Chris Barajas – FHPOA Director Candidate for 2024
Risk-taking: Do you think the POA should have a reserve fund account to assist us with the next 100-year flood because we have a 6-digit deductible?
We should have a fund that can compensate for any unforeseen event and any post disaster happenings such as cleanup. That fund should not be touched for any other purpose.
Openness: Do you think the board should have monthly, quarterly or semi-annual meetings?
Information from the board should be shared with the community on a fluid basis, but at least monthly. It is difficult to define a rigid time period. It could be the form of in-person, audio or video recordings of a board meeting or even a statement. The community wants to engage with board members and Board members need to be available. When a decision is made in the board room the board members should be able to speak publicly about that decision. The frequency of public meetings should be driven by a consensus or the needs of the community. Quarterly meetings should be more of a town-hall format. Executive sessions are for private, personal and sensitive situations, and contract negotiations are not for the open sessions; the results are. A statement should be made before and after going into executive session stating its purpose.
References: Would you offer professional business references? Absolutely.
POA Finances: Do you think we should have Earney & Co conduct a total audit at this time?
An audit is important to understand where we are. Our bylaws state we are to have an audit every five years. I don’t know when the last one was conducted. Financial knowledge from the past will help us forecast the future.
Power: How do you feel about the board having the authority to spend 15% of the budget in a given year without community involvement?
This bylaw invites Board overreach. We need to be careful with its use because it’s becoming taxing on residents who feel this is their “forever home”.
Reasonableness: Do you think our POA dues can go lower?
The 15% threshold is problematic. Currently, I think there is a Board overreach regarding the 15%. Property owners were told the dues would go up $100 per year for 3 years. This third year the dues went up $222. Again, we get back to the financial stress and burden we discussed earlier in this interview. The board must consider all owners, especially those with financial constraints. They are just a few dues raises away from causing some of our residents to leave FH.
Team player: How do you feel about board advisory committees consisting of residents?
An advisory board is necessary. Getting our residents engaged in the community is essential. Many here are Baby-Boomers who want to be involved and want to stay busy and use their experience to benefit the community. This lack of involvement seems to be part of what we’re missing here.
Future: What is your vision for Fairfield Harbour in 10 years? In 20-25 years?
I chose FH with destination, location, and tranquility in mind. I can sit in my home and watch sunrises and sunsets , engage in the community here or go into the city. I see Fairfield Harbour growing in terms of social activity so that any night of the week residents can be involved in any activity. Commonality is the way we bring this community together.
Dynamics: How do you feel about walking into a room that may be resentful of your presence?
I’d stay firm on my goals for the community. I’d be sincere and honest while respecting the solidarity of the previous board. It will be a challenge. Your community, you, and your board need to work together.
Prioritizing: How would you go about determining (and then educating our property owners) spending priorities when hard choices must be made, ex: infrastructure vs. say, a new community center?
Infrastructure should always come first. We must maintain what we have. We must also justify all expenditures.
Don Moore – FHPOA Director Candidate for 2024
Risk-taking: Do you think we should have a reserve fund account to assist us with the next 100- year flood because we have a 6-digit deductible?
Yes, Fairfield Harbour sits right on the water and is a target for storms. We should slowly begin building a fund that can never be touched and that will prepare us for a possible future catastrophe.
Openness: Do you think the board should have monthly, quarterly or semi-annual meetings?
The board meetings should be live-streamed. At the very least the meetings should be recorded and made available to owners. The board should appear before the community in a live meeting at least quarterly. Informal meetings with the board such as “coffee with the board” from times past are equally important. Executive sessions must continue to exist for personal matters and even contract negotiation situations.
References: Would you offer professional business references? Yes, with my existing client’s permission.
POA Finances: Do you think we should have Earney & Co conduct a total audit at this time?
I would like to sit and speak with the accountants but I think it would be a good idea to have a complete audit at this time. The results may take us into a more intense audit. An audit would let us know where we are financially as a community.
Power: How do you feel about the board having the authority to spend 15% of the budget in a given year without community involvement?
The 15% offers way too much power without community involvement. My annual stock portfolio from a financial institution gives me investment selection rights. I think this is what’s needed here. It would be nice to have an app that offers “what-if” scenarios having a cost attached to a project. Let the owners vote on major expenditures. We need to ensure our financial stability before making any future decisions.
Reasonableness: Do you think our POA dues can go lower?
Yes. The dues were raised to support the $7 million clubhouse. I’m not against a clubhouse. I just don’t think the financial impact was realized during the design phase. The 2021 demographics for FH show the median age is 64. At that age most are living on fixed incomes. Median income is $69,239. Board members need to take this into consideration.
Team player: How do you feel about board advisory committees consisting of residents?
Yes, I am definitely in favor. In this community we have retired experts from many fields who can make suggestions based on actual experience. We all can’t know everything. If we have experts in the community that are willing to share, we should use them.
Future: What is your vision for Fairfield Harbour in 10 years? In 20-25 years?
I chose FH because it has that rural lifestyle. I would like it to remain a quaint little community with neighbors knowing and helping other neighbors. It needs to remain “community”. I would like to see it remain as it is with all his its charm. I moved here because I was tired of being in a “development”.
Dynamics: How do you feel about walking into a room that may be resentful of your presence?
I truly believe those who remain with the board believe they were doing what was best for the community. However, I don’t think they’ve asked the community. I would need community support to attain any goals.
Prioritizing: How would you go about determining (and then educating our property owners) about spending priorities when hard choices have to be made? ex: infrastructure vs. say, a new community center
Get community involvement in determining priorities. Overall, we need to maintain and keep operations going as the top priority. We need to take care of what we have before we proceed to something new.