Bruce Alitt
–
• Snack bars of some type are really required for each opened
golf course. Whether or not they should actually be restaurants is
something that I have just started looking at. As I posted, I had
breakfast the other day at The Tavern at the Falls. It was good although
the access needs improvement. The present board has already approved
money to update the Vista Grill, which will start on 2/15. A new food
& beverage manager has started as of 1/24. Since these have been
approved and started, we must give them a chance. This subject should
be re-visited in 6 months.
• We were left with 3 golf courses by Del Webb. They were built
to sell houses, not for the actual needs of our community. However
we have them. They are amenities which do enhance the value of our
properties. Further, we are required by our governing documents to
maintain them.
• There have been 2 companies mentioned as possible
managers for our courses who might be able to save us money. Both,
as well as any others, must be contacted and given a chance to inspect
and quote on managing our golf courses. At the same time I would review
any ideas from anyone as to what to do with a golf course, should
we decide to close it. Without a viable plan that indicates a savings
and will maintain the area in a manner that should be acceptable to
those who live on that course, I would not agree to closing a course.
• Closing a course is a change in usage which must be voted
on by the members according to our governing documents.
• I would like to chair the LSC, Link or CCOC. Bruce Alitt
Bruce’s clarifying message to a resident on NRS881 and NRS116
Our incorporation was in the spring of 1989, therefore NRS 81(1987)
was in effect. The 1989 version did not come into effect until the
close of the legislative session in June 1989 at the earliest. However
if there were changes to NRS 81 due to that legislative session they
would usually take effect 10/1/1989.
I certainly do recognize NRS 81. It is a law on the books in Nevada.
It works in conjunction with NRS 116. There are many sections of NRS
116 specifically carved out for HOAs that are not mentioned in NRS
81. As an example where in NRS 81 would you be allowed to speak at
a board meeting? NRS 116 is much more detailed than NRS 81. The only
issue, as I see it, is that both state that if there is a conflict,
NRS 116 prevails.
Bruce Alitt
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Ellen Bachman
–
• Board approval to renovate the Vista Grill should be completed
in February. This will provide table service and competitively priced
food.
• Our new, full time F& B manager should implement
and maintain effective purchasing and inventory controls and provide
food and service at reasonable prices. Taking these two steps will
significantly reduce our restaurant losses.
• I do not support closing a golf course at this time.
We also have seen an encouraging uptick in golf revenues recently.
However, it is time for a “fresh eyes” perspective. Therefore,
I support hiring a golf consultant to provide recommendations regarding
our golf operations, with feedback to be provided by the Golf Oversight
Committee, and consultant recommendations discussed at open board
meetings.
• We should continue to use more targeted marketing
to nonresidents as well as publicizing to residents the resident discounts
available. I also expect our Executive Director to provide performance
benchmarks to be met by employees, including performance benchmarks
to be met by food and beverage, golf and other managers.
• I currently chair both CCOC and Legal Services and would like
to continue to chair either or both and I want to make them even more
effective this coming year.
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Leo Crawford
–
• The former Summit restaurant should have been successful and
would have been if it had been run by someone who understood good
customer service. We (wife and I) went once and never went back because
of the extremely poor service. I don't know much about running restaurants
although I worked my way thru college working at an A&W root beer
drive-in.
Someone should be able to make the Summit a going concern. I would
like to see if we could get an existing successful restaurant to open
an offshoot branch at the Summit. I would think a takeout/home delivery
option would be a good part of the operation. But whoever runs it
must be service oriented. The Golf associated food services seem OK,
but again, I don't use them much. I have a hard time accepting that
we need a full time manager to be our food and beverage manager for
the existing facilities/services. I would hope we have built in some
tracking mechanism to see if the person is returning value worth their
salary.
• I heard about the golf course losses from many people as soon
as I moved to Sun City. This is probably the most well-known issue
throughout the community. Under the present format of running three
courses, the losses are inevitable for at least years into the future.
As I was told, there is about an annual $1.9 million loss for the
golf operation. The golf courses add to the community, but how much
should we pay for that implied value added and what are the alternatives?
Millions of dollars were spent building the courses and we should
be very careful in deciding to close one or more courses. From what
I have read, there would be major expenses in closing a course and
having to do upkeep on the then "greenbelt". My preference
would be to:
1. Carefully document the real variable costs in running
each course.
2. Determine the cost in closing and maintaining the green space for
each course.
3. Have the Board select the best two strategies, and obtain a vote
from the association members.
• An alternate strategy would ask the members if they
even want to consider closing a course or to even consider other strategies
such as outsourcing the operation of the three courses before going
any further in studying the problem. I have a lot of experience in
outsourcing but I do not see that as a panacea for our problem, but
it could be included as an alternative. Because of the big losses
and the fact that all around Las Vegas courses are closing and losing
money, I do not see outsourcing as a likely solution unless we are
willing to allow the operator to do things we might not want.
• Above all else, we need an open strategy, open data,
and a community decision. There is some doubt about the $1.9 million
being accurate, that the Golfers cooked the books, so we need an impartial
look at the issue or at least at the results of any study. We don't
want a vocal minority to drive the decision: golfers, "It costs
too much", or whatever.
• I am willing to support the courses for the value
they bring but we should look at alternatives.
Leo stated he has been going to every Committee meeting since
offering his candidacy. He remarked that few, if any residents, attend
these meetings.
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Richard Danzak
–
• I own a home at 10709 Clear Meadows Dr. I have owned it for
17 years. Since my wife passed away I found it difficult to stay in
the house. Unless one has lost a spouse or loved one it would be difficult
to understand why I moved out. I live in a home in Southern Shores
currently. I am hoping that someday I would feel comfortable moving
back into my home. It is not rented this month but will have renters
in it for February and March. Then I don’t know what I am going
to do. I will not give up my membership card to the renters so I can
continue with my duties as vice president of the soft ball club and
wagon master of the RV club. Where I sleep has nothing to do with
my integrity and willingness to serve on the BOD. You may post this
if you like. Sincerely, Dick Danzak
• If the restaurants are not profitable, shut them
down! Or better still, find an outside concern that can take them
over and run them so we don’t have to.
• The golf issue cannot be answered with a simple statement.
The whole issue has to be laid out, discussed, disseminated, and with
proper information then maybe a plan could be laid out as to what
to do. Yes, we must stop the bleeding of money but a hasty decision
to make someone happy is not the answer. Someone suggested giving
the running of the golf courses to an outside concern. I don’t
know if that is the answer, but should be part of the discussion.
I am not for shutting them down, but am not against doing so if that
is the answer that has to be made.
• Lowering the fees might bring more residence
to the courses. Volume, not increased prices, may help alleviate the
situation we are in. I know when I bought back in 1994 it only cost
me $2.00 to play a round of golf. I also realize that Del Webb was
subsidizing golf to get people to purchase homes.
• I have not attended any committee meetings in the
past year and I also did not play golf or RV because my wife was too
ill to leave her alone. I would be interested in chairing a committee.
Which one, I don’t know. Which committee needs the most help?
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Bill Krane
• Last year, while serving on a committee with Ken Caroccia,
Dick Danzak and I met with the Board Committee presenting a business
plan for Summit Restaurant. The plan was not accepted but will be
passed on to the New Food and Beverage Director.
• I have had further contact with the Swiss Bank concerning
the plan for their investors to lease our restaurants and golf courses
as they will not meet with me until I have the authority to invite
them to meet with a Board Committee. Obviously, unless I am elected
I lack the authority to make that happen. The present Board majority
will not give, nor think to allow me such authority.
• As for the continuing golf loses: From the day Del Webb handed
over the corporation, our Boards have lost more money each year. In
the most years we have raised dues to cover the ever growing loses.
If you ran a company that loses two to two and a half million dollars
a year would you not look for a management company that could stop
the bleeding? You remember the guy who was hitting himself in the
head with a hammer? He said, "It felt so good when he stopped."
Do you have 8 or 9 hammers lying around?
• I do not blame the golf and restaurant loses on the homeowners.
The blame lies with the Board. They sure do not represent the older
homeowners. They take advantage of the apathy that these 80+ year
people who want to live in peace and simplicity. They just want to
trust their Board to do the right thing. This Board does the right
thing....for the well to do golfers.
• What committee would I head up: To do what? Sit around and
talk? I am a "Get something accomplished businessman". I
want action! We have a community that has increased its debt ratio
ever since we were handed the reins. We have talked and talked! We
have committees that talk! ! BUT, they do nothing to stop unnecessary
spending. They throw the homeowners money away like it is not theirs....wait
a minute....it IS NOT theirs!
• I recently attended a Finance Committee Meeting. They talked
about the IRS as though they were a bunch of idiots. I do not take
the IRS lightly, I do not belong on that Committee. I also attended
a Legal Services Committee meeting. They spent the time talking about
Director Don Gelbman. What a bunch of hot air! The man was legally
elected to the Board. He has the Constitutional Rights granted under
the U.S. Constitution to free speech and they want to shut him up!
You want me on that committee? HA!
• Maybe in ten years, when I near my 90th birthday, I will mellow.
Right now? Give me 4 or 5 homeowners who owned their own Restaurants
and in less than 6 months, I will show you three successful restaurants,
each with a long term financial plan. They would deliver food to a
thousand people in Sun City who are of an age where they do not want
to cook and are comfortable getting a little assisted living help.
They would have prices that would rival the local casinos and franchise
businesses in or near our boarders. The talkers who control our community,
do not realize or care that you cannot get ice cream or frozen yogurt,
in Sun City. Our folks have to drive to the Sun Coast. We need that
set up in little used lobby of the Summit Theater building.
• You want improvement or talk? You want to talk about loses
or end them? Elect me and Dick Danzak and watch the steam. Re-elect
Ellen Bachman and David Steinman, who are very nice people, and you
will get the same results you have seen in the last 4 years. More
spending!
• Crime is up in Sun City! We even had a man robbed in his garage!
We need cameras at every entrance! That way we get license numbers,
color and make of the car. I brought this up at the last Board Meeting.
David laughed me down. He said, "Do you know what that would
cost?" We lose more than two million on golf and duck when it
comes to security cameras? So I called every Bank, shopping Center,
hospital etc. and told them what idiots they were to waste their money!
Cameras are stupid! Our Board said so... it must be true!
• Sorry Stan, Dick and I are men of action and business experience
and little talk. You want action? Give me a BOARD that wants to correct
the years of talking with a couple of years of action and the loses
will go away.
Bill
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Dave Steinman
–
• We are in the process of remodeling the Vista Grill for the
first time in nearly 20 years and we have hired a Food and Beverage
Manager. We expect a professional manager to be able to make some
changes and hope we can eventually turn a profit. Highland Falls needs
to be examined to determine its best course of operation.
• No one likes the golf losses! When each resident moved into
Sun City they took on an ownership position in three golf courses.
No one ever guaranteed a profit would continue on three golf courses.
It is time to hire an outside expert to examine our golf program and
make recommendations to the Board of Directors. Should they recommend
closure of a course, that decision becomes the subject of a community
vote. I do not favor closing golf courses unless the owners of Sun
City mandate such an action.
• I would be very happy to continue as Chair of the Architectural
Review Committee. I am proud of the look of our community over the
past 10 years that I have been Chairman or co-chairman of ARC.
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Robert Robey
No Response to questions.
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