Open Letter To The GLA Board From Sally Muto
Jan 17, 2017 10:15:20 GMT -7
chris, dorothykeeler, and 1 more like this
Post by Admin on Jan 17, 2017 10:15:20 GMT -7
Administrator's Note: Sally Muto asked that we post her below open letter to the GLA Board.
January 13, 2017
Board of Directors,
First off let me wish everyone, board and landowners, a Happy New Year.
I hope this new board, in this new year, will usher in a new attitude, along with instituting, at all levels, better business practices. Among better business practices is the cessation of discrimination. Discrimination in the form of “favoritism” is discrimination nonetheless, which is illegal and the law of the land - period.
Our covenants are the laws of this association and must be adhered to, also. Breaking our laws by practicing favoritism on behalf of certain landowners is no different then selling your land and house to certain people and excluding others (which I have heard from a realtor is practiced here, which is discrimination & against the law).
One is breaking federal law and the other is breaking our laws (covenants) and both are unethical in every way. This should not be happening in our Association for it belongs to everyone who is a landowner member.
This favoritism has been rampant in the past. Whether or not it is systemic I do not know. What is the origin of this practice? I do not know. What I do know is that it should and must stop! My hope is that this board will be the one to cease this undermining practice, and call it out for what it is - discrimination. Equality and transparency should be our hallmarks.
How did they discriminate, you ask me? Through building projects, collection of assessments or non-collection of assessments, road maintenance & snow plowing, discounts - just to name a few. And when asked about these issues, answers were given with a certain arrogance.
Past boards have also shown a lack of respect, and a condescending attitude toward concerned landowners, which ultimately, turned into a “them vs us” feeling between landowners, and their board who represents them. This has been very evident at board and committee meetings. Distrust ensued on both sides. What started out to be of help to the board, was soon seen as interference and criticism.
That group of landowners got together to share ideas for problem-solving solutions. I started getting together with these neighbors to try and get answers to questions not answered by the board. The answers that were given to me by some board members at a couple of board meetings, turned out to be lies.
Lying is NOT a characteristic that a board member should possess. Lying must be rebuked at every utterance by the rest of the board who has knowledge that something is a lie. Deceit should not be condoned or tolerated in any way, by this board or any other board in the future.
(May I suggest washing ones mouth out with soap or public flogging?)
Most all of the issues that have been dealt with by the boards in the last 3 years, have been suggestions & ideas coming from the landowner group known as GLFPC. Yes, those pesky landowners also known as: 4 percenters, troublemakers, obstructionists, church-haters, etc. Issues and suggestions NOT made by the BOARD, but by landowners for positive change. When faced with these landowner issues and suggestions (prior boards actively dug in their collective heels and tried their best to drag out these solutions) they were grudgingly implemented because they came from these landowners. Even though they knew it was in the best interest of the association.
Here are the issues that were brought forth from GLFPC:
• Reduce the interest rate & peg it to something without a fixed amount
• Pay off the road loan early and save money
• A long term road plan
• Hiring an accountant and correct the accounting errors & must follow standard accounting and business practices
• Pushing for the collection of past due assessments
• Discontinue discounts, updating liens, collecting assessments in escrow
• Adherence to the covenants / following project review requirements in building projects
• Requiring bids for GLA work / raising conflict of interest issues
• Requiring written answers from the attorney
• When damage to GLA property have insurance company of the person who did the damage pay / guardrail NG – it was a landowner who brought up the issue of having it replaced with County or State standards - a liability issue (thank you Kevin for stepping up)
• Secret ballots / assuring voter confidentiality
• Landowner meetings – more than 3 minute allotment – dissed by our past president
• Dealing with the locked gate issue over access for hunting in HSG
• Condense the committees
• Audit the books…not done yet
• Questioning the legality of the GLA road policy / goes against covenants
• Insistence that GLA funds not be used to maintain county roads, Dry Creek and Storey Rd – (Kevin & Walter handled the situation and saved us a lot of our capital, besides goes against covenants
• Soccer field building restrictions, informing the board and landowners of the terms of the contract between County, GLA, CUT (thanks to Leo who provided the information about the contract)
• Exposing massive errors in 10 year snowblower report
• Road walk/evaluation of NG paved road showing the board and landowners the quick failure of repairs made by Bailey Paving
• Summaries provided to landowners who couldn't make the board and committee meetings so they didn’t have to wait months for the meeting minutes and news letter
• The Forum for the community
If you, as a board, are respectful to these knowledgeable and talented landowners, who have a lot to offer our association, you just might earn their respect and wise counsel.
Not communicating with landowners about issues concerning their association, and using the “confidentiality policy” as the reason, is ludicrous and ridiculous (thank you Dennis for not being afraid to call me over my concerns).
After all, GLA belongs to ALL of us. Let’s share our strengths and ignore our weaknesses, we’ll all be better off in that endeavor. I know being on a board is hard work and time consuming, and at times a thankless job! I greatly admire the willingness to put in your time and energy on behalf of all of us.
Happy New Year,
Sally Muto, representing Jeffrey Muto NG27
Board of Directors,
First off let me wish everyone, board and landowners, a Happy New Year.
I hope this new board, in this new year, will usher in a new attitude, along with instituting, at all levels, better business practices. Among better business practices is the cessation of discrimination. Discrimination in the form of “favoritism” is discrimination nonetheless, which is illegal and the law of the land - period.
Our covenants are the laws of this association and must be adhered to, also. Breaking our laws by practicing favoritism on behalf of certain landowners is no different then selling your land and house to certain people and excluding others (which I have heard from a realtor is practiced here, which is discrimination & against the law).
One is breaking federal law and the other is breaking our laws (covenants) and both are unethical in every way. This should not be happening in our Association for it belongs to everyone who is a landowner member.
This favoritism has been rampant in the past. Whether or not it is systemic I do not know. What is the origin of this practice? I do not know. What I do know is that it should and must stop! My hope is that this board will be the one to cease this undermining practice, and call it out for what it is - discrimination. Equality and transparency should be our hallmarks.
How did they discriminate, you ask me? Through building projects, collection of assessments or non-collection of assessments, road maintenance & snow plowing, discounts - just to name a few. And when asked about these issues, answers were given with a certain arrogance.
Past boards have also shown a lack of respect, and a condescending attitude toward concerned landowners, which ultimately, turned into a “them vs us” feeling between landowners, and their board who represents them. This has been very evident at board and committee meetings. Distrust ensued on both sides. What started out to be of help to the board, was soon seen as interference and criticism.
That group of landowners got together to share ideas for problem-solving solutions. I started getting together with these neighbors to try and get answers to questions not answered by the board. The answers that were given to me by some board members at a couple of board meetings, turned out to be lies.
Lying is NOT a characteristic that a board member should possess. Lying must be rebuked at every utterance by the rest of the board who has knowledge that something is a lie. Deceit should not be condoned or tolerated in any way, by this board or any other board in the future.
(May I suggest washing ones mouth out with soap or public flogging?)
Most all of the issues that have been dealt with by the boards in the last 3 years, have been suggestions & ideas coming from the landowner group known as GLFPC. Yes, those pesky landowners also known as: 4 percenters, troublemakers, obstructionists, church-haters, etc. Issues and suggestions NOT made by the BOARD, but by landowners for positive change. When faced with these landowner issues and suggestions (prior boards actively dug in their collective heels and tried their best to drag out these solutions) they were grudgingly implemented because they came from these landowners. Even though they knew it was in the best interest of the association.
Here are the issues that were brought forth from GLFPC:
• Reduce the interest rate & peg it to something without a fixed amount
• Pay off the road loan early and save money
• A long term road plan
• Hiring an accountant and correct the accounting errors & must follow standard accounting and business practices
• Pushing for the collection of past due assessments
• Discontinue discounts, updating liens, collecting assessments in escrow
• Adherence to the covenants / following project review requirements in building projects
• Requiring bids for GLA work / raising conflict of interest issues
• Requiring written answers from the attorney
• When damage to GLA property have insurance company of the person who did the damage pay / guardrail NG – it was a landowner who brought up the issue of having it replaced with County or State standards - a liability issue (thank you Kevin for stepping up)
• Secret ballots / assuring voter confidentiality
• Landowner meetings – more than 3 minute allotment – dissed by our past president
• Dealing with the locked gate issue over access for hunting in HSG
• Condense the committees
• Audit the books…not done yet
• Questioning the legality of the GLA road policy / goes against covenants
• Insistence that GLA funds not be used to maintain county roads, Dry Creek and Storey Rd – (Kevin & Walter handled the situation and saved us a lot of our capital, besides goes against covenants
• Soccer field building restrictions, informing the board and landowners of the terms of the contract between County, GLA, CUT (thanks to Leo who provided the information about the contract)
• Exposing massive errors in 10 year snowblower report
• Road walk/evaluation of NG paved road showing the board and landowners the quick failure of repairs made by Bailey Paving
• Summaries provided to landowners who couldn't make the board and committee meetings so they didn’t have to wait months for the meeting minutes and news letter
• The Forum for the community
If you, as a board, are respectful to these knowledgeable and talented landowners, who have a lot to offer our association, you just might earn their respect and wise counsel.
Not communicating with landowners about issues concerning their association, and using the “confidentiality policy” as the reason, is ludicrous and ridiculous (thank you Dennis for not being afraid to call me over my concerns).
After all, GLA belongs to ALL of us. Let’s share our strengths and ignore our weaknesses, we’ll all be better off in that endeavor. I know being on a board is hard work and time consuming, and at times a thankless job! I greatly admire the willingness to put in your time and energy on behalf of all of us.
Happy New Year,
Sally Muto, representing Jeffrey Muto NG27
