A 10 Step Program to Improve the PSJHOA

By Linda McKinney

President of the PSJHOA, Helen Dezendorf, in the October/November 2004 HOA newsletter says: “If you are not happy with the way things are being run, come to a meeting and voice your opinion, as long as you can do it in a civilized manner.” She goes on to say, “Please plan to attend the next meeting, and let us know what you think we need to do to get the PSJHOA back on track.” Those are direct, exact quotes.

Considering that she reads my website, www.conservativepsj.us [Website no longer available.], she knows this question has been answered since July of this year, when I posted my editorial, “10 Steps to a Better PSJHOA.” Problem is, she is not listening to the good advice below (to read the full text of this editorial, go to www.conservativepsj.us/psjhoa10step.html) [Website no longer available.].

1) Change the attitude of the leadership.

The PSJHOA was set up as a democracy. Every decision should be voted on and every person given a chance to speak.

2) Deal openly and honestly with the membership as well as with non-members.

This includes taking detailed meeting minutes (and maybe even recording the minutes and making a copy of the unedited tape available at the PSJ Library), and publishing all of the minutes in the newsletter, not just publishing the issues that make the PSJHOA look like neighborhood angels (NNNO, fireworks, community garage sales, etc.).

3) Stop politicizing everything; try to educate people on both sides of the issue, not just the side you agree with or want to win.

If the leadership is going to be speaking on an issue, there should be information or a speaker from the other side of the issue: information made available that is pro whatever the leadership is con. Give both sides and let the people decide for themselves.

4) Make all meetings open to the public, and hold them when and where they are scheduled to be held unless a catastrophe prevents this.

The July 2004 PSJHOA Board meeting was scheduled to take place at the PSJ Community Center, but an e-mail was sent out that told the members to go to a secret meeting at an officer’s home instead; thus eliminating the possibility that I could attend. Two Board members didn’t check their e-mails before the meeting and went to the Community Center, where I was.

5) Don't run roughshod over the membership.

Calling the Sheriff's Dept. on me for taking notes is a great example of running roughshod over a member.

6) Leadership should respond promptly and courteously to all courteous communications from members.

I sent a courteous e-mail request for a copy of the PSJHOA By-Laws to Ms. Dezendorf on 7/13/04 and haven't heard back from her yet.

7) Open the PSJHOA records to the membership and store them to where the membership can have easy, quick access to them.

Ask the PSJ Library for space for the records. If the PSJ Library would store the records for us, that would be more convenient for everyone concerned and library personnel could require seeing a current PSJHOA membership card before allowing access to the records.

8) Don't break the rules for convenience's sake.

The By-Laws state that you must have 35 members in good standing present to change the By-Laws. In April of 2004 the rules were ignored and broken because it is "impossible" to get 35 members to attend so that you can change the By-Laws properly. Thus their current By-Laws are illegal.

9) Don't tell anyone - County Commissioners, desal survey people, or anyone else - that the PSJHOA speaks for the residents of PSJ.

The PSJHOA speaks for some of the people who attend (not all: not I) and a few people who don't attend. Period. There are some active members - like me - who are active in order to "know thine enemy." We like to keep an eye on those who are supposedly representing us and we want to stay informed.

10) Apologize for the PSJHOA's past infractions.

The words "I'm Sorry" go a long way in today's world (ask Bill Clinton).

Anyone want to bet my excellent advice is still ignored?