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The Times interviews SLLA Candidates
Written by Laura Douglass, Times Reporter   
Thursday, 18 February 2010
    Six candidates — including an incumbent director and a former president of the Seven Lakes Landowners Association — are vying for one of three open seats on the 2010-2012 Board of Directors.
Image    The Times sat down with each candidate for an informal interview —  a conversation, really — that afforded each an opportunity to reflect on their individual experiences and what they feel they could bring to the table if elected.
    Residents will have the chance to meet the entire slate of candidates on Wednesday, February 24, at 6:30 pm at the North Clubhouse. The forum will include a question and answer period and will be moderated by Greg Hankins, publisher of The Seven Lakes Times. The event will be followed by  the SLLA Open Meeting.
   
Charles Hannel
    Charlie Hannel retired to Seven Lakes after thirty-one years as a maintenance supervisor – twenty-seven of those years with International Harvester.
    “I maintained buildings and properties and worked with budgets and people. I can bring a background of maintenance knowledge and infrastructure to the Board,” said Hannel.
    He said he agrees with Board oversight and that they should inject into the management company what they hear from people in the community.
    “Needs should go through the management company for what they think is best – that’s what we’re hiring them for,” he said.
    However, Hannel said a director should be willing to give up as much time as needed for anything that comes up.
    “I’m willing to do that: you always have to give 125 percent.”
    On communication, Hannel said he keeps current reading the Interlake and The Times and recommended a more explicit approach is needed to communicate what is going on.
    “If something comes up like paving or closing of a road, it should be told to people at least a week or two before it occurs. That to me is prior planning – it shouldn’t be just spur of the moment decisions,” said Hannel.
    Looking ahead beyond expected road and dam maintenance, Hannel said he is pleased with the recent curbing work, and how the gate entrance and playground needs have been addressed.
    “They’ve pretty well taken care of the smaller things. The maintenance department does one heck of a job.”
    
Charles Mims
    “For thirty-two years, I was a police officer for the State of North Carolina and retired as a chief of police — a job where I was integrally woven into the government budget process, bureaucracy, and infrastructure. I bring that knowledge base,” said Chuck Mims. “I also believe I have a fresh perspective by only living here [Seven Lakes] for one year. I’m not entrenched with any one group of people and have good friends on all three sides of the community.”
    He continued, “I feel I can look at things openly and base decisions on the needs and what we can best do for the community.”
    On working with Talis Management Group, Mims said that bringing in a professional company that knows how to manage was a move in the right direction.
    “If we have a progressive company that knows how to manage and is looking out for our best interests, that is a good move that will take us forward.”
    Mims said he agreed with the current Board’s push towards oversight of management allowing staff to handle day-to-day functions of the community.
    “Unless you have the skill set, it is very difficult to manage and I’m not sure I ever agree that management is the Board’s job,” said Mims.
    However, he said that a director must be willing to give of themselves.
    “The number of hours necessary will be dictated by what needs to be done,” said Mims. “A good director has to know what is going on and how best to get those needs met, and how to work with the rest of the Board to get things done.”
    On communication with members, Mims said the Board is a form of government which means ‘for the people, by the people.’
    “To close the door and not have an open policy is not the best solution, but on other hand if we allow people to go around the management company directly to the Board that can be counter-productive,” said Mims. “If members have a need they should take it to the management company: that’s what we employ them for - not a buffer but a resource. We have to keep the management company involved to the point of what we are employing them for.”
    Looking at long-term planning beyond the necessary maintenance of roads and dams, Mims said that Seven Lakes should not neglect major infrastructure such as utilities, water and sewer.
    “Will we ever have sewer lines out here rather than septic? I don’t know, but we should be working with the county to see if it’s feasible or perhaps not,” said Mims.
    He also recommended a total internal infrastructure review.
    “We can’t work from this year to next year. We have to see what is out there five years now. What is going to cost us five to ten years from now?” asked Mims. “If you’re working in an emergency mode then costs rise dramatically. Good long range planning has the ability to prevent a lot of that.”
    
Robert Racine
    Retired from practicing law in a small town, Racine said his job was primarily about bringing people together.
     “The best thing I bring to the Board is ten years experience as a town moderator,” said Bob Racine. “A moderator brings people together with different opinions to form a uniform, cohesive plan of action.”
    ”You accomplish more through negotiation,” he said, reflecting on his disappointment upon moving to Seven Lakes to read about people suing each other.
    “You go to a meeting and discuss and examine facts and alternatives then come to a decision. If the majority agree, then you go with it. You don’t threaten to sue the other board members.”
     “When I came here, I saw tall pines, beautiful lakes and beaches, tennis courts and a playground. I saw the way the roads were laid out and houses of different styles – this is an attractive community,” said Racine, noting that a favorite pastime is a daily long walk around Lake Sequoia.
    Racine said he supports the current Board’s move toward oversight.
    “The Board sets goals and may have certain ideas but the day to day routine is handled by management,” said Racine. “But that does not mean we abdicate our responsibilities; however, management has the responsibility to withstand private interests.
    Responding to a question of how many hours does he feel are required to effectively serve as a director, Racine said that it’s not the amount of time but how it is used that is important.
    “I’m not going to sit and watch over the manager’s shoulder, but if something came up, I am available — whatever the job requires.”
    On communication with members, Racine said there is room for improvement.
    “They [SLLA Board] can set up all the procedures they want, but in many instances people bring a matter to the attention of a board and they farm it out to a committee or individual and then you never hear about it again: it gets lost,” said Racine. “We must respond and be sensitive to concerns.”
    He recommended a set thirty-day response system with an update each month until the issue is resolved.
    When asked about long range concerns, Racine said he wasn’t sure the roads needed to be fixed as much as maintained.
    “The roads are structurally sound and only being paved for basically beautification – do you need two inches of asphalt for beautification?”
    “We need to get away from cosmetic improvements like putting in shrubs and get to the more important issues – like kids sitting and playing in geese droppings at the beach is more important than adding a few shade trees,” he said.
    Looking forward, Racine said Seven Lakes can remain very competitive with new developments.
    “If we can’t afford it, we postpone it, but I don’t believe we can compete one-on-one in every aspect with every development that comes along. If people want new homes we can’t compete with that but what about all those families with kids — this is a beautiful place where they can go to beach, where they can go play basketball and tennis.”
    “We are in a unique position. No one else has seven lakes and they are beautiful!”
    However, Racine said his biggest concerns looking forward are the limited afternoon and evening hours of Roving Security and what he sees as too much spending by the Board.
    “I don’t have an agenda other than to reduce unnecessary spending.”
    
 Melinda Scott
    “Most of my adult life has been spent in the field of special education. First as a teacher, then I worked my way up the ranks and every promotion afforded me the opportunity to work with different people on variety of issues,” Melinda Scott said. “It was a difficult learning process but worthwhile.”
    She said the main thing she has learned and what she can bring to the Board is the concept of a team approach.
    “I am a team builder and bring a fresh look. I’ve only been here three and a half years. I see so many things going on in the community — for good and not so good, so I decided to get more involved,” Scott explained.
    On communication, Scott recommended forming a focus group to update the comprehensive survey.
    “We need to get feedback on what they see as the major issues. We all share a general consensus on problems, safety issues, and lakes and dams, but those are not the only issues,” said Scott. “Our community is becoming more diverse and we are not focusing on that diversity to get a broader view.”
    However, she said the priority right now is for the Board to focus on accountability from the management company.
    “If they don’t do what is needed, then we have spent a lot of money, time, and effort for nothing. We need to make sure we get our monies worth and what they are doing isn’t just cookie cutter: it should be tailor-made for Seven Lakes.”
    Scott said her experience working with the Department of Education taught her that the key is not to micromanage but to be very clear on expectations and, once established, the Board must come up with a measurable evaluative tool to determine whether goals and objectives are being met and an ability to get them back on course.
    She also is looking for strong communication between management, the Board, and among the committees.
    “I’m not going to put my signature on something I’m not aware of – I want to know what I’m approving or denying and I would like to see more communication between the committees, because ultimately what goes on in committee meetings will come before the Board.”
    Scott applauded the work of the Beautification Committee and the clean-up projects at Sequoia Point and the playground at Northside Park.
    “When looking at the various amenities, some things have been done to make them look more attractive, but I think we need to go a little further,” said Scott. “My impression coming in the gates is blah, it is not prestigious. We need to make more of an impression with prospective homeowners.”
    “Sometimes, I see little things not being attended to as quickly as they should be, but the maintenance crew does a wonderful job. I think the community just needs to take more responsibility especially for litter,” said Scott. “It’s a dual responsibility and we all have to have pride in the community.”
    She said she anticipated the hours required to effectively serve would be variable but said once she made the decision to run, that was her commitment.
    “I’m committing my time and there is nothing pressing that would take me away from meeting my responsibilities,” said Scott.
    
Bud Shaver
    The only incumbent director looking to return to the Board, Bud Shaver said he decided to run for his first term because he was tired of the public fighting by the Board at meetings and in the press, and that he wanted to work with maintenance issues and facilitate Dalton Fulcher’s departure.
    “The current Board took on the task of recognizing that we needed to change how things were going along. We spent a great deal of time deciding what and how we wanted to do it and there was a lot of discussion and not always agreement,” said Shaver.
    Looking now for a second term in office, Shaver said he is particularly interested in long range maintenance planning.
    “I want to make sure what is done with maintenance is proper, because I feel have more knowledge and experience as to needs and capabilities that can assist new management. Also, I want to make sure that what we, as a Board, have put in place goes the way we think it should go.”
    On communication with members, he explained that the current Board agreed very early on that the person who should respond to public questions is the president. He said while some have complained about the slow process to receive financial information, that he supported the decision to withhold financial information until the Board had reviewed it.
    Shaver said he feels strongly that Board responsibility should be restricted to establishing policy, leaving the day-to-day activities of the Association as the job of the Community Manager and staff.
    Looking to the future on areas of concern, Shaver said the road dip going into Echo Dam was a problem that would not be addressed simply with repaving.
    “We need to find a solution. Also in long range planning we’re looking at increasing the number of docks and looking at the Association’s buildings. The North Clubhouse is not large enough to meet the requirements of a community of this size.”
    Shaver said he favors in-house maintenance, citing recent examples of a septic failure at the stables and a partial road collapse near the 7th green.
    “By having sufficient people on-hand, we were able to correct those problems. If we had gone to an outside source who knows how long it would have taken and how much it would have cost,” said Shaver.
    On competing with other developments, Shaver said Seven Lakes has an attractive base between the country club, lakes, and other amenities that attract families, along with one of the strongest schools in Moore County right outside the gates.
    Shaver thanked his committee members for their service and said he was very glad his good health would allow him to run for another term.
    
Don Truesdell
    With four years experience on the SLLA Board, including two as president, Don Truesdell said he has the experience and time to effectively contribute to his community.
    “I feel strongly that we should have a standing Lakes and Dams Committee – after all we are seven lakes,” he said. “Bud [Shaver] has done a great job with maintenance, but to have Lakes and Dams as a subset is not sufficient. It does not give enough attention to our most valuable resource – our lakes.”
    Truesdell also said he is firmly convinced that maintenance can be performed in-house far cheaper than through outsourcing.
    “Even taking into account depreciation and ongoing supplies, it is still much cheaper and we already have the capital investment of the maintenance equipment,” said Truesdell. “If we did outsource, the amount of money we’d recoup on the sale of our assets - we’d be lucky to get fifteen to twenty cents on the dollar.”
    On oversight, he said that a director must be intimate with the details…”The nuts and bolts of the operation. How can you be effective if you just sit there and are not familiar with ongoing day to day operations?”
    He said he was willing to devote whatever time would be necessary – a fact he said made obvious by the volumes of information and research on the lakes and dams he accumulated while serving as a director and on the committee.
    On communication with members, Truesdell said it is impossible to please all the people all the time, but that communication was an important issue that should be addressed on an ongoing basis.
    “The more informed the members are the better dialogue that can exist between members and directors,” said Truesdell.
    Looking forward with infrastructure needs other than dams and roads, he recommended drafting a replacement schedule for capital assets used by maintenance.
    “Up until now, we’ve replaced on an as-needed basis and a lot of our equipment is getting up there in years. We need to be more proactive,” said Truesdell, citing a $48,000 backhoe purchase ten years ago. “We had a major repair for $12,000 but to replace the backhoe would have cost $72,000.
    “We need to identify what needs to be replaced and get that in the budget. We have a lot of buildings in good shape and don’t necessarily need replacement but we do need to set money aside for unexpected building needs.”
   
 
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