As you know, at the April 29th AGM meeting, Kope and I were elected as directors of this condo corporation. Having received 52 of the 71 votes cast. Kope actually received even more getting 55, compared to 22 for Sharon and 16 for Jim. We thank you for the resounding support!
We have taken this support as a mandate for us to make things right. First order of business is that homeowners deserve to know what is happening to their home, and with their money, going forward. There is certainly work to be done, but we can manage it more realistically for everyone.
I have spent the last two months surveying the historical landscape to get a better understanding of what has created these untenable options we have been presented with.
At the first Board meeting, Kope and I realized we were a minority, and would have no say in its affairs. With the majority of existing Board members, Anna was appointed as president/chair. In addition, she was designated to be the only Board member allowed to speak to Paul.
Our question is why Brenda was not put into one of these positions. She is bright, approachable, she lives in the condo, and has the time. While Anna is certainly capable, she has a full-time job, and, further, she lives elsewhere.
Perhaps, due to her long association with the condo, Anna might have been deemed more qualified for both these positions. We beg to differ.
Rather than longevity, we need competency and accountability in performing Board duties. So why was Brenda not put into either of these positions?
A second issue: At the board meeting Kope and I were asked to sign a Directors Code of Ethics. This document (https://cci.ca/sites/default/uploads/files/Directors-Code-of-Ethics-rev.pdf) is designed to keep new Board members in line, as to their allegiance.
Basically, new Board members are meant to pledge solidarity with each other, rather than to the homeowners. I understand this to a point, but at the same time, this seems counter-intuitive. As I explained in the meeting, this code of ethics should be reviewed. The final version should have input from the homeowners, then codified and put into the by-laws. Both Kope and I did not sign this document as our allegiance is to the home owners.
Going forward, I will be e-mailing out newsletters to keep our homeowners up to date with proposed projects, and so everyone can make informed decisions. Please forward this e-mail to your friends and neighbours. I would like all the homeowners to be made aware of what is going on.
If you know of anyone who would like to be added to this e-mail list, please forward me their particulars. Printed copies of each newsletter will also be available in my unit (4A).
First item: The balcony stucco project. On Monday, June 17th, the three original Board members voted to proceed with this project at a cost of $275K. You may or may not be aware that this cost is over and above the $1M that you were charged for the latest special assessment. When it is all said and done expect another bill for approximately $3K per unit for the balcony project. More on this in the next newsletter.
Bill Siudak
