Reclaim your HOA: How does this advice apply to Crosstimber Home Owners?

The original "Reclaim your HOA" advice article from Houston encourages anyone who finds fault with our HOA to do so in a respectful manner (which is exactly why I have been blogging to share my valid concerns with the community for over a year now). Among other things, the advice includes:

• Use the name of your subdivision in the web site address;
• Use the name of the subdivision, the term Homeowner Association or HOA, your city, county, and state in the title.
• Link your website to other websites that may be helpful. 

NOTE: Anyone who actually reads my blogs for the past year should find nothing disrespectful or troll-like about anything that I have done or plan to do. The only way this information can stay up is if it is factual. If you find anything that needs correction please let me know. We would want to make those adjustments immediately. 

 

A SUMMARY perspective:

Hopefully, there will soon be no need to host an alternative crosstimberhoa.org website because the board will quickly implement a completely transparent communication infrastructure and allow home owners to  share our independent thoughts and collective experiences within crosstimberhoa.com (as was originally requested by homeowners in 2019 and  reconfirmed within the 2020-2021 SRRCHOA Strategic Planning Survey Results) so that everyone can have a feedback voice (positive or negative). This is was the goal for the complete communication platform redesign. 

Unfortunately, the new board's actions during the last board meeting on October 7th offered quick proof that we should wait to see their commitments in writing and their actual deeds align with the urgent need to include home owner feedback within the decision making process for our community. 

A more DETAILED perspective:

Supporters of the newly formed 2020 HOA / Architectural Committee / SWIM board leadership cabal would like us to assume that every resident has equal access to a seat at the decision making table (which I don’t think that we have just yet). Unfortunately, the Crosstimber HOA has a long history of failing to include residents in their decision making process. The board recently received a copy of my written complaint after they voted 4 to 3 on October 7th to shut down the security committee, the ethics committee and the communication committee. In my opinion, this disenfranchised a large group of well-intentioned resident volunteers for no good reason. 

Belonging to our neighborhood entails being respected equally at the most basic level. This level of respect includes the right for independent HOA committees to co-create and make demands on how to improve our community together. The unilateral decisions that were handed down in the first 2020-2021 HOA Board meeting were a clear indication that the new Board Majority has no intention to leverage the new communication website platform as designed to eliminate bias and further include every home owner in neighborhood decisions. Including home owners is more than just allowing them access to listen in while topics are discussed and debated by board members who do not stop to solicit honest feedback before they make decisions. 

Our board members cannot see into the aspirations of every home owner so they have to learn to listen. It is not enough to ask outspoken people like me what we think. Our survey methods have to permit the home owner with the least amount of spare time to quickly share their opinion. We also have to elevate the voices of the apathetic residents who have given up on believing that their voices matter. That’s the kind of servant leadership that our 2020 Strategic Planning survey data tells us our neighbors expect. 

If you attended the October 7th Board Meeting then you know that the new board majority failed to meet our most basic expectation: “Have we (the board) given every home owner the right to expect progress at every meeting?” The path to this goal involves using home owner feedback to inform board decisions in an inclusive manner. It involves each board member being willing to learn from each home owner and embracing the opportunity to improve and change things for the better.

The four prototype websites that I built last year were designed to enable independent committees of Home Owners to hold board members accountable for each strategic objective. Without any explanation, the board has stated that our committees were "no longer required" and our prototypes "didn’t work right" and implied that a better solution would emerge “next year”.  What solution is better than asking homeowners what they want and making sure that everyone is ethical when they go about providing it? 

As of 2020/10/14, the SRRCHOA Board has my consent to work with the Vinteum Website team to transition the http://rogersranchcrosstimberapp.vinteumneigbrs.com prototype that I built to their permanent crosstimberhoa.COM domain name (URL) within the next 45 days subject to the following caveats and constraints:

1. The unique combination of a group collaboration platform and the use of survey technology to allow home owners to actively participate in the board member decision making process was completely my idea and designed based on my computer industry expertise. EX: Virtual conferencing capabilities along with the potential that the HOA could offer the collaborative office suite applications for free to home owners. 
2. My best practice methods and techniques and their proven efficacy are commercially viable and the SRRCHOA Corporation has no ownership stake in the services that I may decide to provide for future clients. EX: the CrosstimberHOA Branded Group and personal email ids that I suggested to provide privacy and improve transparency within the neighborhood.
1. ByLaw Modernization Committee Members: Bylaw_cmte@crosstimberhoa.com
2. Ethics Committee Members: Ethics_cmte@crosstimberhoa.com 
3. Security Committee Members:  Security_cmte@crosstimberhoa.com
4. Communication Committee Members:  Comm_cmte@crosstimberhoa.com
3. My pilot website’s capabilities have been accurately summarized within the attached presentations but I had intended to continue ideation and development by operating the crosstimberhoa.ORG URL to benefit the Crosstimber HOA community (which includes my family) as part of the Communication committee. This is not unusual:
1. There are several prior examples of Rogers Ranch websites and social media related apps that were self-funded and are operated by a resident.
2. Rogers Ranch POA Hiking Trails Committee was initially self-funded and operated  by a resident.

The SRRCHOA Board has rights to the crosstimberhoa.COM domain name (URL). Unfortunately, crosstimberhoa.com cannot transfer to a different registrar at this time because it has been less than 60 days since it was last moved from AtHomeNet/Frontsteps. 

• I forwarded Crosstimberhoa.com to damctx.com as requested during the last board meeting.
• I also transferred crosstimberhoa.com admin access to a new board member so that they can configure it as required until the next 45 days are up and then move it (if required).   

 

Shavano Rogers Ranch Crosstimber HOA Corporation has no basis for any claim to own any part of the crosstimberhoa.ORG domain name. I paid for the URL myself and used it to create four different working prototypes over the last several months based on ideas that were either rejected or ignored by certain key board members prior to my serving on the BOD, while I served on the BOD, and after I served on the BOD.

PRIOR to my serving on the HOA board of directors: 

• 2018/12/18 Both our lawyers and our property management firm strongly advised that our website was not legally compliant in writing. Per the attached email trail, perspective new homeowners and vendors need to be able to download relevant files without a password. SEE: 2018-12-18 Website Legal Non-compliance Notification
• 2018/09/18 I personally contacted D. Oroian years before joining the board to recommend home owner collaboration ideas, ways to eliminate board member bias and how to avoid the unfortunate outcomes that have resulted from this board’s inability to communicate effectively during major initiatives like the street resurfacing.
• 2017/10/02 I also authored a list of recommended fixes related to the legacy AtHomeNet Website that I posted on NextDoor before I ever joined the board:

1. A persistent problem seems to be communicating exactly which projects the HOA is doing or is planning to do and how /when they will be done. 
2. Another related problem is clearly communicating what's been suggested already and any barriers that would block adoption.
3. Update who Is on the various boards (HOA, SWIM, POA, ACC) and make accurate with names, and then easy to reach Contact info
4. Almost Every New Resident heads to NextDoor to find help so that they know how and where to pay their Rogers Ranch Related bills ((HOA, SWIM, POA) make the payment links prominent and easy to find. 
5. The search menu needs to be made clearer. EX: Type in HOA fees in search it returns NULL. WHAT!!?? That isn’t expected behavior.
6. Have the actual monthly newsletter info updated and prominent link to get to for details
7. Need a community calendar that outlines exactly what is going on and WHERE?????? IE: Santa visit at clubhouse
8. Update the pictures to actual pictures of the community. The current art work can really be improved
9. Have info such as when the holiday lights go up and when they will come down
10. Courtesy messages:  IE:  Drive safe and HOW to drive near school buses
11. A way for residents to highlight personal celebrations IE: Anniversaries of residents make this community more PERSONAL it feels so mechanical and mundane
12. Welcome new resident section with LINK to broader events and happenings in the City of SA  IE: Fiesta, how and where to buy tickets
13. Pertinent info that will help residents, HEB now delivers to the door if needed, how tos and helpful hints asking the community for monthly or AT LEAST quarterly helpful hints 
14. ALLOW residents to share recommendations DIGITALLY what they would like to see their $$$$$$ spent on and you can take this feedback to your monthly meetings for discussion
15. Make the drop down menus actually work, many of the keys when selected lead to NULL or NO WHERE and it is a really bad user experience 
16. People want to see LIVE photos of our entrance and the two gates.

WHILE I served on the HOA board of directors: 

• 03/18/2020 This board meeting was conducted via conference telephone because the Club House was closed by the Swim Club due to the COVID-19 pandemic. C. Silman and B. Kinlaw attended the conference call. D. Oroian, T. Lammert, and Vacant G. Britt Position were absent. Because the quorum requirement was not met there was no discussion, B. Kinlaw announced his intention to self-fund the Crosstimberhoa.org domain to begin the first platform evaluation and that I intended to keep the URL for future projects.
• 03/20/2020 Email Rejection. Subject: Using a Conferencing Platform to host meetings is in the best interest of our community (Crosstimber.org Demonstration completely paid for by Brian Kinlaw) 

1. HOA President B. Kinlaw requested: “Please login to the new platform before hand so that you are comfortable before our next meeting. It is important that we set a good example as board members.”
2. Director D. Oroian responded: “I don’t remember voting to authorize paying for a conference platform.  What meeting did that happen at?”

• 03/21/2020 at 8:13PM Email Rejection. Subject: Adhering to the Texas Open Meetings Act and public health disaster guidelines 

1. In response to HOA President Brian Kinlaw’s request that board members set the example and attend the March 25th board meeting virtually Director D. Oroian responded: “I will not be participating in this. I don’t believe it’s in line with the Texas Open Meetings Act.”

• 03/21/2020 at 10:11PM Email Rejection. Subject: Board Members are expected to regularly host and attend HOA meetings 

1. Director D. Oroian has stated: “Besides, its only March, if there is something pressing to vote on it can be done via email and ratified at the next meeting. Not having a meeting for a few months is not a big deal in my book.

 

AFTER I stopped serving on the HOA board of directors:

• 2020/10/07 The new HOA Board of Directors voted to disenfranchise a large group of home owner  that volunteered to join committees to address the community modernization issues raised within the 9/19/2020 Annual Meeting: 

1. Increasing security (including Neighborhood watch)
2. Unifying the DCCRs
3. HOA bylaw modernization and consistently obtaining quorum
4. Standards of conduct (Ethics, Board member Misbehavior)
5. Director and committee member qualifications
6. Improving communication coverage (and event notification) across the entire community
7. Disaster recovery and safety planning
8. Maintenance (including signage)

• 2020/10/07 The new HOA Board of Directors also voted to shut down our new crosstimberhoa.com Vinteum powered website that allows our board members to make data driven decisions and guide better outcomes based on home owner survey results. 
• 2020/10/07 Neither of these recent BOD decisions served the best interest of Crosstimber Home owners. Both decisions have made it more difficult for home owners to advocate for change especially during the middle of a pandemic. EX:
•  Restricting or eliminating communication across all channels (online virtual conference calls, email, SMS/MMS text, and online group id) between home owners and residents does not help the community.
• The new website helped to eliminate board member bias. Without Surveys… all board members are just guessing about what 648 home owners really want. Using surveys that encourage discussion allows our board members to make data driven decisions and our home owners to guide better outcomes.
• Proper use of the new website created a meritocracy where only the best ideas that are supported by community survey results need to be prioritized by the board.
• 2020/10/13 On this afternoon I was told that D. Oroian directed the Vinteum vendor to remove me as administrator for my own prototype. How does one announce in the last board meeting that something doesn’t work and then try to leverage it "for the HOA" without giving the developer any credit for providing a functional proof of concept that achieved our goals as designed?