Board Member Resigns 2014

A letter from Linda Herbert,

former Country Club Condos homeowner - November 2004 to January 2015, Board of Directors - October 2011 to June 2014,

Treasurer - February 2012 to June 2014,

and Landscape Committee too.

I felt it is important that I share some of my observations being a board member and an owner at CCC for 10 years. This is meant to be helpful. I was honored to be a board member (a very unlikely one). I took it very seriously. I really felt I could make a difference.

I was very concerned about the interfund loan and talked to Bill Cook about it numerous times. When I asked to get receipts, he said there was going to be a full audit on the years that money was spent. I just thought okay that issue was going to be resolved. You may wonder why now to bring this to light and not while I was on the board. There was nothing I could do on the board. I read the financials and basically held a chair, a place. My frustration became more than I was willing to take, and that I realized I had no voice and that Bill Cook had started telling me how and who I would vote for at the board meetings. Bill Cook told me that CCC attorneys had said that all of the board members needed to all vote the same.....we had to be united. He would tell me to do things, then not remember that he had told me, and then call me and tell me that I had crossed a line that I should not have. When I resigned, I felt Bill Cook should have also. Bill Cook stopped asking for a vote, he just said NO to suggestions.

I quit the board and sold my unit because of the power the current board has. I saw much discrimination of owner occupied as opposed to rental units. I was told twice in two years with two different renters, to evict.....I did. I got many notices about my renters smoking, yet Darrell’s smoking area under the stairs of 5190 was there for 8 months (that I personally know of) and I called BPM and complained about it. I saw a fire hazard if he fell asleep.....it just went on deaf ears! Enforcement of the rules should be uniform with everyone treated the same......if not it leaves the community open for a lawsuit.

BPM......I always thought that they are the best, and still do, however one of my biggest complaints with them was that you could make a complaint and they may or may not get back to you to tell you that they have taken care of the problems, sometimes that could be 2 months or more. Case in point.......Darrel’s smoking area. I resigned June 2014. I am still getting copies of ALL of the bank statements........Darrel are you getting the copies so you can reconcile the bank accounts?

When I first started on the board I had reason to suspect that our landscaper JSL was overcharging us and asked for the invoices. I had no problem getting them. The end result was that I was right. Jon Sorenson admitted to me that he had become complacent with the lack of oversight of their work. I made Bill aware of the problem because it was hundreds of dollars. Bill didn’t feel it was that big of a problem but I did so I set up a plan with JSL to give back in service and materials to make up for it. When we got the order from Bill to not have any contact with vendors or phone calling BPM (unless it was an emergency), I was not able to keep track of services billed by JSL and found out a year later that JSL was not doing as promised, but I could do nothing about it. I go back to Bill’s newsletter October 2012 when he wrote "If we continue to be frugal and seek the best values in outside services and repairs we will remain in good shape financially." JSL wanted more money. Here's Bill’s quote to higher prices and I quote “So what's $7000 higher? Big deal.” Got to love that one.

I go back and read Bill Cook’s forum message to the board June 2009. Here is what he said ”Unless one is able to attend a board meeting, and not everyone can, more detail of the minutes and the input up to this point is needed for the owners to fully understand not only the process, but the line of questioning that has taken place thus far. I am sure they will both agree this is prudent to maintain transparency on this critical path” When I left the board I would read the minutes on the clubhouse and I realized that they told me very little. I knew the things that were being talked about at board level (behind closed doors) and no mention of the items in the minutes. Bill’s treating the community the very same way that he asked the board in June of 2009 not to treat us.

I was very much against the no taping rule. Bill put constant pressure on me to vote with the rest of the board. At the annual meeting, as we were waiting for the voting results, we were told the vote on taping was a tie and that one person had abstained. Bill sat by me and kept asking who would do such a stupid thing. Later that night he asked if I was the one that had abstained and I said yes. In the end I did vote with the rest of the board. I thought it was ridiculous that so much time was being spent on the issue! I have always felt that if we had taping it would give those that could not attend a more accurate account of what was said. It would hold everyone more accountable. The issue of having the public comment after the board meeting also leaves homeowners that are not able to come to the board meetings pretty much out in the dark as to what other homeowners are talking about. It’s a huge disservice that 5 people in charge are preventing the rest of the community from knowing what’s going on. I realize that you don’t want a gripe fest but there is very little information in the formal minutes.

Here's a really good one folks I have much respect for Carol Gearin but this is what I find absurd is to say one thing and do another. I have read the minutes from the board of Sunset Empire Transportation. Carol, it is the exact opposite of what you had to say on the CCC board. I was really shocked to read that knowing how much time and energy and the frustration I went through over that, not wanting to vote with the board on that issue. So Carol you may want an opportunity to answer this question how exactly do you feel? Was that just abuse of power because you thought you could, or what's the real truth? Maybe I should just say congratulations, Carol, you finally came to your senses. Start taping. That's the only way the community’s going to get it straight, the real story, and keep the board’s feet to the fire.

Bill was setting up a meeting so we could all get together and talk because he felt that we were talking to one another too much! Around March April 2014 he wanted us to meet at Camp 18. He said he knew for a fact that the previous board occasionally had off site meetings, so we can too. I said okay if that will make us a better board. The more that questionable things happened, the more I thought this can’t be right. It became overwhelming. I didn't talk to Lazette or Darrel except at the meetings more than once or twice in a year, Carol every once in a while. Bill seemed to be constantly making accusations that were unfounded.

The night before the March 2014 board meeting Bill called me to tell me to vote for Charter Construction. He said I didn't need to read the contract because our building committee does that. At the meeting I did not vote as I was told. I voted for the lowest bidder. Bill called me later that day and was very upset with me. He sounded like a bully and a dictator. Bill said Summit Reconstruction, the company that got the bid, could not schedule for several weeks, but they were there the very next day.

At the board meeting in May of 2014 (Bill was in attendance) I asked for ONE meeting in July so off site owners could maybe stop by and join us as maybe they were on vacation. Bill just said no, without a vote. He said it just would not work. Two weeks later he called me and accused me of setting him up in front of Cherie “to make him look bad.” That day he was behaving like a bully and a dictator.

In the beginning I had a lot of respect for Bill We all got a lot of work done. It seemed as though after his surgery things went downhill very quickly! Bill is a master of manipulation. I am not an accountant but as an entrepreneur I can see that CCC has some financial issues that are not being addressed. Learn from history. Look at Eric’s data. I agree with him. I tried to call that to Bill’s attention but he had all the answers. I was concerned about the special assessment. I didn’t think interest was being charged to the homeowners. I think it bears looking into. I think the HOA fees are too low.

The use of the club house and the sauna is at best ridiculous. I have in the past asked if we might consider key cards so that we could use what belonged to us. Carol said that would not work....no vote, no real discussion! Now Bill, there is a very frugal way to keep costs down! Also suggested we get some sort of surveillance at the entry where the dumpsters are. That also fell on the same deaf ears! In Dec. of 2014 a person was caught coming on site with 1 large garbage can and a microwave oven and putting it in our dumpster. CCC pays for extra garbage!

I made a promise to Elaine Miller and to Jim Bensel, both my very good friends! All I wanted was an honest board and to do things for the entire community.....that is not being done. I had to sell and leave to expose Bill Cook and how the board was being run. I am speaking for no one else. I feel I have done the right thing. All of you ask questions, get involved! It is your home!

Best regards to you all I LOVED being on the board until Bill turned dictator. Thank you for your trust!

Warm Regards,

Linda Herbert