News Doesn't Always Make You Feel Good. Is That Bad?

It has never been my intent to offend anyone in this community, board members or residents, by cramming unwelcome information into their eyes and ears. As a journalist by education and experience, it has always been my intent to get and give accurate information about anything with which I’ve ever been concerned.

I think that this is important because I believe that knowledge of facts results in an informed citizenry, and hopefully, informed voters; additionally, knowledge of facts reduces rumors and gossip. Reports of fact do not always make everyone “feel good” but it is the only way that I know to be honest. I do not feel very good after I read the daily newspapers, either, but that’s not the fault of the newspapers. That’s life.

If I want to feel good, I read fiction.

Another approach to “feel good reporting” is called public relations or advertising. A current example of that is BP’s $50 million ad campaign in which we learn about all the nice BP employees who have moved to the Gulf coast to help with the cleanup of one of the worst man-made environmental disasters of all time. The ads neglect to mention that BP created the disaster in the first place. And that’s a fact.

Getting back to local issues, these are the facts about Monday’s Board Meeting:

1. Board President Casey Porter said that there is nothing in the PBCA Articles of Incorporation, by-laws or CC&Rs that state that a board member must be a property owner.
2. Porter said he would like to stay on the Board until projects that he has worked on for four years are completed. Specifically, he is concerned about passage of the revised CC&Rs.
3. Tim Kelly moved to delay any decision on Porter’s status for a month. The motion passed unanimously.
4. The Board agreed to continue discussion of the revised CC&Rs at next month’s meeting.
5. Board members said that the revised CC&Rs do set up ownership requirements for board members.
6. Casey Porter said he was upset by rumors and insinuations about his position on the board. He said that anyone who wants to know what is going on with board members should ask the board members directly. Confronted with the fact that he had not responded to my pre-meeting email asking about his status in the community and on the board, he stated publicly that he would not answer any emails from me.
7. The Board voted unanimously to raise the assessment five per cent for next year.
8. Marianne Hunter circulated a petition asking the city to withdraw its grant application to build a 5900 square foot building to house educational exhibits and other facilities at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. She also issued a plea for more understanding and friendliness in our community.
9. Board members agreed to develop a list of guidelines for the community bulletin boards for the next Board meeting. This action followed an extended discussion about who could post what on the boards. The discussion started with Betty Strauss’ comment that she did not think that the removal of a local teenager’s flyer advertising her babysitting service was a friendly thing to do. Casey Porter said that no one in the community is in charge of the bulletin boards.
10. Architectural Committee Member Kim Nelson said she would like to see formation of an equestrian sub-committee to explore the possibility of additional horse trails in the community, because owners of the lots under development have agreed to allow a two and a half foot easement adjacent to their properties for horse and hiking trails.
11. Jeremy Davies reminded residents that July 13 is the deadline for comments on the building silhouettes that are appearing around the community. You can see building plans and leave comments at the RPV Planning Department. This followed queries and comments about the impact of compacting dirt on these sites and its effects on existing residents.
12. Mike Cooper said that the piles of asphalt and road materials around the community are for the work that is being done on the roads, including the widening of Sweetbay opposite the bean field, and the remaining part of Tangerine. He expects that all work, including a final seal coat, will be completed by the end of summer.

This is my opinion about the Monday Board meeting:

1. In view of the fact that Board members emphasized at the meeting that the revised CC&Rs do set up a residency requirement for Board members, it is clear that they are aware of a loophole in the existing CC&Rs and have elected to take advantage of it to keep Porter, who has sold his Portuguese Bend property and no longer lives here, on the Board for what is being characterized as a “brief period of time.”
2. More people need to attend Board meetings and get involved in the activities of the community.

If you have questions or comments about any of the above, feel free to post them below. No anonymous posts, please.