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As this year rapidly comes to a close, the Board of Directors continue to work with management on several issues. As our community ages and new residents move in, we face new challenges, questions, and situations. This is to be expected. However, many of these challenges take time to solve and to get the answers back to residents. Living in an HOA can be a new experience for Long-timers as well as new Residents. In the New Resident Welcome Presentation, I always remind residents that when we were younger, we did not like rules! So what are we doing here? We have rules for everything! As a refresher for everyone, please know that for the protection of the Association, the Board must follow very specific laws regarding how problems are solved. The Board's responsibility is to become aware of all the policies that are currently in place, all the laws stated in the Davis-Stirling Act which governs Associations, all the contracts we currently have, and all the benefits and services we receive from our Keystone Management Company. These are just a few of the long list of challenges that a new Board member faces. You might say, "Why would I want to be on the Board?" I guess the best answer is, "I think I can make a difference." We have three new Board members who have had four months to try and figure out what their duties include. They are working very hard trying to understand the laws that the Association must follow. These laws can frustrate new Board members. Did you know that five Board members cannot just sit down and talk about issues? Board members cannot email or discuss any issues in emails. Executive sessions have strict guidelines that must be followed. COVID has greatly affected the classes that were previously available for Board members to learn their responsibilities. They have had many sleepless nights. In addition, it is important to remember that a Board member's responsibility is to make and follow policies. It is Management's responsibility to run the Association in accordance with the policies established by the Board. When problems arise (like problems at the gate or problems getting our remodel done), we need to depend on management to work these problems out and to keep the Board informed about what is happening. That is currently happening, but it does take time. One of the things that I have learned in my years on the Board is that "Problems are not solved overnight!" We ask for your patience as we deal with the many old and new issues facing our community. We continue to look for a new General Manager, a reorganization of staff duties, searching for new vendors, and working with management to solve the issues at hand. It is a big job but we do think we can make a difference. We want and expect your M2M suggestions and concerns for our Association. Management and the Board are working as fast as we can to get the Association moving forward in a positive manner. HOA NEWS | LIFE IN SOLERA | OCTOBER 2021 | 3 FROM THE BOARD By Pat King

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