since the advent of increased play by non-residents, there is more demand for rental carts. In fact, last winter, when we did do a bit more advertising, it was so successful that some non-residents wishing to play were turned away because of lack of available carts. We have therefore reduced some of our advertising until we’re able to accommodate more carts. The last thing we want to do is advertise and ask people to come play our courses, and then turn them away.
By the way, Golf Now has brought in more than $32,000 since April at virtually no cost to us. But when we hit our busy season, we will need those additional carts that will be housed in the new cart barn to accommodate those players, as well as our residents’ guests, and with that kind of income (outside players pay a premium), it is an investment that will pay for itself in a very short time.
I am not aware of any need relating to the LPGA event and the new cart barn. In fact, the plans for the new cart barn were drawn in September 2010, and the budget was approved in May 2011. Discussions with the LPGA started much later than that, and the contract with the LPGA was not signed until December 2011. With respect to referenced TV coverage of the LPGA event, there was none, although we received great coverage from the print media.
Mr. Noble questions the need for a Golf Operations manager. In my opinion, we need a manager to oversee the seven RCSCW golf courses, as well as a myriad of other golf-related activities. The candidate selected, Patrick O’Hara, is a Class A PGA Professional with several decades of experience, which very well qualifies him for the position. By any standards, RCSCW golf is a very large and vibrant operation, which should benefit from Mr. O’Hara’s skill and experience. The hiring of the Golf Operations manager is at the discretion of the RCSCW general manager and one which I fully support.
I appreciate the questions and comments from Mr. Scherrer and Mr. Noble.
Griff Williams, RCSCW Golf Chair
Cost Concerns(Please send to Board members)
I’m concerned – concerned how the Association membership dues are being spent by the SCW Board. This summer an Association general membership meeting was held. At that time the Board presented a slate of projects that they had approved to be undertaken over the next several months. Mike Whiting indicated there are sufficient funds to cover the projects. Although I was somewhat uneasy with some of the expenditures, I became concerned when I received my dues statement and found they had once again gone up by a little more than 4% – and 18% over the past 5 years. Thus, funds WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE for all those items WITHOUT RAISING DUES.
The Rec. Centers management and the Governing Board have done a commendable job in maintaining our facilities, and expanding some such as additions to Beardsley and Johnson fitness centers as well as the library extension. However, with the increase in dues I took a more critical look at the projects presented at the membership meeting. I feel a glaring example of quite questionable expenditure at an estimated cost of $220,000 is that of adding 8 pickleball courts at Palm Ridge(Acost to every Association member of $7). I go by there frequently and find the present pickleball courts utilized very little, except for a couple hours in the mornings. There are an additional 5 pickleball courts at Johnson that are quite under-utilized. In other words, the current pickleball player usage(not membership) does not justify the addition of more courts.
Granted, this is true of all outside activities since folks wish to participate in the mornings. However, the folks in these other activities have learned to adjust their schedules and I am not aware of any other requests to expand so all could play at roughly the same time. IT SEEMS PRUDENT THAT THE REC. BOARD RE-VISIT THIS ISSUE. That project will be adding 8 courts at Palm Ridge with questionable justification and removing 3 tennis courts. The removal of those 3 tennis courts will force 30-40 tennis players to other community courts, further restricting play times on those courts.
Over the past 4-5 years the Rec. Centers has been forced twice into an Association vote on whether to modify the by-laws that would set a limit on project expenditures without a member vote. Although both by-laws referendums failed it should be noted that there is a growing concern about how Association funds are spent on individual projects. It would be unfortunate to see a referendum passed that would set a funding limit on MAINTENANCE projects, or further expansion of EXISTING facilities as the NEED arises.
In closing, let me say that I am not a golfer. But I feel the funds programmed for the pickleball courts might be better spent in some way to make golfing even more attractive(ie, reducing rounds fees, for instance). After all, we are still advertised as a golfing community. Just maybe we could get those 2 golf courses that Mike Whiting has said we do not need filled with golfers. A speculation, but at least it is funds being spent on maintaining existing facilities.
Respectfully, William Armstrong
You know? You’re doing the best you can to “bury me in the detail” and to be honest, I’ll tell you what they always tell me… “Look it up for yourself”. Nothing is that difficult to verify. It was written up in the Detroit Free Press (freep.com) and it’s an annual event previously held (for years) in Pontiac Michigan and only last year moved to Royal Oak, Michigan. As I said before, it’s called the “Arts, Beats and Eats” festival and it’s KILLER! Since the venue was held in another City for years and recently moved a couple of miles south to Royal Oak, I couldn’t guess the ins and outs of who pays taxes on a burger and which restaraunt does what. All I know is it’s a BLAST, open to EVERYONE and it’s held every year and gets larger and more fun all the time. People come from everywhere to attend and the streets require residents to have a parking pass so as to outlaw others from stealing the residents parking from them.
BTW: I spoke ONCE at a Governing Board Meeting and Cindy Knowlton glared me down and when I contacted her about something later, she made her position clear that “I was THE ONE who spoke at the meeting” as if to say I had some sort of tick mark next to my name? I’m only after someone who has an open ear when it comes to us little guys here in town. All I want are clean swimming pools and umbrellas for us to take refuge from the searing hot summer sun (we now have some umbrellas, thanks in part to Katy O’Grady) and my dying hope is that the Board will one day cut back on what many of us consider over spending.
I have no intention of grandstanding at a meeting any more than I want to butt heads with some “ME, ME, ME” Board Member. Cindy Knowlton told me that we have all the volunteers we could ever hope to need, so don’t engage me by asking me to volunteer for anything, either. I’ve always been civil, used clean language in my posts and even supplied my “full name” when asked to do so. Had I realized it was a prerequisite sooner, I’d gladly have posted it from the onset. I have no “axe to grind” and felt that the idea of “free speech” included me, a full time, dues paying owner/member and as such, posted what I thought was honest and forthright input. I do not feel a need to speak publicly at any venue simply because I’ve been invited to do so. Anyone who wants to know who I am can simply ask me. I’m not cloaked in some veil of secrecy. No need to put me on an agenda. I really don’t “rate” here other than my paid membership into the “Kitty”.
Hi Bill. The Governing Board meetings that are held in the Lecture Hall and Social Hall have plenty of room for spectators and those wishing to attend to speak. Those held on Mondays are more limited in space, but generally do not have public comment. There are very few restrictions to speaking at a public meeting. Simply show up, sign up and give us your rec card number. We would love to have you. The RCSCW responses on this blog work much the same was as our press releases, the Rec Center News and other official documents that are not signed. We do not generally put individual names on official responses. For the record, most of them are written by the Association’s spokesperson, Katy O’Grady, with input from management and sometimes Governing Board members. They are the Association’s official response, not an individuals’ opinion, which is why they are not signed. Also for the record, Greg, we would love to know regarding the other public event you referred to – was the city it was held in incorporated; was it a subsidized event; did the revenue quoted include sales at restaurants, etc and other tax-related income that cities usually quote, or was it strictly NET income from that event alone. Just curious. We are a non-profit entity and weren’t looking to make money from the LPGA Legends. We were looking to break even and get some great exposure while offering our residents an opportunity to watch some great golf in their own backyard – mission accomplished!
For RCSCW Says….I see first and last names are required to get an answer from RCSCW. The only comments from Board Members I have seen with full names are Dave Wilson, Jack Steiner, and Patricia Tomlin. Shouldn’t we be able to know from what Board Member or RC Employee we are getting the comments??
In the last response I received I was told that “Personnel matters
are not Public Record. I would have thought that they would be available to Owner/ Residents. Then I did realize that we are open to the Public in many Areas. I was then told that the Sept. 27th
Meeting was open to the Public?! Then I see Mrs Tomlin invited Greg
to attend the GM Operations meetings, but to ask to be on the Agenda of one of the meetings… to be heard from. I do realize the Gov. Board Room is very small and it would be necessary to ask to be on the Agenda at one of the meetings. It does seem we have many restrictions.
Thank you,
Bill Noble
Mike, That is exactly why I felt I needed to comment on the LPGA event. I had read in the minutes about the $6000.00 outcome and (personally?) I thought it SHOULD have amounted to “more”, given the amount of effort put forth on the party of many. Could I do better? Not likely because it’s not my area of expertise, so don’t dog me! As an “event coordinator” of an event with this much visibility and apparently quite a bit riding on a successful outcome, I just would have expected bigger numbers.
True enough, as someone pointed out, it was televised and the thought is perhaps someone bought a home based on the event. Nothing but great news. Run with it. Plus, it was determined that we are (apparently) in need of a new cart barn, complete with new carts in the event the LPGA decides to return in ’13. We’ll be all set IF they decide to! More good news. Can’t agrue with success.
Hi Greg
I recently asked a question about the LPGA tournaments profits or losses and was told by this blog that there was approx $4,000 profit. This did not include the extra labor for the tournament or the loss of one weeks revenue from Grandview. I would say it either lost money or brkoe even at best. It is interesting that little was made of this fact in any of the media.
Mr. Noble, your last comments did not get printed because you went into personnel matters that are not public record. If you were simply commenting on whether or not to fill the Golf Ops manager position, we would have printed that. The Employee Golf issue has not been settled. The Board discussed it at its last workshop on Friday, but did not vote. As it stands, the Board plans to discuss the issue at its next regular meeting at the end of this month. The proposal being discussed is to eliminate Policy P6 from the Governing Board policies and have the General Manager oversee it as he does most other employee benefits. This meeting will be open to the public and we encourage you to attend (9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, Social Hall).
Greg,
I enjoyed reading your comments. My input is that sometimes members feel we have not listened to them, when in reality we have listened, but we do not agree with or cannot do anything about their input. Or as mentioned the complaints are not specific enough for us to do anything about. I have listened to many residents who have attended our meetings and I have been able to ask them questions about their concerns, creating better understanding. That is much more difficult to do in this forum than in person. Again I encourage you to attend our meetings or ask to be on our agenda at one of our GM Operations meetings. We will be happy to hear from you.
Hi Greg…I feel you have some very positive comments. At least
your comments are printed! My last comment was my opposition to
hiring a new Golf Ops Mgr when we have so many Good People in place
now!
I also feel that the Employee Golf change is not necessary, but
That It has already been done. I would be interested in knowing who the Board Members are that voted for it!
If this comment does not get printed..I will start writing the Independent and the AZ Republic NW Valley Republic.
Greg Please put your last name on your comments or just call me
so that I can fill you in on some of the happenings
Thank you,
Bill Noble
Thank you for the exchange. My First and last name is Greg Scherrer. I hope my comments showed respect to you for your position, as I have always tried to show you nothing but respect. I’m happy to print my name. I was not aware that it was a prerequisite, I’d otherwise have done so sooner.
Greg, this will be the last comment we post without your last name. We appreciate your understanding. Please know we hear you when you say you want more active events. We are working toward that, but our population spans 50 years and we will not cater to Boomers at the expense of our long-term residents. We strive to meet ALL needs, so some events are geared toward the more active residents and some toward those who enjoy more passive pursuits. Are goal is “something for everyone.” With 110 chartered clubs, four recreation centers, seven golf courses, etc., etc., etc., there is a lot to offer. We’ve heard it said many times, if you can’t find something to do that suits your interests, you’re not looking. We have heard loud and clear from the ASU survey that while we are trying to communicate in more and newer ways with our residents, there are some like you who still don’t feel they are being heard. So we will try even harder. We want your help in this endeavor. Please come to Board meetings. Please come to Workshops. Please email the Governing Board directly with your concerns. We need specifics on what you want, what ideas you’d like us to pursue. We can act on specifics. We cannot act on general discontent other than trying to communicate more effectively, which we are trying to do. Again, we appreciate your comments and concerns and thank you for sharing your thoughts. As Ronni pointed out, this blog is not meant to be anonymous, so next time we ask that you please include your last name. Thank you.
Your position and opinions are fair and 100% understood. I think in an attempt to respond politely to your call to residents to let Management know if they disagree with the activity, you might find that many of the residents look upon such things with total apathy. Many simply don’t care or have lost interest and feel disconnected. If you look at the results of the study that was done, one of the items that came to light clearly indicated that residents wanted to be heard and kept in the loop. I think at some levels much of the management THINKS they’re doing much better in that vein, but in reality is it actually happening? I’m not saying it ISN’T, but I think a lot of people that might possibly get involved have simply stopped caring. If I speak up in an attempt to be heard, I’m branded as negative. Tell the Queen she’s beautiful and she’ll listen. Refer to her as an ugly duckling and off with your head!
You refer to my (somewhat) frequent comments that make me sound as if I’m all about negative. I’ve had contact with management over some issues and to date, we’ve had friendly chats and exchanges, but little changes. It just reflects what a challenge it can be for an owner resident to get something done at a base level. It’s always business as usual running along with the big things like some machine and when an issue presents itself you’re just bowled over all the while hearing about how improved things are. Say it often enough and they’ll all begin to believe it?
Look. Life here is simply amazing! It’s a GLORIOUS way of life. Sensational place to live!!! I LOVE LIVING HERE!!!!!!!! I get frustrated and feel like you do when caught up in voice mail jail because so much seems to fall on deaf ears. All the faces are smiling, but many of the ears are deaf. So you speak a little louder, a little more often and you are a negative individual. Sitting quietly in your living room looking at the sunset gets about as much done. You can announce how you’re listening, but what are you hearing?
These are merely QUESTIONS and certainly NOT condemnation. Just because I’m not always 98% in agreement with everyone shouldn’t brand me an infidel.
Yes, the town I came from IS a small City. They host what is called an “Arts, Beats and Eats” fair that incorporates just that… an Art Fair, Music and food. It’s a mega party that ALL the local towns join in and take part in. Surprise actually coming all the way to SCW? (Probably.) Sun City coming for it? (Maybe) Look at Glendale! We have “things”, true enough! But they’re not “exciting”. They don’t “draw” up beat crowds. Garage sale. (OK!?) Music in the park. (NICE!) Old movies… (well..) Where’s the “thrill” that “Boomers” are seeking??? We need to infuse some energy into what we offer, not just positive PR, but real energy producing real excitement. IMO it’s just slightly “staid”, safe and low-key, the kind of place that a fender bender makes front page. (Sorry!) I thought I was considerate, yet true to my honest opinion.
Thank you, I’m sure our members will agree!
You are correct Ronni. We’ve gotten away from that policy. We will start again enforcing the requirement that those who leave comments use their first and last names. And of course, we will continue enforcing the policy that those who post are fair, polite and constructive in their comments. We have been lenient in this regard because we want to promote conversation, but we want it to be constructive conversation. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation.
RCSCW:
I have a question regarding anonymous posts. It is my understanding that this forum requires the poster to provide a full name, yet some posters are using only a first name. I hope that we are not going to turn this venue into an anonymous vent platform such as the local newspapers provide.
Thank you.
Greg,
Why don’t you tell us what it is that your hometown did to raise over $400k? Would it be something viable for a “community” like SCW or does it require a political entity such as a town, city, etc? We could use good ideas for fund-raising.
People complain when we lose money, yet you are complaining when we make money. What is it you expect? If we spend money to make money, there will be an uproar if it is not successful.
Think for a minute what it is you want from your community. It appears you are not happy with how things are done because I see lots of complaining from you. If you have ideas, share them!
Too bad you can’t see the benefit of positive actions like the tournament. I think most of our residents do. If not, they should let the management know so they don’t continue to waste their time, energy, and effort.
Again, not fair to complain unless you are willing to help! We are all in this together!
Negative? Because it’s chicken feed. This is the pay-off for all the work, the time, the missed revenue from displaced resident golfers and we’re running some kind of professional golf tournament that’s promoting our community for six thousand bucks over a multiple day event? Are you serious? This is “the Big Top”?
I read my hometown paper on line every day and they just held a two day event that garnered the city $430,+++. That’s nearly HALF A MILLION!! That, too is the reason the hometown paper I’m speaking of PRINTED IT (and perhaps why we did not?).
With all the golf carts having been brought in, tents set up, volunteers working, traffic, potential sales and now a new golf cart barn being built to house more new golf carts… is it any wonder why someone sneezes at $6,000?
It was nice. People came, they may have enjoyed themselves and someone may be buying a home here one day because of it. Super. I’ll cheer for that.
Greg,
Why so negative? The LPGA event was great PR for Sun City West, was sponsored by a commercial entity and did not cost us. When people get to see our retirement community and a beautiful golf course on TV, it makes them want to come see what we are all about.
Perhaps some golfers didn’t get to play exactly when and where they wanted during that short period, but there were other courses available.
We should be celebrating the positive aspects of our community and work together to fix the perceived negatives. Not fair to complain and not contribute!
They “came out ABOUT $6,000 ahead”??? Sounds a lot like some sort of a lemonaide stand we used to run as kids. They probably could have made that kind of change just running business as usual. All that hubbub for $6 thousand bucks? Let’s do it again in ’13!
Sorry for the oversight Curt. The minutes have now been posted.
29 Aug 2012
Having just returned after a 2 month hiatus, I reviewed the GM Operations Meeting Minutes and the Governing Board Minutes. I did not see the GB Minutes for 28 June 2012. They should be available for posting to residents of SCW by this date.
Thanks for your interest in this matter.
To the GB Members, keep up the good work in managing this great community of ours.
Curt birkeland