11 December 2014
Dear Brian and the other Trustees of the TIHOA,
In reply to the email sent to all home owners withdrawing
the Trustee’s proposal to build houses in the Parkland, I want to make the
following points (excepts from the email are in Italic):
Preparatory work was
necessary to bring a clear proposal to the AGM. The Trustees could hardly come
to the AGM saying we have a proposal to build additional houses, we don’t know
where and we don’t know how many and we don’t know how much money could be
generated. To undertake a proper investigation, the Trustees have approved
expenditure of R108 000 to bring the proposal to a state that it can be
communicated to the Members and presented to the AGM
Who is buying this? Not me. An email could have been sent to
every home owner saying “…. we are exploring avenues for raising income to fund
the infrastructure maintenance fund. We have identified an area at the eastern
end of Plantation Point and overlooking the beach to add about a dozen stands.
What do you think of this?”
How far would R108,000 go with ePap Children’s Feeding
Project, the Knysna feeding scheme for preschool children? It would give 450
kids a meal each school day for a year.
The suggestion that
the Trustees are trying to sneak this through is simply not true. The idea was
first brought to the Trustee meeting, by myself, in April 2014 and has been
worked on since then. The Trustees had discussed the Project at each of the
Trustee meetings on 3rd June, 12th August, 7th October and at a special
meetings called to discuss the development on 17th November. The minutes of 3rd
June and 12th August are on the Members web site, while the minutes of 7th
October and 17th November will be posted on the website once approved at the
Trustee meeting on 9th December 2014
The April, June and August meeting's minutes were only
posted on the HOA website on 31 October, 2014.
See the screen shot below.
There was no recorded discussion on the matter in the
minutes of the April meeting. Just a reference to looking to other avenues for
income.
I was not invited to the special meeting on 17 November. It
appears it was by invitation only to a few home owners.
Your proposal was sent to all the homeowners on 22 November,
2014. 3 weeks after the minutes were posted! This is assuming home owners read
the minutes on the day they were posted.
Aside from the few home owners who you identified as “directly
affected” who were notified on 30 October, the vast majority of home owners had
3 weeks’ notice of the plan. I live full time on Thesen Islands and I heard
about the scheme in a coffee shop on 14 November.
The Trustees, also, do
not wish to create a rift, disunity or animosity in our community. The Trustees
believe that this would inevitably develop between Members if a vote is called.
This is a bit rich.
The Trustees were the ones proposing a vote on cutting up the Parkland. Hindsight
is perfect but how about some foresight? You couldn't anticipate that “a rift,
disunity or animosity” would
be caused when you called for a vote?
On a personal note, I
wish to express my concern with the tone of some of the opinions. The Trustees
have been called corrupt and there have been suggestions that they should be
voted off. I wish to remind all Members that the Trustees give of their time,
without any compensation, freely and without complaint.
Surprised that
people get hot under the collar when you propose building stands in the
Parkland and boardwalks in front of their houses? Adding 13 houses to the end of their cul de
sac? Having to face more building and trucks in and out through the Gate House,
all day, every day during the week for a few years?
The Trustee’s lack
of foresight caused a period of tension and unhappiness among home owners on
Thesen Islands. Sadly, there is now distrust of the current Trustees. Many home
owners were forced to spend hours of their time and lots of their energy
fighting the proposals. Also without
compensation.
The best way to avoid
criticism is to make no suggestions. I do not think this is what Members would
expect from their Trustees.
No one would say
that the Trustees should not come up suggestions. But this scheme was the wrong
scheme, handled the wrong way, cost R108,000 and caused distress, tension and
distrust on Thesen Islands.
And no hint of an
apology from the Trustee’s for this fiasco.
I am very sorry
this has happened. It has been very unpleasant for many home owners, for you
and your fellow Trustees. I look forward to starting the new year with a clean
slate.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Rutherford
P79
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