The YLOA Board of Directors took the following actions at the regular Feb. 25, 2020 meeting. Vice President Ken Sartain led the meeting in the absence of President Rebecca Brannon.
Tie vote: To authorize the immediate purchase of a modular office building for use as the YLOA Security office. This building to be placed on the rear tennis court closest to the swimming pool buildings. (see Engineering and Planning Committee recommendation below)
Approved: Motion to put out for public review revised guidelines for the posing of signs in Yosemite Lakes.
Approved: Appointing a 2020 Election Commission comprised of directors David Mahan, Michelle Piotrowski and Sandy Eigenman, with Eigenman as chair.
Approved: Scheduling the 2020 YLOA Annual Meeting for 1 p.m. Sunday, July 12, in the YLP Clubhouse, with the possible continuation session set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21.
Approved: A motion to include the cost of a swimming pool heater in the proposed 2020-21 budget.
Approved: Appointing former board president Marie Touitou as inspector of the 2020 YLOA annual election. A new state law (S.B. 323, Section 3, 5110 (b)) will no longer allow YLOA to hire Roeser Accountancy Corp. of Fresno to be inspector.
In her motion to appoint Touitou, Director Sandy Eigenman stated:
“In accordance with the Davis-Sterling Act, the association shall select an independent third party as an inspector of elections.
“This person may be a member, but may not be a director or a candidate for director or be related to a director or to a candidate for director. An independent third party may not be a person, business entity, or subdivision of a business entity who is currently employed or under contract to the association for any compensable services other than serving as an inspector of elections.
“An inspector of elections shall perform all duties impartially, in good faith, to the best of the inspector of election’s ability, as expeditiously as is practical, and in a manner that protects the interest of all members of the association.”
Statement from the president and vice president:
YLP is a unique place to live with a number of amenities and activities to enjoy each and every day. This is made possible by our hardworking and dedicated Association staff. The majority of them are also our neighbors who have a vested interest in our community just like the rest of us. They call this place home. I also want you to know that many of our employees, especially those in management, who work well over 40 hours a week and regularly put in 50, 60 and more hours. And then there is the road, pipeline and maintenance crews who are on call 24/7 who come to the rescue when something goes haywire. We should also recognize our members of Station 10 who dedicate their time and effort to respond to emergencies in our community. The recent sad news from Porterville reminds us of the risk these heroic first responders face.
Too often, during the past few weeks I have witnessed, read or heard some folks make aggressive and intimidating remarks against Association staff, directors and management. This is particularly discouraging and demoralizing for all our Association employees who are doing their jobs and working hard in the best interests of our members. I strongly suggest to anyone who harasses our employees in any way to not do this. If you have any complaints, they should be taken up with the General Manager. On the other hand, if you happen upon one of the staff, please take a moment to wave or give a shout out of thanks to them. Those small actions can make their day.
Thank you to all who support the Board of Directors and recognize we are all well-intentioned volunteers who also live here. We volunteered for these jobs because we want to serve our community. We get nothing in the way of compensation other than the satisfaction of working to make this a better place to live for everyone. I want to tell you that we make all decisions with the utmost care and consideration taking into account how those decisions will affect everyone. With that said, I am proud that this board has approved the non-profit YLP Cares program which will soon be available for the benefit of any member who needs a helping hand. It is important to note that this program was initiated by GM Jonathon and shows that this is more than just a job for him. The Board also wants to thank the vast majority of the community who support our efforts and we appreciate all the positive input and feedback received. Our activities would be much more daunting without your support.
One last thing I want to bring up is about comments on social media. Of the negative comments I see from a small number of repeat bashers and complainers, I have to tell you that I’m mind boggled at some of the things I read there. Where the heck does all this disinformation, suppositions, speculation and untruths come from!? The rumor mill gets started and morphs into conversations that are clearly meant to put the Association in a bad light. And that hurts everyone who lives here. Those who sow this discord and disinformation are only shooting themselves in their own foot. How do you think that affects our perception by people outside the community, in particular those who want to move here? Of the 5 or 6 splinter group Facebook pages which have some permutation of YLP in their title, most of them perpetuate this negativity and disinformation under the guise of reporting what is quote “really going on with the association.” Yes, I know…free speech is a right. But it is fair to expect an accurate and factual discourse. If you want to get your facts straight, the only real and factual outlet is the official YLOA.org website. Or you can ask one of the board or management.
In closing I would like to express my thanks to all our residents who attend meetings, stay informed and seek accurate and correct information from the Association office, Board members and General Manager. And special thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. We are all here to help!
Engineering & Planning Committee motion to YLOA Board of Directors Feb 19, 2020
Subject: Temporary placement of Security Office structure on one Tennis Court.
Rationale:
With the remodel of our office space in the YLP clubhouse it has become evident that we will not be able to fit all current personnel in the remodeled space available. We have purchased new highspeed printing, copying & sorting equipment that has reduced the square footage left for desks & people. Our Security Office has been in this crowded upstairs space. Their functions are not administrative, so they are the best choice to relocate to the rear tennis court into a Modular Office structure. We consider this to be our most economical option in the short term. With the advantage of having the Security Office located next to the Swimming Pool & still be close to the Clubhouse. Through Fix Our Stuff we plan to have this be only a temporary placement of the structure on one tennis court. The building would be relocated, at a future date, to a permanent location as FOS funds become available.
The Engineering & Planning Committee has considered the need for the move of our Security Office from its current location, we therefore recommend to the YLOA Board of Directors the immediate acceptance of this motion as we need to proceed in a timely manner to provide the proper work space for our employees.
Motion:
To authorize the immediate purchase of a Modular Office Building for use as the YLOA Security Office. This building to be placed on the rear Tennis Court closest to the Swimming Pool buildings.
This motion is subject to approval by the YLOA Board of Directors.
David Mahan
Chairman Engineering & Plans Committee