SCA Info

Today’s Anthem View

Announcements

Board Meeting, Today, 3 December

The Board meeting will be held on Thursday, December 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Freedom Hall. Members will have the opportunity to comment.

Among the issues to be addressed at Thursday’s Board meeting are:

• Review of the Unaudited Summary Financial Statements as of September 30, 2015;
• Approval of the SCA Emergency Preparedness Disaster Plan Organizational Chart;
• Sunset the Self-Management Transition Team;
• Discussion on capital expenditures authorization and approval process;
• Approval of the contract for Liberty Center repairs;
• Discussion and/or possible action regarding maintaining LEED certification;
• Approval of expenditures including stacking chairs at the Independence Multipurpose rooms; a document management system; and financial software solution.

The draft Board Book for the December meeting is available on the SCA website at www.sca-hoa.org. You may view it by logging in, clicking on Documents / Draft Documents / and then the Board Book file. Click on the blue text links in the agenda to see supporting material related to agenda items. Hard copy of the draft Board Book is also available at the Membership Office.
Meet the New SCA General Manager, 3 December

All SCA residents are invited to a Board of Directors meet-and-greet this Thursday evening, 3 December, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Delaware Room at Anthem Center.
Chat with Board members, say hello to your friends and neighbors, and meet the new Association General Manager, Sandy Seddon.
Refreshments will be served.

First Friday Health and Wellness
Friday, December 4, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Delaware Room, Anthem Center
Free, light refreshments. Reservations required. Sign up at the Anthem Center front desk or call 702-614-5864 to reserve a seat.
Join our sponsor, St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation, Siena Campus, for a program on flu and respiratory diseases. We are well into the flu season, and seniors are among the most vulnerable to serious illness arising from the flu and threats to our respiratory systems. Learn up-to-date tips and information on this critical subject.

Holiday Clubs Fair
Saturday, December 5, 9:00 a.m. to noon
Grand Ballroom, Anthem Center
Free for SCA residents
Come out to meet our club representatives, explore what each club has to offer, do a bit of holiday shopping and socialize with your friends. Is there a better way to spend a Saturday morning? Participating clubs will provide information on what they do, membership, more. This is your opportunity to ask questions and learn more about some of the 55 clubs that we have at Sun City Anthem, including the newest, Strategy Games. Be sure to come out, support the clubs and have some coffee.

Commentary on Capital Expenditures by Ron Johnson

One potential hot button item on today’s agenda is an attempt to respond to a recent state Advisory Opinion (AO) that requires member approval for capital improvement projects. The issue centers on whether the association’s governing documents gave the association authority to initiate capital improvements. If no such authority exists, the board will have to amend the governing documents to expand the authority of the association. Some have expressed the opinion that it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get 2/3 of the members to approve such an amendment.

As previously reported, we were led to believe that the board had sought a legal opinion from association’s counsel on this issue. Based on a discussion of this issue at the Agenda Review meeting on Tuesday, the impression was that legal counsel had declined to render an opinion, thereby leaving the decision on how to apply the state’s AO up to the board.

As a result, we can expect Board Director Jim Mayfield to let us know what his opinion is regarding the application of the state’s Advisory Opinion to Sun City Anthem. 

Given the prospect that this issue might become a contentious issue between homeowners and the board, legal counsel may have concluded that their services may be required in the future if the state intervenes in response to a complaint that the board had initiated a capital improvement without amending the governing documents. Counsel may have been reluctant to stick their neck out on this matter in advance of this matter becoming a legal issue between the association and the state. 

AND THEN,

National Security Action Summit

The Center for Security Policy is sponsoring a National Security Action Summit in Las Vegas on Monday, 9 am to 5 pm, on 14 December. The Center’s founder and president is Frank Gaffney, former Assistant Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan. Click here for information about the Center and the Summit. For more information about Summit’s site and location, click here.  

Today’s Anthem View

Announcements

Spirit magazine delivery late
Due to a staff shortage at the mail house, the Spirit magazine was not mailed out until this past Tuesday, December 1.  It was scheduled to be mailed out last Friday, November 27, in which case it would have arrived in residents' mailboxes by the date it was mailed.

The late mailing combined with the post office being deluged with holiday catalogs, etc., made this a most unfortunate event.  Most residents should receive the magazine today.  We stressed to the mail house that this must not happen again.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused, but be assured that the magazine is in the mail.

The December Board Meeting

At the regular monthly meeting on December 3, our Board took the following actions:
* Reviewed and accepted the Unaudited Summary Financial Statements as of September 30, 2015;
* Reviewed the year-to-date financial statements of the Association and the related schedule of revenue and expenses compared to budget, a current reconciliation of the operating bank accounts, a current reconciliation of the reserve bank accounts, and the current status of any civil action or claim;
* Approved new members to the Architectural Review, Community Lifestyle and Election Committees;
* Approved newly appointed chairs to the Architectural Review and the Covenants Committees;
* Approved the write-off of the bad debt in the amount of $16,579.98 in uncollectable debts;
* Approved the SCA Emergency Preparedness Disaster Plan Organizational Chart;
* Sunset the Self-Management Transition Team;
* Approved the contract for Liberty Center repairs; and
* Approved the purchase of a financial software solution.
In addition, Board treasurer Tom Nissen, chair of the Self-Management Transition Team, provided a status update on the transition to self-management.

Board Book. The complete Board Book for this meeting along with backup documents will be posted on the SCA website by end-of-day Wednesday of next week. It can be viewed by logging in at www.sca-hoa.org, clicking on Documents / Board of Directors / Board Book / 2015 and then the file. You can click on blue text links in the agenda to go to the material related to that item in the Board Book. You may also review the Book in hard-copy form at the Membership Office.

What Really Happened at the Board Meeting
By Ron Johnson

Three issues dominated this week’s board meeting, leading some to question the capability of those who are in charge of running the association. 

On capital projects and approval process

After announcing (on Tuesday) his intention to inform members on how the association understands their obligations in initiating capital improvement projects, Director Jim Mayfield announced that he was not ready to address this issue. As to what happened between Tuesday and Thursday to change Mayfield’s plans to clarify the association’s position on this important matter is unknown.

Jim had previously suggested that the association’s governing documents authorized it to initiate capital projects, thereby avoiding the State’s mandate to amend the governing documents to provide such authorization. 

Although challenged to do so by member Nelson Orth, Mayfield was unwilling to identify at this time any provision of our governing documents that supports his position. 

On Liberty Center’s closer issues

We learned that water has been leaking for years from the water carrying pipes that were installed on the roof of Liberty Center. Those pipes were installed in order to assist in meeting the “green” requirements that the board had authorized for the Center’s construction. Given the serious and potentially very costly mold remediation problems that were created by the leaks, it’s difficult to understand how the leaks were allowed to persist for so long until the matter became a hazardous health issue.

Until the equipment installed on the roof has been removed, along with the roof and the water soaked walls, the contractor performing the work will not be able to provide the association with an estimate of the cost to remediate the presence of mold.

Although the cost to remediate the problem has yet to be determined, the board appears committed to correcting the problem whatever the cost. That prompted some in the audience to question how much the board was willing to commit to correct the problem.

Note: Based on comments made by board members, the board will be looking to decide in the next month or two on whether to permanently remove one or more of the “green” components of the building, presumably in order to prevent the future occurrence of the leak/mold problems. As a result, the Center is expected to lose their LEED certification. The board encouraged homeowners who have concerns about this likelihood to contact the board.     

On the new financial software decision

The proposal to purchase financial software to be use when we transition to self-management was fraught with uncertainty, confusion and, some might suggest, ineptitude exhibited by some members of the board. In the end, the board voted 4 to 3 to purchase the recommended software, VMS Software, a company based in Las Vegas.  Casting a “no” vote were Bella Meese, Don Schramski and Carl Weinstein.

The first problem was the Software Report. Proffered as an evaluation of viable alternatives, it was little more than a report of first impressions from a company’s demonstration of their product. It’s unclear whether the nearby location of the selected company played a role in the decision-making process.

The last time the board seemingly based their decision on first impressions was when they selected the [wrong] operator to run the restaurant.

Rather than a detailed comparison of vendors by features deemed critical in meeting SCA’s needs, the report offered only a narrative discussion on selected topics. That methodology guaranteed that there would be no credible way to compare the pros and cons of one system against another.

While the board necessarily relies on the efforts of the Finance Committee to provide the board with relevant financial information, members of that committee, except for one, were not part of the software evaluation team. It’s unclear why the evaluation team was made up of only two users of the data and outputs (Nissen and Quinn).

A primary issue surfaced when some board members voiced their concerns that any decision made now would effectively preempt the decision-making authority of the yet to be hired chief financial officer (CFO), who would be hired by the general manager. Some board members thought that the board was unnecessarily micromanaging the association’s financial operations by selecting a software program that would track and report SCA’s financial condition. In the end, four members of the seven-member board decided that the association could not postpone that decision (for about 60 days) until a new yet to be hired CFO was on board.   

Today’s Anthem View

Announcements

Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?
You won’t want to miss the Lunch and Learn that is scheduled for this Friday, December 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Delaware Room, Anthem Center.

Nancy Gabriel from Mediation Around the Table joins us for a workshop she calls, Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate? This covers how to have “that talk” about your cherished personal belongings with your children and family.

You will leave the luncheon with insight on how to start the talk about inheritance – who will inherit what and why – so that your children and family are happy and at ease with the discussion.
This will be fun and informative hour. Nancy will also share with us why we hesitate to have these conversations about sensitive issues and how better to begin opening that door.

The seminar is free to residents. Light refreshments will be offered. Reservations are required. Sign up at the Anthem Center front desk, or call 702-614-5864 to reserve your spot.

SCA-TV IS ON THE MOVE
SCA-TV has migrated from Cox Cable channel 980 to channel 1960. Those who do not have high-definition Cox channels may still view the station on channel 99 until February, at which time Cox will finish the process of converting from analog television broadcasting to all digital.

Channel 980 moved to channel 1960 in anticipation of SCA-TV’s conversion to high definition; Cox places all of their HD channels above channel 1000.

You won’t want to miss this week’s Anthem Alive! on channel 1960 at 12, 3, 6 and 9 a.m. and p.m. – we have an exclusive interview with SCA’s new general manager, Sandy Seddon.

Other programming in this week’s edition of AA includes Let’s Go Clubbing, featuring the Aquacize Club; People I See Around Anthem, featuring – what else?! – Anthem residents; Musical Moments; a report on the benefits of yoga; Lifestyle Director Meg Poulson’s segment on dealing with chronic stress by “working it out”; and comedienne Lois Krashin’s weekly Something to Think About missives.

If you do not have Cox TV or if you want to view SCA-TV’s programming at your convenience, we are “on the air” 24/7 at www.sca-tv.com.

Café V Specials
Thursday, December 10
Short Ribs with roasted potatoes and green beans - $11.99
Friday, December 11
Fish Fry Fridays - $9.99
Saturday, December 12
The restaurant will be open for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. but will be closed to the public Saturday night for a private event.

An Electrical Problem Alert
By Ron Johnson

If you are experiencing intermittent power failures to an outlet, room or appliance, you may have a potential fire hazard.

I would like to share with you an email from a Canyon Crest homeowner about a serious electrical problem that they recently encountered. Given the nature of the problem, they felt that others might have experienced similar electrical problems and thought that their experience might benefit others.  

Ceiling lights and fan in one room would come on and off for no apparent reason. Then power to the room was intermittent. Finally, all power to the room’s outlets and fixtures was lost.

An examination of all of the electrical outlets in the room disclosed that the wires were either loose or barely connected. In one case, the wires had melted and a portion of the outlet had burnt, presenting a very real fire hazard to the home. 

This homeowner’s experience might help to serve as an important alert to others to address such problems in a timely manner.

Today’s Anthem View

Announcements

Recreation Center/Admin Holiday Hours

Christmas Eve Day – Thursday, December 24
Independence Center closes at noon
Anthem Center closes at 4:00 p.m.
Administrative and Membership offices closed

Christmas Day – Friday, December 25
All buildings closed

Saturday, December 26
Membership office open 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Day – Thursday, December 31
All buildings close at noon

New Year’s Day – Friday, January 1
Anthem Center 9:00 a.m. to close
Independence Center closed
Administrative and Membership offices closed

Notice Regarding Liberty Center Closure

Liberty Center will be closed though February 28, 2016. Every effort is being made to reschedule events and activities as needed.

Covenants Committee Seeks Volunteers
The Covenants Committee is seeking homeowner applicants for a current opening. The committee meets to conduct a business meeting and hold hearings on the Wednesday prior to the second Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Anthem Center. On rare occasions, the committee may also hold a special meeting or hearing.
The Covenants Committee serves as the hearing tribunal for the Association. Monthly meetings are held to determine whether violations of Sun City Anthem’s governing documents exist and if so, whether fines or sanctions should be imposed. Committee members must sign a confidentiality agreement.
If you are interested in serving on this important committee, please complete a Volunteer Application, which you may pick up at the Anthem Center front desk. Place the completed application in the Volunteers Coordinator's mailbox at the entrance to the Anthem Fitness Center, or scan and email the application to volunteer@scacai.com.
Applications will be accepted through January 11, and interviews will be held mid-January.

Café V Closure?
As reported earlier this week by David Berman, the operator of Café V appears to have ceased operations recently. Efforts by Mr. Berman to contact the restaurant partners were not successful. Whether this action was in response to an association notice (see below) on outstanding utility arrears is not known.

Legal Notice Filed Against the Operator of Café V, Anthem Restaurant Partners
Courtesy of David’s Anthem Journal

Through its legal counsel, the Sun City Anthem Community Association has served two notices on Anthem Restaurant Partners (ARP), doing business in Anthem Center as Café V (formerly Vic’s) and The Art of Catering by Vic Vegas.

Though one of these documents was incorrectly described on another blog as an eviction notice, the net effect is that steps toward an eviction could follow within a matter of days.
The notices were precipitated by a dispute between landlord (SCA) and tenant (ARP) over unpaid utilities assessments, and the crux of the notices is a demand for payment of back utilities in the amount of $31,623.28.

The first notice is titled FIVE DAY NOTICE TO QUIT OR CURE DEFAULT OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT.
This notice is dated December 14, 2015, and it states “that if ARP fails to cure the default of the Lease and remit payment of the full amount as stated herein to the Association’s legal counsel at the address stated below within five (5) days of this Notice, you will be guilty of an unlawful detainer, and immediate legal action will be brought against you for recovery of possession of the Premises, for any damages caused to the Premises, and for attorneys’ fees and costs.”

The second and potentially more important notice, dated December 15 and delivered to ARP by hand and by U.S. Mail, is titled NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF UTILITY SERVICES.
This notice states, in part, that if ARP should “fail to remit full payment of the outstanding balance for utilities in the amount of $31,623.28, which have been paid for by the Association within five (5) days of the date of this letter the Association shall be terminating/turning-off the utility services to the premises located at 2450 Hampton Road…”

What this means, of course, is that regardless of the time it might take for SCA to evict the tenant through legal process, turning off the utilities within five days would effectively shut down the restaurant.

Two of the restaurant partners have told this reporter they believe they have effective defenses to the Association’s claims, but the clock is ticking and it remains to be seen how the partners will respond, if at all.

Giving to Charities Wisely

In today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal, columnist Jane Ann Morrison offers some timely advice on giving to charities wisely. Morrison provides helpful information on where you can find credible information on how effective charities are in meeting the program needs of the clients they support. While she mentions a few that she believes are highly commendable, she also list several highly popular charities that have the lowest ratings by Charity/Watch. You can read her article here.