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you keep harping on HPP suing the county
Yes, HPP has money and lawyers that could be put to better use than wasting the road dues on infighting. But the lawsuit would need to be class-action ("all the fake-ag subdivisions in Puna") and ideally filed in Federal court.
HPP IS NOT UNITED AND IT DOES NOT HAVE THE INTESTINAL FORTITUDE.
Exactly: if it did, it could probably manage the relatively simple effort required for "collect money, arrange road maintenance".
You want county roads?
Not exactly; I don't want to be taxed for a $1M/mile paving bond.
I want County to enact a standard for "Unimproved Farm Lot Road" that brings a little crushed rock, some grading, and occasional shoulder-clearing with the big trimmer. I would be willing to pay a modest increase in property taxes for this. Unpaved roads are part of the charm that is "country living", but they need more maintenance than the associations can manage, especially when all that money is redirected into lawsuits and embezzlement.
Either that, or let's skip ahead to an alternative transportation infrastructure, where small packages are delivered by drone, and trips to town involve riding my quad down to the park'n'ride lot where I catch the biodiesel express bus.
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Well said reni. I will add a couple of points.
3 years and a lot of money....we have been fighting over the roads for over 30 years and have spent millions on their maintenance and improvement. How long is too long, and how much is too much? Also, while most people believe that county takeover would greatly improve our roads, I do not. They don't keep their own roads up to standard, why would they improve roads that they were FORCED to take over? My reasons for wanting county takeover are:
1. To remove the liability created by the general public using our substandard roads, and
2. To get us out of the road business, thus removing the root source of the war.
I realize that I have just reinforced your point about the associations not being united.
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At the recent Nov board mtg, the board voted to raise our road maintenance fees 10%.
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The board of directors also voted to not release detailed financial information to the finance committee, the committee that is supposed to be the checks and balances for the membership. How can the finance committee do their job if they are kept in the dark on how our monies have been, and are being spent. Whats up with that?
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Thanks mermaid and stratele, after seeing your posts I checked with an acquaintance and sure enough, you are both right. But here is a little more detail; they raised the maintenance fees another 10% this year after last years $10 increase. The 10% = $28.50 + the $10, that is now $38.50 in 2 successive years. $313.50 a year for the worst roads since I have lived here.
Apparently, the finance committee had just voted and approved to advice the board on a $5 road maintenance increase even though it was not very clear to some on the committee, whether an increase was necessary due to the fact that the last meeting was only the second meeting they have had this fiscal year (which started July 1st). A partial reason, I was told, that the committee was not clear, was that the committee has asked in both meetings to get all of the financial reports that the committee has always had and provided in the past by all of the general managers. Speaking of whom, the current manager can't even bother to go to a committee meeting to which he is a member according to the bylaws.
The financial report they need is called the "profit and loss detail report" and with out it they can not verify the other financial reports. So, the Association's membership committee is being blind sided by the board from doing their duty according to any "Generally Accepted Practices" for finances in a corporation.
Apparently the new board has not a clue what they were asked to vote on neither the role of a membership committee. I heard some on the board had said "they don't need it", pure ignorance! It looks like to me from what was explained taking place at last weeks board meeting, that none of them have a grasp as to the true purpose of the finance committee or of the board. It sounded like they only considered hypothetical situations in which the association might need money since none of them, including the new treasurer, knows the current true situation with the associations accounting. As any one who has ever been involved with this type of corporation financial accounting knows, it is very complicated and this particular board looks to be very "challenged" in understanding them.
It appears they think the Association membership exists to service them, instead of the other way around. You mix a dash of ignorance with a dash of hubris what is the usual result of that cocktail?
In a nut shell, it appears that no one, including the new treasurer, the board and most importantly, the Association has very little idea what is going on with the money. However, I bet 1 director and her co-conspirator, the GM, knows.
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Just called HPPOA. I've been putting off calling bc day after day I keep forgetting. Before I know it, the day is done and I've forgotten again! I've done this for months!
Anyway, I told them we live off of Maku'u and that there are 16 houses occupied here on the dead-end, so there's lots more traffic than in the past. Apparently I'm #240 or so on the waiting list of complaints. (240? Not good at remembering numbers, but somewhere in there.)
I told her we haven't seen work in at least a year, and then it was only grading. A few new houses have been built since last work, and the potholes from the trucks coming in and out of construction sites is awful awful awful. NEVER saw it this bad. It's like the Indiana Jones ride out there! When we first moved here 7+ years ago, the roads were maintained with fresh new red cinder, flattened and beautiful. With plants trimmed away from the road.
She told me they need new equipment - the grader is 15 years old (15? again, not good at numbers) and they need a new one. She told me that if people showed up at the meetings, the board will know how bad things are and how much we need the maintenance and will authorize the increase in road fees. Not sure what the excuse of no work being done on the encroaching grasses and plants onto the roadway, but hey, at least they listened and were nice considering all they hear is complaints.
As far as going to the meetings, I for one don't want to go bc a) I don't like going out at night and b) I can't stand confrontation. I figure I pay for something, I get it. I shouldn't need to have to go to meetings. All it takes for the board to know how bad things are is to drive around. Do they all live on paved roads?
My attitude is that there is only one thing HPPOA does, and that's maintain the roads. And they're not maintaining them. This is their job. This is their only task.
She did say we've had so much construction and so many new residents that the roads can't take the amt of traffic they used to.
Anyway, I'm not happy with the road situation. My neighbors aren't happy with it. My car's not happy with it. Is anyone happy with it?
I suggest everyone within HPP whose road looks like a roller coaster call HPPOA and make that list very very long. We shouldn't have to go to meetings. 966-4500
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A grader is only 15 years old and needs replacement?? I've seen D9 dozers here older than that and still running, so they must let idiots run the grader if it is worn out. I can see a new cutting bar on the blade, or new tires, but not complete replacement. With that comment to you the gravel intended for the roads must be in the boardmembers heads.
Community begins with Aloha
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"Anyway, I'm not happy with the road situation. My neighbors aren't happy with it. My car's not happy with it. Is anyone happy with it?
I suggest everyone within HPP whose road looks like a roller coaster call HPPOA and make that list very very long. We shouldn't have to go to meetings"
They were talking about the grader 4 years ago like the main cause for inaction, but no talk about the no good lazy butt crew,the very same one we all pay for, that does f***all and whatever it does, is worthless anyway.
If we don't show up, we do not exist. We are in dire need for folks to move their okoles away from the big screen and show up with pitch and forks and remove the board by force if they don't resign, get rid of the management company asap and stop paying for the fees. Yes, it would catapult chaos. The other option is keep on moaning here until our fees keep increasing and we are enveloped by the forest. What would it take for folks to show up, 500 dollars a year fees,1000 a year??
If the roads ARE NOT maintained, then we would have to maintain them ourselves ANYWAY, won't we?. Yes, I know I am barking at the wrong tree... The tree is not even there!
jdo
jdo
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quote:
Originally posted by Johnd
"Anyway, I'm not happy with the road situation. My neighbors aren't happy with it. My car's not happy with it. Is anyone happy with it?
I suggest everyone within HPP whose road looks like a roller coaster call HPPOA and make that list very very long. We shouldn't have to go to meetings"
They were talking about the grader 4 years ago like the main cause for inaction, but no talk about the no good lazy butt crew,the very same one we all pay for, that does f***all and whatever it does, is worthless anyway.
If we don't show up, we do not exist. We are in dire need for folks to move their okoles away from the big screen and show up with pitch and forks and remove the board by force if they don't resign, get rid of the management company asap and stop paying for the fees. Yes, it would catapult chaos. The other option is keep on moaning here until our fees keep increasing and we are enveloped by the forest. What would it take for folks to show up, 500 dollars a year fees,1000 a year??
If the roads ARE NOT maintained, then we would have to maintain them ourselves ANYWAY, won't we?. Yes, I know I am barking at the wrong tree... The tree is not even there!
jdo
Well Johnd I'm not happy with the 2 OLCA's board of directors either. But with keeping in tone of the holiday of Thanksgiving,would you rather live here or on an acre or two in North Dakota? Be thankful for what you got and just put up with HPP directors and road crew like they are mosquitoes that you can do nothing about. Look at the fees you spend on roads like they are mosquito coils or incense that you burn for the dead. We always have lots of hope for change but not much for results.
Slow Walker
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quote:
Originally posted by Slow Walker
quote:
Originally posted by Johnd
"Anyway, I'm not happy with the road situation. My neighbors aren't happy with it. My car's not happy with it. Is anyone happy with it?
I suggest everyone within HPP whose road looks like a roller coaster call HPPOA and make that list very very long. We shouldn't have to go to meetings"
They were talking about the grader 4 years ago like the main cause for inaction, but no talk about the no good lazy butt crew,the very same one we all pay for, that does f***all and whatever it does, is worthless anyway.
If we don't show up, we do not exist. We are in dire need for folks to move their okoles away from the big screen and show up with pitch and forks and remove the board by force if they don't resign, get rid of the management company asap and stop paying for the fees. Yes, it would catapult chaos. The other option is keep on moaning here until our fees keep increasing and we are enveloped by the forest. What would it take for folks to show up, 500 dollars a year fees,1000 a year??
If the roads ARE NOT maintained, then we would have to maintain them ourselves ANYWAY, won't we?. Yes, I know I am barking at the wrong tree... The tree is not even there!
jdo
Well Johnd I'm not happy with the 2 OLCA's board of directors either. But with keeping in tone of the holiday of Thanksgiving,would you rather live here or on an acre or two in North Dakota? Be thankful for what you got and just put up with HPP directors and road crew like they are mosquitoes that you can do nothing about. Look at the fees you spend on roads like they are mosquito coils or incense that you burn for the dead. We always have lots of hope for change but not much for results.
I've never really thought the "tone of Thanksgiving" means being exploited by those elected to represent me and having my hard earned money disappear into a black hole instead of going to maintain the roads in the manner they were when I bought in HPP. If people were demanding a higher level of road maintenance than in the past without paying for the service it would be one thing, but instead road maintenance has taken a huge dive and now they want us to pay more for less.
I am thankful I have two legs, but that doesn't mean I am going to let some punk steal my car just because some other guy is in a wheelchair.
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