Apathy: Where Pocono Woodlands went to die
Dear Woodlands Residents,
Please be aware of the following issues that have occurred recently:
Two sets of election ballots were mailed for vacancies on the board of directors �one ballot contained 10 names and some residents received a second ballot with 9 names. Either way, this, in and of itself tainted the election and this entire election process should be deemed null and void! Yet a third mailing was done for the budget. There is nowhere in the mailings where there is a section for �write in� candidates either. Three mailings for one yearly meeting! Really! Remember that all these mailings come out of YOUR pocket.
What happened to the �Meet the Candidates Night?� That was where the community could meet all the members that were running for the board. However none was held.
Why were three or four monthly meetings cancelled this past fiscal year? No make-up meetings, no explanation, just cancelled. Per the current By-Laws, any board member who misses 4 meetings in the fiscal year is automatically removed from their board position, that being the case, the entire board should be removed and replaced by those who have the desire to serve in the capacity.
Was there even a Nomination Committee this year? There was none announced, that I was told of.
What happened to the previously advertised open Budget Meetings? Were there any held?
On the subject of By-Laws, the community had been informed that new By-Laws were being re-written, and the existing ones were old and ambiguous. Well, the new ones were written and the president never properly presented them to the board for review, as the new ones contained �term limits� for serving on the board of directors, as well as eliminating �conflicts of interest� as well as a few other things the president didn�t approve of, so they were discarded, never even allowing the community to vote on them! Is any of you, the community dues paying members, will ever question this? However YOUR dues keep going up and up!
Why are the election/budget ballots being mailed back to the community office? Where the board controls this! For several years a professional accounting firm was hired (for about $1,250) to have the ballots mailed to their office and counted, to assure an honest election. If you look at the �proposed� budget, there are two lines totaling $8,600 for �hospitality�. That is for refreshments for employees and monthly meetings (when they are held). If we can allot $8,600 for coffee, donuts and bagels, surely we can afford to spend about $1,250 for an honest election.
Why are the minutes of the monthly meetings (when they are held) not available on the website? Most other communities do this for their residents. What are we hiding? Where are the monthly financials? It seems that the monthly financials are NEVER available for the community to review. Why is everything in the Woodlands such a secret?
It is long past time for all new faces on the Board of Directors! Please wake up Woodlands residents! The apathy is allowing the ruining of our Community! After the election is too late! More of the same for the next year or two � It is your investment! All other businesses, townships and communities are downsizing and tightening their purse strings � not the Woodlands, our payroll increases, our staff increases and it is YOUR money that is being spent. IT IS TIME FOR A WHOLE NEW BOARD!
The Board changed the annual meeting date in plain violation of the current by laws with no explanation to the community; as if they do not have to answer to the dues� paying members.
Please mark your calendar for Sunday, April 12, 2015 at noon, let your vote count and let your voice be heard! Please do not think for one second that �this has nothing to do with me�. When YOU are the one writing the membership dues� check.
It is YOUR money and YOUR community! If you don't care, who does or will?
Lesli Askew
Milford