An independent source of news and commentary concerning Lake Holiday POA in Cross Junction, VA
July 2006 – Issue 07/11
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A Dozen Bad Decisions (07/11/2006)

Leadership at Lake Holiday has a history of bad decisions. We collected a dozen of them for public review in hopes of awaking some determination for improvement. Some are simply due to lack of foresight or deliberation. Some are reactions to circumstances. Many are now irreversible but others may be mitigated is some way by those in power - or by those who seek to be in power next term. November is just around the corner, and broader perspective is desperately needed.

- Creation and endorsement of inept replacement governing documents, causing excessive stress and turmoil in the community for the sake and interests of the Developer.

- Installation of a Builder on the Architectural Committee over the objections of the committee, thereby showing favoritism, providing a competitive advantage, and compromising the security and integrity of POA records. This action was based on anticipation of the now-rejected "docs" which called for the position.

- A purchase agreement whereby yearly $78,000 Aqua payments to LHCC are 100% contingent on an aggressive construction quota over which the POA has minimal control - but we will no doubt indulge in speculative development activity as a result.

- Cost-is-no-object Clubhouse design and arbitrary Board clubhouse feature specifications which impact the overall cost and convenience of the structure and the surrounding area. Aggressive pursuit of the project despite lack of a comprehensive funding plan.

- Poor handling of Ogunquit's original expansion requests. Serious attention could have averted the lawsuit.

- Micro-management of the General Manager and committees. Delegation is an art form.

- Refund of all fines collected by the Architectural Committee thereby nullifying any authority the committee may have had over builder conformance

- Overriding of the Architectural Committee by allowing a residence to be built below the 830' level of the dam which may seriously impact the method and cost of remediation of the spillway

- Failure to grasp the big picture or keep score when negotiating developer vs. community funding of civic projects such as the gatehouse. Commitment of large community sums to secure minimal developer contributions, where the Developer would have incurred the entire cost in a new development.

- Sale of the Community Center and parking lot without an alternative meeting site, thus increasing the dependency of the community on the Developer. Transfer of these and other lots is in breach of the 2003 Development Agreement which states they are to be transferred during, and for funding of clubhouse construction.

- Continued insistence on the erroneous interpretation that the 1984 Settlement Agreement demands a utility company refund of expansion costs to the developer, and ongoing reliance on this misconception in decision making which favors the Developer at the community's expense.

- Allowing a lawsuit to be the primary factor in decision making

If you think you could do better, please consider running for the Board this Fall!

On the Rebound (07/01/2006)

The "demise of the docs" was immediately followed by a Developer request that the community consider individual revised declarations for developer sections. The newly revised declarations are revisions to the existing "terse" format declarations, and at first glance appear to incorporate immediate developer needs such as signage and model homes. Other minor rule variations were also noted. Given the time frame, it would appear that these "backup docs" were prepared in advance in anticipation of a community rejection of the "docs" at the June 10th meeting. The request was entertained at the June 26th board meeting. The board waived any action, noting a provision which allows unilateral revisions for development sections, based on a 2/3 majority of that section (i.e.; the Developer). The simplified compromise declaration for these sections may be more palatable to the community. In fact, we have long held that common declaration mirroring the existing format would have a broader appeal. A general 2/3 community vote would have been consistent with the prior election.

The Clubhouse project continues to plod along at the mercy of the Architect. The original Mar 15 date for final plan completion has slipped to July 7 and consumed almost 5 times the allotted time. The timing however, may be fortuitous as it is coincidental with a decline in residential construction activity. The completed plans become part of the RFP to be issued shortly after receipt.

As many are aware, the beach restrooms were expedited when it was apparent the project schedule was slipping. Intent was to have the restrooms open for the summer season, but the plans were not received until late May. The board had the foresight to pre-approve $110K (max) so that the restroom RFP could be processed with alacrity. Oakcrest was the low bidder of four with a bid in the $90,000s. Construction commenced immediately upon approval by the RFP task force, and completion is estimated at the end of August. (...insert your own anecdote here...)

A renewed effort to entice county law enforcement to spend more time here is underway. An obscure entry in the county code as to the classification of Lake Holiday has recently surfaced which supports this effort. The repaving of the community's roads is gradually bringing them up to VDOT standards. The bottom line is - Watch your speed.

On Leadership (07/03/2006)

There is a management training exercise which requests participants rank order a list of objects. The objects themselves are not important, but in the exercise I partook they were occupations. Participants are then organized into groups and each group is required to come up with a consensus rank order. The lists are then compared with a national average, and as one might expect the group rankings are much more in sync than the individual ones. (Curiously, "Dentist" scored low in all rankings.)

The lesson is that group decisions are better than individual ones and, by extention, that democracy is better then autocracy. The world is made up of complex decisions which effect us all. Few of us have the insight to be right all of the time.

To lead sucessfully, one must entertain the desires and opinions of others, or risk alienation by subordinates. Authoritarian leadership is tolerated for a while, but rapidly degenerates to silent unrest and sometimes cries of overthrow. Democratic leaders elicit inputs from consul, cabinets and advisors, and like the training exercise, enjoy a greater approval rating and greater success in general.

Our Board of Directors needs to be more democratic. While consul and other directors may be consulted on decisions, the circle is too small. Like the good ole boys, the same people tend to make all the decisions, then reveal it publicly after it is cast in concrete. Yet, there is a willing host of talent out there, many of whom are experts in relevant areas and are largely overlooked. Properly employed, they could catch minor points in proposals and contracts which could save the community from otherwise stupid mistakes.

Legal counsul is relied on too much for decision making. Opinions from lawyers often express how a situation may be preceived in court, and not necessarily what is right for the community. The fluidity of the court system offers no guarantees anyway and only a fool relies solely on the advice of his lawyer. I can recall two occasions where the opinion was dead wrong.

I think the Board should seek out volunteer resident advisors, inventory their talents and expertise, swear them to secrecy if necessary, and consult them when major decisions are being made. A simple confidential e-mail of a proposed contract or proposal with a request for comment sent to appropriate advisors would likely add considerable insight to decision making.

Advisors would not be there to argue, only advise, and would not threaten the authority of the board in any way. There would be no disruption at board meetings, and likely no need for it. Above all, the direction and decisions of the board would be more in sync with the community.

Incidentally, there should be a 25-words-or-less provision at board meetings to allow relevant expertise from the audience to be heard, on a timely basis, on the current topic. The current rules effectively slam the door in everyone's face and confirm the boards affinity for autocracy. Able to participate, more might just show up.

Beach Restrooms Clarified (07/07/2006)

A number questions on the beach restrooms have arisen, and we thought some clarification might be in order. We took our spy camera and got a sneak picture of the actual plans shown below (not really). Fact is, the CCTF directors have their hands full with GM duties, and the clubhouse web page has become preempted with other priorities. We thought we'd fill in the blanks and hopefully won't steal too much thunder.

The previous physical arrangement had three walls which separated the area into four side-by-side rooms. From left to right, they was an unused men's shower, men's restroom, women's restroom and an unused women's shower. The two restrooms were accessible from either inside or outside, and the shower areas were closed off with temporary walls. An early consensus of the Task Force held that separate inside and outside restrooms were desirable for a variety of reasons. As such, the new beach restrooms are isolated from the rest of the building by a wall. The blank area above is to be the inside restrooms.

The new beach restrooms each incorporate a small shower as a convenience for non-resident owners. The new arrangement meets ADA requirements. Currently the entire area shown is open while contractors install the necessary drain and supply pipes, new walls and fixtures. Plumbing for a snack bar will be roughed-in on the wall of the "central" room just to the left of the picture. The "Rest Stop" option, which was a separate building alternative to the inside restrooms and snack bar, is no longer being considered. Credit for the layout goes to the Architect, Andrew Boyd, who worked from a list of requirements. Commensurate with prior involvement, LHLLC interfaced with, and paid for the Architect's services.

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