June 29, 2010
Dear Fellow Homeowners:
This is a call to Board Member Nick Giovinazzo to issue a public apology for the sexist and disparaging comments he made in his recent letter about us, the Landscape Committee during 2008 and early 2009. The inappropriateness of his comments as a sitting Board Member is an example of the divisiveness and disregard the Board has for the homeowners it serves. It is also one of the reasons why we support the recall of the Board.
The meeting minutes approved by the Board between February 2008 and February 2009 Board Meeting minutes contradict the statements Nick makes about us and our work as the Landscape Committee. In addition, Nick participated in several of the Landscape Committee meetings. In fact, in one of our meetings he complimented us on the research and extensive knowledge that we brought to the committee. The meeting minutes show that the Board regularly took Landscape Committee reports from us, referred to us as the Landscape Committee. In the fall of 2008, Betty Normand was approved as chairperson and Board Member Gail Young began participating in the meetings.
Several months after the resignation of Betty Normand and another member, both of whom supported changing Seascape Sur to a "Mediterranean look", Board Member Bill Stewart informed us that we were not, and never were, a committee (see the February Board Meeting minutes). After this meeting, Board Member Gail Young formed a new "landscape committee" of which she was the sole member. As documented by the meeting minutes, no Board discussion or approval for forming a new Landscape Committee took place in the regular Board meeting as required.
As Nick and the rest of the Board knows, as members of the Landscape Committee, we supported a more moderate approach to water conservation that included revisions to the irrigation system, strategic watering (including elimination of the unnecessary watering that had been occurring in the past years), dealing with overgrown areas and preservation of our current look (including Seascape signature pieces such as the Coral trees and the pond). None of these endeavors required a change in the look of our complex. There was no government or Coastal Commission requirement that we had to remove and replace our landscape.
For many months, Gail remained the sole member of the "landscape committee" until she re-appointed Betty Normand and one other member who supported the "Mediterranean look", which was ultimately announced in the May, 2009 Tidings as "our new look". The meeting minutes also do not reflect any discussion or approval by the Board for these appointments. Despite the committee having no authority, they began directing our gardeners who had been performing for us for more than 10 years (prior to the Board terminating them) and who, by contract and our CC&Rs, are supervised by our property manager. To date, this new committee has spent over $55,000 making landscape changes without any formal direction by the Board or an approved plan. Some of these costs have been for replanting the same area twice, as what they initially planted failed.
Nick also claims in his letter that Gail can't get anyone to assist on the "committee". The May 19, 2009 meeting minutes reflect that when a Board Member asked that more owners be allowed on the committee to assist in future plans, Gail responded that "when a project is planned she would seek assistance when needed". Subsequent meeting minutes
8. Respect for all homeowners. Remember, you are the board. You should show tolerance, temperament and respect for those who don't agree with you. Declaring this to be a "thankless job" is no excuse. It's been my board experience that when you follow these rules the "thankless job" becomes "very gratifying". It's also been my personal experience that most of our homeowners are exceptionally likeable, agreeable and understanding.
9. Repeal the recent rule change imposing a $250 fine for "interfering with the performance of the duties of any Seascape Sur employee, vendor, board member, or volunteer homeowner". This rule is mean spirited, discriminatory, unenforceable, and subject to abuse.
These are simple steps. However many solutions can always be reached by simply following the "rules of the road". Over the course of the last 2 years, different homeowners have recommended most of these to the board. Their response led to the recall, and the groundswell of support for the recall.
It has suddenly been suggested by one of the Board Members, after the Board has already voted on the date, that having the recall now would be disruptive. What we have now is disruption and discord. Why wait for the cure as our reserves are quietly depleted and uninformed changes are accelerating.
On a personal note, like many of you, I have kept a scrapbook (shoebox, actually) that my parents started for me many years ago. My wife and I recently started one for our daughter. Into my shoebox will go the letters written by many of the current Board Members attacking me personally. One day, I will look back on their letters as a landmark of a rare, but interesting, time in my life when I stood up for something larger than myself.
Please vote. A recall will reset the path we deserve, and send a clear message to future boards that we are collectively, not asleep.
Respectfully,
Martin Schmidt
(619) 300-1526 (after 6:00 p.m. PST)
P.S. Finally, I leave you on an upbeat note. There is a popular joke among fulltime residents of our complex that nothing has been able to bring Republicans and Democrats together like opposition to the Board of Seascape Sur. We are not divided as it seems.
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