WHY Support the Copper Center Building? Because the Board SAYS So?

Date: Aug 19, 2023

The latest TWISCOV email to all residents starts off with a message from our Board of Directors. It states that the Copper Health building now termed the 'Copper Center', “Deserves the support of our residents”. OK, sure. Just support the Copper Center because the Board says so!

It doesn’t need to bother us with reasons or with an analysis as to why we really need this 22,000 square foot building now that the Welcome Center and Administration are staying put. No analysis as to whether this is the best use of our Capital Funds now that we don’t need to move those functions to the Copper Center. No discussion as to whether spending millions more dollars to renovate Copper Center to accommodate our use is worth it. No analysis as to the impact of spending $8 to $9 million in total on the Copper Center project that will impact our ability to implement other projects far preferred by residents, such as pickleball courts and an updated Desert Oasis pool. Nope. Just support Copper because it’s good. Let the Task Force deal with those pesky issues of what to do with such a large space.

As justifications for buying the Copper Health building and now keeping it, I have heard platitudes such as “Its an investment in the future.” Well, given its severe negative impact on our Capital Reserve and Cash On Hand positions, I would not call it an “investment” in the future but a 'Divestment' of our future.

I have heard people support the Copper Center because it is a “strategic” move. Ah, but what is the strategy? That was never determined, as it should have been before the vote. I also have heard people say, “I trust our Board to make the right decisions”. Well given the inaccurate information and assumptions provided by our Board, I believe that trust may be misplaced.

What inaccuracies? Well, for one, we were told the Welcome Center was a string of double wide trailers with serious structural deficiencies that needed an expensive “replacement / rebuild” to the tune of $4.6 million. (See the email of 12/12/22 from the previous Board president.) I guess that was wrong. Oops, Never Mind. Let’s just keep going with the Copper Center planning!

What else? Well, in that same pre-vote email, she indicated that the Copper Center would save money by not having to implement the Artisan Center's “Expansion / Renovation” costing $4.5 million. But, she neglected to mention in that email that spending that much on the Artisan Center would have required an affirmative vote of the community. Would it have passed? I doubt it. But, hey, Never Mind... Let’s just go on with planning for the Copper Center!

What else? We were told that purchasing the Copper Health building was a once in a lifetime “opportunity” for the future. But, who determined that? Do we really need to spend all of our Capital Reserves on this now that the purported savings have disappeared? Yep, support it no matter what...

The ballot conveniently omitted the TOTAL cost of this project. We spent over $4.5 million on the Copper Health building's acquisition. Pre-vote, the Board said it expected the Copper Health building's renovation cost to be $2.7 million, and expected the Artisan Center's “interior renovation only” cost to be $1.8 million. So, in total, the Copper Health building's project’s true cost is $9 million! Even if it is only $8 million, is it really what the community wants to spend its precious Capital Reserves on? I doubt it, but let’s have a new vote with full disclosure of all the costs. So, was the ballot really a valid accurate portrayal of the project costs? Nope. Never Mind! Just support the project, no matter what the cost.

If we truly do spend $8 to $9 million on the Copper Center, it will have a significant negative impact on our Reserves, on our actual Cash On Hand, and it will make other projects the community desires impossible to implement. Well, I guess they could be done, but that would require the $2 million + negative balance of our Capital Fund to grow significantly more negative. It would lengthen the projected “replenishment” period for the Capital Fund to get back to zero or to match its pre- Copper Center level. It would use up our cash on hand earmarked for other purposes such as our Asset Reserve (used for replacement of existing HOA assets).

Or, we can just have a Special Assessment. Gee, the Board didn’t mention this impact...

But just support the project, we are told!

BOTTOM LINE: We should not spend more money on the Copper Center. We should SELL IT.

~ Written by an appropriately disgruntled Resident

OTHER COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT FROM RESIDENTS:

"I have been on a several Boards, including acting as President. I have never seen any Board behave like this. This Board is not being honest, not listening and demeaning residents... I appreciate that the column in TWISCOV did not say "Just the Facts" anymore and I thought it was interesting that it was signed from 'the Board' instead of 'the President'. But - there is no change in the tone - 'we are the bosses'. If they don't see themselves as neighbors who asked us all to allow them to represent the community needs - they need to allow someone else to take over the job. A Board position is being of service to residents and their concerns, not to support their own agendas. I do think a recall may be necessary."

"Many of us do not want or like that we all will be paying for attorney fees, damages and legal costs, etc. for a fully preventable lawsuit. Our Admin. made the decision to forge ahead and close on the Copper Health building after learning that Daniels Holdings, LLC would be filing a suit against us if we moved forward with the closing. I guess that’s okay to you and it’s okay to be lied to by the Board/Admin. regarding the very important financial aspects of the purchase. New information shows that the purchase is NOT saving us any money (as they showed in their sales dog and pony show) but is costing us much more. Many of the ‘sales’ promises were not at all truthful, like a kitchen to enable a ‘gourmet club’ etc."