We do not know for sure why these actions are being taken. We thought we had a good relationship with the board members and even thought of some of them as friends.
We suspect some or all of the board members may be unhappy because of Mike voicing various concerns he had. We suspect this has led to retaliation taking place.
When Mike stepped down, he still wanted to serve the community in some form, so he took on the responsibility of managing the association’s website and file archives, although he has been unable to archive the majority of the associations files since he was never given access to them.
In addition, Mike continued to be active by asking questions of the board, providing feedback and when made aware of something of concern, bringing it to the board’s attention. This of course is the right of every member of the association and is something the board should encourage from all members. The board after all, exists to serve the members.
As a result of this involvement, Mike did, on a couple of occasions push back on the board when he felt something was not right. Mike raising these concerns were always with the good of the association in mind. Mike thought the board would be appreciative of his desire to remain active in the community.
FULL DISCLOSURE
We believe the interactions Mike had with the board were not improper and was always with the best interest of the association in mind. While there are instances in which full transparency is not possible, for example, to protect personal private information, Mike believes in being as transparent as possible. So you can form your own opinions, with as much context as possible, we are making available all email and social media communications between Mike and board member(s) concerning the topics we believe may have upset the board. As members of the association, you have the right to review association records. While we will not be redacting our names, in order to protect the privacy of who Mike was interacting with, identifying information of the board member(s) and third parties have been redacted. We have nothing to hide and encourage everyone to read through the communications to judge for yourself.
CHANGING QUORUM REQUIREMENTS
Mike became aware the Board of Directors intended on unilaterally amending the bylaws, a governing document, to lower the quorum requirement for member meetings. The board member indicated the board would be recording the amendment and it would be in place prior to the upcoming meeting.
Mike reminded the board member the current bylaw requires 65% of the voting power to approve any amendments to the bylaws. The board member stated they felt the board had the power to make the amendment on their own, without the knowledge of and/or approval of the members.
MOUNTING SIGNS ON CITY POLES
Mike provided the board with information he obtained the from the city regarding posting HOA owned signs on city owned sign poles.
When Mike became aware the board received conflicting information, he reached out to public works, copying a board member on the email, asking for clarification since conflicting information had been received.
Public Works confirmed putting signs on the city owned poles was not allowed. While the answer was not what was wanted, it eliminated the risk of the association spending money on items it could not use and also protected the association from potential fines from the city.
XERISCAPE CC&R AMENDMENT
On March 17, 2023 a board member made a post in the Meadowcrest private Facebook and Nextdoor groups, providing a link to a xeriscape article. The post said a poll would be posted in the near future.
The board member later explained the poll was being done to determine the interest level to see if it warranted the significant effort it would take to create a proposed amendment for the members to consider.
On April 20, 2023, Mike requested an update regarding when the poll would be posted. The board member responded, saying the board had opted to forgo the poll and was going to present an amendment (without member input) at the annual meeting.
MARCH 13, 2023 MEETING QUORUM REQUIREMENTS
On February 26, 2023, Mike was emailed by a board member who requested he post information about the upcoming meeting on the website and in the Nextdoor group. The email stated the meeting was a “Meadowcrest HOA Special Meeting”. This would have been the 3rd of the quarterly meetings. According to the bylaws, special meetings, require a quorum. Mike made the posts as requested.
On March 11, 2023, a board member made a comment on a Facebook post stating the quorum requirement and voting power roll call would not be done.
Mike reminded the board of the bylaw requirements. Through a series of emails it was discovered there was miscommunication between the board, Mike and Northern Star regarding the type of meeting taking place.
We need to trust that our board members are going to abide by their fiduciary duties to ensure our association is not put at risk and the members don’t loose faith in the board. While there are several laws in place to hold directors and officers accountable, the board can pass a resolution that requires all directors and officers to abide by association specific ethical standards. Click on the “Ethics of Board Members” button below to learn more.