The Storey Teller News and commentary on what’s really going on in Storey County.
The River District Home Owners Association (HOA) held a Candidates Night on February 7th, 2019. This meeting allowed members of the HOA to ask questions of the candidates and hear how the candidates would represent the homeowners. HOA President Denise Fuller-Hilton invited The Teller to cover the event and report on it for the community.
An election on February 26th will fill 3 seats on the board. 6 candidates attended and freshly minted Commissioner Jay Carmona moderated the festivities.
Attending Candidates
- Denise Fuller-Hilton
- Martha O’Brien
- Bill Roe
- Daniel McCarthy
- Dennis Dyczewski
- Gary Soverns
Commissioner Carmona asked each candidate to make an opening statement. After this statement, he asked written questions of the candidates and then opened up questions from the attendees. It was a good format and those in attendance were well mannered for the most part.
There seemed to be two camps at the meeting. One camp thinks Kenyon Management, the HOA management company, needs to be replaced. the other camp thinks the management company is doing fine. The folks wanting a new management company suggest Kenyon is mismanaging the finances and may have stolen money. The other camp feels Kenyon has the resources to provide accurate financials but needs more input, involvement, and guidance from the Board and Association members as to what is expected of them.
There were differing views as to the financial health of the Association despite there being a strong reserve fund of more than $450,000. All candidates agreed that transparency and accounting practices and reporting needed improvement.
Several candidates called for a rigorous audit of the finances as well as doing an accurate reserve study. This would allow for better budgeting for and help to manage the capital improvements needed.
Candidates discussed Lots A and B and offered several suggestions on what to do with them. Those included leasing the properties out and perhaps structuring a children’s play area. Several candidates mentioned the building requires extensive work to meet the Storey County Building Code. Improvements to bring the building up to code could be paid from the reserve fund after a complete audit and prioritization of all of the capital improvement projects.
Some of the questions asked included:
What would you do to unite the community?
Responses: Know your neighbors, we get along with each other but the not with the Board as much, eliminate the money issues with the association, be more fiduciary, need to talk to each other about issues, understand and deal with the $37,000 in legal fees, get more participation in the association, lots of people can’t afford the $22 increase.
Would you be willing to work with the current management company before getting rid of them?
The candidates who responded said yes. That the board would have to roll up its sleeves and dig into the financials. One candidate suggested the Board could assume some of the duties Kenyon is currently doing.
What two budget items are of most concern to you?
Legal fees, Management fees, Administrative costs, maintenance
One of the questions asked by the audience was “ Would you be willing to take action against those who have cost this association undue legal expenses?”
The response by one of the candidates was “ if the judgment is in our favor then yes, we would.”
All in all the candidates represented themselves well and those in attendance were left with a clearer understanding where the candidates stand on the important issues that face the Rainbow Bend Community and the HOA.
The Teller wants to thank HOA Board President Denise Fuller-Hilton for the invite and the opportunity to report on this important community event. The Teller remains the only news outlet in Storey County to cover the great people who make up the Rainbow Bend/Lockwood communities.
