Candidates talk trails and increases
The six candidates for the POA Board of Directors have some common ground. At the candidate forum, sponsored by the POA’s election committee at Riordan Hall on March 19, each one promised to listen to members.
When asked about trails, five candidates said they support the trail system and Steve McKee said he was neutral. Leah Bidwell said that, although she supports the trails, she believes the members should have voted on them. McKee said that nonmembers should pay to park their cars while they use the trails.
Jerre Barron Jr. said he’s not against the trails and his sons use them. The east side trails are fine, but he was disappointed when work began on a trail behind his house because he prefers to be secluded. He pointed out the POA doesn’t get any income from the trails and the city’s income is limited by the lack of hotels in the city.
Three of the candidates have served on the board and all three supported the decisions to spend POA funds to improve the amenities.
“Yes, we did use up most of the cash — not reserves, but the cash we had — making improvements to the village,” incumbent Bruce Portillo said, adding that he believes most residents enjoy those improvements.
The board spent about 12 million on improvements over the past few years, he said.
Incumbent Pat Laury mentioned the high cost of keeping the Yacht Club building intact — some $80,000 a year — during the years it was closed. He added that some of the money should have been kept in reserves, although the bulk needed to be spent on amenities.
John Nuttall, a former board member, said that, when he moved to the area, “I started to realize that forty to fifty percent of the stuff the POA had was closed — sitting there idly — empty buildings that were ready
to be torn down because nobody used them.”
Now, he said, “every facility the POA has is open and in use. It hadn’t been that way in decades. Yes, we spent a lot of money, but it was worth it.”
He added that some amenities should be managed differently in order to be more financially responsible.
Bidwell also wanted to talk about financial responsibility.
“We need the finances to afford those things,” she said about the trail system. “Currently, we don’t have that.”
“We shouldn’t be agreeing to any extra cost at this time,” she said. “We’re giving our land to the public. We’re giving it to the city. Shouldn’t there have been a better negotiation?”
Jerre Barron said the POA should run like a business, and a business needs a mission and vision statement to keep
things consistent.
“Every time this board changes hands, ideas change,” he said.
“You can’t spend money you don’t have,” he added.
“We’ve had great improvements over the past five years — well needed. That was money well spent,” Steve McKee said. “But the 12 million is gone, we are borrowing money. So what are we going to do? The first thing to recognize is [that] we are a community and we are in this together.”
Some of the candidates said they are in favor of an assessment increase.
Bidwell said she is against an increase because of the way the last one was structured with costs for both improved and unimproved lots. Because of user fees that are required of members, she doesn’t believe membership is worthwhile for the owners of multiple lots.
McKee said he was actively opposed to an increase in several recent elections. At first, he believed it wasn’t necessary since the POA had 12 million on hand. In more
recent elections, he had problems with the ballots, including controversy about the POA board voting for lots they have in inventory.
McKee also took issue with another candidate’s comment that it had been 17 years since the assessment was increased.
“When we got rid of the city services or devoted things to the city — fire, police, streets, sanitation — we now pay taxes. We’ve had an equivalent increase,” he said.
Laury suggested a paradigm shift to go along with an assessment increase so members will pay less in usage fees for amenities.
Portillo was also in favor of assessments large enough to replace some usage fees, although he believes golf and restaurants should continue to have fees.
Barron reported that he spent a “huge amount” for amenities in his former community. He paid $480 a year for a pool and a playground.
“I come here and I really got value. My gosh, think about all the amenities that are out here. All you
can use … Where in the world can you find a place that charges that — what we pay every month for assessments?”
Nuttall is also in favor of an increase because of the time that has passed since the last one.
“I enjoy the amenities. I like to go out and golf. I like to go out in my boat and play on the lake. I like to walk on the trails. I like to ride my bike. Everyone at the gym knows me. It’s a heck of a value.”
But the board needs to make sure members feel they are doing a good job handling money.
Ballots will go out by mail in mid-April, and the results will be announced at the annual membership meeting in late May. The owner of every lot that is in good standing — meaning assessment fees are up to date — will get one vote which can be cast by mail or electronically.