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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2023 5 Message From The Board is is an article from February 2022 and worth repeating since there are always new homeowners moving into Four Seasons. I hear from residents all the time that an idea or request has been submitted and appears to be going nowhere. Below is a guide by which an idea originates and the process that follows through the various committees along the way to the Board of Directors. We all learned many things throughout our lifetime, but some of the most important things we learned as kids were from watching TV. I know I learned how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop (which, by the way, is number three on the top 10 commercials of all time), how to spell B-O-L-O-G-N-A, and what was Magically Delicious! All important things to know. Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings, between your favorite cartoons, covered Multiplication, Grammar, Science, Computers, Money and the Earth, making learning fun and interesting. My favorite was "America Rock." One episode had a catchy tune explaining how a bill becomes a law, how it must go through Congress and how it can be vetoed, etc. I was thinking since we all learned about civics from these animated shows, and hopefully from school, this month I would outline how an idea makes its way through our committees and to the Board of Directors for a vote. We can call it, "Four Seasons Rock," without the catchy tune. All joking aside, there is a process, and sometimes not a quick one, at Four Seasons that enables us to utilize checks and balances and ensures all I's are dotted and T's are crossed. This keeps the association from overspending the budget and possibly incurring a special assessment. Once an idea is presented or discussed within a committee, they meet with any other committees that will have a piece of the project and discuss what will be done in each committee. After all committees agree with the project, the FirstService liaison prepares the documentation and sends it out for bids. Each contractor is provided the same information so we are comparing apples to apples on the bids when the quotes are returned. The current HOA requirement is three separate bids. Since the committees meet once a month, the earliest the bids can be presented to the committee for discussion and vote would be the following month. If all bids are returned and there are no questions that need clarification, the bids are voted on by the respective committees and passed on to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee looks at all three bids and takes into consideration the votes from the individual committees and their recommendations. Finance will make the determination if we have the funds available and either send it back to the committee(s) saying no funds available or pass the request on to the Board of Directors indicating funds available. At this point, the request is about a month and a half to two months in progress to the Board. This all is the equivalent of a bill in Congress passing through committees with votes to approve, moving on for a full vote, and on for final approval/veto from the president. Finally, the Board of Directors receives the request that has been signed off by each committee involved and approved by Finance for funding. At this point, the clock has been ticking for up to a minimum of two to two and a half months. The Board of Directors will review and discuss in an open session and either vote to approve, deny, or pass back through the process for more clarification. Although our process is much faster than a bill passing through Congress, there is still some lag time from start to finish, and the time frames I outlined above are in a perfect world, so it could be longer. All the checks and balances make the idea worth the wait so everyone is on the same page with the best possible outcome for our community. The Board of Directors meets the second Thursday of the month at 1 pm in the Ballroom and we encourage everyone to attend and see the workings of the association. Per civil code, the Board cannot engage in conversation with any homeowner input. If you prefer to meet with the Board in a less formal setting; Meet with the Board is a more intimate setting where the Board can engage in conversation with you on most anything you wish to discuss (exceptions include any issues currently in litigation). Meet with the Board is held the third Wednesday of each month in the RCN at 2 pm. If you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at kathycravenbod@yahoo.com or at (714) 722-1301. By Kathy Craven, Board Vice-President

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