2 Comments

1. 

   Lila Greaves on September 14, 2023 at 4:47 pm

   9/14/23 Comments on July 18, 2023 AHCA Board Meeting Minutes

   The minutes say, “Reading of Correspondence and/or Hearings- A comment was left on the website for an issue that has been closed. Meeting continued without discussion about said comment.”
   I find it disheartening and irresponsible of the Board to consider their violations of the By-Laws a closed issue. I feel that way because they have done nothing to correct their violations and rather, have voted unanimously, at the May 2023 meeting, not to make things right by refunding the unauthorized three months extra dues collected, though warned previously such collection would violate the By-Laws. The By-Laws are clear that one year’s dues are to be charged for one year, not 15 mos. dues. And as further assurance that only 12 mos. dues are to be paid per year, at the June 2022 Bob Stephens BBQ, in the midst of which a By-Laws change vote was taken by the treasurer, acting as Chair, who promised dues would not need to be paid twice for any period of time, when she was asked during the discussion of the purpose and impact of changing the fiscal year. Once those who could hear anything in the chaos were assured there would be no double dues, the vote was taken. That person, (still on the Board, along with others from the 2022 Board), and the entire current Board, voted against keeping that promise to the members twice in 2023, thereby making the vote to change the By-Laws regarding the fiscal year invalid due to the promise made, but broken, to get votes. It should be noted that there was no good reason given for the June 2022 change in the fiscal year except to, “align things”, but no further explanation could be provided.

   There is at least one other way to make it right, namely restoring the previous fiscal year, April 1, through March 31, that has served the neighborhood well for ~35 years. Restoring the previous fiscal year dates, would change the current fiscal year ending from 12/31/23, to 3/31/24, providing three extra months for the three extra months dues collected to be applied to, justifying the amount of dues the Board asked for in 2023, and honoring the promise made to all who trustingly voted yes on the change to the fiscal year in June 2022. But, as stated in the July 2022 minutes, they declined to discuss that possibility, presented in the comments on the May minutes. If they do not discuss and pass that method at the Sept. meeting, for a vote at the November meeting, notifying members at least ten days prior, about the vote to be held on the By-Laws changes needed, future resolution of their violations will be much more difficult, possibly requiring special meetings to be called, or relying upon the 2024 Board to clean up the 2023 Board’s mess. An alternate to voting to restore the previous fiscal year period, would be to vote to invalidate the June 2022 vote to change the fiscal year on the grounds that it was held in an inappropriate environment, at an outdoor social event, with the noise and chaos of children running all over and adults wanting only to eat and socialize after the pandemic isolation, rather than discuss important business, that they could barely hear and were not interested in. And, the vote was held under false pretenses, promising and later breaking the promise, not to charge double dues for any period as a consequence of voting for a fiscal year change. Either would result in the extra three months needed to justify the dues the Board asked for of members for 2023. If the fiscal year had not been changed, this board would have been correct to ask for $75 dues for the ‘23-‘24 fiscal year of April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024. By-Laws changes needed to justify this Board’s dues collected are – change Article III, Dues, Section 2. back to “The fiscal year shall run April 1, through March 31.” I’d even write a check for $18.75 to cover my additional 3 mos. dues if it passed in Nov.!

   To try to prevent such chaos in our neighborhood in the future, I recommend a second Bylaws change should be proposed to also be voted on at the November meeting, It would go under Article XIV, Amendments to the By-Laws, adding at the end of Section 1., “Amendments to By-Laws may not be voted on the same day as an AHCA social event.”

   The second By-Laws violation regards a failure, as near as I can tell, to uphold By-Laws Article XII, section 5. “The Board of Directors will notify all member households of the approved budget within 30 days of the approval of the budget.” The Budget was approved at the May 16, 2023 meeting, and should have been presented to every member no later than June 15th. I have yet to see a tab for the Budget on the website. That information should be available to any person who may be hosting an event or otherwise tasked with spending the Board’s money, as well as to provide the Board’s priorities to any interested member. The dues have been paid by the members and they are being denied their right to know how they are being spent. It seems the Board is still keeping it a secret, how your dues, recently increased to 150% of what they were, and augmented by $1,000 in grants applied for from the City of Centennial, plus the three months of unauthorized dues, are being budgeted and spent. It would be easy to correct this violation. And as a reminder, section 1 also says the treasurer is to prepare a financial statement at the end of every quarter.

   Since the Board has not been forthcoming, I will share what I learned at the May 2023 meeting, where a copy of the budget was handed out to be voted on, providing no time to study it and come to any valid conclusions about it prior to the vote. I have replaced budget amounts with actual amounts, where known. First, though ~$2,223 more dues were collected than in 2022, about 60% more, the Board got rid of one of our five annual social events, the Bob Stephens Memorial BBQ. This BBQ, usually in June, has historically been a time to welcome and get acquainted with all the new residents of the past year, and to pay homage to our association, and its By-Laws, and how it helps our property values and sense of community and brings us together, at least when everyone follows the By-Laws. Bob Stephens was the first Chair. If you “combine”, as the Board says they did, two separate traditional events into one, (Bob Stephens Memorial BBQ and 4th of July parade and BBQ brunch), taking away a separate date and budget for one of them, you no longer have two events, you have one, no matter what they say. In 2022, the cost of the two events was $884.96, but this year the budget is only $450.

   The 2022 social events cost was ~$2,000, and the 2023 budget for the same is $1,500, ~25% of the AHCA total expenses for the year. Using 2022 cost figures, 38% of the 2023 social event budget for the 76 member households, $572.92, was budgeted to be spent on the 12, or so, kids who usually attend the 3 events still left for them now. The 2022 costs were Mounted Police $100, Balloon guy $150, and bounce house $322.92. And since costs have undoubtedly gone up since 2022, the cost and percentage are probably higher too. (It would probably be cheaper for the Board to buy and house a bounce house than to spend that every year. We are not a park district.) $50 per child has been budgeted. This leaves only 62% of the social budget to be spent on the 76 member households, only $12.20 per household, though $50 per attending child is budgeted. Without the huge expenditure on the 12 or so children, there would be ~$20 per member household instead of $12.20. Whatever happened to kids entertaining themselves with chalk, tag, relay races, Mother May I, capture the flag, etc.? There are numerous nearby community events providing free bounce houses over the summer. The budgets for the five traditional events are:
   Bob Stephens Memorial BBQ $0
   4th of July parade and BBQ brunch $450
   ice cream social $225
   Fall Fest potluck $400
   winter holiday Santa/luminarias/party $425

   What do you think of the budget so far? Do you think you might attend the 2024 Budget planning meeting?

   I also saw on the budget that the liability insurance is to be paid this month. That brings up another issue regarding the bounce house. I know this Board is particularly averse to helpful advice, but yet I offer it, knowing I would feel awful if anything happened and I had not at least tried. Serious injury can easily occur with bounce houses. See the information at the bottom. I hope someone not only renews, but checks the coverage of our policy in regard to providing the use of a bounce house to members. Even with the dues increasing to 150% of what they were and the unauthorized three months dues collected this year, the additional $2,223 collected, a ~60% increase over 2022, would not even be a drop in the bucket if insurance did not cover the costs if a child was hurt and the family sued the association so they could pay their medical costs. Perhaps parents of children planning to use the bounce house should be required to sign a waiver stating they will hold the association blameless if their child becomes injured in the bounce house.

   The next meeting is Tues., Sept. 19th at 7:00 pm at the Moons’ home. Perhaps it is time for you to get involved. It is one way to keep up on what the AHCA board is doing. Will they pass the needed By-Laws change to justify the 15 mos. dues they asked of members and honor the promise made to get votes to change the fiscal year; will they pass the By-Laws change to prevent voting on By-Laws changes in inappropriate situations like social events; will they provide the approved budget to every member? Attend and find out.

   Lila Greaves
   29 year AH resident, former: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, newsletter writer, budget coordinator, event chairs liason, Summer Yard Parties coordinator and host, Bob Stephens Memorial BBQ host, 4th of July parade and BBQ coordinator, Fall Fest coordinator, holiday party host, helper at numerous events, and Board member
   ____________________________________________________________________

   https://weather.com/safety/video/new-study-warns-parents-of-bounce-house-dangers

   30 children a day—about 1 child every 45 minutes—are injured in a bounce house.
   – Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

   What parents should know before letting their kids play in a bounce house?
   STEPS TO SAFETY
   Only children age 6 and older should use bounce houses. …
   An adult must always be present to supervise. …
   The safest way to use a bouncer is to allow only one child on it at a time. …
   Before entering, have children take off their shoes, glasses, and jewelry. …
   Set rules for safe play.

2. 

   Lila Greaves on September 18, 2023 at 5:39 pm

   Paragraph 2, line 5, should be July 2023 minutes, not 2022.
   Do you know that 81% of the Fall Fest budget is for the bounce house for 12 or so kids? That seems like an out of balance expenditure to me.