September Update
What follows is my recap of my experiences in September on the CROA Board of Directors.
The second project manager that Grand Manors hired for the Playgrounds Project was hired on August 25th. A meeting was held immediately to discuss the scope of work, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for 9/5. On September 5th, this project manager quit, stating they did not originally realize the time commitment for this project, and could not commit to what was needed. A new project manager was hired on September 11, and started working on the project on September 13. Weekly playground updates have been provided in Monday Matters, and will continue as such. A tentative timeline is as follows (however this is unofficial and not publicly committed):
Contract Review Early October
Scope Doc. Review Mid October
Contractor Bid Walk Mid to Late October
On September 5, Mr. Wise (myself) brought concerns regarding the seriousness of repeated issues with Grand Manors Vice President Roger Edwards. The contents of this concern can be found here. Ms. Swisher took it upon herself to speak directly to Grand Manors executive management (specifically Grand Manors Executive Vice President Stacy Titleman and SVP Operations Corbin Seti) independent of the rest of the Board, ignoring multiple board member requests that she not do this privately. The contents or outcome of this discussion was never disclosed to the rest of the Board. Ms. Swisher also disputed Mr. Wise’s statement that Roger Edwards had lied, and preferred to say that he stated “misinformation.” Mr. Wise made it clear that he understands the difference between the two, and attempted to make it clear that Mr. Edwards had clearly lied in the multiple examples presented.
The Celebration website URL (website address) is attempting to be changed* by Grand Manors executive management without Board knowledge or permission. When it was realized there was a behind-the-scenes technical problem, Mr. Hays (who is also Technology Committee liaison) was consulted, and specifically asked for this not to happen. The old URL was www.celebration.fl.us. The new URL is www.celebration-fl.us. This is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed.
*= The technical description of what occurred is that Grand Manors completed the new website but was unable to deploy it to the original domain, and so chose to create a new domain for public release. This new domain is different than what has been the Celebration website address since its inception.
On September 11, Mr. Wise (myself) stated he was “enthusiastic” about the Playground Project progress in Monday Matters. The community had a good laugh at his choice of words. 😊
On 9/13, Mr. Wise (myself) brought up to Grand Manors Executive Vice President Stacy Titleman (and other Grand Manors staff) that due to the recent bank change, there was a $1.95 fee being charged to users who paid dues via ABT electronic check. The board was told that Grand Manors was looking into it. When Mr. Wise asked again on 9/19, there was no answer. On 9/20, Ms. Swisher proactively called to speak with Ms. Titleman, who claimed this issue had just gotten to her desk today, and she would look into it. As of September 25th, the Board and community was updated via the information provided in Monday Matters that the issue has been resolved.
NOTE: While Mr. Wise was attempting to be proactive in resolving this, Mr. Richards chose to respond to Mr. Wise with the statement, “Would you like a cookie or an achievement award?” While there was no plan to identify him by name originally in this, he made his participation in this public on social media fairly soon after its occurrence, however did not explain the details of this exchange. Please click here to read the communication chain of what Mr. Wise felt was not the appropriate response to his efforts to move this issue forward.
On September 13, the Board held a Budget Workshop. Some cuts were made and discussion was held. The last two years have seen large increases of both 8.9% for 2022 and 9.3% for 2023, however the average of the past six years has been an average of 4.26% (varying from as low as 0.5% in 2021). At the end of the workshop, the Board came to consensus with a 3.9% increase for 2024. This will go to vote at the September Board Meeting, and released for public review shortly thereafter.
Throughout the month of September, two meetings were not recorded by Grand Manors. It is a standard practice to record all meetings for clarity and record. The 9/6 Finance Committee/Board Joint Meeting was not recorded properly. Also, the Executive Session on 9/13 was not recorded.
On September 19, the CROA Board held a joint workshop with CCDD to discuss Incorporation and a Community Center. Much discussion was had, and at the end, CCDD asked for permission to perform a land study on Lot F. They also asked for CROA to indicate if its members were interested in incorporation or not. The CROA Board could not vote on anything at this meeting as it was presented as a Workshop, and therefore no action items were presented for prior public review and comment. It was argued during the meeting by CCDD District Manager Ms. Angel Montagna that the meeting was not a workshop, and was presented as a meeting.
In July, Mr. Richards developed the initial resolution for the Master Plan Advisory Group. In an effort to complete this process, Ms. McFadden, Ms. Swisher, and Mr. Wise (myself) met on September 22nd to complete the resolution and present a final document for Board review. Through much discussion, this meeting was successful in that it allowed the Board to complete this document to move the Master Plan Advisory Group (MPAG) forward.
The deadline for MPAG applications was Monday, September 25th. In total, 42 residents applied. The Board will be reviewing the applications and voting by the October Board Meeting to appoint members to this Advisory Group.
The monthly Board Meeting was held on September 27th. Topics included the GoGov application, a new pool contractor, Island Village gas grills, the Master Plan Resolution, a Pollinator Garden, and the 2024 Budget, and updates to the Projects Contract. There was much discussion and different votes on the various topics. I strongly urge residents to watch this meeting if they did not attend. The link can be found here: https://youtu.be/l0kEME6qQWw
The budget was proposed for 2024 with a 3.56% increase, equating to $41.54 more than 2023, for a total CROA dues of $1,208.45 for 2024.
One last thought. I’ve discussed my communication style here previously. I am definitely direct; sometimes more than some can handle. I am professional in my communications, however when directly disregarded, I will assert my position as necessary. I say this only because retaliation is a method I see frequently our a local level (something I almost never see professionally), and so for those who may wish to share my e-mails, I simply caution to be sure to include the entirety of the conversation for context. One thing you’ll find is that I never strike first. Many of my responses do indeed come across harsh. But if you see the chain of events leading to that point, the reader may find they would have acted similarly. I can say that I stand behind everything I’ve written with regard to CROA. And sometimes I’ve had to write sternly or aggressively just to be heard (though rarely listened to.) This blog serves as a way to communicate many of these situations publicly, as I’ve been striving for transparency while balancing the line of confidentiality and respect.
That aside, lets end with the fact that we have successfully reached a budget that is reasonable and fair. I ran on a campaign of no dues increases; that is true. And while its possible to have a zero percent increase, there would be some necessary cuts that would affect the programming and quality of services that residents expect. Finance Committee Chair Andrew Benenati can attest to the number of times I’ve asked him how we can get to zero. And I’ll give him high marks for genuinely working with that as the goal through more than twelve rounds of budget revisions. However, based on the factors I mentioned above, the justification for this small increase seems sound and logical. It’s below the historical average increase of 4.26%, which is a plus, and it doesn’t affect the expectations of residents with regard to facilities, services, and programming. That said, if you disagree, I’d love to know. If you think it should be higher (because you want improvements) or lower (because you don’t want any increase), please reach out to me so we can discuss. That’s the point of this here! Let’s discuss it for next year and beyond, because 9 months from now, we get to do this all over again. So please, reach out to me!
I’m very proud of the Finance Committee for handling an extremely wide portfolio of issues and topics. Andrew Benenati led the committee with equity, balance, and a talent that deserves recognition. His ability to balance priorities with strategy and necessity have been critical to the success of this years budget process and to the overall financial health of the organization. Mike Jackson provided solid arguments for and against many topics, and in doing so, helped the Board form a budget that is responsible, minimizes waste, and is taking a healthy opportunity to capitalize on investment opportunities. His experience with CROA’s budget process was essential to the success of this years budget. And newcomers to the committee including James Pineau and Tina Dorn applied a critical eye to myriad accounts and processes, helping unveil savings and strategy that has been advantageous to the process.
I’m optimistic for things to come with the Master Plan Advisory Group, as this will really help shape and guide our future and set the stage for expectations of the 2024 Board. Our current Board will elect this Advisory Group, and we still have a lot to accomplish in the final quarter of the year. Here’s to a great holiday season ahead!