Passing the Baton -- Step 1

In less than a month we will be authorizing a new Board to represent us, and to resolve the pressing issues confronting the CA.  This is an opportunity to select representatives who are committed to progress by improving communication, transparency, and accountability.

In my mind,

the single most important issue facing the community is how, or if, the resort will be subsidized.

I'll elaborate on this topic in a follow up article.  Other key issues center around recent Board discussions pertaining to water and septic ownership and responsibilities--if these have not been resolved by May, they will need to be resolved and clarified in our governing documents so we can move forward.  Despite the desire by some for the voting powers issue to go away, all of the relevant questions have yet to be answered by the attorneys representing the CA Board and the LLC, so the future Board can choose to visit this if it wishes.

In addition to these issues, we still have operations to maintain, service contracts to negotiate, and a contingency plan to create in the event of an LLC failure.  If possible, we should also make progress toward  formalizing how the Board operates:  e.g. How are decisions made?  How do we document lessons-learned for future Board's?  How are new Board members indoctrinated (how do they learn the authority and legal duties of the Board)?  After 20 years of operation the CA still has some organizational challenges.  The Board and all CA members still don't have easy and fast access to all relevant documents and information about the community and its operations, and progress should be made toward this end.

Board Candidates
Historically, filling all of the Board vacancies has been a challenge.  But this year, we have an impressive list of volunteers.  The Board will be publishing nominee profiles on May 2nd, and the list seems to be changing as owners continue to wrestle with the decision.  Here are some nominees that I know and would like to see on the Board.

	John Ward (me) Our family has a house on the 14th fairway, at the bottom of Pelton Drive.  My wife, Joanna, served on the Board in 2004/5, and we were among the first owners to invest in the LLC--we bought 1 share (now split to multiple shares).  We have two boys, ages 10 and 11.  Most of my strengths and weaknesses are on display within this blog.  Our KG activities include both Golf and X-C Skiing.
	Owen Roberts Owen
	Darren Stober Darren is a current member of the Board.  He was appointed as a replacement for a Board member who resigned in February.  He is not an LLC investor.
	Dave Reynolds Dave is a  valuable leader for the CA and obviously does not need my nod of approval.  However, I'm delighted that he has agreed to volunteer for another term.  He is a logical and thoughtful leader and is crucial to maintaining continuity from this Board to the Next.  Dave is both a golfer and X-C skier, and purchased 2 shares in the LLC (now split to multiple shares).
	Nancy Miller Nancy and Bill have graciously volunteered to help the community for many years.  They purchased 1 share in the LLC (now split to multiple shares), and they are avid X-C skiers, and occasional golfers.  She has many friendships throughout the community, and is not shy about sharing her positions on CA issues.
	Mark DeMeritt Mark and his wife Kathryn have a house on Miracle Mile.  Mark is an avid X-C skier, hiker, hunter, and enjoys many outdoor activities.

Our First Contested Election?
Because there are a few additional candidates, this is probably KG's first contested election.  Given our existing conflicts with the LLC, this election opens questions that haven't been at issue before.  e.g.

Given that Board members have a statutory duty to demonstrate undivided loyalty to the community association, how do we know if a candidate has a conflict of interest?  Every potential conflict that I can think of involves financial and personal relationships with the LLC, but there's no definitive way to determine an owner's loyalty.  The obvious considerations include the following:

• Number of shares owned in the LLC?
• Personal loans made to the LLC?
• Close personal friendships with LLC managers?  

Perhaps more importantly are the candidate's positions on issues like:

• Subsiding the golf course? 
• Buying all or part of the golf course?
• Agreement that all documents belonging to the community should be easily available to all members in a timely way?
• Do they believe that Board members should be accountable for their decisions?  e.g. should Board minutes include votes by representative?

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