What is Truth, When All Transparency is Gone?
Transparency (noun) : Being open and honest, without secrets.
Our goal was to develop a way to communicate accurate and timely information to all Foothills residents. Dave Urban and I have volunteered countless hours to create a website and e-mail system; while covering all costs involved. It’s worth noting that there haven’t been any HOA dues used for subscriptions and upkeep. Both of these modalities have been resounding successes. We have emails for 137 neighbors (107 homes), nearly 50 of them I acquired because these people didn’t want their e-mails in the directory. This far exceeds PK’s ability to reach members, as they only have permission from 57 individuals. And, when the national average open rate for e-mails is only 21.5%, our average open rate is a resounding 75%! This demonstrates that our e-mails are reaching more than half of the neighborhood. You now have more access to HOA documents, past newsletters, and HOA news.
However, recent events are beginning to show that transparency is not a value shared by all. There was a recent attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Constant Contact email system. Flyers are being removed from mailboxes without the consent of the owner. A letter signed by the “Board” was NOT actually from the Board and was delivered to only a handful of homes. Letters written by residents expressing serious concerns about safety and the Board’s integrity have been ignored. Meeting locations were chosen without regard for member safety, despite strong objections. Meeting times were decided without considering the board members who work full-time. Furthermore, the board meeting times have now been changed without providing notice to 100% of the owners.
Many people describe the state of our park as an “us vs. them”. This divisiveness is destructive and is fueled by those who conceal information, forbid information sharing, manipulate and intimidate those seeking the truth, and deceive to support their point of view. Aggression then fuels the fire. This then leads people to be confused and not know who to trust. To turn disharmony into consensus we must agree to work together with an attitude of peace, grace, and compromise.
Many of you have entrusted me to keep your e-mails secure and private. I can guarantee you that this will remain the case. A couple of people have unsubscribed from the e-mails, and this will be honored. Content will continue to be fact-checked. And if any errors are found after publishing, they will be corrected. All information will be shared and accessible by ALL residents of Foothills. And, if you wish to write an article, share information, or have ideas for improvement, let me know*. Together we can build a future of harmony and truth.
*Please note that posts that are assaultive/bullying, inaccurate, or degrade transparency will not be approved for posting.
