"One Informal Gathering - That's All It Took"

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It was 10 AM this past Saturday when more than 200 of this wonderful over 55 population gathered at what  would likely be considered a political issue driven get-together at Desert Vista,  as hosted by Board Members, Sandy Krause and Steve Commander. While such meetings are normally subdued, one could quickly see that this one was going to be different. It got us to our feet, you could see that residents were involved, animated passionate about matters that they and others brought up. It was obvious that at this meeting, the residents were comfortable and quite excited to talk about what would be a broad range of topics.

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Many of us attended many meetings over the years covering many topics and led by many groups and/or their chairs or officers. But, not in the 10 years that I have resided in this community, have I experienced or known about one as positively charged as this one. One has to ask why that is. Considering that in the past few Board meetings have never had more than 50 or 60 in attendance, and more recently only 25 seem to be attending, even with the convenience of Zoom, one has to ask what about this meeting brought in such a large number, and what enabled us to be such a vibrant version of ourselves? 

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First, of course, we have to give credit to its leadership. Both Sandy and Steve "sensed" the need for such an informal gathering. They saw it and did something about it and it is important to note that they regrettably had to do so at their own expense. They had too often heard the frustrations of residents and perhaps experienced it

themselves, especially when speech is restricted, comments are judged or ignored and needs and concerns are overlooked or treated as if they are trivial. Many feel as if our Board of Directors - or enough of them - are failing in their responsibility to the residents. Specifically, some in attendance at this gathering were outspoken about and concerned that there are Board members who have served too long. They believe their rhetoric is repetitive and stale, their minds closed and their passion for matters presented to them diminished.

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At this gathering, however, things were different. The two Board members leading the event have not served multiple terms, have emphasized since the day they were elected that they were open to hearing new ideas and issues of concern and have been respectful to and receptive of the residents who have approached them with either. So those that attended knew in the least, they would be treated respectfully when and if they presented what was on their minds. That alone might have contributed to the sizable attendance.

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But, they also knew there was no green or red light to determine a time limit in which they could speak. And, while they knew there was no guarantee that their issue of concern could be resolved quickly or even at all, they trusted that Sandy & Steve were sincere in their desire to want to pursue resolution of those issues when and if able.

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While a few issues raised concerned just a specific group of homes, others seemed to affect the entire community. Spending, of course, was of great concern. In particular, many were shocked to learn of the Executive Director's $240,000. salary. Grumbles and comments were audible and that was without many in the audience knowing there is a committee, consisting of three Board members appointed by Board Pres. Dick Clark, currently in place to consider the Executive Director's contract renewal, which could, of course also consider a salary increase.

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One homeowner was dismayed by the lack of "training" given to our staff members. Noting how nice most of them are, she said, if you need something or need to know something beyond the original encounter, many of our employees are not capable of providing it.

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Several complained that too many violations of our Development Standards are going unnoticed and unaddressed.  Another complaint was that the Softball Field was not being timely mowed and was currently in need of being mowed. Also mentioned was what was thought to be an "unacceptable" delay in the repair of our tennis courts. There were also quite a few homeowners present who were unhappy that their homes' views were impaired for various reasons and that, despite their complaints, nothing had been done about it. 

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As time went on, it was apparent that this meeting was held for one purpose and one purpose only and that was, to quote Steve Commander, for the benefit of "we, the people". Every individual or group present had an opportunity to be heard. Every comment or question was answered when and as it could be. Those that require follow-up will be addressed as soon as possible in www.scsliving.com. Should you feel you have not seen an answer to your question over a reasonable period of time, please send an email to Sandy or Steve.

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Lastly, it is important to note that this meeting, despite the fact many of the residents were there to air their frustrations, was upbeat. They were heard. Their gripes as well as their observations, questions and concerns were legitimized and validated because their neighbors listened and believed them, and, even more importantly, so did Sandy & Steve. In other words, it felt like a community!

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One has to wonder what Board members Jeff Rorick and Ellen Bachman, who were both present, thought. One has to also wonder if this meeting will affect how they deal with resident issues in the future. One interesting observation was the fact the Ms. Bachman did not allow herself to enter the room. Rather, she chose instead, to stand in the doorway throughout the nearly two hour gathering despite the fact that there were still a few seats available. Hopefully, her choice to set herself apart from everyone else did not impair her ability to get the message that this meeting clearly sent.